This adventure all started last year while we are on the bus going to the first day of the special convention in Pretoria, South Africa. We overheard other delegates on the bus asking one another if they were able to turn in their applications for the 2014 International Conventions before they flew to South Africa. The deadline was in two weeks (before we were to arrive back home). Mike & I looked at each other and turned around to ask the others: Excuse me, what did you say?? Apparently the applications were made available the day we were flying to the east coast. We decided we would just go to the convention and enjoy the day and we wouldn't talk about it until that night.
When we got back that evening, Mike checked the website and, yes, there was the application. We talked it over, discussed finances (after all, we had just paid to travel all the way to South Africa) and said a prayer. We had just enjoyed a wonderful day meeting many new friends, so we decided we should give it a try. (We figured that we wouldn't get invited to a 2014 international convention after attending a 2013 convention.) So we downloaded the application then & there, filled it out online, and emailed it to our congregation's secretary. (Thank you, Ed, for getting it to the service committee and turned in so promptly!) We did note we were willing to go anywhere.
Several months later we were pleasantly surprised to have been invited to the international convention to be held in ... Seoul, South Korea! Wow!
Here's our itinerary: We will have one day seeing the sights of Seoul, one day visiting with a local congregation including some time in the ministry, time visiting & getting to know each other, time to eat ;) and a special evening program. We will attend the International Convention for 3 days at the World Cup soccer stadium in Seoul. There will be delegates from around the world. Of course the most enjoyable part will be getting to know as many of our dear Korean brothers and sisters as possible. Our final day in Seoul will be spent visiting the Korea Branch and a visit to a Folk Village.
After our time in Seoul, we will go on a sightseeing tour to China for a week!!
Thus begins our next big adventure ...
When we got back that evening, Mike checked the website and, yes, there was the application. We talked it over, discussed finances (after all, we had just paid to travel all the way to South Africa) and said a prayer. We had just enjoyed a wonderful day meeting many new friends, so we decided we should give it a try. (We figured that we wouldn't get invited to a 2014 international convention after attending a 2013 convention.) So we downloaded the application then & there, filled it out online, and emailed it to our congregation's secretary. (Thank you, Ed, for getting it to the service committee and turned in so promptly!) We did note we were willing to go anywhere.
Several months later we were pleasantly surprised to have been invited to the international convention to be held in ... Seoul, South Korea! Wow!
Here's our itinerary: We will have one day seeing the sights of Seoul, one day visiting with a local congregation including some time in the ministry, time visiting & getting to know each other, time to eat ;) and a special evening program. We will attend the International Convention for 3 days at the World Cup soccer stadium in Seoul. There will be delegates from around the world. Of course the most enjoyable part will be getting to know as many of our dear Korean brothers and sisters as possible. Our final day in Seoul will be spent visiting the Korea Branch and a visit to a Folk Village.
After our time in Seoul, we will go on a sightseeing tour to China for a week!!
Thus begins our next big adventure ...
