Sunday Morning at my church....

It was good to go back to church....and I wasnt leading worship, but I got to just sit and enjoy....I love to lead, but it is good to sit every once in a while. Blessed...

This is my Pastor.....Pastor Jerry....he taught through 1 Peter 1:1-12....its funny that they just started, and we just finished 1 and 2 Peter in Korea...I guess God wants me to hear it again! lol

Here is the band playing some worship....really great to hear the team play again...^^

Dilly buns! ahhhh.....

Well this is one of my favorite Ukrainian meals that my family can make, the other one....that most people hear me talk about (Perogies ^^).....but this one is called Dilly buns....reallllllly simple but amazing taste....here is how you do it....

Make mashed potatoes with cheese and fresh dill....and then prepare dough.....

So in this picture, my mom is stretching out the dough....

Then she is putting the mixed potatoes and ingredients into the dough....

Then you roll it up into a ball....with a weird smile too...lol

make more and more and more.....mmm......

Then we just bake it and eat it with sour cream......sooo good....thanks Mom for a great dinner...

Some real Italian Food...

Well my family wanted to have my Dad's parents over for dinner....their names are Mike and Tina....it was Mike's birthday, so we got him a present....

Me and my grandma....she so pretty...^^

So we went to one of our favorite Italian restaurant called Vince's....sooooo good....mmmm

my parents chowing....mmm

doesnt that look awesome! ahhh.......meat sauce, meatball, chesse.....awesome....

im caught.....im a piggy....꿀꿀 ㅋㅋㅋ

Despite Mike's expression (lol)....we had a great time with each other....it was good to hang out with my grandma and grandpa....^^ I'm happy...

and so it starts....

So right when we get off the plane....it started....the food....lol

Sosimo's Family and my family picked us up at the airport, and they were really hungry, so we went to Norms....and then we grubbed down....mmm...

Sammy (Sosi's Brother), Sosi, Solomon (Church friend), Karolina (Sosi's Mom)

I had to get breakfast....mmmm.....i love eating breakfast for dinner...never really have that in Korea....usually you eat the same meal for any meal.....lol

Patti (My mom), Me, Bergy (Sosi's Sister), George (My dad)

It was good to have a meal with our families again....been a long time....good to be home!

Leaving Korea..

On my last day being in Korea, I had one more discipleship class with my good friend Joseph....it was great getting to teach him the Word of God. Continue to pray that he would grow in the Word and in the faith of Jesus!

All the guys hanging out at Mike's house before we take off to go to the airport...Tim, Joseph, me, Solomon, Sosi, Ryan, and Alex....miss you homies

So this is one of our new friends that are going to be in Korea after we leave.....IZA....we met her at the airport coming straight from Okinawa....and then she waited for us to leave to Taiwan...but we had to have some McDonalds before we left....

Me and Pastor Mike....he wanted to cry....really....he just plays it off well....lol

When we got to Taipei, Taiwan....we were craving some coffee....so we went to an rip off cafe....ughh.....but I got a good drink....but we made it safely from Taiwan to America....no rough spots or anything....very nice flight....

Leaving for Cali...

Well I am about to leaving for Taipei...then Taipei to California....where I will be for about 7-8 weeks before I leave to go to Italy....pray for our flights....Sosi and I will be traveling together. Ill post more blogs in Taiwan....blessings!

Getting ready to go....

Amanda self portrait....bwahaha....so funny....just random....

Well I am going to post most of the pictures as I am coming back home....but about a week before we are leaving....on the 22nd to come back to California....our friends starting getting goodbye presents....

Our friend Sally knows us too well....BaskinRobbins 31.....mmmm

She had to get sherbet for Amanda who is lactose....hehe....but the rest was for me and Sosi....hehe

Thanks friends who got us something before leaving....more pictures to come....stay posted....

Well Fed pictures...

We were definitely "Well Fed" at our retreat last weekend. What a great time studying the Word and worshiping with our friends and family in the Lord. Continue to pray for the work started in these peoples lives...God will continue to do marvelous things.

Sosi started of the night on Thursday teaching the people....

Our great view from our hotel right as the base of the Keryon Mountains...ahh....a little river running down the middle too...

Some of the things we were physically "Well Fed" with....nahhhh jk someone lost a game....so they had to try this....i have a video too....but later....

We hiked on our last day, which took about 4 hours....crazy but an awesome time fellowshiping and growing in our relationships with our friends....

We were really hot, and heard of a little open spot in the river or creek that comes down from the mountains....we had some fun times...really cold....but refreshing....thanks for the pictures Calvin....watch out you guys! Dont get wet!

We had just finished an all out battle....

