Blast from the Past!!

Have you been hit by the Facebook craze yet?! I was getting reconnected with people all over the states through Xanga and Blogs. It was really neat but now there is this new site where you can get reconnected with people through the schools you attended and former jobs and the site will also scan your email contacts to see if friends have registered on Facebook.

The reconnections have been fun. One reconnection has been with a former youth pastor that served in Philly -- Leo Rhee. I lost touch with him over 15 years ago. Since then he has circled the globe (literally). After Philly, he went to MD, CA, to the homeland, S. Korea, and currently in Chicago.

So, part of the fun on Facebook is uploading pictures and "tagging" friends. When you tag a friend (those who are registered to Fbook) a message is sent to them notifying that a picture of them has been shared online.

So, this is a pic that was shared by Pastor Leo of a high school retreat.

Are you in this pic? I tried to blow up the picture so you can actually see people's faces but not sure how to do it. People you might recognize (and those reading my blog) - Becky, June, Chris, Liz, and Jeff.

Join facebook and you can probably see it after you make me your friend.

Join http://www.facebook.com/.

My Very First Concert

Can you make him out?

OK, I zoomed in as far as I could. Can you see him now?

Still not so clear, huh? How bout if I zoom in on the jumbo screen? Is that a little bit better?

I guess you can figure out by now that we went to the Josh Groban concert. It was last week. Someone from our church had gotten seats from a friend so he invited us to go. We had heard some of his songs and thought it would be fun to go. It was so much fun. Of course he was romantic and has a great voice but he was funny too. He did a little improv of Bon Jovi and Elton John.

So, as you can hear the crowd going crazy when he pops up practically right in our laps. He couldn't have been more than a meter away (hehe, I'm trying to use the metric system). We were in a state of shock for a moment until we realized that it was really him.

So, that is my first experience at a music concert. I don't include orchestra or musicals. I just don't consider them in the same category. I guess I consider myself more of the sit back and enjoy the musical peformances. This fit right down my alley.

News flash: Laser printers may be bad for your health.

I've posted things on my xanga (username: xinjinc) that came out of gizmodo.com. I like that website b/c it gives a lot of great info on upcoming technologies. They give some funny editorials too (usually of the geeky variety). But, I was checking it out today and they gave this warning that originally came out from the BBC. You can check it out for yourself (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6923915.stm).

So, apparently the toner in laser printers can be emitted from the laser printer into the air where it can be breathed in. It makes sense, right? The more the printer is used the more likely particles can be produced in the air. It is more harmful if the printers are being used frequently and in an area where the air is poorly circulated.

Now, take a look at my previous blog where I was showing you my new office! I'm in the basement where there is very little air circulation. I may not be printing that often but I now I am not going to stand around when I'm printing out the church bulletins (right, now I'm printing out about 45 bulletins with 4 full pages). Time for a good hepa filter.

Su Jin didn't want me to stand by the microwave when it was running. Wait till I share this news with her!

New Office

Here's a look at the new office of Hallelujah Christian Fellowship. I set up in the basement of Suj's parent's house. It's quite nice actually. The days have been pretty muggy so it is the perfect place to be on a hot summer day. The wireless signal even reaches down to the basement. So, I think I am set. Once I get settled here and into a regular routine I think I need to get out and start meeting some people. That means hanging out at the local coffee shops and seeing if I can strike up a conversation.

Can you see me doing that? I know that most of you know that I am pretty laid back (maybe too much so) but I am beginning to see that more as a fault than an asset. Now that I am church planting so much falls on my shoulders in terms of planning and implementing, sharing and reinforcing the vision and direction of a new church. It is quite the experience.

Here's the picture of the other side of my "office". I'm so thankful that my in-laws have the space for all our stuff!

That's life as a church planter!

Hide-n-seek?

I think Anson (first hider) likes the concept of seeking more than hiding. Listen carefully to how the rest of the hiders give up the hiding spots of the others. hahah kids!

It's weird being close to family. The last time was back in Philly in 2000 and that was with my parents. This is our first time with a sibling and their children. It's a lot of fun and it is really helping with our transition to Canada.

