Dressing Up in a Hanbok for the CamKodian Inaugural Ceremony at HJC & My Multiple Roles as Greeter, Singer, and Dishwasher for the Evening

Since I came back from the states, all of the talk at Holy Joy's English Service seems to revolve around the Cambodian-Korean NGO they are working very hard to establish by next year. From zero Cambodians in attendance on Sundays, we now have anywhere between 5-20 in attendance during the worship or singing portion. After the singing, they are whisked off to another floor and another room at Holy Joy, where, I presume, they receive more information about how they can help make this NGO a successful reality for them, their families, their communities, and any other Cambodian who immigrates to Korea. 

During David Jibsanim's announcements, I learn that a few of the church leaders make regular (aka daily) visits to a location closer to the Cambodians' place of residence. There they hold Bible studies, and receive Korean language instruction - among other things beneficial to them (like help with establishing a Cambodian restaurant). Hearing this made me feel better, knowing that there was a steady and personal effort to connect with this particular group of foreigners in Korea. I applaud this church's deeply-concerted work to reach people, especially foreigners in the area, and share with them the love of Christ through practical means.

However, because I don't always understand what is going on around me and because a lot is lost in translation during service, I have more or less been feeling bewildered these past few months at Holy Joy - feeling excluded as another foreigner who does not share the same nationality as those on whose behalf all of the planning and outreach is aimed; silenced by the guilt I feel at the realization that my self-centeredness is likely preventing me from sharing in the awesome work that my church is doing to welcome others the way it has welcomed me (well, minus the establishment of a Filipino-American NGO, of course); and feeling a bit like it is only a matter of time before the English Service disappears altogether. 

With all of that said, I am doing what I can to combat feelings of not belonging by, at least, being a part of the behind-the-scenes work. 

THE CAMKODIAN INAUGURAL CEREMONY

For this event, I was asked to wear a Korean hanbok and greet our guests at the entrance of Holy Joy. With the help of a jibsanim and a samonim, I was ready within a few minutes.

Most of the people in attendance at tonight's CamKodian Inaugural event held at the basement sanctuary of Holy Joy Center

Cambodian Leaders visiting Korea. Church leaders took it upon themselves
to give them a tour of Busan and of Yeongdo upon their arrival

When the ceremony started at 4:00 p.m., I hurried over to the stage to sing a couple of songs.

Professor Gabriel and me singing

The senior pastor speaking to his foreign guests through a Cambodian translator.
Of course, since everything was in Korean-Cambodian, Cambodian-Korean, I had no way of understanding
any of the great things that were being said

A korean girl playing a traditional instrument

The extremely talented son of David Jibsanim performing for the evening

This couple sang beautifully!

Receptionists

Traditional Cambodian dance

Harmonica players

Our singers, who had traveled from Seoul that day and who returned to Seoul that very night back to their studies!

Dinner on the 8th floor

Saying grace before the meal

Some of our beautiful guests

Meanwhile, I had changed out of my hanbok and had donned on an apron, washing hundreds of dishes this evening. This kitchen was my dream kitchen, with its huge and deep sinks, flexible and powerful faucets, and ample storage and elbow room!

Out of all the roles I played this afternoon and evening, I was most comfortable and most confident in my role as dishwasher

This is the view of Nampo-dong just outside the church balcony 

I wish the CamKodia NGO the best! With this kind of dedication, I can see nothing but success in its future.

All Photos Courtesy of David Daeil Lee 

The Last Week of My Grant Year | Sunday: The Pastors in My Life in Busan

PENIEL INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

10:00 a.m. | Yeonsan, Yeonje-Gu, Busan

Throughout my grant year, I have found great support from my faith communities here in Busan. I am grateful and count myself blessed for having gotten to know Korean folks, Filipino students and workers, and other foreigners in the area. The Filipino community at Holy Joy used to be a bit bigger, but now that community is only represented by Russel and me. 

Russel preaching at Peniel International Christian Community

PASTOR RUSSEL

By a curious turn of events, Russel now pastors a church in mainland Busan called Peniel, whose foreign members consist mostly of Filipino men and women. 

PASTOR DEO

Deo Vistar, the former pastor of this international Christian community is also Filipino - one who, as a matter of fact, graduated from the same seminary in the Philippines as Russel and who is now pursuing a PhD in New Zealand after having earned two Masters in Korea. 

I am so impressed and inspired by this man's life journey so far! (You can read his blog here). Pastor Deo speaks my native tongue, Visaya, and so was a figure who seemed very familiar to me from the start. There is nothing like hearing your native tongue - complete with its intonations and particular phrasings - to reach into your heart and draw you into a family that is at once a wide network and an intimate unit. There are others at Peniel who also speak Visaya, making this community of believers very attractive to me.

This is the church that Russel has, in a way, "inherited" from Pastor Deo. Not knowing how long I would be able to keep attending this church upon my return to Korea, I did my best to enjoy everyone's company on my last Sunday here before returning to the U.S. for a brief vacation.

This man has a wonderful, wonderful singing voice!

 HOLY JOY CENTER

2:00 p.m. | Yeongdo, Busan

After Peniel, we took the subway back to Nampo-dong, and then walked across the Yeongdo Bridge to Holy Joy Center in time for me to practice singing with the worship team. 

PASTOR GABRIEL

These days, the worship leader and main pastor of the English service is the same (and, might I add, busy) man, Pastor/Professor Gabriel from Kosin University. He is a vibrant character whose stories about his native South Africa and his experience of marrying a Korean woman (and, subsequently, her family) has kept me laughing and, at the same time, deep in thought regarding the way human beings interact with each other across cultures.

With the apparent flight of most of our Filipino church attendees (who made up the largest portion of foreigners in the English service), the church deacons cultivated new plans of drawing in foreigners from a different country, Cambodia.

Now, we have a growing community of Cambodians who attend our English service. The church provides them with English tutoring, and, because I'm an English teacher, has appointed me as their English instructor. Today, though, I team-taught with Russel as we used an online tool to help deliver our lesson on the alphabet and very basic words in English.

Our group of English learners. The others were in a different room learning Korean

Our students' names. Pronunciation was an issues so we had to have them spell their names out to us

A game we played on the board to gauge their spelling skills

Observing some hilariously misspelled words by their team members

Baby strapped to mom's back as she participates in the spelling activity

Hopefully baby is also learning some English, even subconsciously! 

After church, Russel and I walked back to Nampo and headed to our favorite Chinese restaurant, where we ordered the same two items on the menu: sea food fried rice and sea food soup (they had fancier names on the menu but, seriously, you couldn't be more to the point than this!).

Russel still on Pastor mode, sharing his ideas on eschatology, or end-time events.
Who needs dessert when you can talk about an optimistic view of the end of the world?!

He wanted me to bring a few small gifts back to my family from him, which was really thoughtful.
These are some of the coloring books he picked up for Emily!

Without a doubt, my experience here in South Korea would not be the same without this man who, from the moment I stepped into Holy Joy, took my hand and led me to the various communities he was already a part of or was just establishing. I don't know what the next year will bring, but I want you to know how grateful I am for your care and company during my first year in Korea. Thank you, Pastor Russel! (Feels strange addressing you as that, but you truly do have a pastor's heart).