2007.10.19: October 19, 2007: Headlines: COS - Korea: Religion: Buddhism: The Olympian: Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 35 years ago when he and his wife, Norma, were in the Peace Corps, and Wondam was in middle school

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Korea: Peace Corps Korea : Peace Corps Korea: Newest Stories: 2007.10.19: October 19, 2007: Headlines: COS - Korea: Religion: Buddhism: The Olympian: Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 35 years ago when he and his wife, Norma, were in the Peace Corps, and Wondam was in middle school

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Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 35 years ago when he and his wife, Norma, were in the Peace Corps, and Wondam was in middle school

Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 35 years ago when he and his wife, Norma, were in the Peace Corps, and Wondam was in middle school

Wondam was in Olympia this week, visiting the Shelans after attending a retreat in New York state for three years learning about Tibetan monks. “I’m opening-minded” in my traditions, said Wondam, a Zen monk in South Korea who will return to his temple this week. Wondam said he was close to the Shelans from the start. “They were like angels from paradise,” he said of how the Korean kids thought of the couple from the United States that came to teach in their remote area. Shelan said his pupil was so bright, and it was so sad he had a heart condition and would only live a few years. The Shelans felt like they had to help. “He’s like a father,” Wondam said of Shelan. “He’s like our son in Korea,” said Shelan, whose only daughter lives in Bellevue. “We are family,” Wondam said. “He’s always in my heart.”

Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 35 years ago when he and his wife, Norma, were in the Peace Corps, and Wondam was in middle school

Olympia couple reunites with ex-pupil from Korea

Trio shares bond lasting 20 years after student’s heart surgery

Steve Powell
The Olympian

Caption: Charles and Norma Shelan of Olympia talk with Wondam, a Buddhist monk from South Korea, whom the couple helped get a lifesaving heart operation when he was a child. The Shelans met Wondam when they served as teachers in the Peace Corps. Photo: Steven M. Herppich/The Olympian

OLYMPIA — A former Peace Corps teacher reunited here with a South Korean monk after 20 years this week — bonded by a lifesaving heart surgery.

Charles Shelan was Buddhist monk Wondam’s teacher 35 years ago when he and his wife, Norma, were in the Peace Corps, and Wondam was in middle school.

“He was my best student,” Shelan said.

Wondam responded, “He’s fond of me.”

Wondam, a valedictorian, often was ill. When he graduated from middle school his mother had to walk him down the aisle to get his diploma because he was so weak.

When the Shelans found out Wondam had a heart condition, they sought help and found it with the America Korea Foundation in Seoul.

“South Korea did not have the technology for heart surgery” then, Shelan said.

Added Wondam in broken English, “People could not afford.”

Wondam and another student were flown to Minnesota for surgery. While they both did well initially, the other student later died. Wondam ended up having another surgery in 1993 in South Korea, getting a heart valve, as technology improved there.

Peace Corps Online

Caption: Charles and Norma Shelan while in South Korea during their time in the Peace Corps. Photo: Steven M. Herppich/The Olympian

The Shelans settled in the Olympia area. Norma Shelan taught at Saint Martin’s University for 28 years before recently retiring, and Shelan is now executive director of Children and Youth Services.

Wondam returned to South Korea and eventually went to prestigious Seoul National University.

“It’s like Harvard” here, Shelan said.

Wondam was involved in the peace movement, while other students were more militant, hoping to collaborate with North Korea.

The country’s president was assassinated in 1980 in a military coup, the college was halted and Wondam was drafted.

“Our romantic dreams failed,” Wondam said of his hopes for democracy, which the country eventually established in 1989.

Wondam struggled in boot camp because of his weak heart, but he survived his 2.5 years in the military thanks to his ability to speak English.

But he wasn’t happy.

“I couldn’t find my place,” he said.

Near the end of his service, he was placed on house arrest for a month after he refused to be “brainwashed” into becoming a spy against peace-activist students back at the university.

When he did get out, he became a Buddhist monk in 1983.

The Shelans visited him in the monastery in 1987, but they have only written to each other a few times a year since then.

Wondam was in Olympia this week, visiting the Shelans after attending a retreat in New York state for three years learning about Tibetan monks.

“I’m opening-minded” in my traditions, said Wondam, a Zen monk in South Korea who will return to his temple this week.

Wondam said he was close to the Shelans from the start.

“They were like angels from paradise,” he said of how the Korean kids thought of the couple from the United States that came to teach in their remote area.

Shelan said his pupil was so bright, and it was so sad he had a heart condition and would only live a few years.

The Shelans felt like they had to help.

“He’s like a father,” Wondam said of Shelan.

“He’s like our son in Korea,” said Shelan, whose only daughter lives in Bellevue.

“We are family,” Wondam said. “He’s always in my heart.”




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Headlines: October, 2007; Peace Corps Korea; Directory of Korea RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Korea RPCVs; Religion





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Story Source: The Olympian

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Korea; Religion; Buddhism

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