Super J

And who is the one who overcomes
the world, but he who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:5

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been trying to impress upon our students the importance of believing in Jesus. In a society and world of broken trust, once again we face a dilemma. If we can’t trust those we see and even love, how can we trust Someone we cannot see? For some of us this goes without saying. How can we not trust in God? But, for those who are hearing this for the first time, it can be a little hard to fathom.
We have been blessed with a group of students who are very open to learning who God is and are very excited to hear about this wonderful Friend who will always be with them.
We are very excited about how God is opening such young hearts and minds to understand more about Him.
Every two weeks, we introduce a new Bible verse at three different levels. The students study, repeat, and memorize these verses. They each have a special book in which to place their new Bible verse sticker. Our motto for Bible study is ‘God’s Word I Have Hid in My Heart!’ As we tuck God’s word into our hearts and minds, we can suit up and be prepared to fight the enemy. When we are sad, we have His promises. When we are joyful, we sing His praises. When we are scared, we remember His comforting words. When we are confused, we rest in Him. We also place the verses around the room to help with tucking them in their hearts.Thursday’s class started and the rafter’s were ringing with the young voices. “Who is the King of the universe, and who’s the King of me? I’ll tell you, J-E-S-U-S. He is the King of me . . . “ and “My God is so big, so big, so big!” We were having a blast! After all the singing they were quite thirsty. “Are you thirsty?” “Yes, may I have some water?” and the routine continued. Courtney took her station at the water machine and helped as she practiced their English conversation with them. Two little six year olds approached and started to sip their water. They noticed the ‘Super J’ logo on the machine and asked Courtney about it. She explained that it is for Super Jesus, our best friend and hero. One little boy said, “Well, he can’t be better than Superman, can He?” The other little kid responded with much vigor, “Of course He is. Jesus has special binoculars and He can see the whole world!” Yes, He is our Super Jesus and let’s not forget that He is watching out for us always. Never feel that you’ve been left alone or that there’s no hope! Jesus is ‘to the rescue’ just in time – His time. God Bless.

Preparing for Battle

He is my God, and
I will praise Him!

Exodus 15:2




It was so exciting to see that our young Beavers and Fireflies were ready to start prepping their armor for the battle. At EWAM, we teach the students about the reality of Satan and his power around us. It's so energizing to be able to not just show them the problem at hand, but to be able to supply them with the ammunition to fight and win this battle. We usually stick to basic Christian behavior and kid's worship songs for the very young. However, two of our younger classes have advanced enough in their English reading and understanding to begin their Bible memory work.
It is overwhelming to hear our students repeat their verses and then memorize them. Of course, there is an incentive (EWAM points and a treat from our treat box), but they enjoy tucking these mighty weapons into their hearts. With such a growing population and the societal issues that go along with that, these precious lives need guarding.
Our first Bible verse for these tiny tots is from Exodus. We pray that they will realize just who God is and that He is ours! When you think about children, you can understand the opportunity we have here in our little corner of the world. Children believe what they hear. They can feel God's love as they study and that paves the way for us to feed their desire to praise Him. As it says in Exodus, "I will praise Him."
We live in a world of 'doing'. Everyone is striving to be at the top of the 'fame' ladder. In all the doing, let's not forget that without love, it's useless. We can have it all and still miss the boat. Giving the most money to help the poor, praying the loudest, doing the 'biggest' jobs at church, etc. are all great you may think. Unfortunately, without a genuine love for God and those around us, we've wasted our time and energy. Love is the action! Faith and hope make up the foundation. So, once again there abides these three - Faith, hope, love - and the greatest of these is LOVE! I will Praise God, for He is my God!

God Hears

What can I write today? I'm sure many students search their minds for some interesting topic for their weekly journal. For others, it's a matter of searching the heart. All journals are precious, simply because we know how much effort each of these students put into getting their thoughts expressed in a foreign language. For many of us, writing in our own native language is a stretch. Try using a new language. The task multiplies exponentially.

Dear journal . . .

She began to write and her heart spilled across the page.

"Jesus was . . . Jesus gave good things to me. My petition is achieving more than my dream. So, my heart was satisfied and so excited. I'm like a new and strong eagle. God, I saw an eagle fly in the sky so beautiful and so strong. God, I have a hard time in society or every day. Everywhere, You give me like an eagle's power. Please . . . I pray in Jesus name. Amen."

