We need some rain

In a way it seems hard to believe that we have been in Korea for three years and are commencing our fourth. At the same time it seems like it has been a lifetime. This journey has been a lot more difficult for my kids than I expected. Somehow I thought that coming to a new place in an amazing part of the world would be the beginning of a new life. I did not know the challenge it would be for my precious children. [Photo from Walker's Travel Photography.]

Before we went to the States in June 2010, Bentley said, in the apartment one day, "Papa, can we get rid of the cats and get a dog?" He loves dogs and that question would be hard to answer at home in the USA, but in Korea, apartment living is not fair to dogs and I had to answer, "No, Buddy."

One of the aspects of living in Korea is apartment life. Living in an enclosed place a short elevator ride from outside. All grass is public space. In Korea we have actually never visited a private home that was not an apartment.

Shopping is a crowded affair at many times; jostling by boisterous people and pushy old ladies. Within department stores, individual workers at displays of fruit or packaged goods not wear personal PA systems to amplify their voices ... I thought it was already loud!

Korea has been a place we work, but it has been hard to make it "home." Beth has made heroic efforts with our apartment, but it is the challenge of finding accepting friends for my kids. Each of them needs at least one caring friend who like them for who they are. My prayer is that this year God would answer this deep need of their hearts. They have weathered a challenging term these past years.

"God please send a rain of friends!"