Nothing More, Nothing Less...

STAND

2012-01-19T22:04:00.000+09:00

There is going to be a moment where it all seems to much.
It is.
There is going to be a moment where you want to throw your hands up and walk away.
You can.
There is going to be a moment where you want to spit in the face of love.
You might.
There is going to come a moment where you want to cower in the face of fear.
You may.
There is going to come a moment where it will seemingly crush every ounce of your spirit.
It will.
There is going to come a moment when you realize you have been completely fooled.
You were.

And let me tell you something.
No one can get up from being hit, until they have been hit.
Resolve doesn’t come from an easy life.
It comes from those moments above.
And I’m here to tell you, those moments I listed above…
As true as they will be in the moment…
They will pale to the moment you realize that you did not cower, run, or hide.
They will pale to the moment you realize that there is more inside of you that you ever dreamed.

They will pale to the moment, you stand.
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." EPH 6:13

The Delight of Sacrifice

2011-12-08T12:47:00.000+09:00

My dear friend, and roommate from my 1st year in Korea, is also making the transition away from what has become comfortable. With the determination to serve wherever necessary, she is drawn to areas in Mexico where women are prostituted. Fortunately, she speaks Spanish fluently and has family routes to the country, but nonetheless, she is embarking on a period of uncertainty in her life and I have often looked up to her strength and vision of God's purpose.

My Dear Friends Audie, Sandie & April

Recently she photocopied for me an excerpt from her devotional book by Oswald Chambers. Below I have included some sentences that leave me never the same:

"We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Christ. I don't throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. But, if we are totally surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve."

"I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls...." 2 Corinthians 12:15

Will you?

Holiday Hope

2011-12-03T23:31:00.001+09:00

As the holidays are fast approaching, are you wondering what you can do to make a difference? This year, I had my class write cards and help me pack a special box to encourage a family whom I met through the blogging world! Today, I went around town to ALPHA, DAISO and KIM'S CLUB packing up a Christmas box for a missionary family in Thailand.

If the sound of going out to the store and buying little gifts, shuffling to the post office, paying absorbent amounts in postage and wondering if the package will ever arrive on time? Then, from the comfort of your own computer... come meet Xander and enter to win a Canon T3 DSLR or Kindle Touch!

I love how they are using social media to impact the lives of oprhans across the globe!

Written in Pencil

2011-11-30T08:10:00.000+09:00

My birthday weekend left me overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness bestowed upon me! birthday wishes, cards and cookies...a wonderful, and timely, reminder of how much I'm loved! This year my students brought me cards, chocolates, soaps, and gift certificate for my nails! There were fresh baked goodies from my principals and even Mexican enchilada's from my old roommate!

The second grade teacher across the hall, shared with me one of her favorite quotes and so I'm reposting below:

"Everything is interim. Everything is a path or a preparation for the next thing, and we never know what the next thing is. Life is like that, of course, twisty and surprising. But life with God is like that exponentially. We can dig in, make plans, write in stone, pretend we’re not listening, but the voice of God has a way of being heard. It seeps in like smoke or vapor even when we’ve barred the door against any last-minute changes, and it moves us to different countries and different emotional territories and different ways of living. It keeps us moving and dancing and watching, and never lets us drop down into a life set on cruise control or a life ruled by remote control. Life with God is a daring dream full of flashes and last-minute exits and generally all the things we’ve said we’ll never do. And with the surprises comes great hope. But I’m learning to just keep moving, keep walking, keep taking teeny tiny steps. And it’s in those teeny tiny steps and moments that I become, actually, who I am. We won’t arrive. But we can become. And that’s the most hopeful thing I can think of. Thank God I was wrong about everything I had planned. Thank God we weren’t on my schedule, because even though I dragged my heels and checked my planner every five seconds while I watched my life change in his hands, I really like the place we’ve ended up, and the things I’ve seen along the way.Now when I think about the future... I try to write in pencil.”
“Cold Tangerines” Shauna Niequist

May the pencil lines of my life always bring Him glory, even in the smudges, eraser lines and holes warn in the pages! How about you? Do you have a favorite quote?

On The Altar

2011-11-17T11:31:00.000+09:00

“To live a life of prayer, of sacrifice, of surrender to God.”

