When I was younger, I recall people saying things like, “Don’t waste your food. You have to finish. Think of the children in Africa!” If you live in America, you probably had someone tell you something like this before.  WELL, now that I am here…I can say YES, it’s true. People here always finish their food. There are no leftovers. There is never food thrown away. When people give me food, I HAVE to finish it no matter how full I feel. What am I getting at?

This principle applies spiritually as well. God has been faithful to me ever since the day I was born. Whether I come to the King’s table or NOT, God has ALWAYS prepared fresh food for me DAILY. He gives us what is best according to His love and wisdom. You see, I realized that most of my life…I have “not finished” the “food” given to me. As a matter of fact, I have wasted it. I can only imagine what those who have not yet been set free would do with the TRUTHS and REVELATIONS I have wasted by not “finishing”. What I am saying is this (my confession): I’ve just been satisfied with receiving quote-worthy, meaty, spirit-tickling revelations and concluding that I have been “walking in intimacy with God”. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself. I’m not saying receiving revelations are not a sign of intimacy. What I am saying is that I have been receiving revelations, but not going deep into them, and not letting them transform my life, and not obeying and following through with the convictions within them. I realized that I only take the “first bite” of the fresh, powerful, amazing truths and revelations God provides, and then “waste” the rest by moving on to seek more revelations. Something new. Something “more profound”. Something “different”. As if I was some kind of spiritual Peter Parker or something. God has revealed to me that I need to stick with the revelations that God has ALREADY revealed to me, rather than seeking new ones for the sake of having something awesome and amazing to share/preach/teach. So yea, this is where I am at right now. Time to stop collecting. Time to go deep. Time to stop settling for spiritual tickles. Time to be transformed. Time to stop “wasting food”. I pray that for all of us, we would go deep with the graced revelations God has personally given us. I tell you, THERE ARE “HUNGERING” PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD DEVOUR THE “FOOD” THAT WE WASTE!

It has been a while since my last update. Well, it’s been REAL busy. Time has been going TOO fast, and a LOT has happened. AKA my mind is confused as to how I’m going to update with this blog post. So I’m just going to spill out random things in bullet points =)

• ODPC Short-term team – I want to THANK my ODPC family for sending me the greatest care package ever: the team! I enjoyed and was blessed by every second of their presence here, and I definitely felt rejuvenated and encouraged. I was particularly undone by my little sister, Priscilla, being here. (Jihyun, thank you for coming! I love you and am so proud of you. Pure grace to witness what God is doing in your life). Thank you ODPC!
• CGN TV – 2 people from a Christian Broadcasting channel from Korea came here to do a 3 part documentary (Mali, Senegal, Gambia) to show on national TV in Korea. It was a priviledge to be a part of it. I was really blessed to be able to talk to them. They shared with me that through this project, God transformed their hearts and they were awakened to WHO GOD REALLY IS! Praise God! I’ll let you all know where to watch the documentary when it is finished!
• 24/7 prayer team – A team from Busan, Korea came here for 2 weeks. They are from a 24/7 prayer ministry called “Nehemiah 52 prayer”. As I got to burn with them and prayer march with them, I was incredibly blessed and encouraged. In that short time, we really got to connect and go deep in our relationships with each other. God used ALL OF US to give many confirming words/prophetic words to one another. I felt like I was part of the team =) And yes, it was all in Korean. So my Korean has gotten a lot better! I miss them dearly…
• Bakary & Serreh’s wedding – I got to be part of a Gambian wedding for the first time. Over here, it’s BIG DEAL especially in the Christian community because its REALLY difficult to find 2 Christians getting married. Most of the time it’s a Christian and a Muslim, which ends up failing. But these 2 were both believers. I tell you, the level of thankfulness/joy/celebration at this wedding was indescribable. Dancing and celebrating overnight. Pray for them please!
• Kabafita Primary School update – A couple teams have come and prayed in my classroom and fought in pray for the school. My relationships with other teachers, headmaster, and staff is slowly growing. God has blessed me with favorable relationships with majority of the children in the school. As for my students, MAN I LOVE THEM. Slowly, they are learning values of Christ, learning how to walk in love, and slowly understanding that Jesus loves all, even Muslims (which they refused to believe before). Please continue to pray for these kids!
• CTI – this ministry HAS to be straight up relational and prayer as its foundation. It is literally farming. I can say I do my best to teach what I can and how I can to the best of my ability. But at the end of the day, if I’m not fighting for them in prayer, then I’m just giving them religion. Last week I taught on the purpose and beginnings of Satan, what he is doing now, and what Christians believe in terms of authority, power, identity, and conquering fear. Currently I am in a teaching series of the “life of Jesus”. I am teaching on His birth, prophecies about Jesus, and Jesus’ ministry. The following week we will watch the Passion of the Christ. Please pray for the CTI students!
• Tuberculosis – There are 65 people living in this camp, and this one boy got Tuberculosis (TB). Unfortunately, the TB has spread. The whole camp got tested and 25 of us tested positive for TB. Yes, US. 23 of the kids, Missionary Han, and myself. We all have TB. We all feel normal, and no symptoms have shown, which means the disease is dormant? Anyways, we have to take these meds for a long time daily. No big deal, no panic. Please pray for us in Jesus name!

