In the words of..

When I decided to venture out into the world of blogging, one of the reasons for doing it was so that I could connect people with others through stories and simple questions, who normally would never interact. We all in fact have a story, and however boring they may seem to us, they are our own and different from anyone else and that uniqueness carries a little fascination with it. How cool is it when we can take the time to listen to others and be encouraged or inspired or even entertained by that persons thoughts and experiences! Basically I really enjoy hearing a persons journey and why they do what they do, and am excited to share with you some thoughts from people I know.

My good friend Caleb put together some words that he offered to share here, so thanks Caleb for that, and I hope you enjoy reading what he has to say as much as I did.

In the words of..

First name = Caleb.

Where I am = Jeju Island, South Korea.

Why I’m in Korea = I’m teaching English. And making some money. And learning the language. Also, having fun.

How Austin knows me = We kicked it together at college. He had the pleasure of living with me his sophomore year, at which point in time I was a wise senior with a great deal of powerful life advice to offer. I guess we hit it off; we’ve kept in touch ever since in spite of the fact that we usually live a couple thousand miles apart.

Something everyone needs to know about the city where I live = First, we’ll start with the name, Jeju-Shi (제주시). Okay, so you probably really don’t need to know the name. Unless you love what I have to say so much that you need to buy a plane ticket here so you can chat with me in person.

To be more serious, the first things I noticed about Jeju focused on differences: the seemingly lawless driving, the homogeneity of the island’s inhabitants, the communal orientation of Koreans, etc. I suppose it only makes sense to notice contrasts at first.

After having had a good deal of time to think about differences, I bored of the constant comparisons between the West and the East and decided to just experience Jeju for what it is. It’s amazing how quickly this place can feel familiar, warm, and nearly second nature if you give it the chance.

I suppose that’s the take away. I think you should know that, despite the very different nature of where I live, at the most fundamental layer it’s made of people with emotions and needs nearly identical to those you and I experience, though it may be expressed differently.

What I like to do here in Jeju (that I can’t do back home) = I will say Norae Bang (노래방) for starters. This literally translates as singing room, but the Japanese version, Karaoke is already well known and a good reference point. The difference is that, here in Korea, you go with a group of friends (or your business partners, fellow teachers, the roughly 60 year-old principal) and rent a private room. And you then sing to/with each other. Now, when I mention the advanced-in-age principal I think I should make it very clear that every principal I’ve gone with has been a warrior in the Norae Bang. They sing, dance, and party long after I begin to tire (we’re seriously talking about singing past midnight AND going to school the next day ON TIME). I’ve gone to Norae Bang with groups as big as 25 and as small as 2. It’s always an after-dinner-activity option—expect to be there long after dinner. You can order food there if you get hungry from the strain of performing.

I’m telling you this because I actually am willing to sing in front of other people after having come to Korea. This was far from the case in the USA. I used to straight up refuse, not that I was asked often. I’m by no means a great singer, but something about Korea has inspired me to take what skills I do have and actually practice singing.

I’m now not only comfortable singing for other people, but I actually love when my phone rings informing me that a group of friends are at the Norae Bang hoping that I’ll come and join them (oddly enough, I pretty much exclusively sing songs in Korean, recently branching out into the genre of rap, so I get to feel like I am learning a language as well as having a really good time. I will, however, perform Vanessa Carleton’s “A Thousand Miles” upon request, haha).

What God’s doing here = I would say the same thing He’s doing everywhere, that is, working through the body of Christ to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. It’s rather important to recognize, as this question implicitly does, that God is here. He’s not far away in some distant heaven, passively observing. He’s active and moving. We don’t always notice.

Then again, when we’re not noticing it’s probably the case that God would have us doing something in His name but we’re too distracted to realize it. I know that—when I’m not completely focused on what I want—I’m often better at observing a need here or there than I am at actually getting involved and helping. I may see something that seems like injustice and it’s very easy to say, “Look, there is evil. Why is that allowed to happen?” But really, if I take my identity seriously—and by identity I mean the fact that I am a part of God’s church and family—the proper reaction would be my involvement, giving the glory to God while doing so.

To attempt to be a bit more specific to the country I live in, Korea actually has a rather large number of Christians. I’ve heard it has the largest church in the world, located in Seoul. I attend a fairly large church here on Jeju and there are some striking difference about my church here and some that I’ve attended in the US. Here there seems to be more emphasis on spending time with other church members and simply being together. Anytime there is a service or gathering (Sunday, Wednesday, Morning Prayer) a meal is shared. Nearly everyone eats together. I’m part of a small group that meets together on Sundays after church, but we often meet up just to hang out on other days of the week. Christmas Day, if you’re a Korean Christian, is spent at the church. It’s very interesting to see some of the differences in my church here, and I would love to see some of the differences implemented in other places with more frequency.

the power of living

I am a sucker for quotes, 'inspirational sayings', or just a good word. Today I heard one and thought it was worth sharing.

