Nothing beats the journey of understanding yourself and the world around you. This fall, Cherry and I celebrate one year in Korea. Though she came to Korea from the Philippines as a missionary, who also teaches English and I came from New York as an English teacher, we share something in common: a beautiful journey of self, people, and cultural discovery.

I met Cherry November of last year, at the church I started attending the first weekend I arrived in my city. Read Sabbath in a Rural Korean Church here. When she arrived two months later, we started spending so much time together. A special thank you to 목사님 Moksanim, our pastor, 사모님 Samonim, our pastor’s wife, and Elder Ian 집사님 Jibsanim for capturing precious moments of us in Korea. Some of their beautiful pictures are featured here.

Cherry’s Story

Everyone, meet Cherry! She is a vibrant missionary from the 1000 Missionary Movement, founded in the Philippines. I am so honored to feature such an amazing woman on my blog. This is my first feature too, so I’m extra excited.

I learned many things about myself while living in South Korea. Many of which I just discovered. I learned that I am able to quickly grasp things like singing and reading in Korean, adapting to Korean culture, adopting new traditions, and being accepting of new things whether it’s food, holidays, or mannerisms. I learned by exploring things I’ve never done before. I learned how to be an independent person. I also learned about Koreans being generous and accommodating to the needs of other people, even strangers. They’re hospitable and kind people.

I am proud that I can understand some words in Korean and communicate using a few basic words. I learned about their formal culture and how to eat with chopsticks – something that was hard for me to do before. I also learned to bow to greet and say goodbye. A few interesting Korean cultural norms that I’ve learned are that there’s always water and cups for you to pour yourself, sharing of certain dishes among everyone at the table, and eating spicy food. All of which are very common in Korea.

In all of our lives, there are ups and downs. Wherever we may go, we will experience the trials of life that we need to accept and face with courage. One of the challenges I’ve faced is that I am not very good at communicating with some Koreans. I strive to learn more Korean words in order to communicate. I learned that life is what you make it, so always have fun.

Since meeting Naomi, I am happy because I am not alone. I have someone to approach if I need any help and I also have someone to talk to. It feels different if I don’t talk to someone who can communicate in English. I learned a lot about American culture from her during the times we discuss our country’s culture. She is kind, helpful, caring, good at singing, and a happy person in different aspects of life. Above all, she’s a godly person and we can relate to each other.

This is my first time abroad and living in a foreign country without my family at the age of 22 years old. It is difficult to be separated from my family because I’m used to always being with them. Though it is very challenging, I have to face and accept it. Maybe there are times that I feel homesick when I am alone in my room. When I feel sad, the only thing I do is pray to God to give me enough strength and courage so I will be able to overcome the trials and challenges in life. Because I believe God brought me to Korea, that I have a mission to do and everything happens in our lives for a reason. 

Since meeting Cherry, I’ve discovered a lot about Filipino culture, foods, and language. I learned about their love for eating together and that appetite grows stronger in community, instead of isolation. As they say in the Tagalog dialect, kain tayo, let’s eat! So eating with Cherry is always special; I feel like I am participating in her cultural norms.

On my birthday, we had a potluck and she made chicken adobo, a famous Filipino dish. It was so delicious. I was ecstatic when Samonim gave me the rest to take home. I ate every bite. 

One thing I really admire about Cherry is her warm character. Sometimes she likes to reach out and hold my hand, offer kind words, jokes, or share touching moments or stories about her family.  She loves her family and friends dearly and won’t miss a chance to connect with them via video or audio chat. And she’s always ready to help.

Cherry reminds me of my younger self. I can tell that living in Korea has opened her eyes to discover so much about the world around her. I also traveled abroad for the first time at 22 years old in 2016. Though I had the time of my life as an exchange student in the Netherlands, it wasn’t without its challenges. But I grew so much. I learned how to be independent: pay rent on time, cook for myself, and take full responsibility for all areas of my life. What I loved the most was learning how to challenge and love myself while appreciating others for their differences.

And now four years later, here I am in Korea building on that growth through new friendships such as Cherry’s and I, experiences such as learning to cook Korean food,  new challenges in Six Challenges You May Face When Living In South Korea and embracing change in Habits and Customs You May Start Practicing When Living In Korea.

One thing’s for sure, Korea has helped both Cherry and me to grow and change in beautiful ways.  We are two women who have become wiser, braver, more knowledgeable, and understanding of ourselves, people, culture, and life itself. I am grateful for our friendship and look forward to creating many new memories with her.