Hey, Brotha!

"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you." - Frederick Buechner


Hello! I hope you are all slowly coming out of your food-induced comas. Haha. I hope it was wonderful! I missed being able to see all your lovely faces. I am so thankful for all of you! I tried to call as many people as I could, but it is impossible to call everyone! Also, I am thankful for my pre-Thanksgiving dinner! Also, for all my amazing send-off dinners! They have and will tide me over until next year! :) My Thanksgiving was good! I did not have Korean food..thank God! We (American teachers) had a rotisserie chicken, canned corn, pecan pie, baked beans, and mashed potatoes. Thank you Cosco! :)

Yesterday, was my favorite day in Korea thus far! My day started off with coffee, which is the best way to get me going. I got a hold of the Brothers from Missionaries of Charity. They are male missionaries, similar to priests in the Catholic Church. They told me which subway stop I needed to go to and they would be meet there. The phone call was interesting. It is so difficult to talk to someone on the phone who doesn't really know english. I didn't really understand where I was going, but I was going to try and make it. Then, I ventured off to the subway. I haven't really used the subway by myself and most of you know how HORRIBLE I am with directions. So, I got lost. Go figure. I was 2 hours late, but how can missionaries of God be mad at me? ha. I don't think it is allowed. I am SO glad I had my cellphone (my school gave me one).

They picked me up and brought me back to their house. I was expecting them to be wearing traditional robes, but they were just in "normal" clothes. They were so welcoming and nice. It felt wonderful to be in the presence of Mother Teresa's legacy again. As soon as I entered the house, a statue of her was in the foyer. :) I had tea and snacks with the Brothers right away and it was great! They gave me a tour of their small house and I met the rest of the Brothers and patients. The Brothers take care of 13 disabled men. The men were so nice and some even know a little english. I hung out with them for a few hours,talked, and we got to know each other. There was a lot of laughing. Most of the laughing was due to confusion and trying to figure out the language barrier. I am going to try and visit them once a week. I'm not sure what I will do, but I will be teaching english to a few Brothers and patients. This coming Sunday, I will be helping them make kimchi! HAHA. The thought of having to smell it and get my hands in it for a few hours worries me. I hope I don't have to eat it. They have to make enough to last the next year. I'm not sure, but I think I may be the only foreigner that has visited. They have Korean volunteers all the time, but didn't mention anyone else.

It was so refreshing to be around such happy people. It was actually what I needed, especially over the holiday weekend. The joy in their faces brought back a flood of memories from India and it was amazing. I'm so thankful that I found their number randomly on the internet. Although, I am starting to wonder if the word "random" really exists. They couldn't believe that I found them, because Missionaries of Charities generally have no connection with technology, other than telephones. They gave me a bunch of goodies to bring home and even offered to give me some clothes, but I declined. I had come to help them in any way that I could, but I left more filled from them. Its funny how love changes your soul, especially when you don't see it coming. I was invited to stay for dinner, but I made up an excuse to leave. Yes, I lied to a priest. I am a horrible person. Honestly, I was completely overwhelmed by all of their love and joy. I needed to go home and have a timeout.


Did you know...

- Koreans love Britney Spears! I hear her ALL THE TIME when I am walking on the streets.
- There are a lot of Jehovah Witness people in Korea. I have been stopped three times in the last week by them. Of course, it
has happened on the subway and I have nowhere to escape. I must have a " Please talk to me. I'm a foreigner and I am going
to Hell " sticker on my forehead. Sweeet.
- Koreans love cheesy pop music. The hit song right now is by a guy who sings in Korean, but the chorus has one line that's in
english. Are you ready for it? Really? He sings, " I want to be a bad boy!" Isn't that deep? Do you think it gives more meaning
when he sings it in english?