"There is only one way of turning people's loyalty to Christ, and that is by loving others with the great love of God. We cannot revive faith with argument, but we might catch the imagination of puzzled men and women by an exhibition of a fellowship so intensely alive that every thoughtful person would be forced to respect it."

From 'Alternative to Futility' by Elton Trueblood

I might have found another book I'd like to put on my list. I think the reason I am so attracted to these words is because recently I keep hearing and seeing and reading about the power of God being shown in a seemingly non powerful kind of way and I love that. Not because this idea of just loving others is 'trendy' or 'relevant' but because I think the transformational power of living a redeemed life really pleases God and shows what is possible with him. Intellectual conversations and the like have their place but the real work of bringing restoration to the world is accomplished through Christ followers following Christ and that's what I was reminded of today.

Street people and my response

I have been thinking a lot of the people you see on streets lately. You know the people I am referring to. They are often asking for something, maybe even in the same place each day. They may be playing an instrument, wanting to sell something, look a bit dirty, smile and try to talk to you, or just keep their head down with their hand out. Of course I'm referring to people that are generally known as homeless. I have trouble using the word homeless at times, and before I go any further I thought I'd explain why that is. Once I heard someone talking about homelessness (I can't remember who it was or where or when, just what was said) and he asked why we describe these people in a way that focuses on what they do not have. Most of our descriptions of people or groups or whatever are based on what they have or do, not on what they do not. Interesting. Also, I am not always convinced that every person you see on the street is actually without a home. Maybe they are travelers, or migrants, or only temporarily homeless. Those are my thoughts surrounding the word homeless, but for the sake of the conversation making sense I'll use it as I write.

I have been thinking of homeless people recently because since moving to Seattle and living very near to the downtown neighborhood, I am constantly passing by and surrounded by homeless people. My experience with, or I guess my awareness of homeless people started on a middle school trip with my church to an urban area in the U.S. where we worked with a church to serve the homeless. Once I moved to Denver to attend university I learned more about homelessness because some friends were really into the campus ministry devoted to serving those people. Denver also consistently ranks in the top 8 in homeless population so there is a large need there. I then when I was volunteering in Amsterdam, Netherlands I was exposed to homelessness outside the U.S. Besides the international side of it, the difference between my exposure to homelessness in Amsterdam versus in other places before was that in Amsterdam it became more personal. Personal because I would make friends with people through my work at the youth hostel and for many different reasons, I would sometimes have to say goodnight to those friends knowing they would wander the streets for a few hours, looking for a place to crash and hoping the police would not come and tell them to leave. And now I am here, in Seattle, surrounded by people who are in need. And this makes me ask questions and think about what my role in all of this is, especially as a Christian because Jesus said things like this..

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also, if someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners', expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:27-36 NIV

Jesus cannot be serious, can he? If someone takes something from me, don't expect it back? Lend to someone without expecting repayment? To me I wonder if this is really what he was trying to say because it sounds backwards, it's tough, it's not what I'm used to. But why would Jesus say something if he wasn't serious? What are we as Christians, people who are called to follow and obey Christ, to do with this? I see a consistent theme here in these verses. It has to do with Jesus telling us to be different. Even 'sinners' do things that we may think are good. Jesus wants us to do more than just good I think. And that is where I feel like I often stop.

I struggle with seeing people on the street and understanding what I am to do about it. Money? What if they use it for something 'bad?' Time? What if I'm late? But if these words of Christ are true and I have to assume that he is serious, I don't think I can ask these questions. I am to have mercy, give without repayment, and love people even if they hate me. I have a burden. I see people on the street and I don't like it. It stirs something within me. I often walk by, not knowing what to do. And I feel like I can't do that anymore. My conscience is one thing, but when I have a burden and conviction from the person I claim to base my life around, how can I keep walking by?

I've decided to do a couple things. They're not huge or super crazy but things I think I could do. For one, I am going to start looking at people in the eye and recognize that they are there. I realized a tendency sometimes is to look away but isn't that showing them more than anything what you feel about them as a person? Another thing I will do is when I have, for whatever reason, a draw toward someone, to stop and acknowledge them, ask about them, and learn about what their need is. And also I am praying for a generous heart and eyes to see these people in the way Christ would. Simple things, but a good start for myself I think.

Don't be fooled into the lie that there are only people in need in the slums, or the alleys, or the streets. Christ's words stung my pride and my preconceived ideas about homelessness and I hope for a similar experience for you in your sphere of influence. Let's strive to live like redeemed people. It's what our Savior asks.

For more information on homelessness in the U.S. check out the National Alliance to End Homelessness. They have some good resources and thoughts.

photo & a story - buses & windy roads

Before you start reading it might be fun for you to imagine what is happening in this photo and even build a little story around it. We can see how your 'photo interpreting' skills are.

Okay, now you can start reading.

I have always been jealous of people who don't get motion sick. Many a time I have been forced to endure long car, plane, and boat rides by sitting in one place, usually with my eyes closed, trying to escape to a place where my head would not ever spin again. This hasn't stopped me from continuing to jump on all those different kinds of transportation though. This picture was taken a couple months ago on a very motion filled bus ride in Morocco from the town of Ouarzazate to the city of Marrakech. My traveling buddy and good friend Henk just couldn't help but document my sickly state and now I'm kind of glad he did because I get to tell a story about it.