Five years ago I penned those words as my life mission statement. I wanted to be intentional about making my life count for something greater than me. I wanted to be deliberate about leveraging my life for His glory. And everything I could see myself doing boiled down to that simple statement.

I said simple, not easy. ‘Cause it’s been anything but easy.

Those words have been ringing in my ears this past week. Prayer, sacrifice, surrender to God. Do I still mean it?

I want to say I’m willing, even when I don’t know what He’s asking me to do. I want to follow Him even when I don’t know which way He wants me to go. I want to serve Him even when it means giving up my own notions of how I can best do that. I want to honor and glorify Him with every breath, every word, every step.

The only problem with being a living sacrifice is my tendency to crawl off the altar. When I can’t see what’s next, when the flames of uncertainty seem too much for me to bear, sometimes I climb off. I choose to follow fear instead of faith. I long for the certainties of Egypt over the uncertainties of freedom.

But I’m done. Today I’m climbing back on the altar.

The Lord Himself goes before me and will be with me. Among all the unknowns and uncertainty, He is already there. He knows. He is certain. So if I remain in Him, I can have confidence and peace even when facing more uncertainties than ever before in my life.

As I’ve ruminated on it and wrestled through it, I know this much is true: I still want each moment of my life to be one of prayer, of sacrifice, of surrender to God.

Use me however You want, God. However You want.

(Spoken beautifully from Alece at grit&glory.com)

Even If...

2011-11-16T23:48:00.001+09:00

Dear Jesus,
Would you please move? Do somthing. I don't want just a bunch of rambling words from a human being with no power; I want your spirit to stir up hearts and actions. A faith that believes your Holy Spirit is good and He will lead into a great and fulfilling life. God, give me a spirit of power that doesn't fear where you might lead me if I give you control. Provide a boldness, an courage to just go and do it- even if it means standing alone. May I expect suffering-even desire it- to share int he fellowship I'll get with Jesus. In a world where everyone is willing to follow Jesus ONLY IF, may I be a person who follows Jesus EVEN IF. Help me to hear from you and not all these other voices. Wake me up- open my eyes to the courage to do whatever you have called me to do!
AMEN (Prayer written on 11/12/11 in my hotel room in Bandung)

Thankfulness Admidst Trials

2011-11-16T23:40:00.002+09:00

How can something rest in the approval of one small stamp of clearance? It is the hour before Robbi's scheduled meeting with the embassy. This is the second attempt and while first-go-around, I will admit I was not adequately prepared for rejection. This time my thoughts gravitate towards that end. It is worse than the fastest roller coaster at the Amusement Park, emotions shooting from high( just returned from a visit with him) and plummeting to low at a record rate of one breath.

Perhaps my goals have been too inwardly focused. Seeking to decide next year based on one earthly man, rather than on the good and pleasing will of God the Father. When did this become everything about me and less about Him, and where can I be used most effectively for His glory?

Lord, I repent of my selfish ways and ask that YOU would continue to make decisions for me. Provide me with the strength to walk in obedience to your ways, and the clarity to discern when to follow friends advice and when to acknowledge your gentle voice leading. Take these fears and remind me that God is in control. Challenge me to keep praying to a God who may not carry things out the way that I want! When I cannot see God's plan, lead me on to trust His heart. I'm CHOOSING to do THIS today!...and

instead appreciate that in Heaven our acceptance is not based upon our own merit or VISA of approval!

The Illusiveness of P-E-A-C-E

2011-11-04T21:59:00.000+09:00

So last night may have been one of the hardest in my simple 28 years of life. It was time for some tough conversations concerning a boy, a VISA to the US, and a job. This girl was left literally shaking uncontrollably like a child who would hear the fighting going on downstairs in her home.

Here is a smattering of my thoughts over the past few hours...
"For God is not the author of confusion, but of PEACE." ~1 Corinthians 14:33. Does that sound heavenly to anyone else? PEACE? If only it were as easy to cling to and believe, as it is to run my fingers across the keys and type the letters.

