Bird Flu

We all seemed to be a little congested and sneezy. Mornings are groggy and slow for us all. When I think everyone is up and moving, the truth reveals itself. Erin still has a knack for finding her way to our bed when she is feeling under the weather.
Since she was the first to start coughing, we are blaming her with infecting us with Dodo Bird Flu.

Moving Day

Most people do not move in with only 6 suitcases like the Snellings, and lifting your belongings up 16 stories can be challenging. Here is how they do it in Dongducheon:

This is a neighboring apartment building in our complex, and someone is moving in. There are seven of these buildings in the I Park complex, so ours looks just like this. The elevator shaft and stairs run up the middle, and there are two apartments on each floor - one on either side of the elevator.

This platform gets filled up, then it makes a high speed run to the moving van waiting below. It is amazing to see how fast this thing runs up and down the rail.

The Seoul Train

Thanks to a head cold, I have a little extra time this morning. I am finally posting the pictures of a recent trip to Seoul. This trip was the first time I braved the train, subway and buses alone. Once I reached Seoul, I met up with Miri. Miri is a friend that threatens me and makes fun of me, but she still takes me under her wing to show me things and interpret for me.

Here is a link to the pictures.

Would you like hashbrowns with that?

Job 6:6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there [any] taste in the white of an egg?

I was walking to Camp Casey yesterday morning and I gave Bonita Dawn a call. (If you do not know Bonita, she is my long time "partner in crime" from Alabama.) While talking to her, I passed a street vendor selling something that smelled good, and I was hungry. Since Bonita was with me, I was feeling brave and purchased the mystery food. YUMMY! It is some kind of sweet bread - think Jiffy Cornbread, just not as grainy - with an egg right in the center. I tossed the yolk, because I cannot stand boiled eggs, but the white and the bread was too delicious - or maybe I was too hungry. Here is a picture for your viewing pleasure, but it tastes better than it looks:

If you look closely, you can see an uneaten yolk inside the wrapper! LOL

It was so good, that Erin and I are walking this morning to look for the vendor again. These things are 2 for a dollar, so it is a cheap breakfast!

What time is it? Work Time!

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:58


You have read a bit about the zany adventures of acclimating to Korea. I get to explore, but here is a little about what the chaplain is doing. His work days begin at 5 and end about 11:30. He has been to the apartment twice in the last two weeks, so the girls and I have been spending alot of time chasing him around Camp Casey and helping out where we can - which is more than we would see him if we were in the states. While it may be long days, it is still fun, especially when we see unchurched soldiers coming to chapel to see what it is all about.

Here is a little of what the chaplain is doing:

• Leading the West Casey Chapel services, and those services are continuing to grow.
• His chapel was selected to be involved in a new Family Ministry being planned, that will involve Sunday School Classes and a children's program. There were already two Sunday School Classes, and now they can be expanded.
  
• Lots of counseling. Not the kind of counseling where folks make an appointment and then come see you. Nope, it is the kind of counseling where folks drop in your office or see you out and about and let you know they need to talk to the chaplain - NOW. That means drop everything, and squeeze in an unscheduled hour - sometimes at 10 PM. Of course, if you come to this chaplain for counseling, you will get nothing but Biblical counseling, no matter what you believe. That is usually an eye opener for folks - mini sermons that are tailor made!
  
• Plays football - okay, this one is work/play, but it gets him in with the soldiers!
• Mentors a soldier that will be attending seminary after his upcoming retirement.
• Leads a Bible Study and oversees the others that are taking place - there are four with another being planned.
• Arranges Battalion volunteers for the USO and orphanage, with a building project in the works for the orphanage.
• Handles Protestant Field Services for other battalions without a Protestant Chaplain.
• (Hopefully) will soon be the fill-in chaplain for the 100 men stationed at the Joint Security Area on the North Korean border.
• He spends his "free time" in the field with soldiers, and someone is always in the field or training.

Throw in a few things like inspections, guests and an evacuation exercise and you get a feel for his time in Korea. Of course, if you know the chaplain at all, then you know that is how he likes it. He heads to the field for three weeks in November, so maybe he can get some rest then.

