이태일장로 선교소감

우선 영어 소감문 전문을 올려드립니다.^^ 조만간 제가 한글로 번역해서 다시 올리겠습니다. ~~  영어를 읽으시면서 들으시면 훨씬 이해가 잘될 것입니다. 그리고, 영어공부도 되고^^ 

Hello. This is Daniel Lee from the Haiti mok-jang. The Mexico mission trip was a big blessing for me for a number of reasons. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share a few thoughts I have been reflecting on since returning from the trip. Let me first start by saying that I am truly blessed that I can spend time with the youth. I can see that God is blessing me through them. This was true during the Mexico mission trip and is also evident during the 10-day special prayer service. I see how pure and innocent they are. They rarely have a hidden agenda. They express their feelings more easily. They can share their happiness and show their vulnerabilities more easily without worrying about how others might judge them. They are reminding me of how so much of my actions are driven by my pride and how others might think of me. They are giving me the confident to chip away and break down the walls I have built up over all these years. I want to thank God and also thank the parents for allowing me to serve the youth.

I was very impressed with the students during the Mexico mission trip. Our daily schedule started quite early. Everyone had to be washed up, dressed, and ready for the day by 7 am. That is when we all got together for the daily quiet time which usually lasted about 45 minutes. We prayed together for the upcoming day and especially for the Mexico kids. We prayed for God to touch their hearts, often times by calling out each kid's names in our respective groups. Our students then got into small groups to have their daily quiet times, to  reflect on the daily devotional, to discuss as a small group, to commit to an application for the day, and to pray.

I believe the time we spent with God each morning was critical to our success. As God presented them with opportunities throughout the day, I saw students saying "yes"to His invitations where they might have otherwise said "no". Some said "yes"to giving a testimony in front a large group of people, some said "yes" to giving a sermon message at the last minute during VBS, some said "yes" to the most difficult chores, some said “yes" to praying for the group before a meal, some said "yes" to forgiving others when bad things happened to them during the day, some said "yes" to being more positive minded and to engage with the Mexico kids more actively, and so much more. These incredible acts of courage and unselfishness would not have been possible if not for the daily devotions coupled with each person's daily application commitments. God gave us the confidence to say "yes" to so many more things and the strength to follow through. God is constantly inviting us so that we may take part in His works. Starting the day with the focus on Him and the commitment to live the day for Him resulted in the students serving and glorifying Him that much more.

If spending time with God during the first portion of each day was most important, I would say that our next most important time was when we spent up to 3 hours debriefing each evening. The first segment was doing our daily journals to reflect on the day. Teacher Minae gave everyone a few questions to help get focused on our self-reflection. Then, we paired up to share these thoughts with one another. This process allowed us to think about the good things that happened that day and to share our joys with another person. It also gave us the chance to think through some of the negative things so that we can ask for forgiveness. This time allowed us to slow things down, to enjoy and appreciate life, and to build on today for a better tomorrow. This was how we spent the first hour of our debriefing.

The second segment was a lot of fun and also a tremendous value for the group. It was a time for anyone to either recognize another person for their good works or to say sorry to them for something they did or to share an "ah-ha" moment for what they learned. Even though there was no requirement for everyone to speak, each and every person had something to say, and many times, multiple things to say each night. We spent the final segment of our debriefing by calling out things that worked well and didn't work so well during VBS that day. We discussed the opportunities to improve as a group so that we can be more effective the next day. Finally, we prepared for the next day's VBS by rehearsing and preparing materials.

I am so proud of our students. They worked so hard. They did a great job with VBS and the Mexico kids. I am especially thankful for Teacher Minae who did a wonderful job of leading and connecting with the students.

I am so thankful that God used her skills and caring heart to lead our youth. I also want to recognize all the hard work and dedication from Pastor Lee and sa-mo-nim. We would not have been successful at all if not for all their efforts to prepare us so prior to our week in Mexico.

I was originally going to move on to my next topic at this point, but I was lying in bed this morning thinking about this and I want to share one more thing. I was thinking to myself, what a great way to live each day.

Even if I am not a Christian, starting each day to focus on the right priorities and to reflect at the end of each day and to share the daily joys and sorrows with a loved one would be a wonderful way to live. It would help anyone be more successful even based on worldly standards. It could help me to earn a lot of money or attain some social status so that I can live comfortably and to show everyone how good I am. However, as my life comes to an end, as Solomon taught us, it would seem hollow because none of those things really matter.

But by adding God to my morning quiet times and having God be the focus during my evening reflection times, there is greater purpose and meaning in my life. Knowing that my life is not some random coincidence and that God created me with a purpose and that I would check in with Him on a daily basis to ensure that I am being used for His purpose gives me joy, confidence and a sense of responsibility to live as my Creator intended. I am sorry that I didn't do this for myself on a regular basis. I am even more sorry that I didn't model this behavior for my children. I am quick to tell my children what to do or what not to do, but here was something I could have shown them and modeled for them and even do with them on a much more regular basis so that they can see and do for themselves.

I would like to now talk about the 7 college students who were with us. They were a huge benefit for our mission team. I truly appreciated and valued the leadership and mentoring aspects they brought to the group. It was so natural for the younger students to lean on the college students as they provided direction, guidance, advice, clarity, and stability. They were amazing role models. You can see the high school students learning from the college students and to turn around and take care of the youngest students. This dynamic of older students caring for younger students as well as modeling their lives for younger students so that they can observe and follow is something I would like to promote on a continual basis.

On a personal note, I was very thankful that my two boys and I were able to go on this mission trip together.

Chris was next to me for all of the drive down and back, and it offered us a special time to bond as we caught up on a number of topics and just spend time together. I know it's sometimes a little awkward for Andrew.

I know he's thinking, "Why does my father have to be the one who has to be there with me in my youth events?"I am just thankful for his great attitude and his willingness to work on finding a comfortable place for himself. I also pray that Andrew and I would gain a new appreciation for each other as we spend time together in the youth group. The pleasant and lasting memory I will have for the time I spent with the boys during this trip will be priceless.

Finally, I would like to share my thoughts about the Mexican kids as a result of this trip. I am ashamed to admit that my view on the Mexican people in general was not very positive before the trip. What God helped me realize through the trip is that He loves them just the same as He loves me. I was able to see the pure and innocent hearts of these children, giving me a whole new perspective on the Mexican people.

I also saw the challenges they have today and will continue to have as they get older. These are my assumptions but their poverty, their lack of education opportunities, their lack of a sound family structure, and their lack of awareness of God and His abundant love make me wonder how these kids would turn out in the years to come. I began to question the effectiveness of what we were doing. What purpose and value is there in spending less than a week for just a few hours each day? Kids were often only interested in the snacks, crafts, or toys. Some wanted these things so badly that they would lie and do whatever they can to get more. And when you tell them "no", some would even get mad and curse you.

On the one hand, I am sympathetic and want to freely give everything. But on the other hand, I wonder what is truly best for them. I started to question whether there would be better ways to help them, something that is more practical and longer lasting. I can sense God leading me to keep thinking about this, to struggle with this, and to keep talking to Him about it. I am not sure what God has in mind yet. What is certain in my mind is that God wants us to live our lives by loving our neighbors whether that is for the Mexican kids or anyone else. I am excited and thankful for the journey and am looking forward to building a stronger relationship with God and the youth through the process.

Thank you.