Kids, it's 10:30, time for bed!

Su Jin and I have been ones to put our girls on a very steady routine. We were not militant by any means but we did try to put them to bed pretty early. During school they would be in bed by 7:30. On weekends, by 8:30. Lately they haven't been going to bed until 10:30!

There are some factors for this:
1. The sun does not go down until 10:00!
2. Cousins come over.
3. It's summer vacation.

It does take some getting used to. We still eat at around the same time but I noticed that there is so much time after dinner to talk with family, watch some TV, put the kids to bed, and then you look outside and it is still dusk. I wanted to see exactly when the sun would set and it wasn't completely down until 10:30 or so.

I even went to timeanddate.com to see the official sunset times (see below). I think that the times are according to when the sun starts to break the horizon because I know that there is still some sunlight after 10.

Edmonton - Sunset at 10:00 PM. Duration of day: 16 hours, 43 minutes
Seattle - Sunset at 9:07 PM. Duration of day: 15 hours, 44 minutes
Philadelphia - Sunset at 8:31 PM. Duration of day: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Cherokee, NC - Sunset at 8:48 PM. Duration of day: 14 hours, 25 minutes
Los Angeles - Sunset at 8:07 PM. Duration of day: 14 hours, 17 minutes

I guess I'll have to post another response in the winter time when the sun will probably go down at 4pm.

Overall, we're adjusting pretty well. Su Jin is still adjusting to the fact that she can see her sister almost every day. She hasn't done that since she left Canada almost 12 years ago. Things are getting more settled in terms of getting accounts opened and unpacking. This week I'm really putting more effort and prayer for building up this ministry. I would really appreciate your prayers.

Enjoy this long sunny day!

Check out this website!

http://thegospelcoalition.org

D.A. Carson
Tim Keller
John Piper
Crawford Loritts

Wow! Now, that's a line up.

Day 5

We arrived in Edmonton safely! Thank you for your prayers.

Approx: 500 miles

Total travel: 2019 miles

Day 4

Salmon Arm, BC
Approx: 358 miles

Day 3

Seattle, WA
Approx: 446 miles

We're crossing over into Canada this morning and then on to Kelowna, maybe make it all the way to Edmonton.

On the road (pt 2)

Day 1 - Los Alamitos, CA to Lost Hills, CA
Approx 166 miles

Day 2 - Medford, OR
Approx 550 miles

Our stuff is being tracked:
It is now in Las Vegas on its way to Salt Lake City, UT

On the road again

We're hitting the road today. Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks.

I Drive Myself Crazy Thinking of You

It's our last week in California. I guess I'm getting a little nostalgic and sentimental. I really am going to miss everyone at CPC. For those of you not familiar with this church, there are some really gifted and committed brothers and sisters here.

I'm going to miss you all.



Here are some other samples of their work and their love to serve others.







Thanks for the memories!

Craigslist Entrpreneur

Craigslist has always been interesting (not the casual encounters... eek). We had a yard sale a couple of weeks ago and it went ok. The crowd basically wants it for nothing. But, the craigslist crowd seems different. I guess this is a generalization but from what I have experienced b/c those on craigslist owns a computer (or at the least has access to one) they are of a higher economic status.

So far, I have been able to sell some VeggieTale VHS tapes, and a misting fan. Things that I have left: canopy (someone just emailed showing interest), trundle bed, patio table and chairs, lawnmower, and weedwacker.

If you're interested you can check out the craigslistings:
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/tls/353039814.html
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/tls/353034919.html
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/fur/353025683.html
https://post.craigslist.org/manage/352657387/eede2
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/for/352656427.html

I can see why people get addicted to online sales and purchasing.

Willie Wonka and Brushing Teeth

We watched Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory this past weekend. I think our girls liked watching it -- OK, only Phoebe liked it. Chloe thought it was a little weird so she was not so interested and would walk in and out of the room She must have liked part of it because of what she did last night.

