Gift of Priesthood

“I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.” Numbers 18:7b

Too often, we find it difficult spending time with God: reading the Bible, attending worship, volunteering, sharing life and praising. The truth is, however, all of this is a gift from God. We need to want it all the more, yet our personally will demands time for ourselves. 

One Last Year in Wonju

I never thought I would say this, but I think I will miss jogging around the town of Wonju, shedding all worries behind, simply enjoying life at the moment. 

Departing is never easy. 

Abu Dhabi: A Growing Nation - 3

Day 5, 6
The few remaining days were uneventful. I thought about renting a car and heading out to Dubai, but I was getting pretty sick. Plus, I had spent more than I had expected, so I stayed back and went to places close by. It was Valentine’s Day, but the festivities were less feisty. I guess it still was more so a Western festival.

I visited the Heritage Village, Marina Mall and the Old Souk. I also had dinner at the Galleria.

Looking back, I was a complete stranger to the Middle East. The little knowledge I had was that the country had oil and conflict. I learned that not all the Middle Eastern countries were at war. Abu Dhabi certainly was free from conflict.

The most fascinating part of the whole trip was seeing Abu Dhabi as a whole. United Arab Emirates was celebrating its 44th year as a nation. It was indeed a nation coming into being. Those stories of growing nations in history books were actually happening. The vast wealth of the nation rocketed metropolitan development, but the population growth did not seem to have matched the spurt, hence the ghost town like environment.

The city was full of potential and it certainly seemed less corrupt than any of the other nations that have reached its old age. I was reminded of the cycle of a nation, in which a nation begins its journey with bondage to faith, to courage, to liberty and to abundance. Abundance soon leads to complacency, than apathy, than dependency than to bondage yet again.

As I was heading home, I hoped perhaps that this nation would not follow course. I also hoped that I would not fall victim to such a cycle with respect to spirituality.

I will soon be back in Wonju to finish my last year of medical school. Though unsure still, I hope my break was beneficial to my walk with God.

Abu Dhabi: A Growing Nation - 2

Day 3

The weekend started Thursday evenings in Abu Dhabi. Since I could spend the daytime with my friend (plus the car), we had quite a busy schedule ahead. My friend and I visited the Yas Island again to go to the Ferrari World. It was an indoor theme park packed with Ferrari history. I was impressed how big a theme park could be built indoors seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Again, the place was a bit empty. We did have fun getting on rides multiple times in a row, but I had this looming notion that maybe this place was a ghost town.  

I made my way to church since service was held on Fridays. Onnuri Church had a branch in Abu Dhabi, and I thought it would be a good experience in learning a bit more about the country and its relationship with Korea.

On a side note, the sermon was on Hebrews 11, faith and obedience. I was reminded of bravery, and just how ambitious I could be in living as a Christian before God. I also learned that a lot of Koreans situated in Abu Dhabi from power plant developments and general engineering positions. Not a lot of youngsters were present, mostly children of families. I hoped to get a bit more interaction with the folks, but as a traveler, they did not have much to offer.

The next stop was Emirate Palace. Despite the name “palace” it was a hotel, though exquisitely a palace in appearance.  It was definitely the pinnacle of luxury, advocating the wealth of Abu Dhabi. The hotel even had a gold dispenser! The meal was good indeed, and after a little drive around town, we called it a day for the early start the next morning.

Day 4

The morning was to be spent in the desert. My friend made reservation to a desert safari. I was expecting some dune bashing in a buggy, but I guess that was only in the movies. I did experience it in a Landrover, the safer of the options, fun nonetheless.

To be honest, the desert really held no scenery. Sand dunes simply shifted with the wind with occasional camel herds following its owner. Although the Bible does not explicitly mention it, the Disney movie portrays Moses wandering in the desert fleeing from Egypt to Midian. Scholars mention the distance from Egypt to Midian as nearly 7000 miles. If you consider a camel as a method of transportation, 25 miles per hour, Moses probably arrived in almost two weeks. If he was really fleeing, the travel should have taken more than three months.

Two weeks and three months are vastly different, yet, the desert surely would have imposed its presence all the more.

Sand was hot to my feet. The sun coarsely beat down. Only shrubs were visible from far beyond, while the night was cold, empty and devoid of much life.  Depending on God did not seem too unreasonable after having seen a desert.

We came home just after noon. After a small lunch, we jumped to Yas Waterpark to cool off and act juvenile one last time. I actually got really excited, alerting my friend to ask if I had been under great stress.

Back home, we ordered pizza and watch some TV before falling asleep. Lying in bed, I wandered why God had allowed me on this trip. Glimpse of the Bible was definitely seen here, as the cultural background is closer home to the Middle East than anywhere else. Still, I had questions as to where I should be heading soon after heading home to Korea. 

Abu Dhabi: A Growing Nation - 1

Day 1

I had planned to go to Virginia for clinical rotations, but I decided to stay in Korea to attend my best friend’s wedding. The wedding was great, but I did not want to waste the passport I had gotten. I know this may sound strange, but as a Korean male who has yet to attend the military service, getting a passport was near impossible past a certain age unless with good reason.

Still, I was feeling rather lazy. Not wanting to spend much time planning for a trip, I decided to head over to Abu Dhabi where a friend of mine had been working for nearly three years.

“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

Departure sure calls forth many emotions. Heading out, leaving possessions and familiarity behind, I was inclined to seek God as I had before. It really seemed good reason for God to have Abraham leave his home.

Sitting alone amongst strangers on the airplane had time seem like sand seeping through my hands. The world became bigger and humility found its way in my mind. Thanks to the crying baby, I snapped out of overt sentimentality, giving me a chance to simply look back within reason.

Day 2

I landed in Abu Dhabi early morning, and my friend had come out to greet me. The airport was rather humble despite the country’s reputation for opulence, but I was soon met with grandeur and beauty unmatched. My friend took me to the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort for a breakfast buffet. The resort was by the beach, palm trees in between, and it stood in magnificence.

After heading home, I unpacked while my friend headed to work. The entire day was to myself, and I too set foot to travel about the city.

The first place I visited was the Yas Mall. It was a big mall located conveniently in the island of Yas. It was like a mall I had seen in many western countries, but bigger and shinier. The place, however, was rather empty. I had figured it was because I was early, but this seemed to be a common theme throughout the trip.  

The next stop was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It was clearly visible from afar, bright white in its appearance. Everything was clean, not a drop of trash around despite its lack of garbage cans. I had been reading Leviticus for a while, and the passage seemed to shed light in just how delicate and detailed God wanted his tent to be built. How greater must have the temple been? The mosque was decorated with gold and flowery adornments. I had a peak at the Quran as well and wished I had learned some Arabic. 

I was not feeling my best, so I returned home a bit early and waited for my friend. We had dinner at the Rosewood hotel. Traditional Lebanese cuisine was extra delicious, probably from the view as well as others smoking the waterpipe. It was my first time trying lamb, and I wondered why I had not tried it in all my years.