It's Christmas time in the city...

Rebecca flew off to Canada on Friday, Dec. 19th, and we had a nice family Christmas celebration on Thursday night (one that involved a yummy Indian dinner at Indy and - of course! - treats at Starbucks). On Monday evening the four of us went out to admire the beautiful festive lights throughout downtown Daejeon. At one busy pedestrian intersection there was even a big Christmas tree-shaped sculpture constructed of soju bottles. Soju, for those of you who haven't tried it, is a fiery fermented rice beverage that sort of resembles vodka, and it is the national beverage of choice in bars and barbeque restaurants throughout Korea.

We are becoming authentically Korean...

On Saturday, December 13th, Brian and LeeAnne traveled across town to the home of Susan Kim, a colleague who serves as the TCIS Middle School counselor. She and her husband were embarking on a day of kimjang (traditional kimchi making) and we were able to take part. Susan had soaked the whole heads of baechu (napa cabbage) overnight in a salt water solution, and we learned how to process the cabbage from its naked state into fully-dressed whole-cabbage kimchi! We made everything from scratch, including all of the ground and cut ingredients (such as copious amounts of ginger, garlic, radish, green onion, etc.), and mixed everything with bagfuls of dried red pepper. The trick at the end of the process (which takes a full day) is to lovingly coat each leaf of the heads of cabbage with the fiery sauce, by hand, ensuring all leaves transform into the tasty side dish we love (well, three out of five family members love it!). It was a fantastic day, and we now have two large containers of fragrant kimchi fermenting in our fridge!

Skating at Nam Sun...

This past summer we packed up our skates from Canada, anticipating Sunday afternoons at the Daejeon arena once the weather turned chilly. And skating season has officially begun. A few weekends ago Brian, Hannah, Cora and LeeAnne traveled across town to the Nam Sun Sports Complex to join hundreds of other skaters at the rink (Rebecca was busy working on homework with friends). It was completely chaotic, with a lot of inexperienced skaters whizzing around the ice, arms flailing and legs pumping. We definitely had to watch out for incoming skaters from all directions and, as a consequence, it was a very entertaining afternoon. The zamboni show half-way through the public skating session provoked as much interest in Daejeon as it does in Peterborough!

Delivering coal to some beautiful 할머니 (grandmothers)...

In Korean the word "halmoni" means grandma, and on Saturday morning we had the privilege of helping bring coal bricks to the homes of four beautiful elderly women in Daejeon. Our school's NJHS group connected with Social Services and a local pastor who heads up a ministry that delivers coal to the homes of very poor people in our city. Many of the very old and traditional little homes in Korea are still heated with circular coal bricks, and it takes between 1000 - 1400 bricks to fuel a home throughout the winter months. We delivered 200 bricks to each of the four homes we visited, so our grandmas will have a source of heat for the next month or so. Thankfully, this ministry is ongoing so these grandmas will receive another visit when they run low on coal and, as a consequence, they will be able to survive the winter. We traveled to these homes in the van of the pastor in charge, followed by a flat-bed truck laden with coal. When we arrived, we would figure out where the coal needed to be stacked, and then we would make a line so we could pass the brittle bricks carefully from one person to the next. Brian was at the end of the line, piling the bricks into neat piles so the grandmas could easily reach them and put them into their small coal furnaces as needed. One grandma (the one featured in the close-up photograph) was in tears as we prepared to leave. She lived in the smallest and oldest little home I have ever seen. It consisted of a tiny courtyard with two little sheds, and her home seemed to just have one very small and old little kitchen (which probably measured only about 4 feet x 4 feet) with a little sleeping room behind. Her face was beautifully etched with wrinkles and seemed to tell a story all its own. We think she might be about 75 or 80 years old, which means she has seen a lot of history unravel in Korea. She would have been in her early 20s during the Korean war, and the way her nation has transformed itself during her lifetime must be truly mind-boggling for her. It was the coldest morning we have ever experienced, temperature-wise, in Korea (about -11 celcius). In a way, what a fitting morning to deliver coal bricks to these wonderful women. We were blessed in so many ways by being able to participate in this project, and came away reminded of the beauty of pouring our lives out for others in acts of love and service. We desire more of these opportunities as we live and grow with our girls.

Christmas at the orphanage...

On Saturday afternoon, while Rebecca and Hannah played basketball in Seoul and Cora made crafts at home, Brian and I spent a few hours with our school's NHS kids at the Village of Peace orphanage for our annual Christmas party. Our students had arranged for a Christmas craft and songs, as well as a time for the distribution of gifts and, as always, it was such a reminder to us of the true meaning of Christmas. Being with these kids as they sat patiently and raptly, waiting to receive their gifts, was magical. The sense of anticipation, and of the appreciation of small treasures in their packages, was refreshing for our souls. A bunch of the children we know from our regular visits crawled onto our laps to show off their gifts and receive some hugs and love, and it was a wonderful afternoon. The Prince of Peace - with everything embodied in His love for the world - seemed very present in the midst of the festivities. God is so good.

Savouring the Sights of Hong Kong

While the girls were getting in the Christmas spirit back in Daejeon, several administrators, teachers (including Brian!) and Student Life ministers attended the International Christian Educators Conference in Hong Kong. As a special administrative district of China, Hong Kong is a unique blend of Chinese and British cultures. These photos provide a glimpse of some of Hong Kong's famous sights, including restaurants, temples, shopping districts and a 5.7 km long cable car. Spectacular!