No Coincidences

You can tell by the late post that missionary work is super busy here in Dongducheon. Our soldiers are rotating so we’re saying farewell to almost every soldier in our church group and looking with anticipation to meet new ones coming in. We begin teaching a new BSEP review class this week and I have created a battery of review materials to supplement what we did to help the soldiers review their reading comprehension and vocabulary. While I was working there, Wayne has been at the desk at the USO taking care of the soldiers who are rotating. Not being together everywhere we go upset the fabric of our “dong” from the grandmothers outside the shops, to the shopkeepers, and gate guards. The tradition in Korea is “Where the needle goes, the thread follows.” Our Korean neighbors really watch out for us.

                Wednesday, I passed the Garrison Chaplain, Lt. Col. Lee, while I was running an errand and he asked if my husband and I could have lunch with him. We were delighted and had a nice lunch at a meat buffet while we enjoyed informal conversation. It was fun to watch him grill the meat in the middle of the table. He even asked us for advice on a domestic problem he was having.  We felt honored to have been elevated to the status of friend.

                The remainder of the week was equally as busy and Saturday we rode to Seoul with a USO sponsored tour hoping to become better acquainted with one of the soldiers we met at the USO who is new here to Korea, a member, and in a tough place personally right now. We visited a lovely aquarium complete with sharks, rays, seals, otters, and penguins. It was very relaxing to watch the beautiful variety of tropical fish. We were able to watch both the penguins and otters being fed. Our soldier offered to take a picture of the two of us on his phone so he needed to email that to us after we returned. He now has contact information for us if he chooses to use it.

             Our second event was a short cruise on the Han River. There was a stiff wind blowing along the river making it ideal for the children to fly kites. The skyline is beautiful along this stretch of the river. The tall gold building in the background is where we explored the aquarium. There was just a sprinkling of rain to keep the temperature cool, but not the monsoon rain that drenches you in seconds. During the first half of the cruise the upper deck was packed with people looking at the skyline and feeding the gulls. Then everyone else went to the lower deck to listen to some live musicians. Only Capt. Reil remained on deck with us. We had the opportunity to listen as he shared a little of his story. We hope he left knowing that we love him and that his Heavenly Father loves him, too.

                We had three nonmembers join us for our church meetings on Sunday and a fourth slipped in to enjoy the fellowship afterwards. We had three soldiers come for the first time since they arrived in Korea, too. We’re excited to begin working with the new rotation of soldiers. It will still be several weeks before all the soldiers leaving are gone and the replacements in place. A volcano in Russia has been spewing ash and delaying flights much to the sadness of the soldiers and their families.

                We also had visitors on Sunday from Seoul. The Robinson’s arrived in Korea one week ahead of us. They found time to catch a train up north and we enjoyed the delightful opportunity to get to know them better and share our very different mission experiences with one another.

                The Lord is still guiding this work. We never cease to be amazed at the small part he lets us play in reminding his children of his love for them. Being a missionary is awesome with all its twists and turns. God loves us; He watches over each of his children and sometimes he uses humble missionaries to share that message with his children.