Friday, March 25, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
It's the first week of classes and students have started asking questions. Of course these have nothing to do with the classes, but about me.
"Elijah...I heard something...is it true? Do you have a girlfriend? Is she Korean?"
They all seem excited for me. Hopefully some of that excitement gets pointed toward their classes...
"Elijah...I heard something...is it true? Do you have a girlfriend? Is she Korean?"
They all seem excited for me. Hopefully some of that excitement gets pointed toward their classes...
Monday, February 7, 2011
Philippines (Jan. 19-26)
I'm going to pretty much limit this to just pictures. If you want to know more about the trip, talk to me sometime...or check out Ashley's blog as she's written some about it.
Church in Bayan the first night (after a 3+ hour hike through the mud and rain).
Muddy legs, even after a quick rinse (I switched to sandals once we got to the church)
Kids the next morning
Beautiful scenery
A bridge on the hike back
Farmers
Outside another church
I did a lot of facepainting
Near the end of the trip we took boats up the river and then rode horses the rest of the way to various churches.
The Lagum area
Church in Bayan the first night (after a 3+ hour hike through the mud and rain).
Muddy legs, even after a quick rinse (I switched to sandals once we got to the church)
Kids the next morning
Beautiful scenery
A bridge on the hike back
Farmers
Outside another church
I did a lot of facepainting
Near the end of the trip we took boats up the river and then rode horses the rest of the way to various churches.
The Lagum area
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A Lesson in Hospitality
I've always thought that I try hard at being a hospitable person. I enjoy hosting people and providing for any needs within my means. Yet, I learned a lesson in hospitality just a few days ago in the Philippines.
To make a long story short, my horse guide to Lagum (a rural area) invited a friend and me to his house the day after we arrived. First we were offered coffee, which I later learned grew up the hill. Then they invited us up to see the coffee bushes after we had expressed interest. This was followed by cooking us some corn, and then catching a chicken to feed us for lunch (even though they knew that there was food at the church for us). While they were preparing that at the house, one of his sons walked up with fresh fish and shrimp, so they offered that to us as well. This family was not wealthy by any means, and in fact kept apologizing that they couldn't offer us better things. Yet they gave us the best they had, not withholding anything. They were so happy to entertain us in their home, for hours on end. The only thing he asked in return was that I pray over his broken chainsaw. How often we offer some of our best things, but always withhold some out of sight (and so out of mind). Or perhaps we're afraid of inviting someone over because we're afraid that we won't impress with our belongings or what we have to give. Yet this shouldn't matter. We should give what we have, more especially of ourselves and of our time.
To make a long story short, my horse guide to Lagum (a rural area) invited a friend and me to his house the day after we arrived. First we were offered coffee, which I later learned grew up the hill. Then they invited us up to see the coffee bushes after we had expressed interest. This was followed by cooking us some corn, and then catching a chicken to feed us for lunch (even though they knew that there was food at the church for us). While they were preparing that at the house, one of his sons walked up with fresh fish and shrimp, so they offered that to us as well. This family was not wealthy by any means, and in fact kept apologizing that they couldn't offer us better things. Yet they gave us the best they had, not withholding anything. They were so happy to entertain us in their home, for hours on end. The only thing he asked in return was that I pray over his broken chainsaw. How often we offer some of our best things, but always withhold some out of sight (and so out of mind). Or perhaps we're afraid of inviting someone over because we're afraid that we won't impress with our belongings or what we have to give. Yet this shouldn't matter. We should give what we have, more especially of ourselves and of our time.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
"When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from Here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going. This to the practical bum is not difficult. He has a built-in garden of reasons to choose from...Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us...Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the-glass bum relax and go along with it. Only then do the frustrations fall away. In this a journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it."
-John Steinbeck, Foreword to Travels with Charley
-John Steinbeck, Foreword to Travels with Charley
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Home
I'm home.
Sujfan Stevens' Christmas music is playing, logs are crackling in the woodstove, snow is falling outside (in Virginia, what??), and I'm with all my brothers for the first time in 2 years.
In the last week before flying over here, I could barely contain my excitement at the prospect of being home for Christmas. Last year's Christmas in Korea was fun, but also strangely detached from what I thought Christmas should feel like...that's probably more of an emotional feeling, but so it goes. But the thought of being home with my family (all of my family!!!) for even a few days was marvelous. I caught myself smiling a few times during the various flights on Tuesday.
I'm still smiling now, and that smile's only going to get bigger once my sisters start arriving.
Sujfan Stevens' Christmas music is playing, logs are crackling in the woodstove, snow is falling outside (in Virginia, what??), and I'm with all my brothers for the first time in 2 years.
In the last week before flying over here, I could barely contain my excitement at the prospect of being home for Christmas. Last year's Christmas in Korea was fun, but also strangely detached from what I thought Christmas should feel like...that's probably more of an emotional feeling, but so it goes. But the thought of being home with my family (all of my family!!!) for even a few days was marvelous. I caught myself smiling a few times during the various flights on Tuesday.
I'm still smiling now, and that smile's only going to get bigger once my sisters start arriving.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thanksgiving in Korea-Year 2
Looks like I've been neglecting the blog again. Life has been quite busy over here, but we still managed to celebrate Thanksgiving in good fashion. A fun night with friends and my Kosin family.
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