Saturday, August 25, 2012

the eve before departure

i'm packing for chicago, and i ran across this note that my friend Casey wrote me before Christmas break:

"pic. of a glow-stick - you will shine in the darkness, but for your light to shine you must be broken. Any warfare you go through is a process that is necessary for your light to shine."

after reading this, i sat on my bed stunned. her message sums up all of second semester and my time in amsterdam. actually this whole year. at the time when she gave me this note, i read it and then forgot about it.

Father, you reign supreme and time is in your hands. it is all in your palm - yesterday, today, and tomorrow.


Thursday, August 23, 2012

this next season

post-yhm and i've been able to take some time and stand back, stand in awe of all that the Lord has done. i'm on the brink of a new season, and i know that God has some pretty rad stuff up his sleeve. i've been studying chemistry for the past two weeks, and i desire to go into this semester willing to be led and directed by God. Lord, I declare that i will follow you and ask you what your passions and desires are. i never thought myself as a science-y type of person, but obviously you know me better than i know myself.

this next season, i desire to grow in the Word. He's stirring up this hunger and i want revelation after revelation as i meditate upon his word. i want it to be endless, and to shake up my (worldly) perspective each and every time.

also-
my mom came to los angeles to hang out with me for a couple of days last week and when it was her time to go, she asked my dad for a favor. she told me later that she asked him to drop her off at the airport when it was time for her to leave because she wanted to talk to him about my sister. during that car ride to the airport, i was able to witness how God has been changing my father. he parked the car at the airport and as they got out, he asked my mom if he could give her a hug. i definitely didn't see that coming, and my mom was just as shocked as i was. as she walked away, tears streamed down my face. i think it hit both my dad and i how precious she is. we got into the car, and sat in silence and i finally spoke, saying "i'm so proud of her." he looked straight ahead and replied, "i know."

Mom, when you walked away from us, I got this feeling that I was saying good-bye to an old you. of course, God has healed you, but i felt like that encounter between you and dad was a final gift from the Lord. this is a new season for you as well. you see how the Lord has taken you from the pit, and glorified himself through you. and he's given you a heart of gold. i know this next year or so, the Lord is going to take you out of Utah. he has such great plans for you, and i lift you up.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

heart worship

i'm finally home in Los Angeles and I just want to lift up all the things God did this summer. Here are some excerpts from my journal:

July 10-
When Jesus hung on the cross, he experienced brokenness in the fullest extent. He came on earth as a human to be broken. He broke himself from perfect union with the Father and the Holy Spirit so that He could save me from eternal damnation. I'll be 19 tomorrow - my wish is that with each year, I would understand a bit more of the profound love You have for me and that that would spur me on to love others to greater depths.

July 15 -
The conviction of the Holy Spirit and the overwhelming realization of my own brokenness and desperate need for God.

July 18 -
"Brokenness does not meant worthlessness." These are the words that Daniela spoke to me in bible study today. In Toy Story, old broken toys are thrown out because they are useless. There is no value in these broken objects and they are discarded because they are of no use to anyone anymore.

But how amazing is it that Christ came for the sole purpose of tending to the broken. Yes, He knew and was familiar with brokenness. He saw me as worthy to die for.

-
God I lift up Ophelie. Show me more of your heart for her. Lord, I ask that you steadfastly continue to pursue her. I'm not sure why I've come to care for her so much - maybe it's because she reminds me of my sister. God, you desire to have a relationship with her. Please don't loosen your grip on her. Work in her life in a way that directs her to a fuller understanding of who you are. May she call out to you.

July 24 or 25 -
Today, I got to experience God in the city. Or at least that was the purpose of today's MTP class. My group separated at a park, and each person went his or her own way. I got on my bike, and looked down at the sheet of paper that was given to me:

1. Touch something that touches you.
2. Look for something that is a metaphor of what you want to do with your life.
3. Write a haiku poem about what you see around you.

Went to Vondelpark and was able to answer questions #2 and #3. The first question was definitely harder, but as I sat there thinking something or someone that never ceases to move my heart my thoughts went immediately to my sister and then to Ophelie. Got back on my bike, determined to bring her some Rittersport chocolate back at the hostel. I ran into the hostel, hot and breathless, and asked for Ophelie. She was in her room, and I barged in, not in the least mindful of those others trying to get their afternoon nap in. Went up to Ophelie, gave her the chocolate and quick hug and made my way back downstairs and finally back unto my bike.And after all this, I realize that my heart is still broken over my sister and that Ophelie, who just wants to "start a new life" here in Amsterdam has a spot in my heart as well.

 July 27 -
Gratitude List #1
1. Haley's testimony at small group
2. How my friendships with Meghan and Nicole have grown.
3. My talk with Faramarz - one of our Muslim cleaners. At the end of our conversation, I got to pray for him. Yes!
4. Caroline, Anna Shane, and Abby (whenever I think of our team, 1 Peter 4:8 comes to mind).
5. Loosening of self-righteousness.
6. This entire summer.

