coffee with Grace

So I know it sounds from the title like this post will be about grace...well, it is. Only it's Grace, not grace. With a capital G. Because Grace is a person.

Grace is a Korean woman auditing a few classes at seminary, and a couple of friends and I had coffee with her during our lunch hour today. (Hence the title-I know, I blow you away with my ingenuity.) I must give full credit for the plan to my sweet friend Rachel; I'd never even met Grace before Rachel suggested a few of us eat lunch with her today.

I have to admit, at first I approached the lunch with trepidation, because I am simply not good with unknown situations and/or new people. But goodness, y'all, it was simply delightful. Grace bought us all coffee, and we just sat and...well, peppered her with questions. And the more we asked, and the more she answered, the more the smile on my face grew. Because it was just so neat.

Grace had been praying since she was 9ish (I think?) to come to America. When she became a believer (still in Korea), she began to dream of coming to America to study theology. She told us of how she was a member of a church of 60,000. (Which was fascinating in itself, because we soon realized she meant that it was a bunch of churches, not 60,000 at the particular building. But the fact that she initially described it as her church--that's a pretty great perception of unity, if you ask me.) She eventually moved to Pennsylvania with her children, shortly followed by her husband. One of her pastors in Korea graduated from our seminary, and recommended it to her. Through various other twists of providence, here she landed.*

She hopes to pass her TOEFL so that she can pursue a degree instead of just auditing. When we asked her what she wants to do, she told us that she wants to use a degree to teach the youngest generation of Koreans who are growing up in America about the Faith, in English.

...

How exciting is that?! And how many acts of God and answered prayers and unique turns of events to bring her to us! ... And this is why I love being in seminary. Because I get to hear stories like that, of how God is at work literally around the world. And share them. =)

And if you think about it, pray that she would pass the TOEFL and be accepted as a student. Because she really is a wonderful lady, and it would be such an advantage to the Kingdom.

*I'm being vague in the post on purpose. I don't trust the Internets, so I don't like to give out the personal information of other people.