my Crossing Borders article

in hand, i hope you can also consider sponsoring me in Ride for Refugees to support Crossing Borders and North Korean refugees. please click here or contact me for more details: 

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=2330796

Crossing Borders Donor Spotlight: Angela Park

"Being a part of God’s kingdom work in North Korea has allowed me perspective outside my cubicle, facebook page, and self-obsessed thoughts."

How did you first hear about Crossing Borders?

I went to the 2005 Crossing Borders annual event, and I have not missed an annual event since (which never failed in teaching me something new each time). During the live video chat with a North Korean refugee in China, I remember being incredibly humbled by his love for and dependence in the Lord, even in his strife and fear of being captured and sent back to North Korea. He was a man in a closed country without religious freedoms yet he read the Bible daily for endless hours, which rebuked me because of my lack of spiritual discipline in a country where I have no excuse to live out my faith.

What motivated you to become a Crossing Borders Life Support donor?

I became a donor after meeting some Crossing Borders orphans in 2007. I had the privilege of going on a missions trip to Northeast China by the North Korean border with a group of mainly women from my church Calvary. We spent time serving and ministering to the CB orphans, and one little boy in particular captured my heart. Not only did he con me with his cute looks, but his pure, innocent, and selfless heart convicted me to want to do more for him and the orphans beyond the short-term trip. I knew these kids came from a past of immense hardships where some don’t know if they’ll ever see their parents again, but they had such high spirits and grateful hearts for what they were given through CB. Crossing Borders had launched the Child Sponsorship Program that year, and I came back from the trip set on sponsoring this child specifically. My sponsorship evolved into supporting the CB Life Support Program which allows my donations to fund the greatest needs of all the orphans.

What are some prayer topics about North Korea that are on your heart?

My never-ending prayer, until it will be answered, is for the reunification of North and South Korea. I hope that one day, the “Never Know” country will become a nation that knows and praises the name of Jesus. I trust that I will one day step on North Korean soil, by God’s will, as a free country that worships the true King and not a deceitful tyrant. Until that day, I hope God will bless and use His faithful servants/missionaries dedicating their lives to ministering to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of North Koreans. I think about the Crossing Borders orphans and refugees I met on my trip, and I pray that God continues to water and grow the seed of faith in their hearts that was planted, so that they, in turn, can become catalysts in the spiritual revival of NK.

How would you like to encourage others to get involved in also supporting NK orphans and refugees?

Being faithful financial stewards in this day and age can be difficult, but we are called to use our gifts and blessings for God’s glory, because everything (i.e. our income) comes from and belongs to Him anyway. Partnering with Crossing Borders in support of NK missions has also transformed and blessed me personally. Being a part of God’s kingdom work in North Korea has allowed me perspective outside my cubicle, facebook page, and self-obsessed thoughts. It’s not about us, but for His glory in all nations, and I am honored to be on the wagon of God’s movement in North Korea.  There isn’t a more solid organization than Crossing Borders that I’d want to dedicate my support and prayers for.

picture i took of Tumen River and NK, in 2007 trip

God never gives us more than what we can't handle

i bawled through the entire interview with many soaked tissues, as my heart broke with theirs. a caller called in and said something i completely agreed with: "The Lord must have so much faith in your family to know that you can bear this."

it reminded me of the truth that God never gives us more than what we can't handle. i've been through some hard and some harder times, but God knew my limits and how strong/weak i truly was to provide a way for me to bear it and eventually come out. so if you're going through a really hard time right now, consider it that the Lord knows how strong you are to bear it and overcome it. and most of the time, you come out better than if it didn't happen...as i see this being the case for will chapman and the chapman family.

reminds me of a verse a friend once gave me to encourage me through a hard time:

"And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13

i went to my first ever J-Gen youth retreat last week, and i was super blessed as a counselor. sometimes, youth retreats are meant to speak especially to counselors. all the messages were awesome and when you're a counselor, you're pushed to pray more, be more focused, and to be blessed to be a blessing to your small group.

my J-Gen small group:

after comparing experiences with other counselors at the end of the retreat, a particular thought/epiphany i had was that God never gives us more than what we can't handle. this was my first J-Gen retreat leading a small group and i wasn't sure what to really expect (as the last retreat sg i led was 2.5 years ago with calvary jr. high). i ended up having an 11th grade group of really sweet girls. they were more on the shy and introverted side, but God knew i could handle a group like that with my extroversion and ability to ask lots of questions. one counselor had a really loud and talkative group and that fit the introverted counselor. another counselor had a group with some interpersonal problems where some girls didn't like a girl in the group and even made her cry. another counselor had a FOB/korean-speaking girl in her group. i told those counselors that God knew they could handle it. i don't know how well i would have handled a non-english speaking person in my small group or an extremely difficult group situation. but i realized that God never gives us more than what we can't handle.

i was really moved by the last drawing/word that Maria Sue Chapman wrote/drew on the morning of her death:
the word "SEE" with a flower drawing with 6 petals and 1 petal colored in.

SCC said how they have 6 kids and now 1 of their kids are whole, or in heaven. the family finding that drawing/word was the sign they were hoping/asking God for to "see" that maria is OK and in heaven.

i love SCC's cinderella song and his revised lyrics more:
"the clock will strike midnight but the truth is, the dance will go on and i'll dance with my daughter again...."

who wants to go snowboarding with me next winter?

Forum Aura Snowboard - Women's

propz to my cousin joe for introducing me to whiskeymilitia.com (like steepandcheap.com - sells one insane deal after another until it's gone). i've been stalking whiskeymilitia.com and steepandcheap.com for the past few weeks every time i would be in front of a computer for snowboarding gear. my refresh hits started declining as it didn't seem likely i could score a deal on a snowboard i would want. i even thought about just buying a snowboard next year after getting decent.

but lo and behold, the right board at the right price showed up this morning and i didn't hesitate to buy it (before it was too late)! i already have my Burton boots that i got for 50% off at Scandinavian ski shop in glenview (buy end of season for best deals!). and shout out to theresa and jess song for helping me get started and in the right direction for buying my first snowboard!!

i wanted to get a good deal on a snowboard b/c i'm not very good at boarding yet and still a beginner.

so who wants to go snowboarding with me in 8 months??

finally on facebook...

more pics on facebook... find me! talk to you on facebook!

no whitewater rafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHH.... I OVERSLEPT THIS MORNING!!!!!!! CYAM left to go whitewater rafting at 3:30am (in wisconsin, 4 hours north)...and i just woke up at 6am!!!!!

my cell phone battery had one bar left so i decided to turn off my phone last night to conserve battery (i like recharging my phone when it dies completely). but they call me 10 times at 3:30am while my phone is off and i'm still sleeping!!!!!!

i should have known this could have happened last night when i went to sleep at 12:45am and set the alarm for 2:45am. i used to have a back-up/second alarm clock but it broke a couple months ago and i never replaced it. now i'll go buy another alarm clock before i miss another important thing!!

dang...i even bought water shoes and went snack shopping with hannah last night! sigh. but maybe there's a purpose/reason for this. maybe i could have gotten injured?

i must have unconsciously turned off my alarm this morning b/c i was pooped this week! super busy week at work. someone in my department quit and i'm his "interim replacement" (while i still have my job to do). he trained me this week and now i'm on my own. then i need to train a new person in a couple weeks when i really don't know what's going on!!! haha oh well.

i guess i can go to great america today now. i wish i was rafting tho.

i had a dream about esther park last night. i dreamt she lost her purse/bag and she went through all these troubles to get it back, and she did! hmmm...tell me if that means anything esther.