Chloe loves chewing gum. We went out to Costco late last night because we had to pick up some things. Su Jin gave everyone in the family gum so that we would have nice fresh breath. Well, as soon as we got home it was a little late and we had to put the girls straight to bed. They started their routine - using the potty, washing their hands, brushing their teeth, and washing their face. They are big enough now that I can get them started and they can finish up on their own. Upon inspection, as I was checking to see if they got all their eye boogers out and all the toothpaste was off their face that I noticed that Chloe was still chewing her gum.

Dad: Chloe, are you still chewing gum??
CJ: Yes
Dad: Did you brush your teeth with the gum in your mouth?!
CJ: No
Dad: So, what did you do with your gum?
CJ: I put it behind my ear
Dad: What?!!
CJ: I put it behind my ear like Violet from the movie.
Dad: Ewwww.... please don't do that again.
CJ: OK, Dad (while giggling).

Chloe may not have been too interested in the movie but she was still paying attention to it.

Need for prayer

Please take some time to read about our church plant. We would greatly appreciate your prayers.

June support letter

Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who might be interested.

Time to put life into perspective.

It was Chloe's birthday today. She turned 6. She asked for a special birthday meal. She asked for rice and geem (dried sea weed).

So, we took our pictures for our support card. I bought the Canada t-shirts and we took a family portrait. I took some random shots with our daughters.















OK, now it's been almost 5 years since we landed here in California. Look how much they have changed!

Oh hum... time to take it all in and accept that my girls are growing up.

Lord, help me.

Leaving for the North Country

I'm leaving for Edmonton again. I'll be travelling alone this time.

I would really appreciate your prayers. There is so much to do to get this church plant going - prayer support, fundraising, vision casting, organizing the church ministry and structure.

Please pray for:

1. safety for my girls at home
2. gospel transformation in the preaching
3. safe travels
4. relationship building

Thanks everyone!

Walking a mile in another woman's shoes.

So, for the 8+ years that Su Jin and I have been married she has been so supportive of my ministry. I hadn't realized it until now. I have been taking her for granted in so many ways. Ok, for the past few weeks since my resignation I have been trying to take care of the house, the girls, and dinner. For all you mothers out there reading this I acknowledge that what you do is TOUGH! Su Jin, I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH!!

I will experience yet another aspect of what it means to support a minister of the gospel. The shoe is on the proverbial other foot today. We will be heading down to San Diego so that Su Jin could speak for a women's seminar. I'll be watching our kids while Su Jin is speaking. I'll be waiting around while Su Jin is meeting and talking with people. Su Jin has been doing this ever since Phoebe was born. When we go to church, Su Jin always had her attention on our kids. When one of the acted up she was the one to address them and correct them. If you are a husband/father reading this, let me encourage you to not leave this responsibility up to your wife. Hope I can be a good supportive hubby.

On a different technical note, I've turned on our RSS feed for this blog. I recently found out that I don't have to save all the blogs I read onto my bookmarks and go to each page manually. I can just subscribe to the RSS feed and click on favorites to see who has updated. For those of you who are using the RSS thank you!

New and improved...

So here's a picture of me with my new and improved hair cut. Actually this was me at the beginning of April. Now, it looks a little over grown. I'll go in for a little trim tomorrow. I was the only one in our family that liked my shaved head. Chloe cried (literally)! Phoebe was polite but it was obvious that she did not like it. Su Jin was... um displeased. Oh, well just a couple of more weeks and I'm sure it will be back to its full form.

I secretly wish I could shave it all off again!

On a different note: It seems like random Philly people come back into my life. Guess who came for a visit? Woosik Lim, aka: Woo Tang Clan (I think that had something to do with his email back in the day). He was one of the college students when I was a jundo in PHL. He's visiting some friends in LA and then off to a bachelor party in Las Vegas. So apparently Jason Paik is finally tying the knot. We had a nice chat reminiscing over carne asada burritos. Mmmm...

Church Plant
I'll be travelling again May 4 to preach in Edmonton. I also plan to go back again May 18th. They are planning a retreat for that weekend. I am planning to stop in PHL to visit my parents on May 21st and then off to NY for our denominations General Assembly. I would really appreciate all your prayers!

