Hello everyone,
Today is the last day for receiving applications for our summer internship. I've attached information and the application to this e-mail.
We will not be holding a prayer meeting this month. Our next prayer meeting will be Saturday, May 27th.
I've attached notes from our last prayer meeting below. Thank you for keeping up with Jerusalem Ministry!
Blessings,
John-Michael
Prayer meeting, March 25, 2017
Sharing by Mijeong Song, full time volunteer at Zion Home
The Middle topic of this verses is "The Final Judgment".
Matthew 25 is the last chapter of Jesus' teaching that he gave disciples before he got arrested. In this chapter, He taught parables of 10 virgins and talents and then this is the last one. I feel like this chapter teaches us about the importance of intimacy, ministry , and for the last who and what we need to minister.
How many of you have experience of working for justice or any helping the poor ministry before teaching these kids in children's home?
My first experience of this kind of work was afterschool program with broken family back in college but I couldn't say that I was fully involved with their lives. And it was 10 years ago when I started teaching at Zion home.
At first, I thought, "I will pray up, read God's words, and change these kids with academic achievement, emotional health, inner healing, and getting a great job with the favor of the Lord! "I was pretty enthusiastic I guess. And It was working pretty much as I prayed compared to my other staff. I had my kids have very improved GPA, inner healing sessions, and pretty good job. I should look good and I should be pretty happy and satisfied But I was not. And it was even more when I talked to my kids. I often ask this question to my girls at the end of semester or vacation and that is, "What is your favorite memories of this season?" For me, it would be powerful session ofprayer and forgiveness of their parents, physical healing, or getting a job through prayers or even GPA. But their answers are always about outdoor activities with me, eating out with me, playing games and stuff. I didn't give much attention about the difference between mine and theirs but from early of this year, I have paid more attention to their answers as God has spoken to me.
Like I said earlier, I didn't have any life experiences with orphans but as I do this ministry, I got fully involved with their lives not only life in children's home but also the one after children's home. Every other week, I teach two of graduated girls who are working and studying at the same time. It is kind of my day off but I decided to teach them English since they need my help and most Importantly, they are motivated!(This is important.J) And after the class, I got to visit one of girls new house she just got moved in and on the way to her house, we got to see Sungro home where they used to live as toddlers. They didn't recognized it but I pointed the home that they grew up, and we had late night ramen, and watching movie together. And on my way back home, God spoke to me about all the dissatisfaction that I struggled for some time in the past. The purpose that I am doing this ministry that God called is not to see the fruit of my own work or even to see their successful lives. It is about the life I live with them. We all learned that Christianity is all about relationship but often times, we forget that. Even taking care of these orphans, we sometimes so caught up with how good they are in our class, or doing their homework well. Or like me, thinking about all the great results that I mentioned earlier.
The passage that we read today is talking about the good works but it doesn't come naturally to us unless these people are around us and we are fully involved with their lives. Basically, they should be our close neighbors and we should be their friends that they can reach when they are in times of troubles. Jesus' way of ministry was not just do some miracles, signs and wonders. But his way was doing all things together with them other than his alone time with God and disciples learned everything and remembered everything that they saw since Jesus did live with them. Jesus gave his disciples the greatest gift the relationship and the quality time.
Many kids in children's home say that living in Children's home is like living in wild jungle. They should live with survival mode and don't have any room to think about their inner problems or what is happening to their souls. So, all the great processes that I had in the past with some girls were not just because of my anointing but also because they could relax and think about some issues only when they were with me separately. The time that they have with us is like oasis being away from this dry desert soaking all the attention that they didn't get.
Let’s not underestimate the time with them. It is enough time to recognize the need of encouragement, to read their despair, and comfort them. I know many of you won't be here forever but like Jesus did, the greatest gift that we can give to them is quality time. The memories that they cherish with us will give them the revelation of how important and valuable they are, and how much God loves them, and shape the value of life as they grow up.
First, I want to pray for ourselves.
Let's pray for us not to think about our time with kids is just another teaching time but to give them full attention that they need. And let's pray that we will have this mindset of living a life together with them rather than ministering to them. It could be hard at times when they show you attitude but let's ask God to give us grace to see them as part of life.
Second, Let's pray for directors and staff.
Many of my high school girls hate most of staff and director. The reason is that they don't see them as individuals but as a group of project that they need to work on. I can see that some dorm moms are only focusing on rules and disciplinary stuff rather than heart to heart conversation and directors are little distant judging them by their behaviors rather than trying to know what emotional stage they are going through. Let's pray that lack of time won't be an excuses anymore but there will be restoration of quality times and relationships between workers and kids.
Lastly, let's pray for our first soccer match that we will have next week. It is the event that we are creating to give them fun and quality times with loving people.
Pray that this time will be the time of healing and cherished memory for our kids.
And for volunteers to be ready to love on our kids rather than enjoying time with their friends.