Man, what a crazy couple of weeks it has been. From school to work to church to sending off our winter missions team to Ecuador, the holidays, friends visiting, and finishing up some senior requirements, it has been a tough couple of weeks for me to get in my updates... So here we go!
Story of my life, it's been tough getting the chance to pick up my camera. Back in late November, I approached by a good friend of mine, Michelle Leonardo, to photograph her 18th birthday party. I figured this would be a good way for me to practice and start charging for my services. Charging services, for me, is more about building up the confidence necessary to successfully photograph a day such as her 18th birthday party, more so than getting a pay day or anything along those lines.
So while I do not have much time to write an extensive update, here are the pictures.... Enjoy!
The decorations were, phenomenal...
I'm not going to lie, Michi's court looked GORGEOUS!
I am constantly amazed at how ridiculously popular and loved Michi is....
I've been saying this time and time again but I cannot stress enough how difficult it is for me to practice my photography. With that in mind, what better way to do so by practicing my photography during a community service project?!
Part of being in the IB program is needing to carry out a community service project. My community service project piggy-backed off of another project known as Help-Portrait.
HELP-PORTRAIT IS A GLOBAL MOVEMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHERS USING THEIR TIME, GEAR AND EXPERTISE TO GIVE BACK TO THOSE IN NEED
In order to kind of mimic their mission statement, I partnered with Mending Hearts to carry out a small scale version of Help-Portrait's mission. I, along with four other close friends of mine went into an under-priviledged neighborhood where we spent all day giving those who came makeover, and a small scaled photo shoot. However, I MUST give some shout-outs.
Pooja Patel: Thank you soooooo much. I was so surprised at how ridiculously talented you are with make-up and hair. I could not have asked for anything else to have been done differently. You are freaking amazing. Thank you so much.
Carla Mae Ramos: Thank you so much for everything with hair. You seriously are uber talented with hair. Likewise with Pooja, I could not have asked for anything different to have been done. Thank you so much!
Anna Nicole McGehee: What can I say? You may think you didn't do much, but you did. You were that one person who did a little of everything to help everything else go smoother. Thank you so much!
Berlimar Andreina Anez: Much like Anna, you did a little of everything that helped everything run. From taking preliminary shots, to helping with make-up, to hair, to clean up, to dealing with me all day, literally ALL DAY!!!!! Thank you so much. You're amazing...
My lovely, lovely helpers...
Did I say thank you yet???? No?
THANK YOU!!!!!
P.S
Be sure to stay tuned! Pictures from my good friend's, Michelle Leonardo, birthday party will be up shortly
Man, it's been tough getting around to the whole photography thing but every time I get the chance, I never regret it. As 2012 is coming to an end, I'm looking back a my blog and realized that compared to 2011, I have about half the number of posts in 2012 than I did in 2011. Is this a lack of photography opportunities or a lack of dedication on my part? I must confess that it's a little of both. As I'm going through my senior year, I'm finding it tough to find opportunities to really stretch my photography career. Between school work, SATs, ACTs, college applications, and work itself, it's been pretty tough to just pick up camera and do what I love.
This past Saturday, November 5, 2011, I was able to do exactly that. This past Saturday, about 30-40 of my friends and I put together a surprise birthday party for our good friend Austin. To be completely honest, I was never SUPER close with Austin, but he has always been one of those close acquaintances who, when we hung out, we always interacted as close friends. With that in mind, me photographing his birthday party was of no burden what so ever. I'm constantly amazed to see how much an individual can be loved by his friends and family. I was so encouraged to see the love and care put into this party from both his parents and his friends. I am so blessed to have been given the opportunity to serve and photograph the birthday celebration of a good friend of mine.
As I have in the past, I must give a shout out to...
Mr. Spickard: I don't think I've ever seen a father more proud and loving towards his son. To see the desire in your heart to put together a surprise party for your son makes me kind of jealous honestly... haha.
Amanda: I am so proud of you. I have never been more proud and blessed to call you my friend. To see the love, effort, and stress that you went through to put together such an amazing birthday party for Austin reminds me of why I can call you one of my best friends. The party, decorations, presents, and everything else was P.E.R.F.E.C.T! I'm so proud of you and proud to call you my friend.
In case you guys are getting bored by now, here are the pictures. Enjoy!