Our house situation
Lord, help us with this decision. As you may know, the housing boom in Southern California has finally plateaued (some were expecting the bubble to pop). It's a difficult situation for us b/c we have only been in the house for 17 months. What you may not know is that Edmonton has just started their housing boom. OK, then to summarize our current housing situation: buyer's market in So. Cal and seller's market in Edmonton. We're considering refinancing. Pray for us to make a wise decision.

Edmonton Visit

Edmonton Visit

May The Force Be With You

Last Thursday (before our Canada trip) I took the girls out to see the Star Wars Exhibit. It was a great exhibit for me, personally speaking. Chloe said, "I was a little disappointed." Seriously, that's what she said after we walked through the exhibit. I think she said that b/c the entire exhibit was on the third floor and was probably half the size of the other exhibits in the Science Center. I wished I could have spent more time walking through the exhibit and take a closer look at the costumes and models. The girls were expecting something like a Star Wars theme park where actors were dressed up as Jedis and stormtroopers.

Su Jin had to work so she was bummed out that she couldn't go.

Here are the pics from that day.

Star Wars Exhibit

May the Force (of God) Be With You!

See you on the other side?

We made it to Edmonton, Su Jin too! Thanks for all your prayers.

Due to some complications Su Jin could not fly with us. Our flights were on 2 different airlines but leaving at the same time. Su Jin was connecting in Calgary and arriving earlier. The girls and I were changing planes in Denver.

I was calling Su Jin after checking in to see if she was allowed to board. They gave her her tickets and we would just have to wait as she arrived in Calgary. Would the green card be enough? As we were boarding we called one last time and said that we would hopefully see each other in Edmonton.

On the lay over in Denver I left a message with Su Jin to see if she cleared customs. Our layover was about 2 hours. She called right before our boarding and everything was fine.

We landed and we cleared customs without any problem. We cleard the doors and there she was waiting for us.

Thank you Lord, for making this trip possible.

Happy Easter everyone!

Leaving for Edmonton

Despite not getting Su Jin's passport renewed our family will be travelling to Edmonton tomorrow. We found out that Su Jin's green card will be enough to allow her in and out of the U.S. Please pray that she is allowed to fly and clears customs!

Looking back...

CPC Memories

This will be our first Sunday away from CPC-EM. It's sad but it helped me to remember all the memories that I have of everyone. I was recently reorganizing my pictures on my home computer and came across a bunch of pics from the past. Lots of things have changed over 4 1/2 years. Click on the link above to take a stroll down memory lane with me.

If you have any pictures or videos of me send me a link or email me. And yes, I have seen the video of me dunking and falling off the rim. I don't think our college guys will ever let me live that memory down.

Cliche I know but... thanks for the memories! Our prayers will be with you tomorrow CPC.

New office space

So this is a picture of my new office space. As some of you know I resigned from my position at Cerritos Presbyterian Church (CPC). The office was pretty nice - spacious, had all my books right there, a nice big desk, and pretty comfortable. Now, I have a computer in a cabinet in my living room. It's not bad at all. In fact, it feels pretty good.

I'm beginning the preparations for the church plant. You should see some information and postings on the Hallelujah Christian Fellowship blog some time soon. I would greatly appreciate all your prayers.

Oh, you're probably wondering what that fuzzy thing is in the foreground of the picture. It's my head. Yeah, I've been having this weird/eccentric desire to shave my head. I was considering going all the way down to the skin but Su Jin wouldn't have it. I actually misinterpreted what she was thinking cause she didn't even want me to shave my head at all. Whoops. So, on tuesday I went to the barber and asked him to give me a "high and tight" - military jargon for a good ol' buzz. I'm glad that I did it. It is quite a refreshing feeling but you can feel the slightest breeze. I actually had trouble sleeping the first night cause it was a little chilly that night. There is something strange about your body being toasty under the covers while you're head is feeling slightly cool. I'll post a full pic later. Just want to present more mystery for the time being.

