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May 5. 2021. Korea is not as well known for tea as China, but the culture still exists in the south of Korea in Boseong. The tea trees here are artificially cultivated on a large scale unlike wild tea trees that grow on the slopes of large fields, oak trees, and alder forests . Boseong is the main producing area of tea that produces 90% of Korea's green tea leaves. Most of the tea produced by companies these days is made from Boseong tea leaves, and it is said that the tea produced
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Something we had not seen before were the blue and orange starfish. They were super fun to see and you could see dozens of them coming in on the tide (if you look hard at the picture they are all the dark blobs). Like all good citizens of the earth, we tried to save those that seemed like they needed help and appreciated the beauty that God had created in all the sea life we saw around us.
This area is famous for mud festival that is held in July. We wanted to visit the mud museum and some of the local parks, but as odd as this may or may not sound, they are only open on the weekends! We did avoid all the crowds though on the beach. There were lots of interesting things to see along the beach like the fisher-people looking for clams, crabs, and assorted sea creatures. I was amazed that the nets were made out of actual shells because there were A LOT of shells. Steve surmised that maybe when they lowered the shell lines, the crabs climbed in looking for new homes and that is how they caught them! Seems logical but I'll have to investigate to find out for sure. When the tide was out, it was amazing to see all the people out on the mud flats clamming, even driving across the mud in several places! You do get to be outside, but it seemed a hard way to make a living. I give the locals an A+ for effort on cleanup and maintaining a nice community!
July 2.2020. The Gangwon-Do Province is located on the east coast of Korea and is made up of mountains and beaches. You might not know, but it was also the site of the 2018 Winter Olympics! Though it isn't the white sand beaches of Florida, it was a nice getaway from the city and very relaxing. We have yet to find a beach that you can actually swim at but it is always great for a walk in the sand!
Sixty-four tunnels later, we made it to the beach with the toothpick pine trees! The tunnels ranged from 50 feet to 7.5 miles in length, long enough that they had colored lights and images on the walls of the tunnels to help keep you focused. It was the epitome of "tunnel vision". You couldn't image the roughness of the surf without being there, but maybe this video will give you an idea.
The scenery in this region is beautiful, full of landscapes and amazing views. There were lots of fields of vegetables and rice and we were able to "pedal" through it on a rail car that traversed the old railroad tracks. We even got to go through some "disco" tunnels that made it more like a Disney park ride!
Naksana Temple is an easy walk from the beach and a nice place just walk and relax. Similar to our East Asia tour, the Buddhist temples are full of idols, gods for each request. I am thankful I have one God I can go to for all my helps wherever I am, and I pray that others will find that comfort and joy as well.
We continue to see what we can see around us in Korea and pray for opportunities to be used by God. I think the hard part of trying to find God's plan is that you might have to give up your own dreams and be okay with that in order for something greater to happen for others with God. God wants to give me the desires of my heart but it is His desires for my life that really matter.
June 21.2020. Wherever you find yourself, you always have to look for the best in the moments you have and know that God has got a plan above all the madness the world seems to be experiencing. As we ended the school year with a week of real school after 14 weeks of virtual school, it was definitely not the normal last day before summer! As Covid 19 continues to be a factor in our daily lives, we find ourselves "stuck" in Korea for the summer (at least) and decided to explore our more immediate surroundings. Our first trip was to the Korean island of Jeju, located off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula. Click here to see what adventures we found there!
April 15. 2020. It seems like I went from winter to spring in a hurry! Unfortunately, there was a season of Covid19 in between, but God is good and He has His hand over us. I know this too shall pass and through the tragedy and suffering we will draw closer to Him. I wish we were always guaranteed good times, but even though we aren't, we are promised that God will never leave us or forsake us.
Spring in Seoul is the beauty of the South with a myriad of azalea colors bursting out everywhere, the summer of New York in the fragrant purple and white lilacs, and the miracle of no Georgia tree pollen to activate your allergies! It was truly a blessing to finish our two weeks of quarantine and go outside to a picture perfect day filled with all of nature's glory around us. I hope that the pictures can do justice to how beautiful it really is. These are from Namsan Park near our house.
We are on week 7 of virtual school, school outside school, emergency school, or whatever people are calling it these days! It has challenged us all to be more creative and compassionate and I think that is a good thing. As a teacher, I will definitely learn from this time and apply it in other times in my teaching.
Happy Easter to all! Take time to be still and just seek God and wait to hear His voice. I know without a doubt that He loves you and wants that connection with you.
