Happy BIrthday America from Korea!

 Wow! This week has been a very special week! So many special memories to share and remember!  I'm not sure there has been another week in my life where I have been as proud as I am this week to be an American!  

On Wednesday, July 2nd we drove to Incheon Airport (Basically Seoul) to pick up our son and his wife.  We arranged to stay at the Dragon Hill Lodge in Yongsan (a portion of the Army base that used to be in Seoul but has now moved south where they have a lot more space - aka Camp Humphries which is about 30 miles south of us. We stayed in the Seoul area Wednesday and Thursday to discover a little bit of the city. It was pretty awesome.                                         

We had the special opportunity of meeting a 97 year old Korean War Veteran.  He and his friend showed us so much respect and honor. He said we remember - American saved our country.  They were there to visit the Harry Truman room.  It was a very special experience

After we toured the building they were coming out and grabbed my daughter in love (law) hand and said we want to buy you coffee.  She told them we don't drink coffee and  he said then "Ice Cream it is" Such a tender experience. And what made it more special is both of Hannah's grandfathers served in the Korean War.

After we went to the war museum, we dropped Elder Lowe off to rest at this beautiful facility ...

And we headed to a Korean Baseball Game between the Bears and the Lions - it's a cultural experience you must have while in Korea - My daughter in love grew up in a baseball loving family so this was her dream - but it was pretty fun for Jordan and I as well....for those of you who know about the Gangnom Style  Dance that was popular about 12 years ago - Korea has these massive large hands down in front of the Starfield Mall in downtown Seoul.  Hannah enjoyed seeing them and doing a little bit of the Gangnom Style dane for us!😍

The next day we went exploring some fun parts of Seoul - we went to  Bukchon Hanok Village - this is a residential area with very old homes. - It was pretty awesome - then we strolled down to the Insodong street for a little look at the souvenir type stores unique to Korea and over to the  Gyeongbokgung Palace - if you wear the traditional Hanbok clothing here you get in free. It was so fun to see so many of them in the clothing.  It was a very hot humid day but very nice to see some of Korea - we haven't really toured much because the mission keeps us very busy with other things so this was a fun little adventure to have over the weekend.  

I absolutely love the paintings on the walls of buildings and such - this was one in the Buchnon village

I realize this blog is more of a travel log than a mission experience, but it is really tender to learn of some of the cultural and heritage things here in this country. It has increased my love for the people here and it was so awesome to feel of their love for the Americans.  Our veteran is somewhat disappointed in the youth here because he says they don't understand what the Americans did for them. We have been treated very well by all the people we have come in contact with. 

We returned home to let Hannah and Jordan experience the Liberty Fest on Osan Air Base for the fourth of July.  I think Jordan was most excited because his dad watched fireworks with him - something he has not done in many years.  Hannah was delighted to celebrate on a military base as she had not had the privilege of being on a military installation of this size before, and we were excited to introduce them to the people we have come to love while serving here at Osan.

The next morning we got up early and did a tour with the travel office here on base up to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) - the border of North and South Korea. It was an incredible experience as we went down into the tunnel that the North Koreans had dug in an attempt to invade Seoul - they were not successful. We walked down the equivalent of 25 stories - I think our tour guide was a little worried about Elder Lowe and I making the trek, we may have been the last ones back up but we made it. Our tour guide was an 83 year old man (Koreans are very proud to share their age with you and their history, I can't tell you how many times I have been asked my age and birthday) 

This guide had served in the Korean Air Force at Osan Air base  until he retired and then he came back and worked as a civilian of the base another thirty years and now he does these tours on the weekends,  He also had an incredible appreciation for the United States. It was a very tender and sacred day to realize what had happened at these points - and how sad that that some families have been separated and unable to communicate.  We saw the tower over a mountain in North Korea that is designed to block all internet - satellite signals in an attempt to keep their people unaware of what is happening in the rest of the world. We may get a lot of propaganda and false news but at least we have the freedom to sort through it all and try to learn what is true or not.  The North Koreans are deprived of that opportunity. Obviously, there is a great desire for reunification  - 

Made it out of the tunnel and over to the Observatory

It's very beautiful along the DMZ - we didn't see the animals, but supposedly there are all kinds of deer, and moose and other animals.

The Harry Truman monument is something else - so cool that they love him so much,  The other picture is of a memorial to their ancestors who were left behind in North Korea - this is where they come to remember them - as they have not been able to have contact with any of them.  The lower picture is a letter from Truman - just click on the picture and you should be able to read it!

This really was a sacred experience for us and helped us to treasure all the more the freedoms we have and to appreciate the joint military efforts by South Korea and the USA to protect the freedoms here on the peninsula.  I am so grateful we were called to serve in this country so that I could have a better understanding about Korea!

So this is the update from the first week of July and last week was every bit as full but so as not to overwhelm you with too much info in one blog, I think I will just say....to be continued