By Faith, Not Sight

WARNING: This posts promises to be slightly long and will not be good for those who despise reading. But it should be one of the last extremely long 'catching up' posts I make . . . for a while anyway. lol

Shaky breaths. Warmer than normal body temperature. Pounding heart. Unsteady hands. Plastered on smile. Feelings of fear, excitement, anxiety, loneliness. Being out of my comfort zone. 

These have been some of my closest companions over the last week. At least they are constant and familiar - unlike anything else around me. 

They began as, at the Minneapolis airport, I realized that my checked bags were going to remain in San Francisco and not accompany me to the land of Korea. This issue was luckily resolved before boarding began. Phew. Again, these feelings and bodily functions, I guess one could say, began as I realized I could not the gate of my Seoul flight to in San Francisco and had no boarding pass. After going back and forth between gates multiple times and calling my mom as I was close to tears of frustration and despair, I finally found out the gate number had changed. Large problem, simple solution. They were quick to return though, as I boarded Singapore Airlines Flight SQ15, non-stop passage to Incheon International Airport. HOLY GUACAMOLE! This was it - it hit me like a mallet on a Wac-A-Mole's head. Crap, what was I doing. But no turning back now. As I stepped from the terminal onto the large Boeing jet, I moved from my past into my future. 

Similar feelings again hit me as tiredly stumbled (in the most dignified and graceful manner possible) off my plane, down the terminal, and into the airport - where I was greeted by words my ears definitely did NOT understand. I followed the crowd. Now that sounds bad and I'm not a crowd follower, but I was on my own and I had no idea where to go or what to do, so I followed the crowd. We had to take a subway to the other building that comprises ICN, where I anticipated problems at immigration (just because I figured something would go wrong), where I waited anxiously at baggage claim (I may not like United Airlines, but I do thank them ever so much for getting the tags on my bags switched in time so I would have clothes to wear on my first day of teaching), where an exhausted and very warm me passed through customs unscathed, and where I first met Pastor Kim and his wife waving the lovely piece of paper that said SDA in large welcoming letters. 

Once I arrived at my apartment at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, September 3, 2012, I met my roommate, Nomfundo. She left to teach a class, I have already described in my first post what happened as I unpacked, and I then waited until my site coordinator Henri Du Plessis could come give me a quick tutorial on the lesson I was to teach the next morning. His proficient English, lovely South African accent, and pleasant demeanor was enough to put me at ease. I believe God put him in my path because I really don't know how I would have been able to dive straight into work the next morning without his advice, encouragement, and reassurance. 

My head finally hit the pillow a bit before midnight and I was up by 5 a.m. P.S. Time change (especially being 14 hours ahead of Central Standard Time) screws with your body miserably. I've been awake by 5 a.m. most mornings after a fitful few hours of sleep. One morning it was 3:45 - that was a great day . . . lol Sleep tempts you, tries to engulf you the entire day. It weighs on your eyes anvils and blurs your mind like bad antenna might a TV. Ah, but come nighttime, it avoids you like a child afraid of punishment, tiptoeing around corners hoping you won't find it, quietly giggling at its seemingly successful and intelligent evasion of discovery. No worries though because it does get better. I finally slept a full night of sleep last night for the first time and it was GLORIOUS! I definitely have taken for granted the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

Anywho, I began teaching class at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, a mere 12 1/2 hours after I had arrived in South Korea. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 Mmmm yup, preach it brotha! That's the ONLY way I have been able to go through this week - through Him. Again creeped in all those lovely feelings I spoke of at the beginning of this post. I was scared to death that I was going to screw up royally and be told I was a poor excuse for a teacher right off the bat. As the day went on, each time I felt nervous, definitely not calm, and possibly a bit tired (which, I would say, is an understatement. lol). However, as the week went on, I grew more confident and optimistic, like a sunflower pushing through the ground, reaching toward the bright golden sun. Ok, not sure where that came from, but it is late and I am sick, so my head is probably as foggy as a day in London. lol Please excuse me. I now love my classes!! I teach 3 adult conversation classes, 3 fifteen minute junior classes with the Korean teacher in the room, and then a longer junior class on my own. My adult students can be quite funny during the conversation time of our lesson - we've shared many a laugh already. They are extraordinarily dedicated, polite, and pleasant people. They are also shy and reserved. In the culture here, being unique and standing out are not sought after. So I've definitely had to adjust some of my teaching methods from those in the U.S. For example, if you ask the class a question, no one raises a hand to answer. Usually the students will just stare at me or down at their book silently, with a few exceptions on a good day. My kids are, well, adorable! Who doesn't think Asian children are cute? Especially when they are trying to saying ga-lic or ca-bage or po-tay-to! ^_^ I can't wait to start my adult religion class next week. It should prove to be interesting.

Some interesting things I've done or seen here so far you ask? Well, on Tuesday, Henri took me shopping. They have THE cleanest subways I have ever seen in my life here! I would sleep on the floor of those cars if I had to - no joke! There are billions of places to shop for clothes. I couldn't believe the size of the malls, both above and below ground. We shopped at Home Plus, which was also underground. It just kept going and going, like the Energizer bunny. It was like WalMart x3. The prices were also like WalMart x3. lol About 6,030 won for a cheap box of cereal (that's about $6 US)! Don't even get me started on produce! I spent 70,000 won (a bit under $70 US) on that shopping trip. And half of it will last me only about a week or a bit more. 

You don't jaywalk here - unless you have a death wish. These people are crazies when it comes to driving! No blinkers (man does that frustrate me!), extreme passing, cutting others off - yeah, I thank God every day that I don't have to drive while I'm here. If you've ever heard that Koreans will spit whenever and wherever they please and it's acceptable, that's totally and completely . . . true. Yes, unfortunately yes. Walking in the market the other day, a man spit and it landed right between my roommates' feet as she took a step forward. She was lucky. Speaking of the market, we went on Friday to Cheongnyangni to the largest outdoor (or indoor) market on which I have ever laid eyes. It is probably comparable to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and then a good chunk more. Or half of Mall of America, all on one level, outside, with hundreds of people shuffling in and out of aisles and sellers yelling out their wares. So many vegetable and fruit stands. A huge amount of root, herb, and bean stands as well. Underground there was a vastly expansive fish market, with huge tables laid with flounder and other ocean friends, sting rays (those things were ginormous), squid, crabs, oysters, muscles - you name it, they probably sold it. And then, above ground, we passed a glass case in which you would normally find meat. This container did hold meat - that of man's best friend anyway. There were dog legs and thighs, paws still with the claws attached, skinned and cooked just like you would find any other meat in a market. It was definitely an interesting way to start off my weekend. Today I attended my first church service where English was not the main language, but was what the translator was speaking. I get to be the translator for a church service in October I believe. Should prove entertaining for those who understand English. Luckily I will have a script to read from - I just need to wait for the pastor's pauses to know when I begin speaking. 

God has been so good to me here. He's given me a place to stay, a friendly roommate, a helpful and understanding site coordinator and team of teachers to work with, and an excitement for my job. I could not ask for more. I don't know where this road is leading, but with God at my side it can only be good.

For we walk by faith, not sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7