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Master Sergeant T. Weiss
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Twenty soldiers from Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command visit the Youngnak Borinwon, an orphanage in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, every Wednesday evening to teach English. They teach two hours every week, having divided the children into four groups depending on the level of their skills.
Master Sergeant Thomas Weiss (36), who works in the intelligence department, has maintained this relationship with the children since September 2004. Weiss came to Korea in 1994, and has been renewing his term here every year for the past 15 years. He helped the orphanage repair facilities and buy a car by fundraising in the Army, and invites the children to his house for the weekend. He also invites children to the Army base for birthday parties, and lets them play on the miniature golf course and watch a movie in the theater at the base. On Sept. 26 and 27, he held an English camp there.
Weiss first began teaching English in Youngnak Borinwon as part of a ¡°good neighbor¡± program launched by the U.S. Forces Korea in 2003 to improve the relationship between the U.S. soldiers and the local residents. The original program was limited only to teaching English, but Weiss developed his own events and programs for the children. ¡°I thought the children here needed love, and we are just sharing a little bit of what we can give,¡± said Weiss.
¡°The children are always looking forward to Wednesdays and they love the English classes,¡± said Du Nam-jin, an official at the Youngnak Borinwon. ¡°Weiss is a great man. It¡¯s not easy to commit oneself to voluntary work steadily for four full years.¡±
¡°I¡¯m used to living in Korea now that I have more Korean friends than American friends,¡± Weiss said. ¡°Korea is my second home, and I would like to live here after I retire.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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