Summer plans

 Living in South Korea unlike India we really have to pay attention to our paperwork. In South Korea, we live year to year. It really is annoying. However, we have gotten used to the pause that must be taken to renew our 1-year visas. In addition, Goerge must go every 90 days to renew his visa!

Now, we are passed the 50% mark on our current visas. We need to go to Seoul and update our OCI cards for myself and George. Jeyo's we will have to postpone until later this year during the winter vacation. Once we have his perhaps in April of 2024 we will all be ready for any need to return to India suddenly. 

So our summer plans are dominated by a trip to Seoul. We are hoping it does not take long. 

Most of our holidays are taken up with paperwork. Or preparing for a move or something major. Last year we had to keep the house in a special way so that people could come to view the apartment. My former boss for some odd reason wanted me to provide for our own housing. This is not done in most academies. People do this, but I got a feeling that he would let me go from my contract early. It seems like he had some plans and did not want a 2 year lease sitting on his head when he decided to act on whatever plans he had.

This summer vacation we will visit a dear older sister in our congregation and spend the day with her. Next weekend I am hoping we can go our pension spot. It might be sold out as the heavy rains have stopped. I will ask Yogita to look into it. If not then field service, then relax at home and go to a park in the evening is what I am looking forward to.

The district assembly was about having patience. I am so thankful for Jehovah's patience. I now understand what we might see as a delay for us is actually a saving of more people! It also gives us time to do what is right before Jehovah. I can only imagine standing before the heavenly court and having had this time and using it well to do what God's word tells us to do, I would feel no morbid fear. I would feel an awe-inspiring fear. A fear of not wanting to do what is wrong in front of Jehovah. To hate what Jehovah hates, and to love what Jehovah loves is my goal in life. 

So this summer which has had unprecedented weather patterns, natural disasters, and the usual signs that mark these as the last days, we will be very chill. The reason? Well, first it is just too hot. Also, we did not book places in advance. I will see if we can get a couple of days at the pension next week. But I am not in the mood to hunt around for a good place. Actually, we can save a ton of money as well. There is a nice wholesale food market we can use. But even if we can not it will be nice.

/tata

Driving in the rain

 All across South Korea, there has been very heavy rain. This is unprecedented. Usually, there is rain but not this heavy. Usually, heavy rains like this come at the end of August, or when a typhoon is passing close by or even over South Korea.

I will drive about 200 km north to Gimpo. We will be having the first in-person district assembly since 3 years ago due to covid-19.  So many people including my family are excited about this. I remember in the past we would go to the meeting. Then afterward we would go to a restaurant with another friend and his family. Now, I am happy to go. I will bring a wireless keyboard and take notes. Those notes I will be using for our weekly family bible studies. I look forward to the evenings with our boys and then a bit later with my lovely wife Yogita. Then a very nice shower then rest. Sunday, after the meeting we will aid in clean-up service. After we will hit the road and at a rest stop we will get some food then head home.

I want to take a 1 hour nap then get to work to finish my work, and game at the same time. I want to come into work next Monday to work on homework for Tuesday. Monday night I will be helping a student with public speaking. Where I work is unusual. This always seems to happen to me working at places most would run away from LOL.

But I pray for help everyday and Jehovah aids me EVERY DAY!

/tata

Babylon's fall all around us.

 When we look at history we can see that when Jesus came to Earth for some time afterward his teachings were poisoned with lies and falsehoods. In fact, many were mixed with pagan religions.

We know this due to bible students being blessed with an understanding to be  Babylon the Great. This is the world empire of false religion. For centuries this empire has ruled over kingdoms. It has crowned kings, and waged wars. In the bible, Jehovah has stated that it will fall at the hands of the Kings of the Earth. A beast that represents the U.N. will attack and completely destroy this empire.

However, there are signs that this empire is in decline, and has been for quite some time.  When I was little respect for the Church was in question due to allegations of priests molesting boys. These boys when they became men came forward. So likely this practice has been going on for a long time! Once the public knew about trust in Christendom started to fall away. 

Today when I tell someone I am a Christan I am looked at as being simple-minded, or gullible. 

Of course, this very attitude was prophesied in the bible! Like in Noah's day, people mocked him when he began prophesying about rain coming. Something that had not happened up until that time. Then when the rain did fall you can only imagine the panic, fear, even humiliation as everything they had were being swept away!

The Bible warns us to get out of Babylon! For myself, I will stay far away from it!

/tata

Long time no post!

Well, we are at that time of year when you realize wow time flies! It is not July 13th. That means that this year is already passed the 50% mark. We are very excited as we will go to the district convention located in Gimpo. We already attended the circuit assembly and wow was that very nice! Now, most of our preparations are complete. Our hotel room and food are already set. Our breakfast and lunch will be light but dinner will be nice! 

Of course, the main course will be the spiritual food we will receive. We will all take notes so that we can pay closer attention, and recall nice points we will go over during our family bible study and the mid-week meeting. I am looking forward to the prayers the talks and just being near others who look at Jehovah the way my family does. 

We all are going through various difficult situations and we all are relying on Jehovah to aid us to keep us strong in this race until the finish! So this is what is on our minds these days. After this, it will be our weekly preaching, weekly meetings, and our upcoming vacation.

After all of this, we will be suddenly in August! Time flies. Of course, all of this time means that the kingdom which Jehovah has promised will be even closer at hand! Glad tidings all these things are. 

However, we will need to always keep on the watch. To make sure our doors are guarded against practicing sin. Making sure we are building and maintaining a good relationship with our heavenly father! There is much to do! This system is still here!

/tata