Happy birthday Austin!
The decorations were phenomenal!
While there were not many photographs to take, but it looked amazing.
And we wait for Austin to come....
And we wait some more....
And finally, at around 7.20PM, SURPRISE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN!
After a night of food, fun, and lots of dancing, I set up a nice photobooth where people could grab a bunch of friends, some props, and take some pictures for Austin.
Overall, the night was an awesome time of fellowship and bonding.
Boy has it been a crazy couple of months. From school, to work to college applications, IB requirements, and other duties, it's been tough for me to pick up my camera and just take some photographs. This past Friday, October 14, 2011, was Cypress Creek's Homecoming Dance. Originally, I had refused to be on photographer duty, but due to the lack of photographers at school, ha-ha, I was forcefully put on photographer duty anyways.
All I can say is the night was awesome. It was great to be spending time with my friends of four years along with the best possible person I could ask for. It was definitely a night to remember and for once in my lifetime, I actually danced in public! Homecoming night made all the stress and nonsense of the past two months totally worth it. Class of 2012!!!!
While I do not have much to say, a more elaborate post is in fact to come but for now, enjoy the pictures!
So as I take steps closer and closer to professionalizing my photography, I'm now starting to offer services.
The first service that I'm beginning to offer is portrait work. There are different types of portrait "packages" available. Ones for senior portraits, individual portraits, and couple portraits as well.
Underneath the portrait information is my second service that I'm starting to offer. As a photographer, I find it important to be a versatile artist. Along with my portrait services, I am also offering video making services. The more important details are listed, but the basic gist of it is, any pictures/videos that you may need created into a movie and/or DVD can be done through the information listed.
If you have any questions/comments, please feel free to contact me.
Happy Friday!
For many months, Harvest has been in persistent prayer for a revival that we hoped would move mountains in the hearts of those who would attend. All I can say is, God is good. Every prayer we ever prayed was answered.
We were expecting two guests to help make this revival possible. Guest speaker Rev. Dave Choi and an awesome band known as AMP. As we expected. Pastor Dave Choi was just an amazing speaker and really struck home to many hearts that we in attendance. Likewise with AMP, they were able to really get close with a lot of the attendees and we really able to share the gospel through their talents.
Some of you may have heard of AMP. They performed at this past JAMA and perhaps, some of you might know them individually as Sam Ock, James Han, and Chung Lee. Regardless, it was sweet listening to them and hearing their ways of communicating the gospel through a different means of "typical" evangelism.
I met Pastor Dave in the winter of 2008 I believe at our 2008 Harvest Youth Winter Retreat and immediately, I admired him to the highest degree. Despite his amazing sense of humor, Pastor Dave was able to really hit home in my heart. Besides his blessings over my life at the retreat, Pastor Dave was there with our dear brother Victor Paek, supporting him as much as he was able during Victor's fight over cancer. Pastor Dave is in many ways, a huge blessing in my life and a vital part of the man of God I am today. One more thing I admire about Pastor Dave is that he is not just another pastor, but he is also a church planter. Pastor Dave, along with Harvest's dear pastor, Pastor Chung, will be starting a new church in Chicago sometime this month that will be called the "Church of the Beloved." How great is that? Praise God for servants such as these.
I'm really excited for our next revival. It was such an encouragement and blessing to see so many individuals running back to the heart of worship, and to see so many individuals coming to know the gospel for the first time. Praise God amen? Stay tuned for our next revival!
I had the priviledge of serving these guys and man all I can say is
Praise God for the ways that they minister to His children with their talents.
Give it up for Chung Lee (top left), James Han (top middle), and Sam Ock (top right).
If you read my previous post, you will know and understand the circumstances that currently surround our church at the moment. On our 2011 Harvest Summer Mission Trip to Ecuador, a dear brother of ours was called home to be with the Lord. This post is to remember not what Tico did with his life, but what he has done and continues to do with his Life.
From a personal standpoint, Tico has encouraged me in numerous ways. From teaching me how to play bass to showing me what it meant to eccentrically worship the Lord, Tico was by far the epitome of a good and faithful servant. Tico taught me to love Christ and go into the mission field constantly wanting more. As a team, we learned the importance of living every aspect of our christian lives with a sense of urgency simply because we do not know when Christ wants us home! Through this happening, personally, Tico has taught me to love Ecuador for its people. I originally loved Ecuador simply because it was my first overseas mission trip, but Tico taught me to love Ecuador for the people that are precious in the sight of Jesus.
