Busan Trip!

I am here to write to you about the trip that Chris and I went on a week or so ago. We haven't done all that much traveling this past year but this trip we had been planning on for a while. We had 3 extra days off because of the Children's Day holiday here in Korea. So we packed our backpacks and headed south to the second biggest city in Korea, Busan.
Busan is a harbor city and very beautiful. It's a lot calmer than Seoul and you can actually get a seat on the subway. We stayed in an amazing hotel called the Commodore. It looks like an old palace with it's traditional architecture and decor. You can see it in the picture.
We took the train there, we really enjoy traveling by train it's very peaceful and you get to see so much of the country side.
Our first stop in Busan was Taejongdae Park. (known for great views of the ocean) Unfortunately the weather was cloudy so we didn't get to see much of the ocean but we had fun hiking the trail and watching this old Korean lady cut up raw seafood and serve it to people while it was still moving on the plate. Seriously Chris and I could have gone down to the beach and ate all that shellfish and octopus pretty much right out of the ocean. You can't get much fresher than that. But we just enjoyed the safety of watching it happen and not partaking. Next we headed to Yongdusan Park where the Busan tower is located. Since it was Children day the place was crowded but there was lots going on. We were listening to this traditional performance when out of no where this guy with a camera walks up to us and asks for an interview. We have no idea if it ended up on TV but it was fun to do. From there we walked to the Jagalchi Raw fish market. Never in my life have I seen so much raw fish and all kinds a seafood. It was quite an experience to see all these people making their living by selling what comes out of the ocean everyday. Our favorite part was watching the people put the escaping octopus back in the buckets they'd continue to climb out of! :) This ends the first day of adventuring.
Day 2 consisted of a nice restful morning and getting to the beach by lunch time. Our first stop was Haeundae Beach. A very famous one in Korea, each summer it is packed out with people. We had another cloudy day so we pretty much had it to ourselves. After a walk along the beach and to this light house we decided to see the aquarium. I don't really like going to zoos and aquariums I feel bad for the animals in such small spaces. But, Chris convinced me and it ended up being really neat. Sharks and sea turtles swimming by your face is a pretty cool experience.
After a late lunch we headed towards the UN Korean war memorial cemetery. We got there too late and couldn't go in. So we decided to head towards the second most popular beach in Busan called Gwanganlli Beach. Have fun trying to pronounce that. :) It has a great bridge that is lit up all nice at night. We also walked that beach and spent some time listening to the waves and relaxing. It was such a blessing to be able to see all we did in a couple days and have a bit of time to rest and relax.
The next day we did head out to another city but I will save that update for next week on a new blog.
We have four weeks left now and it feels surreal. Definitely enjoying our last bit of time.
School is busy as we are prepping things for the teachers that will take our places.
Well that's all until next week!~

May means 40 days!

Greetings from Suwon, S.Korea. Yes we are mere weeks from boarding that jet plane back to Canada. We are definitely excited and looking forward to it. Spring has been busy and fun, so let me fill you in. Today it's 25 degrees which I can hardly believe. I am enjoying it so much as tomorrow Chris and I are headed to Busan for a small 3 day getaway. I will let you know how that goes next week once we are back.
Well onto the news of the month. The most exciting is that I got baptized this past Sunday. God has really been moving in my heart these past couple months. I wanted to profess my faith in Christ through believers baptism as an act of obedience to His Word so I did. It was an awesome experience and I am so thankful to believe in Christ for salvation!
Also last Saturday I had to opportunity to go on a hike up Seoul Fortress Wall. It is like a mini Great Wall but.... actually you can not compare them. The wall was built to protect the older downtown of Seoul from Foreign invasion and connects 3 of the main mountain ranges in the Seoul area. It is surprising how mountainous Korea actually it. The hike was great as was the blessed conversation I had with woman I just met that day. The leaders from our Korean lessons organized the trip and it was definitely well received and fun.
Chris didn't get to come because he was playing in his last basketball league game for this year. Speaking of Chris he has had the opportunity to speak at Hansei University English chapel here in Korea. Hansei University is the one that we have applied at to teach Englishthis Fall. It went really well as he shared his testimony. He also has the chance to share a word (later this month) at a church about an hour from us. It is really encouraging to see the amount of opportunities there are here in Korea for ministry and evangelism. Which is why our time here may not be quite over just yet. (nothing definite yet)
We also spent some time down by the Han River with friends from church. It has been such a blessing getting to know these people. They have such servant hearts and want to serve God. I am very thankful for our church and pastor for consistently preaching the gospel.
The river is such a peaceful place to get away from the busyness and concrete jungle. There is grass, flowers, bushes and water! Also the city of Seoul has made the river more accessible by putting elevators and staircases on each of the main bridges leading down. Also some of the buses conveniently stop there as well.
We also ventured to Yeouido Island which is the business/financial district of Seoul. But, it is famous for it's cherry blossom festival each year. We came a week too late as most of the blossoms were turning into leaves. We took a few pictures of them and also in front of the Parliament Building.
Please keep us in your prayers if you can about our future. We know that God is leading we just need patience. The Korean way is very last minute and we are all about planning ahead, so you can see the tension there.
A Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers!
What a great year this is so far.
Be blessed~ until next week :)