Transition Update...

Early yesterday afternoon my Pastor here in Uijongbu strode into my classroom waving a white envelope over his head.  The wire transfer from Bethany Baptist came through, and we now have the money to pay the movers tomorrow!  Praise the Lord!!

I must admit, however, that Tuesday was quite a bad day for me, and for the first time in about 3 years, I was quite close to tears as a result.  It started on Monday night, when Katherine accidentally left David's new Nintendo DS at the activity center on Camp Red Cloud.  We realized she forgot it before we left post, but the manager locked-up and left right behind us, and we couldn't get back in to retrieve the gadget.  We even tried going to the MPs desk at the front gate, but they couldn't help us.  So, we headed home, double-checked all the bags we had with us to no avail, and then prayed that it would still be there in the morning.  I had a soldier friend of ours call the activity center first thing in the morning, and they said it wasn't there.  Knowing that we left it there the night before, and we were the last ones to leave, our soldier friend and I decided to go look for it ourselves.  We figuratively tore the place apart, looking under couches, tables, and chairs, and even going so far as to look under all the cushions, too.  We also checked the bathrooms, and all the trash cans...nothing.  It was nagging at me that we *KNEW* that it was left in there, and the guy running the place was acting suspicious.  He couldn't recall how many people had been in there in the less than 2 hours they had been open, kept making unsolicited statements like, "oh, those are so popular and expensive", and generally just sent the vibe that he was hiding something.  So, I questioned him for quite some time, an event that neither him nor I enjoyed.  Finally, I left rather convinced that he at least knew who had taken the DS, if he had not taken it himself, but having no way to prove my theory, I chalked it up as a loss.

Then, a couple hours later, Pastor went to check the bank to see if the wire had come through, and it hadn't.  This one kind of hit me hard, especially since I was already in a foul mood as a result of the morning's proceedings.  I was expecting it to be there and ready to go, and it just wasn't.  ugh...

Then, as I was leaving school for the day at 4pm, I stopped by the office to see what my end-of-the-year paychecks were going to look like.  End-of-the-year paychecks include pay-outs of unused sick-days, unused personal days, and our paychecks covering the summer months.  I was expecting to be free and clear by about $4,000, but I found out that I was mistaken.  Tomorrow, I'll be getting my June paycheck of about $1500, and then, next week on the 2nd, I'll get my July paycheck of about $1500 and the pay-out of my sick days and so forth which will only be about $400.  I was mistaken about where the money for our plane tickets was coming from, and I was expecting much more than just $400.  You may be thinking that all those figures added together still come pretty close to $4000, but the thing is, that's the amount I was expecting to have in my pocket while boarding the plane on June 30th.  Instead, that's the amount I have a month before I'm boarding that plane, and before a month's worth of bills.  I just took the paper, and walked home.  This was the moment that I was on the verge of tears.  I felt like my chest had been ripped open by some monstrous beast who was now wringing my lungs in its massive hands.

I went home, opened the door, left my shoes there, walked directly to the bedroom, and laid down.  It's not that I didn't want to talk to anyone, I felt like I couldn't without losing it, and that just wouldn't have been fair for my family.  I laid there, hoping that I wouldn't start crying, and finally drifted off to sleep.  I woke-up about an hour and a half later feeling much better.  It's almost as if God put me to sleep (not fatally, of course), so that my mind would rest.  The foreboding pressure that I had felt all day was gone.  Thinking about the days events still brought feelings of uneasiness, but nothing like what I had experienced earlier in the day.

So, where did I go wrong on Tuesday?  Or was this "simply" a barrage of attacks by the evil one and his forces?  I've not come to a conclusion just yet, but I am leaning towards the latter, rather than the former.  But as I've been reflecting on Tuesday's events, some verses have been brought back to the forefront of my mind, and I'd like to share them with you.

Concerning the misplaced DS, Matthew 6:19-20 says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."  Yeah, yeah...I know...such an elementary verse and concept for someone going to be an assistant pastor, right?  Well, I don't know about you, but I am constantly in need of spiritual reminders, and I am constantly focusing on my surroundings and situations, rather than He who began a good work in me (Phil. 1:6).  And as I thought about these verses, more popped up. 

