Hi,
I could use your prayers now. Things are getting rough here.
Job
This summer there was many anti-American demonstrations and what has proven to be a backlash towards foreigners in general. The government is going out of its way to make life complicated for working here. The process can now take months, cost 1000+ dollars, and is intrusive, invasive, and xenophobic. Just as a few examples: I have to have an HIV test, not a big deal in itself except for the fact that only foreign English teachers (Excluding teachers whose families are from Korea) and “entertainers” need HIV tests. Basically the country is saying foreign teachers and hookers are about the same risk, my Filipino friends do not have the same requirements. I need a criminal background check which is kind of funny as for 7 years I have lived in Korea. I have been in America 6 weeks during that time. What crimes did I have time to commit, be prosecuted for, punished for and return in that time? The list of requirements goes on and on and what is more frustrating is that only half the foreign teachers here have to do it. 3 of the 7 teachers come from ethnically Korean backgrounds so while I have to do all of this garbage, those who also travel under a US passport, but are children of parents from the “right” country don’t. It would seem that either you are a foreigner or you are not.
On one side there are the health benefits, a good job, a comfortable life outside of school and great friends. On the other side there is an increasingly anti-American, anti-foreigner view sweeping through the country (again!) and what are costly discriminatory acts from the government, low student scores, and… and….
Can you tell I am experiencing Korea burnout? J
At this point either I go this year or next year. If I can get a change of visa status I will stay for another year and prepare for the move to the Philippines. If I don’t, this winter I may be sending you an address from the Philippines. One of you in the states has shared their views on what I should do, but if anyone else wants to throw something out, I am willing to listen.
Just a quick note, I may have an meeting with a Phil. school person who lives/works near Pastor Rolex’s home in the Philippines this month (meeting in Korea). As a good Calvinist let me encourage you to keep your fingers crossed. ;) Perhaps if the news is good, I will have some clearer direction.
Church
I have left my Phil community church, not by choice and the community and I are staying in close touch but the leadership has made it quite clear that I am not wanted. The umbrella church the Phil com is under has been growing very charismatic to the point of basically being Pentecostal. The last retreat included a female pastor speaking in tongues, laying hands on people as they were “slain in the Spirit”, disco light worship and a few other assorted odds and ends (Think Benny Hinn). Now for those of you who may have forgotten I went to a Presbyterian church. I was disinvited from going to the retreat, so I saw none of this first hand and only have the accounts of the Phil.Com to go on. I was disinvited I imagine because there was a fear I would challenge the goings on and speak out openly and publically (and in all fairness to them, I would have). When I was disinvited, the leadership has told me the Phil.com was unhappy with me and didn’t want me to come, but after calling the Phil pastor who didn’t know I was disinvited, nor the community that supposedly made the decision it was clear who was doing what. That was three weeks ago.
I have been visiting another church for the past two weeks. I am in an awkward position of trying to encourage my friends to stay in the community and not split the church versus the urge to scream “Run for the hills before it is too late!” Pastor Rolex has been a great encouragement to me for the past 2 years as we tried to speak for Reformed theology against whatever was on the top 40 list. I can’t tell you how many phone calls we have had over the past year trying to figure out what to do next and how.
I interviewed the pastor of the church (wasn’t about to enter a wacky church again) I am now attending and am happy with what I have heard from the pulpit. He is reformed, solid, honest (he even admits to sin and struggle which is practically unheard of in the Korean church). The church is Pres. and English speaking so I am getting good food in my own language, the Phil.com has switched to an almost entirely Tagalog service, good for them but increasingly more difficult for me to keep up with. As I get calls from the community daily, it wasn’t the language issue that led to the “left foot of fellowship.”
After teaching and preaching in the Philippines, it has been exceptionally hard to come back to having to feed myself, quietly teach doctrine and stand against wave after wave of what would get brought before General Assembly in America. Did it before the trip, but afterwards, the struggle became more intense. I am exhausted from the 1-year+ battle, the community wants me to come back but I really don’t want to be in a place where I am a nuisance at best and a dangerous threat at worst. Consider that while the church was inviting the congregation to bring your unsaved friends to the retreat, I was considered too much of a risk to come. How can I go to a church that throws me under the bus one week and says climb on board (but please, sit quietly in the back)the next? I can be a Phil.com friend but there is no place for me at the church. I feel incredibly alone spiritually right now. An international call to the Phil and texting friends isn’t doing it for me and now I have to start all over again at a new church if the church I am visiting now remains my ‘home-away from home’ church.
Again, why stay in Korea? There is a church waiting for me in the Phil. I can occasionally preach, help teach, find an active men’s group with people who like me and a pastor who has become one of my dearest friends. I have a family there, counting on me to come back. I am going back this winter and the plan is to have my birthday there with my Phil family. Let’s hope no surgeries get in the way this time.
Commercial: Pray and start saving your pennies. The move to the Phil will eventually occur and somehow the school Pastor Rolex and I have been praying about, preparing for, etc…. will finally be born. When that happens I hope a few of you will consider a penny or two thrown our way. If change is too heavy we also welcome bills.
We now return to the “Far Too Long Letter” already in progress.
Health
Health has been odd. I am out of diapers finally after 6 months! The surgery I had in Feb had some unexpected complications. That is the good news. On the other side, they are talking about another surgery this winter. The pain is growing at fast pace and I have been running a temp of 101 or higher for 6 months now. The lab results are saying infection, but nothing is showing up anywhere else. Simply put the doctors don’t know what is wrong with me except for a growing hernia from the weakening muscles from the past surgeries. Why the strange lab and fever etc…. they don’t know.
I know this is a long and whining wrote J, please forgive me but at the moment, this is where I am. Please pray for some peace and some decisions to become clear on the next step. I am too tired to think.
Love to all,
Keith
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