February 16.2020. We always hope for that snowy day that is just enough snow to make it pretty without causing chaos! February in Seoul has brought us such a day today, along with good air quality, so we were able to enjoy the outdoors and the beauty of winter. The month has been flying by and kicked off with Spiritual Emphasis Week here at our school. It was a great opportunity for us to talk with our students about God and for them to hear from others how God has worked in their lives. An extra blessing for us was that the team that came from the states were connected to us from our church in Georgia!
God has really been helping me to see how I can be more intentional with my words and actions to help my students find connections to Him. They make me have to think deeper so I can explain what I believe and the concepts that interest them. We were talking about polytheistic religions and it made me think about the powers that are delegated on those gods, and that they seem to come from man: one god for wealth, one for fertility, one for health and so on. From what I believe about gods, it seems like their jealous nature would create conflict, and that these gods wouldn't work well together to create a world. They each have a role but who is in charge, so to speak, of the finale? Plus, why divide the power between gods and not one all powerful god? Wouldn't that create in-fighting for control between the gods? Maybe I'm over thinking this but it seems that one God who is all power, omnipotent, and has the capability to create the intricate design that is man and this world, would be the ideal. |
So as we head, hopefully into spring, I look forward to what is ahead and know that "God has got this!" |
August 2019 - December 2019 blogs below.
The military base in Seoul is being given back to the Koreans so much of the campus is vacant or closed.
July 30.2019 I used to think the heat in Honduras was at the top of the intolerable scale, and that summers in Atlanta were pretty toasty, but I have to say the heat and humidity of Seoul has me dripping sweat on my shoes and sales people bringing me cups of water and paper towels to wipe my brow. But this too will pass -- they say by September -- and so we continue to get ourselves set up and ready for school to start.
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Our first exciting adventure was into the grocery store. Unlike the States, there are no Walmarts or Publix, but small neighborhood stores and a multi-level all encompassing everything store in the basement of a 9 story mall. Just for reference, we took a couple of pictures: the $18.00 watermelon, $30.00 chips on sale for only $25.00, and an $8.00 bag of marshmallows! I am reminded of the new Coca-Cola commercial, for my favorite, Ginger Lime Diet Coke: they say because I can, I say I wish I could but it doesn't exist here. Your best bet is a Coke Zero or drink more water. Now not to sound too sad, a plus is that the streets all have giant umbrellas for you to wait under on the corners: very accommodating!
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So as we head into the first week of school, I pray for all teachers -- here and back home in GCPS -- that there will be peace in the classroom, God in control, and that we will not grow weary of doing good, regardless of what Satan is stirring up around us; don't give him a stronghold. Whatever classroom, office, or space you work in, there are people there who need hope. Build those relationships and know that is what will endure and change lives, not phrases and clauses. Teach the material, but focus on what is eternally important.
God has got this.
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August 10.2019
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In typical market fashion, you could find a variety of foods and taste sensations that were reminiscent of our time in China. We were still not attracted to the octopus or squid, but the nokdu bindaetteok (mung-bean pancake) were actually quite good, like a giant smashed tater tot! You could find any type of fish, sushi, and sausage as well as pumpkin and porridge soups. Now I know you are thinking, "Thanks, but I'll just go to Waffle House," and that is a good option too, but, God gives us opportunities and doors to new adventures for a reason!
Below: click on the photo to advance the slide show.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26 (NIV)
View over the Han River
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Night view of the Namsan Park and Seoul Tower over the Korean War Mueseum
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The traffic of Seoul isn't so bad if you are walking! Opportunity is everywhere for eyes to see and ears to hear.
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4As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
9The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. |
I am reminded of Solomon, who had all the blessing, wisdom, and riches God could bestow; yet still, he was led astray by those around him. (1Kings 11) God wants a relationships with each of us and will do His part. We just need to do ours. My inabilities reveal God's ability so I need to remember to look up and let go of me to see Him. |
August 12.2019
We have been blessed with a great schedule at school so we can enjoy the time we have on the weekends (at least for the moment!) to get to know our surroundings. We visited the Korean War Museum and were able to learn all kinds of interesting information about Korean history, as well as see a variety of military planes, tanks, and a ship.
Below: click on the photo to advance the slide show.
My students challenged me this week as we got into a discussion about how old is old age. That lead to the Bible explanation of ages in the Bible: why did they live longer in the Old Testament, what about the 124 years, etc. After doing some research and asking the experts I know, I feel like I had some thoughts to share with them.
