Below we wrote about our travels around the world during my six
month sabbatical. It was neat to see many of these places for the
first time and to marvel at God's creation, but the best part was to do
all this with loved ones. We had a blast as a family traveling to
Wyoming, Alaska and Asia together. But in the seven years since
we've had children, Soon Pac and I have not been away by ourselves
(except for 4 days last year for our 10th anniversary in
Princeton). So to have these three weeks just to ourselves in
Europe and Egypt on the eve of our 11th wedding anniversary was truly a
gift. It really has been a time of renewal, refreshment and
joy. There are no words to describe the gratitude I have to God
for the most wonderful wife any man could ask for. She will
always be the love of my life. 
"We'll always have Paris" Europe Tour Ireland, Aug. 12-13 Even
though the government has declared "red alert" due to the foiled plots
out of Heathrow Airport, we thankfully got through security with
ease. We landed in Dublin, our first stop in Europe, to find a
surprisingly beautiful and sophisticated city. We loved walking
through the city park and the crowded streets full of cafés and street
performers. All kinds of people were out and about
- Bohemians, families with young children, and lots of tourists
like us. We never imagined Ireland would be a romantic place, but
Soon Pac and I will always remember it as such. (Stop sighing) 
In Dublin city center 
Soon Pac hanging out with typical Dubliner 
Grafton Street, Dublin Scotland, Aug. 13-15 After
a short plane ride from Dublin, we were greeted by my friend Dugald, a
Church of Scotland minister in Glasgow, whom I met in Geneva at a
theological consultation last year. He and Pauline graciously
opened up their lovely home to us for two nights, giving us a taste of
the city from an insider's perspective. I especially enjoyed
coversation over coffee with Dugald and another minister friend Malcolm
about multiculturalism, ecumenism, and the state of the church in
general in the 21st century. Dugald is quite the historian and
gave me the non-Hollywood version of what really
happened with William Wallace (aka Braveheart). I'll tell you
about it over lunch (your treat). I learn so much from these
precious conversations with colleagues from another context.
After a delicious dinner prepared by Dugald and Pauline, we were
entertained by their two adorable girls who sang and did the Scottish
Highland dance for us - surely the highlight of our stay in Glasgow! A
short one hour train ride took us to Scotland's capital. We were
fortunate to arrive in Edinburgh during the largest arts festival in
the world. The view from Edinburgh Castle overlooking the city
was breathtaking, but the real fun was at the Royal Mile where
performers of every stripe came from all over the world to strut their
stuff, even a fan dance troupe from Korea. It was terrific
entertainment, and all for free! In the middle of this festive
madness stands the majestic St. Giles Cathedral, a Roman Catholic
church built in the 12th century that became the center of the Scottish
Reformation in the 1500s. It has been considered the "mother
kirk" (or church) of Scottish Presbyterianism ever since John Knox
preached from its pulpit. Visiting St. Giles and the John Knox
House down the street gave us a deeper understanding of who we are as
Korean American Presbyterians, and why the PCUSA faces the
challenges that it does. For further elaboration on that,
buy the book that I plan to write this fall (ask for a special
"friend of Jin" discount). 
Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum 
Pastor Dugald's family, our host in Glasgow 
The Scottish Highlands Sword Dance 
Edinburgh's famed Royal Mile 
View from Edinburgh Castle 
Korean Dance Troupe at the Edinburgh Arts Festival 
St. Giles Cathedral - Scottish Presbyterianism's "mother church" London, England, Aug. 16-17 Long
time no update. We've been traveling like mad and we could not
find internet cafes easily. We stayed next to Hyde Park in
London after a short but fun visit to Edinburgh. We strolled
around the park and took it easy - I even got a haircut. Our main
appointment was to have dinner with a friend who is very involved in
the PCUSA, and who happens to work mostly in London. Soon Pac and
I thoroughly enjoyed our time with Doug and his generosity in treating
us to a gourmet meal. We did the typical London thing: Trafalgar
Square, the National Gallery, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham
Palace, Tower Bridge, the fascinating new Gherkin building, and
watching the boats go by on the Thames. 
Hyde Park, London 
SP excited to be at Piccadilly Circus, then disappointed to find out not a real circus 
Dinner with Jin's friend Doug, a lawyer who works in London and NYC 
The River Thames 
Westminster Abbey 
Buckingham Palace where we had tea with the Queen - NOT! 
Always thinking about church 
NEW: the "Gherkin" building - wondrous! 
