Back from Canada, Off to Iran
BACK FROM CANADA
Well, despite the circmstances, it was a wonderful visit back home. 80 pics from this past week have been added to http://andyincanada.blogspot.com
I was amazed to see so many family members who flew in from as far away as New Brunswick to attend my father's funeral. The most exciting thing was that after the preaching of the gospel clearly (at the request of my mother) , 6 people made decisions to accept Christ as their Savior at the end of the memorial service!! Pastor Mike and his wife Mo postponed a planned vacation in order to help with the memorial service. Mike also chose to preach on Sunday (funeral was on Friday, July 15th) and he shared the experience of my Dad coming to God and preached on "the lost parables" of Luke 15. Well, during that service 4 more people accepted Christ as Lord of their lives!! That's 10 people saved in one weekend!! (Our town, Terrace, has a population of only about 16,000) Awesome! I appreciated my brother's spiritual comparison of our Dad with Samson, who took out more enemies at his death than he had during his lifetime. God truly did use the extremely tragic event of my father's death for maximum potential.
We are "to rejoice always" according to the Bible.
(2 Corinthians 6:10, Philippians 4:4)
How are we to rejoice over such a tragedy?!
Of course we mourn the loss of such a wonderful man, but we must not question God's timing or purposes. Rather, we must rejoice:
-I rejoice that my mother was graciously spared.
(Lamentations 3:22-23)
-I rejoice that 6 people accepted Christ at my father's funeral.
-I rejoice that all members of the family were able to attend.
-I rejoice that the family was united at such a terribly trying time.
-I rejoice that great love was shown through the deeds of those around to show respect and love of my father/his family. (For example, his employer, Gail Munson INSISTED on paying for airflight costs of several family members from New Brunswick and my ticket from South Korea-a cost of much more than $10,000!)
-I rejoice that Dad's life was truly celebrated.
-I rejoice that God has brought my Dad to a point of surrender just 6 short months ago!
-I rejoice that God's timing allowed me to attend the funeral and still allow me the chance to go to Iran.
-I rejoice that God's truth clearly went out loud and clear during the funeral and that many seeds have been planted. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
OFF TO IRAN
I arrived in Seoul Friday, July22nd at about 6 pm. My good friend, Jeong-Yeon, drove me to the express bus terminal and after driving through some crazy traffic I caught the 9pm bus to Pohang which is 383.6 km south. Saturday was spent unpacking from the trip home and packing/organizing for the trip to Iran. I was surprised to learn that according to Iran Air, each passenger is only permitted one checked bag weighing no more than 20 kgs. 20kgs?! That's a mere 44 lbs!! Once I determined what the essentials were to bring, I actually found it nice that I had been limited to what to bring. I tend to be one who packs far more than he needs. The last thing I need is unnecessary, extra baggage tying me down!
I am looking forward to worshipping God with fellow SIBC members today and celebrating a friend's birthday (Bill Morgan) after church over lunch. Our pastor is gone for at least another month and he has graciously asked me to stay in his apartment tonight. I will need to be at the Iranian Embassy early tomorrow to get my visa and then my flight is tomorrow at 6:40pm.
I truly pray that God is magnified in every detail of my life. The deep, saddening loss of my father has only highlighted for me the brevity of life and the need to step out more in faith to share the good news with those that God has brought into our lives. God's will be done!
"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4:13-17)
Well, despite the circmstances, it was a wonderful visit back home. 80 pics from this past week have been added to http://andyincanada.blogspot.com
I was amazed to see so many family members who flew in from as far away as New Brunswick to attend my father's funeral. The most exciting thing was that after the preaching of the gospel clearly (at the request of my mother) , 6 people made decisions to accept Christ as their Savior at the end of the memorial service!! Pastor Mike and his wife Mo postponed a planned vacation in order to help with the memorial service. Mike also chose to preach on Sunday (funeral was on Friday, July 15th) and he shared the experience of my Dad coming to God and preached on "the lost parables" of Luke 15. Well, during that service 4 more people accepted Christ as Lord of their lives!! That's 10 people saved in one weekend!! (Our town, Terrace, has a population of only about 16,000) Awesome! I appreciated my brother's spiritual comparison of our Dad with Samson, who took out more enemies at his death than he had during his lifetime. God truly did use the extremely tragic event of my father's death for maximum potential.
We are "to rejoice always" according to the Bible.
(2 Corinthians 6:10, Philippians 4:4)
How are we to rejoice over such a tragedy?!
Of course we mourn the loss of such a wonderful man, but we must not question God's timing or purposes. Rather, we must rejoice:
-I rejoice that my mother was graciously spared.
(Lamentations 3:22-23)
-I rejoice that 6 people accepted Christ at my father's funeral.
-I rejoice that all members of the family were able to attend.
-I rejoice that the family was united at such a terribly trying time.
-I rejoice that great love was shown through the deeds of those around to show respect and love of my father/his family. (For example, his employer, Gail Munson INSISTED on paying for airflight costs of several family members from New Brunswick and my ticket from South Korea-a cost of much more than $10,000!)
-I rejoice that Dad's life was truly celebrated.
-I rejoice that God has brought my Dad to a point of surrender just 6 short months ago!
-I rejoice that God's timing allowed me to attend the funeral and still allow me the chance to go to Iran.
-I rejoice that God's truth clearly went out loud and clear during the funeral and that many seeds have been planted. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
OFF TO IRAN
I arrived in Seoul Friday, July22nd at about 6 pm. My good friend, Jeong-Yeon, drove me to the express bus terminal and after driving through some crazy traffic I caught the 9pm bus to Pohang which is 383.6 km south. Saturday was spent unpacking from the trip home and packing/organizing for the trip to Iran. I was surprised to learn that according to Iran Air, each passenger is only permitted one checked bag weighing no more than 20 kgs. 20kgs?! That's a mere 44 lbs!! Once I determined what the essentials were to bring, I actually found it nice that I had been limited to what to bring. I tend to be one who packs far more than he needs. The last thing I need is unnecessary, extra baggage tying me down!
I am looking forward to worshipping God with fellow SIBC members today and celebrating a friend's birthday (Bill Morgan) after church over lunch. Our pastor is gone for at least another month and he has graciously asked me to stay in his apartment tonight. I will need to be at the Iranian Embassy early tomorrow to get my visa and then my flight is tomorrow at 6:40pm.
I truly pray that God is magnified in every detail of my life. The deep, saddening loss of my father has only highlighted for me the brevity of life and the need to step out more in faith to share the good news with those that God has brought into our lives. God's will be done!
"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4:13-17)
posted by Andrew Brown at 4:36 AM
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