The Least of These

Three weeks ago today we welcomed a young man into our home from Seoul, South Korea. We had first heard of this young man 3 days before when our church sent out an email with a special request for a young man (22 yrs old) who had arrived in the United States earlier that day to attend the college where my husband is employed. He had arrived that day on campus with his younger brother (15 yrs old), who was registered to attend the high school that our kids attend. However because of “glitch” in communication - there had been no housing arrangements made for the younger brother.

I read the email from our church while on a break at work. I immediately thought that I needed to talk to my husband (Mike) about that. 45 minutes later Mike stopped in at my work and asked if I had received an email. I said yes, and he said without hesitation, “I think we need to do that.”

We had almost full and immediate support from our kids on this decision. In explaining it to them we used these verses from Matthew 25:35-36 -- For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

We have 2 sons the same ages as Ju Chan and his brother. Mike and I could very easily place ourselves into their situation and wanted to do what we would want people to do for our family if the situation was reversed.

It has been an interesting 3 weeks since Ju Chan arrived to our home. We took a “crash course” in the Korean culture (a.k.a. surf the web), so that we could better welcome him to the US and to our family. We have tried to teach him about the way we live and the American culture. And at times it does seem overwhelming.  The language barrier has been just that at times… a barrier.

It is amazing to me - the things that we say or do (as Americans) that really make very little sense and sound even more odd to have to explain to someone who really has no idea what something means. For example: I believe I really scared Ju Chan two weeks ago when I told him it was not a problem at all for me to “run him over” to his brother. You might understand what I meant by that (drive him over to his brother). But the look on Ju Chan’s face told me he HOPED he did not hear me correctly.

Many things have come back to me from my past that are helping me today. The many trips that I took to the country of Honduras, leading mission trips for teens, has been very helpful in learning to communicate without words or with very few words, where there is a communication barrier.

Actions speak loudly in some situations.  I am reminded of the quote by St. Francis of Assisi -- “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”  As I said in the previous post: what do my actions say to others, about who Jesus is?

We are making progress with Ju Chan and our family is learning a lot of different things through this whole experience.  Such as: after Ju Chan made us a Korean meal two weeks ago -- Koreans prefer that their food be VERY spicy.  I think my lips/mouth burned for two days after that meal. :)
 
Despite the ability to communicate with him clearly, our kids have taken him in as a sibling and have become very protective of him.  I ask for your prayers for Ju Chan as he continues to adjust to living here in the U.S. and for our family as we continue to adjust to adding him to our family. Thanks!

Matthew 25:40 - The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'