There was no way that all of the surrounding Amazonian villages were searching day in and day out, 5.30AM - sunset for just another missionary. The people who searched for Tico did so fervently because Tico was special to them. Tico loved them and they loved him back. Tico knew what he was called to do in Ecuador and he did exactly that. Tico taught the Ecuadorians the meaning of love and what life would be like had Christ not been in his. Tico showed the Ecuadorians what many missionaries work to do their whole life-time.
I can't thank you enough Tico for loving the church, for loving God's people, and for loving me. I'm encouraged and moved through your fervor for Christ and I realized that I was called to survive that day, so that I can come home, and tell your story.
For those of you who could not make it to the memorial service, this is what I had to say to and about my dear brother Tico.
Our lives will be marked by either a tombstone or a testimony. A tombstone signifies the end of an individual’s life whereas a testimony tells of what an individual did throughout their lifetime. As we come back from Ecuador with heavy hearts, we return with a testimony to tell. Joshua “Tico” Kim is the epitome of a good and faithful servant. With Joshua, we don’t have a tombstone to mark his life, but we have a grand testimony to tell. Tico devoted every action, every breath, and every decision to his faithfulness to Christ’s calling. For many of us, Tico was a beloved friend, brother, and mentor but I’m here to remind you that Tico wasn’t our beloved friend, brother, and mentor; he IS our beloved friend, brother, and mentor. From as far back as I can remember, Tico has consistently modeled and represented to me what it means to be a good and faithful servant. From teaching me bass to giving me rides to never complaining, Tico was always happy to help.
As I think about Tico and look back at pictures of Tico, not once, was he depressed, sad, or anything but happy however; I’m not encouraged by his ability to remain happy all the time, but I’m encouraged by his childlike faith and devotion to Christ Jesus OUR Lord. From delaying his graduation to serve the church, to going on countless mission trips, Joshua Tico Kim obeyed God’s calling, and obeyed God well. Every Sunday, Tico would come to church with a smile on his face and he would sing louder and more joyously than anyone else, ever Pastor Albert, during praise. Tico was a clear representation of Acts 28:31 when the gospel states, “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with boldness and without hindrance.”
Joshua Tico Kim did NOT die in vain. As I stood there near the river, I thought to myself, what did Christ have planned with this? It was our last day in Lumbaqui, many had come to know the Lord during our duration there, Joseph was to go off to college in a matter of weeks, his mom was doing what she loved by studying music in Europe, and his dad was working to see both his sons go off to study what they loved. I wondered to myself, what did God have planned with all of this. I was reminded of the important of trusting in God once again. All in God’s timing, Christ managed to do things we never imagined. Christ used to Tico’s life to first of all, bring about transformation in his family.
As I sat at home and prayed for Joseph, Mr. Kim, and Mrs. Kim, I saw Christ moving in their hearts, manifesting himself in their lives, eliciting a greater love, passion, and dedication for each other and the church. Christ also used Tico’s life to manifest a special relationship between us, the people of Harvest and Vision Church with the people of Lumbaqui, Sinangue, Cabeno, and other surrounding Amazonian villages. Christ used Tico’s life to open a door. Every year, we pray that God would open up the hearts of Ecuadorians so that we can plant seeds into their hearts; God is good. Christ used past teams, especially Joseph, to sow seeds of grace, love and mercy into the hearts of the Ecuadorians and this year, with Joshua Tico Kim, God used Tico to reap what Joseph and past missionaries sowed in the previous years.
God is doing crazy things in Ecuador with Tico’s life both in Ecuador and in Orlando. I am so proud of Tico and the things he accomplished, and the things he is still accomplishing with his life. Pastor DL tells our seniors to end well. To devote their last days here in Orlando to the church, to invest in the youth, and to end well here at home, so that they can continue strong in college. This applies not only to our seniors but, to everyone. Tico went home to OUR father doing what he loved, serving the Lord and all I can say is that Tico did indeed end well. I cannot wait to see Tico again one day. Thank you Tico. Thank you for uniting the church, for showing us what it means to love, what it means to faithfully serve, what it means to trust in God, and what it means to fulfill the great commission. I am positive that right now, God is saying to Tico, “Well done my good and faithful servant. You may enter the gates of heaven and join me for eternity.” I promise to tell your testimony. I love you with you all my heart Joshua Tico Kim, you encourage me in ways that no one else can even begin to fathom and I can’t wait to see you again in heaven with our heavenly father.
