Energy or lack thereof...

I traveled well over two hundred thousand miles last year,  equivalent to thirty flights between Seoul and Chicago or 420 hours of pure flying time.  Sometimes I did the flying without missing one day at the office doing it all on weekends. Add numerous train rides in Korea and Japan to that.  I even taught a course at Hannam University on the side. It's not a bad energy level for a sixty something, wouldn't you agree?

But compared to the YAVs, I am ready to be put out of commission.  I don't believe I aged so quickly in the last few months, I just ran into a energy level that I have not met during the past thirteen years.  Haejung tells me that God sent angels to bring the message to act my age.  I am ready to admit that I no longer have the energy of the youth, instead I pray for some wisdom of the age to share.

YAVs are eager to serve and get into action, immediately.  I fully understand as they have been preparing for this time at least for a year and since March they knew that they are assigned to Korea.  The wait has been longer than Haejung and my engagement period.  Also, the word "immediately" is used often in the Gospels according to Mark and Luke, and perhaps YAVs are only being biblical.

Still, they need not and should not fill up all available time in the first two weeks.  They have not seen all the opportunities we have identified and we certainly have many more opportunities including many of which we are not yet aware.

Korean folks also come up with many on-the-spot ideas to engage our YAVs without thinking through the process.  Haejung and I encourage the YAVs to experience variety of encounters, but defer long-term commitments until a later date.  We have to take on the load that we can sustain throughout the year, beyond the initial high-energy excitement period.  How about the need and opportunity to be good to ourselves?  YAV year is the time to grow us through service to others.  The tag line on YAV t-shirt is a year of service for a lifetime of change. YAV experience does not end in twelve month but a lifetime, thus our goal for the year is not to complete our mission, but to start a good spark in our hearts to help us live the life worth our calling.

I should be old enough to know our limits.  We hope to build trusting relationships with the precious young ladies for them to be comfortable being in the vacuum for a while.  It's not really a vacuum but  calm and still moments to discern God's plan for us all.