Jet-lag is a strange experience. And this is one of the factors that made my first full day in South Korea so extraordinary.

After a full day of work in Chicago on Wednesday, I was not able to get a nap in before taking off at 1:00AM on Thursday morning. A few hours of light sleep on the 13 hour flight was all there was to Thursday, and by the time I touched down in Incheon, South Korea, it was 5:00AM Friday morning. Even though to me it felt like evening was beginning, I was advised to stay up all day so my body would adjust to the time difference more quickly. So, with that in mind, we started our day!

Friday is a busy work day for the IBLP Korea office, so I spent the morning observing, learning, listening, and trying to understand how things work around here. I am beginning to see a glimpse of the bigger picture (or should I say a incredibly huge picture!) of the awesome potential and opportunity there is in this country!

By the early afternoon, I was really getting tired, so I went on a walk with Sam and Matthew Waller to the grocery store. A Korean grocery store. The language, prices and even many products were, well . . . foreign to me. I’ve got a lot to learn! On the way back, we took the “scenic” route down winding streets and park trails, all of which brought back assorted and abstract memories from Mexico, West Virginia, and, of all places, the Washington DC Zoo (not the animals, just the “feel”).

After a superb supper, I was ready to hit the sack. But there was one more thing to do before the day was over: a game of soccer in the neighborhood playing field! Now the “field” wasn’t more than a turf-covered, basketball-court-sized fenced-in area, but it certainly worked for the purpose! It was my first interaction with the friendly Korean young people in the area.

I hope that every day of the next 6 weeks will not be this extraordinary, but I am greatly looking forward to being part of the many exciting things God is doing here!