Winter Retreat '10

Dang, why do I get prettier and prettier every year? Retreat was wonderful!

Thought of the Day: Poker
Song of the Day: Beastie Boys-Sure Shot

Time Travel

I find myself going back to the past a lot these days. I had dinner with my Elite coworkers twice last week and once this week. I recently decided to rewatch (500) Days of Summer...which I still thoroughly enjoyed. I'm listening to the Beastie Boys on my ipod. I'm reading Anne Frank's "The Diary of a Young Girl" every night. I also started Helen Keller's "The Story of my Life" for my bathroom reading. Here's an interesting thing she wrote:

"I think I knew when I was naughty, for I knew that it hurt Ella, my nurse, to kick her, and when my fit of temper was over I had a feeling akin to regret. But I cannot remember any instance in which this feeling prevented me from repeating the naughtiness when I failed to get what I wanted."

I just finished rewatching "The Graduate." There were a lot of memorable scenes and quotes in that movie, but I particularly liked the dialogue after Elaine finds Ben at his place:

Elaine: What are you going to do now?
Ben: I don't know.
Elaine: Are you going home?
Ben: No...Elaine, you're going to have to stop asking.

Once you enter adulthood, everybody wants to know where you're going. What school are you going to? What's your major? What do you want to do with that? Are you dating anyone? When do you plan on getting married? Where do you want to live? When do you want to have kids? How many? We all ask each other the same questions. However, I think I find myself asking my own self these questions more than anyone else. Maybe that's why I keep looking to things from the past. It's all so certain. I already know how everything will turn out. But as Ben said, I'm going to have to stop asking.

Thought of the Day: Nieces
Song of the Day: Rob Dougan-Clubbed To Death

Upgrade Complete!

I now have 9호선 on my phone!

Thought of the Day: 아가
Song of the Day: Michael Catinari-Under The Sea

You have no new messages

I hate it when I send a text message or email but get no reply, especially when it involves future plans. The Lord appeared to be silent throughout the book of Esther. But surely, there was sovereignty even through what seemed like silence. There is always some answer even when we don't get replies.

Thought of the Day: i'll rip my shirt for your date
Song of the Day: Beastie Boys-Sabotage

Cheesecake Factory

I was reading some random blog today and came upon a post about how good the rigatoni was at Cheesecake Factory. I TOTALLY forgot this place even existed! In fact, I don't even remember where it's located. America, it's kinda been a while.

Thought of the Day: Happy Birthday, Tseggy!
Song of the Day: Mika Nakashima-Spiral

The King and the Clown

I just finished rewatching 왕의 남자 but this time with subtitles, so I was able to understand and appreciate the movie so much more. I love seeing historical Korea with its traditions and customs that we still practice today. I actually still wish that we wore 한복s and had those awesome sliding doors in every room. Well, at least we still got the right food!

(Spoiler) I love these movies where there's someone innocent who sacrifices themselves for someone who is condemned. They have nothing to gain and only to lose. They tremble with fear yet they are so brave. They face death so that others may receive life. It's these heroes who shadow our ultimate hero who was the only real innocent person who really lost everything and faced a real death.

I asked my dad if this movie really happened in history. He told me it was faction. I've never heard that word before, but I like it.

Thought of the Day: 삼겹
Song of the Day: Son Dambi & After School-Amoled

Nobody give a damn

I've been brushing my teeth in the shower ever since winter came. It's been too cold to just stand there for a few minutes without any warm running water. But today at church during our prayer time for Haiti, I learned that there is a shortage of water in many areas of that country while much of it could also be contaminated. I also remembered that the documentary I saw a few years ago, "Ghosts of Cite Soleil," was about a very impoverished and dangerous slum in Haiti. According to Wikipedia, "The area is generally regarded as one of the poorest, roughest, and most dangerous areas of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country; it is one of the biggest slums in the Northern Hemisphere. There is little police presence, no sewers, no stores, and little to no electricity."

And to think that this place that was already so broken has experienced so much more damage recently really helped me to beat off some of the numbness of my uncompassionate heart. Even reading CNN.com everyday didn't do it for me; neither did reading Jae's recent blogs. As one humanitarian put it, "Nobody give a damn because these people are so poor...this is the last place they would ever think of coming." It took me just over five days AFTER the earthquake to even utter my first prayer for this country.

