Shalom~~News from Ketchikan, Alaska ๐
Here...it seems like summer is here.
Sometimes the temperature drops a lot. The sun is much longer than in winter, so I am so thankful that it is bright even at 9pm.
I missed the sun a lot. This is the season to be careful as bears roam door to door in search of food. They turn over trash cans and break car windows if they smell food in the car.
This is a text from the lady next door one night.
"There's a bear in front of your kitchen window! Watch out!"
Fortunately, I woke up and checked the text in the morning ๐
One of the little joys of living on a rural island in Alaska is
Being able to see the sea every day, sharks and seals appearing in the sea, deer welcoming us along the way, bald eagles looking down at us from the top of a pole tree!!
I have no place to go or anything to do, but I thank God for giving me the small pleasures of being with nature.
On May 5th, my family celebrated our 2nd year here by buying a small cake and celebrating together.
We encouraged each other that we had worked hard to adapt and live here for two years.
One of the things I am really grateful for is Yeseul and Eunchul, who have adjusted so well to life and school here.
I know it's because of those prayers that you pray for us.. Thank you so much again!!!!
Native children meeting, visiting.
It seems that the time with the children every Wednesday is the time to know more about the title of prayer with gratitude. Here, when parents can no longer raise their children due to drug addiction, alcoholism, or other problems, children are placed in foster homes to be taken care of.
There are especially many cases like this among native children. Whenever foster parents change, we never know which home these children are being raised in. And even if we do find out, the foster parent will have to send the child to the meeting so they can come.
A few months ago, there was a case where about 10 native children couldn't come to the meeting because we didn't know which family they were sent to.
How painful must it be for the children who move from place to place and are taken care of? I pray that they will deeply know that God is their true father and meet God.
Lovely Tsimshian native child.
outdoor game.
Exciting praise (children's free dance^^).
A small gift for native children visiting
Pioneer House.
It was really fun to worship with the elderly people. They valued our family so much and welcomed us. They also thanked us for being with them. It seemed that we were receiving the Lord's comfort and encouragement through these people. There are many people who are sick and uncomfortable, and there are people who do not come to worship services, but I pray that everyone in Pioneer House will deeply meet God and live the rest of their lives with hope through small acts of service, sharing, and prayer.
- Sermon at Pioneer Home
- Sharing homemade chocolate on Valentine's Day. (A good opportunity to visit a native friend's house on a day like this)
- Native drums made by Yeseul at school (she made them from deer skin~the sound is really good~)
City (Ketchikan) intercession.
The weather is much warmer than winter, so we go downtown and pray for a place in the heart of this city, in the middle of a spiritually significant location.
๐ฆ
Ketchikan is the first city in Alaska, and the name Ketchikan means "eagle's spread wings" in the Tlingit tribal language.
Haida, Tsimsian and Tlingit native tribes have lived here for over 10,000 years and Ketchikan was founded in 1885 as the site of a salmon cannery and for many years was known as the "Salmon Cannery Capital of the World".
(I will share it again in the next letter ^^
I don't think you can remember too much information all at once :)
If you come here for a short-term mission, this is the first place to do a prayer walk (Creek street)
- I think I can show salmon jumping up here in the next letter.^^
Through the wilderness
๐ผOnly the Lord is my help
You are my light
The wilderness where only the Lord is my friend
Where I can't live a single day without holding Jesus' hand
Wilderness! Wilderness!
The Lord wants to use me
to make me more pure
The wilderness where he chose me and sent me
Where the Holy Spirit regenerates my spirit, Wilderness
I'm standing in the wilderness
My ego is shattered and I lay down the dream that I tried to be higher than the Lord before the Lord.
May only the Lord's will be done
May only the Lord be revealed through me
Through the wilderness
What is Mission? What is ministry?
This is a question that I have to think about again after living here for two years.
While reading a book called <The Backside of a Missionary> written by Missionary Sukyung Joo, I will move the words from the book.
"Ministry flows out of being"
"Ministry means that the outcome of a person's existence, that is, his or her character, is determined differently. The wilderness is a place where one sees one's own weaknesses and limitations, just as an athlete bends down to tighten his shoelaces before running a marathon. A missionary lays down the foundation of his life and ministry in order to complete the long and far journey to the end well.That place is the wilderness. The wilderness is the place where you meet God who loves you as you are rather than what you do when you are doing it. Through a lowly person who seems to be weak and flawed and can do nothing without the help of the Almighty, rather than a competent and well-known missionary. , It is a place where God does great things. Thus, the wilderness is a place where we realize wholeheartedly that God wants to reveal Himself not through the missionary's 'work' but through his 'existence'."
Passing through the wilderness... Through us, who are weak and flawed and who seem to be unable to do anything without the help of the Almighty... God is doing great things!!
We earnestly pray that only God will be revealed through our existence.๐
Thank you so much for always being with us, supporting us, and praying for us. ๐
Please pray for us
1. Our visa expires in October 2024. There is a way to go back to Korea and apply for a visa again, or apply for permanent residence here. We are trying to apply for permanent residency for long-term ministry. The current situation is not easy, but please pray that God will guide all our processes smoothly.
2. May the Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian tribes living in Ketchikan return to the Lord and restore their families through God's healing.
3. May all my family be healthy, always filled with the Holy Spirit, and follow the guidance of the Lord happily!
In August 2023
With loveโค๏ธ
Jaeho Jung*Eunae Park*Yeseul Jung*Eunchul Jung