Well, I think that’s a LOT for you all to read. Please feel free to shoot me a hello or even an encouragement if the Lord leads. Please feel free to email me at un4shamed@gmail.com or call me at 220-787-8811 =) I miss you all a lot.

I update with pictures on Facebook, so feel free to check those out!

Thank you JESUS for the Grace to breathe and walk in this exciting life with You. What an amazing privilege to be a part of this glorious Kingdom. Glory be to God in the HIGHEST PRAISE!

Love in Him,

John Park

Update on Canaan Technical Institute (CTI)

Update on Kabafita Primary School

Update on what’s going on with me

If you want to see some pictures, check them out on my facebook! God bless! Thank you all for your prayers! It’s through your prayers I can even share this kind of stuff! Love you all and miss you all so much!

LOVE,

John

But that’s just the beginning of the testimony. Here is the rest:

When we got back to shore, I decided to just hang out with the little ones so I just sat and relaxed with them in shallow water haha. As I was thinking about and processing what just happened, God began to speak to me. He was using this situation to woo me. I was just staring at the wet sand and how smooth and flat it was. Every time I scraped the sand or dug a hole, a wave could crash onto it and make the sand smooth and flat again (you probably know what I’m talking about). I then heard a whisper in my heart, “John, was there ever a time when waves ceased to crash onto shore?” Through this, Abba was reminding me that there has never, and will never be a moment where the waves of His mercies cease. No matter how much mess I make and holes I dig myself into, waves of His mercies will always continue crashing.

And then I realized that the waves don’t end when it crashes the shore. The waves end when its water returns back to the ocean. I even felt my body feel a gentle push towards the ocean as the already crashed waves were returning back to where it came from. I then realized this truth: the waves of His mercies should lead us into a whole ocean of grace. Grace being knowing Jesus, walking in fullness, going deeper into His heart, etc. I praise God for the unceasing waves of mercies. But why settle? I don’t know about you, but I wanna submerge myself in the ocean of His grace. That’s not all…

A riptide occurs when the current from the waters returning back to the ocean is STRONGER than the waves crashing onto shore itself. That’s exactly why us 3 were sucked deeper into the ocean. Through this happening, I went back home with a great hunger to know God more. I want to be caught up in a spiritual riptide. YES and AMEN to the unceasing waves of His mercies. But an even greater YES and AMEN to allow these crashed waves to carry me into greater depths of who Jesus is!