July 29 -
Amazing day. I got to switch shifts with Caroline, which allowed me to go to Vineyard. At church, there was a guest speaker who led Healing on the Streets at Dam Square the previous day.At the end of the service Mark Marx invited the congregation to receive healing in areas where people struggled with different kinds of fears and phobias and eating disorders. I walked up with several others and as he was praying for us, a clear voice in my head told me, "Grace, my gift to you. My promise to heal you."

Later that day, Sergio visited the hostel. The best part? He went to church with Francisca (one of the managers here at the hostel) for the first time. when i talked to him, he told me that he liked seeing everyone worship so freely and sincerely. I was so happy to see him. He came by the Shelter when he heard that us girls would be going home this coming week (camera in tow - how sweet!).

On a more somber note, Sandra visited the hostel and I found out that she is considering going back to prostitution. I don't know of anything else i can do but pray for her.

-
Lastly, I met Masha, a guest who was staying at the hostel. I quickly became chummy with her and learned that she had done YWAM and that God had told her to come to Europe because He had plans for her here. She really taught me a thing or two about being led by the Holy Spirit. Sunday evening we decided to pray for each other and after I finished praying for her, God must have spoken to her because she looked at me and said that she felt so much peace about staying in Amsterdam and applying to the Shelter Ministry. The next day, she applied to be a volunteer and before I knew it, she had moved into the staff house. How cool is that? I'm so excited about how God is going to use her during her time here.

So there it is, some excerpts from my journal. I have a couple more things that I want to share. On Wednesday, the night before our departure, I realized that someone had stolen my passport around midnight. Abby and I rode our bikes down to the police station around 2:30 in the morning and filed a police report, which got done around 3:30. When we came out of the station, we saw that someone had stolen one of our bikes. And then of course it had to start pouring rain as we made our way back to the house. The next morning, I had to say a hasty and rather sad goodbye to my team. I really didn't expect us to part ways in the way that we did. I ended up staying one more day in Amsterdam. Through it all, God really gave me His peace. I was able to get a temporary passport and the whole process went smoothly and without hassle. We ended up getting a flight out of Amsterdam the next day at the same time without any additional fee (!!!). Also, even my domestic flight to Los Angeles from Chicago was at the SAME exact time. How amazing is that? I realize now that God wanted to demonstrate his faithfulness to me in such a clear way. I'm so thankful because I know that I will have to lean on his faithfulness this coming semester.

I feel like God taught me so much about heart worship during my time in Amsterdam. God showed me more and more of his heart for the people around me, believers and nonbelievers alike. I just want to end with a note that my manager left me  -

He loves you! Not because of what you think, you did, you believe, your dreams, opinions, moral standards. Just because He wants to! And you can never return the favor or pay Him back. He will not accept any other thing than your whole and broken heart, with all its caves, mountains, seas, fields, palm trees, and deserts.

This is what God desires from us - our broken hearts.

mini update (June 24)

dear friends & family, hope you guys are doing well. i'm sorry that i haven't responded back to many of your emails (as well as facebook messages). it's always nice hearing back from people i look up to and care for, so thanks! and sorry that i'm a crummy respond-er. 

this email won't be too long, i just wanted to share a couple of updates with you guys before leaving for the Midsummer retreat in Germany. We'll be at a YWAM base in Hurlach, germany this whole week. i've grown to really love this community, so i'm got some mixed feelings going to retreat, but hopefully it'll be a week of rest and fellowship with the other teams coming in from norway and czech republic. 

as i told you in my last update, the hostel that i'm working at allows non-christians to work as 'cleaners'. i told you guys about sandra, fons, and sergio. i know wholeheartedly that it was in God's plan for me to meet Sergio. from the beginning i met him, i had a feeling that God would use him to bless me and vice versa. and He has. i've come to care for Sergio in a way that i can only attribute to the Holy Spirit and God's own heart for Sergio. yesterday, i got to sit in on a cleaners devotional that my friend led. we read about the fall in Genesis and Sergio asked question after question (not unusual), genuinely hungry for answers. he had many questions, and we tried to answer them as best as we could. i sat still and said a silent prayer - God, that he would know you intimately. how would you use me? i faced Sergio and began talking to him. i don't think i'll ever forget that instant - i don't remember everything i said but i believe that God wanted to tell sergio of His abounding love for him. I looked Sergio straight in the eyes and told of the Lord's steadfast love for him. More than anything else, more than answers to his questions, i believe the Lord wanted to let Sergio know of His love for him. As i talked, i know that something happened inside him. afterwards, i got to pray for sergio and the rest of the cleaners so that was pretty cool.