The words of this twelve year old child are profound. Our hearts were touched deeply as we read. Knowing that one more heart is in touch with God on a personal level is overwhelming. In a society that places such demands on their lives, it is detrimental for youth to understand that God loves them, cares for them, and gives them hope.

Continue to surround these young lives with your prayers. Pray that each of them will be able to soar like an eagle and be strong midst the crushing pressure of the world around them.

Building a Home of Love

It's been a couple of very tightly scheduled weeks. Our busy little beavers are hard at work. With week one of our 2009 program under our belts, things are settling in for this new year. We have launched three new classes to accommodate our growing 'family'. This year, changing levels and getting things underway went relatively painless. Each child is like an energy pack and it's quite revitalizing for us 'old folk'.

Each of our classes have a name to help them feel special. Some use animal names like 'Beavers', 'Sparrows', 'Fireflies', and 'Busybees'. Other classes have created their own names that mean something special to them such as 'JET', 'GEA', 'GLEAK', 'FORWARD', and 'PWP'. Anyway, 'JET' had gotten underway and the tiny little ones were listening to the story. We had already noticed the little bit of agitation in one little boy. It was obvious he hadn't had his afternoon nap. Finally, he gave in and fell asleep in Courtney's arms. It was a beautiful site - a sleeping angel. Now, what about his study? He slept during our Valentine's Day card making, through our game time, through the song time . . . Zzz! Finally, it was time to say 'Good-bye'. As the sleepy little boy struggled to stand to his feet he mumbled, "Mommy, why didn't we study today." It was such a cute moment. Even at the age of three (well five here in Korea), he didn't want to miss his chance to 'study'.

One more time, you can try to enter into the 'study' frenzy of the society we live in. Demands, demands, demands! Thus, the ever growing need of a place where children can rest and still learn. Today, lift a prayer in your heart for EWAM as it continues to strive to provide a study 'refuge'. No, this does not mean a hide-away because we know all too well how important a solid education is for these children. But, to give them a sense of relaxation and then feed them their much needed English wrapped in a generous serving of God's love. That's what it's all about. Let's continue to love those we meet and allow God to touch their lives through us. Be blessed.

Hey, Mud! Walk the Dog!

Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything by prayer
and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

Spelling test on Friday, sentence building for Monday, story test on Wednesday, level test coming soon, practice your reading . . . and be anxious for nothing! Get real, right? Midst a busy schedule and the new school term just around the corner, our new memory verse says just that.

At the beginning of class when the little kids come barreling in across the room with their jolly smiles and Korean flying in all directions, there is a sense of peace - really.

It all comes to light as we look back on the special moments during the week. Let me share a couple.

It was sentence day. Each student must use selected spelling words in a sentence, share with the class, and as a group we work together to correct grammar mistakes. It becomes quite fun believe it or not. He stepped up to the board and started to write . . . "God made me with mud." Written in such innocence, yet such an overwhelming thought. We studied 'mud' as we talked about beavers making their houses and making them strong with mud. We would have thought the student would use some sentence associated with beavers, but he remembered our Bible study. God made us from nothing and we are a very special creation. Koreans understand the value behind things made by hand (pottery and such). They know that 'nothing' can become something so beautiful in the hands of the potter. Anyway, for a student who could hardly say 'hello' less than a year ago, this sentence was a joy to our hearts. Most kids think of mud as dirty and messy, but he thought of God's special creation! Such a special moment. So, back to the initial question, should we be anxious? Of course not! If our Father can take a lump of mud and make it into who we are today, He can surely take care of any cares we have. Be anxious for nothing . . . just talk to the potter and let Him mold the mud a little more.

Okay, now for a little comedy relief. Our young class has been studying basic phrases such as 'brush your teeth', 'pick up the book', 'pet the rabbit', and so on. There are times you have to wonder how much is sinking in and other times you are amazed at how much the little sponges retain. In the middle of teaching last week, Jarvis turned to see one little boy crawling on all fours behind him. At this point in the class, all kids were seated quietly - or should have been. In our 'yellow card' system, Jarvis prepared to pull the first dreadful card and send him back to his seat. As he turned and looked down on the the cute little being tagging along behind his feet, he was met with hounddog eyes and a sweet voice ringing out 'walk the dog'. Did he get a yellow card? I think not! Our lives are filled with these little moments that bring a smile and such joy to our hearts. Be blessed!