HALLELUJAH! That’s just a random testimony I thought I should share =)

So about 20 of our little brothers and sisters who live on site are students at a local public school called “Kabafita Lower Basic School”. It’s a Primary (Elementary) school that has ~700 students total. Majority are Muslim students and teachers. There are specific Muslim teachers called “Oustats”. These are the teachers who teach all the students about the Quran daily and makes the students memorize the Quran little by little in Arabic. In the class periods of Quran class, these Oustats (which are many) have lately been forcing the Christian children to sit in class and “learn”. The rule is that Christian students are allowed to choose not to attend this class and play outside.

In the last couple of weeks, our little brothers and sisters have been coming home sharing with us that they have been forced to sit in the Quran class. When they have attempted to leave the class, or when they have refused to sit in, the Oustats have been physically beating our kids. According to all of our kids, they informed us that sometimes, they get hit in the head with a pipe. (Not to the point of visible physical damage of course). Many of these kids have ended up crying, forced to sit in class. Last week, me and Missionary Han went to the school to talk with the headmaster. As we were telling the headmaster what was happening, he was very surprised and informed us that he would immediately have a meeting and tell them to stop. But even yesterday, our kids have come home relaying the message to us that they were beat once again.

Later on, the headmaster told us that the reason why the Christian kids have been forced to sit in class was because there was no Christian teacher to teach the Christians in the times when the Muslim students would learn about the Quran. Later, I found out that the reason why there are no Christian teachers is because they do not get paid. All the Oustats get paid, but the Christian teachers do not. The headmaster then told Missionary Han, “Well if you know anyone that would like to volunteer to teach the Christian kids with no pay, then send them here and we will give them a classroom.” Haha……..

So starting next week, I will be teaching our little brothers and sisters in Christ about their Father. They have given me permission to teach and have given me a classroom of my own. WHOA! Since I already teach Bible class at CTI on Mondays and Thursdays, I have agreed to teach at Kabafita on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

With that said, PLEASE PRAY FOR ME. I am in need of your prayers. To be honest, I am really doing this in faith. I do feel nervous, but I am filled with hope. You see, I speak English and cannot speak much Mandinka. Middle school is when the kids here begin to speak in English more fluently. Primary school is when they BEGIN to learn English. Although I will be hitting two birds with one stone (sharing about Jesus and getting them use to English), it will be very difficult with this communication barrier. I even spent some time asking (or complaining) to God, “Are you sure this is what you want me to do? We can’t even communicate! I can’t even speak to them with them understanding anything I say. I don’t know if I am qualified for this.” And right then God gave me peace in my heart as He told me that I sounded a lot like Moses. He reminded me through Exodus 4:11-12, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” AMEN! I will cling to this promise! So really, I do need your prayers. Pray that I would have supernatural trust, peace, wisdom, and sharper discernment in the Lord. Please also pray for DEEP DEEP DEEP compassion to fill my heart.

The older brothers and sisters here in the camp also gave me a heads up in that I will probably face much persecution from the school staff and all the Oustats. What I do know is that I need to be a faithful older brother and I want to be there to stand with my little brothers and sisters in their daily persecution. Please pray for spiritual protection over us! If you want to pray for them by name, here are a few: Jacob, Kofi, Mustapha, Ansumana, Siraya, Lydia, Francis, Sekunda, Aroki, Bobby, and Yusupha. As I go into this dark place, I believe I am carrying in the Presence of God. I believe that demons will tremble and flee. I believe there will be a shift in the spiritual atmosphere. I believe in Christ in me.

Please also pray not only for the oppressed, but for the oppressor as well. Please pray for the Oustats and also all the Muslims in the school. Please pray for deep revelation in their hearts of who Jesus really is: that He is the Son of God, that He is Lord, and that every knee WILL bow to Him, and that every tongue WILL confess, that our Jesus Christ is LORD. May the powerful love of God wreck their hearts in Jesus name!

I will say it one last time in this post: please please please pray for me, our little brothers and sisters, Kabafita Primary School, the school staff, and the Oustats.

