Getting Ready for Korea

Robin asked me last night if I was looking forward to going to Korea. Could I really say was enthusiastic about leaving my wife and kids for a week? Here are some things I am looking forward to and some things... maybe not so much.

Looking Forward to...

1. Being a part of this historic event. The first-ever CCC world-wide student conference.

2. Worshipping with 16,000 + students from 127 countries. I love worshipping / praying with the Koreans! Good for my soul.

3. Seeing STINT Team Leaders that I helped train last summer. About 1/2 of all them will be in Korea. It will be a fun reunion of the best training group I have ever been a part of. I love these guys!

4. Seeing some of other STINTers and meeting their disciples who have come with them.

5. Seeing students from places where I have ministered in the past. Places like Mongolia and Kazakhstan, Russia, and East Asia. It will be fun to see the fruit of past years.

6. Just seeing other friends I have who live and minister around the world.

7. Rooming with the guys from our Thailand Project that I helped brief a month ago. It will be fun to hear about there month of ministry firsthand.

8. Hearing from great speakers and being a part of this effort to complete the mission. I am expecting God to move and great things to happen as a result.

9. Helping out with the STINT Leaders Trg during the 'free' times of the conference. This will be the 6 year I have helped with this out of the last 7 summers. (I only missed 2002 because Luke was being born.)

10. Helping out with "Launching Movements' part of that training. I have helped with that section almost every time except 2005 when Robin was carrying Jack and Drew and I just led the training without speaking at a session in case I had to leave. And I think one year, someone else did that part. I also do it a little differently. Sometimes I feel like I have been pegged with only teaching this but then again I am passionate about helping them effectively launch movements to the glory of God.

11. Getting a new stamp in my passport as I have never been to Korea.

Things I am not looking forward to...

1. Leaving on Luke's 5th birthday. We are celebrating it a day earlier and I am leaving a day later than most people. Sort of a compromise.

2. A Week away from boys and Robin. Always tough to go especially since Jack and Drew won't understand why I left.

3. Missing Susan and baby Cyrus. Robin's sister and nephew will arrive after I leave and go back to Alabama before I return. I will see my mother-in-law for about a day and half before I leave though.

4. Kim Chee. Actually I like trying other foods and think it will not be as bad as some say.

5. A long Plane Flight.

6. Jet-lagging and yet having no down time because of the STINT Leaders Training.

7. Teaching to people Jet-lagging and conferenced out. I have no idea how they are going to stay attentive and retain anything. We don't have a free day which we have had every summer.

8. Living 45 minutes from conference center and sleeping on a mat. I am going to choose not to complain especially since I am rooming with guys who have had less than stellar living quarters in Thailand as they rebuilt homes for Tsunami victims. I am bringing a sleeping bag and blow-up mattress pad so it shouldn't be too bad. And Jesus didn't have a place to lay his head so I should be grateful no matter what it's like.