Korean Fire Drill

Have you heard of a Chinese Fire Drill? That's where you pull up to a stop sign or light and everyone gets out of the car, runs around the car. Then, they all get back in, but everyone is in a different seat. Well, Korean fire drills can be just about as much fun.

Today, while I am teaching a class of 11 seven year olds, I see one of the teachers run up to my window, look in, look in the window across the hall and then run back down the hall as fast as she could go. I am thinking to myself, "What's going on? Did one of the students disappear?" So, I open my classroom door and look down the hall only to see smoke coming up the stairwell. The other American teacher is looking the same direction and I asked him if we were supposed to evacuate. He said he didn't know. One of the Korean teachers says that the smoke is from downstairs and it's okay, just keep teaching. I'm thinking, "If downstairs is on fire, we need to get out of here." I go back into my classroom and continue teaching still wondering what's going on. A couple of hours later, at lunch, I find out that another school on the floor below was having a fire drill with their students. They told me that this school has a fire drill almost once a month and that they try to make them as real as possible. So, they use smoke bombs. They bought them from a different manufacturer this time and they were much more powerful than the previous ones. We asked our fellow teachers what we were supposed to do in case of real fire. We have never had a fire drill. In America, there would be a fire escape plan posted in each classroom. My school is on the fourth floor and there is only one stairwell. What do we do if there is a fire on the second floor and we can't go down the stairs? When we asked this question, we were told they have a rope in one of the classrooms. We have 80 plus seven year old students and about 12 adults that we would be trying to lower by rope out a window. They are now considering what we would do and planning about how to handle the real scenario.

As I think about this, I couldn't help but think how Satan is like this fire drill. He likes to give us something that looks like the real thing, but it is really just a subtle lie. I man looking for a wife and a man looking to enjoy himself with a woman for a night say the same thing, "I love you." One is being sincere and thinking of the other person's feelings, whereas the other is only looking out for himself. One truly means what he says, the other is lying to get what he wants. Satan likes to tell us what we want to hear instead of telling us the hard truth. He used these same tactics when he spoke to Jesus in the desert. Unfortunately, this is happening in many churches these days. The preacher is telling people what they want to hear and not speaking the "truth in love" to their sheep. The old adage is, "where there is smoke there is fire." In this circumstance at the school, there was smoke, but no fire. Many churches make a lot of smoke, but where is the fire. Where is the Holy Spirit actually changing people's lives, making them into new creatures? Where is the power of people surrendered to God following Him no matter what the cost? Where are the people who have been delivered from the power of sin, who are dead to sin, but alive to God through Christ? Where is the fire of love for mankind that should lead people to show compassion on others, to share the gospel with them, to share the truth even when it hurts? In my Bible, it says that my God is a consuming fire. Are you being consumed by Him?

What is He thinking?

Have you ever asked yourself this question about someone? What was he/she thinking? I sometimes ask myself this question in regards to God. What is He thinking? When we were in Ochang, I asked some of the church people what they thought about the North Koreans. They looked at me like I was from outer space and it wasn't because they didn't understand the question. Each and every person said they never thought about it. They didn't think about people of their own nationality, that speak their own language, that love the same God that were starving and being tortured for their faith. The young people even went so far as to tell me that they were against unification because it would be difficult financially for South Koreans. I knew more Americans praying for North Korea than South Koreans. I found that really sad.

Fast forward to our new home and new church. Our pastor is a Canadian Korean that has a heart for North Korea. The church has been volunteer teaching English to male North Korean refugees through the government facility for right at two years. They go every Tuesday evening. One month ago, I went with them for the first time. My heart went out to these men. They were so eager to learn. There are many different levels of ability, but they all want to learn more. A week and a half ago, seven people from our church (myself included) went to the women's and children's facility to teach English there. Almost 80% of the refugees coming into South Korea are women. These people face many hardships leaving their country. They also face severe penalties if caught. Yet they do it to have the freedoms that we enjoy here in South Korea, much like there in the States. Two weeks ago, our church had a guest speaker who had been a missionary to Korea for many years through Youth with a Mission (YWAM). He spoke about the North Korean church and plight of the people. He believes there will be a large mission force raised up from North Korea that will go into the most hostile environments to the Gospel because they are already equipped to handle the situation better than any westerners. They already know what it is to have nothing, to have little or no food, to face persecution, and even risk death for the Gospel. I don't know what God is doing, but I know that He has put a burden in my family's heart for the North Korean people. Who knows, maybe this is just a training ground for God to prepare us to go to North Korea someday. After the missionary preached about North Korea and all of the suffering there, Pamela and I were both feeling like God might be moving us there later. As we were walking home that day, Caitlyn said, "Mom, I think God wants me to go to North Korea. I am going to study Korean very hard so I can speak it fluently and take the Gospel into North Korea."

