Dr. Park assembled us at a local cafe one last time for some good-byes. He was hoping for some farewell speeches and made one himself. A few people ventured some thank yous and reflections. I mentioned that many people asked if I was embarking on this trip to Korea with strangers, and I answered, "Pretty much." However, I feel that I will answer this question differently now as each person has changed my life in his or her own way. I also mentioned the contrast between closure and "opening my heart" in a good way.
A group attempted one last trip to Namdaemun. Thank you Carolyn for this picture!! Crinkle dogs!!--> They were all that I hoped they would be!! Yum! I enjoyed chatting with Carolyn and processing our thoughts about leaving Korea. We attempted to look for the splat toys for my nieces, but were unsuccessful in that quest. I took it as a sign that I would need to return to Korea before this toy would lose its charm for them. I consoled myself in the fact that they would never know the hours of fun they were missing. Yet, I would know! (c;In the airport I had a bulgogi flatbread at Dunkin Donuts--ubiquitous in Korea. I filled up my water bottle with the water fountain. David reminded us on the 1st day that Korea is not a 3rd world country. The water is fine. That's all the convincing I needed. I didn't get sick.
As the plane took off, I began to think of the last time I left Korea--with Mom and Dad and Julie. How long it took me to return. My eyes got a little warm. For virtually the next 13 hours I listened to my new iPod (iPhone). I was strangely drawn to listen to "In Christ Alone." This line caught me by surprise and seemed to capture the trip--all of the past, the present and future combined:
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
3 comments:
Jackie- thank you so much for sharing this journal with me. I really enjoyed your notes. Your writing is entertaining, eloquent and artistic. More importantly, it was from the heart. Looking forward to catching up with you in person. Although our stories are different, our journies are similar.
Hey there!
I enjoyed reading your journal! Thank you for sharing it with me. At times my eyes were full of tears, and other times I laughed outloud. That song..."In Christ Alone" I don't know if you remember but I heard it on the WOW CD my last summer at Elim and I knew that was the song I wanted to sing in church. So I bought the music and sang it in church. After that, it was weird because they continued to sing the song in church and now I hear it all over the place. I love that song. Were you there when I sang it? Anyway, I love you dearly! Check my Australian blog! :)
Jackie
Thans so much for sharing. You have a gift for writing. I was very glad to be your roomate on the trip. I miss our conversations and shared experiences.
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