This week's persecuted church: North Korea

"I spoke the night after the announcement of Kim Jong-Il's death with one of our VOM workers who works on the Korean peninsula, and his message was,  'Don't look for any significant changes, at least in the short-term.'"

It is estimated that between 50,000 to 70,000 Christians suffer in prison camps because of their faith. People rarely get out alive.

In practice, there is no freedom to build churches or to worship in homes. An estimated 400,000 Christians practice their faith in underground networks. Possession of a Bible or Christian material is illegal and punishable by death.

Thought of the Day:  2012
Song of the Day:  Third Day-Medley

End of the Year Reunions

Thought of the Day:  Happy New Year!
Song of the Day:  Voy-Ever Ever(Feat. 계피)

This week's persecuted church: Laos

Eight Lao Christian leaders arrested on 16 December for “organising” a Christmas visit with 200 Church members are still in jail. Village security forces entered the building, isolated the eight leaders, blindfolded and handcuffed some before marching them off to Boukham government headquarters, where they were detained without charge.

Thought of the Day:  Banner in the Sky
Song of the Day:  Clazzi (with 코타 & 주비 of 써니힐)-Sexy Doll

Reporting

Report #1


Report #2
I didn't get any of the public school jobs that I had applied to mainly because of email complications.  Looks like the tutoring gig stays for at least another eight months.

Report #3
Christmas gifts are FINISHED.  May the distributing begin.

Report #4
I have become a fan of Sinclair Ferguson.  "Our past sins do not paralyze God."  I like that.  I finished his Ruth and Christmas series.  So good.  Now I'm going to start James.

Thought of the Day:  Dream
Song of the Day:  어른아이-Oh Happy Day

This week's persecuted church: Iran

"When he first went into prison, they put him into solitary confinement in a tiny cell. After that, they moved him into another room, and he was with quite a few people," DeMars reports. "It was very hot in the room, and all he could do [was] sit down day and night. They couldn't [lie] down to sleep."

Now, Irani is in a regular cell, according to the ministry spokesman. "However, he's been daily beaten up by criminals there in the prison. The criminals have been asked to do it by the authorities there," the PTM founder relays. "From what we've been told, they basically stand by and watch while it happens."

Irani is in poor health. Relatives say he has a foot that is so badly injured that he might lose it. Also, his hair has turned completely white. But the pastor reportedly is not giving up hope.

Thought of the Day:  쇼핑
Song of the Day:  창 밖을 봐요

A Day in the Life of...

1st Class
아줌마:  My daughter goes to a gym.
Me:  Oh.  How often does she go?
아줌마:  She's fat.
Me:  Oh ok.

2nd Class
(learning the proper usage of "promise")
Me:  So we use this when someone has broken or hasn't kept a promise.
아저씨:  Oh.  Like "약속했잖아!"
Me:  Yes.  Exactly.
아저씨:  (looks at time and gets up to leave)  I need to go to the dentist right now.  I have a promise.
Me:  (not quite) Ok.

3rd Class
Me:  What's "Celebrations, Mom!"?
Student:  축하해, 엄마!

4th Class
Student:  Today, we watched "기생령."
Me:  What is that?
Student:  Do you know 기생?
Me:  Is that like a ghost that comes back to life?
Student:  Do you know 기생충?
Me:  Oh!  You mean like parasite?
Student:  I don't know.
Me:  Oh.  So it's like a parasite ghost.  A ghost that lives in other people's bodies?
Student:  Yes!  Then we watched 폐가.
Me:  What is that?
Student:  Abandoned House.
Me:  You mean Haunted House?
Student:  No.  Abandoned House.
Me:  Oh.
Student:  This is now Korean class!  Then we watched...


5th Class
Me:  So you believe in Santa Claus?
Student:  Yeah, he even wrote me a letter (points at wall).
Me:  I didn't know Santa Claus knew Korean.

6th Class
(talking about right and left hands)
Student:  With my left, I punch like this (punches straight).  But with my right, I hook...  (demonstrates hook).

7th Class
Student:  Hello, Teacher!
Me:  Hello, Mark.
Student:  How are you today?
Me:  I'm good.
Student:  Yeah, it's a little bit cold today.
Me:  Yeah, a little bit.
Student:  Today, I'm going to tell you about the background story of Dead Rising (zombie game).
Me:  (*sigh*  here we go) Alright.  Great!

Thought of the Day:  Christmas Gifts
Song of the Day:  Shocking Lemon-Under Star

Winter Coma

Today, my student imitated what I looked like struggling to stay awake during class.  I told him it was just that my eyes were really uncomfortable today.  I think he bought it.  But that imitation he did of me today...yikes.

Thought of the Day:  Mariah Carey Christmas song
Song of the Day:  자전거 탄 풍경-너에게 난 나에게 넌

This week's persecuted church: Ethiopia

On November 29, more than 500 Muslim students, accompanied by Muslim police officials, burned down a church.  The church was burned down after the police destroyed its roof four days earlier.  The Muslim students screamed, "Allahu Akbar!"  and "Jihad!" as they poured gasoline and burned the Saint Arsema Orthodox Church.

Thought of the Day:  Polar Express
Song of the Day:  수상한 커튼-겨울의 끝

Free Mornings

A couple of weeks ago, I was sharing with Michael how I would have "free mornings" once I was done with my TESOL course.  After he finished his Korean classes around the time of our conversation, he used his mornings by waking up around 8 and listening to sermons and doing other holy and productive stuff.  Well, I had my first "free morning" today.  I got about nine hours of sleep.  I ate breakfast.  I had a drowsy time of prayer.  Then I went back to bed...until 1:30 in the afternoon.  I guess you can call this holy cause I'm sure no one really does this on the first weekday of the week.  Productive, not so much.

Throwing away precious time.  I'm a professional.

Thought of the Day:  Christmas Gifts
Song of the Day:  Maroon 5-Won't Go Home Without You

This week's persecuted church: Pakistan

“We were cultivating chickpeas when the Muslims arrived at our fields...ㅅhey asked us to leave everything and never return because it was their land now. [We said] we have been cultivating the land since 1976, how could we just leave? This angered them, and they attacked us. They pulled away our headscarves from our heads and started hitting us indiscriminately with clubs and punches...Martha, around 40, and Nasreen, about 28, refused to leave the land, which infuriated the Muslims, and they attacked the women, hitting them with batons and punches."

Thought of the Day:  나라
Song of the Day:  The Notorious B.I.G.-Hypnotize

I want to become a room (translated)

An autumn night like these days, at Seoul Station

waiting for the morning

in the waiting room, running away from the coldness

I want to become a room that will hide my shame

I want to become a room, I want to become a room

when the rain falls, when the wind blows

until the sun comes up.

-Yoo Chang Man 

(homeless man who lived in the streets near Seoul Station before passing away last December)

Thought of the Day:  Simon

Song of the Day:  Sowelu-Material World