I’ll never forget

My name is Todd Farnham from Seattle, Washington USA, I’m deeply grateful to Friendly Korea Community and its website. It was through Friendly Korea Community website that I was able to meet a special friend and her wonderful family.

I had been planning a trip to Korea for a long time, but I knew next to nothing about Korea, its culture and history. The mother of one of my students recommended VANK website to me. I also didn’t have any friends there. She was a Korean, and she wanted to help me for my trip. She gave me some Korean language
lessons and taught me a lot about Korean customs and culture. I visited Friendly Korea Community website and found a very nice young lady, one of VANK volunteer students, Nam Seungmi. Her family invited me to Korea, which made me so happy. She and her family offered to be my guide while visiting her country.

Upon my arrival in Korea, the Nam family greeted me at the train station in Yangdong. They were so kind
and generous! They treated me like I was one of their own family! Such people are rare, indeed. They took
me on a fabulous tour all over South Korea. They taught me so much about their country. I learned some
history and culture even a little of the Korean language! We visited many famous places, and even spent
the night at Andong’s Hahoe Folk Village. The Nam family provided me with an excellent example of how
kind, warm-hearted and generous the Korean people can be. I am forever thankful to them, as I am to
VANK for making it possible for us to meet. Nam Seung Mi and I still write each other, and I am happy to
know that her family and I will be friends forever! I will never forget this experience as long as I live, nor will I ever forget the Nam family!
With this note, I want to say thank you with all of my heart to Nam Seungmi and her family. I also want to
say thank you to VANK(Friendly Korea Community) for giving me the opportunity to make such special
friends. I am so thankful for this opportunity to get to know you and learn more about your precious homeland.

Such an opportunity would not have been possible just a few years ago. Really, we are very fortunate,
and should take every advantage of this miracle to reach out — over the oceans, across time and
space, to join together as one people of one world, appreciating and accepting all that is different, as well
as cherishing all that we have in common. I will be recommending your website to everyone I know who
wishes to visit Korea.

Todd Farnham with his Korean friend, Nam Seungmi, in Korea