We love Sundays...

We are attending Seoul Union Church (photo 1 & 2) and loving it! The church was founded in 1886 by Horace Underwood (a member of the typewriter family) who was the first missionary to Korea, and the church has served the English speaking, expatriate community ever since. Pastor Prince, a native of Ghana, attended seminary in Seoul and is leading the church through a challenging series of sermons on Nehemiah. He is "speaking right to us," but we have heard a number of the 150 persons in the congregation say the same thing. He also leads a Sunday school class that we attend (Photo 3- pastor Prince is front/ center.) The congregation includes persons from Korea, China, Japan, Russia, Singapore, Canada, USA, Brazil, Finland, Norway, Dubai, Ghana and other African nations. A true international church that demonstrates to us how much God loves all of us -- regardless of our minor differences on the outside -- He desires to reside inside every person on this globe!

Pastor Prince has us recite this before we read the scripture and are taught by the sermon:

This is my Bible -- I am what it says I am -- I have what it says I have -- I can do what it says I can do -- Today, I will be taught the Word of God -- I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive-- I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed of the Word of God. I will never be the same -- never, never, never; I will never be the same -- In Jesus name, amen. --- AMEN!!

We also are attending a weekly Bible study that is lead by Barry and Karolyn Benger. Barry, an administrator at Seoul Foreign School, is on the right in photo 4, along with Kenneth who serves in the Singapore embassy. We are going through a Beth Moore series on the Fruits of the Spirt -- great stuff!

You can check out the church web site at www.seoulunionchurch.org

We like to have friends over for dinner on Sunday evenings -- last night we had four of our favorite young people over for tacos and and Mexican food. Photo 5 shows, left to right, Caleb Kim and his sister Hannah, Jason Ahn and Sara Hong. Caleb is the administrtuve asssitant at Fulbright. Hannah is a linguist who is doing graduate study here in Korean. Jason is a Fulbright grantee studying North Korean issues while waiting to enter medical school. And Sara just got admitted to the nursing program at Yonsei. Her parents are missionaries to Paraguay. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Korean. All of them are active in local Korean churches-- they are amazing young adults.

Just an additional note - the Korean church(approximately 40% of the South Korean population) recognizes and values the American missionaries who came here to share the gospel message over 100 years ago. Korea sends more missionaries , per capita, than any other nation. They are even sending missionaries to the USA. Interesting, huh??

Yonsei College of Nursing Faculty and Students...

This is a fabulous place to teach nursing. Last week we had a formal picture taken for our Christmas card. Full time faculty are mainly in the front two rows (approximately 20) and the remaining people are research contract faculty, teaching assistants and college of nursing staff (photo 1). Current Dean, Dr. Wonhee Lee, is in the center front (white suit) with the three previous deans sitting on either side of her. All full time faculty at the college must have a PhD in nursing, a clinical area of research, and a strong commitent to teaching , research and professional activities. The college houses a WHO Collaborating Center in Primary Health Care as well as being a Joanna Briggs Research Insititute site. Faculty work long hours and frequently add Saturday work to their busy schedule. If they teach an RN-BSN class, their days extend until 10 PM. Right now they are especially busy preparing the accreditation report and many have just finished submitting grant requests for federal funding dollars for speical projects. All of them are actively involved in research studies. Many of them tell me that being a nursing faculty member in Korea is one of the busiest jobs there is. I bellieve it !!

The nursing students are all highly motivated and intelligent. They are truly the "cream of the crop." My RN-BSN classes are in a large state of the art lecture hall (photo 2). RN students - about 100 - attend classes two evenings each week from 6-10 PM. One evening I taught team building and organized activities for the students outside of the lecture hall in the main foyer. It was great fun (photos 3 and 4). The RN students are all very young (photo 5). I also teach a group of traditional students on Fridays (photo 6). They are all fluent in English and many want to pursue graduate degrees in the US. I have gotten to know them quite well. Several are even writing their papers in English. What excellent scholars !!

61st Birthday Parties - "Hwangap"

In Korea the day you are born is your first birthday. Parents hold a large celebration once the child has survived 100 days. The only other birthday of equal significance is the "Hwangap" or 61st birthday. Traditionally, old age began when one reached 61 (60 in the western way of thinking). The Chinese lunar calendar is divided into 12 animal years, so once one goes through 5 cycles, they reach their 61st birthday. "Hwangap" means that one is starting the cycle all over again. It used to be that 60 years was the life expectancy for Koreans - but now, most live well into their 70s or 80s.