Spring is a good time to plant.

Our presbytery finished meeting last night. I was approved to be a church planter in Edmonton, Alberta CANADA.

Two more weeks and I am finished here at Cerritos Presbtyerian Church - English Ministry. I really can't believe it. What a great experience I had here!

Please keep us in prayer. If you would like more details about the church plant, I'll be working on it real soon. Let me know if you would like to pray and/or support us.

Here's a new blog where you can go for updates on the church plant. HallelujahChristianFellowshipBlog (click on link)

Eeek!

We are OK! This past Saturday, I was taking my girls to gymnastics class. On the way we got into an accident (as you can see). I was travelling in the right lane and the left lane was backed up. A guy in a truck, travelling in the opposite direction was making a left turn across traffic. Apparently a car in the left lane created space for him to cross. He crossed right in front of me and tried to beat me. There was not much time to react and all I remember is my tires screeching and hitting the back of the truck. It was a little frightening and our girls were crying. But, we walked away with scratches from our seat belts.

The thing that gets me is that the other driver is an immigrant. Nothing wrong with immigrants, I was one at one point. I say this because he did not have a drivers license nor any insurance. His vehicle was impounded because of those reasons. The immigrant population is extremely high here in CA and for obvious and natural reasons. The debate on immigration policies is hotly debated but I am now more convicted that immigration should be more strictly enforced.

As a matter of perspective, I am thankful that we are all safe. This kind of throws a wrench into our life but this too works out. As we transition from our church ministry and prepare our move to Canada we were planning to sell our car anyways. Now, we will just get insurance money for it. I found out yesterday that the car will not be able to be repaired.

Where are you?

Just wanted to see what kind of hits we're getting on our family site.

SOME ANTICIPATED HITS

Family locations:
Edmonton
Seattle
Ottawa, Ontario
Philadelphia (but parents can't surf the web).

Friends:
Cerritos, CA
Philadelphia, PA
Cherokee, NC
Boston, MA
NYC, NY

Thank you for all your prayers!

I want to thank all of you who were in prayer for the announcement of my resignation at CPC. It went relatively well - mostly shock and sadness. The transition time was and is being handled well by our leaders. They are moving quickly to fill the position. Please continue to lift up this ministry.

For the rest of you who are just hearing for the first time, I announced my resignation this past Sunday. I have been here for four and a half years. I can't believe it has gone by so quickly. There has been so many memories here. The support and encouragement that I have received has been overwhelming. Many have expressed just in the matter of days their sadness to see me go. I simply reply that I am sad too. Please continue to pray that I would complete this ministry well.

New prayer request:
I shared with the the EM here that I have accepted an invitation to plant a church with a small group in Edmonton, Alberta CANADA. That's right, you heard correctly. We're going back to Su Jin's home town. I'll be sharing more about this opportunity with you all in the future. My last Sunday will be March 25th. Su Jin has to complete her contract to teach until the end of June. Starting in April I will be taking some time to pray and prepare for this effort. Please pray for me. I would greatly appreciate it. I hope to share with many of you the vision and plan.

Memorial of Pastor Al Groves

I thought I was challenged by Prof Groves and his families testimony as they anticipated his passing.

I found out today that he wrote a personal letter to be read at his own memorial service.

I was challenged and blessed to read his letter. It made me think of Psalm 112. Click on Prof Groves picture if you want to read the letter.

Ok, now that's FAITH!

Friends of Al Groves

Click here if you want to be stretched in faith.

CJ's first tooth

OK, it's Chloe's turn to start loosing her teeth. I think she's losing them faster than Pb b/c as soon as this tooth was loose she was wiggling that tooth every chance she had. She lost it today after school when she was jumping rope. Her day care teacher put it in a nice little container. But, as soon as we got home she was playing with it and it rolled into the cushions of one of our chairs. The problem is that it's the kind of chair that doesn't have removeable cushions. I tried as hard as I could to find it. CJ tried to be as brave as she could but it was too much to bear. She started balling! I tried to look for it some more but it was in the chair for good. She was looking forward to putting it under her pillow.

