Prayer Mug

We picked it out together, the three of us, Scott, Liz, and myself.My first drink in it was chai, my second, coffee, made to perfection by my husband, one scoop of creamer one packet of splenda just the way I like it. This little perfect hand-cupping shaped mug helps me wake up and holds cups of goodness, but most importantly it is a reminder. A reminder for me to pray for my dear friend when I drink from it and for her to pray for us when she drinks from it.



We drank from them together first and chatted about how we didn't want to say goodbye and about how grateful we are to have met each other and spent time together.



Sisters in Christ, united by His blood. One of the beauties of moving to the other side of the world, seeing the provision of God in the form of instant friendships.



And so when I drink from this wonderfully crafted mug, I pray for my dear friend.

Serving in a different culture

Since living in Korea, I've slowly come to realize that the way we serve others in the States, isn't necessarily the best way to serve Koreans. A good friend here in Korea has told me about a book titled, Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility by Duane Elmer. I haven't read the book yet, but I'm hoping to get to it soon. It's now much more accessible due to the wonderful gift of a kindle we got in the mail this Christmas from my parents. Anyway, the theme of this book is illustrated in a recent occurrence. Let me tell you what happened. So you know the Yuja "cha" tea that I wrote about in a previous blog? Well, I brought a large jar of it to school to share with my co-workers (they drank it up, by the way) and made a cup of it for the particular teacher who gave me the fruit to make it. When I arrived at her desk and handed her the steaming mug, she smiled and said "kamsahamnida", thank you, and I smiled and bowed. Two minutes later, the same teacher appeared at my desk with a bag of two new to me fruits called "mogwa." She politely told me that I should do the same thing with the mogwa that I did with the yuja. And I chuckled inside at how my small attempt at serving her in her language of giving gifts was returned with her serving me in her language of giving gifts. So, I arrived home that evening with 2 large mogwa and this is what I did:





1. Wash the "mogwa" well.
2. Cut the mogwa into quarters. Be careful. This fruit is very hard.


3. Cut out the seeds and core!



4. Cut into small, 1 inch by 3/4 inch slices.



5. Mix the mogwa slices with the same amount of sugar as mogwa, 1:1 ratio.






6. Pour the mixture into 2 or 3 small glass jars. Layer the top with sugar before screwing on the lid!


Wait 10-14 days! Scoop one heaping spoonful into a mug and pour hot water on top. Stir and Enjoy!

Cold Days and Tea: How to Make Yuja Cha

So days and nights are getting colder and colder here. I put on an extra pair of socks in the morning, bracing for the day in a cold school (makes me thankful for a warm house and I remember all the many people in N. Korea who live every hour without heat). I come home to a nice warm house (and a nice soft blanket), and sometimes a cup of tea is just what sounds delightful.

An English teacher motioned for me to follow her last week and we walked down to her car for her to give me a bag full of Yuja. Some of you are wondering what this "yuja" is? Well it's a citrus fruit found in Korea and I believe Japan. Koreans typically make tea out of this fruit..it's more like a marmelade mixed with water. It really is quite delicious and a nice change-up from typical tea. So after receiving this bag of 10 yuja with a smile, I had to find out what to do with it... and here's what you do.

1. First cut the Yuja in half.



2. Then remove all the seeds (a small dessert fork works great).



3. Cut each half into fourths. Then, thinly slice (peel,fruit, and everything).




4. Layer yuja and sugar in an airtight container with a 1:1 ratio of yuja to sugar. You can also add a little honey in place of some sugar. Yuja should be the bottom layer and sugar should be the top layer.





5. Let the yuja mixture stand without opening for 10 days. The yuja should float to the top.

6. Mix the mixture.

7. Add a tablespoon of the yuja mixture with a cup of hot water and enjoy!

Mine should be ready to drink this weekend! I'll let you know how it is!! :)