Gotta Go Potty

Yesterday, I attended a Korean church called Hyung Jae Church (Community Church of Seattle). My mom wanted to attend the church because its pastor had come out to Vancouver and held a powerful revival meeting.

Honestly, it has been nearly 20 years since I stepped into a Korean church for a service other than a funeral. Hyung Jae Church was surprising because the building was relatively new and it actually seemed like an American church more so than a Korean church. The church was modern with LCD TV's hanging on the walls and a obligatory coffee bar with a high end espresso machine.

I attended the English Ministry congregation which numbered about 250 people but I was told it can get as high as 400 people depending on the events going on for the week. I was impressed by the staff and I felt instantly comfortable. I think the comfort that I felt was because of my years growing up in a Korean church. Some of my best times in my life came from a Korean church especially during church camp.

I remember one time when I was about 15 years old coming back from a camp in a passenger van. A younger kid named Steve Ahn was sitting in the back row with me. He had to go to potty very badly but the bus driver refused to pull over since he thought Steve was just faking it. Unfortunately, Steven's bladder barely could stand the additional pressure so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

To set the scene, the windows in a passenger van do not completely open. The hinge only allows it to be open a few inches. Well, Steven stood on the backseat and maneuvered his body so that his weiner would peak outside the window. He proceeded to give the car behind us on the Trans-Canada Highway a "Golden Shower". However, the turbulence from the vehicle also allowed some of his warm pee to re-enter the cabin of the passenger van. I would become a victim of collateral damage as I felt a warm shower on my face.

Remembering some of the "fond" church memories allows me to realize how rich of a life that I've had. I've had a lot of great friends and wonderful experiences at church. One positive thing that I can glean from this not-so-fun heart surgery experience is that I get to reminisce about the past. I don't think we do that enough because we are always so busy progressing that we forget to appreciate what has happened to us. So, I'm blessed that I get to take a look back and remember old friends and rich experiences.