As mentioned before, we are not new to being in Korea. But this time we are here to settle down for the foreseeable future. Just like moving anywhere else, we have had a lot of things to do to settle in!
When we arrived, Gloria’s parents let us stay in a small apartment that the ministry uses for guest speakers when they travel here. It’s a bit like living in a small AirBNB if you know what that’s like. The next day, we opened all our suitcases and began sorting through everything. We were able to find a place for most things, and the rest went back into a few of the suitcases.
After that, for the next few days we rested, tried to get over jetlag, and took care of basic things. These include getting cell phone service and Internet service (how did we ever live without those things before?). We had to register our arrival and intent to become residents, at the district government and community center.
We registered Joshua for school, but unfortunately he was unable to start right away with the other students. Korea starts the school year in the spring, and after a summer break that is only about a month long, resumes the school year and begins the second semester around the end of August. Monday, August 29, the students all went back to school, but Joshua has to wait until Thursday, September 1. There is a lot more bureaucracy in Korea than we remember from even 10 years ago, but on the bright side, most government workers are very efficient, cheerful, and helpful as we navigate all the steps and forms and procedures.
We do not own a car yet, but we don’t need to. The ministry has a car we can use when we want, and in Korea the public transportation is usually pretty good (not to mention, it is very walkable due in part to the high population density). For groceries, Gloria’s parents stocked up our fridge and we have only needed to buy a few things so far.
We will be getting into the thick of ministry soon, but for the first week, we have mainly focused on getting settled and resting from the trip. One of the things we did to relax was to take a trip this weekend to the neighboring area of Hadong, known for its tea farms, traditional village arts and experiences, and generally beautiful scenery. Joshua got to play in the river, and we enjoyed a meal followed by an afternoon at a local lookout point. Here are some pictures!
