Two faces

                We had some electrical problems in our apartment this week which sent us into the neighborhood to purchase parts. In the picture you can see the display of merchandise in a typical Korean store. They have limited space and almost no shelving. The shops are chucked full of goods with an organization only the owners can decipher. The good news is that he found a part that would replace our broken one and our electrical problems are solved for now.

                As we walked, it was difficult not to note the stark difference between the more common Korean store front or doorway and the streets billed as “tourist avenues.” It reminded me of Draggon Alley in Harry Potter. The tourist section was really a series of shops hidden inside the city.

The colorful store fronts with the nice automobile in the forefront are part of what the soldiers call “The Ville.” It was built to lure the soldiers off the base and entice them to spend their money here in Korea on short-term pleasures. The officers patrol this area every weekend hoping to keep their soldiers out of trouble.

What’s behind the barred windows in the buildings that more commonly line the streets is a mystery. Who are the people who live inside? What is their story?

The reality that many of the missionary tasks we might do are dependent on the choices of others was very real this week. We had no students at our classes although several promised to attend. We did have our first institute class. We were able to bear our testimonies in two Fast and Testimony meetings. I gave a Relief Society lesson but my attempt to make a visiting teaching visit was cancelled. We were able to assist missionaries soon to return home to formulate their next-step plan. We used our limited Korean to visit with Koreans in the park, at the train station, and on the trains. Our neighbors recognize that we wear “Jesus Christ” on our shirts and they are beginning to return our greeting as we bow to them.

We took a little walk along the river tonight. About two miles north is this bridge that signals the entry to the trails up Soyosan Mountain, a popular hiking destination for local Koreans. We enjoyed the egrets and herons, cormorants and ducks in the water.

We’re still not sure why the Lord sent us to this corner of his vineyard, but we do our best every day to do what we can do. We are on the Lord’s errand and we do see His hand in so many small ways. We feel your prayers and are thankful for them.​