John 12: 12-13 “… a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.”
We celebrated Palm Sunday at Yeadam, Church of the Nazarene, just a 5-minute walk from the guest apartment where we are staying on KNU campus. Wilsons met us in front of the apartment and we walked over together. The pastor is a smiling, dynamic lady, married to Dr. Hong, who is head of the Department of Missions at KNU. We enjoyed several hours of the day with them.
The smallish-church was very full. We were very pleased that two of our new Korean friends, Simon and Gi-Hoon, answered our invitation and joined us in the service. The hymnals and the choruses projected on the screen were in both English and Korean.
The congregation responded very enthusiastically as Jon and I alternated back and forth in speaking and Dr. Hong translated. We shared that palm fronds were used to praise in Jesus’ times, but we may use the palms of our hands to praise Him, too, putting them together to clap for Him. We asked them to clap for many of the victories in Mozambique and Africa that we were reporting.
Martha Wilson explained to us that most services serve a light lunch after the service, then there is a second service around 2:00 p.m. That’s what happened in church today. Almost everyone stayed and ate finger foods and visited in small groups around the sanctuary. The English speakers then left, and the Koreans continued for their second service.
We went back to the guest apartment to write, and pack and nap! We went back to the church at 6:00 p.m. to be taken to supper by the pastor and her husband. Six of us piled into their mid-sized mini van (Jon, Martha, pastor & I in the back). It reminded us of packed vehicles in several other countries we had lived in!
They took us to a lovely, traditional Korean restaurant where we sat on chairs, not in the wells. As part of the tradition, like the restaurant that Tenny and Simon took us to on Thursday, there is not a large dining room, but each party is seated privately behind sliding bamboo doors. This system allows for great conversation as everyone can hear each other. 
Dinner was indeed delightful as we discussed their trips to the US, his studies at Asbury Seminary, their wedding performed by Brent Cobb, the norms of Korean fare in the home, our adventures with the Wilsons out to the West Sea, our hopes for the multicultural training center in West Seattle, and even the possibility that one or some of his missions’ student might be called to be a Tentmaker around Federal Way where there are so many Koreans living. The food was extremely well presented and tasty. I was very surprised to like the raw beef dishes...
Dinner was indeed delightful as we discussed their trips to the US, his studies at Asbury Seminary, their wedding performed by Brent Cobb, the norms of Korean fare in the home, our adventures with the Wilsons out to the West Sea, our hopes for the multicultural training center in West Seattle, and even the possibility that one or some of his missions’ student might be called to be a Tentmaker around Federal Way where there are so many Koreans living. The food was extremely well presented and tasty. I was very surprised to like the raw beef dishes...
As we were leaving the restaurant, the manager stopped the pastor to present to her a Gideon’s New Testament – in Korean, of course. She then signed it and gave it to me – for our use in Federal Way! Martha and Larry also got them, but gave them to us with a prayer that the little blue book will be used to bring someone to the Author. What a wonderful way to cap off Palm Sunday, praising God for what He is going to do in the future.
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