Before I carry on, I would like to show you two snippets from Tico's journal to just show you Tico's heart for Christ and what he longed to do throughout his life.
Monday, August 1:
We only spent less than 24 hours, and yet, God has spoke to my heart dearly. I need to get out of my comfort zone... Would I do what God has called me to do? I think I will find out later, but I hope, and I am sure I will.
Wednesday, August 3:
I am glad God has given me an opportunity to be part of his ministry in Cabeno. Although I was tired, I gave my best....Our name and status on the earth do not matter, but heavenly award is what matters.
How awesome is that. Tico you truly inspire me, encourage me, and teach me what it means to love Christ and fulfill the great commission.
Words cannot express how much I miss you, how much I love you, and how much I thank you. I promise, with all my heart, to tell your story, to tell God's story; I promise to carry on the legacy that you left behind for us, the people of Harvest, to carry on.
Thank you so much for your prayers for out mission trip. We were witnesses to God renewing churches and bringing salvation to individuals. We were blessed to see God moving in what previous teams had done for the past two years but this year was different because for Ecuadorians who are traditionally extremely introverted, private, and protective, this year was the first time that the Ecuador prepared and provided our meals while we were away from the hotel. For the Ecuadorians, for us to be invited in their homes means that they are calling us family. This was huge for us as we had been praying and working to build up these relationships for the past three years. God is definitely answering prayers and providing fruit with our ministry. At the same time, it is with a sad and heavy heart that I inform you that my mission trip did not go exactly as planned. Our schedule was planned to be,
Sunday: Arrive to Quito
Monday: Drive out to Lumbaqui
Tuesday - Thursday: Do ministry in Lumbaqui, Cabeno, and Sinangue; along with other surrounding villages
Friday: Head back to Quito, eat dinner as a team, go shopping, etc.
Saturday: Return to Orlando
Thursday, as we were finishing up our ministry and time in Cabeno, the villagers invited us to go swimming at a tourist destination in the Aguarico River. This was a huge step for us because for the past two years (2009 and 2010), that Harvest has sent mission teams to the Amazonian region in Ecuador, we have worked to build up a relationship with the Amazonian villagers, hoping to gain a sense of accountability and trust. Since we've been working to build up a relationship with the people of Lumbaqui, Cabeno, Sinangue, and other surrounding villages, it was a huge step for us to be invited to go swimming in a near by swimming spot with the village members.
On Thursday, as we were swimming, one of our team members, Joshua Tico Kim, was dragged into a bad current/rip tide and went missing. We were deeply troubled by this and were forced to find ourselves in a place of complete reliance upon Christ. We spent the night praying and hoping that Tico would be found and brought back to us. We then spent Friday morning walking up and down the river bank, searching for any sign of our dear brother Tico.
God's timing is INCREDIBLE! Despite the fact that our brother Tico went missing and is now celebrating with the Jesus Christ our Lord, we completely trusted in God and knew he would be sovereign over everything. To show God's sovereignty over this "tragedy," let me break it down in ways that we, the mission team, saw it.
Thursday: Tico goes missing, military personnel begin the search for Tico.
Friday: P. Inki, Tico's brother and father Joseph and Dr. Kim arrive in Quito.
Saturday: The mission team returns to Orlando, P. Inki, Dr. Kim, and Joseph head out to Lumbaqui to meet up with Chris, Pastor DL, Pastor Henry, Pastor Mejia, and others.
Saturday - Thursday: Dr. Kim, Joseph, Pastor DL, Henry, Mejia, Chris, and other Amazonian villagers continue to search for Tico.
Thursday: Pastor DL, Pastor Inki Kim, Dr. Kim, and Joseph return to Orlando
Friday: Word that Tico has been found, by the very villagers that he loved and ministered to, reaches the parents, pastors, and members of Harvest.
