First published via Facebook, October 26th (one week after my arrival):
Some might say it went by slowly; others think there may not have been enough time. Whichever it was, only God knows. He is the One who planned this from the beginning. It has been a little over two months since this whole change began for me, from directionless uncertainty to a sure, steady path, from the thought of going to another country to actually being there. I am at once speechless and full of so many words.
It's been a week almost exactly since I stepped foot onto Korean soil. Every moment this last week has been graced by the hand of God. I cannot say that everything I do here in Korea is God-breathed, for I know that my flesh still lives here, too. But this week has been full of His mercy and grace. I felt like a foreignor from the Old Testament last Sunday night, needing a cup of cold water from a stranger. As I desperately sought out anyone who spoke English, trying to figure out how to recover my lost luggage, I never felt so accepted than to be taken in by a Korean woman. As I entered my apartment for the first time, with only the things from my carry-on bags, I was never so thankful for clean blankets, a pillow, and a bar of soap left by a stranger. I have felt the provision of God this week: dishes that I didn't pick out, food that I didn't buy, running water that I didn't pay for, and people who care for me.
At first, it felt like I was still in the States somehow. I'd never done this before, so how was I to know what it felt like? I was so disoriented that I stood in disbelief, even as I conducted my classes. "Am I really here? In Korea? What?!" I kept thinking. As the week has gone on, the feeling has subsided somewhat. I still have to remind myself where I am when I wake up, though. I see so many faces in my dreams, faces of people I left back home. It's getting easier to believe that I'm here, especially when I use the language (the only three words I know) and get out onto the streets. Not to say that it's "normal," but I'm beginning to settle down.
If you were ever wondering why there was a green plastic telephone on the fridge. I used to live in that apartment whilst working at Learning well and we found it in a night club in ChungJu and brought it back. We didn't have a real phone. Nice to see it is still there. Hope you enjoyed it. Did you enjoy the strange shower/ toilet/ washing machine combination and the ridiculously loud fridge? Or children's
ReplyDeleteblankets? How I miss Chung Ju! Mark