What Time Is It? Game Time!!

Well, the Beast did it. They won the Post Tournament. (They bought new uniforms for the tournament, but it is still the same team!) I thought I would have a little bit of a break to do some catching up, but the Division Tournament starts Wednesday night. They won last night in the last 10 seconds of the game. .....whew! That kept us in the winner's bracket, and tonight we ended up playing the same team. It was not nearly as close, and over anxious fans charging the field too early caused a penalty - we had to make our mark on the game! That's okay, it just meant we got to charge the field TWICE! lol

Here is a picture of the Quarterback Chaplain in action at one of the games, and then a picture of the team with yet another trophy:

Yes, Meghan is in Korea.......

I got to reading through some of the past posts, and realized that Meghan is not making many appearances. Well, she is here in Korea, and working hard. Here she is with a few of the children from one of her classes:

She is really here, and really busy.

She has met a new friend, a wife of one of the soldiers, and her name is Meghan also. "The Meghans" can be seen roaming Camp Casey together, especially on Tuesdays and Sundays.

Devil Went Down To Georgia....

...and CDB went down to Dongducheon!


Tonight was the Charlie Daniels Band concert. A certain chaplain had been looking forward to that concert every since MWR started advertising it. We thought we would not get to attend because tonight was also the first round of the post flag football tournament - game at 6 and concert at 7. We made it!!

The team purchased new jerseys, so I inherited the chaplain's old one. I handed it off to a certain fiddler from North Carolina, and it now sports a Charlie Daniel's autograph:


That is Annie behind me. I invited Annie and Karen to the football game, and they were able to attend the concert. Neither had ever heard of CDB, but that did not stop their excitement. Mr. Daniels has a pretty busy schedule in this part of the world, and he is looking good to be 79 years old - he turns 80 in about a week. Happy Birthday CD!

We had a great time, and were in need of an evening off. Cary did not come home at all last week due to 4:30 mornings and 11:00 nights every day. It was not planned, that is just how it worked out. I brought some of his work home with me, and was able to help, which meant a few of those late nights and early mornings for me too. My only early mornings were his Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday (which would not have been a late night, except I purchased a new color printer to design and print out his certificates, and it gave me FITS before I got it working) and I went with him to Yongsan this morning which meant meeting at the bus stop at 5:45 am. He had a meeting in Yongsan, so I did not get to spend any time with him there, but we had two hours on the bus this morning. We would have had two hours on the trip home, but his meeting was late and I'd already purchased my ticket so I had to leave Yongsan without him.

I have three posts I am working on, I just spend too much time proof reading them - and STILL find errors to fix. Grrrrr........ I plan on catching up on Monday. . . . . . . . . . yea right.

Cookie Caravan

Leviticus 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof....

Several have asked what we need in Korea, and between the commissary and PX, we really have all we need. But if you are just itching to send something to Korea, then I have a list:
Cookies
Cookies
Cookies

The USO is sponsoring a "Cookie Caravan" for the soldiers at Christmas time. They are recruiting the wives to bake cookies and goodies to be distributed between December 20-24. If you want to send a few cookies this way, then I will make sure they are given to the USO and shared with the soldiers. I have to have the cookies before December 18. Fix any cookie or treat you would like, but remember it must travel well, and store well.

Legal Disclaimer: The authors and publishers of this site will be held blameless in the event of late cookie arrivals. Wherefore and forthwith all late cookies will be subject to consumption by the receiving family provided they are not fat free, sugar free, caffiene free, gluten free, and/or chocolate free. Any such cookies of the free variety shall be subject to some type of distribution rather than consumption.

If you want to send some cookies, just let me know. I will freeze them until the 18th. For convenience, and ease of freezing, pack them in an airtight bag then ship them in a box the size of a shoebox. I have access to four freezers and shoeboxes should fit nicely in them.

I am volunteering to be one of the 'elves' that delivers the goodies, so I should have pictures and stories to tell.

Thanks!
Betty Lynn

Walk to Camp

I walk to Camp Casey pretty regularly. The trip is about 3 miles, and there is alot to see. Here are some scenes from my travels: