Saturday night, we decided to go to Outback Steakhouse right there in the neighborhood. We got into 2 taxis and started off. I showed my driver the written name Robert had given me. (Robert was in the other car.) We drove and drove, and the longer we did, the more confused our driver looked. He kept muttering something to himself, but I didn't know what about. Finally he called the free interpretation phone number and the nice lady on the other end told me that "The driver apologizes but the steakhouse has moved and he doesn't know where."
The driver indicated that he would take us to the nearest Outback Steakhouse he could find. But as I glanced at his GPS and saw the distances, I suddenly envisioned 4 lonely Americans lost in a sea of Koreans, so we went back to the house instead. We planned to call Robert to see where he was, but my phone (the only international one) was locked up in my room and Mike (one of my roommates) had the only key...in the other taxi. Eventually Cheryl remembered a door in her room and we discovered that it adjoined ours.
Robert, Steve and Mike were enjoying a traditional Korean meal at some restaurant in the vicinity of the missing Outback, so Cheryl, Benny, Judy and I ordered a pizza. It was a great beginning.
Sunday was much better. Pastor Won, Isaac and the Ninja (more on him later) picked us up around 7:00 a.m. and we went to our home-stays near the church. After some time with them we gathered for Sunday service. I was excited to see my praise team friends and enjoyed singing with them again. I sang a solo ("Give Us Clean Hands") during both morning worship times, and Benny brought a challenging message encouraging the Christ-like resolution to problems withing the church.
We enjoyed lunch with the church people and spent the afternoon witnessing in the church cafe. Around 3:00 p.m., I joined the Praise Team again to rehearse for the special service at 7:30 that night. We sang and laughed and sang some more. I was standing with Gun Yung the teen boy who couldn't find me a taxi back in January. He still apologizes when I tease him, but says he doesn't mind.
Around 5:00 p.m. things were ending and Yeon Hee said, "Jeff, let's go to the 3rd floor to eat chicken." Everyone gathered and we ate Korean Fried Chicken (my name) and then a couple of pizzas arrived. We laughed and talked for about an hour and then everyone got up and someone said to me, "Now we will go eat dinner." I can't believe these people are so small.
The night was topped off by Pyung Su, the worship leader asking me to sing a duet with him. That's an intimidating prospect. We sang "You Know Better Than I" which turns out to be one of the songs God used in my own time of struggle back in the winter. He is quite the singer, but I felt I held my own and was thrilled.
No comments:
Post a Comment