I got back to my apartment of last year on Thursday, July 13 just before Midnight after an uneventful and nice flight from Dulles to Detroit and then to Seoul on Delta flights. Then I took the bus from Incheon Airport to Pyeongtaek and then a taxi from the bus terminal to my apartment at Eden Village. I unpacked a few things and then went to bed after cooling off the apartment. Yes, I returned to a very hot and humid summer in South Korea!
Friday and Saturday were spent in beginning the process of preparation of things for the packers and movers on Monday, July 17. So much fun! Not! :-) Sunday I was delighted to be back at Dae Kwang Church to see many of my friends from church.
Monday morning at 9:00 AM the group of cleaning ladies and some of the ICS-P office staff were at my apartment ready to pack everything and load the moving trucks. I am so grateful for a community where so many jump in to assist when one of its members is in need. I helped a little bit, but it was best for me to stay out of the way. These movers knew what they were doing. They knew that I wear a lot of suits and had brought suit boxes with hanging rods in them so that my suits would not be wrinkled during the move! Before 12 Noon, everything was packed and loaded on the trucks. Everyone left to go to my new apartment at a complex called Blen Heim! A number of our ICS-P staff have apartments there and I look forward to having fellowship with them. They told me to go get something to eat and take care of some transactions concerning payment of bills and transfer of accounts to my new apartment. I returned to the new apartment at about 2:00 PM. Everything had been unloaded and everything (minus five boxes of books and one box of office stuff) had been unpacked and placed in appropriate places! I was amazed. Within five hours, the move was complete! BUT it was very hot and I only had several fans in this new apartment. There was no air conditioner! :-(
Mr. Song and Ms. Tia sitting in my old apartment organizing the move as well as making the necessary arrangements to make utility payments for me for the old apartment and making sure that my accounts are transferred to include my utilities at the new apartment! They have been a HUGE help to me!
A couple of the ICS-P cleaning ladies surveying the situation in my
old apartment before packing all of the kitchen supplies, pans,
silverware, appliances, etc.
Another picture of one of the cleaning
ladies taking a little respite from packing.
This gentleman was one of the moving company's crew. He was constantly loading boxes and carrying to the truck for moving!
apartment. It shows only a few of the many boxes and crates
My new apartment is smaller but in a beautiful complex of apartments! I even have underground parking for my car. BUT I can also take the public bus to school or to the Pyeongtaek Train Station (more commonly called AK Plaza) and even the Pyeongtaek Bus Terminal. This was great news for me. I can catch Bus #10 almost right in front of my apartment building and the begin running at 6:00 AM and come three times every hour! On Tuesday, the man from the Internet and TV company and within 15 minutes, I was connected to the Internet and my TV was operational (and now I only need one remote; not three), and my Packet 8 phone was back up and operational. If you ever want or need to call me, you can use that number (717-496-4311). It costs you only what it would cost you to make a phone call in the PA area Code of 717. You just have to remember the time difference. :-)
I still had no air conditioner, but Mr. Song and Mrs. Haselman, had located a used air conditioner in the basement storage at ICS-P. They said I could have it and the air condition tech guy would come to install it for 250,000 KRW (approx. $225 US). I said that would be great! So the AC tech man was scheduled to come at 3:30 PM on Thursday. I still needed to have the washer and dryer connected. Because they are American-made, the electrical connection was the problem. Again, Mr. Song, was able to find the correct transformer to use and after the washer/dryer tech person left, Mr. Song said he could come on Friday (his day off) to get my washer and dryer operational. Friday came and Mr. Song had the correct transformer and I did my first load of laundry in my new apartment! And there were no explosions! :-)
Oh, I forgot to mention one other little situation! On Friday morning, July 14, I woke up and went out and started my car. It had not been driven since June 16. As soon as I started the car, I knew there was a problem. It sounded like I was a teenager driving a hot car with a loud muffler system! I have very limited car knowledge, but I could tell that there was something wrong with the muffler/exhaust system. I tried to get someone in the school office to set up an appointment and they kept saying that in August I could get it checked when I had my car inspected. I finally got Mr. Song to come outside and listen to my car while I started it. He said, "Oh, big problem with muffler." I told him that was what I was trying to tell him. :-) (This is when I wish I could speak Korean fluently or even a little.) He said we will take my car to his mechanic friend on Wednesday, July 19 and he would take care of it. Sure enough, on Wednesday at 9:00 AM we drove to the mechanic's shop. He put it up on his lift and showed me underneath the car. The muffler system was rusted out and in terrible shape. I am still amazed that nothing blew up or caused a problem while I was driving it for about 4 days. By 9:45 AM, this amazing mechanic had a new muffler system ordered, delivered, and installed as well as changing my oil and correcting a problem with one of my tires!! That set me back to the tune of 354,000 KRW (about $320 US). But it was worth it. I still can't believe we just showed up and the mechanic had it repaired within 45 minutes! Below are three pictures I took from underneath the car after the mechanic raised it on the lift. You can see some of the nastiness although the pictures really don't show the extent of the damage!
