Fundraising Update: 9-8-08

Yeah for Fundraising! I am currently at 65% of my total fundraising needs. Thank you and praise God for all of you who have helped me get to this point! I am truly blessed and growing more and more excited that I will be in Thailand soon.

I still need 35% or $15,000, but I am hoping and praying that God would lay it on people's hearts to support me as I seek to follow God's leading to serve in Thailand. I hope to leave within the next 2 1/2 to 3 weeks if I reach 80% and will continue fundraising efforts while I begin a new season of life with the Thai Covenant Church.

• Please pray that God would give me energy, patience, and faith that everything will come together as soon as God would have me leave.
• Pray for the churches & individuals who I have asked for help, that God would give them generous hearts and that they would be blessed in return.
• Pray for the Thailand Covenant Church as they prepare to receive me and train me so that I will be able to serve them well.

Trip to the Indiana Dunes

On August 16th, I spent the day with Korean Ark Covenant Church Youth Group (KACC) at the Indiana Dunes. I had a great experience spending some quality time with the youth at my church. It takes about 2 hours to arrive at the Sand Mountains of Northern Indiana on the shores of Lake Michigan. During this time we listened to Korean Pop and Rap (in Korean) while eating Kimpop (Sushi or California Roles) for breakfast.

I brought along a book, "Making Room at the Table," a collection of articles by members of the faculty at Princeton Theological Seminary that explore the multicultural challenges facing the contemporary church. I spent some time reading aloud from an article about the Korean American Worship experience in hopes of dialoguing with my friend Limee (a University student who was sitting next to me).

Limee was willing to engage in conversation and helped me understand and confirmed that there are unique challenges faced by Korean Americans in the context of worship. These challenges stem from the complex dynamic of Korean Americans having to face their state of liminality, but that being in limbo culturally can be helpful in the act of worship itself. In other words, if Korean Americans face both of their Korean and American cultural identities and bring this state of acknowledged limbo to the act of worship, then they will be more able to fully engage in worship.

Being in a state of limbo constitutes my friends having to face the challenges of performing according to the expectations of both cultures (ideally). The challenge then, according to Lee, is that Contemporary Worship dynamics can then either reinforce these expectations or become an avenue for freedom in God's presence. I agree, in principle, with Lee's arguments, but would've liked to have some suggestions for application. Or is the issue mostly still working with bringing issues of liminalty to our (both Korean & American) awareness?