Clay pot
지난 6월 마지막 토요일, 보스리의 초청으로 Nic@nite에를 다녀왔습니다.
Nic, 이것은 니카라구아의 줄인 말입니다.
보스리의 학교 동아리와 로칼교회,Living Water Church에서 3년째 함께 하고 있는, 중미의 니카라
구아 미니스트리입니다. 전기도 물도 없는 오지. 세계에서 두번째로 경제상황이 열악한 나라,
니카라구아.
쿠데타, 압정..반복되는 태풍,폭풍, 지진, 그 와중에 혈세를 착복하여 외국으로 도주한 나라의 지도자.
그 어려운 상황중에서도 문화의 혜택을 가장 못 받고있는 어느 돌산꼭대기 마을이었는데, 바싹마른
돌산에는 누런 웅덩이물만이 사람과 동물들이 공유한 유일한 수자원이었습니다.
그 물을 먹고 그 물로 씻고..
한번 전염병이라도 돌면 그대로 모두 자리에 눕고 생명을 잃기 일쑤였습니다.
그곳에다가 그네들은 재작년에 펌프시설을 하여 땅 깊은 곳의 수맥을 끌어올렸습니다.
그로인해 지금은 깨끗한 물이 펌프를 돌릴 때마다 쏟아집니다.
지난 봄방학에는 경사가 20도는 되는 언덕받이를 깎아 교회를 지었습니다,
순 곡괭이와 등짐으로 말입니다. 시간이 부족하여 땅 고르는데만 대부분의 시간이 소모되었고,
그들은 그 편편하게 고른 기초에 기둥과 바닥을 치고, 돌벽을 한 줄.. 둘러쌓기까지 하고 돌아왔
습니다. 남겨둔 자재로 그 니카라구안 현지가족들이 마저 건물을 올렸습니다.
그곳으로 오르는 돌길이 너무 험하여, 첫 날, 모두 타고가던 봉고차의 오일탱크가 파손되었습니다.
도움을 청하고 기다리던 중, 도盜..님들의 공격을 받아, 차는 순식간에 바퀴와 머플러와 문짝을 도난
당하고, 유리는 모두 파손되었습니다.
자재를 싣고 앞서가던 트럭이 되돌아와서 그 차에 봉고차를 로프로 감아 걸고 겨우 도착을 했습니다.
그 첫 해부터 모든 일의 시작은 늘 합력하여(!!) 어그러지고 있었습니다.
누군가가 이 프로젝트를 몹시 방해하고 싶어하는 듯 했습니다..
밤이면 피곤한 몸이지만, 더욱 기도에 힘쓰며 같이 예배를 드리고 복음을 전했습니다.
이 지역 사람들은 3년 전까지만 하더라도 외국인을 전혀 본 적이 없었답니다.
그래서 처음 노리끼리한 동양인들이 몇 명 찾아들어 갔을 때, 무슨 몹쓸 병이라도 걸린 사람들처럼
무서워하며 경계했다는데요.. 이제는 못견디게 기다리며 반가와한답니다.
(지난 3년간의 사진을 보면 그 변화를 볼 수 있습니다, 첫 해의 두려운 표정에서 지난 번의 활~짝 웃는 아이들의 모습에서요. 그 형제들은 그 전에는 사진이란 물건을 본 일조차 없었답니다.)
이번 여름에도 오지 마을과 더불어, 도회지 선교를 하려 한답니다.
도회지라함은 높은 빌딩의 의미도 있지만, 가장 가난한 구역을 의미하기도 합니다.
반복되온 자연재해, 지진, 화재와 정치적 혼란의 틈새에서 살고있던 작은 터전을 고스란히잃고
회복할 수 없었던 사람들이 일거리를 찾아 떠돌다가 자리잡은 곳이 쓰레기 하치지역입니다.
예전 난지도같은 곳이겠지요.
시 전체에서 쏟아놓아 산처럼 쌓인 쓰레기더미 구석에 판자를 뒤져 간이막이를 세운 것이 집입니다.
