What is normal?

This is a question I used to ask people when they said I wasn't normal. "What is normal?" Now, I ask myself that question in regards to my own life. I am an alien living in a foreign land that is learning about how they live here. Yet, I am still an outsider and feel that I will always be such. Is normal going to the store and asking, "How much is it?" or "Ohl man eye oh?" When you meet someone, do you bow and say, "Anyanghasayo." or do you shake hands as you say, "Hello."? Do you eat using a spoon and fork, or a spoon and chopsticks? What is normal? In this new land, normal is continually changing. Here I feel like a king because I am paid in the millions. A half-liter Pepsi costs one thousand. Everyone looks at us like we are movie stars. Many people look, laugh, and whisper to each other as we pass by. Others will come up to us to practice the little bit of English that they know. We always have people looking at us. When we go back to the states to visit, what will normal be? What will life be like there, even if for just a short time? Will we remember how to drive a car? Here we walk, ride a bus, a subway, or take a taxi. As we work here, things are changing there in the states also. It's hard imagining how different everything will be when we visit the states. It's hard imagining how long God will have us stay here in Korea. Is normal going to visit North Koreans to teach them English at a processing facility before they are integrated into society? Or is normal witnessing and preaching on the streets in Oklahoma? I don't know what normal really is. So, I will ask you, "What is normal?"

Normal is such a strange word. Nothing is really normal when you are trying to follow God. Normal to God and normal to the world are two totally different things. I went to a conference recently and the speaker made the following statement, "When I want to see what God's will is in any certain situation, I think about what would I do naturally, then I know I should probably do the opposite." Our natural man is so opposed to the ways of God that this statement is totally true. Just look at the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus makes statements like, "you have heard and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, But I say to you, 'Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Jesus also said, "You have heard that is was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.'" This goes totally against what most people would consider normal behavior. However, it is the way of God. I guess the final question is, "Do you want to be normal, or abnormal?" Those I know who have followed God at all costs were definately abnormal people according to the world's definition. I pray that at the end of my life, people will remember my family and I as abnormal people.

Christian Ship

This 14 minute video should be seen by all Christians. It shows the attitude of many about the fate of the lost. I hope you that God uses it to encourage or convict you.

Pics from Korean Folk Village and 63 Building

9 months in Korea

It's hard to believe that we have been here 9 months. We have been in a new city teaching at a new school since July 25th. Things are going very well at the new school. I received my first paycheck 3 days early and the teachers are great to work with. They are teaching the children Godly character using Character First curriculum that has been translated into Korean. I almost feel like I am working with Brandon and Rachel Werner as I put up one, two, and then three fingers. (One means look at the teacher, Two means sit up straight, and Three means smile.) This is so effective and makes it so you don't have to raise your voice to be heard. The Korean teachers are great to work with and are very patient with the children. I have a Korean-American teacher that is teaching English with me also. His name is Todd. He was adopted from South Korea at 2 1/2. His English is as good as mine. Todd grew up Catholic, but is pretty apathetic to religious things right now. He is married to a Korean women and they have two young daughters. Please pray as I try to build a relationship with him, share God's love with him, and share the Gospel with him.

My parents came to visit the end of July and had a great time. They thought it was very hot and humid here. The funny thing is that the week before and the week after they were here it was about 10 degrees hotter and was more humid. We took them to a Korean Folk Village to see some of the old style houses and some of the traditional music and dancing. We also took them to the 63 building. This is a famous building here in Korea that has Sea World in the lower floors, an Imax theater. The 62nd floor is all windows where you can look out over all of Seoul. (See pic, showing Seoul Tower) I think it would have been more spectacular at night, but it was still pretty cool.

Pamela has started homeschooling the kids again. They are still trying to work out a new schedule. They had almost found one that worked when we started homeschooling one of my bosses children. His name is YuBum (pronounced you bum), but his English name is Ben. They are compensating us for facilitating his English learning. He is studying all of his other subjects at the kindergarten where I work on the computer, but we are teaching him English and Bible. Please pray as we work with him. He is a very eager young man, but his family needs prayer. Pamela has also made friends with some people here in our apartment complex. One lady, Betty, has a young son and has taken our children to the zoo. Another lady, Anne, has started teaching Caitlyn flute. She spent some time in England and you can certainly tell it when she speaks. Her family is going to go to America in the future and her son doesn't speak much English, so while she teaches Caitlyn flute, Pamela and the other kids read and talk with her son. God keeps sending people he wants us to minister unto.

Finally, we have found a church home that we love that we can walk to from our apartment. It is called Global Mission Church or Jiguchon in Korea. It is part of a large group of churches that originated from America. The pastor is a Korean from Canada. His name is Bob Kim. The service we attend is all in English and it is a family service. We are still getting to know the people, but we really enjoy the messages.

Please continue to pray for us as we minister to the Korean people. Pray that we will begin to learn the language. It is very difficult to minister effectively when we can't communicate. Fortunately, many people here want to learn or practice their English. Pray that we will be able to use our English for God's glory. Pamela would like to go teach English at an orphanage with our church on a Saturday and I would like to go teach English at a North Korean refugee facility on Tuesday evenings. Our church has both of these ministries ongoing every week. Please pray that we can arrange our schedules to fit these in. Please pray for our family, especially Pamela and I's marriage. In a foreign setting, even little problems can be magnified making it marriage that much more difficult. If you have any questions or would just like to talk, please feel free to contact us.

In His Service,

Derek (for the Woods)
(405) 445-0180 (calls our computer, it's a local call for those in the 405 area code)
Skype- derek.l.woods
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