Concerning the wire transfer not showing up when I (!!!) expected it, Matthew 8:25-26 says this, "The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!'  He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."  There I was in my little ship on the tumultuous seas, pacing back and forth, while Christ was calmly sleeping.  Here's something to think about: the disciples thought that they, for some reason, needed to let their omniscient Lord know what was going on.  See, Christ wasn't freaking out, so that should've told the disciples that they didn't need to be freaking out.  The funny thing about this, though, is that Christ NEVER freaks out.  He is always in control, and since He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), we should follow suit.  And really, my feelings about the end-of-the-year paychecks falls in line here, too.  As I look back at all the things God has provided for our family already, how can I legitimately raise any plausible concerns for the future?  Will there be rough spots?...probably.  Will the road always be comfortable?...probably not.  Either way, though, my God will still be at the helm and in control of everything...or He may be in the back of the boat at peaceful rest.  My job as a Christian, in both circumstances, is to only keep my eyes on Him, and follow His guidance.  Easily said, but usually done in difficulty, if done at all.

In short, rest assured, God is continuing to provide in His timing.  Please PRAY for us as tonight is the last night before the movers come.  PRAY that we will have everything organized well and ready to go.  Continue also to PRAY for the housing situation in Martinez.  PRAY that God will lead Pastor Rushing and others to the perfect place for my family and I.

In His Service,

Sam.

CRUNCH TIME OR REFLECTION TIME...OR BOTH?

Well, here we are at the beginning of review week at ICS-Uijongbu.  For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the term, "review week" is the week before final exams where you spend the entire week reviewing for what will be on the final exam.  If you're a non-core subject teacher like myself, who doesn't give final exams, it is a week full of end of the year preparations, and helping students put the semi-final touches on their final projects.

For the final project in my high school computer class, the students are tasked with constructing a 15-20 slide PowerPoint presentation on a Bible character of their choice.  I have one student doing a presentation on Moses, another doing the Apostle Paul, another doing Noah, and finally another student is doing David.  On Wednesday, we will begin listening to their actual presentations and I'm looking forward to hearing what they've come up with during their research time.

For the final project in my Digital Imaging class, the students are tasked with building a promotional and informational website on a new summer blockbuster.  They are required to draw upon every aspect of website construction which they have learned throughout the year, using the Macromedia Dreamweaver, Flash, and Fireworks programs.  It will be fun to see how well they are able to put their ideas and capabilities together.

The movers are coming THIS FRIDAY!!  It's still hard to believe that we are leaving Korea.  We've been in country for 7.5 years now, and it still feels like we've only just begun.  But God has different plans for our family, now, and we are totally excited to see what is in store.

I can't help but reflect on our last seven years, though.  Numerous questions flood my mind.  Have we done a good job?  Were we effective servants in the ministries of which we took part?  Have we had a positive impact on others?  Will we be missed?... And all of these questions, while I suppose they do have some significance and/or relevance, are focused on the wrong thing...us, or rather more pointedly, me.  While it is within our nature to wonder if we have done a good job and to search for some kind of reassurance, the truth is that there will be times that knowing if we've done a good job or finding that reassurance from a human source will not be possible.  I think God does that on purpose so that we will be forced to look to Him to find our peace and reassurance (Hebrews 12:2).  The simple fact that He is still at work in your life should be enough reassurance, and the evidence of His handiwork should be an eternal source of peace.  But often, it seems as though it isn't.  If we were all painfully honest with ourselves, we would all have to come to the same conclusion that *sometimes* we want that reassurance from our peers and/or authorities, and their reassurances are the only ones that matter at that particular moment.  It is an unfortunate  and shameful thing that we so often shun the very love, compassion, trust, and mercy that empowered us to do the work in the first place, in leiu of the temporal gratification that comes from peer or authority approval.  

I am reminded of a conversation that I had with one of my soccer players at the conclusion of this year's season.  He came to me after the tournament's award ceremony had concluded, and asked, "Coach, why didn't I get any awards?"  Now, you might be thinking, "Well, he must've been a bencher who hardly ever played."  But the opposite is actually the case.  This is a player who had played in all of our games, and started most of them.  He was second in most goals scored for our team, and he had a good number of assists, too.  And here he was, asking me, "Coach, why didn't I get any awards?"  My heart sank with the weight of choosing the right words to say.  It would've been easy to simply say, "Suck it up, trooper!  There's always next year!"  But I knew that wouldn't help at all.  In light of how I've been feeling the past few months concerning this very issue, I knew that would've thrown him off the deep end.  So, I looked him in the eye, and told him, "You've been one of the most reliable players on this team, and we couldn't have done what we did without you.  We are going to recognize your contribution to the team at another time, but remember this, you should play the game because you love playing the game, not for awards."  I went on to tell him that I understood what he was feeling, and that I knew that awards were always a good thing to get, but if we always play for awards, what happens when we don't get them?  Well, it turns out that he was awarded the Most Improved Player award at our school's athletic banquet, and he also recieved a varsity letter as a freshman.

