Kentucky WMU News

Give thanks for the safe travel of Kentucky WMU English Camp volunteers who went to Korea in early August.  Give thanks for the more than 20 children who accepted Christ as Savior. Pray for follow-up with families of children who attended the English Camps.

Give thanks for the safe travel of Joy Bolton, Pat Reaves, Sandra Duguid, and Dolores Gilmore who attended the Korea WMU Annual Meeting in August. Continue to pray for our Korea – Kentucky WMU partnership.

Where do you stay with your family when you are in your home country for a short term before returning to the field where you serve cross-culturally? Give thanks for the vision of the Korean Mission Board to provide for the housing needs of its representatives. Pray for the renovation of 22 apartments that will eventually be used by Korean missionaries.  The renovation project covers 10 weeks and requires at least 40 workers each day.  Please pray that the project is completed on time and within budget, no worker is injured and, upon completion, the Korean Mission Board will find a dedicated caretaker to manage these apartments.

Sarah, a young Korean mother with two daughters ages four and one, feels helpless as she struggles with juggling the many demands of parenting. She is extremely dedicated to giving the best to her daughters. Jenna, age 4, speaks English very well and loves to read books. When visiting in a missionary’s home, Sarah asked questions about parenting and disciplining children. The missionary shared from her own life experiences of raising four daughters. Books and materials were shared with them and encouragement to seek God’s Word for answers to their life direction and parenting. Pray for Korean churches to provide encouragement and guidance for young families seeking to building a strong family that is an example to a lost world of Christ as the center of their home. Pray for young families to be courageous when they must break the traditional beliefs of their culture to follow God’s pattern for parenting and training their children.

Pastor Kim’s message was clear about forgetting God and turning to materialism and the world for answers. He stressed that it is time to remember God and to turn back to Him. As Korea becomes a nation of increased wealth and prosperity, pray that believers will be willing to live simple, holy lives and give sacrificially of themselves and their resources so the lost can be reached with the Gospel message.         

Glenn and Pam C are on stateside assignment. They will have many opportunities to share what God is doing and exhorting people to join as prayer and ministry partners in the work in Korea. Pray for that God will direct their hearts, minds and steps in these months of speaking, renewal and connecting with supporters and friends in the U.S.

After exciting days of vacation and hot summer heat, Korean students have begun classes once again. Studying will now fill most of their waking hours. Pray that students will balance ministry opportunities and study. Pray that believers will take advantage of relationships on campus to share His love and good news.

Join local believers in praying for many volunteers to serve in the Korean-American Partnership Crusades in some of the most strategic areas this Fall. 

Thank you for praying for Phil and Helaine H and their family during their short summer stateside assignment and transition to a temporary assignment in the Philippines for several months before returning to Korea. The family has settled in well in their new short-term location. Pray for their eldest son who is in boarding school, for Helaine as she homeschools the three younger sons and for Phil as he works with a translator to tell the Waray-Waray people about God’s love and purpose for their lives. 

The 2008 Advent Calendar Prayer Guide is coming! For the past several years the Pacific Rim Region has produced a prayer guide featuring stories from around the Pacific Rim. This year’s calendar will soon be available for download from the regional web page – www.go2pacrim.org.      

Continue to pray for Jeju Island. Although the Jeju Team is temporarily absent from the island due to the requirements of an international tax treaty, pray the spiritual fruit will remain. Intercede for the believers that they will be sharing the hope within them with others daily and remain faithful despite trials that test their faith. 

Six months ago South Korea elected a new Korean president, Lee Myung-Bak. 

In a country that has about 10 million Buddhists and 13.7 million Christians, there is opposition to Lee, a Presbyterian elder. Tens of thousands of South Korean Buddhists rallied on August 27 in central Seoul to protest alleged pro-Christian bias by the government of President Lee. Ask God to bless President Lee Myung-Bak and give him wisdom and discernment to be a wise, effective leader of his country.

Electing leadership is a weighty responsibility. The Korea Baptist Convention will

hold its annual meeting September 22-25.  Pray for Baptists meeting together to

seek the Father’s will as they elect new leaders.

Pray for South Korean families and churches who recently lost loved ones who were traveling outside their country. Three Korean pastors and some pastors’ wives died in a tragic car accident in Baguio, Philippines while the group was on a brief mission trip.

