A CedarBridge learning support teacher is realising a lifetime dream, by going to Korea to spend a year teaching English and sharing her faith.

"As a child, I always wanted to do missionary work," said Geralene Smith. "I knew that I was going to be a teacher, and I knew it would give me the opportunity to go and do missionary work."

Ms Smith is one of 14 Seventh Day Adventist missionaries who are going to Korea. They responded to a call from the Seventh Day Adventist Conference asking for church members with a four year educational degree in any subject, to go to the country.

"I was planning on going to a South American country like Peru," said Ms Smith. "I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. I just happened to mention it to someone that I will probably go to South Korea. She said, 'Oh, I know someone who is there. They told me how nice it was and how much they enjoyed it'."

Ms Smith contacted the person in Korea, who gave her advice about applying to become a language teacher there.

"They emailed me and gave me a contact name," said Ms Smith. "I called the people who run the language programme. They were interested and sent me a package with some information about it. I had to get a passport picture and references from my pastor and things like that."

In Korea, Ms Smith will teach about 35 hours a week of English language and five hours of Bible classes. She will be working with both adults and small children.

"This will be my first visit to Korea," said Ms Smith. "I am not really planning to prepare. I am just going to be myself. They gave me a survivor's kit that has suggestions about what to do, and what to bring and what not to bring. Koreans are small people, so they suggest you bring extra shoes in your own size, and clothes and jackets. If I want to prepare special dishes there are certain cheeses and foods I will not be able to get. I have been trying to learn about the country. I went to the website and learned that it is cold in the winter time. They get a little bit of snow."

Ms Smith leaves behind (for a short time) a grown son and a granddaughter.

"I will miss them," said Ms Smith. "I don't think they will come out and visit. It is about a 15 hour flight."

She said there are not too many Koreans who are Seventh Day Adventists.

"There are a few but not a lot," she said. "A lot of them are learning about Christianity. It will be a challenge for me. I am looking forward to teaching people about Christ. Religion was my minor in school. I attended Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Jamaica. My major was Secondary Education."

She said that the Seventh Day Adventist Church is sponsoring her. She gets a stipend to pay for her ticket and accommodations.

Before she goes, she has to have a series of vaccinations. She has had almost all of them, but plans to leave the last two until she gets to Korea, because there could be side effects.