Pictures & Memories from Daejeon

Below are some pictures that were given to me by Pastor Sheen before we came home. It is a brief synopsis of time that we spent together. Even though it was only for a few days, the memories will be for a lifetime. God bless you all at Sunhan Church.

(Pastor Sheen and his wife, Young Me.) (Pastor leads us in a early morning sing-along.)

(Me and Ki Wan.) (An interested crowd of children.) (Telling the story of Jesus.)

(Jean Ann sharing her faith.) (A beautiful day with the kids.) (Pastor Tommy preaching.)

(One HOT noodle!) (Singing in church.) (My simple testimony.)

Brother Tommy preaching and Pastor Sheen is translating. God's team!

Joyful Singing! Their talent and love for the Lord amazed us all!

GOD BE WITH US TILL WE MEET AGAIN!

Pictures & Memories from Chungju

These are all from our last evening in Chungju.








Jean Ann hugs our new friend Hoi Tae Yu as tears flow all around. Pastor Bae invites us all back real soon and emphasizes his vision of starting an English camp ministry.)


(We are greeted with all the members as they form a long line through the church, down the stairs to the front door.)

(Jean Ann and I give out candy to all the beautiful children that we have fallen in love with.)

Blessing Us

(Above is Pastor Wonsub Sheen leading the congregation in a goodbye song as they all held out their hands to bless us. Thank you Sunhan Church. We already miss you!)

How often do you stop and just consider how blessed we all are? We are all home now, and I cannot stop thinking about all the people we have met and the joy we all share in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful for the experiences of working with and getting know our now extended church familis in Chungju and Daejeon. The churches we worked with have taught us about unending faith, showing love to everyone, and the power and importance of prayer.




(Here we all are sharing at a school in Daejeon.)
I will be adding more stories and pictures in the days and weeks to come. This journey has left a profound mark on our hearts and in our lives. I pray that it has blessed you as well.
Let's give God all the glory for all the good works He has done, and praise Him for the unending blessings of our lives in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Wink and a Prayer

I need to take a breathe. I know I will not be talking to you, but the words I am typing are coming at the speed of light from my mind. Here it goes...
We are packing our bags and drying our tears at the same time.
Today was especially busy, but full of memories that will last a life time.
First thing we were taken to the North Korean/South Korean neutral zone- the DMZ.
We stood out on an observatory tower and looked out across the river which divides these two countries. Barbed wire and guard towers abound and evil permeates the atmosphere. We learned from our drivers and hosts, the Cheng's, all about how North Korea is falling apart. It is impoverished communism with the saddest living conditions you could imagine. And in Seoul, which is so close, there is sits one of the ten largest, modern cities in the world. You could not help but feel for the families that are torn apart and the people of this country where Satan has got such a stronghold. We prayed for them, took some pictures, and loaded up for a couple hours of walking, and speed shopping at the South Gate (Nom Da Moon).
There we saw all types of foods and merchandise as we fought off tight roads and crowds aplenty. We RUSHED (pardon my pun) and got to go see the largest church in the world at Yoida Full Gospel Church which is across the street from the Korean and International Mission Boards.
Fast and furiously (the driving cannot be described by this feeble mind) we sped to make our way back to our housing where we changed, took a group picture, and then headed out to our Victory dinner which celebrated our weeks of work.
We met at Central Baptist which is a large church in a suburb of Seoul. The women of the church cooked us a traditional Korean meal (we are all dreaming of tacos, okra, cornbread, or chili) and then we sat down for a night of sharing. The teams each told stories of people they had met, and then the pastors of the churches where we served gave their testimonies from the weeks.
We had funny stories (I will tell you them in person because I'm sure they will not translate the same via written word), and couple of glorious ones.
The best, I think, came from our group and Jerry Horn.
Jerry was asked by a deacon to go speak to his wife. She was 60 years old and had a stroke about eleven years ago. The stroke had effected her left side in that all she could do is move her mouth a little and barely move her left eye. They came into their apartment. When they arrived, Jerry was asked to wait as the husband went into the bedroom. He then came out and went into the bathroom. He went back into the bedroom, and then he came to get Jerry. I don't think I can give any justice to his story and give a better description of the setting, but Jerry said the stench was almost unbearable. Remember, he is a veterinarian. They entered her room and there she laid under some covers. She was an emaciate skeleton was a catheter hooked to her and filled at her bedside. Jerry went to her bedside. He told her why he had come to Korea. He shared his faith and how Jesus had died for sinners. As he continued his story, tears ran down his face. When he asked this sad and afflicted woman if she wanted to put her faith and trust in Jesus as her Savior- she blinked. Not just once, but she kept on blinking. She hadn't moved one muscle the entire time they had been in the room, but when he asked her about receiving Jesus as her Lord and Savior- she reacted with she could give. A wink. And they prayed. Tears flowed in that room, and they also flowed as Jerry shared his story. I don't think anyone in our room had a dry eye. Blessings from heaven. Seeds were planted, and God watered them with His Son's love and the tears of His children.
Pastor Sheen, Yung Me, and Ki Wan came in late and our hearts jumped with joy, and they sat behind us as the ceremony continued. He was wearing the tie I had given him. I almost cried. But when he handed us a large silkscreen poster that had pictures from us with them and people from his church and those we shared with. I did cry.
The ceremonies ended and we took more pictures, hugged, and did not want to let them go. I got one last hug from young Ki Wan. He said "I love you", again, and I almost lost it, again.
We took them aside, prayed for their ministry, swapped emails, and walked out the doors holding hands, letting go, waving as we entered our vans, and we slipped away into the maddening traffic, a river of cars that flowed with red and white lights, which carried us from our new family. It was surreal.
We are sitting in the main room of our apartments discussing our night and days from the last 2 weeks.
I have SO MUCH to share! I can't type in all. It fills my head to overflowing.
We have a 6:45 ride to the airport so we can jump on a plane for Tokyo, then Detroit, and then home to Memphis, and Collierville, Tennessee.
Please pray for our travels.
Pray for those that we are leaving behind.
Pray for these relationships and the churches that preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They are 7000 miles away from you now, but they are in one accord with the Holy Spirit of God.
They are the church of God.
We have been blessed to serve with them.
I will add many reports and pictures in the days and weeks to come. Read them. Pray for them.
This, I do truly believe, is just a small, small, small taste of what's in store for us in heaven.
See you all soon!
Wink and a prayer