1. Even though Adam and Eve were meant to live eternally, maybe when sin entered that had an effect on the aging process. After the flood, ages dropped dramatically but they still lived long lives. The 120 years referenced in Genesis 6 could be seen as time that God gives to come to a relationship with him, but not necessarily the span of your whole life.
2. People had not been exposed to diseases and other genetic issues early on but those could have been introduced later which lead to shorter lifespans. It could also have been their diet or climate conditions were excellent for living.
3. You can also consider that the ages are exactly what they say they are. That at that time people lived that long. It is hard to consider as we try to look at Biblical events through the eyes of our own experiences. To live 100's of years seem unlikely to us or actually impossible because we haven't experienced it. But, on the other hand, we believe other events that have happened in history and the Bible that we were not a part of and we know are true. The lives of the people in the Bible may have needed to overlap in order for the stories to be passed down from generation to generation. By allowing people to live longer, it allowed time for this to happen so we would have access today to that history.
4. I have to refer to the verse Isaiah 55: 8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Some things we just aren't going to be clear to our human minds. We aren't God, hence we aren't going to be able to explain and figure out everything.
That is what makes us human and Him God!
If anyone has any other insight, references, or ideas I would love to hear them. The better I can explain to those who ask, the better chance for the Word to be heard.
Namdaemun Market is a great place to wander around for the day. There are literally 30,000 small shops that sell everything from US goods to baubles to clothing and everything in between.
September 1.2019
Steve and I were able to be a part of a spiritual retreat with 150 middle school students. It was a great opportunity to share our faith with our students in small group settings and through fun activities. It was really cool to be able to talk to my group, and ask them about their relationship with God and to try and help them think about the relationship they wanted with Him and how to find that. Steve felt blessed as well as God helped him to see his role in at the retreat and gave him openings to talk to his group of 8th grade boys about topics that concerned them or that they had questions about. We are really trying to make ourselves available to listen and learn from God so we can be a blessing and light to those around us. The theme for the weekend was "Pure Adventure": Finding God's path for your life and saying yes to it.
September 14.2019
The fall holiday of Chuseok, a time of family and thanksgiving for Koreans, was a great opportunity for us to see a new part of Korea. We headed by rail to Busan, a city about the size of Atlanta on the east coast of the country. We had a great place on the beach, but the beach was more for walking and the water definitely was better for keeping drinks cold than swimming. It was a wonderful view with lots of peace and quiet to return to after a day of traversing the sights of the city.
Every day in Busan was a new adventure. We visited the Busan SeaLife Aquarium and enjoyed the cool way they displayed the fish. I have never seen fish in a fashion and food setting but it was quite unique and really interesting.
The city was much easier to navigate than Seoul and we were able to get from one side of the city to the other by bus or subway. Still, it is about a two hour swing each way so each day was dedicated to a different part of the city. There were several times during the day that we found ourselves in places that reminded us of our favorite spots in other countries and that was really nice. I think God knows when we need a little bit of home or comfort when you are out in the world, and He provides glimpses and smells to make us smile and be content where we are at the moment.
Below are a few images of the temples around town and a video to give you a look inside one temple where a monk is playing a temple block and chanting.
One of the fun places to go in every Korean city are the markets. You can wander the streets and alleys and find all sorts of treasures and food. Busan is famous for one particular treat we could only find in BIFF Square: a sweet Korean pancake stuffed with seeds and cinnamon that is lightly fried for a delicious crunch! Since Busan is on the coast, a variety of seafood is readily available as well.
Speaking of memories of the past, you can see the twin of Medellin, Colombia, in Gamcheon Culture Village. The colored houses that dot the hillside make you feel like you are back in South America again. The people were friendly and welcoming and ready to point you in the right direction if you looked lost. Being old-school, I of course used the tourist map -- three to be exact as they didn't seem to survive more than one day of folding and unfolding -- so I could see the big picture of where we were. Between the map and the app, we made our way everywhere we wanted to go.
No trip for us is complete without some type of hiking and birding. Eulsukdo Island Bird Sanctuary is on the far south side of Busan and is on the route of several migratory birds, including swans. It is odd that it is located in the middle of an urban area and in the flight pattern of the airport, but the conservationists do an excellent job of trying to preserve the area. We weren't in the right season for migratory birds, but we saw a variety of water birds and other birds we had not seen before. We also saw a Korean Water Deer! Who would have thought! The Nakdonggang River Eco Boat Tour was a relaxing way to see the area around the sanctuary and learn a little of the river history.
