Leaving Korea, Not By Choice

Most of you know that this month started out with the news of Jason's sister being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. As we hurried home to be with her before treatment started, I looked at our apartment and said goodbye. I never thought that goodbye would be the last time we were there as a family.

After one week with Sarah in Indiana, Jason headed back to Korea to teach. I head to Ohio to see more family. Three days later Jason was told he is no longer a part of the staff at ICS Pyeongtaek due to financial difficulties the school is facing.

Our world is shattered right now. We are broken and it's hard to even "pen" these words.

In all the times I've talked to departing staff, and all the times I've cried over their leaving, it has never been at the beginning of the year. It has never been a decision handed to them. It has never been sudden and without warning.

It has never been us.

There are a lot of emotions within us right now. Most immediately accessible are a lot of unanswered questions, hurt, heartbreak, anger and sadness. We are greatly grieved to leave our ministry here in Korea. We don't know why we were the first to go. We don't know why this is the timing that has to be. We don't know how we are going to sell seven years worth of possessions in a week. We don't know how our kids will handle this huge change. We don't know what we will do next, where we will live, how we will sustain ourselves or if we will be back in ministry within the network soon.

But we do know that God is in control of all of this. Even if we didn't know this was coming, we have felt him preparing us for *something* in the last 12 months. We cling to His hands to hold us up these days. Sometimes he just holds the box of tissues as I crumple into a ball, but He is with us and we know that He has not left us. All of our surprises were not surprises to Him and we remain hopeful that He has good planned for His children. Somewhere deep down I am excited to see where God will take us next. After all, I never wanted to go to Asia and I fell in love with Korea for 7 years. 

But for now we grieve this incredible loss at hand.

Here are some of the specific ways you can be praying for this situation:
1. Please pray for all the staff who were cut, and their families. Nobody was warned of this and it is a huge burden especially for the families.
2. Pray for the healing of our staff that remain at the school. They are hurt by this decision as well, for many reasons eying friendship.

3. Pray for those in leadership to make wise decisions and be more open about the future happenings.

4. Pray for the students who are hurting. Not just that they would heal emotionally, but that would lean on the Lord in this and see his goodness as it comes through.

5. Pray for those in transition now. Leaving or staying, either side of the coin, this is a very hard transition.

6. Pray for provision for those who are leaving, as well as guidance and a clear mind. Remind them constantly that they are loved, valuable, and precious in the sight of the Lord.

7. Pray that we would be able to sell 7 years worth of life possessions in a week or less.

***a note of clarification***

We are not being forced to leave in a week BUT this news came while our family is already apart. I am flying back to Korea to help Jason sell all our belongings. The children are staying with grandparents while we are in Korea, SO we want to get back to them obviously. So because of that, we have approximately one week to get everything settled. 

8. Pray for our physical needs to be met as we return to America.

9. Pray for our emotional needs to be met as we process re-entry and the loss of a community, cross-cultural living and our identity*.

(*for lack of a better word. It's really late, hear my heart in this. Our identity is and will continue to be in the Lord. But we are losing our world's physical identity for a temporary time. This is still a process to work through.)

Thank you so much for your prayers and support especially in this season. 

We are watching and waiting for the Lord right now! Join us!