In the past two and a half years we have seen great fruit from the Pastor’s training schools we have been conducting. We have had several international students. Among the nations represented are: Malta, Germany, Vietnam, England, Canada, USA, and Korea. The Korean Pastor immediately went back to Korea, and began implementing the things that we taught him. His church was radically transformed, so much so that it caught the attention of other churches around. That in turn lead to your first trip to Korea at the beginning of this year. The fruit of that trip was the first Korean Training School. We had 62 pastors attend the training. It was the longest trip that Bambi and I have made, lasting 25 days.

A Retreat

The trip to Korea began with a leader’s retreat. Representatives from ten different churches were at the retreat. We began on Thursday evening, and finished the retreat on Saturday afternoon. There were close to 150 leaders who attended.

Busy Weekends

That Sunday, and each of the three Sundays we were in Korea, Bambi, Pastor Paul, and I were separated to speak in different churches. I spoke in two different churches each of the Sundays. Bambi had her first opportunity to preach all by herself.

Training School

The training school began on Monday, as 62 pastors settled in for the intensive time of training. We changed our pattern for Korea, releasing the pastors on Sunday. Our Training ran over a period of three weeks from Monday to Saturday. We conducted 125 sessions, with them. The aim of our time was to refresh the pastors, and stir within them passion for God and compassion for people. We saw pastors filled with new hope and joy for the ministry. Husbands and wives were reconciled. Relationships were healed. Pastors were once again full of passion for the task God has given them. It was difficult on us, to be away from home for so long, but the results were tremendous. Bambi and I returned to the Philippines on Saturday, and on Monday morning I was on a plane to Vietnam.

A Testimony from Korea

During one of the night sessions after we had taught on the minister’s family, we were gathered around a camp fire, talking about what the Lord had been doing in our lives. The Pastor of the largest participating church, 3000 members, stepped forward to share. He said that for the past 25 years he had been neglecting his wife. He had not seen her as a partner with him in his ministry. He confessed that many time he had been “a scary man” when relating to his family, not the loving husband and father that he should have been. He apologized to his wife asking her to forgive him, telling her that he was now a changed man. Being one of the most senior pastors, he further encouraged the younger pastors not to neglect their family, and in particular their wife. When he finished sharing, his wife ran across the field to where her husband was and in a very un-cultural, un-Korean gesture they hugged one another. That night the Lord transformed their relationship. The amazing thing was after that, in a culture where affection is not shown (especially in public), all across the field husbands and wives began doing the same. Healing came to so many relationships that night.

- Markus Huyssen