April Update

Some of you may find this amusing. The other day I needed some butter to do some baking. Usually the corner stores (kah-gay in Korean) don’t have butter, but I thought I would check it out before heading to the grocery store. To my surprise the little store about 1/2 block away from our apartment had a couple of different kinds of butter. Seeing a Land O’Lakes box, I grabbed it. I thought it was strange to be buying Land O’ Lakes dairy products in Korea. So, I turned the box over to see where the package had come from and wouldn’t you know it I was carrying butter in my hands that had come all the way from Arden Hills, Minnesota. It was kind of weird to think that the butter I was about to use had made the same journey across the ocean that I had. It was also crazy to me that I was going to be eating butter that was made from cows milked in my home state. (Okay, so we all know there isn’t much milk in butter, but it is still a dairy product, right?)

After moving over seas, I have noticed that when buying products packaged in the State or Europe I am always looking at the place of production–a habit I most likely wouldn’t have picked up if I hadn’t moved so far away. I think it is just comforting to know that we aren’t so far away that we can’t have little tastes of home. When I find a label from any place in Minnesota it also reminds me of how small our world has become.

Now, on to a topic you all enjoy much more than the above. Jacob just turned 7 months this week. He is quite the big little boy. He has pretty much out grown all his 9 month clothing, along with most of his 12 months clothing. So, we are counting down the weeks (about 4 left) until we are home where we can go bargain shopping for clothes that fit.

Some new things Jacob is doing: rolling all over the place (check out the clips below), voicing his opinion, and learning the technique of drinking from a sippy-cup. He has been spending a lot of time in his stroller in the afternoons, because Mike and I have been running more. Usually 2-3 afternoons a week we head out into the beautiful spring weather for a nice family jog.

A few Sunday’s ago we went out for a hike at a nearby mountain. We decided to take the “less traveled path” and got a little worried that we weren’t going to get to the top, but we made it safe and sound. Jacob was quite the trooper and didn’t fuss even though he was on Mike’s back for the good part of 2 hours. It was great to get out and enjoy some natural scenery and get a little stress-free exercise in too.

Below you will find some pictures from this month. Enjoy.

Pictures from our hike:

Jacob enjoying chewing on his toy.

At the top of the mountain, over looking the city of Daejon.

Jacob is already a Royals fan–thanks to his auntie JoAnna.

Jacob playing on his tummy.

Jacob drooling over butter–he wishes he could have some but is watching his waistline.

 

 

Philippines Phun

It’s been a couple of weeks now, but I figured I should say a few words about my trip to the Philippines.  One of my responsibilities at TCIS is to coordinate our High School mission trips.  We call these trips LASA trips (LASA standing for Love All Serve All).  This year we sent out 150 staff and students on 9 different trips over two breaks (Lunar New Year Break, and Spring Break).  We sent our people to the Philippines, Thailand, India and Borneo.  I had the privilege of leading a group of 11 students and 4 staff to Tagaytay City which is located in Upland Cavite, Philippines.  (See red font on map)

On Good Friday, March 21 we loaded up our bus and headed to the airport in Seoul.  After a short flight (funny that a 3.5 hour flight seems short now) we landed in Manilla.  After another 2 hour van ride we arrived in Tagaytay.  It took some time getting oriented to the area and then we settled in to our place and got some rest before starting our work.  Here are a couple shots from where we stayed; it was quite scenic:

  

TCIS partners with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village when we travel to the Philippines.  We have been building houses with Habitat for 10 years now.  Usually the houses are stand alone units constructed on a simple slab with hollow block and concrete.  However the houses we worked on this time were more complex.  These particular houses had cement footings, a quater wall that ran up about two feet, a cement slab floor and then aluminum framing rafters.  A cement/fiberboard is used to side the houses and then aluminum sheeting is attached for the roof.  Also instead of stand alone units, these houses are constructed in tandem with one another in blocks of 8 houses, and therefore most houses share two common walls.  

We started our work bright and early on a HOT Saturday morning.  For the first three days we worked on the aluminum frame assembly.  Nothing too mind blowing; just lining up the aluminum in the right places and then riveting the pieces together.  