부엌 바로 옆이 화장실입니다.
서너살 아이들이 쓰레기를 뒤지며 먹을 것을 찾습니다. 쓰레기를 싣고 온 트럭이 부려놓는 엄청난
쓰레기더미에 깔려 목숨을 잃는 사고가 비일비재하게 일어납니다.
그곳으로 이들이 찾아갑니다.. 무엇을 할 수 있을지..는 잘 모르겠습니다. 그들도 모릅니다.
그래도 부름을 받고 갑니다. 문과 문을 두드리며 그들에게 음식과 옷과 복음을 전하러 갑니다..
어떤 이들은 기갈에 물 기다렸다는 듯이 뜨겁게 영접하고, 어떤 이들의 마음은 살아온 삶의 고단함으로 인해 너무나도 단단하게 돌처럼 굳어서 차갑게 내친 이들도 있다고 그랬습니다..
예전에 예수님도 그리하셨습니다.
주린 자들에게 빵을, 아픈 이들에게 치유를, 그리고 복음을 전하셨습니다.
오늘, 어느 학생이 한 말입니다.
God doesn't need us to free them, but He wants us to go to them.
We don't have to go, but we want to go.
아래 글은 엇그제 보슬이에게서 받은 메일입니다, Nic@ Nite에서 느꼈던, 그 안타까움으로 뜨거우신 하나님의 심정이 다시 기억되었습니다.
보슬이의 변화되는 모습을 보면서, 그 아이가 하나님과의 만남을 통해 자라가고 깊어져 가는 것을 보면서.. 가장 감사하고 있는 사람은 저라는 것을 깨닫고 새삼 온 몸이 떨려옴을 느낍니다. 그날, 사람들 앞에서는 절대 하지 않던 자작곡들의 연주를 했습니다. 많이 떠들썩한 분위기에 잘 들리지도 않았지만, 자신에게 주신 그 한 달란트를 감사함으로 자라게 하는 모습이 눈물나도록 감사했습니다.
Hello!!
As you may already know, I'll be going to Nicaragua again with Living Water Church in August.
I wanted to fill you in on what's been happening so far. =)
Since the last week of May, our team of 14 has been training four evenings a week (Sun-Wed) for three hours each.
We have set aside Monday nights for prayer, and every week God has been faithful to us in answering our prayers, even in unexpected ways.
It has been an awesome time for us to bond with one another as a team, to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses, passions and fears.
Although I have been involved with this church for only half a year, it has been through these meetings and the spring trip to Nicaragua that I have been able to grow closer to these brothers and sisters of mine.
God has been GOOD, even in the rough times we've experienced as a team and as a church.
Each of us on the team has been assigned a particular ministry as a focus.
The different ministries are: body worship, crafts, games, puppet show, drama, evangelism, revival ministry, VBS (Vacation Bible Study), children's worship, adult's worship, and so on.
I have been assigned the ministry of drama, and it has been the most AWESOME experience.
I haven't really had much experience with acting or directing, but God has been gracious.
We will be performing a skit portraying the gospel to the instrumental version of "Never Alone" by BarlowGirl.
God put on my heart a vision for the skit, and we have been practicing for about three weeks now.
Everything is still pretty rough at this point, but I thank God for providing me with a team that is so understanding and flexible.
On Saturday, June 28, the team put up an event called "Nic@Nite".
That night we prepared some AWESOME Nicaraguan food (and if you have yet to try fried plantains, I encourage you to try it sometime in your lifetime!! =D), had live music (by yours truly), performed one of our body worships, showed video clips and shared testimonies of three year's worth of Living Water's journey to Nicaragua.
At the end of the night, we had a time of prayer when those who came out to support us prayed for the team. For our love offering, we raised a total of $2077.75!! (That's almost twice the amount raised the previous year at Nic@Nite!!)