Love in Christ,

John

***Also, if you feel led to support me not only in prayer, but in financial support, please refer to my last blog post! Thank you and God bless.***

The places that I have been led to in the Word of God have many times aligned with one theme. After confirmation after confirmation, it seems like the Lord has been pressing into me this one giant revelation that is finally beginning to fall from my mind deep into my heart: Refusing to walk in HOLINESS leads to compromising INTIMACY. Which basically means compromising connection with God’s heart. I have found it very difficult (pretty impossible) to be in INTERCESSION when I refuse to fight against anything that draws me away from walking in holiness. Intercession gets less and less organic and more and more religious and forced when I am not walking in holiness – intimacy with God. I have struggled to intercede for this nation, my brothers and sisters, and the Muslim community whenever I compromised my life of PURITY. Why? Because it is SO HARDDDD to intercede for what is on God’s heart without actually being connected to His heart! My heart MUST be connected with God’s. By God’s grace, I declare that I would be a fool to compromise intimacy.

Truth is, my personal intimacy directly affects my ministry here. Teaching, preaching, loving, etc. becomes so dead without the heart of God pumping in me. I learned a new song here, and here are the lyrics: “Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning, give me oil in my lamp I pray. Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning. Keep me burning till the break of day!” You see, if we are the light of the world, we need to keep refilling our lamps with the oil of intimacy. But I refuse to settle with just being filled. I want this oil to spill out and make a mess wherever I go. In other words, I want my personal intimacy with God to breed intimacy to everywhere/everyone around me. If I want to see revival here, it starts with revival within me. This oil NEEDS to spill EVERYWHERE I walk. Besides…Fire loves to get in touch with oil doesn’t it?

“But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today – to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul – THEN I will send rain on YOUR LAND in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil….

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” – DEUTERONOMY 11:11-14, 18

YES the Lord has given me this land and I believe it. But I must be faithful to this platform God has given me by not compromising intimacy and embracing holiness. If you read this entry, then you now know my prayer request =) Please pray for me!

Also, please pray for the following as well:

• CTI – It is clear to me that God has called me to be a farmer in this ministry. I have been teaching on the foundations of Christianity, differentiating between religion vs. relationship, the centrality of LOVE, and God’s desire for Eden ever since the beginning and even now. I have been sharing with the students how they are the very targets of love and how God strongly desires Eden with them. Majority of the students are Muslims, and I know that these teachings are all new information for them. PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE STUDENTS TO ENCOUNTER GOD IN SUCH A REAL WAY IN WHATEVER THE WAY THE LORD DESIRES!!!!
• A big deal – there is something awesome going on here in terms of the organization (West Africa Mission). I cannot share much because it is premature, but God is leading Missionary Han in making this very important decision to open a primary school here on campus! This is a big deal! The government has repeatedly said “no”, but just recently has the government given a green light. Please pray for Missionary Han, clarity, wisdom, and for this project in general!
• Financial Support – God has been so faithful. Out of the goal of raising ~$8000 for my year here, $4500 has already come in! Please pray for the remaining $3500 to come in as well. IF you feel the Lord moving you to support me in this way as well, please write a check to “ODPC” and write “John’s Gambia Support” on the MEMO line. Please send the check to 2999 Centreville road, Herndon, VA 20171, or hand deliver the check to MIYE CHANG at ODPC =) Thank you all

Thank you for your support and prayers! I miss you all so much, and I am so so so thankful for each and every one of you. God bless, and lets keep these lamps burning!

Love in Him,

John

It’s already been over 2 weeks here in the Gambia, and God has provided me with a platform I had never imagined I would be in. In the compound of West Africa Mission, there is a school by the name of “Canaan Technical Institute” (CTI) that has been around for more than a decade. This school is part of the mission’s organization and is a school open to the community. The courses that are taught include typing, Microsoft Office (Excel, Powerpoint, Word, Access), accounting, English, and Biblical worldview. Every student is required to take each course. CTI has had much success in the past. The school has even graduated the wife of Gambia’s President Jammeh! Anyways, the instructor for the Biblical Worldview class resigned recently to pursue a business career. Therefore, there was a need for this position. Hahaha………………..