In September, we were invited to a Hwangap party for my good friend and mentor, Dr. Euisook Kim. The teaching assistants at the college of nursing decorated the faculty lounge, provided cake, fruit, coffee, and punch, and put together a slide show of Euisook's professional life. She received a lovely gift and eveyone had a wonderful time. Her office was filled with bouquets of flowers and good wishes (photos 1,2,3,4) .

The Fulbright program just celebrated its Hwangap. To commemorate it a sculpture and picture of Senator Fulbright was given by the Korean Fulbright alumni and dedicated at a special ceremony and luncheon at the office here in Seoul (photo 5).

100th Anniversary Celebration . . .

This is the 100th anniversary of the Yonsei College of Nursing. Nurses here in Korea highly respect their traditions and history. And because Yonsei is the leading nursing college in Korea, it has many distinquished alums, for which it is extremely proud. To commenorate this significant event, the college held a three day celebration at the beginning of the semester - which happened to be the first weekend after we arrived in Seoul. What a special joy for us to be able to participate. The College of Nursing motto is "Vision and Leadership," seen in the celebration posters with the university emblem - "the eagle" from Isaiah 40:31 (photo 1).

Part of the celebration included a dedication of the new history museum (photos 2, 3 and 4).
They have done a marelovus job of telling their story and preserving their heritage. The museum is state of the art. When you walk in music plays. You touch computer screens and pictures from all previous classes appear; the acccomplishments and many awards of significant graduates are on display. It is simply fabulous.

There were over three hundred alumni who attended from all over the world. About 40 came from the US. Alums were honored at a large reception (photo 5), a special lunch of "Bibimbop" a fried rice with lots of vegetables - with the students (photo 6) and were invited Friday evening to the President's home for dinner. Everyone attended the formal dinner celebration at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday evening as well.

In addition to meeting Dr. Mo Im Kim, a world renown leader in Korean nursing and politics, I spent some time with Dr. Mi Ja Kim, retired Dean Emeritus from University of Illinois Chicago - my alma mater (photo 7). She still lives in Chicago. What a delightful woman of God. She is strongly committed to scholarship and mentoring in nursing. She shared much wisdom and insight regarding nursing education with me as we enjoyed breakfast together.

And finally, I was honored to meet and talk with Dr. Martha Hill, Dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (middle, photo 8). Martha was here in Seoul the week before the celebration to present a conference and to discuss a collaborative partnership with Yonsei College of Nursing. So she stayed for the celebration. She is a dynamic nursing leader.

What a joyful celebratuon. Happy Birthday Yonsei College of Nursing !!

Korea Nurses Christian Fellowship 39th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday October 26th was the 39th anniversary of Korea NCF. Hyesook Lee, the director, planned a big celebration. Over 300 young nurses attended. I was honored to bring a greeting and speciual blessing from NCF USA and from Nurses Christian Fellowship International. Dr. WonHee Lee, my good friend and Dean of the College of Nursing, gave a special message from Yonsei University (photo 1). The celebration went from 1:30 - 5 PM and was held in the Severance Hospital auditorium. The first half of the ceremony was a delightful time of music. Eight different choirs of nurses from all over Seoul and other parts of the country sang and performed (photos 2 & 3). Then the later part of the program was a worship service, praising God for His faithfulness through the years of NCF in Korea.

Healthcare Christian Fellowship International (HCFI) Asia Pacific Conference...

Barb had an opportunity to attend and speak at the HCFI conference in Seoul October 10 - 12. Over 500 healthcare workers, including physicians, nurses, pastors, chaplains and ancillary hospital personel participated. They came from all over Asia, Australia and even Africa (photo 1). Barb and Hyesook Lee, the Director of Nurses Christian Fellowship in Korea, met with Dr. Chris Steyn and Dr. George McDonald from HCFI over lunch to talk about ways in which Nurses Christian Fellowship International and HCFI could collaborate (photo 2). At dinner, Barb and John met Pastor Chan Kyu Hwang, the conference organizer, and he shared his vision with us. He longs to build a Christian hospital in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea(photo 3). Barb taught a break out session from 8-10 PM one evening entitled "What is Bioethics?" Even though the time was really late in the day, the group was very attentive and interested in the topic (photo 4). One of the great joys was reconnecting with Dr. Chungnam Kim, Dean of the Keimyung University College of Nursing in Taegu in the southern part of Korea (photo 5). She spoke on parish nursing and has invited us down to her university to speak and visit in December.