Amidst all the chaos and disorder, the Lord is still perfectly sovereign and good. Only He can bring about true restoration and relief that many are seeking for this country. Our God can surely recreate the broken things of this world. Haiti, find the real hope that no earthquake could ever destroy! Not that this will make up for anything, but I will no longer brush my teeth during my warm showers just as a personal reminder that there are so many who have no access to such a thing.

Thought of the Day: Saturday Coffee
Song of the Day: Hillsong-Better Than Life

Avatar Day

This week's persecuted church: Malaysia
A Pentecostal church was burnt down by suspected Islamic arsonists. Several other churches and Christian buildings have been attacked in Kuala Lumpur after a court ruling that allowed non-Muslims to use the word "Allah" for God. This could also impact the shipment of Malay-language Bibles. 10,000 were recently seized.

Update on Yemen: The Yemeni tribesmen are demanding 2 Million U.S. Dollars for releasing their hostages.

Earlier this week, I had to figure out a way to meet up for counseling, lunch, Avatar, and dinner all within the same area to meet up with three different parties. But as a result of these plans, I was able to meet an unexpected party at the end of the day. I was initially so disappointed that I couldn't watch Avatar in 3-D, but I could also see how God allowed the many coincidences and accidents to work out the way they did. This year, 설날 falls on Valentine's Day. I wonder if things will be different this year...kinda like Hoegaarden. Ha!

Thought of the Day: Giordano
Song of the Day: Lily's Diary-고백

You're telling me you can eat almost an entire turkey in one sitting?

"That's right...cause I'm a Tribianni, and this is what we do. We may not be great thinkers or world leaders. We don't read a lot or run very fast, but dammit, we can eat!"
-Joey Tribbiani

I think the Chungs and Tribbianis are related.

Thought of the Day: Civic
Song of the Day: Seo In Kook-부른다

TGIF

This week's persecuted church: Yemen
More than six months ago, a German family with their three children and a British engineer were abducted in the North. Two German Bible school students and a South Korean teacher were murdered. The survivors were forced to care for wounded fighters for the Shiite Houthi Rebels. Please pray for these hostages.

With my new winter schedule, I have the luxury of having Fridays off. This past Friday, my dad and I took advantage of last week's snow and went to 북한산.
































This was me at the highest peak of the mountain. I think that would make it the highest point in Seoul.


This is the view of the city from up high. What's that? You can't see the city? That's because of our wonderful city smog!


After 사우나, we celebrated with 장어구이. Eel is so good!

I don't think I wanna go 등산 again for a while.

Thought of the Day: Rely
Song of the Day: Ingrid Michaelson-Mountain And The Sea

Butterfly Effect

I remember there was a day when I was telling Tseggy that I probably would not have come back to Mongolia in the winter if I had not been one of the ones who were asked to go to Ugi's mother's place during the summer. I thought back on that experience and realized so many different factors could have affected that event. Last year, my brother was strongly debating whether to go to Paraguay or Korea again for his four month break. In the end, he had chosen empanadas over me and I was bitter.

But looking back now, if my brother had decided to come to Korea in the summer, there is a good chance he would have gone to Mongolia with us. If he had gone to Mongolia with us, there is a good chance that Ugi's mother's place would not have happened for me. That means that there is a good chance that I would not have gone this winter. I mean, the possibilities are endless, but I was just playing this butterfly effect in my head. I guess I'll really never know, but I like to believe that Simon went to Paraguay so that I could go to Mongolia.

During my first winter quarter at Irvine, I purchased John O's car at a very low price. While this is my brother's first winter quarter at LA, there is a chance that he may purchase Chang's car at a very low price. What an exciting new year!

Thought of the Day: Miracles vs. Providence
Song of the Day: The Submarines-Vote

Keeping the doctor away

When I was in Mongolia, Muugi suggested that I drink lots of water upon noticing my runny nose. Last night, I remembered this suggestion and decided to give this remedy a try. After killing a 2 liter bottle, I went to the bathroom several times before I went to bed (for the final time). But lo and behold, my cold was better today. I only had to blow my nose twice the entire day! So a few hours ago, I swigged another liter of water hoping to finish off the remnants of my sickness. If you're suffering from any ailment, try what I've been told to try. So far so good.