Even that night, God was completely awesome. I want to thank all of you who were able to come and support us and even see for yourself what AMAZING God is doing in our midst. =)
But how am I doing?
Last night, for prayer, our pastor told us that for us to go and minister to the people in Nicaragua, we must have a heart for them.
I realized that, although my mouth was saying that I had a heart for them, my heart for them was so lacking…so fake.
On Sunday, the message was about suffering. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul states,
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay…" (v. 7).
Paul refers to Judges 7, when God tells Gideon to simply take 300 men to fight against the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the other eastern peoples, whose "camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore" (Jud. 7:12), just to show that "this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Cor. 4:7).
Our God's power is like the treasure in jars of clay.
But in order for the treasure to be revealed, the jar must be broken; Scripture says that the jars full of torches were broken before God had "given the Midianites and the whole camp into [Gideon's] hands" (Jud. 7:14).
Paul continues:
"8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
My prayer last night was: "God, make me into one who will die so that they may live." Like the jars of clay, I must be broken for God's glory to shine through in my life. I confessed to God that I didn't have a heart for the people of Nicaragua. And He put this song on my heart:
Jars of Clay
Verse 1:
Lord, I have to admit
That my heart doesn't break for your people
Lord, I have to confess
That my heart doesn't break for the world
Lord, I have to admit
That the words of my mouth are fake
Lord, I have to confess
That this heart doesn't hunger for you
Chorus:
Break me
Break me like jars of clay
Break me
Break me like jars of clay
Break me
Break me like jars of clay
Break me
So that Your Light will shine through
Verse 2:
Lord, I have to admit
That my life doesn't reflect Your glory
Lord, I have to confess
That my life doesn't mirror Your life
Lord, I have to admit
That the words I say are for myself
Lord, I have to confess
That I am the center of my life
Bridge:
Take me apart
And break me into pieces
Take me apart
And break me into pieces
Take me apart
And break me into pieces
Take me apart
And remake me in You
I know that God will hear my prayers. And I know He is currently shaping my heart to resemble His. That was just a (not so quick) update on what God's been doing in my life.
I ask that you will keep our team in your prayers. We have about three weeks left until we leave for Nicaragua, and this is what we lift up as prayer requests:
· + That we will be a people of constant prayer. Our spiritual battle does not begin in Nicaragua; our spiritual battle starts here and now. May we be fully prepared by the time we set our feet in Nicaragua.
· + That God will provide.
Each member of the team is required to raise a total of $1,500. God has been gracious to provide what I have raised so far, but I seek Him again to provide for the remaining.
So far I have raised $260. Please pray for me that God will give me faith that He will provide, because this is not fundraising for myself, but for His Kingdom; and whatever is for His Kingdom, He will make happen. May I not be discouraged, but may He make me into one who, like Abraham in Romans 4:20, will be strengthened in my faith and will give glory to God, fully persuaded that God has the power to do what he has promised.
· + That God's Kingdom will come to Nicaragua. May we have BIG expectations for God, so that He will do even BIGGER things and exceed those expectations.
· + That God's glory will be revealed in my knees. I've had bad knees for a long time, but they have been flaring up again recently, and I've had a lot of pain. Please pray that they won't hinder me from praising God with all my heart and from doing the work for His Kingdom.
Thanks for all your support. Thanks for even reading this (absurdly) long email!! I deeply appreciate your presence in my life. =)
If I haven't given you my support letter yet, I don't know what's wrong with me =(, but I'll get it to you as soon as I can! (Val, yours is in the mail =D) If you have not yet sent in your financial support, and have lost or misplaced the envelope (or if God put on your heart to give more), here is the address:
Living Water (James Lee)
1091 Calcot Place #212
Oakland CA 94606
ATT: [Joanne Kim]
May God bless you, and bless you abundantly!! =)
In Him,
Joanne
Nic, 이것은 니카라구아의 줄인 말입니다.
