On the move

June 24th

Today we woke up to news that there was a sit in on the floor of the U.S. congress demanding votes for gun restrictions. Jonathan and I took the time, even from South Korea, to call our senators and ask for them to support common sense gun restrictions. We are gun owners for hunting and have some as family heirlooms and at the same time we support in depth background checks for gun ownership as well as limitations on the types of weapons that can be personally owned. We're happy to see our Senator Casey (PA- Democrat) propose legislation that people convicted of hate crimes cannot own guns and our Senator Toomey (PA-Republican) also introducing legislation supporting gun restrictions. In Korea shootings such as the ones that happened in Orlando, Sandy Hook, Aurora,  Charleston and other U.S. cities are unimaginable. Korea is a country who has experienced incredible violence from occupying forces throughout its history and still the idea of owning personal arsenals or having such easy access to purchasing weapons is unfathomable.

Today we said good bye to our first host family. We traveled by car to Wonju where we visited one of the largest PROK churches in the denomination. We have heard stories all week about the pastor and his ability to balance both church growth and a commitment to social justice. We visited with him in his office and then he treated us to lunch of buckwheat noodles as he discussed some of the differences between Latin American and Korean liberation theology, I certainly felt like I was sitting at the feet of a very wise man. He is incredible supportive of woman's leadership, especially in the church, his multi-staff congregation has called several woman pastors (a rarity in Korea) and also has women elders (also rare). I enjoyed when looking at the sanctuary he said that the lectern was for the role of priest and the pulpit for the role of prophet and that he spends time in each worship service in both.

In the afternoon we went to a park, Koreans very much like getting out of the city and hiking in their many mountains. Our hike led us to a Buddhist Temple tucked into the woods. The pastor at the church in Wonju sends the monks flowers each year from Buddha's birthday and they send him flowers for Jesus' birth.

We have been accompanied yesterday and today by Rev. Min Heui Cheon of the PROK, our main contact and coordinator for our trip. We stopped briefly to meet her brother who is a doctor in Wonju and then we had dinner with one of the women elders from the Wonju church who is also friends with Rev. Cheon's family. The woman elder is not only active in her local church she is also the chairperson of the reunification committee of the woman's movement within the PROK.

At 7pm we boarded an express bus to Gwangju. The trip took a little over four hours (lovely time to look out the window, read and doze). In Gwangju we were met at the bus station by Rev. Cheon's parents who took us to our hotel for the night. It was our first western style bed (ie not sleeping on the floor) since we arrived.

so very many side dishes with delicious Korean food 

Loving Jesus, you shared so many meals. Meals with your disciples, meals with strangers, meals with those who opposed you and meals with those with whom no one else would join at the table. We thank you Jesus for being present in our meals as we break bread, advocate for justice, discuss hope and long the shalom you taught us while on Earth. Amen.