Like a thief in the night!

 Jehovah love us so much! He gives us a test and then proceeds to give us the answers. In addition, we are given guidance on how to make our lives better even in this system of things. We are told how to raise and love our children, wives, and husbands. We are taught how to treat our friends. Money matters are covered as well. Running after it is dangerous, and the security it provides is an illusion. I keep thinking of our wealthy brother who needs to move due to his health. I know he would rather give up that wealth if he could be his old self again. I am healthy but I am middle class (a nice way of saying poor but able to survive lol). So I  am learning to enjoy this fact. I recover from illness quickly, if I exercise my body builds muscle mass and strength quickly. I even heal faster than those around me here in South Korea. This is a blessing for me and my family. Even though my wife has issues with migraines and fibromyalgia she also recovers even faster! If her stress is lowered it is amazing how fast she recovers. 

So Jehovah tells us the end of the story in the Bible. He tells us his day will come. We are given some details and instructions. Then, we are given the results and answers to this test. Today, students are given tests that are designed to make a student make a mistake if they are unable to understand the concept. These tests are designed to aid those who are a bit weaker to fail. This is not love,, but a form of hate the anti-love. 

So we know Jehovah's day will come as a thief in the night when we least expect it. It might be today, tonight, or tomorrow. I want that day to find me doing what is right in Jehovah's eyes. Why? I am driven by love! A love shown to me in the bible. A God who wants to save us, only we need to choose that option. WE HAVE TO CHOOSE. We have free will! Again this is love! 

This year comes to a close, and we are still here as a family working hard. The boys and Yogita are pioneering, and I am auxiliary pioneering this month. We have plans to continue this if we stay in South Korea, or if we go to India.

/tata

Education South Korea....something isn't right

 In South Korea and across the globe many think that education will allow them to get a better life.

Here in South Korea students spend a lot of time studying. A LOT OF TIME IS SPENT BY THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. More than 10 hours a day at nearly all age groups. 

Where I am at we make worksheets with the objective that the student should spend up to an hour to complete the worksheet. So instead of completing a simple homework assignment and then going outside to play or do something else, they must focus on homework that will be meaningless in the future. 

You see the education that most academies teach will not prepare students for a work-at-home type of future that is coming. There will be fewer jobs due to automation and likely more jobs related to data entry, or some kind of work that does require people to sit in an office. 

Actually, according to the bible what I said above likely will NOT happen. Suddenly, like a thief in the night, Jesus will herald his kingdom into power. Making everything we are learning obsolete. 

Of course, the learning that happens in some places is useful. Especially for the short term. Even so, it is very limited. Students know this! They act up left and right outright disobeying their parents. 

People look at South Korea and do not understand there is a very worrying situation developing. When martial law was declared last week it really stressed people out and woke some others up that things are not right. The system that seemed so stable for over 40 years actually isn't stable at all. It really scared many people, so much so that thousands took to the streets in protest. You see in South Korea it looks too peaceful and serene. People drink to forget their woes, hiding behind government support, and credit. Meanwhile, debt is soaring, and jobs are becoming scarce (the so-called good jobs). Students are under crazy strain that is hard to see when they walk on the streets smiling and talking with their friends, glued to their smartphones. 

Many people from around the world do not know about the daily suicides, people drinking themselves under the table, and a nation that knows but lies to itself that all is ok.

So all of this education in South Korea should point to a population that is happy optimistic and ready to meet an exciting future. Instead, it is a bunch of kids who do not get enough sleep, or time to just play. Kids who sit in classrooms longer than most full-time workers around the world especially if you add the time spent studying for exams, and doing all of the homework that comes from all of those classes. It is not surprising that more and more are disobeying parents, and becoming fierce...oh Jehovah tells us about this in the bible! An apt descriptor for the days we are living in!

/tata

Martial Law declared briefly last week!

 What is this world coming to? When I say that I mean the political systems and governments that dominate it at this period in time. Soon all these events will be lines in a history book. It will be forgotten. Why return to vomit and examine it again?

Last, week the president of South Korea declared martial law. Many were shocked by his actions. For many it didn't make sense. Martial law would have disrupted many aspects of normal life. It would have annoyed many people since there isn't a shooting war going on, or some other serious natural disaster. 

We had a potluck party with our congregational group and one friend said "perhaps Jehovah put it in his heart to do this". Maybe that is what happened. 

I will go not into this other than to say people want him out of office so that someone else will enter it and fail yet again. We need God's kingdom which is promised to solve all of mankind's problems. It is so evident that man has failed. 

So we are getting close to 50% through this month lets see what other things transpire. 

One very good thing is that we have added Monday to our preaching work. So that is Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. For me it is Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. I am trying to get some street witnessing in with Yogita but it is a bit too cold at the moment. I will make this a matter of prayer. We both need this. I know I really do.

Ok time to go for now.

/tata

Another year in South Korea

 I will likely be able to stay one more year here in South Korea. This means our main mission will stay the same but there will be some changes. For example, we plan to send the boys ahead of us as we wrap up this final year. That means sending the boys, while we shut down our apartment slowly over the weeks and months. I will gradually move us over to portable systems towards the end of the year OR pack everything and rebuild when we are in India in 2026. This might be the best option. Purchasing portable systems in India makes sense as I can get warranty service, and repair services easily.

This year will be a winding down. Unless Korea makes big changes next year it is no long viable to stay here. It is like having a hand tied behind your back all of the time. Paying for certain items via installments is very useful. It can be very dangerous as well. However, purchasing a second-hand car (a very good one) on an installment plan should not be a hassle to set up. Purchasing newer phones on installment plans should be just as easy. It would be nice if we could rotate newer older phones than just one. The really old one then becomes prone to more issues. 

I do know that this is also very dangerous. If one does not live a simple life these payments can add up to a real mountain of pure anxiety. 

A man over the weekend who lives near where I work jumped to his death last weekend. There are no news stories about it. It is spoken about in hushed tones. This world is full of people thinking about ending their lives. I will make sure to live a simple life, an enjoyable one while we wait patiently for the coming kingdom and a real life. The real life is coming. 

If my special additional requests are not met, perhaps there will not be an additional year here. 

India will not be a cake walk, however. But that is for another post. Perhaps in the coming months, 

/tata