I'll still put the quarter under her pillow tonight... or was it a dollar?

Reunion - Pastoral Style

The English Ministry Pastor's Conference was held at Sarang Community Church this past week. Since it was so close I decided to go. I was blessed and challenged by the speakers.

It was also a time to catch up and reminisce about the past. Here's a list of the peeps I ran into:

Pastor Daniel Kim - former senior pastor of KUC and now sr. pastor of Sarang.
OK, everyone is a pastor so I'll leave that out. You have to call Pastor Daniel pastor cause I just respect the guy. But, that doesn't mean I don't respect the following people.

Joe Myung - used to be in Houston but now in San Diego
Paul "Hooch" Lee - formerly at KUC but in the Phila area
Paul Kim - still at Emmanuel (he still looks young but he's going grey... weird), and Man, can he preach!
Min Chung - still in Urbana (wow, he's changed... much more calm and wise; I was blessed by him)
Hyung Kim - older brother that graduated WTS before me, served at Emmanuel and now somewhere in Cleveland
Young Choi - served in IV at Swarthmore, then studied at U of Wisconsin, and now in Atlanta
Duk Jin - younger brother that graduated after me and is currently serving at Sarang
Pastor Steve Park - another man I respect quite a bit
Fuji - what a dear brother
Michael Oh - what is he doing at an EM conference?!
Rick Kim - I met up with him right after we moved to CA.
Iron Kim - We met up after he moved down from San Fran but been to busy to meet up with him.
Bruce Lim - Now, that's an oldy from the past... served at KUC with his wife Susan. I think they were in NY. He moved to CA a year ago and I had no idea that he was here.

I met some new faces. Still meeting some other pastors in the CA area. It's weird but pastors have to network too.

If you're reading this try to take out some time to pray for your pastors regularly.

thanks for your prayers!

WOW...37!

37 is OLD! I turned one year older today. I'm thankful for my health, my family, and my ministry. I told Su Jin today that I don't look forward to my birthdays anymore. Not b/c I'm sad for aging but b/c the festivities; the cake, the presents don't mean much to me.

I am reminded that I am loved by my family. This picture means way more to me than the cake or the recognition that I get on this day. I am encouraged by my wife who is so supportive.

Thank you everyone!

Principal Award x's 2

PB and CJ were supposed to get the Principal's Achievement Award before the break but it rained on their last assembly day.

They received their awards this past Friday. I was so proud! It was so neat to see how surprised they were when their names were called. CJ was so excited she was hopping when she received the certificate.

PB got student of the month last year but what a treat it was this year to see both of my daughters get recognized on the same day.


I must say it was a proud moment for me. It is too much to expect them to do well academically this early? CJ promises us that she will become a doctor some day. She also says in the same breath that she doesn't plan to marry. Her plan is to make lots of money so that we can live with her. She says that she's going to buy me an SUV.

I'm writing this down so that it is documented somewhere so I can prove to her that she said it.

PB has some dreams that she wants to accomplish too. Her dreams tend to be more on the creative side. She says that she wants to be a teacher or an author. She has also thought of being a nurse (for a while she thought doctors were only men). Unlike CJ, she does plan to marry but she reassures me it won't be too soon (she knows that it's a sensitive issue for me).

Happy New Year everyone!

Introducing...

Piper Su Jung Koehn born Jan 3, 2007.

My sister had her 2nd baby this past week. That makes 2 daughters for the Koehns and 2 daughters for the Chongs. I wonder how my parents are taking the news of two sets of 2 daughters? They say that Korean parents always prize their sons. Well as for me, I treasure my daughters.

Piper and her sister, Audrey, were born with this greyish tint in their eyes. Their eyes get darker as they get older. I look at her and can't help but feel that she will have a personality like Chloe's. Audrey, the older sister, is very gentle, affectionate, and a bit shy. It should be interesting to see how her personality will start coming out. I can't wait to meet you face to face.

Lord, bless her and her family!