So currently, I have been given the position of being the Biblical Worldview teacher of CTI! Crazy right? The school consists of both Christians and Muslims ranging from ages 20-25. Oh yea, and that BOOK that was given to me. I decided to check it out. It turns out that the book was about how to TEACH believers and nonbelievers about Jesus and the Bible! The book is about an inch and a half thick, filled with about 50 topics and lessons. (Thanks Pastor James!!!). I actually just finished typing up the class syllabus (lectures start next Monday). Hahah praise God! I am STOKED!

And that DVD? It’s called “More than Dreams”. It contains testimonies of 5 radical ex-Muslims who encountered Jesus in a dream/vision…who converted into being a follower of Jesus Christ. One of the people even encountered Jesus on his pilgrimage to Mecca! Another person sharing was an ex-terrorist! Anyways, I have been showing this DVD to many believers here. They have been getting ROCKED and super encouraged. One brother named Ousman said, “I can watch this over and over and over and over again”. Oh btw, Ousman also got saved through supernatural dreams a couple years ago =) I also plan on showing this DVD to the Biblical Worldview class to facilitate discussion and what not. Let’s see what happens =) Praise God! (Thanks Pastor James again)

So yea, my time here has been going by with the quickness! It’s been pretty busy everyday. Sleep at night has been amazing! I like to call it “missions sleep”. Haha…it’s the best man. Being spent after laboring for the Kingdom. It’s zee besssst.

Thank you all for praying for me and supporting me! Im SO THANKFUL and I most definitely feel them coming. I have actually been sitting there at times with open hands in silence just simply receiving your prayers. I’m so blessed, thank you all so much. Thank you Jesus! Please continue to lift up these prayers:

• CTI – please pray for wisdom and discernment for myself. I am a teacher along with many other teachers. Some of the teachers are Muslims themselves, and about half the class are Muslims. Please pray for a HOLY SPIRIT BOMB to come invade and explode each class!!! Pray for salvation! Pray for encounters with Jesus! Pray for heavenly dreams! Pray for Sovereign conversations and deep relationships to be formed! I already know that this is going to be a year long relational thing. But ya kno…anything could happen =)
• Healthy – Over here in the Gambia, it is entering winter season. Winter here is amazing for me because its more cool, but its really cold for the Gambians here haha. Lately, a lot of the brothers and sisters in the camp have been getting sick (cold, flu, malaria, eye problems, etc.). Please pray for the ministry of healing to be released!
• Relationships – before I came to the Gambia, someone prophesied over me and said that I will be going as one who is an agent of the ministry of reconciliation. I can see this word coming into fruition for sure. I have been preaching lately on thankfulness and honoring one another. I have had deep conversations with certain brothers and some have even confessed to me certain things that they have been convicted of. I can’t really share much, but please pray for the power of forgiveness to be revealed. Even the small things. Please pray for relationships with one another to be full of compassion, understanding, patience, and LOVE.

Thank you all! Love and miss you all so much!!! With ya’ll were here with me =)

-John Park

Pics coming soon!

So……..who knew that my first blog update would have news such as this: I already got Malaria. Usually it takes about 2 weeks after the mosquito bite for malaria to sink in, but for some reason I got hit with it after 6 days here in the Gambia. Spiritual? You bet. It started with some heavy migranes, soreness all over my body, super chills, burning temperatures, and water poos (haha excuse me). I went to the hospital late afternoon yesterday to get a blood work checkup, and the lab reported back to me that in fact I had stage 1 malaria. Right after that, I had to go to a West Africa Mission (WAM) monthly meeting. As everyone was eating dinner, I ate some soup and laid down on the nearby couch. As I was listening in on what went on during the meeting, Missionary Han (the one I am living with) led a time of devotional among the missionaries. He read from Song of Solomon 2:10 – “My beloved speaks and says to me: Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away”. The scripture that was shared struck my heart and it was something I needed to hear at that time. I was chewing on that verse for a while and my heart claimed that verse for me. Shortly after, they all prayed for me and encouraged me. Missionary Han jokingly told me to just see the malaria as a missions badge and a souvenir haha.

