Team Bios - Will Choi

I get questions about Will Choi all the time.  "What's he doing these days?"  I can barely keep up.  Is he working at the cafe?  Is he working at the food truck?  Is he doing improv?  Is he acting?  Currently, Will is traveling the east coast so please keep him in your prayers.  Before he left, he lead the body worship and the skit team and made sure we were well prepared to practice on our own while he's gone.  We are thrilled to have him bring his past mission trip experiences to this upcoming trip!

So lets get to know him a little better...

NAME: Will Choi

NICKNAMES: Weeel

BIRTHDAY: February 16, 1987

AGE: 26

OCCUPATION/SCHOOL: Graphic designer/Tutor/Café worker/Food truck worker/Improvisor – As you can see, I’m still trying to figure it out

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO ON MISSIONS?  WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO ON MISSIONS THIS YEAR?

I want to go on missions because I want to obey God’s command of loving Him and loving his people. He calls us to go and to share the good news, and I thought going on this trip would be a true example of humbly obeying Him. This year has been a year of stretching and spiritual growth, and I knew that going to Ecuador would challenge me even further.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ON MISSIONS?

I’m looking forward to meeting Dalia (our missionary contact) and seeing the work that she is doing there for the Lord.

WHAT IS SOMETHING (OR SOMETHINGS) MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I do improv. Some people might know this about me, but nobody’s seen me do it. 

I also take a picture everyday on my Instagram. I’ve done it for a year already and I haven’t missed a day yet.

IF YOU HAD ONLY ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF, WOULD WHAT IT BE?

Explorer

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOODS?

Salmon sushi; Pizza from Pizza Hut with three specific toppings: pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms; Fettuccini alfredo; Chicken tenders from anywhere

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR DOWN TIME?

I like to read books; watch TV shows and movies; walk around and take pictures

22 Days Left!

Time flies!

We have just 22 days left until 11 of us go to Ecuador!

There's still time to support the team or a member.

Here is the link:

http://www.crowdrise.com/JAHAMinistryMissionTrip

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and supporting us!

JAHA Ecuador Missions Team 2013!!!

Team Bios - Alan Kim

Alan is joining our Ecuador 2013 Mission Team as a leader for the guys!  He is always behind the scenes making sure that everything goes smoothly and as planned.  Over the years, we have seen him grow spiritually which serving the church, korean ministry, and also being a husband.  

So lets get to know him a little better...

NAME: Alan Kim

NICKNAMES: Vacuum Cleaner

BIRTHDAY: Feb/25/77

AGE: 36

OCCUPATION/SCHOOL: Engineer/Inha Univ.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO ON MISSIONS? 

BECAUSE IT IS JESUS' GREAT COMMANDMENT.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO ON MISSIONS THIS YEAR?

I WANTED TO KEEP PLANTING THE SEEDS OF GOSPEL TO ECUADOR.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ON MISSIONS?

I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT KINDS OF WEAPONS I HAVE TO FIGHT AND GET THE MISSION DONE IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE.

WHAT IS SOMETHING (OR SOMETHINGS) MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I WANTED TO BE A PRO-WRESTLER LIKE HULK HOGAN.

IF YOU HAD ONLY ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF, WOULD WHAT IT BE?

WEIRD

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOODS?

ICECREAM, SPICY SHRIMP CRACKER, KIMCHI JJIGAE MADE BY MY WIFE

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR DOWN TIME?

PLAYING GAMES WHILE I AM DOING LAUNDRY

Monday Update - "Tenderizing"

   

This is how we spent our Friday night...

This past Friday, a few of us stayed after church service to tenderize pork chops.  We all thought it would take about 30 minutes or so, but it ended up being 2 hours!  Our job was to take each pork loin and get a mallet and tenderize the meat until it was thin.  

Well...all the hard work paid off!

We were able to raise $1500 toward our Mission trip with the One-Day Restaurant!  A lot of moms stepped up and helped cook food and it was so delicious and everyone who came out just stuffed our faces with Donkatsu, Spaghetti, Kim Chee Fried Rice, and Dukkboki.  

It was a great effort on everyone's part and everyone just stepped up and did what they had to do.  The next day, a few of the guys had blisters on their fingers and Will said one of his fingers had gone numb.  

It made me think about our lives as Christians.  Maybe life is not always perfect, even as we believe God.  Maybe we all need a little "tenderizing" in our daily walks and although it might be painful at times, we cannot fully learn to be servants until we are "tender."  So when that mallet hits down on you, lets try to accept it with thankful hearts know that God has a better purpose for our lives.