On our Way

(Above is So Yung & Ki Sung with us.)

Today was a day that we will never forget.
Sunhan Church is a gift from God.
When we arrived there we were immediately handed bags of gifts, cards, and personal notes. Hugs were constant and we hadn't even begun the morning services. Pastor Sheen came over to me and asked me to sing a song for the service. I told him that I had not practiced, but he insisted with his winning smile, so I agreed. Ki Sung, his son, is so talented. He printed me off some words of a song that I knew, "He Knows My Name," and the services began. He introduced us again and other visitors, and then the young praise team led the worship. Hun Chin wept as he led the singing and spoke and prayed for us. So Yung sang a beautiful solo that had some English words in it. It was so moving. Then they asked me to come up.
The only words I could muster before I began was, "Se Rang He Yo" (I love you). I then told them, with tears in my eyes, "I think this is what heaven will be like."
It is so obvious to all of us that even though we may look different and we speak a different language, God is inside alive in each one of us. He is alive just as Jesus is alive.
I made it through the song with losing it completely, and the two pastors, Brothers Tommy and Sheen, started the sermon. Pastor Wonsub Sheen is such a gifted translator. His passion flows in his voice and it all comes from his heart. You can feel the love he has for Jesus in every word. You can see the love he has for his beautiful family and his church. He told us that the Lord called him to preach AFTER his son was born with autism. Sheen had a great business and was very successful, but God had other plans. God used the trials of having a son born with this disability to draw him closer Himself. They were broken but God healed them and are using this dear family to teach and preach and love Koreans in Daejeon.
After the service we were fed again (Kimchi is always on the menu), but they also had checked, and salad, and soup, and fruits. We sat around and talked and shared our life stories.
After lunch I walked back into the sanctuary and started singing with the praise team. We sang several other songs together, and then Pastor Sheen asked me to sing "Friends" by Michael W. Smith. He went to print off the score and words and we were all singing it together. The words brought more tears.
We hugged. We took pictures. We hugged again. So many people wanted us to stay.
We have invited everyone one of them to visit us in Collierville. God only knows if or when our paths will cross again. But I told all of them as we were ready to leave that if we don't come back to Korea and if they don't ever come to America, we will see them in heaven- and that is for ETERNITY. We have so much celebration left to do, but we will be with Jesus, laying crowns at His feet and singing our thanks to Him that saved our souls.