Now, one can question, if God's timing is just and sovereign, why would God have Dr. Kim, Joseph, and P. Inki spend a whole week in Lumbaqui without finding anything? Throughout the week that they were in Lumbaqui, Christ really grew a heart within Dr. Kim, Joseph, and P. Inki for the people of Lumbaqui. As Dr. Kim read the book of Joshua 1: 1-9, Dr. Kim was reminded of why he chose the name Joshua. Joshua 1: 1-9 states,
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
A crucial verse from the passage comes from Joshua 1: 3. Dr. Kim realized that God wanted him there for that week so that Dr. Kim could search for his son while, "setting foot" all around Lumbaqui. Christ wanted Dr. Kim to set foot in the Amazonian regions of Sucumbios, Ecuador so that Chris could give him every place Dr. Kim set foot. Christ wanted Dr. Kim to see the people of Ecuador that his son loved so much and once he was able to see that, less that 16 hours after their arrival back home, Christ remained faithful and guided the Amazonian villagers to our dear brother Tico. God is good!
As I would love to talk more about Tico, the point of this post is to recap how our mission trip went as a whole. I promise you that there is a post dedicated to our dear brother Tico coming shortly!
From day 1, our mission trip was filled with fruit and blessings. We arrived in Quito and were reunited with some fellow missionaries that we had worked with in the past. The next day, we drove to Lumbaqui and as soon as we arrived their, I just felt this sense of God moving in Lumbaqui and the leaders of Lumbaqui. It was not until Tuesday, August 2, that we were able to start our ministry out there.
Our ministry began in Cabeno where we would begin setting the foundation for a more permanent, stable church building. From cutting down trees with machetes to making wooden stakes with machetes, it was awesome to see how much we were able to connect and build up a relationship with the people of Cabeno. Come Tuesday evening, I had gotten sick and unfortunately, while I was sick, the team was able to continue their ministry to one little boy in the park nearby the hotel with nothing but a guitar and a small flashlight. In the midst of my sickness and the lack of light and other necessities, Christ moved through our team to bring a friend of ours, David, into the family of God. Praise God!
Amongst all of this, we continued our time in Cabeno and Sinangue as we continued to work on our construction projects and God moved in mighty ways, giving us crazy opportunities to minister in ways we never imagines. While I would love to talk more about our trip, this post is long enough and I feel like many of you are really wanting to see pictures. With that in mind, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, and concerns. Enjoy!
Man, it has been a CRAZY couple of months.
I hate the fact that I have not been able to update my blog and practice photography as much I wish I could.
From enjoying my summer to going on my mission trip to Ecuador (more to come...), It has indeed been a C.R.A.Z.Y couple of months.
This post will be nice and curt. This post is just to acknowledge Harvest's newest house church shepherds. For those who may remember, back in June, a close friend and brother of mine, Hong Sin, was commissioned as a house church shepherd. This time around, a close older sister of mine, and her husband, Haley and Chris. have been commissioned as house church shepherds over the Hiroshima House Church. Both Haley and Chris have played an integral role in my life. I have know Haley (Haley Noona as I know her), for pretty much my life and while I've only known Chris for the past couple years, both of them have encouraged me, supported me, and prayed for me throughout my walk with Christ. I'm so blessed and proud to have such awesome mentors, and now, house church shepherds in my life.
P.S
Stay tuned for information and updates regarding my mission trip to Ecuador. There are some good things in store, and some crazy blessings that need to be told!
Man, these past few weeks have been crazy. With my new job at Puma, I haven't had the time to update my blog and keep you guys posted so while my little update may be curt, please do enjoy what is here! :D
About a week ago, I had put a post stating that I was going to be moving websites. The process is still going as I work out some kinks and make sure the site is fully functional. So please STAY TUNED for the official switch. In other news...
Ryan Lee (top left), Joyce Kwak (top right),
Pastor Albert Young (bottom left), and Monica Lee (bottom right)
This past Monday, the 2011 Harvest Summer Missions - DR team. It's been about a week since they've been there and even from day #1, God has been moving in the DR and in the team. The team will be there until this Friday, July 22, and all I can say/ask is that we continue to pray for God's provision, safety, and abundant blessings over the teams' time there.
