안녕하세요! Annyeonghasaeyo!
I’ll start this update off with some of the new
things I’ve been doing. For almost a year I’ve been attending an English
service at The Presbyterian Church of the Lord, but in September I also started
going to their young adult service in the afternoons, and I’m joining a small
group, too. This is all in Korean, of
course. J I love the worship at the young adult service, and I really look
forward to making some friends there. Before joining a small group, there is a
5-week orientation process, so I’m in the midst of that.
I also joined “Inter-varsity Fellowship,”
IVF, at the university where I’m taking Korean classes. IVF is a Christian organization
at universities worldwide. My sister, Marie, is also in IVF! IVF has a weekly
service and then small groups that meet weekly. I attended both this week, and
the bible study structure the small group uses is such that I can actually
follow along and participate, even though it’s in Korean. I am so, so grateful
that I joined IVF. Regarding both IVF and the young adult service at my church,
I was worried about joining because I’m not very good at Korean. Still, I want
to be able to talk about God in Korean- it’s one of my goals- and I also really
want to have Christian friends. Since I’m not at Connexus anymore and not living
in Christian community, after a month on my own, I’m really starting to notice
that void. I think God really put it in my heart to join IVF and go to the
young adult service because I need it. Even with a language barrier, being in
the fellowship of other believers is encouraging.
Regarding my Korean classes, I’ve been
taking them for a month now, so I’m getting in a routine. My classes are fun,
but definitely a challenge. I have to memorize about 70 new vocabulary words a
week and not just know the grammar we learn in class, but be able to quickly
conjugate the verbs and make a sentence.
I’m also learning the formal writing style, which in Korean is very different
from how you speak. I seriously spend almost all my free time studying. I don't
mind, because I enjoy it and it’s really important for me to keep up, but I had
thought I would have a little more free time.
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| With some of my classmates and the teacher of our "Korean Speaking" class (second on the right) L to R: Rihwan (from Taiwan), Soogi (from China), Airi (from Japan), Iyae (from China), me, Sonyeon (from China), Hyobeom (from China), our teacher, Batu (from Mongolia). |
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| Some of my classmates, before the festival |
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| With most of my classmates, at Yeoido Han River park |
After a month of using Korean most of the
time, I’m definitely improving. However, the reality of it has sunk in a bit,
and I do miss being able to use English and easily communicate everything I
want to say, and to be able to do so quickly! Still, this also motivates me to
work harder, because as I improve in Korean, I’ll be able to say more of what I
want to say. Sometimes I feel discouraged, too. My classmates seem so much
quicker than me, and can memorize so quickly. They always tell me that I’m
really good at Korean, for an American, but as Americans aren’t really well
known internationally for their multilingualism, I’m not sure how to take that…
J Still, I appreciate their friendship and encouragement. I have to
look at what I can do and be proud of myself for that, and then look at what I
don’t do as well and work on ways to improve it.
Living with my host family is still good.
It’s really nice coming home to a place where there are other people, and it’s
also very spacious. Yesterday I visited one of my classmates’ places, and she
has a very, very small room, the size of my parents’ walk-in closet. There is
room for a bed and a desk, but the remaining floor space isn’t even big enough
for a yoga mat if you want to do some stretching. Usually Koreans stay in this
“gosuwons” when they are studying very hard for a certification test. I guess
that place would be okay if you’re only there for sleeping, but spending all
day in that room would make me feel crazy. It was interesting to see.
I’m continuing to exercise at the gym and
I’m eating delicious, balanced meals at my host family’s house. Sometimes I eat
at the school cafeteria with my classmates or IVF friends- it only costs $2.50
for a meal! The food isn’t anything special, though. I went to the health
insurance office by myself this week. Since I’m not working, I have to pay for
it myself now. As a full-time student, I really have to keep an eye on my
finances, and it is a little tight with things like textbooks, visa fees,
health insurance, and meeting friends at cafes or for dinner. I was offered a
job teaching 2 elementary-school-aged boys once a week, and I will start next
week. I’m excited to teach a little again, and be around children. J It will also help make my finances a little less tight.
Prayer Requests:
1)
Forming supportive Christian
friendships at my church and at IVF
2)
That I can show God’s love to
my classmates and friends
3)
Continued motivation,
inspiration, and effective studying habits
4)
Having a good relationship with
my host family
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