2nd day and a lot of firsts.

"Can we ask them to turn the floor down?"

and, "I just inhaled that noodle,"

and the ever popular: "My food is looking at me!"

Korean food is a lot of seafood and we've learned that a lot of these sea creatures are still in the form they were in when they were caught, just dried out or fried, with eyes and all.  We've settled in with our host families for the most part and they seem to keep feeding us, which is normal of Korean culture.  They also take "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," very seriously.  However, breakfast does not mean toast or cereal, but a full on Korean meal with rice and all the wonderfully delicious side dishes eaten for every other meal.  As a biased observer, I'm going to take whatever Korean food I can get while I can! 

The floors are heated, hence the first quote above, so it keeps everyone warm in the winter. If the floors aren't heated, heaters are blasting, and it was interesting to realize that the native Koreans are burning up when we are, but they have it hotter because they think we like it that way.  Our hosts, families and everyone we've met so far, have treated us so well, so graciously.  Even for our first meeting, we were offered unlimited coffee and tea and rice cakes.  Unfortunately, we were all quite stuffed, but I am, once again, surprised and convicted by their generosity and hospitality.  

My host family, in their generosity took Jenna and I on a short tour of MokPo and its most popular sites.  MokPo is mostly surrounded by oceans and mountains, and the ocean's water is the bluest I've ever seen.  It was astonishingly beautiful as the sun, with all its vibrant colors, set behind the mountains that outlined the ocean.  Although it was cold, they also took us to a sweet park where we road squeaky bikes along the coast where colorful light scattered the edges of the waters.  Then they fed us, of course, in a famous MokPo restaurant that served seafood pancakes and seafood noodles.  Delicious!

We will begin our planning for the English Camp today.  We have all been assigned grade groups that we will teach, and again, we are reminded of the language barrier.  However, God's love does not need a language, and I pray that God will fill us with love and help us to see these children as He sees them.  I ask Him to give us energy to keep up with the kids and patience as we try to teach them English and communicate the truth of the gospel.  Amen!