Off to China!

Well we are here at the airport waiting to board our plane. There were local brothers and sisters here to say goodbye. Several were in tears which made us break into tears! What an experience!

Forgot a picture

Here is Aaron in native garb:

Last day - Great big tears!

Sunday, the last day : (

Well we did run into some faces we knew and we met people who left a lasting impression. Many had made banners and many more pictures were taken. The drama acted by the Koreans was even more emotional than the one at our convention (hard to believe, but when the mom hits the floor in grief over David leaving...not a dry eye in the place!).

We had already starte the tears as small groups had gathered and were singing kingdom songs. As a Japanese couple came over and are in the Japanese sign language and a brother took our picture as we held up the international sign for "I love you". Then at the end of the day the waterworks were on full! The prayer ended and the music from the new songs started and the waving and the signs came up "See you in paradise" "We love you" "We'll miss you". As we were waving and clapping and the music was playing the brothers were huredly taking down the stage and banners and tents as we had to be out by 5:15 to allow another venue in.

The trip out to the bus took a long time as people were wanting another picture, waving, saying goodbye and crying! What an experience!

The convention

Day 3 of the Convention has ended and Sunday is upon us. How can we convey the feeling of an international convention of 60,000 of Jehovah's Witnesses from the far reaches of the earth? How can we express the hospitality and the warmth and the love of the local friends and the visiting delegates?

To start with we were told that typically Korean people will no attempt to make eye contact and if they do they will not smile and will not start us a conversation even if they are sitting right next to you (and when I say right next to you it is touching close). This is not the way with Jehovah's people. The Korean friends do not fit that "typical" description AT ALL!! These people are running up to us to ask to take a picture with us and ask where we are from and hand us a little gift (handmade items, bookmarks, soaps, magnets, pens). It is the same with the Japanese delegation.

I think I was mistaken for being one of the Swiss delegates as many ran up to me and wanted a picture but there was a bit of a disappointment on their faces when they found out my origin was the US. Nonetheless, we have greeted and been greeted by so many, bowed and waved and smiled to so many that when we walk the street of Seoul going to dinner we are bowing and waving and smiling to people on the street! Truly a theatrical spectacle!

The first day was Thursday and was a 1/2 day. It started out with some sprinkles. There were many friendly faces to greet us as we were led to our section in the stadium and told to stay till our lunches arrived. The sprinkles had turned to more like rain. Up with the umbrellas as we sat in our seats. Our lunches arrived and as we tried to balance our lunches on our laps and the umbrellas and try not to jump too high as the rain started running down the neighbors umbrella and onto our laps or backs or fronts we broke into hysterical laughter. The water was too much for our lunch bags and they started ripping and bottles and cans started rolling. Only in Jehovah's organization would so many people endure such things with laughter.

29 countries had delegates represented at this convention. Some wore ethnic dress and you could easily tell which country they were from. Aaron Baker got into the swing of things too. Here are some pics.

More pics

These first ones are pictures from today (Wednesday) and a palace from the same Dynasty mentioned in an earlier blog. There are only 5 colors used in the painting and represent different parts of the elements (wood, water, metal, etc.)

The really neat part was that there were other tour groups, several from Japan and as we would pass each other we would all wave and smile. They were particularly interested in Angie and Aaron and that they were from the Arabic congregation. The confused looks on the tour guides was funny. How could their Japanese group know these American groups that they kept passing? Didn't really get too much out of the tour itself as far as history, but bond that exists as Jehovah's people...well, there are no words.

WOW!!! Asian style

Well it is the end of day two in country, that is Tuesday. Got to San Francisco early and went about finding the check in desk for Asiana after grabbing my checked bag. I turned the corner and there were my peeps! A line had started even before the desk opened of friends from different parts of the country.

Started finding the peeps for bus number 9 and discovered there were just two buses on our flight, 9 & 10. The desk opened at 10 and we started getting our boarding passes. I scored an exit seat and next to the wall, no window. Sat next to the Jacksons who are on the same bus. Called Damoudes and found out they were on their way and after checking in hung out waiting. Also while in line Br & Sis Brown our DO came.

Damoudes got checked in and we went to our gate and met some more peeps and after a little bit Aaron & Angie showed up. The area was getting pretty crowded and noisey with the sound of excited proclaimers of Jehovah!

The flight crew, all Korean - we think, were so very attentive. The first meal we had a choice of some beef dish or of a Korean meal. Got to choose the Korean and there was Kimchi (pickeled cabbage with chili sauce); and veggies with rice and shreeded beef that also had a chili sauce and sesame sauce that you added in. Fortunately there were directions on how to eat this meal!

