Before week 10, during our last meeting, I asked my small group to complete a "Christmas mission" over break. The mission was to love on a stranger or someone who you've lost contact with over the years by performing a kind act for that person(s). The point of this is to break us out of our comfort zones and challenge us to love in radical ways. But ever since I've been in Korea, I'm ashamed to admit that I struggled a lot with this the first few days. The whole idea of trying to connect with people who don't even speak the same language as me, who I've heard so many "horror stories" about, who were raised in a completely different culture and mindset as me, was intimidating, to say the least. But I feel like God began to soften my heart for the people of Korea through two random encounters on one day this past week.
The morning of this day, I did devos at Angel in-us Coffee with Jamie and I prayed for God to open up
wide doors for me to serve others somehow in Korea.
It's funny how God responds to prayers sometimes...
That day, I went on the bus by myself to Gangnam to meet up with Monica.
(Jamie dropping me off at the bus stop!)
However, I ended up on the wrong bus but I had no idea until the bus driver turned around, called me up to the front of the bus, and wrote down the directions for me to transfer to the correct bus. He kept trying to explain to me in Korean but I couldn't understand a word he was saying... I just kept nodding and smiling, too confused to react.
So I ended up getting off at some random bus stop in the middle of the freeway and walking across the street to transfer. But I was still very confused and lost, so I called Monica and she told me to hand the phone to someone at the bus stop. I went to the first lady I saw... and she ended up going on the bus with me to Gangnam, saving me the only empty seat on the bus while she stood next to me for the entire ride, getting off with me at the correct stop, and walking with me for about 15 minutes just to find Monica at one of the subway entrances.
Because of the language barrier, it was difficult for us to communicate with each other and the only things I learned about her is that she is a journalist and she is 30 years old.
But I was seriously so touched by her openness with me and willingness to help me out, a complete stranger lost in Seoul. I really wished I could do something for her in return, but all she left with me was this business card.
After that day, I don't think I can
ever view Koreans through the same eyes as before. Despite all the stories I've heard about how unhelpful, pushy, and cold Koreans are, I feel like God was speaking to me through my encounters with the bus driver and the reporter. How can I come to Korea trying to love on the people here if deep down, I am stereotyping and judging them in my heart? I came here expecting to serve in some way, but instead, I was loved on in the most unexpected way.
Technically, if you are traveling in Korea and have nowhere to stay, you could just sleep in one of these. They're cheaper than hotels and even have showers, bathrooms, jacuzzis, restaurants, couches, televisions, and lockers.
Before going into the rooms, Monica and I ate dinner: kim bap! We bought it from a 24-hour restaurant nearby. It was really good.
And we drank banana milk. Mon said it's "tradition" to drink this in jim jil bangs.
Then we journaled!
I couldn't bring my camera into the actual sauna rooms because I didn't want it to overheat and break... but there were two rooms that were 73 degrees Celsius (that is 163 degrees Farenheit)! One of them was a salt room (salt is supposedly good for your skin) where there are salt stones all over the ceiling, floor, and wall... and another room where there are small jade stones all over the ground. I nearly died in those rooms. There was also a room that was a freezer so you could cool off.
