Team Korea & EUC

I can't begin to describe how thankful we are to have received your prayers throughout this EUC week. The Holy Spirit was without a doubt present. Cultural barriers were broken, friendships were made, and more importantly the gospel was shared. Students came to know God for the first time, students that knew Him grew more as believers, and there is now a strong unity between a group of students from many different backgrounds. One of our major prayers is that this unity would bring unification in Korea so that the gospel can be proclaimed in the North.

Our group served as small group leaders throughout the week. This can be one of the most tiring yet most rewarding jobs. Many students are hardened to the truth of the gospel and cling to the things of this world. I was so thankful that our camp theme was to "Be Transformed" based off of Romans 12. The hardened hearts can be discouraging to see. But praise be to God for even the smallest changes in these students lives. I can see God working! I rejoice in those that now know Christ, but I also rejoice in the smile I see on a face during worship from a student who normally would never smile. I rejoice in seeing the expression on a students face when they realize Jesus lives inside of them. I rejoice for prayer requests being answered and students that knew about God yet had not given their lives to Him doing so this week.

Please pray that these changes and these blessings would not be forgotten. It's easy to be in camp mode but I pray that not only this week but the lives of these students would be changed. I pray for discipleship in their lives and for them to long to share what they learned with others.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." -Romans 12:2

Thanks for your prayers,

Team Korea

Blessed to Serve

As our students have finished school for the semester our daily roles will begin to look very different for the remainder of the summer.  This change has caused me to reflect on the summer so far as well as to look forward to the tasks ahead.  One thing that I have realized is that I have been incredibly blessed by serving the students at HDS.  They have helped to enjoy God’s creation and the simple things of life.  Also, their culture models generosity beyond what I have experienced anywhere else.  The students are eager to bring me ice cream, paint my nails, and give me their extra headphone to share their music with me. This has been both convicting and inspirational for me as I try to return the love they have shown to me. 

The students have also taught me how to build friendships without words.  Because of the language barrier, I have not been able to communicate with many of the students. However, this has not stopped our friendships from forming. I have enjoyed bonding with the girls by giving each other facials, watching Korean dramas, listening to music together.  We have also had fun times playing badminton, walking in the park, and eating spicy pigs feet and other “unique” foods together!  I am very thankful to have been able to share in these moments with the girls that I am becoming more attached to each day.  

This summer has also taught me more about living a missional life style all of the time.  While we are in a foreign country, South Korea is a western culture that is similar to the US in many ways.  Also when I return from serving at this school, I will begin teaching at a high school in the states.  I know that the students I will have in the states need Jesus just as much as the students here. While I am excited for the remainder of our time in Korea, I am also excited to return home and begin investing in my students there as well.
 
-Nikki

Prep for English Unification Camp

We have been in pretty much the same routine these past several weeks.  Waking up early on weekdays to go to school, and hanging out with students during free time and at home. We have all been blessed with some great relationships with these students, and have had numerous opportunities to share our faith or have Bible studies or just ask them how they feel about God and Jesus.  

Today was actually the last day of school, so now we will be almost entirely focused on preparing for English Unification Camp.  In the past this camp has always had a huge effect on the students, many say that this camp is where they met God for the first time or that it is where they accepted Christ's salvation.  For the teachers and our supervisor, the weeks before camp are full of preparation, planning, paperwork, etc.  As a team we have been building some of the games that will be used to help teach English in one of the camp workshops.  We will all also serve as small group/team leaders during EUC.

How you can pray:

• That God would begin working on the hearts of all the students who will be attending EUC. 
• Lift up everyone who works at the school, our supervisor, and our team as we prepare for EUC. 
• About 10 - 12 students are graduating and preparing to enter university, applying for university is even more difficult, stressful, and crucial in SK than it is in the United States.  So pray that God would be with them throughout the application process and that He would keep the faith of those who are Christians strong while they are in college.  It is possible that some of the graduates are not saved, so pray that instead of being less open to God while they are at college that they would be pursued by God and any believers they encounter at school

-Ethan

A Nation Divided

This week has been so great! It's the students last week of the school year so we are soaking up time with them while they are at school. Monday a couple of people helped with worship IN KOREAN. It's always fun attempting to sing along and worship God together. Today we got the chance to go to the DMZ with all our students. It was just so interesting to think about if my state was closed off and all my family and friends were there and I couldn't go back. It's hard for us to imagine but it's what many of them have to struggle with. However, they have the hope of unification of Korea. This is a daily  prayer request our team has. Not only so these students can be reunited with family but that the gospel might be able to be freely spread to their people. Join us in praying for this.

Our big English Unification Camp is coming up soon and we still have a lot of work to get done before then. Pray for us as we are preparing for camp. Pray that many students would be able to have a real relationship with Christ and that God would use this camp in that process. Thanks for the prayers.

-Team Korea

The "Cool Americans"

Our team with our supervisor

Hello from Seoul! We're finishing up our first month here and each day is a blessing! I still can't believe that we get to live and share the gospel with students from one of the most oppressed countries on earth. 

As Americans, we have a very unique opportunity to witness. Even though we don't deserve it, the students tend to view us as the "cool americans" and often go out of their way to be with us. Especially with some of the younger students, I feel that we have a very big influence. I feel blessed to have had numerous opportunities to share our faith! As just one example, one of the students in my apartment came to our most recent Bible study. What's truly amazing is that this student is one of the biggest "problem" students, and my dorm leader had specifically asked us to pray for him! God is truly at work!  We greatly appreciate your prayers for our team and for the ministry at Heavenly Dream School. 

• Pray that God continues to soften the students hearts that they would know Him personally and not see Christianity as strange or as simply another school subject.
• Pray that the students who are currently seeking God would find Him and would be filled with HIS joy and HIS passions.   
• Pray also for the students' families and friends, as many of them are unsaved and still suffering in their homeland.   
• Finally, pray for us and for the teachers here, that we would be filled with the Holy Spirit and share God's love and truth constantly!

Philippians 3:7-11
 
-Andrew

I am blessed

I feel extremely blessed to be in Seoul, South Korea. I live in an apartment with three of the girls from Heavenly Dream school. They are sweet and always eager to help me. I feel blessed by being able to work with these students. Every morning at school the students come up the stairs and tell me good morning with a smile on their faces. It is easy for me to forget the difficult lives these students come from. Their faces shine with the joy that comes with knowing Christ. As for the students who have yet to put their faith in Christ , they are the ones which remain constant in my prayers. 

The other week we were asked to lead the weekly chapel here at the school. We had the chance to lead worship in English and Korean and share our testimonies. We were so blessed to have been able to share what Christ has done in our lives. 

All these students have become like siblings to me. From getting ice cream and hanging out at the local convenience store to helping them with homework, I have come to build relationships with and love these students I am here to serve.

-Ariel