OLD: Big Ben - majestic! Paris, France, Aug. 18-20 Wow,
the weather continues to be good, and it's gorgeous in Paris, the City
of Lights. It's my second time here, but definitely more romantic
with Soon Pac this time. Our hotel is right between the Eiffel
Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, so very convenient to walk. Soon
Pac is amazed at the scale of the tower - it literally dominates the
Parisian skyline. Of course we had to see the Louvre, the world's
most famous museum - still couldn't figure out what Mona Lisa was
smiling about. The next day we saw Napolean's grand monument to
himself, the Arc de Triomphe (gotta love his style), and from there
breathed in the scene along the Champs Elysees. We walked through
some lovely French gardens, dotted with beautiful sculptures and
monuments, until we got to the Musée d'Orsay, known for its
Impressionist collection. Afterwards, we took the Metro to the
Sacre Couer Cathedral, then saw the facade of the Moulin Rouge (no time
to watch the Can-Can though). We started the third day with
worship at the Notre Dame Cathedral where we were reminded
once again that we Christians are all one in Christ, and that we
are all scandalously divided. We did not partake in communion,
the high point of the service, since non-Catholics are not invited, and
the beauty and majesty of the service with people from all over the
world only drove home the absurdity of our dividedness as people of
God. Right next door is Saint Chappelle, famous for wall-to-wall
stained glass windows of exquisite craftsmanship. But what we
really enjoyed was strolling along the banks of the Seine on a Sunday
afternoon - priceless! 
La Tour Eiffel 
Doesn't taste like crêpe at all! 
The Peace Monument (notice the English and Korean) 
At the Louvre Museum 
Arc de Triomphe - viva la France! 
Everybody seems to breakdance in Europe (not a generalization) 
The Sacré Couer Basilica at Montmartre (1875 AD) 
Worshiping at the Notre Dame Cathedral (1163 AD) 
The panoramic stained glass windows of Sainte-Chapelle (1245 AD) 
Along the banks of the Seine and Notre Dame 
Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 21-22 We
saved time by taking a sleeper train from Paris on a 12 hour
trip. Our hotel was in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, the
oldest part of the city. We saw the beautiful coastline and
beaches first by renting bicycles - a great way to get a feel for the
city. Barcelona is principally shaped architecturally by one man,
Antoni Gaudi, whose direct work and influence are evident
everywhere. Soon Pac and I were absolutely conviced by the end of
our time here that he was a genious without parallel. She hopes
our house will one day reflect some of his influence as well. We
found Barcelona to be the most romantic city so far. The
tree-lined streets with the outdoor restaurants and cafes were always
filled with people with not much to do except to enjoy life.
Along La Rambla, the main pedestrian thoroughfare, we had a traditional
Spanish dinner of paella - delicious, esp. with some Tabasco
sauce. The city was festive, relaxed, culturally sophisticated
and warm. This is one place we definitely would love to visit
again. 
Columbus pointing to the New World (but pointing south in this monument) 
Barcelona's Mediterranean boardwalk 
Street life on La Rambla 
At the Salvador Dali Museum 
Eating late, the traditional Spanish dish "paella" 
Soon Pac on the balcony of the Hotel Barcino 
Casa Batllo, one of Antoni Gaudi's masterpieces 
Casa Batllo's rooftop, Gaudi's hallmark 
On the rooftop of Gaudi's La Pedrera 
Gaudi's Park Guell 
Gaudi's final project, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral 
Sagrada Familia's interior columns that resemble trees 
Breakfast on our way from Barcelona to Milan 
Our private sleeper cabin Venice, Italy, Aug. 23 Just
one day in Venice, but boy, what a day! We knew the whole city
was underwater, but you really have to see it to believe
it. Never saw an entire city without a single
car! They have taxis and buses, but all on water. Venice is
not the place to spend time in museums, but out and about along the
public squares, narrow streets, and the lovely canals. We got
lost a lot, but didn't matter since it is a small town really, and
everything leads back to the Grande Canal. Glad we got to see
this incredible city before it disappears through global warming. 
Venice was allegedly founded in 422 by Roman refugees fleeing the Goths 
At St. Mark's Square 
Traffic jam - Venetian style 
The Grande Canal 
A truly romantic city that will soon sink due to global warming Florence, Italy, Aug. 24 This
whole city is like an open-air museum. Still, the highlight has
been to see Michaelangelo's "the David" statue at the Galleria dell
Accademia, truly a masterpiece for all times. He looks calm and
serene from the front, where his head tilts leftward. But if you
look at his face square, there's an intensity in the eyes that is
almost frightening. This was supposed to be David right after his
battle with Goliath, after all. The real one was in the museum -
no photos! The replica was in the main square where birds were
pooping on it - so sacriligious, but fun to watch. Ciao for now. 
Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence 
Fortuitously, we caught a midday mass at Santo Spirito 
After a while, we just had to have Chinese food 
Obviously a fake "David" - the real one has no bird Rome, Italy, Aug. 25 Finally,
our ultimate destination in Europe, the place of my spiritual
pilgrimmage, the Eternal City - all roads lead to Rome, after
all. My commitment to the multicultural incarnation of the church
has fueled my passion for the visible unity of the global church.
Multiculturalism includes the eccesial cultures represented in the
various denominations and traditions of the Christian church. The
scandal of the church is that we are not scandalized by the
ecclesiastical tribalism, triumphalism, sectarianism and endless
divisions of the church of Jesus Christ. We visited Rome in part
to see the place that Protestantism grew out of, and that one day, we
may need to return. The pizza was great too. How's that for
a segue? Find the direction I'm going intriguing? Buy my
book, which will be published in 2007, God willing, and again, ask for
a "friend of Jin" discount (5% off after adding 10% shipping and 30%
handling; getting a book handled by Jin is like getting a rare
autograph of someone like Jin; autograph extra). 
