You just never know!

Today (Tuesday) is Children's Day. National holiday. No classes. R&R time! Time to blog about last Sunday.

It was one of those days when you never know what the Father (Papa for you "Shack" fans) is up to. I began my day in a small English service for Koreans at 9:00. It is quiet and peaceful with a good flow of singing worship choruses. It is the service for me when I feel God's energy flowing into me, instead of out of me like in the other services I attend and participate in.

At 10:00 I walked over to the "Nazarene Building" to have the Bible study with my Chinese students. That is always a great time. They are so polite and want to learn so much about Jesus.

When I arrived I stuck my head into the International Church that was practicing music for the 10:30 service. There I was informed that the pastor's daughter, Emma, had a teddy bear with my name. I thought he meant she had many little bears for some people and I happened to be one of them. How surprised I was when I discovered she named the bear Ron Thornton! I went to look for Emma in the room she plays in and when she saw me she ran to her teddy bear and showed it to me. She said, "I named it Ron Thornton!" I was somewhat speechless. Since I had my camera that day I took her picture (above) with her holding "me." Of course, it is now my favorite picture. I have it on my computer screen. To say the least it made my day. I asked her dad why she named it after me and he said know one seems to know!

Everyone here loves Emma. She is so outgoing and never meets a stranger. She sat on my lap and colored in her book last fall when we went to Busan on the KTX (bullet train). Another time her mom told her to hold some one's hand while walking down to a restaurant with a big group. She chose me. It was fun to walk with her and visit. Her grandfather died last year and I think maybe that is part of the "connection" we have. No one really knows. I don't see her much. But Sunday was very special to me. It seems most of the English community now know about the teddy bear. I walked passed McDonald's Monday evening and some of the English community was outside enjoying the evening with ice cream when they stopped me to talk about the teddy bear.

Then, I went to YeaDalm Church at 11. Phuong was in a drama presentation and was also to read English scripture from Acts 16:6-15. One girl read in Korean with Phuong read English. We had worked with her on the reading Saturday. Look up Acts 16 and you will see how difficult a passage that is to read. Now think of a Vietnamese student reading it in English! She did very well! We were proud of her. (This is why I had my camera Sunday, to take pictures at YeaDalm.)

And then later, O yes!, there is more, I walked to LotteMart with the blind viola player, Gil. I mentioned him in an earlier blog last year (Final Words). The meeting was not planned. He invited us to his apt. some day in June after he gets done commuting back and forth to Seoul. We began talking about coffee. He started the conversation. I am getting low. You guessed it! He buys coffee over the Internet and gets it very cheap compared to the stores here. He was in need of ordering some for himself and so now he will get me some! A coffee contact! That is BIG for me!

And then, yep, there is more! Sunday night Phuong came by. I was to help her on a very difficult Christian theology assignment. She walked in with her hands behind her back with a big smile. After us begging to see what was behind her back she pulled out a gift for me. "Happy dad's day!" she said. Friday is parents day here. It was a belt. She wrapped it in pretty gift paper. She knew I was looking for one on Saturday and so Sunday she stopped at a store and bought one for me, not cheap!

And then, before going to bed I opened my email one more time. There to my surprise was an email from a man wanting to come to Korea to teach. I have never met him. I did meet his daughter on an airliner between Denver and San Francisco in February. She is in a touring group called "Barrage" (http://www.barrage.org/). That is a high energy professional song and dance group. She lives in the Nashville area (where else?). She and I are now friends and we write emails to each other. I shared with her about our teaching at KNU and she told me her dad was interested in doing something like that. Her dad contacted me Sunday about coming to Korea and so that process has begun in earnest.

I laid in bed reflecting on the day. I don't know when I have had such a good day. You never know sometimes what the Father is up to. I have to force myself to stop analyzing the "why" in everything and just enjoy. I think the Father (OK, Papa) is teaching me to walk each day with Him and leave the rest up to Him. Walking with Him is the key to everything in life! You just never know.... Thanks Papa!!