HGU Spring '06 Retreat - Day Three - February 22nd

"Prayer is either the steering wheel or the spare tire."
"Truth" comes from "troth" where we get "betrothed". (Ex: Adam "knew" Eve.) Truth requires an intimate getting-to-know-ness. Do you KNOW the truth?! (Not just mentally...)
Teaching is "caught" not "taught".
Technique is what a teacher uses until the real teacher arrives.
"Professionals" teach how to make a living but professors should teach how to make a life.
Our teaching models mostly come from the secular world. So how do we recover a biblical mode?
1) ADMONISHING RATHER THAN SHAME:
Korean education is based on a shame based system. Parental love should be based on removing things which are stunting growth.
ADMONISH-Ephesians 6:4 " Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
2) TEACHING IS MODELING. 1 Cor. 4:16 "Therefore I urge you to imitate me."
3) FROM AUTHORITY AND POWER. Matt. 7:28-29 "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." 1 Cor. 4:20 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." "Authority" - not "authoritarian". Root word is "author" Look at the inner life. A life that reflects what we teach!

Joseph Kim and Young-Gil Kim

Our main speaker at the retreat, Joseph Kim, and our university president, Kim Young-Gil. Joseph Kim shared the power testimony of his father being rescued by an American GI (Carl Powers) during the Korean war (as an orphan) and brought to the States. God eventually used him to interpret for Billy Graham at the 1973 Korean Crusade where more than a million people attended a single service. Joseph Kim is now director of Central Christian Academy (CCA) in Suwon, Korea. More info on Billy Kim at http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=962323

The theme of our retreat "One Thing I Seek" is taken from Psalm 27:4 "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."

Pastor Young-Ho presenting Alex Bishop some gifts from the Champlain's Office as Alex was recently married. (Feb. 11th!!) The entire faculty then sang "the Blessing song" and prayed for him and his wife. Alex actually came right from his honeymoon to the retreat! Congratulations once again, Alex!!!

The last of the sunrise pictures near Haeundae Beach early on Wednesday, February 22nd.

"Ajumas" out stretching as the sun almost seems to rise out of the sea.

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I felt so blessed to be up to enjoy this beauty on the last morning of our retreat. (But this beauty PALES in comparison to the beauty of God's word!!!)

I'm a photo-maniac, I know, but how often will I get the chance to see the sun rise at the Busan harbor!!!

I could get up early every morning for a scene like this!

I CANNOT believe I took this photo! Am I ever glad that God got my butt out of bed to enjoy the beauty of His creation that morning! Buoys still lit up, the fish nets out on the sea and the sky lit up like nothing I've ever seen!

The sky looked like a painting!

"Red in the morning...sailors take warning" How true it was today as it rained enough that the afternoon tour was canceled on our last day of retreat and so we bused back to Handong a few hours early.

This must be what they mean when they say "the crack of dawn"...

HGU Spring '06 Retreat - Day Two - February 21st

The beauty of Busan

Looking towards the most famous beach of Busan, Haeundae Beach, around midnight.

What a romantic place to be!

As I walked back to the harbor, this piece of art in front of one of the many grand hotels caught my eye.

The shy chef turns away from the camera as Joanne Yoo, Jeannie Chang and Louise Vroom approach the end of the buffet line.

They certainly went ALL OUT on this buffet! I don't think I was the only one who had to loosen his belt after this meal!!!

Pastor Hwang Young-Ho, Pastor Phillip and President Kim enjoying some time together on the 2nd night of our retreat. I was impressed to learn that President Kim INSISTS on being present at all retreats from beginning to end without fail despite his extremely demanding schedule. That's leadership by example and that's Christian fellowship!

I love this photo of Kim El-Hanna and Park Hae-Kyung (Becky). Can you tell how well they work together from this photo?!

One of our new faculty members (of 12 : 5 Korean and 7 "international"), Ahn Jin-Won, who has worked with 3 South Korean presidents. His testimony of how God led him to Handong was pretty amazing!!! Like a true gentlemen, he arrives early and awaits for everyone to arrive for the best meal of the entire retreat.

Unbelievable view!

The view from our 17th floor hotel room just before 6pm on Tuesday, February 21st.

That's the place we stayed! Hanwha Resorts

Can you guess what's going on in this photo?!

Hey, Tim, I know you were talking about settling down and all but your decision to marry this bronze woman and adopt her child came as a surprise to us all!!!

Kim Ki-Hong (often just called "Mr. Kim") worked for Bell for many years (The phone company? - NO, not the phone company-He must get asked that a lot...) and is quite the genius. I commented on the "gold look" of the building behind him, for example, and he explained how it's made of ultra-red stopper (not "filter") to trap the heat in the building and lower the heating cost. Wow! A man of many stories and unlike most, they're not all HOT air....pardon the pun, ha!ha!

A "fisherwoman" (for you "womens lib types" out there, ha!ha!) harvesting her seaweed. It's funny how my taste for seaweed has changed over the years. I LOVE the stuff!

Tim, Jun-Mo, Tom, Alex, Mike and Gi-Hong pointing the way back to our hotel. Thanks, guys! With so many hotels in the area, it can be confusing!

This is Cho Jun-Mo's 2nd album. Jun-Mo is not only a well respected professor at HGu and a wonderful worship leader; He is also quite a famous CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) musician in Korea. Jun-Mo led us in worship, at the retreat, playing one of the songs off this CD. Can you believe that I work with such gifted people?!!! WOW! God is SO good! THANKS, Jun-Mo!!! (If you're interested, check out www.beecompany.co.kr Jun-Mo is under "Best Albums" and also listed under "Jiut" (J) for his family name Jo ( transliterated in English to "Cho") and No, I don't get a commission on any sales, ha!ha!

Fellow Handong co-workers, Cho Jun-Mo and Kim Gi-Hong (George), caught by surprise as we ran up behind them. Boo! You're on "Andy Camera"!