Finally here are some photos!
We arrived at the airport to a wonderful welcome. The local friends have been planning for two years for this convention and they were so excited to have delegates arriving from all over the U.S., Canada, Finland, Poland and from all over Asia. There was a welcome desk set up at the airport. We received a very warm welcome, a gift bag, our name badges & info we needed for the week, we were personally escorted to the spot to catch our bus to the hotel. At the hotel, a team of volunteers manned a hospitality desk which took care of everything for the week: our itineraries, transportation, answering questions, everything!
I can't even begin to describe the love and kindness and personal care every single person gave us. From the moment we arrived at the airport until the day we left, every detail - large and small - was cared for meticulously! We didn't have to do anything. I really can't even find the words to describe the hospitality and love we were shown. But I think if you look in the dictionary under "hospitality" the definition would be "Korea".
We spent the first two days with our new congregation and immediately fell in love with them. Several members of the congregation picked up about 18 of us at the hotel and personally helped us navigate the subways and buses (which were are very efficient and very clean by the way) to their Kingdom Hall.
We spent the morning in the ministry and Mike & I enjoyed our first taste of working with the literature display cart in metro witnessing in Seoul. Too cool!
Of course a morning in the ministry isn't complete without a coffee break. There I am with my newly adopted daughter, Yura. She didn't speak a lot of English and my Korean was limited to "hello" & "thank you" but we communicated what we needed to and became fast friends. She got baptized at the convention. Such a sweetheart!
The congregation took us to lunch at an amazing Chinese restaurant and then we divided into smaller groups for activities. Some friends took us and a couple from the Philippines Branch office to museums. Mike tried his hand at ink making and calligraphy. Fitting for someone who is in the printing business. =)
After a delicious dinner at a Korean buffet, the congregation put a musical performance on for us and we spent time getting to know each other. Of course, we got attached to the adorable baby all dressed up in her Han-bok.
The next day they took us to the N. Seoul Tower for a spectacular city view. We had another spectacular lunch and then some shopping. Do you like my outfit? (Sorry I couldn't bring it home - it was just for fun!) We walked the Seoul equivalent of Times Square. That evening the whole circuit put on the best musical choral performance ever & there was lots of fun too. We haven't laughed so much in a long time!
I have several hundred more photos & stories but it will have to wait for now ...
We arrived at the airport to a wonderful welcome. The local friends have been planning for two years for this convention and they were so excited to have delegates arriving from all over the U.S., Canada, Finland, Poland and from all over Asia. There was a welcome desk set up at the airport. We received a very warm welcome, a gift bag, our name badges & info we needed for the week, we were personally escorted to the spot to catch our bus to the hotel. At the hotel, a team of volunteers manned a hospitality desk which took care of everything for the week: our itineraries, transportation, answering questions, everything!
I can't even begin to describe the love and kindness and personal care every single person gave us. From the moment we arrived at the airport until the day we left, every detail - large and small - was cared for meticulously! We didn't have to do anything. I really can't even find the words to describe the hospitality and love we were shown. But I think if you look in the dictionary under "hospitality" the definition would be "Korea".
We spent the first two days with our new congregation and immediately fell in love with them. Several members of the congregation picked up about 18 of us at the hotel and personally helped us navigate the subways and buses (which were are very efficient and very clean by the way) to their Kingdom Hall.
We spent the morning in the ministry and Mike & I enjoyed our first taste of working with the literature display cart in metro witnessing in Seoul. Too cool!
Of course a morning in the ministry isn't complete without a coffee break. There I am with my newly adopted daughter, Yura. She didn't speak a lot of English and my Korean was limited to "hello" & "thank you" but we communicated what we needed to and became fast friends. She got baptized at the convention. Such a sweetheart!
The congregation took us to lunch at an amazing Chinese restaurant and then we divided into smaller groups for activities. Some friends took us and a couple from the Philippines Branch office to museums. Mike tried his hand at ink making and calligraphy. Fitting for someone who is in the printing business. =)
After a delicious dinner at a Korean buffet, the congregation put a musical performance on for us and we spent time getting to know each other. Of course, we got attached to the adorable baby all dressed up in her Han-bok.
The next day they took us to the N. Seoul Tower for a spectacular city view. We had another spectacular lunch and then some shopping. Do you like my outfit? (Sorry I couldn't bring it home - it was just for fun!) We walked the Seoul equivalent of Times Square. That evening the whole circuit put on the best musical choral performance ever & there was lots of fun too. We haven't laughed so much in a long time!
I have several hundred more photos & stories but it will have to wait for now ...