In April Henk and I decided to spend a couple weeks traveling through Morocco. I wanted to see what life was like for people in a very different part of the world than I am used to. We basically bus hopped from town to village to city to town through central Morocco. This particular bus ride was near the end of our trip and took us over the High Atlas mountains which are some of the largest in this region of Northern Africa. Distance wise, it sounded like a pretty quick trip. Before this day our longest bus ride I think was around 8 hours so I figured I could handle something that just went from one side of a mountain to the other. I quickly discovered I was a bit too optimistic in my approach to our last bus ride in Morocco, as we steadily climbed and weaved into and through the High Atlas. I have driven through and over and around lots of mountains before this but what made this experience so not good for my head/stomach was how the roads are built. There are no tunnels, bridges, or any other time and curvy saving detours. The road are simply built into the mountain a little and therefore go where the mountains go. Well in this range the mountains go all over the place. At several points in our descent into Marrakech, you could look out the window and see the road winding nearly on top of itself for a good, long distance.

Although I was pretty out of it for most of the trip (along with half the other passengers), I did occasionally look outside at what I was passing through and that made the whole motion sick part of it worth it. The mountains were a combination of the rolling kind and the peaky kind like you see in Colorado. Lots of green, not too many trees though, and deep valleys. Some of the most stunning views were of the waterfalls that would gush out of a piece of rock and fall several hundred feet below. As someone who gets more than a thrill out of being in the mountains it was really special. Just wish I could have spent more time on the mountains instead of on the mountains, on a road, in a bus. Maybe next time.

what is christmas?

It is December..

And this means that besides being faced with a quieter hostel, lots of cold wind, and loads of tea, I am also thinking about that big holiday that is coming up. This will be my first Christmas outside of my home country and just like many things that come along with living abroad, that excites me because it is something new. One thing that has remained the same however is that I have already been challenged to think about what Christmas exactly is and why we celebrate it.

This afternoon myself and fellow hostelers were brainstorming ways to 'bring' Christmas to the hostel, but we began with a discussion about why we do the things we do during this time of year. At the end, we all agreed that it is simply a time to praise God and love others. Interesting because that is something that we should be doing all the time ya? So why is it that we tend to forget that sometimes? I'm not sure what Christmas looks like in Holland but I know what it looks like in America and I don't always like it.

The couple weeks prior to Christmas and Christmas itself, we at the hostel will be serving meals, making snowflakes out of paper, building gingerbread houses, and having a special Christmas open mic night but the goal of it all is to praise God and love others. So I guess the question for the day/season/month is what is Christmas and what am I going to do about it?

who is he?

Since coming to Amsterdam, I believe I have lost some of my naivety. In regards to how I view others, the world I live in, and also how I think of my faith, as well as how I explain it. When interacting with guests, or more frequently with our cleaners, there is one disagreement that always comes up regardless if the issue at hand is purpose, the origin of life, drug use, forgiveness, grace, church history, conspiracy theories, or love. That is whether Jesus is the Son of God or not..

Everyone has their assumption or bias or presupposition or opinion on this. At least for me, I use to have this idea that people don't want to talk about God or faith or the divinity of Christ and therefore it was easier for me to rationalize in my mind why I should just leave it alone. But I am finding that people actually are interested and are willing to discuss this stuff, which is cool.

Anyway, back to the whole ''exactly who or even what is this Jesus guy" question. We can debate theology, interpretation, or the best 'style' of worship but the thing we should be most concerned with is whether Jesus is the Son of God and if so how do we communicate that truth to others.

Listen to what CS Lewis has to say about the ultimate question..

"I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

Wow. Well said Mr. Lewis.

So what do you think?
No, I mean what do you believe?

This is a question we cannot unfortunately push to the side or ignore. If Jesus actually is who he claimed to be, then making a decision for ourselves on where we stand is at the very least worth considering.

Want some more food for thought? Check out this article.

Movement

A couple nights ago, we had an open mic night at the hostel. Like most Chinese food, this is the kind of thing that can be very good or something that you could have gone without. On this particular night, despite very little preparation, it worked. It flowed. Staff members and guests alike took turns singing, rapping, and joking for three hours. In the simplest of terms, our open mic night was a group of people who were excited about sharing with others something they enjoy. There was no light show, or a script pre written by the MC, or lineup. All there was were people. People just sitting around being honest and transparent with each other through music and words.

Music, tunes, a good beat, whatever you want to call it has an effect on us. It moves us. I think God can have a similar 'moving' effect on us. I think God uses things we enjoy to move us towards him even if we do not recognize it is he who is doing the moving. This is what I felt on that night, and that is why I love being at the hostel. We are about community, relationship..and so is God.

God moves and is active, and it was so humbling to see him move us towards him on that evening through some music.