Also!!!!

Thank you for the people who have been supporting

through prayer and money donations.

We are all working hard and praying hard to

get ready for this trip.  

Here is the link for donations if you would like to online:

http://www.crowdrise.com/jahaministrymissiontrip

Thanks,

JAHA Missions Team 2013

Team Bios - Nae Choi

Nae and Missions go hand in hand. She takes every opportunity to talk about Jesus or ask someone if they go to church. Doesnt matter if its the AT&T guy hooking up the internet, or the doctors and nurses at the the hospital she was at, she would always share the gospel. We are happy to have her be one of the team leaders for Ecuador Missions 2013!  

So lets get to know her better!

NAME: Nae Choi

NICKNAMES: shanaenae, naedawg, krazyveins, dj nae

BIRTHDAY: 5/24/81

AGE: 31

OCCUPATION/SCHOOL: Full Time worker of God, Part time tutoring

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO ON MISSIONS?  WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO ON MISSIONS THIS YEAR?

I want to see JAHA as young people pour out our hearts and our lives for these children and youths in Ecuador to make them wonder about and desire what we have in Jesus.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ON MISSIONS?

Becoming closer with the team and working closely together as one for this eternal purpose, and of course to see many children and young people come to Christ in Ecuador.

WHAT IS SOMETHING (OR SOMETHINGS) MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I love to fix things.  I would be a handyman if I didnt become a servant of God.  Also, (if i had all the time in the world) I could spend hours searching the internet for the cheapest deals just to save a few bucks.  

IF YOU HAD ONLY ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF, WOULD WHAT IT BE?

weak-but-strong

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOODS?

Homemade curry rice, King Taco carne asada burrito, Martinellis apple cider (drink), original japanese green tea ice cream

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR DOWN TIME?

Play guitar and of course pray :D

Team Bios - Mike Woooooooooo

You want Mike on your team.  Any team.  You want him on your CS team (counterstrike for you gamers), a zombie apocalypse survival team, a sports team...and especially your Missions team.  Always a team player and willing to help out in any way possible, thats Mike Woo.  Mike has been to Ecuador before so we are excited to have him back to share God's love to His people.

 So lets get to know Mike a little better...

NAME:  Mike Woo

NICKNAMES:  mikey, blue ranger, the flash, woo-man <--- div="" not="" one="" two="" words="">

BIRTHDAY:  march 4, 1986...

AGE: twentysomething

OCCUPATION/SCHOOL: Artilleryman / lacc

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO ON MISSIONS? WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO ON MISSIONS THIS YEAR?

i want to go on missions because to show how awesome our God is and to show how being with him everything is possible, i decided to go on missions this year because Will's going so i am gonna go too!!

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ON MISSIONS?

seeing variety of people, climate, and places that have not been discovered yet!!

WHAT IS SOMETHING (OR SOMETHINGS) MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

i get really into my thoughts that i space out alot or i am just not really thinking anything........,i try to dodge the cracks in the ground cause you can fall in and when there is water on the ground i try to jump over it cause its gonna turn into an ocean because i cant swim.... :) i just like smiling sometimes

IF YOU HAD ONLY ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF, WOULD WHAT IT BE?

TotallyAwesome

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOODS?

Baby back ribs, french fires, cheesecake ice cream, thai bbq just the sauce that comes with the rice (try it), hawaiian and costco pizza, cheese corn, quesadillia, chocolate ice cream, peanut butter/jelly sandwich, tilapia, alaskan roll, mocha frap, mcd big breakfast, jack in the box SUPREME CROISSANT, prock cutlet, honey mustard spinach salad,  i techically like everything except alot of veggietable!!

Monday Update - Some great news!

Whats the good news?  Keep reading and find out!

First off, thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  Seeing the number of views has been really uplifting.  In this world where our attention span is as long as a Twitter post or a text message, it can be difficult to sit and read something longer than 140 letters.  So again, thank you!

Today (May 13th) is the beginning of our 40 day prayer chain!

Please keep the missions team in your prayers, even if its just 1 second for 40 days!  It will end on the day we return from missions.  There is also prayer nights at LA Grace Church on Thursdays at 8pm if you are around the area.

1 - Day Restaurant!

Its this Saturday, May 18th!  Come get your Dontaksu, Kim Chee Fried Rice, Spaghetti, and Dukkboki from 11am - 1pm.  Food will go FAST so buy your tickets ($5) or come out early and get some good food.  There is also delivery for large orders in Koreatown.  The mission team will be working there so come meet us and hang out.

So here's the good news...

