I Love South Korea

Good Lord the Lord is Good.
I am having a great time here in SK. The flight was long and fairly boring, the movies weren't that great (but luckily the return flight will have better movies like rush hour 3 and ratatiulli?) We arrived at the Icheon/Seoul Airport on Thursday night and went right to the Seshin Methodist church in a suburb city of Seoul at about 10. The next morning we got up at 5 because of the jet lag, got ready then went to breakfast at 7 (24/7 Mcdonalds across the street, just as crappy as they are in America). 8 o'clock we left for the church's brand new retreat center.
We worked with a weekend youth event happening there with youth from that church, about 130 of them. When we got there we went right into doing worship (barely had time to tune and make a set list), we had activities with the kids as a whole, and did some teachings. Then we had lunch, my first time with Chop Sticks in SK, I had several kids show me how to properly hold them. Then in the afternoon we had more worship, then we split the kids up into 4 different groups and had them go to different activities/games that would help them work on their English and have fun. I helped work with one activity where we gave them all a picture and they had to make up a story about the picture and what they thought was happening. Then we had dinner, pork cutlets, it was good. After dinner we had one more worship time, a teaching and then a time of ministry. That night we had 5 come to Christ for the first time, 13 rededicated their lives and many other we prayed over, but those are Just statistics, we are praying that was really what was in their heart. we finally went to bed at about 10 that night......a.k.a. 8 in the morning back home......bla!
Saturday we had some more worship then broke off into small groups and talked with them in smaller groups(9 people) about what they thought about the weekend and what God had done with them. Then the program ended. That afternoon we went back to the church and stayed there for a little while until we split up and want to host homes.
It was amazing to me getting close with these kids really quick, usually outsiders are not as welcome into such groups. The kids/youth were amazing and fun to hang around with, and very cute. One kid kept calling me Chris Jericho, a WWF wrestler who has a pony tail and goatee like mine. There were a bunch of people who were calling me Legolas.......it took me a day and a half to figure that one out.
Last night I spent my first night in a host home. I got there and used the Internet, then took a shower. That night we spent 2 hours sitting in their living room talking and working on English.
Today we went to the church and participated in the services. at the Youth (high school/college) service I gave my testimony(last minute idea), which was great because it fit right in with Josh's (our leader)message. then we played one of our worship songs for them, my whole group finds it funny because I get so into the music and I start moving around to the music. We went to the park after the youth service and gave out traks and did our skits......I hate doing tracks.....its lame.....and NEVER WORKS!!
Tonight for dinner we had Pizza...........it was not like the usual Za.....it had a TON of toppings on it includig slices of potato. We had some time off before going back to our host homes for the night so a bunch of us went to a local coffee shop (Seven Monkeys Cofee) and chilled there for a bit.
We worked with a DTS this week, and now we are working at one of the churches in Icheon for an English camp. It is kind of like a VBS.
I am loving this country, the people, the city, the culture. I think I might come back after college to teach English.




God Bless
-Ben Collins

We Have Arrived!

We arrived last night at the Youth Center in Morris, IL after an 18 hour trip. we are settling in and preparing for the work ahead. tonight we will be going to a bible study at someones house and leading worship and prayer. I will keep you updated on what we will be doing, when I know.

Thank You
Keep us in your prayers
-Ben

Leaving

We take off tomorrow morning at 4 for Morris, IL. Please keep us in prayer as we travel and start our ministry.

God Bless
-Ben

Winding down

We are now on the last part of the Lecture phase, we are now just preparing for outreach. We have less than a week left before we leave for Christmas Break. When we come back from break we head out to Morris, Illinois for two weeks of outreach at a teen evangelism house. On the 14th we head out to South Korea, where we will be doing work at churches, youth gatherings, Schools, and refugee camps. I am playing bass in 2 worship bands, acting in 2 dramas and assisting in anything else that is needed.


I am still in need of $700 more for the trip. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I continue with this. I want my ministry to be fruitful, and I know God will do great things through me, but I need your prayers and help to do that.

I usually have my quiet time in the back part of the property, 40 acres of fields, woods, and mud. It has been raining the last few days, so It has been more fun having quiet times back there.

Thanks for your help
God Bless
-Ben

Update (sorry for the delay)

Hello everybody!

I am doing great here. We are on the last week and a half of the lecture/class phase of the DTS. on the 22nd I will be flying home for Christmas and coming back on the 30th. We leave for the US stateside outreach on the 3rd of Jan, and for South Korea on the 14th.
For the Stateside we will be going to Morris, IL. We will be doing work at a teen/youth mission there.
I am really excited about the outreach to South Korea. We will be speaking/preaching at churches, refugee camps, and youth events. Some of the people in our group will be teaching english. we have a few different dramas we have learned, and have formed two different worship teams. I am in two of the dramas and I am playing bass in both of the worship teams.
we have been recently learning about the "Father Heart of God" from a man named Tom Hallas. The teaching is about how God is our father, and has the heart and love of a father for us. This week we are learning from Lud Golz about sharing our testimonies and how we do that in a practical or written way.
I am having the time of my life here, the last few weekends we have planned events for the students in the school to do. Last week we had a Scavenger Hunt, we made different groups go around town and do different crazy(not illegal), weird, and fun things. This weekend we played "Underground Church". We hid "Bibles"(boxes with aluminum tape on them) and the two teams had to find the boxes and take them back to their bases without us tagging them with our "flower bombs"(stockings filled with flour). Since I was in the group planning the event I got to play as the "government" the bad guys.
I still need your help with a lot. I am still in need of your prayers as I continue through this time and outreach. It is very important that you pray for God to be released in all that I do. Pray that God will work in the hearts of those we talk to, and work with my group in unity.
I am in need of financial support. I am still in need of another $800 for my outreach costs. And I will be needing another $3,250 in order to cover the costs of my SOE Tuition. My address is on the right side bar on the site. Please pray for the outpouring of finances so that I can continue the work that God has sent me to do.

Thank you
God Bles
-Ben Collins

I'm Going to South Korea!!!

When we come back from Christmas break we will be headed out for the outreach part of the school. The first two weeks will be spent in the US followed by out other outreach choice. My outreach will be to South Korea From January 16 to February 16. We will be spending two weeks in Seoul followed by two weeks in Asan.
In Seoul we will be doing ministry in refugee camps, teaching at churches and teaching at youth events. We will be the second outreach from YWAM to go to South Korea, the people are very hungry to hear the work and very open to teachings.
Asan is the most significant part of the trip, we are being hosted by the mayor. He is hosting us and helping us to do teachings and teach English.
It will cost exactly $2,350 for the whole thing, and I am relying on him to bring it all in. So please Keep me in your prayers as I go on this journey.

God Bless
-Ben
This was our First Attempt at taking a group picture


This is my Group going to South Korea

Headed to South Korea

When the choices for outreach were listed I was amazed to see that South Korea was listed as one of the choices. God has always given me a heart for Europe and Asia. So for the outreach part of my Discipleship Training School I am headed to South Korea. It will cost about $2500 overall. so I need those funds raised and lots of prayer to go out. We will be headed out in Mid January and be back towards the end of February. We will be speaking at mega-churches, doing ministry at refugee camps and more. I am very excited about the whole thing.

There are two other groups headed out from my school, one is going to Brazil and the other is staying here in the US to go the Ghetto American Cities.

Please keep my whole school in prayer as we go through classroom teachings and training

God Bless
-Ben