After the meeting ended, I got up to leave…..but for SOME reason, I didn’t feel any pain, nausea, dizziness, headache, NOTHING. I felt great! I was so shocked and surprised. I finally crawled out of my unbelief and told Missionary Han, “This is weird, but I feel fine now! God healed me!”. Spiritual? Ya best belieeeeeeeve.

Seriously, PRAISE GOD! Less than a day of “suffering” from Malaria, and instantly healed that same evening! I feel great now. Thank you Lord! And yes, your prayers MATTERED or SURE.

I guess that was the biggest thing that has happened to me this past week. Another blessing I have been experiencing was being able to connect with Missionary Han and Mrs. Han on a deeper level. Everyday consists of just chatting with them for probably an average of about 3 hours a day. I have already learned so much from them and by simply being with them. They definitely walk in crazy humility, joy, and much wisdom.

Now for the kids =) Many of the children have returned back to their home villages this past month for the “holidays” to pretty much do farm work for their families. Little by little they are trickling back into WAM as the school year nears. Every day, 1 or 2 of them return back. Every brother/sister that I encounter is like a bomb of joy that explodes in my heart. Joy is indeed one of many fruits that come our of relational ministry. I cannot wait until this Saturday, because everyone will be back by then =)

There ya go! That’a a long enough update for ya’ll for my first week here. As rough as it has been physially, it was all worth it. I love it here =) Please continue to pray for me, the missionaries here, and the nation of the Gambia!

Prayer requests:

• Spiritual, physical, emotional protection – the battle here has been very real. Please pray against attacks of the enemy!
• Wisdom – beginning next week I will be leading devotional time for a group of people comprising of Christians and Muslims at an onsite computer school called Canaan Technical Institute (CTI). I will also be preaching every Sunday at different church branches and couple times throughout the week for evening worship. Please pray for RICH times of intimacy with the Lord. Not for the sake of having stuff to share every meeting, but purely for the purpose of falling more in love with Jesus!
• Mandinka – I have been studying the local language here (Mandinka). It definitely isn’t easy. Please pray that I would learn quickly for the sake of having more opportunities for relational ministry.

Thank you all! I miss you all so much already and I definitely feel your prayers coming my way. Feel free to email me!

Love,

John Park

In these past few weeks, God has revealed to me the simple revelation of having a thankful heart. I realized that thankfulness is another step in walking in freedom, joy, and fullness. I never thought of it to be such a big deal, but once the Lord released in me a heart of supernatural gratitude, it led to something that I have been praying for a long time: a sensitive, TEACHABLE heart. Even though it is only the beginning of walking out this personal revelation, I believe God is going to stretch this out to the max. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and be in a place where I am overwhelmed by the fact that I get to live another day in His love. I want to be in a place where I am EASILY left in awe; not by witnessing great things out of a lack of faith/unbelief, but just a simple increase in awe and thankfulness. As Jonathan Edwards once said, “Anything better than hell is GRACE”.

In light of this, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for all of you. I keep seeing a vision of an army behind me comprising of not just a generation, but generationS. God has given me the privilege to be blessed by both my generation and the generation before. I definitely feel like there is always someone joining with Abba in interceding for me. So I THANK YOU all so much for every prayer, every penny, every second spent with me, and all your support and encouragement. THANK YOU for believing in me. I believe that when I come back in a year, I am going to have to adjust to how powerfully God moved in NOVA. God is gonna rock NOVA to the core and I am excited to come back to be a part. I believe it and I declare it!

Many have been asking for prayer requests and have been eager to pray for me. For that, I am so humbled. Please lift up a prayer for me!