                                                September Birthday and Anniversary Calendar

 14         Hannah W

17         Joe L

23         Ann S

23         Daniel H*

26         Jenny H

27         Josiah H*

30         Bill F

*TCKs

After a time of practicing English with two American young people living in Seoul, the Korean  mother and her son, who is a soccer player, asked the ladies to accompany them to eat dinner with some of his school buddies. As they were served chicken feet covered with red pepper paste and ate what was put before them, they answered many questions related to various topics. The most interesting conversation centered around one young man who declared that he did not believe in God due to an atheist book that he had read. Many Korean young people are grappling with similar questions and issues that American young adults face: Does God exist? Sexuality? Is God good? Morality? Good versus evil? Science and God? Education and religion? Pray that the pursuit of knowledge will not become a barrier to receiving the love of God and truth that will lead to faith and a personal relationship with Christ.  Pray that secular academia will not be the controlling influence in the minds and hearts of young people. Pray that more Christian literature and apologetic materials would be translated into Korean and widely read.

On August 4-6 Diaspora missionaries from different countries will attend a Global Diaspora Consultation in Seoul. Pray for pastors and leaders to learn effective ways to minister and reach the thousands of workers from other countries living and working in Korea. Ask that people will be more receptive of the good news in these days of feeling lonely and adjusting to a new culture with the many different struggles and challenges of learning a new language and skills. Ask that pastors will not lose heart but continue to press on in His power believing God to meet their every need.

How do you engage foreign workers and create an interest to discuss spiritual things? Christians are looking for ways to build relationships with these workers and share Christ’s love in effective ways. Pray that the basketball and bowling games each month will be opportunities to invite lost friends and find new friends that will desire to be with believers. Pray that relationships leading to good conversations that open the doors for presenting the gospel would develop. Pray thousands of foreign workers will be saved and be vessels of His good news that reach back into their families, neighborhoods and countries from which they came.

English camps are a great way to meet people and build relationships that can lead to further contacts. Korean children are always looking for ways to improved their English skills. During August 300-400 kids will attend four different English camp within two weeks. Four women from Kentucky will travel to Korea to minister as volunteers with these kids. They have written a new curriculum for this outreach. Pray that the kids will be eager to learn and respond to His love shown by these volunteers. Pray for safe travel, good health and the ability to communicate clearly with Korean kids.

Last year one Korean church had an English camp for about 100 students. This year the church desired to hold another camp, but the needed volunteers was a concern. The pastor of Seoul International Baptist Church, his wife and one church member responded to the need and will become local volunteers during this week. Ask God to mightily use them to touch lives with His love and good news. Pray that some of the kids will return from last year and be more open to learning about Christ even as they deepen their English skills.

How can summer pass so quickly? Camps, vacations and relaxed schedules will soon be over and time for a new school year to begin. Pray for families to experience a good year of ministry and learning together in Korea. Ask God to grant each third culture kid the discernment to choose friends wisely, study well, and to grow in ways that honor Him.

Glenn and Pam will have the opportunity to share of His work in Korea during their eleven months of stateside. As both sons attend college, pray for good experiences and relationships. Pray that Pam and Glenn will experience renewal, rest and equipping as they share with churches, partners and family and be prepared for future ministry. Pray for Jenny and others as they assume the responsibilities usually covered by Glenn.

One of the staff members in the KORP Seoul office will be giving birth to her first

child during August. Pray for a safe delivery and good recovery. Pray for the baby to grow well and be strong and healthy. Ask God to richly bless this family with good bonding and wisdom as parents.

A young lab technician married a young surgeon this past spring. She shared how often she is home alone at night, since her husband is so busy with work. As with many young couples, work responsibilities are great leaving little time for couples to grow together. Pray that Korean families will be alert to ways to guard their time for one another, for the Lord and for ministry that honors Him.

Thank you for praying for Phil and Helaine H and their family during their short summer stateside assignment where they met new prayer partners, connected with churches and family and regrouped for the next term. Pray for Phil and Helaine as they transition to a temporary assignment in the Philippines for several months before returning to Korea. Pray for their four sons will have opportunities to build new relationships and grow spiritually.

August Birthday and Anniversary Calendar

1          Bob and Ellen H Anniversary

13         Glenn and Pam C Anniversary

30         Sam S