보스리의 학교 동아리와 로칼교회,Living Water Church에서 3년째 함께 하고 있는, 중미의 니카라
구아 미니스트리입니다. 전기도 물도 없는 오지. 세계에서 두번째로 경제상황이 열악한 나라,
니카라구아.
쿠데타, 압정..반복되는 태풍,폭풍, 지진, 그 와중에 혈세를 착복하여 외국으로 도주한 나라의 지도자.
그 어려운 상황중에서도 문화의 혜택을 가장 못 받고있는 어느 돌산꼭대기 마을이었는데, 바싹마른
돌산에는 누런 웅덩이물만이 사람과 동물들이 공유한 유일한 수자원이었습니다.
그 물을 먹고 그 물로 씻고..
한번 전염병이라도 돌면 그대로 모두 자리에 눕고 생명을 잃기 일쑤였습니다.
그곳에다가 그네들은 재작년에 펌프시설을 하여 땅 깊은 곳의 수맥을 끌어올렸습니다.
그로인해 지금은 깨끗한 물이 펌프를 돌릴 때마다 쏟아집니다.
지난 봄방학에는 경사가 20도는 되는 언덕받이를 깎아 교회를 지었습니다,
순 곡괭이와 등짐으로 말입니다. 시간이 부족하여 땅 고르는데만 대부분의 시간이 소모되었고,
그들은 그 편편하게 고른 기초에 기둥과 바닥을 치고, 돌벽을 한 줄.. 둘러쌓기까지 하고 돌아왔
습니다. 남겨둔 자재로 그 니카라구안 현지가족들이 마저 건물을 올렸습니다.
그곳으로 오르는 돌길이 너무 험하여, 첫 날, 모두 타고가던 봉고차의 오일탱크가 파손되었습니다.
도움을 청하고 기다리던 중, 도盜..님들의 공격을 받아, 차는 순식간에 바퀴와 머플러와 문짝을 도난
당하고, 유리는 모두 파손되었습니다.
자재를 싣고 앞서가던 트럭이 되돌아와서 그 차에 봉고차를 로프로 감아 걸고 겨우 도착을 했습니다.
그 첫 해부터 모든 일의 시작은 늘 합력하여(!!) 어그러지고 있었습니다.
누군가가 이 프로젝트를 몹시 방해하고 싶어하는 듯 했습니다..
밤이면 피곤한 몸이지만, 더욱 기도에 힘쓰며 같이 예배를 드리고 복음을 전했습니다.
이 지역 사람들은 3년 전까지만 하더라도 외국인을 전혀 본 적이 없었답니다.
그래서 처음 노리끼리한 동양인들이 몇 명 찾아들어 갔을 때, 무슨 몹쓸 병이라도 걸린 사람들처럼
무서워하며 경계했다는데요.. 이제는 못견디게 기다리며 반가와한답니다.
(지난 3년간의 사진을 보면 그 변화를 볼 수 있습니다, 첫 해의 두려운 표정에서 지난 번의 활~짝 웃는 아이들의 모습에서요. 그 형제들은 그 전에는 사진이란 물건을 본 일조차 없었답니다.)
이번 여름에도 오지 마을과 더불어, 도회지 선교를 하려 한답니다.
도회지라함은 높은 빌딩의 의미도 있지만, 가장 가난한 구역을 의미하기도 합니다.
반복되온 자연재해, 지진, 화재와 정치적 혼란의 틈새에서 살고있던 작은 터전을 고스란히잃고
회복할 수 없었던 사람들이 일거리를 찾아 떠돌다가 자리잡은 곳이 쓰레기 하치지역입니다.
예전 난지도같은 곳이겠지요.
시 전체에서 쏟아놓아 산처럼 쌓인 쓰레기더미 구석에 판자를 뒤져 간이막이를 세운 것이 집입니다.
부엌 바로 옆이 화장실입니다.
서너살 아이들이 쓰레기를 뒤지며 먹을 것을 찾습니다. 쓰레기를 싣고 온 트럭이 부려놓는 엄청난
쓰레기더미에 깔려 목숨을 잃는 사고가 비일비재하게 일어납니다.