OK, I am almost finished! :-) Wednesday evening after getting my car repaired and running smoothly, I headed by bus and subway to Geumjeong to meet my wonderful friend from SYME days, Jungmin or Chris, for a delicious lamb BBQ with all the side dishes. We had not seen each other in about a year and we were both thrilled to be able to reconnect. Jungmin was the first Korean who accompanied to the USA for a trip back in 2008 at Christmas time. We have been great friends since then. I know Jungmin would appreciate your prayers as he is a bit disheartened with his current position with an energy company. He is trying to find out what the Lord has for him to do.
On my first Saturday in my new apartment, I woke up and decided to begin my brisk walking again. I had done any walks since the end of May. I put on my new Fleet Feet Altra shoes, which had been recommended by a podiatrist in Memphis back in February, and decided to go only about 2.5 miles instead of my usual 3.5 miles. I thought I should ease back into it. I love my new shoes and am hoping they continue to be as comfortable as they have been, especially during the walk on Saturday morning. According to my Nike app on my phone, I went 2.51 miles in 37 minutes and 12 seconds with an average pace per mile of 14
And finally, I want to leave you with a current picture of Cora, the Conqueror! Cora and her family are currently in the USA visiting family and friends. They are doing well and Cora has been staying healthy during this trip! I know Charlie and April Mooney continue to value your prayers for them and for Cora. They plan to return on July 28, just in time for our New Staff Orientation that begins on Monday, July 31. Thank you for praying for all of our staff as they return to South Korea and prepare for our Staff Orientation sessions and everything else that happens to prepare for a new school year.
Thank you so much for reading through all of this. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. I am so grateful for so many who have encouraged me through this past year and even during this last week of moving and some of the setbacks that turned out well. I know God will provide for all my needs at just the right time. Thank you for your large part in my ministry here at ICS-Pyeongtaek. I trust you will enjoy a great week!
Love, Gregg
that were packed with my belongings to go to the new dwelling.
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I still had no air conditioner, but Mr. Song and Mrs. Haselman, had located a used air conditioner in the basement storage at ICS-P. They said I could have it and the air condition tech guy would come to install it for 250,000 KRW (approx. $225 US). I said that would be great! So the AC tech man was scheduled to come at 3:30 PM on Thursday. I still needed to have the washer and dryer connected. Because they are American-made, the electrical connection was the problem. Again, Mr. Song, was able to find the correct transformer to use and after the washer/dryer tech person left, Mr. Song said he could come on Friday (his day off) to get my washer and dryer operational. Friday came and Mr. Song had the correct transformer and I did my first load of laundry in my new apartment! And there were no explosions! :-)
The view from my kitchen looking down from the 11th floor on to the courtyard!
Another view from my kitchen to the courtyard! Lots of children and adults love using this area!
This is a cool statue near the center of the courtyard. I still have not been able to get an answer from anyone who has been living here at Blen Heim who these are statues of. I have had several people who have seen the picture on facebook tell me what they have researched but I still am not sure what the statue is to represent. I just really like the statue! :-)
Our Facilities Manager, Mr. Song!
When we were packing at the old apartment,
he found my collection of caps. He found
several of the Korean baseball team, the
Doosan Bears. They are my favorite
Korean baseball team. Mr. Song also likes
them so I gave him this cap. He loves it
and decided to model it for the picture!
