The Difference A Year Makes

This blog posting's just for fun. =)


A few days ago, I came across this picture of Juhee at our local neighborhood swimming pool taken last summer at the incoming 6th graders party towards the end of our time serving the Youth Ministry at NVC. She was so unhappy that day! Poor baby.

But now!!! Ever since her extremely fun experience at Uncle Edward's house in Dallas (pic to the right), she loves the pool! She really enjoys going to our local neighborhood pool now too when we get a chance.

We had 6 of her friends come over for a playdate after we returned from Dallas.

The 7 of them were all in a row sitting back, enjoying their fruit snacks after playing in the wadding pool. They were so cute!!! Here she is lounging by the pool enjoying snacks while playing with her playdate friends.

Unfortunately, we've only been able to take her a few times this summer, but she's enjoyed every moment in the pool, lounging in the deck chairs, and playing in the toddler's playground there, and we've had fun watching her explore and learn.

One year makes such a huge difference. So much has happened during the past year.

Thank you for tracking with us. =)

Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon: Part 3

The 2009 Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon has nearly come to an end. We still have just over a dozen pledges to collect but over 90% of the funds, an amazing $13,520, has already come in. I still have a hard time believing how much the Bike-a-Thon raised.

It's been such an awesome experience. God used it mightily as a way to confirm through all of you that despite all of the difficulties we experienced, God prevailed and that He is the One sending us to Japan. The Bike-a-Thon was nothing short of a miracle!

From 2009 Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon

There have been a few people who have been instrumental in making this happen. Mr. Stephen Lee 이원세 집사님 (middle of pic), who not only organized the week-long trip spanning over 4,000 miles and one whole year of planning what route to take, where to get gas, where to sleep, where to eat, make bookings, and lead his group during the whole ride, was also our top sponsor giving an additional $2,000 on top of the $400 he had originally pledged. He also received pledges from his work colleagues and friends as well as a couple of his SVMC biker buddies.

Mr. Jay Lee 이재학 사장님 (far left of pic), does not attend our church but is a very good friend and business associate of Mr. Stephen Lee. He promised to pledge whatever was needed to meet our goal of $10,000. On the day Mr. Stephen Lee and his biker buddies were at church, the remaining amount was $1,265. After he pledged, we had even more people give but he didn't change his pledge. We were very happy to be able to have dinner with him during one of our Bike-a-Thon dinner meetings (pic above) and share with him our calling for Japan and the ways in which God has been working in our lives to prepare us for the missions field.

From 2009 Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon

Mr. Young 김영인 집사님 (right) and Mrs. Patricia Kim 김성숙 집사님 (middle), as well as Mr. Douglas Kim 김동혁 집사님 (left) were just absolutely awesome! I seriously don't know what we would have done without them. They worked so hard for so many hours.. and they are still following-up with the remaining people who have not yet given in their pledged amounts by calling them, emailing them, asking them at church, and even sending them cards.

Even now, we still don't have a picture of Agnes Lee, Sara Kim, and Helen Hong together during the Bike-a-Thon. They also worked so hard before, during, and after, even now, with the follow-up. Agnes, especially has been an absolute star. =)

Helen was able to motivate the 7th grade girls to give towards the Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon. We were so proud of them and so touched too! Hopefully they enjoyed the cake we bought for them as a thank you. =P

Before the Bike-a-Thon started, when Mr. Stephen Lee first approached us about the Bike-a-Thon being used to raise support for our Departure Fund for Japan, I had absolutely no idea how much work was involved and that I would need so much help! I also had no idea as to how awesome it could be... I am so grateful to God for providing very able helpers at the perfect time. I'm also very grateful to our core team who has helped with happy hearts, big hearts, and without a single complaint, even when they were being complained to and despite the obstacles set before them.

It was a truly humbling experience.

Thank you very very much.

Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon: Part 2

(이원세 집사님의 한글 원본 이멜은 아래에 있습니다.)

A few days after Mr. Stephen Lee returned from his 4,000 mile Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon, he sent out an update email to all of the people who had pledged and given their email addresses. The translated English version is below, pictures are slightly different. Enjoy - it's an amazing story!

Dear 2009 Bike-a-Thon Supporters,

By God's grace, I've returned safe and sound from the Bike-a-Thon fundraiser to raise support for Pastor Peter Oh's Japan Missions. Over 8 days I led our group of bikers 4,034 miles through Yellowstone and Sturgis, South Dakota, and back [to San Jose, CA].