This winter, I have classes from Monday-Thursday and Saturday. Everyday, I start at either 8 or 9AM. That means that I have to wake up at either 6 or 7AM. That means that I have to be in bed no later than 9PM since I make that extra effort to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Call me a baby, but I notice a significant difference in my overall well-being. So I guess what I'm trying to tell you is: DON'T CALL/TEXT ME AFTER 9PM. Thank you.

One habit that I've developed is reading in bed before I sleep. This helps me to get through some of the reading that I want to get through. Also, it helps me to feel a bit drowsy. Before 2009 ended, I finished "Tell No One" by Harlan Coben. After reading the "The Freedom Writers Diary," I was inspired to start "The Diary of a Young Girl," which I am ashamed to say that I've never even touched. Better late than never, right? Next on my list is Hellen Keller's autobiography, "The Story of my Life." I was inspired to read this after watching the movie, "Black." Ever since I came to this country, I feel like I've been reading more and more books every year. I wonder how many books I'll be able to get through this year.

Thought of the Day: Dogs that don't bark
Song of the Day: SNSD-소원을 말해봐

Sanbano!

Sanbano! Joe and I got back from Mongolia last night. Here are the pictures of what we did there.
































































































































We also did some Christian things too. =D

When I went in the summer, the first thing that I noticed as soon as I stepped out of the airport was the fresh air. Going this time in the winter, the first thing I noticed was the cold air that froze everything inside my nose. It was quite a sensation.


Our apartment was awesome! Warm water. Warm rooms. We were very thankful.


One of the main things we did during our time there was visiting many many families. Our first family was Ugi's cousin, Eedee.


Eedee is the same age as me but already has two children. His first child was awarded 1,000,000th citizen of Ulanbator.


He is a believer but has not been too plugged in with the church for a while with all his studies and work. So we went to meet and encourage him.


It was wonderful seeing Tseggy's kids again. Namuun and Dolguun both got bigger since we last saw them. As we spent Christmas with the family, Namuuna played many songs for us on her violin.


Tseggy cooked an awesome dinner for us. I asked Ugi if the dish was Mongolian. He said, "No. It's Tseggy." Haha. It was amazing to see Ugi know even more English than before. He gets better every time we meet him!


We also celebrated with their cell group.


Lots of food, sharing, songs,


and gifts.


This is Tonga, the tallest Mongolian I have ever seen in my life. As you can see, she is even slightly taller than me. She not only looked Korean but also spoke it pretty well.


This is Tanya. She is the only white person at their church and has been in Mongolia for nearly 14 years doing translation work with Christian books. It was impressive to see her speak and understand Mongolian, the most difficult language in the whole world.





This is Elder Damb. He is involved with a youth group in the Ger District, which is kinda like the ghetto. He is trying to find ways to make sure that his kids continue to live faithfully even after they move onto to adulthood. Joe and I had a special heart for him, especially after meeting his kids.


The church in Mongolia lacks men. There is a big imbalance of men and women, so Ugi really wanted us to reach out to the young men especially.


It turned out that their idea of a Christmas celebration was more along the lines of a high school prom. There was a best dressed contest and even...


a dance! If you look to the left, you'll notice that I got to dance with the prom queen. Haha. I mean, if they're running up to you to dance with them, how can you say no?


I personally felt pretty awkward, especially during the dancing. However, these kids showered us with so much love and joy. It was really refreshing to be around so much youthful energy again.









This was the outer entrance to Tseggy's place that we always visited.


It was very encouraging to see just the everyday living of this family. Ugi is possibly one of the best fathers I have ever met in so many ways. Tseggy, my hero, is an awesome helper to her husband and a loving mother to her kids. Namuuna is my best Mongolian friend. Dolguuno is my special Mongolian enemy, always calling me Santa Clause. I love this family so much.


I'm sure Joe loved them too.


Dolguun takes after his father in eating very well. Every time I asked if he was hungry, he would always say yes. I guess that's why we got along too.


Grandpa Joe had to sit out this time because of his jacked up knee. I had a pretty good time playing though. The guy next to me actually plays professionally in Mongolia. He was holding back a lot, but he was still pretty darn good.


We met a lot of families that had young grandparents because they had married early and so had their children. We had an interesting conversation about the pros and cons of marrying and having children at an early age.


Joe and I had a chance to stay at a community house with 10 young adult Christians living together. We all went around sharing our testimonies for around three hours. That night, I learned that many Mongolians grow up in broken families. Many are separated from siblings. Many have grown up with a Buddhist background. Many have tried or seriously considered committing suicide. It was an amazing night.


