Another Canada Moment, Courtesy of The Fish

I'm here again in a PC ¹æ preparing for the tri-county English camp that begins Monday. As soon as I began listening to 95.9 The Fish, Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name" was played on the air. Colin taught us the song while the 4 of us Team La Ronge members were at Ben Clarke's trap line.

Immediately after "Blessed Be Your Name" ended, "Thy Word" from Amy Grant: The Collection was played on the air. During our last couple weeks on Bigstone reserve, Ben & Nicky graciously lent us the keys to their home while their family went up to their trapline.

Ben & Nicky's home was a refuge for me...a refuge from anxiety in a time of emotional turbulence.  

Nicky owned the Amy Grant: The Collection CD, and I remember how the CD soothed me whenever I chose to spend the night in Ben & Nicky's empty house.

Even though much of the time, STEP Canada was difficult because of the turbulence of my own emotions...whenever I am going through difficulties or loneliness as a Korean government-sponsored "native speaker" in Korea, I tend to find that things (such as listening to The Fish) remind me of Canada...where I lived out each moment fully conscious of the fact that God was with us and that I had a clear purpose. It just so happens that this week has actually been THE BEST FULL WEEK that I have had during the past 11 months here in Korea. If I could do anything I wanted as a "native speaker," I would spend an entire year leading writing workshops for (Korean) English teachers. It also helps that most of the 45 English teachers in my writing workshop like me. For the first time in my life, I was told that I have humor and wit and that I always have a smile on my face.  Wow, WTH happened to Sam?

Finally, inspiration has struck! (I feel like some kind of artist, saying that).

I was thinking about how I could write an entry incorporating both the 27th Christian Carnival hosted by Mr. Standfast and the Feeling aimless post by Messy Christian.

I'm not exactly feeling aimless.... For the first time in months, I have a sense of purpose and feel a sense of fulfillment. In terms of work (I'm a "native speaker" with EPIK or the English Program in Korea, the only Korean Ministry of Education-sponsored English program), for the first time since I began working in Korea last September, I have finally found an aspect of English education about which I have some confidence (and a lot of passion): writing.

As if things couldn't get any better, not only am I leading a writing workshop...but I'm leading a writing workshop for English teachers. So I'm not exactly feeling aimless....

Messy Christian's last I want inspired the post which you are now reading.

The I want?: I want to use my skills for God more ... thank goodness for this blog. But where else do I serve? How else?

I was throwing myself a small pity party.

I "teach" teachers who complain that I assign them too much homework.... Is this writing workshop even worth the time and energy I am putting into it?

Then I remembered: I am serving God while making a difference. Hanol and Danbi (sisters and two of my Imshil Elementary students) email me.... Sung-shik (another Imshil Elementary student) had absolutely no interest in English last year, but starting raising his hand to answer my questions as the school year came to an end....

Have I done my job? Yeah (and besides, no ONE person can impact EVERYBODY).  Have I made a difference? Yeah. Not one, not two, but THREE kids....

So often, we're given many small blessings. Do we forget them because they're too small? Because we think they're too small?

Looking Back While Also Looking Ahead

At 10:32 PM Sunday (6:32 AM Sunday, Pacific Standard Time), The Fish is playing Jesus, Lover of My Soul from Hillsongs. This is my heart's cry. This was my heart's cry when Park Sang-hee, then an 8th grader, asked me on my first day at Imshil East Middle School what I thought about Jesus Christ.  

Jesus Lover of my soul
Jesus i will never let you go
youve taken me from the miry clay
Set my feet upon a rock and now i know

I need you
I love you
Though my world may fall i'll never let you go
My saviour, My closest friend.
I will worship you
Until the very end.

Like David Playing the Harp for King Saul

I first learned of this song at Irvine's 2002 CCM Senior Banquet. It was the background music for the slideshow. It has since become, perhaps, my favorite song. Listening to The Fish here in Korea is something of a treat because I am only able to do that in a PC ¹æ.   

Fingerprints Of God - Steven Curtis Chapman (Speechless)

I can see the tears filling Your eyes And I know where they're coming from They're coming from a heart that's broken in two By what you don't see The person in the mirror Doesn't look like the magazine Oh, but when I look at you it's clear to me that ... I can see the fingerprints of God When I look at you I can see the fingerprints of God And I know it's true You're a masterpiece That all creation quietly applauds And you're covered with the fingerprints of God Never has there been and never again Will there be another you Fashioned by God's hand And perfectly planned To be just who you are And what He's been creating Since the first beat of your heart Is a living breathing priceless work of art and ... Just look at you You're a wonder in the making Oh, and God's not through, no In fact, He's just getting started and ... As I sit here in a PC ¹æ at 10:15 on a Sunday night (Korea time), I am just letting music be a form of therapy. After The Fish played "Fingerprints of God," KFSH DJ Ryan James followed that immediately with "There is None Like You."

Suspected serial killer arrested

A man arrested for beating a masseuse confessed yesterday to a nine-month killing spree in which he murdered 19 people, including 11 women working in red-light districts, and old wealthy people, police said.

It is believed to be the worst single case of serial killings in Korea, an officer at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on condition of anonymity.

Yoo Young-chul, 33, was arrested Thursday on a charge of beating a female massage attendant at an inn in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, and was being questioned when he made his surprise confession.

This guy is human trash. Why?

The list of people he murdered includes:

a 73-year old emeritus professor and his 68-year old wife 

an 85-year old grandmother

well-to-do financial figure's 69-year old wife

 an 87-year old man and his 53-year housemaid, Bae.

Police said Yoo, who has previously been in prison 14 times for theft and violent behavior, escaped after being arrested but was recaptured 12 hours later on Friday by a policeman on patrol at Yeongdeungpo Station in southwestern Seoul .

His primary targets were wealthy people living in fashionable houses and residential buildings in southern Seoul. His modus operandi was to break in during daylight hours when all family members were likely to be at work and only old people remained in the dwellings.

He did not touch money and other valuable articles, underscoring his possible motive was hatred of well-to-do people and anger at a social system in which the rich get richer at the expense of the poor, police said.

His other targets were young women, stemming from anger over a divorce and rejection of a marriage proposal to another woman. Yoo said he was divorced by his wife while he was in prison in 2002 serving a sentence for theft. After he was released, he proposed to a woman working in the night club but was rejected because he was an ex-convict.

Police said that after he was released from prison last year Yoo suffered from schizophrenia and nursed a grudge against society for isolating him.

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