Meet Justin and DaNese. They are standing in front of the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia, built during the reign of Silla Queen Seondeok. Justin is one of our young soldier friends. In fact he has become like family. We were so happy that his sister came to visit him here in South Korea. It was fun getting to know her. It was even more fun listening to their family stories and good natured sibling banter. They reminded me of our own kids who love to tell stories of their childhood and to tell on each other! Justin had already been to Gyeongju so he was our tour guide. It is an amazing place. Between the four of us we took hundreds of pictures. I will try to share a few, just a few!
The temple grounds and the royal compound had many fascinating structures. On the right is a stone ice storage made of about 1,000 stones with a mounded roof and three ventilated ducts. This is a really ancient refrigeration system!
The grassy hills on the left are actually burial mounds. They hold the remains of the royal family members of the Silla dynasty. 
This court yard is surrounded by covered walk ways. The temple is above. The pagoda on the right is one of several you pass as you walk through the beautiful grounds. 
The shrine on the left is in a section of the courtyard. Some of the Koreans visiting while we were there stopped for a moment to offer a prayer.
The picture on the right is one of many lotus ponds we saw. The lotus blossom is significant in Buddhism.
We are so blessed to serve here and to enjoy many Korean experiences. I like to say "sometimes we are Elder and Sister Fairhurst, but sometimes we are just Fred and Susan in Korea.
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