It's sergio's last day today. i'm going to miss him terribly. i know that i'll have to have faith that God will continue drawing him closer.

Now, something for you guys. Yesterday, I was working in the morning with a staff member, Kenan. Here are some beautiful words that he shared with me that I want to share with you guys. 
"God has his own symphony in heaven. He doesn't need our talents, just our heart"
Kenan's words challenge me to offer up to God heart worship. 

well, that's it for now. it's always nice writing to you guys because it allows me to process a lot of things. thank you for being my silent and faithful audience (actually i love it when you guys respond back to me hehe). \

may the lord bless you. -grace


update #2 (june 15)

hello dear friends and family. i'm kicking myself for not having updated you guys sooner as now i don't know where to start.. i'm eager to tell you all that has been going on these last few weeks, so get comfortable! 

I am pretty much settled into the Willemsstraat. Let me back up a bit and tell you a little more about the ministry that I'm involved in here in the city. As you all know, I was sent here with seven other girls by the ministry that I applied to (youth hostel ministry) back at my school. upon our arrival here in the city (almost two weeks ago), we were quickly plugged into a larger ministry called 'tot heil des volks', which means the salvation of the people in dutch. this ministry owns two christian youth hostels, one located in the heart of the red light district and the other in the Jordan district (i work at Shelter Jordan), including a house on the Willemstraat (willemstraat is a street name) for all the people working as staff. I live at the house with a diverse community. The people living here are younger and come from all parts of the U.S., Canada, Germany, England, Argentina, as well as many other places. Some of the people here have been here for almost a year, while others will stay for only a couple of months. One thing that I wasn't expecting was the intentionality of this ministry. We are expected to attend Ministry Training Program  (say MTP.. now say it slower. haha) classes two times a week for two and a half hours. Last week's classes focused on how to lead an inductive bible study, this week's classes focused on sharing testimonies.

 Every week, everyone in the house gathers together for small group on tuesdays and thursdays for breakfast and fellowship. small groups have been awesome so far. i was feeling a little overwhelmed last week, but the Lord really spoke to me through the Martha and Mary passage in small group last week. i guess even now i'm really challenged to be still before God and not get swept away by my schedule. if anything, i want to come away from this summer knowing that it was spent with the Lord. also small group = gracious amounts of pancakes. eggs. cruesli (this lovely granola mix), fruit salad, etc. etc. 

Now, what has really been keeping me on my toes has been working at the Shelter Jordan. I am so thankful because really, i'm here this summer to serve and pour out to the people in this hostel . i mentioned earlier that i was amazed at the intentionality of this ministry. the staff at shelter jordan are so eager to serve and be used by the Lord. i see the fruits that have been a result of following the Lord. before every shift, the managers round up the staff workers to pray for the hostel and the people staying there. we host daily bible studies, as well as open-mic night, film discussion night, and hostel night. On sundays, guests are invited to attend church with us. i work six hours a day, six days a week at the cafe in the hostel. i do everything from cooking dinner for up to 40 people/serving breakfast to cleaning the kitchen. during my first week, i felt pretty overwhelmed by the amount of work that has to get done working these shifts. i found myself asking the lord how putting rack after rack of dirty dishes into the dishwater was glorifying to him. the lord has really changed my mentality, and i guess i feel honored to serve him with physical labor. if my desire is to glorify and worship god, then the most menial task becomes a form of worship. weirdly, i have grown to really enjoy working at the cafe. the other day, i cooked lemon pesto chicken pasta for the staff and guests !! 

One thing that has blessed me has been the cleaners working at Shelter Jordan. i don't think i've mentioned this, but it's a requirement that everyone working at the Shelter Jordan is Christian. the cleaners are an exception. we offer free room/board as well as free meals for this job position. it's cool because this allows us to work and eat side-by-side with non-christians. i've been able to get to know sergio (a brazilian who never ceases to make me smile), fons (this guy comes to me for coffee maybe 8x in one shift), and sandra (she previously worked in the red light district). many of the people who have worked as cleaners come to Christ and our prayer is that sergio, fons, and sandra would as well. the cleaner supervisor leads daily devotionals with the cleaners. i'm excited because today, sergio, me, and a couple others are going to go to the cheese museum and tulip museum and then get apple pie afterwards. a couple days ago, sandra attended my bible study. after the bible study, we went out on the patio and i was able to talk and pray for her. it was sandra's last day yesterday and she has gone to the Scarlet Cord, an organization that helps women from the red light district. there is so much more that i could say, but i guess all i want to write is to ask you to pray for her. 

