Letters from Youngmee   December 11, 2007

Newly wed entering the reception hall

Here is a fun poem, written by Shel Silverstein, I read with my students
today:

Snowball
I made myself a snowball
As perfect as could be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet
And let it sleep with me.
I made some pajamas
And a pillow for its head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first - it wet the bed.
*
Weather:*
Our new team members from Philippines are hoping for some white stuff to fall and get a chance to play in it for the first time in their lives.
But the season has been unusually mild and dry so far. Though I am glad for it, if it continues to be this way for long time and not get enough rain or snow, we will see the negative effect. The farmers will suffer later, and there won't be enough water to produce hydro-electricity. If there isn't enough electricity produced, K-stan won't be able to export it to Uzbekistan... and when K-stan does not export enough electricity, the Uz government will cut off the gas supply to K-stan... oh boy.
*

Some of Youngmees kids

Visa situation:*
Well, as I've written before, the saga continues. A couple trying to get to K-stan found out that even K-stan embassy in DC is not issuing one year, multi-entry visas anymore... I will still attempt to get it from the embassy in DC, but if all fails, I can get a one-month tourist visa at the airport when I come back after spending Christmas with Connie and my sister - hooray! - in California. And then I will try again to obtain the visa from here. But it's harder to transfer tourist visa to ordinary... oh help! :-)
*
Reading the Bible with Gulia:*
We've finished discussing the preliminary things about the letter, such as the writer, the occasion of the letter, and the recipients, and now we are reading it again section by section and discussing them. She is struggling to make her walk with the Lord a reality, not just some nice idea...but she lacks the discipline.

*Local friends:*
Just recently, a young local believer was 'taken' by force and now he is in the military. All young men who are of age and not married must serve in the army for one or two years. But because most young men have left the country to work, there's not enough recruits. Many young men get out of serving in the army by bribing the officials. And because of the incredibly harsh treatment in the army, most try to avoid it at all cost. No one ever reports to the army voluntarily. Therefore the army actually goes around the country, searching for the young people who must serve. So this young man has been in the army for less than a month now, already been beaten several times for no reason... but he is keeping his faith strong and searching for ways to be the light and salt around him. Last I heard, he is already ministering to local orphans around the army base.

I've been meditating on the following verses as I think of the locals who are going through hard times and also suffering because of their faith in Jesus.

Isaiah 43:1-5

"...Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the holy One of Israel, your Savior... Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you..."

*Contact while in California:*
I am very thankful that I will be spending this Christmas with Connie and my sister in Pasadena, California... I will be there from 17 Dec. to
4 January. If you are anywhere near Pasadena and would like to see me, please email me or call me in Pasadena:                626-794 -3573        . I would love to be able to see some of you while I am there.

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragements.

On 10/2/07, Youngmee Shin wrote:
Hello,

I've been 'home' for three days now after a week in Bishkek. I was able
to meet with people to discuss things concerning MK ministry. And then
instead of flying to J-bat from Bishkek, I decided to get a taxi ride
since I had some heavy bags to take with me. I was so thankful for a
trustworthy taxi driver to be riding all by myself as a passenger.

It's about 600 kilometers (about 360 miles) to J-bat and it took just
over 7 hours, thanks to recently paved road for the last 150 or so
kilometers! It used to take up to 10 hours due to unpaved road. Most of
the way is just mountain road after another curvy mountain road, with
even some snow on the very top and very little trace of human
habitation. But as I was passing through small to tiny villages dotted
far between along the valleys, I was urged to pray that somehow people
in those places will hear the Good News.

Now I am half way finished with cleaning, rearranging, and unpacking,
just trying to make it 'my home'. I've moved to another house to
house-sit for a family who left for a year long furlough. Please pray
that this place will be a place of worship and prayers as well as a
welcoming place for local friends who are not yet followers of Christ.

I am hoping to start teaching one student next week. Two more will come
towards the end of October and one more around middle of November. I
will start the language learning as well. Also, a local college student
asked me to read the Bible with her. Please pray that this will be a
time of learning and growing in the Lord for her and that I would know
how to pray and minister to her.

Oh, I think I might have shared with some of you that I was told by an
optometrist that there's some signs of Macular Degenerative disease in
my right eye. Just before I left to come back, I was able to get a
thorough check up by ophthalmologist and I don't have that disease. PTL!
But instead I was told that I have a high risk of getting glaucoma in
both eyes...yikes! Please pray that I would be healthy all over.

It's early, but I need to start thinking about Christmas, mainly because
I would like to spend it with Connie somewhere outside of K-stan. To be
honest, last Christmas was the hardest time ever, having to spend it
alone. Also all along the Christmas season, I would like to create a
healthy (?) Christmas celebration with my local friends without the
trappings of western 'holiday' mindset of gift giving and parties... We
from the west may continue to celebrate the way it's been done, but
people here do not have to copy that, do they? Please pray that I would
be humble in my thinking... :-)

Thank you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. I cannot
be here and do what I do without you!

youngmee

Connie went back to California... Few days before her departure, we
were able to 'fix' the visa problem by going to the consular at the
airport who made the mistake. He just wrote over the mistake!Thank you
so much for praying.

We had a wonderful time together. Three weeks just flew by and it was so
hard to let her go. She is so excited for college life. I think I did
mention that she will be going to Washington State University in
Pullman, WA.

I will be meeting up with some Korean workers in another city. It's my
first time making this 2 hour driving trip by myself. Please pray that
the meeting will go well. The main purpose of the meeting is to see what
can be done to help with their children's education. This year, there
are 13 Korean families with 23 children! I will write more about the
meeting when I get back.

Thank you so much for your love and prayers,

youngmee