We worked Saturday through Monday on the frame assembly.  That’s right we worked on Easter Sunday.  It’s a long story, but that is the schedule that was provided for us.  We tried to go to a church on the way to work, but the line to get in would have required a two hour wait.  So it was off to work for us. 

Some of the kids were getting bored with the frame assembly so Tuesday they got what they wished for: concrete work!  For this process we mixed sand and cement compound, and then added rock (of course we had the pleasure of hauling these materials from different locations).  Then we added water and mixed the concrete, and then we poured it.  The locals were wise enough to keep the troweling to themselves, but we would have done it if they would have let us.  This process was pretty tough, but our team stuck with it and poured a lot of cement that day.  

On Wednesday we had our R&R day.  Our team had worked hard and they deserved it.  In the morning we took a boat ride around a volcano.  It was a beautiful day on the water.  That afternoon we were able to go swimming and enjoy some other activities.  

Thursday was back to work.  Most of us returned to the cement work, but others moved on to setting up the frames, and fastening the interior walls as well as the siding to the houses. 

Friday we erected more frames and put up more walls, however Friday afternoon was a real treat.  We were able to be a part of a house dedication ceremony.  This is the ceremony that takes place when a family is receiving their very own house.  Since H4H is a Christian organization it was a very spiritual ceremony.  We sang a couple of songs, read some scripture from the Bible, and a local priest prayed over the house and blessed it with holy water.  It was really touching.  

That afternoon we made a visit to a local group home where we spent some time with some adults with mental disabilities.  This was an interesting visit because I was under the impression that we were going to visit a children’s orphanage.  But as we entered the small house it was clearly no children’s orphanage.  Our team looked panicked first, but after a little reassurance they did great.  They loved those people with the love of the Lord and it made my heart smile.

Friday night the local Habitat officers held a special dinner for us.  It was a nice program with songs and awards.  Many local people from the work site were there as well.  I can’t say enough how well we were taken care of.  We went to serve the people of the Philippines, but I’m certain we were served abundantly more in return. 

 

Saturday came and it was an early morning departure to the airport.  It was time to say goodbye to the people we had come to know so well.  It wasn’t fun saying goodbye, so we said “see you later” instead.  And with that we were on our way back to Korea.  Another quick airplane ride, and just like that I was back with my beautiful wife and my precious son.  

We left different than we had came, and that was the point.  Some of us grew stronger in our friendships, and others in cultural awareness, but most importantly we all grew in the love of God and man.  It’s nearly impossible to step outside of one’s comfortable culture and serve among such humble people without learning something about how we are made and how we should live.  It’s not easy to look into the eyes of these beautiful people and at then immediately turn our backs on them, nor should it be.  God didn’t teach how to do that, we taught ourselves.  He told us to love our neighbor (Matt 22:39), and he told us the way we treat the least of them is the way we treat Him (Matt 25:40).  It is my prayer that through our little journey we have all taken one step closer to living out this beautiful idea.  

 

Spring Has Sprung

 April showers bring May flowers…and what do May flowers bring? If you are living and working at TCIS, May flowers bring June flights home!!! Yes, the bustle is in the air because spring has sprung and many are getting excited for summer travels to visit family and friends. I too cannot help but day dream about being home with friends and family in a few weeks.

It will be most exciting to see Jacob meet his aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents. He has grown so much in the last few months (24lbs–Yikes!). He has taken to rolling from his belly to his back, and can sometimes do the reverse, with some assistance. This has been a fun trick to watch him perform, but has interupted his sleep time some. He has also been introduced to quite a few solid foods and started eating in his high-chair last week. He gets more entertainment out of his spoon and sippy cup than any of his toys. Bouncing in his Exersaucer and Jonhy-Jump-Up are also two more of his favorite activities–eating tops the list though!

Below you will find some recent pictures. Enjoy!

Jacob in his jacket from Grandma & Papa Dave.

Jacob was so tired one night he fell to sleep while I was holding him–this hasn’t happened since he was a newborn.

“One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish”. Cuurently, this is one of Jacob’s  favorite toys to chew on.

Jacob can really put down the food!