An unspoken message

There are some things in life that are understood without words. I became more aware of this today during a Korean Sunday mass. Tiara and I have been looking for a Catholic church since we got here, and we finally decided to take a taxi and show the driver the funny Korean symbols, hoping he would know where it was. He kind of laughed at us, not sure what he said in Korean on the way there, and dropped us off in front of this curvy column-like building with a basketball court on the side. No one was there, even though we thought there was supposed to be English mass at 5 pm. We looked around for someone to give us information, but no one was at the help desk. After a few minutes a lady showed up, then another man, and then finally the information guy. We tried to ask him for mass times, and he said "730 German" which we took as German Mass at 7:30pm. Well, we didn't question it so we had 2.5 hours to kill. To say the least, we found a good Korean/Japanese fused restaurant where we met a sweet little boy who smiled at us while we had dinner.

We finally came back to mass at 7 pm and sat down. In the US I've seen women put on headcoverings, but not many. Here, almost all of the women had veils. They were so many that I felt out of place. I looked up more information on veils and this traditional practice ( ) and what I got out of it was that it is a sign of women being submissive to their husband, and being humble. There was a mother in one of the front rows with three teens on her left and one young girl probably around 10 or 9. Even the young child was wearing a beautiful white veil!

The mass turned out to be in Korean, not German, but it wouldn't have made a difference because Tiara and I only know English. The only thing I could contribute was responding with "Amen." Even though I didn't understand the readings, the homily, or the songs, I still felt like I had an experience to share if I had gone to a Neocatechumenal Eucharist (an "echo"). God has done great things in my life- taken me out of Peru and placed me in America, let me grow up in a Christian family where I have both my parents together with my three younger brothers that help me become more patient and giving every day,
provided the funds and money through my father's job for my college education, and now.. given me this research opportunity to visit Korea. I think He does all of this for me to witness the humbleness and love in others in order for my own conversion. And now, just realizing that I really do miss my family so much and how much I always miss out due to my own ambitions, I just feel very thankful. I looked up the readings after mass and its so wonderful how it confirms that God is so bountiful and that He will provide. I am not nervous or worried about this research anymore. He will provide as long as I listen and be humble to His Word. I know it's hard. I remember a couple of words that Father Zigmund gave us once: "The life of a Christian is hard, but every time you fall you must have the courage to get back up and continue walking. That's all it is, you fall and God helps you stand up, and so the cycle goes.."

That's all I have for today, besides getting a good laugh at Annika at the fruit market whenever she got asked out by a shy Korean guy. She turned him down with "oh I am leave Korea soon, sorry." Of course she didn't think that she'll have to avoid accidentally running into him in the next 5 weeks that we'll be here...

-Allie R.