Due to the extreme differences in climate, we experienced sudden showers, thunderstorms, strong winds beyond 60 miles per hour, and hail almost every day. On one occasion, my motorcycle boots were so full of rain, I had to take them off to pour out all the water! When the hailstorms were pounding down on us, I tried to block the hail stones as big as my thumb with my left hand, and my face was in so much pain I felt like I'd been beaten up. While riding through the Nevada desert, we were greeted by temperatures of over 100ºF that made breathing difficult, and we had to force ourselves to sleep as our bodies shivered in our tents at Yellowstone with night temperatures close to 0ºF.

When we arrived in Sturgis, South Dakota, the 69th annual Sturgis Rally was in full swing with 600,000 – 1,000,000 motorcyclists from all over the world. It was a truly magnificent sight and we could not help but be amazed.

http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/


The sight of so many women enjoying motorcycles was, even to me, very attractive. As you can see from the pictures [not included in blog posting], the motorcycle outfits of the women there were very unique and diverse. As a FYI, in South Dakota, a helmet is not required when riding a motorcycle.

The people next to us in the camp site were from Little Rock, Arkansas, and the leader was a HS drama teacher. He said that he attended Sturgis every year with his friends and spent a week there.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who supported the 2009 Bike-a-Thon so wholeheartedly, and would especially like to thank our Heavenly Father who blessed us more than we’d dreamed in terms of finances and all of the logistics for the Bike-a-Thon and for leading us and keeping us during our travels. It was also a very important opportunity for us to communicate to the wider New Vision Church congregation about the current preparations that Pastor Peter is going through, and in this respect, was invaluable.

We currently have $14,270 in pledges and many have already given at the Bike-a-Thon tables or by giving directly to church. During the next 1-2 weeks, we ask that those that have not yet given in the pledged amount do so by writing a check to NVC or PBF with “Bike-a-Thon” in the notes. We will ensure that 100% of the offerings that come in will be used for Pastor Peter’s Japan Missions Departure Fund.

Hallelujah!

Thank you again for helping to make the 2009 Bike-a-Thon a huge success,
Stephen Lee

*******

2009년도 Bike-A-Thon 후원자 여러분들께,

Peter Oh 목사님 일본으로 파송선교 후원을 위한 Bike-A-Thon 을 예정대로 8월첮주에 잘마치고 돌아왔습니다 Yellowstone 과 Sturgis South Dakota 을 7박8일동안 총 4034 miles을 주행했습니다.

대륙의 날씨변화가 심한지라 소낙비, 천둥번개, 60마일이 넘는 강풍, 우박등을 오토바이을 주행하면서 거의 매일 경험했었고 오토바이 구두가 비에 곽차서 신을벋고 빗물을 쏟아 부어내는 적도 있었습니다.
우박이 한때에는 심한지라 엄지 손가락 만한 우박이 얼굴을 내리 칠때는 왼손을 펴서 우박을 막아 볼려고도 했고 얼굴은 매맞은 기분으로 얼얼한 적도 있었습니다.
Nevada 사막을 지날때는 화씨100 도가 넘는 온도가 숨이 막힐정도로 열풍을 맞이했고
Yellowstone 에서 밤온도는 거의 영도의 온도가 Tent 안에서 떨면서 잠을 재촉했습니다.

Sturgis, South Dakota 도착했을 때는 이미 69년째의 Sturgis Rally가 진행하고 있었고
대략 60만대 에서 100만대의 오토바이들이 전세계에서 모여들었다고 합니다.
정말로 장관이고 놀라지 않을수가 없었습니다.

특히 많은 여성들이 오토바이 즐기는 모습은 저에게도 좀 이색적으로 보였습니다.
그리고 사진에서 보는것 같이 참으로 다양한 여성들의 오토바이 복장을 볼수가 있었습니다.
참고로 South Dakota는 오토바이을 탈때 Helmet 을 안하고 주행할 수 있습니다.

저희가 머물던 Camp-Site에 옆사람들은 Little Rock, Arkansas 에서 왔고 그는 고등학교 드라마 선생님이었습니다. 매년 이곳을 친구들과 와서 일주일간을 보내고 간다고...

다시한번 2009년도 Bike-A-Thon 을 적극적으로 후원해 주신 여러분들께 감사을 드리고
특별히 하나님께 모든 모금운동과 목표액수 이상으로 축복해주시고 안전한 여정이 될수있도록 인도하심에 감사을 드립니다.
특히 Peter Oh 목사님의 현제 파송선교을 준비과정을 범교회적으로 알릴수 있었던 귀한 시간들이었습니다.

