For today's post, it is appropriate that I begin with this picture of an egg with Chinese writing, for today was a day of interesting food. Breakfast began with this organic product in a scrambled form, along with some toast. It was not until lunch that things started gettin' wild. We ate at a Korean restaurant, and I ate many new things including the following: jellyfish, chicken stomach, sea cucumber, (here come the best two) preserved duck egg, and spiced dirt snail. By the end of the meal, my stomach was confused at the variety of new visitors that had entered its lair. Then at dinner, in stark contrast to my lunch, we ate at a place named Bennigans, which is what it sounds like--an Irish-American establishment. I never thought I would be eating quesadillas and nachos in Korea, but hey, there's a first for everything. And, my digestive system could once again rest in peace.

My morning began with this view out of the car window, looking into the dense traffic of South Korean streets. The OMS missionary who is taking care of us came by this morning and we had a prayer meeting with two other Korean Christians. One of the most impacting things to me is the Korean people's dedication to prayer. Twice today, we have gathered to spend time on our knees talking to God together. It has been awesome. Once we arrived at the KEHC (the church that OMS started almost 100 years ago!), we met with the new general superintendent of the church. In this interaction, I was struck with the significance of the Word of God. As I watched my grandpa and the superintendent converse through a translator, I saw how faith connected these two very different men. Two men who cannot understand what each other are saying are able to work towards the common goal of furthering God's kingdom. Thats neat.
Also, though the translating of every comment took time, it was interesting to hear the commentary on North Korea and OMS's vision. Currently, the country is open only for one area of S. Korea business that has established a factory to use N. Korean workers. The sad part of this arrangement is that first the N. Koreans are not paid as much as if they were southern, but also the little that they receive is taken from them by the government. They eventually receive a tiny fraction of the already miniscule amount. I thank God that I was born in a free country where I can go to school and am able to eat every day. Thankfully, the country seems to be allowing more and more outside input, and within the tunnel of oppression, a light is in the distance.

Hopefully, as the country eventually allows many more individuals to enter the country, we will be able to provide these hurting people with food, medical attention, but most importantly, hope in a God who will never fail them. On a lighter note, my parents would laugh at the fact that Koreans like to sleep in the hottest temperature possible. I swear, even though it is cooler outside than Hong Kong, the insides of cars, apartments, and buildings are like a big system of saunas. I have decided that it is a conspiracy against westerners and the cult of air-conditioning. If they can take it, more power to them. Today has been very enlightening, as the roads and infrastructure seem more like America than Hong Kong, but the culture is drastically different. Hasta luego amigos...

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nate.