They had the pastor's wife, Yung Me, and Mr. Kim take us to the train station. I don't know what we would have done without them there. It was very confusing and mostly in Korean. They waited with us and bought us ice cream (they are so great), and then helped us load our HEAVY suitcases on the train. They waved goodbye and we were off.
The train was so comfortable. The countryside was beautiful, but our friends were behind us.

We have made it to Seoul. We ate Whoppers at Burger King in the train station and then grabbed taxis to make it here at the Missions housing.
We have a fun day planned tomorrow. We are going to the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) to look into and pray for North Korea. We are going to do some shopping. Maybe we can find something cheap. Overall, most things are the same prices as in America.
We are going to see the largest church in South Korea (earlier post- Yoida), and then we will come back here to get ready for a victory dinner tomorrow evening. We will listen and tell all our stories. The highlight for us is Pastor Sheen and Young Me will come and sit with us. Pastor Bae will not be there since he is going on a mission trip to South Africa.
I am sure it will be another happy/sad evening, but I wish you ALL could share the joy and love we are feeling here. This is CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP and we have been so blessed to serve Him that created the universe.

Thank you for your prayers.
Love,
Wink and Jean Ann
Tommy and Rose
Jerry and Betty

Little Miracles

He is God!
After coming back to our hotel we decided to try out the local outdoor bath/hotspring. It is only about one quarter mile from our hotel. (We have since been there again :)
We sat down and put our aching feet and felt the bubbling heated water from God's created earth and it was pure delight. A Korean woman began talking with us in broken English. She was a retired army nurse that had spent some time in the states training in the 1980s. She told us that she was a Roman Catholic, and we shared that we were here with another Baptist church. It was fun to sit and chat and be soothed by the healing waters. We truly were rejuvenated. In fact, when the earth began to spew the water after about 15 minutes, it became almost too hot to keep our feet in the bath. We said our goodbyes and asked if there was a coffee house nearby. None was known by our new acquaintance, so we started walking home. We had not taken 10 steps when a young Korean girl and her friend walked by us holding what looked like a Starbucks-type cup. I stopped her and asked where we could get some. She really did not know English, but through simple pointing we were told to turn around and go straight and turn right. We walked about 50 yards and there it was- a small coffee shop. Amazing! Ask and you shall receive. Well, it doesn't end there. We sat, ate some cookies, and drank some hot chocolate on this blustery evening. We laughed at how our desire was met so quickly. When we got back to the hotel we came to this computer station and sat down to check emails. (Thank you for writing to us. It really means a lot to hear from home!) Another small miracle- next to the computer was a pair of scissors. Why is this amazing? We had been looking from day one for a nice pair so Jean Ann could give Bro. Tommy a haircut. He had said that this was the longest his hair had been in a long time. And now, a pair of scissors as sitting right in front of us beside a computer. WOW!
We marched right up to our rooms, and Tommy got his haircut. AMEN!
We thank God for all the little things of this trip.
Yesterday we were taken sight seeing. We went to a beautiful mountain. The trees are so colorful and the crowds were huge. We took pictures and walked and bit and went to our next stop- the Korean War Memorial and National Cemetery. The monument is enormous and very detailed. When we walked up to the gate a guard asked us, through the pastor, to bow to the monument and pay respect before we go in. He was then told that we did NOT bow to any idols and that we were Christians, and we only bow our knees to Jesus Christ. He seemed a bit angered, but he did get the message loud and clear.
We took pictures, walked around, and spent some fun time with many of the church members. A true blessing of this trip has been the youth of these churches. They have such passion for Jesus. I will share much more later. Ki Sung and Ki Wan are the pastor's sons. Ki Sung (17) is so talented. He sings, plays guitar and piano, speaks English very well, and he wants to be a doctor. Ki Wan is autistic. He is always smiling and he hugs everyone constantly. He comes up to me all the time and says I love you. He dances when we sing in church. He has truly blessed our hearts. Phillip and So Young are brothers and sister from another wonderful couple in the church, the Lees. Dr Lee and his wife (an English teacher) have been great guests and hosts for us. They have spent some time in Australia so they also Speak good English. Their children are very talented with art and music. In fact, the youth lead the music in worship.
Last night was the "Love Feast", a time to welcome any visitors and show us love. They fed us and asked me to share my testimony and Bro. Tommy to preach. The evening was wonderful. The music was spirit-filled and they honored us by singing songs in English and Korean. Pastor Sheen did a wonderful job of translating the sermon. It was seamless. He is such a great speaker. His heart is so obvious as it comes through every word he speaks. Brother Tommy told him afterwards that he felt so free to preach for the first time since we have been here because Pastor Sheen could interpret so easily. We were all blessed and Tommy preached on Pilate's question from Matthew- "What should I do with this Jesus?"
After the services we handed out all our gifts. It was a joyous time and very important for us. We have been treated so well that we felt a great need to give back. Gift giving is just that. I feel that in my heart as I write to you. I love to give gifts more than receive them. Don't you? As Christians, we all love to give what really is not ours anyway. God is the Greatest Giver! I pray that our service during this trip has honored Him and His people of these churches.

