CCA 2011

When we went to Korea, we made plans to visit the school that I had taught in for two years - Central Christian Academy. It was a place where I had been stretched and challenged as a Christian, as a teacher, and as a person. It was an amazing place. I wanted my children to see where I had spent two years of my life in Korea. It was also the place where I had met and could now see Es (yes, the Korean Canadian, eh).

We went there on a Sunday morning. The school had several mini churches meeting there throughout the day. We went to the one that Pastor Joseph Kim led. He helped found and lead the school to the excellence that it has achieved. It was so exciting to be in the new building that they had built. Just being in the CCA environment, which brings the home, church, and school together, made me excited.

At the service, God surprised me. I saw Pastor Joe's mother, Trudy Kim. She is an American who got married to Pastor Billy Kim in the U.S., and then moved to Korea. Not modern Korea, but post - Korean War Korea. She lived there during a very difficult time in Korean history. She speaks Korean. She cooks Korean. She had always amazed me.

I had the opportunity to work with her when I was at CCA. At that time, she had opened up a pie shop at the school. I volunteered there after school. They sold sandwiches, coffee, juice drinks, and many different desserts. It was such a comfort to have these sweet pieces of America at the school. I used to go there after lunch to get dessert before teaching again in the afternoon.

A few years back, I had gotten an email to pray for Trudy because she had been battling cancer. I believe that it was a type of myeloma which is a bone cancer. The treatment she had to endure is the type of treatment I hope to never have to go through. We later found out that she was the only person to walk out of that cancer treatment center in California. God had worked a miracle!

As we sang, I saw her walk past our aisle and go to the front. Seeing her was such a surprise and encouragement to me. I had found out about my cancer 3 days earlier. Seeing Trudy gave me new hope. I knew why God had sent me there on that day. Later, I found out that she normally was not in Korea during the colder months. This year, she had come back earlier. I know why.

Some would say that it was a coincidence, but I don't believe it was. I believe that God wanted to show me that there was hope. At that time, I didn't even know about the cancer in my bones. But God knew. Salvation comes from Him alone, and so... I wait.