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Meet Sueihn Lee

01.17.12

What is your full name?
Sueihn Lee (pronounced SOO-IN), but a lot of people call me Sue for short. I have no middle name. My first name is Korean and comes from combining the first syllable of both my parents' names.  

How did you hear about the Simple Way?
As a student at Alliance Theological Seminary, I took a travel class that involved attending the Christian Community Development Association conference upon a friend's recommendation. She had also told me a bit about New Monasticism and The Simple Way. As part of the class, we had to read The Irresistible Revolution. I was hooked.

What are you going to be doing here?
I will be serving as the Volunteer Coordinator - recruiting, training, and integrating volunteers into our web of subversive friends.


How would you describe your passion in life?
As a licensed clinical social worker and a former pastor, my passion in life is to see people experience comprehensive restoration and healing (spiritual, emotional, physical, social, economic) as they discover more of who God is and who they really are as ones made in God's image.

Is there a fun quirk or habit your closest friends might want to warn us about?
This is not a fun quirk, but some of my friends are amused by the petulance I show in struggling to get out of bed in the mornings. I am not a morning person, and waking up is very difficult for me. I regress into a cranky toddler. My friends are also amazed by the number of hours I can sleep at a time.

Is there anything in life that you are scared of?
I used a night light well into adolescence. I still prefer to turn on lots of lights when I'm walking around the house, especially if I'm alone. I usually refuse to watch scary movies, but will absolutely never watch Japanese or Asian ghost movies. On a more serious level, I'm afraid of mediocrity, regret, failure, disappointing others, and being disappointed.

Name some of your strengths in life [practically, academically, spiritually - any of those]
I'm a fast learner, decent writer, and have done well academically for most of my life (I have a box of nerd awards at my family's house that I refer to as the Museum of Sueihn). Unfortunately, this does not always translate into real-life smarts because I can be a bit spacy and absent-minded. I also really love listening to people's stories and speaking truth into their lives.

Who are three people in life who you look up to or who have inspired you?
My dad is a major inspiration and influence on who I am today. He taught me to think critically, love reading, serve God and people, and to dare to be a nonconformist. Reading a biography of Jane Addams, activist and founder of the settlement house movement, as a child really inspired me. Spiritually speaking, I've been influenced by the ministry or works of Shane Claiborne (obviously), John Piper, Henri Nouwen, CS Lewis, John Eldredge, Bill Johnson, John Wimber, St. Teresa of Avila, the International House of Prayer, and Francis MacNutt (sorry, that was way more than 3 people).

Typical dinner question - it is you and any three people from around the world today sitting down for a meal - who would you choose?
My shallow answer is James McAvoy, Ryan Gosling, and Matthew Gray Gubler (my dream celebrity man harem).  My serious answer is Heidi Baker, Tim Keller, and the Dalai Lama.

Do you have a particular verse or passage from the Bible that inspires you or gives you strength?
Isaiah 61:1-4 is my life passage; it describes what I feel called to do, as well as the calling I hope to inspire others to take up. On a more personal level, Isaiah 62:4 reminds me of my identity as Hephzibah, one whom the Lord delights in, regardless of my accomplishments or how perfect I am or on what side of the bed I woke up this morning.

And finally, can you give us a word or phrase to describe each of your village house fellow residents based on your first few days impression?
Erica - The warmest, friendliest, and most compassionate and empathetic punk hipster accountant extraordinaire around.
Aaron - Indie rockin' monk hipster with a very un-monklike sense of humor that I appreciate very much.
Val - Strong, articulate woman of conviction who shows wisdom and maturity beyond her years. She elevates reading aloud into an art form (maybe it's the South African accent).
Brett - Easygoing comedian with a deep, thoughtful serious side - swayed by nothing, but good at swaying others with his skills of persuasion, especially in Monopoly Deal