Undeserving

Middle school girls at the church.

My boys at the church.

All my students at the church.

Again.

Students playing in the snow.

Soccer in the snow.

TaLK buddies

Before heading to Korea I was warned by relatives to be wary of the many deceptive Koreans that will come my way. By the mercy and grace of God, I am deeply grateful for all the prayers and support that has led to me meeting some of the most caring and loving people I have ever met. Here in the countryside I have been taken care of and accepted more than I could have ever hoped for. In no specific order:

First, the kindergarten teacher. She embraced me immediately and throughout my stay here I have gone to her house to enjoy home-made cooking and the presence of family. Together with her daughter we played arcade games at Phoenix Park, ate roasted duck at a famous farm, enjoyed dog stew, watched New Moon in the VIP section in a Seoul movie theater, watched a Korean movie in a city one hour away on a school day, cooked dumplings together from scratch, went to a herb clinic to buy a month's amount of medicine for me, let me sleep over in the guest room, and constantly brought me snacks during the school day. Introducing me to her husband and friends, I was able to get to know the 6th grade teacher, her husband, and their 5 year old son. She was a definite undeserved blessing during my stay here.

Second, the 5th grade teacher, Jong Min Kang. He has been my closest friend at the school and in Korea through the 5 months. From late-night movies in the school library, random dinners out in Jangpyeong, driving me to Wonju to meet his friends, buying me the vitamins that I requested from his pharmacist friend, and just being my closest companion at school. We always eat lunch together in the cafeteria and he takes care of me when we go on school field trips. I plan on working with him in the future on a joint venture that we have talked a lot about. He is a man of character; moderate with his tastes and look. I knew I liked him when I went to his room and found a bible open on his desk. If I had been born and lived in Korea, he would probably be one of my closest friends.

Third, the 3rd grade teacher, Euji Kim. My mentor teacher and guardian. From picking me up in Yangyang, preparing barbecue dinners for me, buying all my food and furniture when moving in, taking care of all my requests, Euji has been such a solid presence during my stay here. Keeping in mind that she is pregnant and due in April, I have tried my best not to bring too many issues to her, but I can always count on her. Since she recently married and moved to Pyeongchang where she has no friends, she understood where I was coming from and always takes the initiative to make sure I'm ok and taken cared of. Man, what a blessing.

Fourth, the school staff. The principal, vice-principal, nurse, bus drivers, janitors, and all the teachers have all been very gracious to me. We've shared time on school field trips, night clubs, singing rooms, dinners, and more, and I am thankful to be working with such good co-workers. They are subtle in their humor, such as writing Pretty Jason next to my cell phone number on the main office's calendar wall and always making fun of the way I drink my coffee in the office. Great people.

Fifth, Jangpyeong Methodist Church. The pastor embraced me immediately as I agreed to teach English vocabulary and phrases on Wednesday evenings. Preparing dinner for me, the parents were extremely caring and supportive. I loved teaching the high school students as we went over 100 vocabulary words a week and laughed the entire time. I felt comfortable with them as I enjoyed the fellowship we had on those Wednesday evenings. On the final day, they threw me a huge surprise going away party with gifts (like banana milk because I said I liked it) and tons of food. i agreed to keep in touch with all of them, and they are all waiting for me to come back because I promised to return to Gangwon-do in the future.

Sixth, my relatives. Always having a place to go to on the weekends is very comforting. Heading to my grandma's place was always a joy because I knew I could comfortably sprawl out on the sofa and enjoy tons of amazing food. Going through picture albums of my family, I could catch up with my cousins and see the years pass by through the pictures.

Seventh, TaLK friends. Without my friends from TaLK, I would seriously miss home a lot more. Reminding me of home and just being able to speak English without wondering if I am understood was very comforting. Having friends across the country also gave me an excuse to visit random areas and try various cuisines.

Eighth, the students. From recesses to basketball games, I really enjoyed spending time with my students. One student told me that he changed his dream of being a police officer to becoming a basketball athlete because of me (they are impressed by my dribbling between my legs and spinning the basketball on my finger). The girl students were always very quick to complement, as in the library I would always be holdings the hands of the young students. Always asking me my age and who my girlfriend was, the girl students made me feel like a pop star. Although sometimes the students could get on my nerves in class, I have had so many happy moments with them and will never forget them calling out my name in the hallway every day.

Ninth, the intern teachers. I could always count on the intern teachers in the library to entertain me. One of them would always give me movies and things to do while sharing with me the young life of a Korean man in Pyeongchang. Pop songs, music videos, dramas, and places to have fun were pieces of knowledge I gained from the library. The other intern teachers invited me to their son's first birthday party, introduced me to Gangleung's bus system owner, and drove me around the seaside town of Gangleung. My visits to the library were always a joyous occasion.

Tenth, the people of Jangpyeong, Korea's bus drivers, restaurant owners, jjimjilbang managers, apartment manager, and more. Hospitality was shown in every way as I am extremely thankful to them.

The TaLK program has been a chapter in my life in which I was given a taste of God's ability to provide and the need for me to obey. I am forever in debt to the people of Korea and those who have supported me along the way.