Care package

Over the weekend I received a care package in the mail from my college Bible study group back home. Opening it with the guys in my group home gave the same sensations as Christmas morning. The first to come out were the large bags of Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers & Sour Patch Kids. To some, the candy was the Sour Patch Kids were the sourest things they've had (Korean sour candy is really tame). They had a lot of fun popping them in their mouth and puckering their face. The Sour Brite Crawlers were a treat that they all enjoyed because they're much better than the Korean variety and they have a nice tangy sweetness to them
that you don't get in regular Korean candy. Those were gone quick. 

The guys freaked out upon seeing the cheese crackers (the ones with the red plastic stick to spread the artificial cheese whiz on the crackers). They're a tough find around here and in Korea cheese in snacks is always sweetened to a point where it looses its cheese flavor so it's hard to find anything that actually tastes like cheese. Under the crackers were lots of cans of spam which around here is a delicacy. Foreign spam can run up to $8 a can when in the states it's not too hard to find it for a little over or under $1.

And finally there was the nicotine gum. Earlier in the trip one of my guys told me he had thought about quitting for a while, but it's so hard and nicotine gum is very expensive. The main reason I asked for the care package was for this nicotine gum that my college group willfully pitched in for. I think it came as a shock to my student when he had realized the option to stop an addiction that had followed him since the age of 10 sat right there in a short little box. I explained to him that it's not much cheaper in the states, but my college group back home really cared for him and they really want to help in any way they can. He paused reading the box in silence and the only thing he could utter was "...really?" We opened the box together and I read him the instructions in plainer English. I needed to know if he was serious or not. I prayed over him right then and there. Please pray for my friend as he seeks to break his addiction.

-Jeffrey

Beach day with a "porpoise"

An excerpt from a member on the Korean Refugee Team

*No porpoises harmed or seen...but puns are fun.

July 9, 2015

Today was beach day! We got to school, ate breakfast, loaded the bus! It was just like the typical school field trip. After we took a bathroom  (햐장실) break, we finally made it to the ocean and stopped for lunch. Yes... you guessed it. Seafood. Oysters. Still living. Cooked on the small grill in the middle of our table. Thankfully I made it through without getting sick, and then we drove about five more minutes to the beach we would stay. Nicole, Cate and I all ran to the edge of the water just like in the movies. Such a fun time! Water volleyball, finding shells, playing with starfish and baby crabs, and more water volleyball!

I had avoided getting wet ALL DAY and it was just about time to get back to the bus... and then about eight students jumped me, all grabbed a limb, and carried me into the sea. I was completely soaked. I kicked and screamed but they only laughed and said "shorry! shorry!" (sorry). I was a little mad but how can I stay mad at them? They are all so cute! Then we had to shower which we were unprepared for because we were not told to bring all of the shower ammenities (perks of the language barrier). Oh well! Ya just go with the flow.

When we made it back to school we ate dinner at a local, traditional Korean restaurant. We all had chicken soup, but Korean chicken soup is a liittle different from what we are used to. The entire chicken, skin and all is just in the bowl, and you have to pick the chicken off to eat it. It was actually really good! I walked home with my student and then took a shower, put some clothes in the wash, and now I'm about to go to bed. I'm so thankful for the chill time with the students now that they are done with exams. Looking forward to spending more time with them now that there's no more school!

Mementos.

In an earlier journal entry I talked a bit about 'mementos'. What I mean when I say memento is something I can easily recognize here that is the same back home that reminds me of life before I left. One of my own mementos for example is biking. I remember earlier this summer, some some friends and I biked from Nes's house all the way down to a gas station by Mt. Trashmore and back. Riding bikes along the Han with the team and even more students than last time gave the same vibes. 

The reason I bring up mementos is because the acoustic guitar sitting in my group house room that no one's played is a huge one for me. On weekends where I'm at my group home after a long day I'll sit in my room and just worship God. The school really enjoyed the song they asked us to present during their chapel service and so they've requested us to do a three song set this time along with two testimonies from our team. I'm really excited and it's almost nostalgic to be able to lead worship again because I've missed it so much. It's just interesting seeing God use elements in our own lives that we're already familiar with for His kingdom.

A striving for the wind.

It's late at night as I make my way back to my group home at the top of the hill in Dondaeogori. The night life in Seoul has a distinct feel.

A jungle of concrete high rises saturated by an ever-present glow of neon.
The rumbling of cars with the occasional honk every now and then.
The bursts of laughter from the ajusshi (Uncles) sitting around the table over a couple bottles of soju (Korean rice liquor).
And of course; the unpleasant smell of secondhand tobacco.

It's sad, really. South Korean culture focuses a lot on materialism and the things of this world where you can easily find quick relief; things like drinking, smoking, and make up. Our students who have found refuge in this place are quickly being affected by the culture as well. Many of our students walk out behind the local convenience store for a quick smoke whenever they have their breaks in between classes. At night, some may go to the local bar or restaurant and drink because then it's easy to relax the mind and forget things that bother them. In the morning, some of the girls wake up extra early to spend hours getting their make up ready just so they can look how they feel they should look for another 24 hours.

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a striving for the wind."  -Ecclesiastes 1:14

Pray that our students break from the bondage of sin and that they may find true joy in Jesus, the founder and the finisher of our faith.

An afternoon in Korea.

An excerpt from the journal of a member on Korean Refugee Team...

"There it was. The bustling heart of Seoul soaking up the golden rays of the sun while resting on the Han River. In the distance was Namsan Tower, the tallest building in Seoul. It is definitely my favorite view so far. We arrived at our subway station not too far past the view and walked down into this beautiful park where locals and tourists alike were basking out in the grass. The team, along with three of the guys I've been living with, all rented bikes at a cheap rate of 3000 KRW (about $3) an hour and rode away to our child-like hearts content. Today was one of my favorite days thus far because not only was it fun, touristy stuff, but it was great fellowship with the students we were ministering to. 

It was only two weeks ago when we moved in to their apartments saying "Hi! My name is ______ and I'm from America. I'm here to help teach English!" and yet, here we were ending the day with cheap ice cream from the local convenience store. It's hard to think that there truly was a point in these playful, bubbly, students'  lives where they would not have had the privilege to enjoy any of this at all. Many have already begun to tell their stories and many are not any brighter than ones we've only read about in novels or seen in movies. If anything, many are much darker."

Please continue to pray for these students are beginning new lives in countries that have taken them in, and also those who are still on their way to both physical and spiritual salvation.