| Korean campers enjoy soggy visit BY LINDA WORTHINGTONUMCONNECTION STAFF  Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. This nursery rhyme might have been the theme song for 15 Korean youth attending sailing camp at West River the third week in June.
The daily rains didnt dampen their spirits, however. Each day, rain or shine, the youth were on the water, if not in the sailboats, then in canoes or swimming. Squeals of laughter came from sailboats as they approached the mooring from a rowboat a few hundred yards from the pier. The eight Korean girls and seven boys, along with three counterparts from Pennsylvania and three from the Baltimore-Washington Conference churches stretched the facilities for the first sailing camp this summer. The Korean group arrived together and got right off the plane to here, from BWI to West River, said Diane Grove, one of the counselors. As the 13- to 17-year-olds disembarked at the West River pier on an overcast, sometimes drizzly day spent learning the rudiments of sailing, their smiles and friendly bantering and water splashing made it clear that it had been a great day. Each one quickly began the clean-up, put-away chores that finished the sailing for the day.  Most of us (the Korean campers) had never sailed before coming here to camp, said Grace, a spokesman for the group because her English was good. Theres no opportunity to sail in Korea. Sung Eun Lee, Graces Korean name, is the 14-year-old daughter of the Rev. Jong Man Lee in the Southern Conference near Taejon in South Korea.
She is currently studying at a school in Kentucky where she lives with a Korean family. She had spent seven years of her childhood in the Philippines where her parents were Methodist missionaries. The Rev. Kee Woo Lee, also from the Southern Conference, accompanied the teenagers and served as their chaperone. He and the Rev. Edwin DeLong, who met each other during a conference-sponsored tour to Korea last year, initiated the two-week experience as part of an on-going relationship between the two conferences. The Baltimore-Washington Conference covered the camping expenses and their parents and churches at home in Korea covered the airfare. In addition to spending a week at West River, each teenager stayed for a few days at the end of the camping week with host families. Teachers and counselors care about us, Yeong Jin Kim, 13, said when asked about what was good about being at camp. My parents sent me, Jimmy explained in halting English. Jimmy, whose Korean name is Kim Kyung Min, said he was very happy with the sailing and swimming , and that everyone is very friendly. After commenting that the food is very good, the 15-year-old said they have to go back to take exams in school. Theyve missed two weeks of school, Grove explained. The week was an absolute pleasure, she said. No behavior problems.  At first I was worried about language, Grove said. But they really get together well now, playing cards, shooting baskets, and theres even a little romance between an American girl and a Korean boy, she added.
Plans are developing for youth from the Baltimore-Washington Conference to have an exchange that will include a camping experience in South Korea next year, said the Rev. Don Stewart, conference director of connectional ministries. | 
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