A Cross On the Razor Wire in the DMZ and Prayer from the Largest Church in the World!

Annyoung ha se yo- or hello from Dr.Torres, Pat Day and myself.

It is Wednesday night, May 30th and I am currently sitting at my hotel desk on the 10th floor where I can look out over the night skyline of Seoul. In the night you can see the light coming from so many neon crosses and by day you can see church steeples everywhere- big churches, little churches, churches on the corner and churches on the hilltops.

In Seoul there are over 5,000 churches alone!

Today we participated and experienced an incredible day with the Lord and with our great brother in Christ and our host guide- Brother Kim of the Korean Racing Authority. He arranged to take us up to the DMZ where we would be able to look into North Korea.

Depending on traffic the DMZ is within an hour's drive of Seoul. The massive multi-lanes of the modern superhighway slowly begin to roll into three lanes and then two and then to one lane heading north.

As you head north the mountains rise up and the flanking forests are a bright green. The river appears with islands and wetlands and all along the roadside you see razor wires on fences and guard posts and stations every few hundred yards.

We are told that is because the north used to send down commando teams in river subs to penetrate into raids on South Korea. Though for the most part the two Koreas are divided along the 38th parallel there is a part of western Korea held below that line by forces of North Korea and a great deal of territory held by the forces of South Korea that is north of the line.

In between is this incredible strip of bright green and naturally wild land that is 4km wide and runs 150 miles across Korea called the Demilitarized Zone or the "DMZ". It may look peacful and serene- but the South holds 2km and the North 2km and everything in between is blocked off by wires and stations and giant minefields. Armies amounting to several million are facing each other within a 50 mile radius with massive amounts of firepower and missiles aimed at each other.

We arrived at a "Reunification Peace Park" where we would board a bus to take us into the DMZ. At the park there is a section of the old train tracks and bridge that used to run between the north and south. As you walk the bridge toward the north it comes to an abrupt stop.

Along the fence you see draped cloth with writing on them. It covers everything from top to bottom. It looks similar to memorials we as a nation have placed in areas of tragedy such as occurred in Oklahoma City and New York after 9/11. But on this spot since 1953 people in the south have been coming here to place their written wishes and more importantly their prayers-prayers for peace., prayers for reunification, prayers for those lost to war and prayers for families shattered and divided by the DMZ.

It is a powerful place and as I looked up I saw a large, wooden cross that was attached to the razor wire, hanging above all the prayer clothes and requests. It said so much to me in such a quick way. It stirred me and humbled me. It reminded me of the folly of man and the suffering we can all unleash on each other by our own desires and agendas and political aims- great blood was spilled in an incredible conflict and the ramifications of it still go on in the cost of divided families and a divided nation.

But there was the cross on the wire. The one that we can unite under, Love under, bring peace to one another, forgive one another under- because that is what Christ did on the cross.

Dr. Torres and Pat Day and Brother Kim and I joined arms in a circle and prayed for the peacful reunification of the two Koreas and the opportunity to bring the Love and Grace and Truth to the North and to help them prosper spiritually, physically and mentally.

As we continued to tour the DMZ and went down into the tunnels the North had dug in the hopes of striking with thousands of troops and looked over the fortifications and minefields over into North Korea- our souls and hearts were again stirred- and we all prayed again for peace.

As we drove back into Seoul we saw the Full Gospel Church just over the river- the largest church in the world with over 750,000 members! We drove over to it, parked and walked inside. We walked down in the sanctuary, which we had to ourselves- and looked over the huge worship hall that held tens of thousands of seating areas- the organ pipes, the balconies and the pulpit from which 7 services are preached from on Sunday alone.

Beneath the giant cross behind the pulpit and in front of the altar- Dr. Torres led us in a prayer of thankfulness, a prayer for our chaplains, a prayer for the ministry in Korea, a prayer that revivals would be launched in race tracks all over the world as from the spot we were standing on- thousands of missionaries were sent out from this church- to evangelize in the name of Christ!

We felt the spirit of God surge through us as we held hands in the circle beneath the cross.

My mind kept racing back to the cross on the wire in the DMZ, the crosses we saw lining the hill tops and river banks all around the DMZ and throughout Seoul- and back to the cross beneath the largest church in the world.

I thought of Dr. Torres as he preached at church on Sunday to over 2,000 people telling them first about the race track ministry and then to the calling of God that all of us are missionaries and challenging the people to go out into the world or in their backyard and proclaim the Good News!

I thought of Pat Day as he shared in the Sunday afternoon service about his life story and inspired so many people and that opportunity I had to follow him and read from Galatians 3:28 and bring them a word of unity and global calling- for as the theme of all three of us was- Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel of Christ!

The crosses displayed here mean so much. Christians have paid for their faith in blood and persecution in Korea and now they have helped transform South Korea into a powerhouse on both the economic and spiritual levels.

Think of the cross on the wire, think of the cross in the biggest church in the world, think of the cross in your heart. Pray for the peace and reunification of Korea, pray for the ministry here and around the world, pray for Pat Day as he is opening doors for the race track ministry.

Pray, pray and pray!

Edward