The lesson of the Jeju gate ...

In Jeju the gate to the home sends a message -- three poles down; "We are home and anyone is welcome to come in," Two poles down; "Be right back, gone for just a few minutes," One pole down; "Gone for the day - will be home at dusk," All three poles up; "Gone for a long time - stay out."

Dear Lord,

Teach us to be "three pole down people"- that we might always be available to you and to those you bring our way. May the gate to our heart be open, and may we never have our poles up when you want them down. Thank you that the poles to your home are always down and welcoming to everyone. Help us to learn well the lesson of the Jeju gate.

Doing well in Seoul because He is with us ...

Jeju is Korea's Maui ...

This past week we spent 5 days on JeJu, a small island off the southern tip of Korea. It is a 50 minute fight from Seoul. We rented a car and had a wonderful time exploring the island and just relaxing. We stayed in a lovely family owned "Pension" or small motel. Ju Hong Cheon, a staff memeber at the Fulbright office, arranged for us to stay at his parent's motel (home,) when he found out we were going. He is pictured with them and his sister in photo 1. His mom is a wonderful cook and runs the restaurant at the motel. YUM!!

There are two famous symbols on the island. One is the dolhareubang or friendly grandfather, carved out of volcanic rock(photo 2). He is believed to protect the village and keep out evil. There are many of these carvings all over the island. The second is the island's aging women divers or haenyo. These women dive in the ocean in depths up to 50 feet for up to two minutes at a time without any breathing apparatus. They harvest squid, octopus, abalone, sea weed and other sea delicacies. Almost all are over age 50 and not being replaced by younger women. We were fortunate to see them bring in their nets and come ashore (photo 3).

JeJu is an agricultural island. The main crop is tangerines which ripen in December. Grains and vegetables are grown and can be seen everywhere on the island. The women (photo 4) dry sesame stalks on the roadside and harvest the seeds by beating them with a stick. The farmer's market (photo 5) has everything imaginable from food to clothes to furniture and other household goods.

We saw some gorgeous scenery including this beautiful waterfall (photo 6). But my favorite was the secluded beach we found on the last day (photos 7 & 8). We spent an hour soaking up the sun and feeling as if we were truly on Maui.

Important people in our lives ...

Earlier, we posted pictures of Tracey, Roy and our other dorm neighbors. We also told you about Dr. Seon (Sun) Young (PhD from University of Illinois) and her assistance in getting us a car. These important people have generously helped us adjust to our new life in Korea. We are so appreciative of their friendship.
Now, we want to tell you about some other important people ---

Grace (photo 1) came over and introduced herself to John the first Friday we were in Seoul. We were at the 100th anniversary celebration of the Yonsei College of Nursing (another blog at a later date.) We immediately knew Grace was sent by God to welcome us, as she became an instant friend and helper. Grace is a master's prepared nurse practitioner who graduated from UCLA and spent many years in the US. She recently has returned to Korea with her husband (a pastor) and children. Last year she was on the faculty (I actually moved into her old office) but this year, she has taken an important position at Severance Hospital to help administration and staff prepare for the JCAHO accreditation visit coming up this December. Severance will be the first Korean hospital to receive this designation. Through her contacts, we found a reputable used car dealer and were able to buy our car. We call Grace for phone translation whenever we get "stuck." She is fluent in English and is always there for us.
Dr. Young Ju Kim (photo 2) picked me up at the dorm and drove me down to the office many days before we got the car. She also willingly signed for us ( along with Sun Young) when we purchased the car. Young Ju received her PhD from University of Maryland. She will be married in January to a very special young man.

Caleb Kim (photo 3) is the Administrative Assistant at the Fulbright office. Caleb, with his great sense of humor and dynamic personality, sends us Fulbright announcements, Embassy updates and important state department information. Caleb graduated from Azusa Pacific University where he played football and committed his life to Christ. He is fluent in several languages, has a heart for missions, and hopes to someday work in diplomatic service. Caleb was a Fulbright recipient and taught English for a year at a school near Busan. He loves Korea and decided to stay on at Fulbright to give back to this great organization. He also loves Barb's home cooked meals !