현재까지 총모금액은 $14,270가 Pledge 되었고 많은 분들이 이미 교회로 또는 만남의 광장에서 후원금을 지불해 주셨습니다.

앞으로 일-이주일내에 아직 미납하신분들은 교회로 지정헌금 "Bike-A-Thon" 기립하여 헌금해 주시면 100% 모금된 금액을 Peter Oh 목사님 일본 선교 파송되는대 귀하게 쓰여질수 있도록 하겠습니다.

할렐루야!

그리고 2009년도 Bike-A-Thon 을 성공적으로 이끌어 주셔서 다시한번 감사드립니다.
--
Stephen Lee
이원세

Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon: Part 1

(Click on the images to see larger versions.)

Thank you so much to everyone who took part in Mr. Stephen Lee's Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon! We've uploaded pics of some of our top tier supporters who got to take a picture on Mr. Stephen Lee's Special Edition 150th Anniversary Copper Harley Davidson Cruiser and pics of our helpers too.

1. Mr. S. Lee & his Silicon Valley Motorcycle Club Biker Buddies, fundraising at New Vision Church.

A big huge THANK YOU to Mr. Stephen Lee (이원세 집사님) for all of the hard work he put into the Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon. We thank God for inspiring him to use his motorcycle ministry to help our journey to Japan. The Bike-a-Thon raised a whopping $12,440!

What's more, it was a tremendous catalyst to raise awareness in the Korean speaking congregation of New Vision Church of our current status. The Bike-a-Thon gave us the opportunity to explain why we haven't gone to Japan yet, that we're not on full church support, and of what our actual needs are in order for us to go and stay long-term in Japan.

2. Mr. J. Lee & his son on Mr. S. Lee's Harley. (pictured right)

3. Mr. J. Kim & his wife on Mr. S. Lee's Harley. (pictured below)

A big huge THANK YOU to Agnes for organizing everything with Pathway and working together with Sara & Helen to coordinate the Youth Challenge. Thank you for braving the stage and getting up there to make announcements for us!

A big huge THANK YOU to Mrs. Patricia Kim (김성숙 집사님) & husband (김영인 집사님) for their encouragement, support, for standing for hours on Sundays to inform people of our status & need, for making a huge informative poster, putting together packets, and even preparing snacks for those who stopped by the Motorcycle Bike-a-Thon table.

4. The Japanese snacks, drinks, candy, and display items that Mrs. Patricia Kim prepared for the information table.

A big huge THANK YOU also goes to Mr. Douglas Kim (김동혁 집사님), Mr. Carl Ryu (류창명 집사님), Mr. Kevin Lee (이기동 집사님), Mrs. Young Chang (장영미 집사님), Mrs. Sookyung Hong (홍수경 집사님), Chris, Jennifer, Alicia, Justine, and mom (전은숙 전도사님) for being out there and helping us to educate the congregation members of NVC of our journey to Japan. Sorry if we missed anyone...

We're humbled by your willingness to sacrifice your precious time for us. Thank you so much!!! We couldn't have done it without you!

5. Jennifer & Sara welcoming people to our table. (pictured far right)

6. Mom & Mrs. Patricia Kim giving their feet and voices a bit of a break. (pictured near right)

Last, but definitely not least, a big THANK YOU to all of YOU who gave so sacrificially!



Mr. Stephen Lee & his biker buddies will be returning this weekend from their 4,000 mile trip. Please keep them in your prayers and make sure you check back next week for more pics and stories from his journey.

July Update

If you want a larger view, just double click on the image. The top one is our July update newsletter in English, and the one below is in Korean.

Dallas Feasts :P

1. Juhee's hands are moving so fast they came out blurry - Spring Creek BBQ.

We had so many delicious meals while we were in Dallas. It started with dinner the day we arrived. Mel & Jade took us straight from the airport to Spring Creek BBQ. The meat was so tender and the sauce was deliciously smokey and sweet! The servers bring around fresh bread that comes out steaming hot straight from the oven. Mmmm.... good.




2. Even the Korean snack dduk-bok-ki 떡볶기 at King's Sauna was good! Peter stayed home to work on his sermon while Jenny, Jade and Marnie went to King's Sauna for a day of pampering (more about King's Sauna in prior blog posting).






3. Juhee enjoyed her first ever fast food kids meal of nuggets, waffle potato fries and milk at Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A is a yummy chicken burger fast food chain. They had lots of sauces for their waffle potato fries, and they mastered the art of chicken burgers. Think of In-N-Out, but with chicken. Too bad we couldn't order Chick-fil-A animal style.


