This is Joel's Old Blog

well being back to regular

well being back to regular access to a computer helps maintaining more regular updates here - we are in indiana with my wife's family. does anyone read this any longer? a short email always helps to inspire me to write (hint)
we are with family and i take a team back to india in april. the big question on everyone's mind is, "Where are you guys going to be living?" We have several options and are exploring more but basically do not know for sure at this point. We will settle somewhere in May. We will be going back to Asia later in the year or early '05. If anyone has an extra house that you like to use to bless missionaries w/, please let me know -

returning back to north american culture is always interesting. after being out of north america for almost 8 months seems to be a bit more of a shock than normal. I seem to have my heart be encouraged seeing Jesus stickers on cars and hearing Christian radio while in Houston (north India and Nepal has very little visible signs like this) I found at times while being in america for a longer period of time, it is easy to get cynical of Christian sub-culture --- but how that cynicism is lost after being away from it for a long period of time. i find myself so hungry for communion with God and community with other believers no matter what form it looks like -- I would be excited to sing old hymns wearing choir robes, doing liturgy with a priest in a robe, or dancing down the aisles with the charismatics...i don't care---
i am reminded once again how narrow many Americans perspectives are towards the world and human suffering -- how little it impacts the lives of followers of Jesus in america --- Seeing the lush materialism, wells anger up within me.
i miss my friends in asia and the smells, cutlure, and people -- i long to be back there - my heart is there but my body is here.

many events have passed since

many events have passed since writing here. A few highlights...
-leaving nepal and saying good-bye to all of our friends
-spending 2 weeks in seoul, korea - got to speak in a church with 15,000 members. they are interested in partnering and working with us in india
-bitter cold in seoul - only thing to do was see the numerous shopping malls in the city

we are back in the USA- our flight was long and the last leg from Detroit to Houston was pretty intense with Zayd throwing up a few times- Pleaes pray for recovery and jet lag for the little guy (and mommy and daddy, too) we are here in houston for a few days and then in indiana to by with my wife's family.

Reflecting on our time in Korea, it is simply amazing to see all the red crosses at night around the city that indicate a church - Coming from Nepal and seeing only visible temples and no churches, it can be pretty overwhelming. Also, thinking the very fact that 100 years ago, there were no Christians in Korea. The ealry missionaries who gave their lives/spilled their blood in Korea were the seeds that were planted...Indeed, the fruit is amazing. We stayed down the street from the largest Methodist church in the world with 50,000 people! They have a 20 story sky scraper! Korea is becming a major player in world missions as well. They are sending/partnering/funding work all over the world-