We came back to the hotel, and as I stated- went to the hotspring again, drank hot chocolate (we are creatures of habit), and went to bed. I am writing this as we are getting ready to eat breakfast. Actually, Jean Ann and the Vinsons are sitting at the table giving my order of eggs and sausage and toast as I write.
The pastor will be preaching his last sermon here this morning. We will be speaking with and meeting with this church for the last time. It will be very emotional. I already saw some tears last night.
They will take us to the train station and we will be on our way to Seoul.
Pray for us and our new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.
We love you all!
Wink

Daejeon During the Day

Hello from D-town (Easier to say).
We have just made it back from a day of evangelism at the local university and primary school.
What a day! We met so many people and were able to share Jesus with most of them. God is great!
Thank you for your prayers. Last night our hosts, Pastor Sheen and our new friend Mr. Kim, bought me some medicine for my sinus infection. I am a little drugged right now, but altogether feeling much better.
We had a great American breakfast- scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. Our hosts picked us up and took us to the church. There we prayed and then the pastor handed us all some hymnals that were in Korean and English. He picked up an acoustic guitar (like yours Dad) and started tuning it and then playing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." We also sang "Amazing Grace" and "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling". It was a great morning of worship. Pastor Sheen is very talented and he loves music. I am excited to be able to sing with him more this weekend. We then went to the college and set up stations for meeting on two separate floors. There was another Christian organization doing the same thing outside so God was really working throughout this area today.
We were able to share with one young Korean who had Christian parents. He asked why we would come to Korea when there are already churches here. My simple answer was, "To share Jesus." He listened intently and his heart was broken as he realized his need for a Savior. We prayed for him and he said he would come to the church and visit while we were here. There were many stories like this one.
One young man said he was a Christian and he could speak pretty good English, but when we started discussing our faith he said he belonged to the Jehovah Witnesses. He quoted scriptures, and I came back to him with scripture. I told him that the Bible warns of adding to it, and that the JH's did just that. He was perplexed. I told him to read the true word of God and trust only in it and not any man, and that Jesus was the way, the truth and the light- God and Man.
He also said he would visit us at the Sunhan Church. Brother Tommy will be preaching on Saturday evening AND Sunday morning. Please keep him in your prayers.
Tonight we are going to eat and then fellow shipping with the church members. We are looking forward to meeting all of them.
Tomorrow they are going to take us on a tour of this beautiful city. They have natural hot springs everywhere, along with the mountains just like Hot Springs, Arkansas. We hope to be able to put our feet in one of the public, outdoor bathes. The pastor asked if we wanted to go to one of the local spas that used the hot water. Then he informed us that we must be naked. Bro. Tommy and I graciously (for them) declined that invitation. He said women and men are separate. But, we didn't want to scare anyone away from this nice city :).
(It might ruin our testimony-haha!)
The scenery here is breathtaking. We have many pictures and many more stories.
Thanks for all your prayers and the comments. (Mom, we miss you too.)
(Dennis, you are a blessing.) (Stephanye, tell your family and your church that we feel your prayers.) (Debbie (Miran) we love and miss you too. We are praying for your boyfriend.)
I will write again tomorrow.
God bless you all!
Wink

