Fellowship - The Underlying Theme to My Summer Vacation

Seeing that my summer vacation will stop abruptly Saturday morning, I thought I'd reflect a bit about the summer. I leave for camp tomorrow, taking an hour and a half train ride south to the town of Jinju. I've never been there, so I have no idea what to expect. I also, in classic Korean style, have received very little information about the 4 week camp I am scheduled to work Starting Sunday/Monday. I think the kids are upper elementary and will be the same kids the whole time. But other than that, I know little. I guess I can write more about this when I know more.

So over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed the re-occurring theme of relationships/fellowship, or any other word you'd like to insert there. To me, it means connecting with other people in a way that goes beyond the surface. I believe we were made to be in relationships with each other. And I have found that there is little that can compare to the joy found in close people.

Last weekend, I got to go climbing with the owner of my climbing gym and some of the members. It had been a really long time since I was the sole foreigner in the group, and I kind of enjoyed it. There was a loneliness at times when I wasn't able to speak, but I also noticed how much my Korean has improved from 2 years ago. The weather pretty much rained us out, but our spirits were kept high. Maybe it was the lack of people around this summer that made me thirst for fellowship, but it was exactly what I needed. We ended up hiking to the top of the mountain, only to climb one route in the wind and rain, and then hike 30 minutes down to the shelter we'd camped at, make some ramen noodles, then hike another 30 minutes down to the artificial wall at the base, where it was partly sunny. In the evening, I got to meet the gym owner's family over dinner. His older sister actually owns the restaurant and had it open just to us, with a delicious dinner of pulled chicken, water kimche, and chicken soup. There is a word in Korean that means "refreshing" but I don't remember what it is right now. But they taught it to me that night.

I've had a double dose of fellowship, I guess, because our Tuesday night Bible Study has been really awesome. There are 7 of us who have been coming regularly, and that really is a magic number. Over the course of several months, we've come to know and understand each other on levels that good friendships are based on. If you know me well, you know that when I get comfortable, I'm not ashamed to ask tough or touchy questions, because I feel comfortable only when I think my company is too. So it's been really nice to open up with a group that I know and trust, sharing our faith with each other, something that is so dear to us. it's awesome.