그곳으로 이들이 찾아갑니다.. 무엇을 할 수 있을지..는 잘 모르겠습니다. 그들도 모릅니다.
그래도 부름을 받고 갑니다. 문과 문을 두드리며 그들에게 음식과 옷과 복음을 전하러 갑니다..
어떤 이들은 기갈에 물 기다렸다는 듯이 뜨겁게 영접하고, 어떤 이들의 마음은 살아온 삶의 고단함으로 인해 너무나도 단단하게 돌처럼 굳어서 차갑게 내친 이들도 있다고 그랬습니다..
예전에 예수님도 그리하셨습니다.
주린 자들에게 빵을, 아픈 이들에게 치유를, 그리고 복음을 전하셨습니다.
오늘, 어느 학생이 한 말입니다.
God doesn't need us to free them, but He wants us to go to them.
We don't have to go, but we want to go.
아래 글은 엇그제 보슬이에게서 받은 메일입니다, Nic@ Nite에서 느꼈던, 그 안타까움으로 뜨거우신 하나님의 심정이 다시 기억되었습니다.
보슬이의 변화되는 모습을 보면서, 그 아이가 하나님과의 만남을 통해 자라가고 깊어져 가는 것을 보면서.. 가장 감사하고 있는 사람은 저라는 것을 깨닫고 새삼 온 몸이 떨려옴을 느낍니다. 그날, 사람들 앞에서는 절대 하지 않던 자작곡들의 연주를 했습니다. 많이 떠들썩한 분위기에 잘 들리지도 않았지만, 자신에게 주신 그 한 달란트를 감사함으로 자라게 하는 모습이 눈물나도록 감사했습니다.
Hello!!
As you may already know, I'll be going to Nicaragua again with Living Water Church in August.
I wanted to fill you in on what's been happening so far. =)
Since the last week of May, our team of 14 has been training four evenings a week (Sun-Wed) for three hours each.
We have set aside Monday nights for prayer, and every week God has been faithful to us in answering our prayers, even in unexpected ways.
It has been an awesome time for us to bond with one another as a team, to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses, passions and fears.
Although I have been involved with this church for only half a year, it has been through these meetings and the spring trip to Nicaragua that I have been able to grow closer to these brothers and sisters of mine.
God has been GOOD, even in the rough times we've experienced as a team and as a church.
Each of us on the team has been assigned a particular ministry as a focus.
The different ministries are: body worship, crafts, games, puppet show, drama, evangelism, revival ministry, VBS (Vacation Bible Study), children's worship, adult's worship, and so on.
I have been assigned the ministry of drama, and it has been the most AWESOME experience.
I haven't really had much experience with acting or directing, but God has been gracious.
We will be performing a skit portraying the gospel to the instrumental version of "Never Alone" by BarlowGirl.
God put on my heart a vision for the skit, and we have been practicing for about three weeks now.
Everything is still pretty rough at this point, but I thank God for providing me with a team that is so understanding and flexible.
On Saturday, June 28, the team put up an event called "Nic@Nite".
That night we prepared some AWESOME Nicaraguan food (and if you have yet to try fried plantains, I encourage you to try it sometime in your lifetime!! =D), had live music (by yours truly), performed one of our body worships, showed video clips and shared testimonies of three year's worth of Living Water's journey to Nicaragua.
At the end of the night, we had a time of prayer when those who came out to support us prayed for the team. For our love offering, we raised a total of $2077.75!! (That's almost twice the amount raised the previous year at Nic@Nite!!)
Even that night, God was completely awesome. I want to thank all of you who were able to come and support us and even see for yourself what AMAZING God is doing in our midst. =)
But how am I doing?
Last night, for prayer, our pastor told us that for us to go and minister to the people in Nicaragua, we must have a heart for them.
I realized that, although my mouth was saying that I had a heart for them, my heart for them was so lacking…so fake.