Jo (photo 4) is one of the guards at the dormitory front office. He was on duty the night we arrived. He lived in Seattle, Washington for a short time, so he knows English and talks with us daily. Jo has a heart for service. He consistently helps when the bottled water arrives, or when our arms are full with sacks of groceries. Last night I baked him some chocolate chip cookies, as he was the only guard here on duty over Chusok (Thanksgiving).

Eun Sun Kim and Kil Hwan Kim (photo 5) are our student helpers. They are students in Tracey's freshman Business English class. Part of their course assignment is to meet with a native English speaker weekly and "assist" with whatever is needed. So far they have helped us get new tires on the car, get the emission test completed on the car, find the university swimming pool and buy some needed products at the grocery store. We will have more for them to do as the weeks go by, but right now, we are just enjoying getting to know them.

Important people - all gifts from the Lord.

Thankful also for our kids ...

Jonathan and Elisabeth are "holding down the fort" for us while we are are here in Seoul. Thanks to them for looking after our home, grandmothers Dorothy and Mary, our dog Heidi, and all the other responsibilities. You are the BEST! And thanks to our many friends that are also helping out. Blessings on you all.

This is Chusok- Thanksgiving in Korea ...

As we pause to once again give thanks, we are very aware of the many people who have helped make this fantastic experience in Seoul possible for us. My good friend, Susie Kim, was the first person I contacted when we thought about applying for this Fulbright award fourteen months ago ( photo 1). Her encouragement, thoughtfulness and generosity have upheld us during this past month. We have become part of Susie's family here in Korea and we are very grateful for the blessing of her special friendship. She has impacted our lives with her wisdom and spiritual maturity. Long before we arrived here, Susie reminded us that "Our Father knows just what we need." The truth of her words and the reality of God's constant provision have irreversibly changed us.

Yonsie University President Dr. Chang Young Jung and his wife greeted us at chapel the first Sunday we arrived (photo 2). We are very grateful for this university and its continued strong commitment to its Christian heritage and Biblical values. All university events begin with prayer and worship (hymn singing). Students are required to attend chapel once each week. Faculty are comfortable praying together and talking about the spiritual impact of decisions. What a joy it is to incorporate scriptural principles into all my teaching. John and I have marveled at the fact that we really"fit" here. This university is the top private university in the nation and is considered to be the "Princeton of Korea."

Mrs Shim, (photo 3) the executive director at the Korea Fulbright office, is dedicated to making this experience valuable for the over 100 Korean Fulbright scholars, researchers and teaching asssitants who are here each year. Mrs. Shim leads a dedicated Fulbright staff who work long hours, but love their work. She does an amazing job.

I am very thankful to Dr. Chung-Yul Lee, (photo 4) the former dean at Yonsei College of Nursing. It was through her commitment and leadership that I received the Fulbright appointment and our spacious accommodations. Dr. Lee is an accomplished researcher and statistician. She and I will be doing some collaborative research projects this year. She told me recently that I am the first non-Korean heritage Fulbright at the college. The previous two were highly esteemed Korean-Americans. I am extremely honored and thankful to be here.

Dr. WonHee Lee (photo 5 seated) is the current dean of the college of nursing. I am so thankful to be here this year serving under her expert leadership. She and I are teaching an RN-BSN class in Ethics. I have the privilege of working with WonHee on the NCFI Board of Directors as well. I appreciate her gentle and humble spirit and her complete reliance on God our Father. She leads a highly educated scholarly faculty: 22 fulltime professors, 3 research professors and numerous teaching assistants.

Dr. Euisook Kim (photo 5 standing) is my mentor and - now - a very good friend. She and I are teaching leadership and health policy classes together. I am learning much from Euisook. She is the former President of the Korea Nurses Association and is currently serving on the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Board of Directors. Euisook has a fabulous fun loving enthusiastic personality. She has taken me under her wing at the college and has made my time of adjustment here so very easy.

God used all these precious people to give us this Fulbright experience -- the opportunity of a lifetime. Daedan hi kamsa hamnida! (Thank you very much !)