Hey there everyone. This is why this site was invented in the first place.
Nerine is an English teacher from South Africa. Last week, she was severely burned in an apartment fire, and is now in a coma. Her parents have come to take care of things, but so far the outlook is bad.
Now, it his been said by others that the Expat community in Korea will never be a cohesive one, that people will be too self-interested and transient for us to band together and help out our own.
I say bullocks to that, I say there are enough of us, and invested enough here, that we ARE a demographic to be taken seriously. This is a chance for us to stand up and help out. Brian has information on where you can send money to help out, and you should. Did you know that all Bill Kapoun’s hospital bills were paid by people like us, sending in our little chip-ins, telling our friends, and getting stuff sorted? That entire burden was lifted off the Kapoun family’s shoulders, thanks to people like you.
This IS something we can do, expats, and these situations are the measure of a community. Hell, Sparkledown nothing. Situations like this are the reason I wanted to be involved with the Hub of Sparkle in the first place: these connections are worth something, and this is where the expat community proves itself to be more, or less, than the sum of its parts.
Here’s where you can help out, cut and pasted from Brian’s site.
Here is bank account information for the South African teacher injured in a fire in Mokpo last weekend. Just a preface, this is the person who has been collecting money from the beginning, and as I understand it he is passing the money directly to the parents. I had hoped a new account would have turned up, but it can be difficult for foreigners to do something like this, I understand, with regulations on receiving and transferring money.
Nicko Janse van Vuuren
Shinhan Bank
acc no. 110 -194 -121017Here is bank account information for those in South Africa, to forward money directly to her father:
D M Viljoen
Absa Bank
cheque acc no. 044 0920640
Mountain Mall
Worcester
South AfricaMain Branch code 503107
Brian’s been chronicling the thing with updates here. Go read them. You can sign up for updates at this facebook group. Or this one, if you speak Afrikaans.
Other points of interest:
Stephannie White, who lost her son in a mysterious, fishy sauna accident, has the story of her son, as well as a few other expats who died in mysterious circumstances over at her blog, too.
08/12/2008 at 11:52 pm Permalink
I hope someone sets up a PayPal account like they did with Kapoun.
09/12/2008 at 12:12 am Permalink
I’ve never used paypal; what are the benefits to doing it that way?
09/12/2008 at 12:44 am Permalink
Well, it’s really easy (just a few clicks); it uses whatever bank account the PayPal user wants, or even credit cards; and there are no wire transfer fees.
09/12/2008 at 6:06 am Permalink
Okay, I’ll suggest that to someone.
09/12/2008 at 11:16 pm Permalink
PayPal is a total RIPOFF!!
(I just made a profile, but I posted a minute ago under my name, which you can delete)
11/12/2008 at 8:50 am Permalink
I’ll throw $100 in the pot as soon as a PayPal account is created.
11/12/2008 at 3:07 pm Permalink
No Way, Paypal is a totoal RIP!.
Why not do things in a personal way? Like write her letters and prayer.
11/12/2008 at 3:17 pm Permalink
I suppose, wondergirl, that some people find paypal more convenient than navigating the “send money” function on a Korean bank machine that doesn’t have English markings (which is true of many bank machines outside of major city centers), and consider the convenience worth the small slice I’m sure Paypal would take for using its service.
Prayers and letters are good and important; cash helps too, because well-wishing cards can’t be used to pay huge hospital fees.
Do you have a story or an explanation about why sending money by paypal would be worse than not sending anything at all?
11/12/2008 at 8:09 pm Permalink
Never said not to send money! I am just saying not to use paypal. You have two eyes for a reason
If you want to understand more about paypal, try and google it.
I have been praying for her, I suggest everyone does the same. Prayer can move moutains!
11/12/2008 at 9:50 pm Permalink
I have American bank accounts. The Afrikaner accounts are in Korea and South Africa. If I do a transfer, my bank will screw me and then I’ll get screwed by the foreign bank, especially the Korean one. Double jeopardy.
11/12/2008 at 9:56 pm Permalink
Because they’re already getting tons of letters/flowers and prayer only “works” 50% of the time because there is no God.
11/12/2008 at 9:59 pm Permalink
careful, Mark. I know for a fact that God reads the comment boards at the Hub of Sparkle.
11/12/2008 at 11:54 pm Permalink
Excellent! In that case,
Dear
SantaGod,Bless the Viljoen family and give them a happy holiday season as they celebrate the birth of your son. Although they will have an empty seat at the table this Christmas, fill it with the Holy Spirit and bring comfort in this time of anguish.
Please release my father from prison and make my siblings stop abusing drugs and alcohol. Remind them of the reason for the season and let them know it is better to give than receive from their prodigal son/brother Mark who is deep in debt.
Lord, be with my Mother and Step-Father as they cannot afford the propane for heat in South Dakota this winter. Please show them that turning down the thermostat from 80 fcuking degrees and closing the door all the way actually can save money. Also let them know that the Lord can warm them even in the coldest winter wind on the farm.
Be with my wife and precious daughter, dear God, as they spend Christmas in Korea while I languish in this
goddamnwonderful institution where I cannot drink or even leave without escort. Please help me to allow Jesus into my heart during Alcoholics Anonymous meetings so that He may help me abstain with a smile.These things I ask of thee and in Christ’s holy name I pray,
Amen.
[Ace Ventura voice] AaaaaAAAaaallllrigty Theeeeennnnn….
12/12/2008 at 2:15 pm Permalink
“Prayers and letters are good and important”
“God reads the comment boards at the Hub of Sparkle.”