• My heart – that my heart would be SENSITIVE TO THE SPIRIT, TEACHABLE, HUMBLE, PURE (MOTIVES), UNOFFENDABLE, and JOYFULLY OBEDIENT.
• Please pray that I would walk fully in the AUTHORITY God has given me. A good friend once told me, “Authority is dangerous without humility & maturity”. Please pray that over me!
• Please pray for SPIRITUAL PROTECTION over myself and over my family. This past year, God has been SO good to my mom, sister, and I. We all know that Satan loves giving dirty shots. One way he does so is by attacking family. Please pray that we would not only be on the defense, but God would lead us in also being on offense in prayer, worship, and intimacy. Please pray Ephesians 6:10-18 over us!
• INTIMACY – One thing I have been praying and desiring is that I would be one who ENJOYS and LOVES the Presence of God, much like Joshua and David. I want to WREAK of His fragrance. Everywhere I walk, it would be an honor to constantly spill out and overflow the fragrance of Christ. As a good friend once coined, “We need to warfare with ROMANCE”. Please pray Psalm 27:4 over me!
• Thank you all so much! Let the incense rise!

Lastly, if God puts on your heart to join me in this journey in supporting me financially, here are some guidelines in doing so. Due to the fact that I will not have a bank account in the Gambia, ODPC will be sending it to me.

1. Please write a check to “ODPC”, and write “John’s Gambia Support” on the MEMO line.
2. Send the check to ODPC: 2999 Centreville Road, Herndon, VA 20171
3. If you go to ODPC, you can give it to our beautiful friend: Miye Chang.
4. You will receive a tax receipt either via mail or in person

Thank you all again for everything. I would not be here if it wasn’t for you all. I believe God never intended me to do this alone and you all were in this from the very beginning. Thank you all so much. I am going to try and update this blog weekly to share what God is doing in me, in the Gambia, and prayer requests.

See you all in 2012!!!!!!

Love in Him,

John Park

“ an update on Sirreh:
She came back home yesterday, praise God. My mom talked to her and her uncle today when she went to Kembujeh. She had been hiding at one of her friends’ houses in Jamisa. She is safe and healthy. Thank you so much for praying for her. Please keep praying for her and her family… they still need spiritual healing and freedom.”

Praise the Lord! But it ain’t over till its over. Let’s continue to flood Sirreh and her family in prayer. Although she is physically healthy and safe, there are still chains that need to be broken! Let’s keep interceding church!

Love,

John

It’s true. I am so thankful that I can honestly say that walking with Jesus is so fun. Running this race together with brothers and sisters whose hearts are set on His Kingdom….is so fun. Pressing into His heart, following His lead, and witnessing His love and power…is so fun! Life is exciting, with Jesus. As challenging and gruesome it might seem at times, I cannot escape the fact that wherever I go, God is not stoic and He is not boring. God is FUN!

This past year has definitely been one where in many moments, I sit and wonder, “Already? Where did all that time go?”. Even right now, I am thinking, “Did I already come back from that month trip?”. “Has it already been 2 weeks since being back?”. “Am I already leaving in about 6 weeks?!?!?!”. Seriously, time just seems to fade when we get lost in His dreams…

So yea, 6 weeks. It seems like I am going back to the Gambia on September 14, 2011 for one year. This is my 5th time returning to the smiling coast, and my excitement continues to grow every time! In this 6 weeks, I have been praying and asking Abba for some allowance =). I have been praying for the need of $8,000 for my year there to be fulfilled before I leave! If you would like to be a part of this soon to be answered prayer, I will be eternally grateful! 

Please also keep me in prayer. I am where I am because brothers and sisters like you have sowed into my life. Please pray for a wider establishment of 1st commandment lifestyle, sweeter intimacy, a teachable/unoffendable/obedient heart, wisdom in future decisions, and for sharper Kingdom perspective! 

Please click HERE for a direct link to my support page. There you will find more information on how to give.

Thank you all so much!!!

Love,

John Park

P.S. – I am still taking SOCCER BALLS and BACKPACKS for donations =)