So, what is God thinking? I can't say for sure, but I know He is thinking about North Korea. Psalms repeatedly talks about hearing our cry and rescuing us. I know that the North Koreans need His saving hand. When you have a leader who has made himself into a God and the people have to pray to him, God is watching. One day, judgment will fall on the leader and then what will God do through these people? The spiritual heritage South Koreans have is directly related to North Korean Christians. There was a huge revival in the capital city before the communist came into power and many of the people came south when they did come. I know that God's heart breaks for these people and He wants them to surrender to him. Will you join me in praying for North Korea? Visit www.persecution.com to read about Christians in North Korea and to get some fact sheets. Every Tuesday, my family is eating rice and water to remember the North Koreans who don't have even that. That is the same day that I go teach at the refugee center. Maybe you would be willing to join us in that also. We plan on donating the money we would normally spend on meat and vegetables to see ministry done in North Korea. I don't know what God is thinking, but I know He has burdened my heart.

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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On the other side of the door

It has been an interesting few weeks since our last update. We have packed all of our goods, moved them to a new apartment, unpacked the essentials, picked up my parents at the airport, spent a week on vacation with them, and sent them off to Japan for the rest of their vacation.

Let's back up and take things one at a time. First, we finished teaching at DICS and said goodbye to everyone. We had a party on the last day and the principal handed out summer vacation homework packs to all of the children. They are supposed to come to school from 9am to noon everyday to read books and watch movies in English. They are supposed to do like 20 book reports over their reading during the summer also. I asked one of the older boys if the principal understood that they were supposed to have some fun over their summer break. He said he didn't think so. Second, on Wednesday the 16th, we finished packing up everything in our apartment only to find that the movers would have packed most everything for us. We then rode a bus from Ochang to Nambu bus station and took a subway to Bundang where my new school is located. We then went to our new apartment to meet the movers. We told them where to put all of the boxes and set up for our first night there. The school owners took us out to eat that evening and we purchased a few things we needed to survive in the new apartment such as food and cleaners. The apartment is much smaller than the one we had in Ochang and is much older. The bathroom tile grout was black, but was supposed to be white. The kitchen didn't even have a range to cook on. There was a lower cabinet it was supposed to be on, but there wasn't one there. The new school purchased one for us and had it installed the next day. Pamela spent most of Thursday and Friday cleaning and unpacking. I helped with what I could. Friday evening my parents arrived from Oklahoma. The director of my school was supposed to help me drive my parents from the subway to our apartment, but his phone malfunctioned and didn't work for the next several days. I had to put them on a public bus and then missed my stop. We had to catch a cab to my apartment, but I couldn't give him the address. (Remember I only have been here for two days.) I remembered the name of my apartments and wrote the name out in Korean so he put it in his GPS and it gave him directions right to them. Thank God for being able to read and write in Korean. We had a great vacation time visiting a few places with my parents and this morning we put them on the bus to the airport. I start teaching on Monday and still have to do some things to update my visa. Please continue to keep us in prayer as we transition to our new apartment and location. Our apartment is small, but it is now clean. Pamela took hours cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen. We still have to unpack many things. The positive side is that we now have air conditioning where we didn't in Ochang. We also have walking access to large shopping centers that we didn't have in Ochang. We had to have someone drive us or ride a bus a half hour to shop there. I am very impressed with my new school and the management I will be working with. Pray for Pamela and the children as we try to figure out where to put all of our things and how they are going to homeschool here in this small apartment.

Last Sunday, we attended a church near my school called Global Mission Church. This is a large church that has an English service. They also have a family service within walking distance of our new apartment. We will probably attend it this Sunday. This church has an outreach to two different orphanages teaching English and also goes once a week to help teach North Korean refugees. Orphans have been on Pamela's heart for quite some time. Most Koreans don't like to talk about orphanages and the children in them. I have a burden for the North Koreans. At our previous school, I talked with the teenagers about the North Koreans and they said they didn't really think about the North Koreans much at all. These fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are severely persecuted for their faith while just miles south the South Koreans enjoy freedom to worship. It is good to find a church that wants to reach out to these forgotten people.