statement of faith

Personal Statement of Faith~a work in progress, written by Monica Velez

1. Creation-In the beginnign God created mankind and earth, and it was good.
2. Fall-Adam and Even sinned; they were tempted by a crafty serpent.
3. Salvation-God freely offers salvation to all.
4. Sin-Sin has separated us from God.
5. Grace-I believe grace is the goodness of God. We've been given the gift of grace for daily living. We started our faith in grace. We're saved by grace and we live in grace. We need grace everyday of our lives.
6. Redemption-Jesus Christ brought us out of darkness into his glorious light.
7. Atonement-Jesus Christ is the atonemetn for our sin.
8. Trinity-God the Father, is our Provider. God the Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour. God the Holy Spirit, our Comforter.
9. Bible-I believe the Bible to be the Word of God, correct and true, and useful for living.
10. Jesus Christ-I believe Jesus Christ came into the world as a human being. He was fully God and yet fully man.
11. Missional-I believe the purpose ot the church today is threefold: one, to glorify God, two, to strengthen believers, and three, to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
12. Works-Works are and should be a manifistation of faith, not a means to salvation.

thinking aloud

My Korean English student and good friend, Jay Ho; we met yesterday for coffee, and talking. He is always so helpful to me for my living situation in Korea. I am very thankful to God that I met him, and I hope that we are always good friends, unlike other Koreans who have "come in and out" of my life. So sad, so sad!! As for my current situation, I have many things to think about; many things on my plate. This is sort of like a "think-aloud" but in written form, where I am trying to gather my thoughts together. I do have to leave the country. So, I thought I'd go visit my friend in China for awhile. She's a teacher in an international school. Then I thought I'd return to Korea for visiting until my job started. However, I need to obtain my actual diploma and it is a hassle by mail beacause they don't take credit card. Imagine that. Anyways, then I thought, well, why not go home for Thanksgiving then? I could hang out at home in SUNNY southern california while I wait for my visa to be processed. Either way, whether I wait at home or in China, I'll have some time on my hands. These are my options for now.

EMPOWERMENT

I'm prone to making spontaneous decisions, so that is perhaps why I am feeling really good about all the thinking I've been putting into my decision lately as to what to do next. The best word I can come up with at the moment is a sweet sense of empowerment. That seems to be what I feel. It's taking me several weeks to get my head screwed on straight and to think long and hard about my next job or future steps. I have a better idea now not only of what I might do, but also what I won't do. I'm so glad I listened to Vicki and Jo's advice to think about it now or let it bite me in the butt later.

the options

I have to select a new job by the end of the month or leave Korea. These are my options so far:

1. 1. Teach kindergarden 30 hours a week in Busan near the lovely beach and have access to worship on navy base each week.


2. 2. Teach in a public elementary school up to 22 hours per week in Kyounggido, a large province about one hour away from Seoul, the capital.


3. "Hold out" for an elementary teaching job in Cheonan, the current city I reside, to be close to friends I have and be familiar with surroundings.

Pay is roughly equivalent for each position. Housing is also decent for each one. What to do, what to do.

Went to lunch with Jolie today, a friend from church. Was good to see her and talk with her. After our lunch time together I took this photo. Weather now in Cheonan is fall, cool and chilly in the 60s by day. I'm wearing a warmer coat nowadays. Yesterday went to an orphanage in the afternoon. Just talked and played with the kids. Looked around the premises. My heart was so warm from the experience. I told the director I would like to visit again. The girls and I met for dinner last nite: Jo (the social butterfly), Vicki (from Africa), and So Young (a korean gal). After dinner at a Vietnamese restraunt, we went out for drinks. It was good to talk and be together with the girls, but I regret drinking alcohol now. I'm not opposed to drinking at all, but, I woke up this morning without a desire to get up; I felt like staying in bed all day long, and even now am "tired"; all I feel like doing is sleeping. I am wondering if the alcohol from my pina colada had an adverse reaction with my medicine I'm taking. Other than that, and the choice of job I have to make, life is all right. I could write more (as always), but, it's back to the job search I go, reading the contracts I've been given in fine print. Read and think.^^

my accomplishment

I am proud to say that I have worked continuosly teaching English in Korea for just about 2 years this time around. I am proud of myself for lasting as long as I did. The other English teaching job I had lasted for 9 months, just shy of one year in 2003. Good job to myslef; I did good!!

love never fails

I've been staying at a friend's house for the past week. She has these beautiful but dying plants on her veranda. One morning when we were doen eating breakfast together, she got up to water her plants. There is this one particular plant that she kept watering little by little every day. It became a bud, and then it bloomed, into a flower!! It is the most elegant shade of pink you have ever seen. As I pondered on this plant and what my friend Jo has been doing for it, it reminded me of relationships and people. As Jo watered the plant and it grew into a budding flower (I'll try to put up a picture of it later), so too, as we love others it helps them grow. Lately Jo, and many others, have been "loving on me", and, if it weren't for them, I might not be where I'm at today. I know that is true! I have alot more to write, but for now, I have ALOT of thinking to do about my future. Should I stay a 3rd year teaching in Korea? Or study Korean? Or fly to another country? Or go back home? Or work on a TESOL certificate at home? Visit my friend in China? So many things to think about. Fortunately, I have OPTIONS!!

a song of consecration

I was spending some time with God this morning in prayer and thanksgiving for all the help He's given me recently. A song popped out or emerged from me, so I wrote down the lyrics and chords. This seems like a song of consecration, worship, love, and adoreation.

You are the Holy One (G Em)
You are the Lord God Most High (C D)
You're the Love I've been searching for
I've searched for all my life

I lov You (C D G)
I praise You
I honor You

May my life be a pleasing offering (C D Em)
I offer my life to You once more

May my life be pleasing to You (CDG)
May my life be pleasing to You
May my life be pleasing to You
May my life bring glory to You.

friends come and go

I want to write alot write now, but time is not permitting me to do so. Here, in the land of the morning calm, friends come and go often. We have to enjoy the time we get here on this earth to be with those special friends together. Saturday a 5k race that I will walk, and Sunday a day of goodbyes to boys flying away, back to the states. Girlfriend is flying away too, in less than 3 weeks. Make the most of it (our time together). Reading proverbs daily, as much as possible. More later...thank God for Jackie organizing a hiking outing last weekend...was good to exercise some...and, thank God for friends like Hanna and her family who have been so loving and so warm to me. I love my new mad-cute cell phone!!