Sad Goodbyes and Happy Hellos

Dear friends and family-
We had such a wonderful time in Chungju Baptist church. The members there are amazing. Our last night included the Wednesday evening worship service. They sang songs in Korean that we knew. Brother Tommy preached on Isaiah 6 and the holiness of God. Miran (Debbie is her given American name) did a wonderful time translating. There were many "Amens" during the service, and the message was powerful for this congregation and us.
After preaching, Pastor Bae asked me to come up and speak to the church about our experience. I can't tell you all I said, but tears were in my eyes as I expressed the blessing they were to us as we came to serve with them. Then pastor asked the entire team to come up and speak. They all expressed how much love we felt and how wonderful the experience was. Pastor Bae was adamant that we come back again next year. As we all hugged and cried, the congregation formed a long line from the pulpit all the way down stairs to the offices where we sat and had dinner for the last time. They had bought us KFC (finger lickin' good!) and we sat around talking about all the good times. Loading into the van was very emotional for us all. They drove us to our motel, and we said goodnight.
This morning, Pastor Bae and Kim came and brought us our dry cleaning and said goodbye. Our rooms were very cheap (I will explain later :), so we paid up and hugged them for the last time. When I grabbed the pastor he did have tears in his eyes. It is not customary for Korean men to cry, so he quickly turned away and crossed the street.
We will never forget our days in this city. I pray God will bless them and their ministries and that He will continue to draw people to Himself. We have so much to learn from the Korean churches.
Pastor Sheen and his wife Young Me picked us up at our motel. Jerry and Betty were off to the train station and on to Suwan. We said goodbye to them as we loaded our luggage into two cars.
On the way to Daejeon we learned a little more of the Korean language, and got to know our new hosts. The church is five years old and has only 40 members. They love to share their faith, but they told us that many hearts are hardened because of Buddha and other world religions.
After a 40 minute drive they took us to their church. It is in a tall building and they meet on the second floor in a small but nicely quaint sanctuary. We all held hands and prayed. It was nice to be in one accord.
They brought us to our nice hotel (like a Hyatt), and we had a nice lunch here at a nice Chinese restaurant. After a 30 rest, they took us to a couple schools where we sat outside and drew some large crowds. They love Americans. When they asked why we were in Korea, we told them Jesus Christ and we were able to share the gospel with many. It was amazing as God is AMAZING!
We talked about how we could not do this in America. Isn't that sad. We have to come over 7000 miles to share in some schools.
I am sitting with Jean Ann in the hotel lobby as we await our new friends. They are taking us out to eat. A church deacon is feeding us tonight and we were told that we would be sitting on the floor. We are now accustomed to this custom, but let me tell you, it is hard on the old bones to get us off the floor all the time :)
Friends, I have left out so much, but we wanted to share a little of what we are doing. I know we will be at a university tomorrow and maybe another school.
Please keep us in your prayers.
I have a sinus infection. So does Rose and Tommy. We have medication so I hope it will start kicking in.
It is early morning there and 6:35pm here- weird!
We love you!
Please comment below this post and I can read them and share them with our team.
Debbie (Miran) has already made a comment.
Please keep her in your prayers. She is a growing Christian, but loves the Lord.
We all are so amazed how God can use us, simple folks from Tennessee and Mississippi.
How Great is Our God!

Wink and Jean Ann
Tommy and Rose (just walked up and say howdy!)

More from Chungju

I am sitting here at the computer and Kim, the pastor's wife, is reading my post from yesterday and tears are rolling down her face. She has taught me new words: sa rang hey (I love you) and chin gu (friend).
My simple words cannot describe how humble, grateful, and loved we feel from this church and their members.
Miran, a 21 year old student and a Christian of only four months, has been going with us to interpret. After we left one house last night, she turned to me and said, "Now I know why you are here." Even though she is simply translating our word and God's Word, she is being blessed. How amazing! This was definitely an epiphany moment for her and me.
Please pray for her as she will be interpreting for Bro. Tommy in tomorrow night's sermon (Wednesday). She is very nervous, but I know she will do just fine. I wish I could describe the glow on her face as she speaks of her faith.

Today we continued visiting homes, businesses, and a couple of hospitals. A woman church member's brother and his wife were in a bad car accident in July, and they both recuperating in seperate hospitals. I was blessed to be able to speak to the 35 year old man. He told me that he had known Jesus, but now he wants to make him His Lord and Savior. He was broken and his eyes had been opened after the accident. Amen!
His wife, at a separate hospital, had a hardened heart. She would not surrender to Jesus because she was holding on to Buddha. Unfortunately, many people over here are blinded by idols and worship other gods.
But, so many are seeking the truth and the fields are ripe. Please pray for this church and the members in this season of harvest.