And last but not least, this past Sunday, July 10, Harvest threw a surprise appreciation party for our own Pastor DL. This year is Pastor DL's 10th year here with Harvest and all I can personally say is that I couldn't ask for anyone better. Throughout the past ten years, Pastor DL has been a VITAL part of my life. Pastor DL always stresses how statistics state that if a teenager has five significant adults in their life, the teenager's chances of being arrested, becoming addicted to drugs, falling away from the church, etc. significantly decreases. I can honestly, proudly, and thankfully say that Pastor DL is hands down, without a doubt, one of those five significant adults in my life.
Through my triumphs and my failures, dark times and happy times, and pretty much everything else in between, Pastor DL has been my pastor, teacher, mentor, and friend. Words cannot describe just how thankful I am for the awesome, faithful, and devoted pastor and man Pastor DL has been to me. With that said, here are some pictures from the party.
And to Pastor DL, once again, and this post cannot even begin describe 0.00000000000000000001% of just how much you mean to me and how thankful I am but, thank you. Thank you for loving me, for guiding me, for dealing with me, for mentoring me, for teaching me, and well, thank you for E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!!!
Much like the 2011 Harvest Senior Banquet, we decided to have a photobooth from Pastor DL to take some pictures with his friends and family!
Back in June of 2010, I had put a post in regards to Harvest's 2010 Seniors and a banquet that the Student Leadership Team (SLT) put together. Well, it's that time again and this past Saturday, June 25, this years SLT put together a B-E-A-U-TIFUL senior banquet for the class of 2011.
The night could not have been more perfect. From delicious food to powerful times of sharing, personally, I feel like the seniors, underclassmen, and the older folks were equally blessed! Due to the time constraints, i did not have the chance to say something about all the seniors, but if I can, I would like to say it now. While I have A LOT to say about everyone, I will do my best to keep it short and concise.
Yeaseong Han: My man. What can I say? You're one of my best friends and I cannot imagine church, or life for that matter, without you. You are one of the most important parts of my life and I would not be 0.000000000000000001% of the "man" of God that I am today. You motivate me in ways that no one else can and push to me lengths that no one else can. Thank you for being the best possible brother and best friend that you could be. Love you man!
Joseph Kim: Despite our little quarrel back when you first moved here, I love you man. You always manage to understand everything that I'm going through. IB would have sucked without you and you helped make it.... bearable. You're one of my best friends and I couldn't have imagined the last six to seven years without you.
Josh Mark Kim: I don't know what to say man. It has been such a blessing growing up with you man. It's crazy to think that about five years ago, you were a fat, chubby kid... haha. I'm so blessed to the man of God that you've grown up to be and I'm glad to see that you stepped up to the plate with Yeaseong and Joseph to commit to coming out every Saturday in order to be there for the younger guys. Believe it or not, you'll be there for me too... haha.
Soo Ha: My flake/princess... haha did I ever apologize for being such a jerk years ago? No? WELL I AM! hahaha. I could not have gone through SLT without you. I'm so glad we were able to become good friends over the past year and I don't know how I'm supposed to survive SLT without you. You're such an amazing, funny person with so many admirable and respectable qualities. I don't EVER want you to doubt yourself, except for when you're being a flake! I love you with all my heart and will always be here for you.
Chris Lee: Chris!!!! I don't think I ever had the chance to become good friends with you and I'm sorry for that. However, your faith and optimism that is always manifested where ever you go is something I envy and respect so much. It's such a blessing to see a man of God who approaches everything he does with such urgency and excitement.
Janice Yoon: Much like Chris, I do apologize for not becoming good friends with you. Although we barely talked over the past years, it's awesome to see that you come to church faithfully, serve faithfully, and watch the younger sisters so faithfully. You're dreams of becoming a nurse/doctor could not fit you any better!
Peter Kim: Sad to say, despite the NUMBER of years that we've known each other, it sucks that we never became close friends. Despite our differences, I'm glad to see that you're always at church, early in the morning, just hanging out and talking with the younger brothers and sisters. While I'm not sure exactly where you are in your spiritual walk, know that I'm always praying for you man.
TO ALL OF THE SENIORS: Thank you guys so much for pushing me and encouraging me in the MULTIPLE ways that you have over the past years. Good luck to you and take care where ever you go and remember that I will always be praying for you guys and no matter what part of life you may find yourself in, you are ALWAYS welcome at Harvest for Harvest will ALWAYS be your family and will ALWAYS love you. The best of luck to you guys and take care!!! I love you all!!!