Now I say all of that to simply say this:  In all your serving, striving, and ministering, make sure that you are doing those things for the right reason.  It isn't necessarily wrong, per se, to desire peer and/or authority approval.  But what do you do when you feel like you've done the best you possibly could've done, and your peers and authorities are silent, and all you have is a loving Savior standing in front of you with open arms saying, "Well done!"  Will that be enough for you?  I pray that it will be, and that it is.  

Just like I told my soccer player, we shouldn't be running this race for the awards at the end, although that is a promise God has given us.  And what a joy it will be to recieve that crown only to lay it back down at Jesus' feet in recognition of His being the only one worthy of such an award!  We should rather run this race with the power and ability that comes from a love for God which was fostered by His love for us.  We should desire to seek His pleasure in all that we say and do, not our own.  And as I sit here and write these things, I know them to be so true, and I still find them to be so difficult to practice.  And then I am brought to a verse that follows some of the most quoted verses in Scripture, Hebrews 12:3, "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."  It's so tiring, when we feel unappreciated, isn't it?  We need to realize though, that the only reason we feel unappreciated is because we are looking in the wrong place for that appreciation.  

In Youth Sunday School we've been going through Psalm 119 verse by verse.  If you want a good litmus test for how you are doing spiritually, compare your own spiritual life to that of the psalmist in Psalm 119, who writes this in verses 41-48, "Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.  So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.  And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.  So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.  And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.  I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.  And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.  My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes."  You see, if we were truly trusting and hoping in God's Word, and seeking after it, and delighting ourselves in it, we wouldn't fall to the desire for peer and/or authority approval because we would be consumed with the desire for God's approval alone.  My prayer is that we will endeavor to reach the place in which we are closely aligned to the words found in Psalm 119:41-48.

By way of update, the treasurer of Bethany Baptist wired the money on Friday.  Unfortunately, with today being Memorial Day, the bank on post is closed, and we have no way of checking to make sure that the wire went through safely until tomorrow.  My pastor here said today that he will check first thing tomorrow.  We are trusting that all is well, and that the transaction has been completed with no problems.  It never hurts to PRAY towards that end, though. 

Also continue to PRAY that Dulcy and I will be able to get everything in line and ready for the movers visit this Friday.  Since I am at school all day, this is more of a request for Dulcy's sake than my own.  She has given me responsibilities, but for the most part she has been tasked with getting things ready to go.  The movers will be packing everything for us, but we are setting things apart that are not going to be shipped.  So, simply PRAY that everything will come together in due fashion.

That's about it for now, I think.  Thank you all again for all your prayers and support.

In His Service,

Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.

Mark 10:45

  

Another Update...Already...:)

I got a few emails from Pastor Rushing this morning, and they each included some news that I thought I should pass along to you all.  It's always better to have the most information possible in order to know how to pray.

1)  The treasurer of the church in Martinez thought it best to go ahead and stop payment on the check that has been sent.  So, we will be sending him the information for a bank wire transfer today in order to get that taken care of as quickly as possible.  PRAY that the transfer will go through smoothly and quickly as we only have 8 days before we have to pay the movers in-full.  Praise the Lord, though, that the check did not fall into the hands of the wrong people!

2)  The house for rent that the church had found has officially fell through.  So, they are beginning to look at other options for renting and/or purchasing, whichever avenue will be the better financial decision.  We will be giving the church's address to the moving company in order to have our belongings sent to the church since we don't have a definite housing arrangement, yet.  This is God's leading, and we are sure that He has something better in store for us.  Please PRAY that those looking will be lead to God's specific will for us.

Thank you again for your prayers!  More to come as news avails itself...stay tuned!

In His Service,

Sam.

Transition Update...

Greetings, once again!  Life is clipping along at a fairly quick pace for us right now as many things are beginning to come to bear.  I was able to preach in chapel this morning and brought a message entitled "The Road to Change: A Song of Remembrance" from Deuteronomy 31.  It seemed that many of the students in the audience were very attentive, despite some technical difficulties early on.  PRAY that God will bless the message conveyed, and that it will be an instrument of change in the hearts and minds of those that heard it.  

David is off on a field trip today at the Korean Folk Village.  It's a place that is comparable to a place like Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, where people there are all dressed in traditionally tailored clothing and are tasked with showing visitors how things were done in the 'old days'.  The kids always have a great time.  Katherine went last week, and when she came back, Dulcy asked her where she went.  Katherine said, "...to the Korean Smoke Village...but I didn't smoke at all, Mommy!"  It brought a smile to our faces, to say the least.

