The Great Kimchi Project

Seoul is a huge metropolitan city. Big businesses and small businesses operate side by side to offer just about anything you can imagine. It is hard to believe that there are other areas of South Korea that are very "third world." Our Public Relations missionaries sponsored a service project where charcoal heaters were placed in widows “homes” for heat this winter. With that in mind, our mission was privileged to participate in…

THE GREAT KIMCHI PROJECT

The day began early. The air was frigid, -2° C! Energy and excitement warmed us.

The missionaries gathered in a huge open space along with hundreds of other people. The goal was to fill 250,000 heads of cabbage with Kimchi for the poor and underprivileged.

We are ready! Let's go!

First, one must prepare one’s self. We donned the Church’s “Helping Hands” vests, and then….the giant plastic bags. Next, the lovely white gloves that are so popular in Korea...

...and over the white gloves, the very stylish red rubber gloves.

Many water trucks were on hand and ready to go. " But for what," one might ask.

The thousands of heads of cabbage were brined and ready.
(For what?)

...A cabbage bath. This group is rinsing the brine from the cabbage. (I am glad I wasn’t on that detail. The water must have been really cold.)

This group is cutting and preparing small green onions.

Another group is cutting and preparing really big “green onions.”

As the onions were prepared, they were put in bags for easy transport.
Yet another group is chopping up some really pretty greenish, bluish leaves.

The bags were filling fast and the action was exploding.

The project would not be complete without the main ingredient, the giant Korean radish.

On your mark, get set, GRATE, GRATE, GRATE.

This is one of the tables that we were manning. Now that is what I call a LOT of grated radish. Okay, now what.

First, you add “a little” red pepper powder. We are not talking teaspoons here!

We are talking pounds!!!

Now mix like crazy. “Hey, I need a little more red pepper powder down here!”

Next, add a few scoops of red pepper paste. This recipe will warm you from the inside out…literally!

A little more mixing should do the trick.

Hey, who’s messing around over there. This is serious mixing.

Just so you know, we do know how to have fun while we serve. And entertainment was even provided for us. Check out the music.

A little more red pepper paste ought to do it. Whose recipe is this anyway?

It’s ready for the greens and a handful of salt. Mix! Mix! Mix!

While we were mixing, one of the Korean women would grab a leaf of cabbage, roll it around some yummy radish mix and push it into each of our mouths. What a sweetheart.

That’s it! Let’s get it into the bags to be transported to the “cabbage table.”

Just so you know, we are loving this experience!

These are our very talented Sister missionaries. Watch them stuff those cabbages.

Remember, it is really cold. I think we lost a few fingers to frost bite. J/K
Now that is a lot of cabbage.

Finally, lunch time. Yum! Rice, kimchi, pork, octopus in red sauce, and green leaves with little bony fish. (Anything red is spicey.) And you thought this day was going to end.

Some hot broth with green, leafy vegetables felt really good going down. Hey, what’s all the red stuff all over this table?

Move that kimchi out of the way, we are hungry.

I do believe they are enjoying lunch!

Control yourself, Sister! That’s not for you!

White gloves and chopsticks. Remember it is really, really cold.

If you are worried about sanitation, the only thing I can figure is that nothing can survive in all that red pepper!

Aren’t they cute? We love them.

Go, Sisters! Watch them load those cabbages with kimchi.

If you think this is a long blog, you should try making kimchi for eight hours.

"I want nobody, nobody, but you..." I am sure this must be Korea's national anthem. We hear it everywhere.

Making kimchi is so easy, a child could do it!!??!!

WE DID IT! WE MADE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY! AND YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE BLOG! CONGRATULATIONS!

Who thinks Elder Pavone looks like Tom Cruise?

This is just one of many truckloads. It doesn’t look like much, but we KNOW!

We love serving! We love Korea! We love the Lord!