And now, for the moment you have been waiting for, some of the pictures from the night!!!!
P.S
For all your Facebook-ers, the photos will be up and available before this weekend! Enjoy the photos!
Every year, my church, the Korean Presbyterian Church of Orlando hosts a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the younger kids. This year, the theme was Hometown Nazareth. All I can say is that it's such a blessing to see that 30-40 kids are taking time out of there Summer break, WILLINGLY, to be at church, learning more about what Christ did for us. While I have not much more to say, enjoy the photos!
Back at the beginning of the year, I had put a recap post of 2010. That post contained information about our 2010 Harvest Youth Winter Retreat. Every year, Harvest holds two retreats for the youth, one in the summer and one in the winter. From June 14-17, we had out 2011 Harvest Youth Summer Retreat and all I can say is that it was such an amazing blessings. Praise God for His abundant blessings over our youth during our time there. Enjoy the pictures!
For those of you who have been following me for quite some time, you might remember a post about the commissioning of a dear brother of mine, Paul Kim. We had commissioned Paul Kim as a house church shepherd for the Clara Kim House Church. Due to its size, the Clara Kim House Church (CKHC) had split into two house churches, one led by Paul Kim and the other by Seho Hong. Recently, Seho Hong has been relocated in Atlanta by yet another unanimous decision, Hong Sin has been called to led the house church that was one led by Seho Hong.
Hong is a dear brother of mine who has been through thick and thin and a lot times, I am often amazed at how faithful he is to God's calling. If it weren't for Hong, I would not be 0.00000000000000001% of the man I am today. I could not think of any other person more fit to lead this house church. While I have not much to say, some often say that pictures speak more than words, so without further ado, enjoy!
Man, it has been quite some time since I've ACTUALLY picked up my camera. Don't get me wrong, I've taken pictures here and there over the past month or so, but between school and other priorities, I haven't had the chance to REALLY pick up my camera and shoot. So before I go into what needs to be said, I just felt like I should give a small update on my life....
This past month has been both stressful and relaxing. At the beginning of May, I was swarmed with testing from AP Chemistry to IB Chemistry to AP English, I was "studying" for my exams. While all of my exams are done, this calls for movie marathons/ periods of doing nothing for the rest of the year in three of my classes. In other news, I'm proud to say that I'm getting ready to go back to Ecuador from August 1-6 and I am DEFINITELY excited (stay tuned for more info). To save you from the boredom, here we go!
If you remember, back in September of 2010, I took homecoming photographs for many of my senior friends. This time around, it was prom! I had the AWESOME opportunity of getting close with many of the seniors and I can honestly and proudly admit that I will miss many of them next year. NOT TO SINGLE ANYONE OUT, but if I can, give a small shout out to a couple of the seniors that helped make my junior year a little less hostile.
Tina Thomas: I don't even know what to say. I can't imagine walking past Hennigan's room without seeing you!!!!! I'm DEFINITELY going to miss you....
Narmeen Mandani: My jerkk.... who's going hug me everyday next year?! Enjoy FSU and come visit OFTEN!!!!!!!!
Nisha Desei: The over-achieiving, event planning, beast, I don't even know what to say except for the fact that you still owe me a plate of samosas!!!!
Rafael Mai: My man.. hahaha. Have fun up at UF and lets ball up there huh?
Elisabeth Longo: I've known you since my freshman year and while we've been close then far then close again, you made my freshman, sophomore, and junior year worth it. I'm going to miss you so much.
Joseph Kim: "My cousin," I love you man! Take care up in Illinois and come visit often man. Cypress would have definitely sucked without you!!!
Although I'm leaving out A LOT of people, since many people are looking for the pictures not the notes, I must stop there. Seniors, I may not have been super close with you or "cool" enough for you guys, but as corny as this is, I will miss many of you. Enjoy college, have fun, do your thing, and be sure to visit often!!!! Best of luck to you guys!!!!
P.S
I know I'll be seeing you guys at graduation and what not but I figured, why not give a shout out now when I have the chance. Hope I'm not sounding too.... "yearbook-ish."
***For those of you wanting the photos for Facebook, before you ask, they will be up Tuesday.***
