Dear Friends,

I was speaking at a retreat in Korea for English teachers last weekend and it was a blessing to be there. To say that Korea has an insatiable desire for their young people to learn English is beyond computation

Our retreat was held at an "English Village" about one hour outside of Seoul. Here the provincial government at very great expense had reconstructed a replica of Jeffersonian, Virginia. All the buildings were made of beautiful brick and dressed stoned and were named after that era. Young people from the schools come there for one week and immerse themselves in English.

The amount of money spent on the place is staggering. The wide main street which sports stately buildings on each side is all constructed of brick. No cheap asphalt here to spoil the ambience. I have never seen anything like it.

It seems like they constructed the village because parents were starting to send their young people to the USA and other places to learn English. The government got concerned and decided that instead of sending the kids from Korea to the USA they would bring the USA to Korea!

Of course, learning English is seen as essential for getting ahead in the modern world and the parents are always hoping their children will get into the best schools and get the best jobs and have economic security for the rest of their lives.

Well I hear that the Great God of the Universe has built a pretty nice city where the streets are not paved with cheap brick but real gold. And in the great by and by that city will be coming out of heaven and settle here on the earth where we will live with God and all His people forever and ever.

It would seem like a good idea that if we want to get ahead in the next life, we better learn the language of heaven now. Yes, invest a time each day in reading God's Word and prayer and soon enough we will be taken from our humble village here below to the great city God has prepared above.