A few points of interest from our last update:

1) Remember that our refrigerator was on the fritz and it cost us $190 to fix it?  Well, our headmaster, Rex Freel, was gone at his daughter's graduation from Liberty University when it happened.  Last night, Dulcy mentioned it in passing to Linda, Rex's wife, and both she and Rex said we shouldn't have had to pay for it to be fixed, since it belongs to the school.  So, we are going to be able to turn in the receipt to the school who will then reimburse the entire amount!  Praise the Lord!

2) In our last update, I believe I mentioned that we were looking into insurance for our two vehicles, and that Pastor Rushing was helping with his contacts with AAA.  My Dad, though, contacted me, and stated that we should also look into USAA, as he has been keeping our account with them open these past seven years.  So, I contacted USAA, and our insurance with them will be nearly half what is was going to be with AAA!  Praise the Lord!

3)  The $2500 check from Bethany Baptist has still not yet arrived.  We are currently looking into varying alternatives to rectify the situation.  Please PRAY that we will have wisdom in deciding what to do should the check not arrive soon, and that the check is safe, and has not fallen into the hands of the wrong people.

4)  I'm not aware of any decision that has or has not been  made concerning the house in Martinez and the situation there.  So, please just continue to PRAY that God's will be done, and that we will be patient in waiting for His will to come to fruition.

That's about it for now, I think.  Once again, thank you all so very much for all of your prayers and support.  The last couple of weeks have really been difficult on us, so please don't forget us in your prayers.  They TRULY make a difference.

In His Service,

Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.

Transition Update...

Another week has bit the dust, and we are ever so gingerly rocketing towards our June 30th departure date with great anticipation and excitement.  Things here at ICS-Uijongbu have hit kind of a lull, in that there aren't a lot of extra-curricular things going on in which I am involved.  However, Dulcy is working hard with both homeschooling Michael and helping coordinate the Kindergarten Graduation Reception.  Katherine has also been sick the last three days, and has missed school so far this week.  So, that has added a bit more stress to Dulcy's week.  Otherwise, it has been business as usual.

The movers will be at our apartment in no less than 16 days (WOW!).  This is cause for prayer for a number of reasons.  PRAY that Dulcy and I will be able to organize things in the apartment so that it's as easy a job for the movers as possible.  Additionally, Pastor Rushing has stated that the church sent the $2500 check to us here in Korea.  And a week ago, he said that it should be here soon, if it wasn't already.  So, it's due any day now, but it must get here before May 29th, as we need to come even with the movers on that day.  Please PRAY that God's hand of protection will be upon that check, and that it will arrive sooner rather than later.

To add a bit of 'excitement' to our lives, the compressor on our refrigerator's freezer decided to go on strike last Friday night.  It wasn't until Monday afternoon, for various reasons, that we were able to get someone to come look at it.  It cost us $190 to have it fixed, as the entire compressor was shot.  Additionally, it was too late for most of the food we had in there.  So, our fridge looks like a bachelor's, now, but at least it works properly.  A PRAISE the Lord is needful here, though, because were it not for a unknown $100 gift from the school that Dulcy and I received on Saturday at the annual NICS Banquet for our five years of service, we probably wouldn't have been able to afford the repairs.  So, it was a subtle, yet welcome reminder that God is in control.

No additional word from Martinez has been recieved concerning the fate of the house for rent.  To specify the situation a bit more, the landlord's family wants to sell the house, but since it's currently a buyer's market, they want to wait, and they can't come to an agreement on whether or not to rent it out in the meantime.  While this could be a bit nerve-racking, seeing as how we are so close to our arrival, Pastor Rushing made an entirely good point when he stated that God will simply use this event to either confirm that this is the house He has for us, or that there is another place He has for us.  So, while we are tempted to ask the proverbial "why?", we are taking rest in the fact that this didn't surprise God.  The car, however, is up and ready to go, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous member of Bethany Baptist.  Pastor said the only problem with the car now is the fact the we aren't driving it, yet...:)  Another PRAISE, though, is that we have been offered and have accepted a 1991 Mitsubishi Mighty Max from another anonymous church member.  I asked Pastor to check into AAA insurance for both the Cadillac and the pick-up together, and the price wasn't much more expensive than for just the Cadillac.  So, knowing that having two vehicles is very near a logistical necessity for a family of our size in the area, we are trusting in God's providence and thanking Him for it.  Please continue to PRAY for the housing situation, though.