I didn’t get that you were mocking me. Makes me wonder what else you are mocking here. Nevertheless, you wont shake my faith that people are good, and she is good, and I will pray even harder for her.
Mark, I can see that you have a lot of pain, and I will pray for you too….
12/12/2008 at 9:33 pm Permalink
Well thank you so much…I feel blessed already.
12/12/2008 at 9:47 pm Permalink
OK, folks. Let’s stay on target: this post was written because a woman and her family need a lot of help.
Any word on that paypal account?
13/12/2008 at 5:09 pm Permalink
I think we should also brainstorm some ideas for those of us who want to donate money without dealing with that huge total RIPOFF Paypal.
13/12/2008 at 10:06 pm Permalink
Well, I know a Nigerian in Itaewon who has accounts in Korea and Africa; he could take care of it.
Or, since nobody appears to be willing to shit or get off the pot, I could set up the PayPal and transfer to the Viljoens at a specified date.
14/12/2008 at 1:52 am Permalink
Wondergirl: if you go back to the original post, or Brian’s post on how to help, there are account numbers where you can wire money, both in Korea and South Africa.
If you’re thinking of a non-direct transfer, non-paypal option, what do you mean?
Brian has said he’ll talk to some people about setting up a paypal account. I’ll leave a comment on his related post, asking if there’s been follow-up on that.
14/12/2008 at 4:50 pm Permalink
“If you’re thinking of a non-direct transfer, non-paypal option, what do you mean?”
Yes, a non-PayPal option is definitely the way to go. We should brainstorm on ways to do that. Mark, thanks for getting the ball rolling. I am not sure that everyone will be comfortable giving your friend their money, but in all great brainstorm sessions there are no bad ideas.
14/12/2008 at 5:37 pm Permalink
no need to brainstorm. it done been stormed already, which is why I directed your attention back to the direct transfer accounts listed in the original post.
here. I’ll post them again for you.
14/12/2008 at 5:43 pm Permalink
She died this morning.
Still no word on the paypal account, Rob. I hadn’t been checking up on it. I got a message a few days ago that it’d be ready in a few days, but I dunno.
14/12/2008 at 5:57 pm Permalink
.
14/12/2008 at 8:27 pm Permalink
Heartbreaking.
She is with our Father now.
Robosayo, thank you for posting information on donations. That is much more helpful then the useless and ripoff PayPal.
For those of you who unfamiliar with how to pray or what to say, I have a short prayer I came across that can help you.
Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, You willingly gave Yourself up to death so that all people might be saved and pass from death into a new life. Listen to our prayers; look with love on Your people who mourn and pray for Nerine Viljoen. Lord Jesus, You alone are holy and compassionate; forgive Nerine Viljoen, sins.
By dying You opened the gates of life for those who believe in You; do not let Nerine Viljoen, be parted from You, but by Your glorious power give her light, joy, and peace in heaven where You live for ever and ever. Amen.
15/12/2008 at 12:52 pm Permalink
You don’t even know if this woman was a Christian. Your preachy,
xxxxxxposts are insulting to her memory WonderGirl. Please go away.– edited by Metropolitician
15/12/2008 at 12:58 pm Permalink
OK, everyone.
Debate over whether there is a God, or snarky comments directed at those who either do or believe that there is — no more in this thread.
Get civil again. Quickly.
15/12/2008 at 1:05 pm Permalink
Please remove WonderGirl’s comment (and this one if you want). It’s terribly presumptuous to offer a Christian prayer for someone we don’t know the religious background of. In fact, it’s disgusting and abusive to this poor woman’s memory.
15/12/2008 at 1:40 pm Permalink
Some information about Nerine Viljoen. She was a good Chrisitan, and she is with our Father now.
Her name is Nerine Viljoen. She grew up in the Western Cape South Africa.
She studied her education degree in Worcester.
She worked in SA teaching and found out that she cannot make a decent living with the money she earned there.
She wanted to go to London but things didn’t work out. In the end she came to Korea.
She said language is no barrier! And went to Jeju with her church members to do missionary work.
She was planning to go to YWam next year and commit and to her mission training in New Zealand. She is just one of the unselfish people I ever met. She serves everybody and adores Korea and the crime free country were she could walk in the streets without looking over her shoulder.
She was very excited to see the snow and to ski for the very first time. As you no its a scarcety in SA.
She was also planning to go back to SA after her missions training and helping the people of her own country.
She totally loves SA !! She always seemed to be positive and making a difference when she gets enough money.
We were at the Korean embassy in SA on exact same day. The next day we stood in the same row to go on the SAME flight to Korea. (Quite cool!!)
From there on we stood with each other through the lonely times and became best friends.
I always told her that she is one of the few friends I think I’ll still keep till I’m in my old age home racing her with my wheel chair down the corridors.
There is a group on Facebook that her close friends put together when the accident happened. It is in Afrikaans though, since English is not her first language.
It’s called Bid vir Nerine Viljoen.
Which means Pray for Nerine Viljoen.
15/12/2008 at 1:58 pm Permalink
OK, folks. I’m shutting down comments for this post. There are lots of other sites where we can discuss faith issues, but this is a Korea blog, and probably not the best time and place; also, I think this conversation has gone about as far as it needs to.
Wondergirl, sincere condolences at the loss of your friend.
I also send out my wishes that Nerine’s family will be comforted in this difficult time, and you can call that a prayer, or just call it a wish for good to come to them, whichever you prefer.