"Diaspora Church"

a list of songs that remind me of Diaspora.

So today was our last weekend or day with D.E.M. or Diaspora.

tough day.

i'm really going to miss many of them.

there were moments i couldn't hold it in, and let the works go... but only a little.

esp during worship; "The Heart Of Worship".

every moment i find myself pondering at the idea of not being able to see them next week or the following gets my heart to crack a little bit more.

so this blog will mainly be addressing my kids at Diaspora...

__________________________________

to my beloved D.E.M.,

when i first met you guys at Family in Touch in the summer of '07, it was crazy.

very welcoming and others shy, young and innocent, kind and loving and others very....very....touchy. 

i wonder what you guys were thinking when i first led worship at F.I.T.?

those prayer nights were so great for me; i didn't mind taking the bus and walking blocks to meet God with you guys there. Helping you guys draw closer to God was such a rewarding gift for me, even if i got lost in jersey a couple of times (not fun at all). I got to see Jason and Jonathan grow starting from those nights & was able to lead worship with Stephen and Jeehyun for the first time, and the support of Tim with simple things like powerpoint only to find them to be our future officers, no matter how out of sync we were, they put they're trust in me as i in them, thank you. I was blessed to see God use Diaspora in ETERNITY '07 & '08....and then to see Polly come join the family and Dami, Paul, Daniel, TaeSeo, & Kenny! wow~ this was a church where the provision of God was immense. God provided.

i still have the program from our first retreat pinned on my "Wall of Jesus", "Standfast: One Spirit, One Mind" August 19-22, 2007... worshipping to "Oh the Wonderful Cross", "One Voice", "The Heart of Worship".... and then "Standfast 2008: Living Hope", worshipping to, "In Need", "Mighty To  Save" & "Surrender".

I wish i could say a wonderful thing about each and every1 of you guys, but for the sake of this blog getting draggy, i'll save that for future letters. you guys have stretched me and challenged me to become a stronger leader and servant. I will miss you guys dearly and really can't wait to see you guys in heaven (but of course we will hopefully see each other during our time here on earth!)

i can't really write every single event that went on, but these were the memorable ones right now. i'll add to this blog a photographic tribute, but if i can leave you guys with one thing, it would be........to look to the cross of Christ, always.

you'll not only find salvation there, but redemption.... you'll find all the answers in life!....at the foot of the cross, working out salvation on your knees.

it's a place where God's divinity meets our depravity.... where both saints and sinners meet..... where Gods love and man's shortcomings intertwine........ a place where we can find peace in a world that's out of control... a place where we can find hope.

D.E.M.... thank you for hungering for the things of God.

the peace, joy and love of God be with you always.

i love you all.

-JP ssem

"How good and pleasant it is 
       when brothers/sisters live together in unity!"

Psalms 133:1