Health insurance is shaping up to be our most significant concern.  The common carrier in our area is Kaiser Permenante, and the least expensive HMO plan that they have available is a $30 co-pay/$1500 deductible plan for $579/month, which doesn't include dental.  That's big chunk of change considering what our salary will be from the church.  They also have HSA plans that are cheaper, but we have been advised by multiple parties that HMOs would be the preferred kind of plan for our family's potential needs.  As we have been reminded again and again, though, God is in control.  And where He guides, He provides.  So, please lift this matter up to the Lord in PRAYER, and ask Him to continue to guide and direct us in the right way for our insurance.

I have only one interview with a school upon on our arrival in California for possible supplemental employment.  I say "only" simply because I was hoping to have a few lined-up.  One interview is definitely better than none, though, so don't get me wrong.  I'm delighted to have the one.  Our thought patterns on this front go something like this...supplemental employment as a teacher provides an affordable Christian education for our children, it could possibly solve the health insurance issue, and it's what I've been doing since college, too.  But those are simply our thoughts, and His thoughts are so much higher than ours.  Pastor Rushing has asked if I would be willing to work a secular (non-teaching) job, should the teacher route not come to fruition.  He has some possibilities that could be potential avenues, too.  And while I am willing to do whatever I can to help provide for my family, teaching in a Christian school is my first choice, by far.  So, I am going to be recontacting the schools from which I have recieved no further communication in the next few days in order to determine whether or not those doors are still open.  Please PRAY that I will hear back from them, at least.  You can also feel free to pray that what I hear back is positive...:).  Ultimately, though, PRAY that God will definitively guide us into His will.

That's about it for now, I think.  Thank you all so much for all your prayers and support throughout this transition.  As an aside, I fully intend to keep these updates coming even after our arrival in California.  The reason I mention this is simply a reminder that we always appreciate your prayers, and they will still play an integral part of our ministry in California, even after our arrival.  Prayer is and should always be an indispensible part of the Christian's life.

In His Service,

Sam, Dulcy, Michael, David, and Katherine Healey.

Transition Update...

Well, Children's Day was yesterday, and it was a welcome day-off in the middle of the week.  We took the family down to the Electronics Market in Seoul to pick up some birthday presents, take in a movie, and just have a family day out and about.  Children's Day is quite a big thing here in Korea.  Near the Electronics Market is a place called the I-Park Mall, which has a large courtyard-type area where many different kinds of events are held.  Yesterday was no exception.  A large carnival-ish event was going on, and the kids all had a great time milling about trying out some of the various activities.

By way of update, I recieved an email from Pastor Rushing this morning.  It had both good and 'potentially bad' news in it.  The good news is that he is getting the car tuned-up and ready to go.  He said that it drives very well, and that we will enjoy it for sure.  That went without saying as far as I'm concerned...:)  The 'potentially bad' news is that the heirs of the landlord from which we were going to be renting the house have voiced some disagreement with the decision to rent it out.  Pastor Rushing is going to be talking with those involved this week in order to try and smooth things out.  He said that no matter what happens, the church will still find us a nice place to live, and not to worry.  Please just PRAY that we (they) will be led to God's perfect place for us, whether it be this house or another.  Also, whatever the circumstance, please PRAY that everything works out before the movers come on May 29th, so that there is no confusion upon delivery.

My Dad, Jack Healey, is interviewing for an instructor's position at his place of work.  My Dad loves to teach, and this is a position for which he feels to be incredibly qualified, and one that he would take great personal and professional pleasure in fulfilling.  His initial interview went well, as the panel was pleased with his presentation, preparation, and forthrightness .  Please PRAY that God's will be done in this process.

We are 'down to the wire', so to speak here at ICS-Uijongbu.  We have two more regular weeks, then one review week during which no new material will be given, and then finals week.  Unfortunately, 'down to the wire' doesn't mean that our work is done.  We have a lot of things to bring together in a very short time.  AP tests begin this week, which determine whether or not the students will recieve college credit for the course.  These are the culmination of an entire year's worth of preparation for these students and teachers.  Please PRAY that the students will do the best they can, and that the teachers will not stress too much over the outcome.  PRAY also for all the other students who still have all those final exams coming in the next few weeks, that they will put the right amount of time into studying as needed. 

Our son, Michael, just had his 10th birthday on Sunday.  We had a small birthday party at the church with his friends, then took him to Toys 'R' Us in the afternoon for his presents.  I think he had a good time.  We bought him an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins which he had been telling us he wanted.  All in all, he seemed to have a very good day.

Well, that's about it for now.  Please remember us in your prayers as we continue to barrel towards our move to California.

In His Service,

Sam.