Trip Updates #5--Monday

We now have trouble make complete sentence. . . talk each other slow and little words. Need remind each other we do speak English fluent.


I woke up today feeling your prayers. Thank you so much (especially those I've talked to through email.) Before I tell you about the day, let me just say that I do feel right being here now.


English Village: Day 1
English Village began at 9:30. The kids lined up outside the gate--church door--with their 'passports.' They passed through 'immigration'--Leah, Luke and Samantha asking them simple English questions. They passed through 'security' where Aaron 'scanned' them. And then Jeff stamped their passports and allowed them into the 'airport' where Anthony directed them to the sanctuary. When we began we were asked to introduce ourselves (names and hobbies) for the kids. If only you could have heard the collective gasp when Leeanne said she was a mother of four. :) Then some of us were taken back to share "Steps to Peace with God". I talked with a woman who had questions and chose not to pray to receive Christ, but asked me to pray for her. I paused for translation and realized it wasn't coming. (Many of our translaters aren't really translaters; we follow with our finger when reading the English side so they know where to read on the Korean side.) So I finished praying and used the one word I know; that and "amen" may be all she knew.


Leah, Kellie, Samantha and me stayed in the cafe to talk. The Korean workers in English Village have matching t-shirts. (Todd loves his hot pink shirt. Just kidding.) While we talked, a group of women started holding shirts to us to size us and then handed us shirts and motioned for us to put them on. If they didn't think they fit well, they'd just try to take them off for us. (Picture Kellie: "It fits! It fits! Really it does!")


Then it was time to teach. My first class went well because the Korean teacher speaks good English (she lived in Utah for two years while her husband finished his degree.) and she is very good with kids. I read the book and asked lots of questions. We practiced the song with the cd and her guitar and with the dance. The funniest moment was when I took a group picture then tried to explain a silly group picture. I tried to explain 'silly' by making faces at them. So then I said "You make silly face" and took a picture. . .of them just staring at me. Then one of the helpers told them to put hands on side of head and wiggle fingers--that's a silly picture.

Then we had an American lunch--salisbury steak (maybe), shrimp, fruit, roll with strawberry jelly that comes from the most amazing jelly packet that we definately need in America, and coke. I'm not a big meat eater at home, but here I'm like "bring it on."

Then the kids watched a movie about Moses. Then the second class started. This group had older girls who speak good English. We had a great time, except that I sang the song so many times with the dance that I was all out of breath most of the time. Twice today the American teachers have led the song--the very long song that will forever be in my head--in front of everyone. Don't worry that you won't see it--Todd has it on video.

When my second class left I told them "thank you" in Hangul--my one word. Their faces all lit up and they started talking to me all at the same time, all in Hangul. Then the teacher taught me how to say "I don't know". It was almost snack time, so the kids taught me to say "I am hungry." Snack was amazing! It was a cold waffle topped with a banana slice topped with ice cream topped with a gummy bear. Try it! So good!

All day the kids have been asking to have their pictures made with us and we've been signing autographs. I started a collection of signatures too--the kids have been writing their names in my journal in both Hangul and English. One boy also wrote "I love you" in Hangul.

Some things to know before you visit Korea: 1-floors can have a step-off at any time. Be careful. 2-In some public restrooms, ladies, the toilet paper is outside the stall. Don't forget.

While I was sitting here writing, one of the ladies pointed to me, walked over and pointed to her friend at another table and said "Erin, she not believe Jesus. Come. Talk." And yes, she prayed to receive Christ. And they are sitting and talking while the woman's kids play in the cafe and I'm okay being the American who just draws people in.

All the host families and Americans were treated to a dinner at Venice Seafood tonight. It is a very nice buffet with salad bar, soup bar, main bar, Korean food bar, sushi bar, bakery, pizzeria, a whole dessert area and ice cream!! Oh my goodness! One of the deacons paid for us to go and reserved the main room for us. The floor was a dance floor with clear panels and lights underneath that change colors. There is a design drawn in sand in each panel as well. We had a great time. (This may be the meal that makes me sick though. I ate way too much. I tried some new stuff and had broccoli soup with a croissant which was amazing and then about 10 different desserts and a plate of fresh fruit. The desserts, by the way, come in almost bite-size servings so you aren't crazy to have 10 desserts. At least I'm telling myself that.)

Tomorrow we will perform "Behold the Lamb" for students (and maybe parents) at 3pm (that's 2am to you.) Please pray for us. Samantha and I are doing new solos, that we began learning just this afternoon.

Todd had a realization today that gave me perspective. This church is used to "the Americans" being a group of older adults. So they haven't thought that we'd like to stay up late to hang out with each other. That, for whatever reason, helps me when are made to go home. And today we had more time together; probably the most since we were on the plane. The next 3 evenings we will be doing things as a group (shopping, site seeing, etc) so we are feeling better just knowing we have time to be together.

Oh, don't forget to go to Todd's blog and help choose a wife for Jeff. :) Turns out matchmaking in the church is universal.

More later...