4. Chef Jade and her yummy pasta bakes.
The feasts continued at home with Jade & Jon's wonderful home-cooked meals of fresh home-made turkey burgers, ravioli bakes, pasta bakes, and bruschetta. Yum! The pasta bakes & bruschetta was enjoyed by the guests who came to the Small Group Gathering Jon & Jade hosted at their spacious home (more about the gathering later!).

Jade also made a huge pot full of jjajang 짜장 sauce one evening to feed all of the people who came to the joint Small Group Gathering of the young singles and couples of DCBC's small groups who meet on Tuesdays.

5. Jade, hubby Jon, and Juhee outside Pluckers.

Pluckers, where we ate 60 chicken wings with different kinds of sauces like Dr. Pepper, Goldrush and "Fire in the Hole". We felt a bit adventurous that day and tried their fried twinki with ice cream and chocolate sauce! We could feel our arteries clogging with each bite. =)


6. Enjoying chicken wings inside Pluckers. We suffered a heavy dose of food coma after that lunch.

Juhee kept on grabbing both of our necks and posing for pictures. :)






7. We were going to go to Chuy's for our last dinner 'cause it sounds like Juhee's name, but there was a 40 minute wait when we got there so we went to Abuelo's instead and were really glad we did too.







8. Abuelo's, a Tex Mex restaurant with huge portions and excellent service. The dish pictured to the left is called "The Grande"! No, the spoon pictured is not a teaspoon. It is a regular sized spoon, but looks like a teaspoon because it is dwarfed by the ginormous plate.


We also had meals at restaurants like Pappadeux's, a Cajun restaurant where we tried alligator for the first time, Ali Baba, a Middle Eastern buffet where I wish I had a bigger tummy, and Bavarian Grill, a restaurant that serves delicious authentic German cuisine. They had live entertainment & a train that goes around the restaurant, both of which Juhee absolutely loved.

They were all sooooooooooo good! But I saved my favorite for the very end... Sonic! Their chicken fried steak burger (fried steak in between buttered, toasted sandwich slices) and strawberry limeade were absolutely fabulous! Sooooo yummy, fast, inexpensive, and did I mention delicious!!! We looked up Sonic locations when we arrived in San Jose and found a few in the Bay Area - yay! They're not very close though so it'll have to be special treat thing. :)

I'm glad we don't live in Dallas. I can see myself ballooning if we did live there.

Dallas Fun! :)

(Click on the pictures to see larger images.)

We had such a great time in Dallas! Here are a few pics & stories of our fun days. :)

It was really really hot & humid in Dallas, especially the first week we were there. Poor Juhee kept on saying "ah-ddu, ah-ddu! 아뜨 아뜨!" ("hot, hot!") every time we went outside.

You can imagine how grateful we were for Jade having arranged a pool party for us and a few other families with young kids at Uncle Edward & Auntie Vicky's beautiful home. The water was warm and there was shade too so it was perfect! We took Juhee to our local swimming pool last summer with a bunch of Jr. High kids but Juhee was scared so ended up crying the whole time we tried to go into the shallow kids pool with her. But this time, after a bit of "no!"s she saw how much fun the other kids were having and decided to join in. She had a GREAT time!!! I think the water being warm really helped. We had a delicious dinner afterward too. It was great meeting and getting to know Uncle Edward & Auntie Vicky, Rex & Joan, Peter + Dane & Jean, Pastor David & Jennifer + M, V, & P, and of course, my sister Jade & hubby Jon too. It was also a special day 'cause it was the first time Peter saw me in a swim suit - ever. :)


Another fun day that I had was when I went to the jjim-jil-bang 찜질방 (Korean style sauna / public bath) with my sister and Marnie at King's Sauna. It was my first ever jjim-jil-bang experience and the most relaxing day I'd had in a really really lo~~~ng time. We had fun going into all of the different saunas, including the hottest 200F one and the food there was delicious. We wanted to find out how they do the funny hat thing with towels that everyone always has on in Korean dramas so I went and asked one of the employees and then taught Jade & Marnie. We had so much fun! Marnie said that it was the best birthday ever. :)

Although I was having a wonderful time, I did start missing Juhee. It was really weird not knowing everything that was happening in her day. I missed my little girl a lot and was so happy to get a bi~g hug from her when we arrived home.

Thank God for big hugs! :)