(** Sidenote- this post was interrupted by an unplanned 8am fire alarm at school. Talk about chaos in your life**)

This morning in devotions, it was the first day of focus groups and we were discussing the book of Psalms. Discussions centered on Psalm 77. In this Psalm, the person shows the bitter agony, which a troubled spirit undergoes from a sense of God's displeasure; and the comfort, which it afterwards receives through faith in His promises.

There are two parts in this Psalm: First, the psalmist sets forth the strife between the flesh and the spirit; and how the flesh tempts the spirit to despair, and calls in question the goodness of God (ver. 1-10). The author admits his frustration and lack of understanding towards the ways of the Lord. The trouble he faced weighed so heavily upon him that his “soul” or he himself “refused” to be consoled. Next, in the second part, he shows the victory of the spirit over the flesh; being raised, encouraged, and confirmed by the nature, promises, and works of God (ver. 11-20).

Did you catch it? The process had 4 stages:
I cried
I remembered.
I considered.
I said.

The psalmist did not seek for the diversion of business or amusement, but he sought God, and His favor and grace. The psalmist was upset and voiced his frustration, he considered the rejection of the Lord, yet verse 12 says his CONSTANT thoughts are on God's mighty works. He recalls and acknowledges the faithfulness over situations in the past and ultimately declares God is good. It was a constant thing.

.....Think God is Speaking Much? Yet I still question, how can things vacillate so intensely? And where is that true sense of joy? Rather than one wrapped in emotional circumstances, it rests in the belief that I will be "ok" because God is on the throne. Additionally, where does the thankfulness dissipate to in times of struggle? The assurance of a Holy God where life is good simply because He is...

What enables one to succumb so easily to the plagues of doubt? Is it that we fail to turn our minds to meditate on that God, who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, that with him, he might freely give us all things? The remembrance of the works of God, will be a powerful remedy against distrust of his promise and goodness; for he is God, and changes not. Though our circumstances and emotions change, our peace and joy don't have to follow!

Drowning in my emotions, I then saw this song posted on A Fellow Bloggers page It is lyrics from the song "Broken" by Lindsay Haun
"Hitting walls and getting scars only makes you who you are, No matter how much your heart is aching, there is beauty in the breaking." I love that last line. May there prove to be beauty, peace, and joy in this "breaking."

Be Still...

2011-10-13T18:17:00.000+09:00

For the last month or so, I’ve been attending a weekly women's bible study with nine other ladies from YISS.

Robin,Bev,Becky,Susan,Aimee,Charissa,Esther,Melanie and I are meeting Tuseday nights @ 7 to go through Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed: A Study of David is based on the teaching sessions of the Deeper Still conference featuring Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer , and Kay Arthur .

I have eagerly attended each study, soaking up the teachings, dutifully doing my homework and enjoying each minute of small group time, getting to know and support each other.

And yet…I’ve been struggling. Still thirsty. Questioning myself.

Am I really hearing from Him? That’s probably just my own little voice chit-chatting away in my brain. Yet I still desire to seek Him. I’m trying to quiet that voice of self-talk and to instead listen to what He has to say. In the meantime I get discouraged. And frustrated. I’m trying here! I doubt myself. I fall short. It’s like I can’t seem to get *it* from my head into my heart.

I love the words from a fellow blogger at Blessings and Glory

Where are you Lord?

I know He is here. He speaks, but in all my busy-ness do I listen?

Im stubborn. And for some reason I still cling to parts of this world, expectations of others, obligations, you get the idea.

I’ve welcomed Jesus into my life, yet I’ve remained seated on the throne, turning to Him for guidance and wisdom when its convenient.

A self-centered life is not one of peace, trust, empowerment, obedience and love. Oh no, when I’m focused on myself I’m instead filled with worry, doubt, frustration and discouragement. It isn’t until I step down and let Jesus take his rightful seat on the throne that I will truly experience the abundant fruits of His spirit; an overflowing of His goodness and grace pouring out through me.

Humbly I step down.

This is my prayer.

Only in Korea

2011-09-26T10:32:00.000+09:00

Early morning...we'll save the complaining for another time. Let's just say, this was the third early morning for the week, leaving my house @ 5:50am, only to make it to school to find out the distributer in America who was scheduled to conduct the training webinar with YISS, cancelled AGAIN!... But, God is good, and He did not let today pass without at least one laugh and reminder that I live in Korea- a land whose idiosyncrasies now almost seem normal!