On Sunday, the message was about suffering. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul states,
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay…" (v. 7).
Paul refers to Judges 7, when God tells Gideon to simply take 300 men to fight against the Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the other eastern peoples, whose "camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore" (Jud. 7:12), just to show that "this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Cor. 4:7).
Our God's power is like the treasure in jars of clay.
But in order for the treasure to be revealed, the jar must be broken; Scripture says that the jars full of torches were broken before God had "given the Midianites and the whole camp into [Gideon's] hands" (Jud. 7:14).
Paul continues:
"8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
My prayer last night was: "God, make me into one who will die so that they may live." Like the jars of clay, I must be broken for God's glory to shine through in my life. I confessed to God that I didn't have a heart for the people of Nicaragua. And He put this song on my heart:
Jars of Clay
Verse 1:
Lord, I have to admit
That my heart doesn't break for your people
Lord, I have to confess
That my heart doesn't break for the world
Lord, I have to admit
That the words of my mouth are fake
Lord, I have to confess
That this heart doesn't hunger for you
Chorus:
Break me
Break me like jars of clay
Break me
Break me like jars of clay
Break me
Break me like jars of clay
Break me
So that Your Light will shine through
Verse 2:
Lord, I have to admit
That my life doesn't reflect Your glory
Lord, I have to confess
That my life doesn't mirror Your life
Lord, I have to admit
That the words I say are for myself
Lord, I have to confess
That I am the center of my life
Bridge:
Take me apart
And break me into pieces
Take me apart
And break me into pieces
Take me apart
And break me into pieces
Take me apart
And remake me in You
I know that God will hear my prayers. And I know He is currently shaping my heart to resemble His. That was just a (not so quick) update on what God's been doing in my life.
I ask that you will keep our team in your prayers. We have about three weeks left until we leave for Nicaragua, and this is what we lift up as prayer requests:
· + That we will be a people of constant prayer. Our spiritual battle does not begin in Nicaragua; our spiritual battle starts here and now. May we be fully prepared by the time we set our feet in Nicaragua.
· + That God will provide.
Each member of the team is required to raise a total of $1,500. God has been gracious to provide what I have raised so far, but I seek Him again to provide for the remaining.
So far I have raised $260. Please pray for me that God will give me faith that He will provide, because this is not fundraising for myself, but for His Kingdom; and whatever is for His Kingdom, He will make happen. May I not be discouraged, but may He make me into one who, like Abraham in Romans 4:20, will be strengthened in my faith and will give glory to God, fully persuaded that God has the power to do what he has promised.
· + That God's Kingdom will come to Nicaragua. May we have BIG expectations for God, so that He will do even BIGGER things and exceed those expectations.
· + That God's glory will be revealed in my knees. I've had bad knees for a long time, but they have been flaring up again recently, and I've had a lot of pain. Please pray that they won't hinder me from praising God with all my heart and from doing the work for His Kingdom.
Thanks for all your support. Thanks for even reading this (absurdly) long email!! I deeply appreciate your presence in my life. =)
If I haven't given you my support letter yet, I don't know what's wrong with me =(, but I'll get it to you as soon as I can! (Val, yours is in the mail =D) If you have not yet sent in your financial support, and have lost or misplaced the envelope (or if God put on your heart to give more), here is the address:
Living Water (James Lee)
1091 Calcot Place #212
Oakland CA 94606
ATT: [Joanne Kim]
May God bless you, and bless you abundantly!! =)
In Him,
Joanne
저희 덴버에서 졸고 있습니다. 시차 극복이 안되서--지금 도착 이틀째-- 한낮에 쿨쿨, 한밤중에 쏘다니고요. 주일되면 교회 찾아 예배드릴랍니다. 어차피 한국 가는길에 샌프란시스코공항에서 뱅기타므로 15일에 간다죠, 거길. 그럼 또 한번 반갑게..ㅎㅎ 여기 날씨도 시원하진 않구요. 건조합니다.
그때 뵈아요~~~~