This is the AC mechanic! He was simply
amazing! I wanted to capture this photo
when he was on the outside ledge where
he had to place part of the AC unit and
connect a lot of wires. But I was only able
to capture him coming back inside. The
picture below this one shows where he
would have fallen if he did not watch his
steps. I call him Superman. I thought he
was going to go flying any minute.
This is the view from my living room; opposite the view from the kitchen. On the right, you can see the ledge and part of the AC unit that needed to be installed on the outside of the apartment.
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Oh, I forgot to mention one other little situation! On Friday morning, July 14, I woke up and went out and started my car. It had not been driven since June 16. As soon as I started the car, I knew there was a problem. It sounded like I was a teenager driving a hot car with a loud muffler system! I have very limited car knowledge, but I could tell that there was something wrong with the muffler/exhaust system. I tried to get someone in the school office to set up an appointment and they kept saying that in August I could get it checked when I had my car inspected. I finally got Mr. Song to come outside and listen to my car while I started it. He said, "Oh, big problem with muffler." I told him that was what I was trying to tell him. :-) (This is when I wish I could speak Korean fluently or even a little.) He said we will take my car to his mechanic friend on Wednesday, July 19 and he would take care of it. Sure enough, on Wednesday at 9:00 AM we drove to the mechanic's shop. He put it up on his lift and showed me underneath the car. The muffler system was rusted out and in terrible shape. I am still amazed that nothing blew up or caused a problem while I was driving it for about 4 days. By 9:45 AM, this amazing mechanic had a new muffler system ordered, delivered, and installed as well as changing my oil and correcting a problem with one of my tires!! That set me back to the tune of 354,000 KRW (about $320 US). But it was worth it. I still can't believe we just showed up and the mechanic had it repaired within 45 minutes! Below are three pictures I took from underneath the car after the mechanic raised it on the lift. You can see some of the nastiness although the pictures really don't show the extent of the damage!
____________________________________________________
OK, I am almost finished! :-) Wednesday evening after getting my car repaired and running smoothly, I headed by bus and subway to Geumjeong to meet my wonderful friend from SYME days, Jungmin or Chris, for a delicious lamb BBQ with all the side dishes. We had not seen each other in about a year and we were both thrilled to be able to reconnect. Jungmin was the first Korean who accompanied to the USA for a trip back in 2008 at Christmas time. We have been great friends since then. I know Jungmin would appreciate your prayers as he is a bit disheartened with his current position with an energy company. He is trying to find out what the Lord has for him to do.
Jungmin and I preparing to enjoy our Grilled Lamb BBQ with all the side dishes! We had such a great time of conversation and awesome fellowship!
Here is the Lamb just starting to grill along with some
onions, garlic, and tomatoes!
Ready to enjoy! The grilled bean sprouts were a tasty
addition + all of the other side dishes!
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On my first Saturday in my new apartment, I woke up and decided to begin my brisk walking again. I had done any walks since the end of May. I put on my new Fleet Feet Altra shoes, which had been recommended by a podiatrist in Memphis back in February, and decided to go only about 2.5 miles instead of my usual 3.5 miles. I thought I should ease back into it. I love my new shoes and am hoping they continue to be as comfortable as they have been, especially during the walk on Saturday morning. According to my Nike app on my phone, I went 2.51 miles in 37 minutes and 12 seconds with an average pace per mile of 14
Here are my new Fleet Feet Altra shoes! They are made with a wider front than most walking or running shoes. So far they have been great!
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And finally, I want to leave you with a current picture of Cora, the Conqueror! Cora and her family are currently in the USA visiting family and friends. They are doing well and Cora has been staying healthy during this trip! I know Charlie and April Mooney continue to value your prayers for them and for Cora. They plan to return on July 28, just in time for our New Staff Orientation that begins on Monday, July 31. Thank you for praying for all of our staff as they return to South Korea and prepare for our Staff Orientation sessions and everything else that happens to prepare for a new school year.
Here is a recent picture of Cora, the Conqueror! I love this picture that Mr. Mooney shared!
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Love, Gregg