We were taken to a nice Korean restaurant today. We had some amazing beef tips with veggies and other varieties of their food. (I have pictures!) This was the best so far (except for Pizza Hut last night :).
I love their pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Mom, I want a pie when we get back home.

Well, I hope to write again before tomorrow evening. We leave here Thursday morning for Daejon. I am sad already as I can't imagine it being a better experience. But, I do know that God's will is not my own, and I cherish every moment I can serve Him in this country.
Blessings from the team and church here.
We love you all!
Wink

Report from Chungju, South Korea

Blessings from Chungju Baptist Church in Chungju, South Korea.
Pastor Bae Jung Sik and his wife, Kim Hong Soon.
I am sitting at their computer at the church office. Their love for Jesus is infectious.
They really do pray without ceasing.
We just came in from going to homes and businesses all over their city. Many people made professions for Christ as tears flowed and broken lives healed before our eyes.
There are so many stories to tell you, but let me just say for now, God is in control and the fields are ripe here.

Our team really does feel your prayers.
We are getting the royal treatment here as well. The Korean people are FAR MORE gracious and giving than Americans in general, even compared to southern hospitality. We have been shown kindness beyond what we could have imagined. We are humbled by it. We have been told it is their custom to show this love, respect, and kindness to all their guests. That is really hard to fathom. We could learn a lot from them.
Bro. Tommy preached a wonderful and encouraging sermon yesterday on Hebrews 12:1-3. It was well received.
I was asked to teach and talk about learning English last night here at the church.
The team looked at me and said that God had a plan for me to be here all along since that was my emphasis of study in the master's program at the U of M.
Pastor Bae has prayed for his vision of someone coming to serve here that knows English and could teach his congregation. He believes it is part of the empowerment of his people, and that they value God, family, learning, education, and honor above all things. Those are not just words. It is very evident in all they do and say.
We have fallen in love with them.
We had traditional Korean food yesterday and today for lunch (I can't wait to share some pictures and those stories too), but last night we were taken to Dunkin Doughnuts (owned by a church member) and tonight we have requested Pizza Hut. So, we are eager to get some American food, although we have heard that octopus and squid pizza are popular here. (Pray for our stomachs :))
I will check back in with you all tomorrow. Please keep us and this church in your prayers as we serve Jesus Christ.

Wink

Seoul of Korea

We are here!

I am sitting at a computer in some dorms that we are staying in before we head out to serve in churches of South Korea.

We have met so many wonderful, servants of God. There are 27 people from all over the south here with us. They are all older than Jean Ann and me which astounds us. One couple, the Lowry's, has been married for 60 years. They come here every year. The very long trip is difficult for anyone, but just think about being 80 and traveling to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have had orientation and done a small amount of shopping and some sightseeing.

The thing that sticks out the most is the quantity of churches here.

While we were out yesterday we could see the entire city from Seoul Tower which was built for the Olympics. Looking out you can see so many crosses above the city. They raise them high above their buildings and they are all lit with white or red lights. It gave us such comfort to see God being represented here.

The Koreans love Americans and we have had many encounters already that I will wait to share later along with some pictures.

I do want to say thank you for all your prayers.

Your love is felt as it travels the earth and fills us with peace, for we know you are with us in spirit.

We praise God that there have been no illnesses as of yet, and everyone is in very good spirits.

We are ready to go forth.

May God bless you all and I hope to be able to send you more messages soon.

For Him who we serve,

Wink and Jean Ann

One Week Away

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

God has blessed us with so many friends and family that have been praying for us. Your love and encouraging words mean so much. The days are counting down and we have been very busy.

We have had the daunting task of buying gifts for every person that we will be working with in the two churches where we are going to serve (pastors, their wives, interpreters, schedulers, drivers, and families that we will be speaking to).

This is no easy feat. Our instructions are vague. The gifts should be made in the U.S.A. They should represent us and what we believe. We will have to wrap them when we get there. It sounds like the Koreans love to get gifts. But, what I also have heard is that they love to give. We were told not to admire anything that belongs to someone too much or they will insist that we take it with us.

