Oak Tree Project and our Jazz Concert

This Friday two wonderful performers, Park Ju Won (with his band) and La Ventana, will be performing on behalf of Oak Tree Project, our scholarship/mentoring program for Korean orphans who are trying to attend college in Korea. www.oaktreeproject.com is our English site and kr.oaktreeproject.com is our Korean site (한국어). All the information about the program and the concert are on those sites, including directions to the concert hall. 

Please help us by spreading the word about the scholarship/mentoring program for orphans and by spreading word about the concert. Tickets are 55,000won (~$50) and can be purchased either here at Interpark or by replying to this e-mail that you would like a ticket and EFT (wiring) your money to our scholarship account: IBK Bank (기업은행): 041-089213-01-019 (SCHOLARSHIP 예루살렘 선교회). We will then reserve the ticket(s) on your behalf and have them available for pickup at the concert hall the night of the concert. 

At this point tickets will also be available at the door. We are praying though for a last second swing of ticket sales. One of our performers, Park Ju Won (박주원), is very popular right now because he was featured on a new song with Korean singer IU (아이유). Please share about the concert with your friends, but especially with any Korean friends/co-workers/relatives. They may know Park Ju Won and want to attend the concert. The other band La Ventana is not as well known yet, but very talented as well. The concert will mainly be instrumental (jazz/tango/guitar) and the video will be in Korean with English subtitles. 

I have copied below a brief summary about Oak Tree Project and the concert including a link to one of Park Ju Won’s youtube clips. Before that though, here are some prayer requests you could lift up on behalf of me and the scholarship fund…

1) Please pray that in the next few days we will see hundreds tickets sold and the concert hall filled up Friday night

2) Please pray that through the video we will show Friday, the sharing of the performers on behalf of Oak Tree Project, and a picture slideshow that the hearts of people who attend the event will be opened towards the orphans of Korea

3) Please pray for more than enough funds will be raised for us to offer more scholarships to orphans in 2014. Currently we have 4 recipients (they will all be at the concert along with a number of other kids). One scholarship is about $6,500 per student. 

Thank you for your prayers! The summary and clips are below. 

In short, Oak Tree Project was formed because over our many years serving the kids at the orphanages we saw the great need for the children after they graduate. Most of the children have no emotional or financial support after they leave and are on their own. Loneliness, depression, suicidal thoughts, vulnerability to bad jobs and bad influences, alcohol abuse are all huge dangers for these kids. For most of them they have no one to mentor them and help them get on their feet. Our hearts really broke for them and we noticed how the few who tried to attend college often gave up because they were so worn out from working all the time to provide for their tuition. We formed Oak Tree Project to not just provide a scholarship for the orphans, but to also serve as a mentoring program that would give the kids the emotional support and direction that they so sorely need. Right now we have four recipients for 2013. Our goal is to raise enough money to provide for nine students next year. We want to see this program expand and see more orphans overcoming the seemingly insurmountable odds in front of them.

The jazz concert on Friday is one of the ways we are able to spread awareness about their situation and share what we are doing. It is also one of the ways we are able to raise funds for the children, while also providing a top notch concert that will attract people who know nothing about Oak Tree Project. The artists are excellent. 

Here is a clip of Park Ju Won…

Here is a clip of La Ventana…

Here is a brief teaser of Park Ju Won’s new song with IU…

Hope you can join us!