Coming to Korea for GOP was not my first time here. I was fortunate to be able to travel here in the summer of 1989 to visit my mother's relatives, who live here. This prepared me for what to expect in Korea. It does take time to adapt to life here after growing up in the west, so I was lucky to have had this prior experience.

When people first come here, they all have different first impressions. Some (especially those from the East Coast of the U.S.) think that staying here will be like a long workshop. As for myself, even though I had been to Korea, I had never been to a workshop or met many blessed children who were my age. So my first impressions were overwhelmingly in favor of going to and staying in Korea. Of course, it helped that my best friend was also going. The chance to live with, learn with and grow with blessed children was not to be missed.

Furthest from my mind when I came to Korea was studying, but it wasn't long before I had to change my plans! I learned several important things about studying here. I guess the most important is: don't put off assignments and stuyding till the last minute. I used to do this all the time, barely finishing anything in time. It saves time, trouble and sleep to start in plenty of time and to work consistently. Cramming for tests may work for some people, but it is more productive to work steadily over a longer time period. The bottom line is starting early enough. Almost every problem we have can be summed up in two words: too late! Unfortunately, although I know this to be true and have experienced it, here I am writing this article due to be submitted tonight!

Studying is not everything, of course. Even though it is a large part of our life, we do do other things. Think about it! You are in the Fatherland with 100+ other blessed kids! We do many things together, like going places, playing sports, praying and setting goals and conditions. Our constant struggle is to remember to be public-minded and to grow spiritually. Through morning and evening services and regular meetings with staff, we realize we are all part of True Parents' family and if we cannot get along together, we will have no chance at building the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.

So I am grateful that in coming here I have begun to appreciate more and more my responsibilities as a blessed child and to develop a better relationship with Heavenly Father. All these things have been so important to me. Without experiencing community life, I think it would have taken me longer to realize these things. Unfortunately, sometimes, we don't realize the blessings of our situation and fail to make the most of our opportunities. I have only a few months left her now before I return to America. I can say without hesitation that my 2 1/2 years in Korea have been the best of my life with many wonderful experiences and memories to look back on.

Reprinted from Dormitory News

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