They were so good to us. Translations. Food.


And even a place to sleep. Three of the guys huddled close together


so that Joe and I could sleep in their own spots. So nice.


Breakfast.


Next, we met some college students who were involved in the biggest Christian fellowship in Mongolia, FCS.


It was encouraging to see how open and honest they were from the getgo. There were all sorts of questions regarding addictions, peer pressure, and culture. This was when Joe really shined.


This lady invited us to her house for dinner after we had briefly met her at the community house. She had an overflowing joy that really encouraged us. She invited us to come stay at her place the next time we go.


This is one of the cell group members, Muugi, and his two daughters. I had briefly met him during the summer when he shared about how he first came to hear the Gospel by watching a free screening of a movie, which turned out to be the Jesus Film. He is only 30 years old and has a great heart to be a good husband and father. I grew a very special heart for him.


Another one of our big events was having several young men come over to our place to have a time of encouragement to be men of leadership and godliness. I really wanted to encourage them to be men who could lead future families as godly husbands and fathers.


It turns out that they also have Mr. Pizza in Mongolia.


Our particular pizzas tasted like cheeseburgers.


In the middle of our time, my stool broke on me. Before Joe even asked if I was ok, he busted out his camera to capture this precious memory.


It was really amazing to hear about what they had to say about Mongolian men as husbands and fathers. "Drunkards...irresponsible...unable to provide..." Many Mongolians either do not have fathers or have ones that do not raise them up properly. They need a lot of encouragement.


We met more of Ugi's side of the family.


This was a pretty cool ice sculpture that was in front of the nearby department store that supplied all of our needs.


We rode taxis everyday. I had always wondered how Ugi knew which car was a taxi. It turns out that anyone could be a taxi driver. If you wave and they stop for you, you're good to go. They're cheaper than real taxis that go by the meter.


Since we usually brought the kids along, we often had a packed car.


On New Year's Eve, we went to this area called "The Dark." There were no lights around and was indeed pretty dark. On this particular day, the air was super bad as you can see the light reflecting off all the dust particles. Joe was commenting on how foggy it was that day, but Tseggy told us it wasn't fog. Yikes. However, I still think Shenyang had worse air. UB's a close runner up though.


We indeed ate A LOT as every family we visited has food to give to us. Buuz, the Mongolian 만두, quickly became an obstacle.


I actually got sick this day and was dying. With each day's activities and lack of sleep, my body finally broke down on the last day of 2009. I'm still in recovery mode.


Ugi's mother gave us gifts and now considers us her two new sons. I now call her, "eej," which is mom in Mongolian.


Then we went to Tseggy's side of the family to celebrate the end of the year.


Normally, it's supposed to be a huge celebration with all of her family members together. But this year was the first time everyone was separated for various reasons. Nevertheless, it was a very fun way to welcome in the new year.




It was so good catching up with Chika and hearing about some of his stories when he was in Korea. I was so encouraged to hear that Tsema, Tseggy's oldest sister, now goes to church with her two sons. Although she is not a believer yet, there is a slow working progress that is evident.


This was a child care center called Rainbow House. It's technically an orphanage, but the reason why they don't like calling it that is because they try to run the place as if they are a real family.


I was very impressed with their practical and efficient system with the number of kids and age limits that they have set.


They are seeking to transform these children so that they could transform the world. They are really seeking to be a model child care center. Joe and I really grew a special heart for this ministry too.





Then we did lots of walking to go to a men's prayer meeting on the first day of the new year.


















































It was great seeing a very decent turnout of men, especially since the prayer meeting was very far away on New Year's Day when no one goes out.





Joe did a very good job in specifically asking Ugi to call Eedee to come out. It was wonderful to see that he came out and was even encouraged and challenged during the meeting.


So this concludes my superficial update on Mongolian Winter 2009. One more ministry that really touched our hearts was the slums area where we were asked not to take any pictures. Lots of Mongolians have it tough, but the Lord is doing some amazing things in various places. When Joe emailed Pastor Frank, the pastor of the slums area about his ministry, he told us to just see for ourselves. I encourage you to do the same with Mongolia if you ever have a chance. God is so good.

I'm pretty sick right now. My dad is having a major oral operation tomorrow. Please pray for the Chung men. Please pray for the Mongolian men.

Thought of the Day: Sick
Song of the Day: CL-Heartbreaker