Complimentary breakfast delivered to our room - awesome! 
Ancient ruins (not talking about us!) 
The Roman Empire at its height 
The Coliseum, where Christians were fed to the lions 
Vatican City 
Pope John Paul II's resting place 
Inside St. Peter's Basilica 
Peter here, literally, the "rock" 
View of St. Peter's Square and the Eternal City from top of the cupola 
Michaelangelo's La Pietà 
The Papal Swiss Guard, founded in 1506 
Dinner at outdoor cafe fronting the ancient Pantheon 
Trevi Fountain, Rome's most enchanting
Egypt Tour Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, Aug. 26-31 What
a dream come true to have the chance to visit this ancient biblical
land for a week! We left Rome on Saturday morning and arrived
safely at the Cairo airport. To see the Pyramids, the priceless
relics of the Egyptian Museum (esp. the King Tut exhibit), the
Nile, the ancient city of Alexandria - this was truly a once in a
lifetime experience. But even more meaningful for us was to
fellowship with Christians who were faithfully serving God in a
predominantly Muslim land. The president of the historic Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (ETSC),
Dr. Atef Gendi, graciously invited Soon Pac and me to be guests of the
seminary. My primary assignment was to lecture on the topic, "The
Church Between East and West," and I'm happy to report that it was
well received and generated a lot of interesting conversation during
the Q&A time. Another reason for my visit was to connect with
an old friend from our Princeton Seminary days, Dusty Ellington, who
serves on ETSC's faculty. We were truly inspired to see the
faithfulness, courage and sacrifice of this very capable
family for the sake of reaching the seminarians and their Egyptian
neighbors with God's love. The Christians in Egypt are very
dedicated and active. It seemed like we were worshiping at some
church almost everyday! We were shocked to learn that about
13% of the Egyptian population is Christian, mostly Coptic Orthodox,
but also Protestant (called "Evangelicals" there), Roman Catholic and
others. Egypt actually has a reputation for being somewhat
"liberal" in its tolerance of non-Islamic religions, but that's by
Middle Eastern standards. Besides the difficulty of living in a
land of limited religious freedom, the Christians also face internal
distrust and discord among the three aforementioned Christian
streams. The Coptic Orthodox have been a
continuous Christian presence in Egypt for 2,000 years! This
division is heartbreaking, especially given the minority status of
Christians there, and because these few are to be witnesses of the love
of Christ to their neighbors. Of course, these divisions are
mostly imported from the Western church, so we also have to take
responsibility. As I always say, we Christians need to
demonstrate a unity that is fundamentally different from the
sectarianism and triumphalism of other religions, or else our Good News
will not be heard as good. We worshiped at the 7,000 member Kasr
el Dobara Evangelical (Presbyterian) Church in the heart of Cairo, the
largest Protestant church in the Arab-speaking world. This church
has an excellent reputation, even among Muslims and government
officials, for doing social ministries that help the poor and
oppressed. Of course, their numbers also point to their
commitment to evangelism, but it was nice to see that these two aspects
of ministry were integrated. But we were especially excited to
worship with two multicultural congregations, both led by black
men. Lutheran pastor Clifford Lewis, ordained by the ELCA, leads
St. Andrews United Church of Cairo, a small but diverse
congregation that uses "high church" liturgy. We also
worshiped at Senate International Church led by a Pentecostal
pastor from Nigeria, Isaac Bassey. An American PCUSA pastor Brice
Rogers (on staff at the seminary) and "Hakim" Kim, a Presbyterian
missionary from Korea, complete this multicultural staff.
Chinese dinner on the Nile with Dusty, Sherri, Clayton and Chris 
Evening cruise on a sailboat along the Nile 
Can you see the pyramid? 
An Egyptian family living on a boat 
Pastor Clifford Lewis telling a joke after worship at St. Andrews United Church of Cairo 
Sunday evening service at 7,000 member Kasr el Dobara Evangelical Church, Cairo 
Middle Eastern-looking Jesus at Kasr el Dobara Church 
The great pyramids of Giza 
The Sphinx 
Senate Int'l Church's pastoral staff: "Hakim" Kim, Brice Rogers and senior pastor Isaac Bassey from Nigeria 
Mural of Jesus' escape to Egypt at the Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo 
These three doors represent the Father, Son and Holy Spirit 
Sarah Kim, missionary to Egypt for 30 years, at her office at the Evangelical Synod building 
The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (ETSC), founded 1863 
ETSC trains future pastors from across the Middle East and around the world 
Delivering my lecture at the ETSC seminary 
Pastor Gendi Ibrahim Rizk, center, of Fairhaven Evangelical Church, Alexandria 
The Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria 
Pompeii's Pillar (a tribute to Roman Emperor Diocletian, 284 AD) 
The stunning new library in Alexandria (2002) 
Street markets in Cairo 
The new Al Azhar Park in Cairo 
Dinner at the home of Magdi Gendy, acting President of ETSC 
My new Iraqi friend Rami, a second year student at ETSC | 
