Homestay (n): A foreign student staying in the home of a citizen of the country the student is visiting for a set length of time. Commonly experienced by study-abroad participants, and sometimes by short-term mission trip participants.
As you may recall from earlier posts, I had a little trepidation about staying in the home of a Korean family. I really didn’t want to offend anyone, and I was slightly afraid of what I might encounter. However, you may also remember that I was also excited at the prospect of learning a new culture firsthand. When we arrived in Korea, we were promptly deposited in an apartment a few minutes away from the church, our base. We had been told about homestays, but they never materialized…at least until last week. At dinner one night, Pastor Ryan (our liaison with the church)mentioned that he needed three of us to volunteer for a homestay. You could have heard a pin drop. None of us wanted to leave the home that we were used to and the friends that were now more like family. Brave Kristine finally asked if she could think about it. Later that night, she and I discussed our feelings about it, and decided we might be interested, but not enough to bring it up again. Fast forward to last Saturday. We are back in Suwon after a day trip to Seoul. Pastor Ryan has taken us to Pizza Hut (as mentioned in my last post) and he is sitting on the opposite end of the opposite side of the long table. Near Kristine. I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, she and I ended up committing to do a homestay for one night, then we would decide whether to continue. I was more informed than asked, but hey, that’s how good experiences happen, right?
So on Monday, we packed our bags and got ready to go that night after Kristine was done teaching at 9:00. I got done at 5:00, so I had to walk down the mountain hill that leads to the church alone. As I went, I wondered if they would like me, if I would like them, and what the conditions would be. It turns out that I shouldn’t have worried! Mr. Park has been coming to America fairly often for the last ten years or so, and speaks really good English. His wife, Mrs. Lee, is functional in English, and good at getting her point across. They have a nine year old daughter who is very beautiful, but also shy.
Mr. Park picked us up and drove us the 15 minutes to the apartment. When we got there, we were greeted by his wife and daughter, as well as a married couple with whom they are very close. That couple invited us all to their apartment the following day for Korean food after we got back from teaching. So much for staying one night! We are now staying until Friday morning, with our last night and family dinner scheduled for Thursday. 
It is an interesting experience to say the least, but one that I am so glad I am having. There probably isn’t a better host family out there, as they have done nothing but make us feel welcome. Kristine and I have had some great times already…especially the delicious dinner prepared for us by the neighbors! We had crab, noodles, pumpkin soup (yummy!), rice cakes and more, making it the best meal we have had in Korea! I was really full for the first time since I’ve been here!
I know that I will remember this experience for the rest of my life, and I know that next time I’m offered a chance to spend some time with locals, I’ll say yes immediately!