The temples that we visited in Busan were similar to those we had seen in China. The intricacy and elaborateness of the paintings and design were unbelievable and hard to capture in pictures. It reminded me Old Testament stories of idols being built and sacrificed to because the people had lost their faith in God and thought other gods were needed to fill their need and hear their requests. When we visited Samgwangsa Temple, there were offerings of rice and other food items that could be purchased and placed in front of the idols as part of an offering. For me, it seems like you would need a check list to know which god to ask for what.
As a Christian, I am grateful for one omnipotent God who takes care of all my needs and already made the supreme sacrifice to have a relationship with me. I am His creation and He has a plan for me. Idols of many kinds are in this life as distractions from that plan and it is hard to stay focused. As a child I was raised in a Catholic family and I always felt I had to do more and be better in order to be good enough for God. I see that same idea in the temples in that there is an exchange expected in order to receive God's grace and mercy. That is so not true. It is a gift, freely given because of Jesus' sacrifice. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace, not by words so that no one can boast" that they did it themselves. That is where you can find peace in your life. Knowing that God knows you, made you, and loves you regardless of you.
Hopefully the video will give you at least an idea of the elaborate designs inside this temple.
The cable car ride over the bay was a fun way to get to Amnan Park. There were hiking trails there as well as a small Jurassic Park, complete with sound effects! You could also see all the water traffic in the sea from tankers, to fishermen, to military ships.
Every adventure has extra surprises! If you want to bring a special one for your family, you can bring a box of seafood surprises: at least that's what I would call it! We would definitely recommend Busan for a visit!
We returned to Seoul, thinking about the week ahead and what opportunities might cross our paths. You can spot Steve in the train station because he wears his glow in the dark shirt for travel so I don't lose him! (Or the fact that he is the only non-Asian in the picture). On our way out, we encountered a church group evangelizing. I agree with them that Jesus saves, but I don't agree with their approach. If you can't read their sign it says, "Homo is sin, repent." Yes, it is true that according to Biblical teaching, homosexuality is a sin, but so is murder, idolatry, adultery, and a myriad of other things. We often forget that we live in a fallen world and Satan uses distraction, doubt, and confusion to draw us away from God. We as Christians need to build relationships with those around us and not walls in order to show God's love.
God loves us all, but that doesn't mean that He approves of all our actions. The analogy I think of is with Steve. As my husband, I love him always. Sometimes, though, he does things that make me not like him very much and I try to get him to see that there is a better way. It doesn't mean I stop loving him because he makes a poor choice or bad decision.
It is the same with God. There are choices we make that are not what are in His will and He put people and things (including challenges and adversity) in our path to try and redirect us. The love is always there but we miss out on the true connection when our actions don't lead us in His direction.
Free will is a blessing and a responsibility we are given by God. The blessing comes when we realize God loves us that much, so much so that He will let us choose our lives rather than control us, but always ready to forgive when we come before Him with our failings and shortcomings.
“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
God had created each of us for a purpose and many of us don't know what that purpose is, but if we allow God’s word to speak to us, follow His commands, and allow less of ourselves, we will find that path will lead us down a purposeful path. So don’t rely on yourself, rely on God! The only way you can trust in God’s timing is through spending more time with Him, allowing His word to shape your heart. If you find yourself today not liking the situation you are in or where certain events in your life have taken you, I encourage you to dive into scripture and let God do the talking. You may see that the valley you are facing today bring you tomorrow to the top of a mountain! (www.abideandseek.com)
October 1. 2019
You would think fall would have arrived by now, and though there is a little more cool in the air, summer is hanging in there. I went on a three day field trip with my 7th grade class and we had a lot of adventure. Our "week without walls" took us out into the world to learn lessons in a different way. We went ziplining, picked sweet potatoes at a farm, learned to make red bean buns at a bakery, and did team building activities at a ropes course. The students had related assignments in their academic classes and completed several service projects at an assisted living facility, including a talent show. Doesn't sound much like public school in the states, but maybe that is what is missing there: life experience.
October 20.2019. Fall is in the air here in Korea as the leaves change and the air gets cooler. Unlike the States, though, the only thing you see in the stores (in the foreigner parts of town) are Halloween decorations. No Christmas decor has been unpacked yet, whether because of a lack of need, desire, or capitalism, there is no impending rush to get to the next holiday.
Steve had the opportunity to go to Thailand as a school representative with one of the school teams which gave him the chance to hopefully build some more connections with students and represent Christ in front of. We have a variety of religions and students at our school and have openings to share through our Christian-based beliefs.