my time at the hostel has allowed me to get to know the backpackers as well. most of the people who come through are young college students who are backpacking through europe. this week, i was able to meet vivienne. i spent the day with her at the dutch resistance museum and as we were walking back to the hostel, asked her if she wanted to come to my bible study. she instantly replied that she wasn't into that sort of thing. another traveler i met was a guy named stephan. abby (one of my dear teammates) and I were able to eat dinner with him and hang out with him. he claimed he was a christian but it seemed like he was still searching. i pray that both vivienne and stephan would go away having been touched by this hostel and its staff members. 

one person that i've been able to work with has been Kenan, a brazilian who came to christ only a few years ago when he was a cleaner. he is now a staff member, and works in the cafe with me. this is kinda embarrassing, but i was being emotional at the beginning of the week and ended up crying in front of him. he looked at me kindly and silently and then replied that there was a house of prayer that i might be interested in. to make a long story short, i was able to go with him to ywam's house of prayer yesterday. at the beginning of my stay in amsterdam (before we went to belgium), my team and I stayed at Shelter City. one thing that i've chided myself on is how we went through the red light district. i told myself afterwards that if possible, i wouldn't bike through that area for the rest of my stay in amsterdam. well, ywam's house of prayer is located in the red light district and when i arrived at the house of prayer, i found out that they were beginning their worship and intercession set for the red light district and for the women working behind the windows. i'm not sure what the lord has planned but i feel the spirit working. 

even though there are pockets of darkness, the christians here live daily reflecting Christ's light. god is good, all the time. all the time, god is good. 
your sister in christ, grace.

update #1 (May 26)


Hi friends and family. My team and I (along with 22 other YHMers) have settled-down in Shelter City Christian Hostel in Amsterdam. This city is so beautiful - one canal after another marks the cobbled streets of Amsterdam. After two days,  I can say with some assurance that Amsterdam is a maze of streets and canals. I say this from experience! However, it's a wonderful place to get lost in (apart from the Red Light District). Here a couple other observances:
-The smell of pot blankets the city
-So-called "coffeeshops" are found on every corner
-The people here treat the coffeeshops and Red Light District nonchalantly
-There is a sense of carefree and lazy atmosphere (perhaps this is due more to the sunny weather)
-Bikes, bikes, and more bikes
Today, my team and I got to take a city tour that took us through most parts of the city. Our tour guide talked a lot about "tolerance" and how the city's values are very much rooted in tolerating certain lifestyles. This is apparent in the acceptance of marijuana usage and legal prostitution. He described the women working at the Red Light District as strong and independent women making a living for themselves. I became even more disheartened when our guide ended the tour by saying that due to sex and drugs, the prosperity of these industries benefited everyone. Right now, I am chewing on what tolerance means for a Christian and non-Christian. The tolerance that the tour guide speaks of is allowing people to live their lives as they see fit. But from what I can see, the women (and yes, men) working behind the windows are not independent at all. By tolerating certain behaviors, I can only come to the conclusion that the brokenness in these women are exploited. Oh, how Jesus must weep. The Red Light district is a mere minute away from Shelter City Hostel. As we were passing through a small section, I made sure to pray (and keep my eyes on the ground) for the women behind the windows. Truth is so skewed here - please pray that God would continue to give my team and I discernment. Specifically, I want God to give me His heart for the people in this city. I don't want to become desensitized to the brokenness in this city. I want my heart to break each time I walk through Amsterdam, because God's heart is surely broken over the men seeking out these Red Light district workers as well as the women themselves.
I am so appreciative of City Hostel and Jordan hostel - both hostels are Christian and are run by the same people. Seriously, I think I'll come to know these places as safe havens and as a place where I can truly rest and worship with the Christians working here. To be a little more clear, I'll be working at Shelter Jordan Hostel with my team of four. The rest of the girls will be working at Shelter City hostel. I got to visit Shelter Jordan Hostel today and the Willenstraght (the house where us 8 girls will be staying along with many other Christian workers from all around the world). Some of my jobs will include heading up bible studies, working at the front desk and cafe, and of course talking to the traveling community and telling them about this amazing man named Jesus. Something that I've been asking the Lord to give me is a servant's heart. Not only do I want to share the Gospel, but I want my actions to truly overflow with love. Thus, I ask the Lord to humble me.
 Tomorrow, new adventures begin as our YHM group of 26 breaks off. A team of four will be going to Germany, while another team will be going to Spain, etc., These teams will eventually settle down in Prague and Bergen. My team and I are headed off to Belgium for a week. We'll be back next Sunday to work and live in Amsterdam for 8 or so weeks. Keep praying that the Lord would use us and draw more and more people to himself. Even though I am only one person, I know that God's army goes before me, before our group of 26. The prayers that you pray are lifted up - please continue to pray for us. May the Lord be glorified in ALL that we do. He is worthy.
 My love goes to each of you guys. May the Lord fill you with his love and with the Holy Spirit.
In Christ Alone, Grace Hong