We also learned that they love to take pictures. (That means I should have plenty to share when we get home.)
They are very conservative in their dress. (Packing is our next major adventure.)
And we also found out today where we will be in South Korea for the two weeks. The first week we will be serving at Chungju Church (Chungju), and the last week we will be at Sunhan Baptist Church (http://www.sunhan.net/ , Daejeon City). We just received an email from the pastor, Wonsub Sheen. They have a small but growing church, and they are looking forward to us coming to teach, preach, and sing our favorite gospel hymns :)

(Here is a picture of some of their members on 9/28/08).

(Pictured above: Hiking path and science expo in downtown Daejeon City.)

Go to Google Maps and check out these two cities and look at some of the pictures online. That way you will have an idea where we are when you pray for us. I am hoping that I will be able to email pictures back home while we are there, and maybe add them to this blog to keep everyone updated. You know, the internet is an amazing tool for communication. BUT, prayer to our Father is the best!
Thanks again!

We love you all!

Wink and Jean Ann

The Beginning and the End: Part Three

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

What if you had an appointment with the doctor and found out that you had cancer? Maybe you have heard this news or heard it on behalf of a loved one. I want to tell you some things cancer cannot do. Cancer cannot shatter hope. Cancer cannot corrode faith. Cancer cannot eat away peace. Cancer cannot place a limit on eternal life. Cancer cannot quench the Spirit of God and cancer cannot lessen the power of the resurrection. That’s how limited cancer is!

Continuing the story (Part Three)... (Pictured above right: Clyde & Laverne with little Winky (me) from 3/17/68))

Clyde and Laverne met at Pollyanna's soda shop/drugstore in Harrisburg, Arkansas. Their relationship quickly grew from just being friends to being in love. A whole new world was opening up for them as they set their eyes on goals and dreams of a wonderful future. And as the world was going through turbulent times, this small, secluded world of Bay Village, Arkansas, saw two young people glowing with anticipation of marriage and family and a future of unlimited potential. Decisions needed to be made.

Clyde's grandfather went to the Methodist church in town, and his grandma was a member of the Pentecost church near their home. The choice was made. Elder Reese Dixon from the Pentecost church married them at his home which was next to the church. Mrs. Dixon was the witness. This recorded day in history, December 6, 1941, was only one day before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. This day was also a day which would live in infamy as the beginning of a wonderful family, and a history of many people would be because of this union.

(Pictured: Dottie & Winston, Sr.)
God was with them as the blessing of life was given to them in the way of two children, Dottie and Winston. Clyde continued to work for Ollie Patterson on a farm near Bay Village in Poinsett County. Times were tough, so the Rushes decided to move in with his grandma for about a year. Grandma Rush was a true example of a great work ethic in that she loved to work in the fields. She and Laverne would go out early and work very hard. Luckily for Laverne, she was sent inside the house each day around 11am, as the sun started to really heat up, so she could "fix" lunches for the family. She liked cooking much better than picking cotton.
Hard times brought resiliency, a move to Memphis, Tennessee, where Clyde would get a job at Firestone, and would drive cabs on the third shift. She would never learn to drive a car and never took a job outside the house. Laverne stayed at home because God was with them as the blessings of life was delivered in the way of two children, Dottie and Winston.
She truly loves her husband, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren dearly.
Her spirit of love embodies the beautiful, southern woman, as she is the greatest example of the steadfast and obedient wife. Her faithfulness and committment and love for her family is the bedrock and foundation for this family. We draw strength from her meekness. Wisdom from her servant's heart. Love from her love for Jesus.


(Pictured above:Laverne, Dottie & Winston, Sr.)
Their marriage has survived turmoil, despair, poverty, illnesses, and all the sinfulness that this world can muster. For 67 years they have survived Satan where many have not; and he has succeeded in ending many marriages, for he has come to kill, steal, and destroy. In a day and time where the marriage covenant to God and the value of marriage has been lost on our generation, my grandparents stand as a testament to simple faith, trust, and steadfast love.

Thank you for praying for them.
My grandfather just called me and he sounded so sad. He said that he doesn't have much left in him to keep going.
I just wish he realized that he does have all that he will ever need and His name is Jesus.
Eternity is our goal, and heaven is our home.
My grandmother's memory has faded as disease and age continues wipe it all away. But the one thing she can still tell you today with all certainty, and even recite it word for word is:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3

Amen.

I love you Maw Maw and Paw Paw.