HELLO // Busan, South Korea
Adele is a favorite of mine. I always get her song “Hello” stuck in my head as I greet my students “Hello, how are you?” day in and day out. It just happens to be one of the many joys of being an native English teacher in Korea.
As I wrap up my time in Korea, I’m looking forward to what’s next. I’m really excited to be able to go on this journey with the World Race to South America beginning in August 2016. To all of those following or partnering with me, here are some things about me.
// I’m from West Michigan and have lived in Brisbane, Australia, Bowling Green, Ohio and Busan, Korea.
// Blogging is not a strength of mine; I prefer to tell stories with photography.
// My family is large and loves to play games. My three sisters are all married to great guys and I already have three nephews who seriously are the cutest. My extended family is pretty great as well.
// Adventure sports are quite enjoyable. I’ve been surfing and scuba diving in Australia, snorkeling in Cambodia, and paragliding in Korea.
// My studies focused on sociology at Hope College and cross-cultural and international education at Bowling Green State University.
// Elephants. Everything elephants. I spent a day with them in Cambodia and it was beautiful. One thing I wish people knew is how harmful elephant riding is. Just don’t do it, please.
// It’s been 8 years since I studied Spanish.
// In high school, I gave a presentation on the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and why we should care. We should still care. #lovecreationoutoflovefortheCreator.
// I cry, a lot. A touching commercial, I cry. A heartbreaking blog, I cry. Social injustice, I cry. Seeing an elephant in the jungle, I cry. After years of being embarrassed, it’s now endearing for my friends to make fun of me when this happens.
// One of my life verses is John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Since claiming it, the Lord has been bringing a fullness to my life that is absolutely amazing.
// After years of keeping God at an arm’s length, I’m ready to run hard for the Kingdom. Praise the Lord for the opportunity to see His glorious creation at the same time.
Join me in this journey as I travel to
Columbia // Venezuela // Guyana // Suiname // French Guiana // Brazil // Peru // Ecuador // Bolivia // Paraguay // Chile // Argentina // Uruguay
If you want instant updates, you can subscribe to my blog. I can’t promise they will be that frequent or of substantial quality, so here are sites for photo updates:
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaneckchels/
flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138525586@N05