When we got our bags and were headed out to our bus we were greeted first by one lone woman in traditional Korean dress. We thought maybe she belonged with the tour company. Pretty soon there were more women who joined her and then there were young men in suits and then we saw the sign welcoming the delegates to the international Keep on the Watch convention. We knew these were our brothers and sisters!

Pictures galore and feeble attempts to communicate, lots of smiles and bowing filled the next 20-30 minutes. Four young brothers came over to Angie, Aaron and I and we tried to communicate. Spanish words were all I could think of despite by attempts to learn Korean. A & A were doing Arabic. The brothers were mighty confused. They spoke only Korean and a little English and one was learning another language which unfortunately I have since forgotten. : ( Finally three words of Korean came back to mind Ke, Tea en gee and kookedee (Dog, plane and elephant). My efforts got a thumbs up from our 4 brothers!

At the hotel there were even more friends to greet us. We made our way to our rooms and by 8:30 - 9 we were in bed and asleep.

This morning was a wakeup for 5:30 (I felt like a drunken sailor because of lack of sleep and dehydration) and off to breakfast and ready to go by 8. Met a couple that were from Portland and the sister's grandparents are the Baileys in McMinnvillle. She said I looked familiar. Later I saw her husband and saw his name tag. He was Scott Roisland from pioneer school and it ended up his wife was Lisa Miller also from pioneer school (which was in the early 90's).

The Korean Village was a cool adventure and included an amazing marching band (unlike anything we have as you can see from the pics and the video) and a tight rope walker. (Major wedgie time). An amazing Korean lunch.

Next was the piece de resistance! The tour of the Korean Bethel! The last international held in Korea was 12 years ago. The preparation that the brothers took in anticipation of our visit is undescribable in words. Each department had found a new way to say welcome as you can see from the pictures. They prepared a nice refreshment, live music, the joy and love was able to pass over the language barrier loud and clear. It truly wrapped us up in a bundle of warmth and love and feeling unworthy of all this attention. All we are doing is coming for a week to a convention. The witness that this is producing to Jehovah's name however is yet to be determined.

One example is our tour guide who had read about the brothers being imprisoned for not going into the military. She knew nothing more than that. She went on the tour of Bethel and was so impressed and awestruck by the joy on the faces of all, the warmth, friendship and love expressed by people who had never met before. She also was helped to understand how it would not be right to go to war and face the possiblity of killing one of our brothers just because they belonged to a different nationality.

Our day ended with a group of 11 going to an authentic Korean restaurant where we say on the floor and ate from communal hot plates. And they also gave us some beer with our meal, and it was even better than the beer in the D.R. WOW, WHAT A DAY! TTFN, lj PS ran out of time will load more pics tonight!!

D Day - that is Departure Day!

Well the day is upon us. Most have headed to California already and I will be flying down tomorrow in the morning at 7:30 am (a bright start tomorrow at 4:30 am - AACK!)

Spent the afternoon in my hotel room cutting cards by hand into business card-size. Now off to find some dinner. TTFN!

South Korea

Well in just 5 1/2 days we will heading for Seoul, Korea. We leave from SFO on Sunday and will arrive in Seoul on Monday 5:25pm and have the evening at our leisure. Our flight is about 12 hours so that may be an early bedtime after we get to the hotel and unpacked and calmed down or maybe not.

Tuesday the 25th will be a visit to a 243 acre Korean Folk Village that is a reconstruction of huses from all over the county and from the Choson dynasty (from July 1392 to August 1910). We have a traditional Korean lunch and then visit the branch at Kyunggi-do.

Wednesday the 26th we visit Kyongbok Palace, from the same dynasty, after lunch we get to shop at Insadong Street.

Thursday - Sunday 27-30 is the convention.

Monday the 31st we vly to Beijing China and have the day to leisure.

Tuesday the 1st we go to the Temple of Heaven, Peking Duck lunch and off to Tiananmen Square and then the Forbidden City.

Wednesday the 2nd we head to the mountains to visit the Great Wall of China. After lunch we evisit a cloisonne factory (this is the art used for decorating bowls, jewelry, etc). An optional foot massage is being offeren in the evening on our return to Beijing (SO THERE!!).

Thursday we head home. Well that is the outline of what we are scheduled to do, we'll see how we can fill it out with adventures and escapades! TTFN! lj