New faces.....as some people were coming and going throughout the retreat, due to school and work and whatnot....was good to have anyone that could come....^^

Silly pictures.......gotta love em....

worship is always amazing with a big group and a small area....in the mountains, just worship the Lord.....no distractions....ahhhhh

some random lily pad pic I took on top of the Mountain that we hiked....

Pray for those that met Jesus, and those that dont understand much but are attempting to draw closer to the Lord! Blessings everyone....

Prayer for Well Fed...

Psalm 34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!"
We want these people to understand the greatness of God's Word and how beneficial it is to us!

Well Fed is the retreat that we are having here in Korea from July 9th-11th...please simply pray for the work that God is going to do with the people that will come. We have about 30 to 40 people asking to join us, many that we know, but also a good handful of newcomers that we will be glad to welcome in.

Pray that there would be a great move of God's Spirit....not a move of emotion, which will not last but past the first couple days after the retreat, but something that will impact and change lives for eternity.

I know how much retreats have blessed, refreshed, and satisfied my thirsty soul for God, and I am praying that God would do the same for me now, and all the people that attend. BE ON YOUR KNEES SAINTS! Thanks much everyone!

Oh and please....if you see this after the actually retreat days....if you miss praying while we are there....still pray for God to bless them....thanks!

Affirmation of Faith with Ryan

Another great story of God's work in Korea....

So our church goes to this Christian Coffee shop called Holy Cross on Sunday night, just like normal. Usually, we have about 45 minutes to an hour to just talk and have fun before we need to go home. Well I struck up a conversation with this guy Ryan. He is a little older, sometimes a little left out maybe, but I decided to ask him, "How long have you been a Christian." Most Korean people that are learning English can understand your words better than they can get out what they want to say...

But he replied...."I am almost." I'm thinking almost a Christian? So we talked about it, and he said that he was not Christian, yet, because he didn't have the ceremony. Ceremony? What ceremony....then he started to show me with his hands...."water, under...." OHhhh Baptism......"Yess! I need to be baptized." "Oh you do..." I said.

He had been telling me that he has been going to church for about a year now, and that he is not "saved" because he had not been baptized in water yet. So interesting. How does it feel to go to church, and not know that you are saved from a sure death? Wow...I sure know this feeling...I felt it many times before I understood more about the truth of God's Word.

So I began to explain about Jesus on the cross, and the two criminals that were hanging there besides Him, and how one professed that Jesus was guiltless and then asked to be "remembered" as Jesus went to His Kingdom. Jesus told him "Today you will be with me in Paradise." We later find out that the criminals both died. I told him that Paradise was heaven, and he agreed. I told Ryan that the criminal was forgiven by God, even though he was a criminal. And then I told him that God took him down off the cross and baptized him, and then he died....................NOOOOOOOO!!!! He died as a believer in Christ, and that was sufficient for salvation!

By this time, we were sitting down and I was telling him about Jesus being baptized in Matthew 3. It says that John tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized, saying that Jesus should baptize John. But He said no, saying He wanted to "fulfill all righteousness." I told Ryan that Jesus did this because it was good for Him to do it. He is being an example to us believers. "Now did Jesus have to be baptized?" He shook his head...."No, He is perfect." Jesus did not have to be baptized, He was identifying with us sinful men, showing us that He is standing in our place for us. He did not have to, or that would be saying that Jesus is not God, or that God is not perfect, which He is both.

So we talked a little more, mostly because I was afraid that he was not really saved, but as I questioned him, he told me that he had sought other religions, but found that Christianity was true. He prayed to Jesus to forgive him. But he thought he wasn't a Christian yet because he had not been baptized.

I was angry at the different Pastors that had taught this man the wrong things out of the Word of God. I am not perfect either, I thought, but it made me realize the importance of knowing the Word of God even more. I always remember this quote from Pastor Tommy..."Preaching the Word is like fishing. You throw out the nets, but then you have to pull them back in." A lot of people miss the opportunity to pull in the nets, and it might be because they do not piece together the "whole counsel" of God, only knowing pieces, that do not benefit its hearers.

Praise the Lord, this man now understands he IS in a relationship with God. Pray God will continue to disciple this new believer.

I write this long of a letter because I think it is important...Know your Bible...know what you believe about being saved, baptism, the rapture, the end times, gifts of the Holy Spirit...do your homework. You will be tested, so be ready for the test.

Warning!!! There are many people walking around that think they are not saved, but they might be, because they do not understand the Word of God. You be their encouragement! Warning!!! There are many "Christians" that are walking around, thinking that they have a relationship with God, but they do not, because they do not understand the Word of God.

Dig into the Word guys....