A letter from Hyeyoung Lee in South Korea
July 2013
Greetings from Korea!
Sahn with his Great Grandmother
Our big transition finally came at the end of May, and we continue settling into our home in Daejeon. Sahn, our 2-month-and–a-half-year-old son at that time, did a fairly good job on the 14-hour plane ride. He did not really sleep as much as we were hoping. Apparently the red and yellow lights of the “no smoking” signs were a little too intriguing for him, so he spent the majority of the flight wanting to be carried up and down the aisles looking at each one! Then another 5-hour bus ride later, and we arrived at my parents’ house in Ulsan. This was a wonderful time of reuniting family and also introducing a new member for the first time. Sahn met his grandfather for the first time, but he especially enjoyed time with his great-grandmother.
This time with my family reminded us of how much we appreciate the extra lengths that Koreans will go to when caring for guests. Not only my family, but also everyone at the offices we visited, assisting us in setting up new phones, finding a nice used Hyundai car, registering Kurt as an immigrant, receiving our driver’s licenses, and much more. We are eternally grateful for the generosity and hospitality shown by Koreans and especially our family here. This kind of extra hospitality is considered part of the concept of jung (정), which is not easily translated into English. Its meaning includes a sort of deep connection, sometimes based merely on a strong feeling upon the first meeting, or by virtue of the connection to another relationship despite many degrees of separation.
Traditional Korean restaurant with family
After spending a few days with my family we drove up to Daejeon while Kurt received a crash course in Korean GPS navigation vocabulary, as well as judging distances in kilometers. We spent a few days cleaning the house and settling into the neighborhood. My parents then came up to Daejeon in order to help transport the supplies we could not fit into the car. My sisters also came down from the Seoul suburbs along with our cousins. We all went out to a traditional Korean restaurant, and after lunch everyone went back to their home cities. We were left to continue cleaning the house for a couple days, finding all the stores that will help us get our family on our feet in our new Daejeon home.
In July we were able to visit all three sites where Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) will serve this year. The first one is called Saenaru Gong Dong Che, a children's center on the top floor of Saenaru building, which also includes a sanctuary where the Saenaru congregation worships and the soup kitchen where all the YAVs will serve together part of the week. The second site is Bopdong Adong Center, which is a children's center on the second floor between a few different businesses on the first floor and residential apartments above. They work with about 40 children throughout one week, mostly elementary school students with a few middle school aged also participating in their programs. The third site is Sae Um Jiyeok Adong Center, which is a children's center on the first floor of a church building. The staff works with about 9 children throughout the week, mostly elementary school students with a few middle school aged also participating in their programs, similar to Bopdong. The YAVs will be split up among these children’s centers. These children’s centers focus on serving children from underprivileged neighborhoods who cannot afford the usual institutions that Korean children attend once their normal school day is over. Korean public schools offer very general classes in music and the arts, but nothing specific. For example, if children want to learn a specific instrument, they must be able to afford registration at a further institute. In addition to teaching some of music and the arts, YAVs will lead games and community building and also teach some English. They will work with children from 6 years old to 12 years old, approximately. The challenge for YAVs will be to exert some effort to move beyond the power dynamic of U.S. young adult as teacher and poor Koreans as learners, finding ways for the children and fellow staff to also teach them and put the U.S. young adults into the role of learning.
Meeting with the manager of Sae Um Jiyeok Adong Center
Currently we are in the process of planning for the yearlong YAV program by meeting people who will be partnering with us, visiting places where they will teach YAVs about different aspects of Korea, researching potential retreat sites, and finding resources and books. As we plan for the program, we have these goals in mind: at the end of the year we will expect YAVs to be able to articulate the context and cause of poverty in Korea; the context and consequences of the Korean War and the U.S. military presence; the evolution and changes that the Korean Church has undergone throughout the years; how God/the Holy Spirit is present in their life, work, and journey. Now that we are in Korea, we are really excited about the work that we will be doing. We feel that we are privileged to be mission co-workers in Korea where we have so many opportunities to grow spiritually. We are also thankful for our friends and family in the U.S.A. who are praying for us and supporting us financially. Without your support, we cannot do this alone. Please continuously pray for us that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we navigate our ministry in Korea. If you do not support us yet, we humbly invite you to join our journey of spiritual growth and learning from Korea. You will become a part of a powerful community working for justice and peace in Korea.
In Christ,
Hyeyoung, Kurt, and Sahn
P.S. – For those who are curious how Sahn is doing: Sahn just turned 4 months old and he just mastered rolling over last week. He is a healthy and happy baby. He is loved by many people here. Wherever we go, we get attention because of him. We thank God for his smile and ability to get along with people.
2013 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, South Korea, pp. 204, 206
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