I am writing to you from the backseat of a van that is pulling away from Hanyang University. We are leaving with hearts that are full to overflowing. We have been here for many days, and we have been blessed beyond measure by the welcoming and generous hearts of the students and teachers here.
First, I wanted to thank you all for your prayers as we performed at Gangdong Dance Festival. We believe that God's truth was poured forth through our dancing, and that it will not come back empty. We were able to enter the space with a spirit of worship and a desire for God to come be our help as we spoke and danced truth about what help is. It was an honor and privilege to dance on that stage, in that space, knowing that we had been chosen for the purpose of dancing there.
On Sunday, we performed at Gajwa Jeil Church. We were pretty exhausted by the time we got there, but the Lord provided joy and strength and energy through the joyful hearts of the congregation. We received so much blessing from the people there, and left with full hearts and full bellies due to the abundant generosity of the church.
On Monday, as Emma and Kaleb and Alayna worked with Haejun, the rest of us took classes with the dancers at Hanyang - ERICA campus. Monday through Friday were long days- full of classes and rehearsals and attending various performances at MODAFE. Our three dancers working with Haejun's company performed on Tuesday, and they did a phenomenal job. The piece, Trauma 3.0, was so poignant, and spoke to the processing of emotions and relationships, the comfort we seek and the comfort we try to give. It was an incredible piece, and the dancers did a wonderful job.
I think we would all agree that this week has been beautiful. Both Ms. Morton and Ms. Newland taught various classes, and we were also able to take classes from the teachers and professors at Hanyang. Taking classes was wonderful, not just because the classes were good (which they were), but because of the students we were able to take classes with. To have the common ground of being college dance students was a foundation upon which we were able to build relationships, and dancing with these beautiful people was a gift. They were so eager to learn and to share, and even though days were tiring, their energy was high and helped us to keep ours up.
Today, Saturday, we were able to share dances with the students. They shared some of their various choreography works and other pieces, and we shared to of our works. To see the work and artistry of the students was such a gift. There was so much power and truth in their dancing and choreography, and to be able to share our hearts through dance with them was yet another opportunity to communicate God's love. One girl pulled out her phone after we performed "Voices" and translated Korean to English in order to tell me that she was deeply moved, and another girl told me that we were angels after she saw Glorious Spirit. They received what we shared, just as we received what they showed. One of my favorite moments from today was a girl who came up to us and told us that she was also a Chrisitan. To be able to encourage those who are believers has been such a blessing and encouragement to us, and to know that there was more than dance uniting us, but also the mighty Spirit within our hearts.
The students to sent us off with lunch and gifts that they bought for us themselves, and it was clear that they had put time into preparing the gifts for us. We took many selfies and had many hugs and said goodbye and "see you later" over and over again. There is no way to fully express how much we were connected with these students, how openly they welcomed us, and how generously they shared with us. We have all left parts of our hearts at Hanyang, and have been filled up to continue on in our time here.
Tomorrow (Sunday), we have an evening performance, and on Monday we travel to DIMA to begin our residency there. We praise God for the people and time at Hanyang and continue to lift up our time as we seek to do the work God has prepared for the rest of our time here.
Love to you all,
Kelly
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