I have not made it out to the countryside to see the fall foliage, but the parks nearby have a lot to see as well. At Haeul Park in Seoul, you climb up 300 steps to the top of the hill to see a field of saw grass and plants in a variety colors. My favorite part was the field of birdhouses in the middle of the maze that had birds flying every which way; their houses were right side up, upside down and sideways! If you click on the video, hopefully you will be able to hear them.
In case you don't like to count, all the parks have numbers on the steps so you can know how many you have climbed. We have determined that they don't always count the way we count and there are usually ten more than they say! There is usually a longer way around for those who don't need the knee workout.
We have finished up our first quarter here at school. Hopefully everyone learned something that is actually applicable to their lives! It is hard to change a way of educational thinking to the learning over the data, but that seems to be a problem everywhere.
Pray for us as we work to be Christian educators instead of just educators in a Christian school. It really does make you have to evaluate how you teach and think about how it all connects to God and his Word.
I was reminded in church this morning about passion. Am I passionate about what I want for my life for me or for what God can do with my life? God made me who I am and gave me passions, gifts, and talents to be bold for Him. That is my challenge every day and I was glad to be reminded to stay focused on that.
November 2.2019 Reminiscent of the alambrada in Colombia, Seoul had a lantern festival of legend and fairy tale characters. It was a fun walk to see the designs and the images all lit up along the canal.
December 1.2019. Three more weeks until Christmas and the end of our first semester here! There have been lots of school activities and busyiness, but good busy. Our school foundation took a group of teachers on a trip to the southern coast of Korea over our Thanksgiving weekend and we were able to experience a new part of Korea. We ate more Korean food than we have seen we have been here as they wanted us to experience all the local flavors. Seafood, of course, was the focus from octopus to the local anchovies. It was interesting to see the process for fishing for anchovies and the fact that it could be served so many different ways. For me, it didn't make it taste any better, but I still appreciate the process!
Our trip started with a cable car ride up in the hills overlooking the sea. This area is the current location of a military installation but has remnants of an old signal torrent and barracks as well. We headed out into the countryside for lunch and visits to a local village that had connections to Germany. Back in the 1960's, former South Korean President Park Chung-hee was able to secure loans worth 159 million marks (US$35 million), with the wages of South Korean nurses and miners as collateral. About 6,000 Koreans went to work in Germany and when they returned, many of them settled in this area.
I put in a few pictures of the food journey so you can get an idea of what you missed, are glad you missed, or wished you could try! I would recommend the toasted marshmallow coated ice cream. Just be sure you are clear with your flavor: I thought she said "cream cheese" but she actually said, "green tea!" Marshmallow covers a multitude of other flavors.
Our last place to visit was a Buddhist temple. It was interesting to hear about the influence of China and other religions on Korea; there is a mix of Shamanism and Buddhism. We learned that all the previous monks that had died from this shrine are represented in all the little statues that you can see throughout the various temples. They believe everyone is trying to attain that state of Nirvana to find peace and through the lives you live, hopefully, you can find it. It is always a challenge to look at what others believe so fervently when it is totally opposed to your ideals.
December 24.2019. We found ourselves in downtown Seoul at the start of the Christmas break and lucked into seeing the changing of the guard at the palace! It was definitely not the same as the same ceremony in London as it had a lot more flair and costumes. I don't think "Jingle Bells" is a traditional Korean song, but we appreciated the holiday cheer!
During the Joseon Dynasty, the royal guards were responsible for guarding and patrolling the gates of the capital city and the royal palaces. The royal palace guards, who were known as the "Wanggung Sumunjang", had the very important duty of protecting the king by guarding the entrance gates of the primary royal palace where the king resided. They were in charge of opening and closing the palace gates, inspecting all visitors, and maintaining a close surveillance of the palace. This ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene in Korea, as the ceremony is reenacted exactly as it used to be held, with guards wearing royal uniforms, carrying traditional weapons and playing traditional instruments. (http://english.visitseoul.net)
For me, Christ is the answer. I don't have to rely on me or how good I am or how much good I do. I don't have to ask assorted gods for help or perform a series of rituals. I have one advocate and one way to save my soul and I am thankful I have found that in Christ. It takes all that stress of hoping, wondering, and waiting that comes with other religions. As we head into this Christmas season, I pray that your hope is found in Christ, and if you are still seeking and looking, give Christ a chance.
All photographs are copyrighted and the property of Cathleen L Carpenter Photography