About a month ago, Dalia's brother and his family came from Ecuador to Los Angeles for a trip.  The Choi family opened their house for them to stay and they came out to church and was deeply touched by the hospitality.  

He has generously volunteered to pay for a bus to transport the team around the entire time we are going to be there.  Thats about $1000 US dollars which is not cheap in any countries standards!  We have been praying about our transportation so this is just the beginning of God answering our prayers.

ALSO...

Dalia's other brother is providing us with mattresses to sleep on while we are in Otavalo.  It is going to be cold in Otavalo since it is up in the mountains and they are buying mattresses and bringing them up for us to sleep on.  Praise God!

*Dalia is the lady we are working with in Ecuador to help coordinate our trip.  She has been traveling around Ecuador sharing the gospel and trying to improve the conditions of schools*

The last bit of updates!

We are expecting to reach out to 240 High School students in Otavalo on Tuesday (June 18th) in the morning.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will move through the students and that the missions team will be filled with the Spirit and be able to effectively spread the word of God and His love.

One request the people of Otavalo are asking for are toothbrushes and toothpaste.  We are trying to raise money to purchase these items through all our fundraising activities.

If you would like to help donate money, here is the link:

http://www.crowdrise.com/jahaministrymissiontrip

You can also donate money to a specific team member as well by putting their name in the memo section.

Thank you again!

40 days!

Team Bios - Howard Na Jr.

We are blessed to have Howard as part of the 2013 Missions Team!  His dedication to church, to the crazy little after school kids, and even in body worship really shows that he is ready for this mission trip!  He has an amazing testimony about his life and the direction God has called him in.  If you see him, ask him about it!


Name: Howard Na Jr.

Birthday: June 5, 1991

Age: 21

School: UCLA

Why do you want to go on missions? What made you decide to go on missions this year?  God has saved and transformed my life in ways I cannot explain. His love for me is amazing and it brings me to tears every time I think about it, so I want to go on missions to share His crazy love for us. I decided to go on this missions trip because I have recently recommitted my life to the Lord, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to show Him how much I love Him.

What are you looking forward to most on missions?  I want to see many people accept Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit. It will fill me up with immense joy and will be an absolute beautiful sight to see.

What is something most people don't know about you?  Often times when I'm walking around by myself I tend to randomly and awkwardly smile when I think of something funny in my head. Then I look around hoping nobody noticed.

If you had only one word to describe yourself, what would it be?  Kaleidoscope.

What are your favorite foods?  A nice, hearty bowl of sul-lung-tang never fails to rejuvenate me. I also cannot resist buying al pastor or carne asada tacos from Mexican taco trucks.

What do you like to do in your downtime?  I like sitting outside at a Starbucks sipping on an Iced Americano or some random hot tea with something to read and watching the people and cars pass me by and getting distracted by my own thoughts. It's awesome.

Team Bios - Alice Jung

We are very excited to have Alice part of our 2013 Missions Team!  She is by far the youngest team member to have gone on any of these trips.  Her enthusiasm and passion for missions as a high schooler is so inspiring!  It will also be her first time on missions, so please keep her in your prayers!

So lets get to know her a little better...

NAME:  Alice Jung

NICKNAMES:  My cheer friends call me Baby Jung, but mostly its just Alice :)

BIRTHDAY:  April 8, 1997

AGE:  16 years old

OCCUPATION/SCHOOL:   Sophomore (10th grade) at North Hollywood High School

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO ON MISSIONS?  WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO ON MISSIONS THIS YEAR?
After going to Tijuana a few months ago, I realized that many people need God's love.  I hope that through our actions and our show of love, they will feel God's love and be saved.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ON MISSIONS?
I have been studying the Spanish language for two years for my high school credits, and have found this study to be very interesting.  I hope that I can use my language skills to help translate to help this mission trip go smoothly.

WHAT IS SOMETHING (or somethings) MOST PEOPLE DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I really enjoy cooking.  I sometimes bake for my friends, but most friends wouldnt know that I enjoy cooking Korean food.  I also like to help my mom at her hair salon.  I also cheer.  I never expected cheer to be a part of my life, but I made the cheer team and this year we won first place at the cheer competition!

IF YOU HAD ONLY ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I would describe myself as "happy".  I usually like to be in a good mood, and although I have moments of sadness, I like the happy 95% of the time :D

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOODS?
I really really like tacos, but sometimes spicy tuna rolls make me just as happy.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR DOWN TIME?
This is a sad answer, but I like to relax, paint my nails, and go on Facebook.  Just like a typical teenager.