It’s been three weeks since I came over from VA campus to serve at MD campus. Although we are one church in two separate locations, there are a lot of differences that I still need to learn and get used to here in MD campus. The toughest challenge is getting to know the people. I’m an introvert by nature but God is continuing to push me to be more aggressive and be more open to necessary changes. If it wasn’t for God, I would probably get too comfortable with myself and become stagnant. God is reminding me the lessons that we learned together through the Experiencing God series that when God invites us into His work we are faced with a crisis of faith and therefore need to make necessary adjustments. It’s been a very tough journey thus far for sure because I know that there are so many expectations to make better things happen. However, God is training me to know what it means to “trust” Him and surrender all my fears to Him.
I thank God for the His Word that I can recite and proclaim over myself in moments of doubt.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in your ways submit to Him, and he will make your path straight.” (Prov 3:5-6)
It seems like the rest of my family is adjusting well to the new surroundings. Thanks to Fellowship Christian School and the summer camps that my kids attended in the past, both Reina and Ryan already had some friends in their new Sunday school classes. And my wife actually has some close friends in the English congregation so she is happy to be able to reconnect with her old friends as well. As I reflect on this transition and how things unfold, I can clearly see that God has been preparing all our family members for this transition even before it came about. My wife and I like to plan things ahead of time but this is something we couldn’t have even imagined. No human minds could have planned out better than how God did it so perfectly. I’m always so amazed how God orchestrates everything to make all things good for those who trust in Him. Praise God for His provision and His faithfulness!
There is a major change in Timothy ministry that will take place starting next Sunday (12/7). We will be implementing a new Sunday schedule for both middle and high school ministries. The church leadership and the Timothy committee have been working very hard to come up with a change that will benefit the Timothy ministry as a whole. I know change is often very uncomfortable and not welcomed by many but change can also bring forth new hope and excitement to the ministry. So I ask the English congregation from both MD and VA to pray with me for the Timothy ministry that the upcoming transitions and changes will go smoothly and the students will adjust well. I know this change is only for MD campus but we are all partners in the Kingdom of God so I ask the VA campus pray together as well. Thank you.

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
November 30, 2014

November 3rd marked two years since Kenneth Bae became a prisoner in the Democratic of Korea (also known as North Korea), and Kenneth’s family couldn’t really celebrate a normal Thanksgiving for the last two years. You can’t even imagine the pain this caused to Kenneth and his family. Their lives were held captive, filled with deep heartache and fear. As they were wondering when Kenneth would ever be free, on November 8th we all heard the news that he was freed and was on a plane from North Korea. He was finally coming home. At his interview, Kenneth said that he was grateful that he is back home now, and what he wants to do most was to spend time with family and friends he had so longed to see. This year’s Thanksgiving Day will be more meaningful than ever before for Kenneth and his family.
What does Thanksgiving Day mean to you?  How are you planning on spending your Thanksgiving Day?  The meaning of Thanksgiving Day has certainly changed over the years. Thanksgiving Day seems to get filled with more of watching football games and shopping for bargains.  Now this year, stores are saying that they will be opening at 6:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day and extend their special deals until Sunday evening to get people into buying more stuff.
It seems shopping has become more important than spending time with family and friends, and we tend to take our relationships with people we love for granted. We always see them so what’s the big deal? This kind of careless thought and lifestyle is chipping away at the true meaning of Thanksgiving Day. Yes, Kenneth was completely cut off from his family for two years. So when he said all he wants to do most now was to spend time with family and friends, we can say we would feel the same way if we were in his situation.
But the point is that we shouldn’t take the relationships we have for granted even if your relationships are perfectly fine with family and friends. For Kenneth, the relationship with his family and friends were cut off from him unexpectedly without his control. He said he learned a lot through this ordeal, and I could sense that missing his family and friends were the most painful and difficult things he had to deal with while he was imprisoned.
My youngest brother passed away last December unexpectedly. Since we were seven years apart, we rarely had deep and intimate conversations as we were growing up. But as we got older we began to share more about each other’s life, and when he was hospitalized for three weeks before he passed away, I had gotten to know more about him. I wish I had spent more time sharing with him before this happened. Well, it’s a little too late, isn’t it? Moreover, our Thanksgiving Day this year may not be the same as last year, especially for my aging mother.
Don’t forget to appreciate the relationships with your family and friends you have now. Don’t take them for granted. The relationships you have now could be interrupted without warning, and time will not wait for you either. Enjoy and cherish what you have now, and do your best to keep it while you have it!
Also let us not forget our God who’s always been so faithful and loving to us, and give utmost thanksgiving to Him.  Let us remember how blessed we are for having our God who loves us unconditionally and provides us with all good things.
I pray that all of you would have a wonderful Thanksgiving gathering with your families and friends, and enjoy spending time together.   Have a wonderful and a happy Thanksgiving!

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
November 23, 2014