5:50 Friday morning, I took my luggage (I was leaving that afternoon for the MS retreat) down the hill, got into a taxi and the song "Power in the Blood" is was playing inside the cab. The taxi driver asks me if I know the tune and I proceed to sing along in 3 languages! Impressed, the taxi driver then pulls up to the school, and he asks: you married? When I reply, "no," he begins to sing "Like a Virgin" at the top of his lungs....oh! Only in Korea! Love the contrast :) From Christian worship to Madonna in under 2 seconds!

Forever Friends

2011-09-25T00:07:00.000+09:00

Few people would select Korea as a topper for their "places I must see before I die" list. But often we don't choose; God does...and often through the most unique circumstances he can unite two childhood friends in a place neither one would have originally predicted!

On August 18th, I was able to spend the evening with the beautiful Lisa McKinnon! It has been almost 15 years since we were frilly dress wearing, tie pulling, Sunday school attending little girls together at LBC! Yet, the reunion could not have happed at a more opportune time!

For her, the US NAVY stationed her for a 2-week assignment. For me, it was a crazy time at school, having just returned for my 4th academic year and adjusting to the routine of teaching. It was a time filled with reminiscing, sharing about new relationships, and laughter- not to mention a tale or two of being in a foreign country!

We had successfully navigated a day through the Palaces, the Hangul Museum and the dog cafe in Myeongdong (no not to eat it, but an actual cafe where you order coffee and dogs are running around for your to pet and play with). Heading back, we decided to grab a bite to eat before parting ways near Seoul Station. Seoul Station is a major railway station connecting the cities downtown with various cities throughout the country. The station is lined with shops and restaurants and situated near some of the largest foreigner hotels in Seoul. One would assume that dining here would be foreigner friendly....except that it was all Korean cuisine and rather than selecting one restaurant, there is a giant menu board where you decide what you want, then a central counter where you pay and 10-15 stalls around the room where you wait for your number to flash on the screen before collecting your dinner from the indicated kitchen window. I was successful at sounding out the items, paying for the order and acquiring the ticket. Our bibimbop and dokbaegi bulgogi emerged from the counters complete with pickles and a large pile of kimchi! Everything was going according to plan until we finished our meal (minus the kimchi) and realized we had no clue how to clear our trays. In Korea all trash is separated into food waste, paper goods, liquids and other. I deposited items in what appeared to be the correct bins and as I took the stoneware back to the kitchen window I was turned away. All they said was "no," and pointed across the room. I traveled the course I thought was indicated, and arrived to find another rejection and new course indicated by yet another grunting Korean. Turned in circles and probably with a forlorn expression on my face, some other diner took pity on me and tried her best to explain that because our dishes came from 2 different kitchens; we had to return them to different dish room windows. I un-stacked our dirty dishes- and hoping not too many noticed the lone foreigner girls wandering around lost with dirty dishes- returned them to the appropriate kitchens! We concluded our evening with some Baskin Robins, a must after every Korean meal!

The Window where I was actually suppose to return my dishes

The menu board

A Where's Beth photo...

2011-08-24T23:16:00.000+09:00

I am blessed to begin another year by ministering here with such a fantastic faculty and staff. Because of the rain (it rained 28 days in a row here in Seoul), we had to squeeze into the gym lobby so we are a clostrophobic's nightmare for our 2011-12 Staff Photo.

Can you spot me? (*hint-I'm wearing teal)

The enrollment has again reached a record - 915 students. We enrolled a family from Israel this year, time to add a new nation's flag to our hallway display.

Welcome Home!

2011-08-01T22:27:00.001+09:00

Greeted by record rainfall that swamped Korea! The Korea Meteorological Administration said that Wednesday's rainfall in Seoul of 301.5mm was the biggest one-day amount in the capital since 1998 and the third highest ever. It started out with 17 inches of heavy rain on late Tuesday afternoon- around the hour that I landed in Seoul. Seoul, a bustling capital of 10 million, shut down portions of two major highways because of high water. The Han river which flows through the capital (and the area where many of the school staff live) burst its banks- cutting off roads, swamping cars and busses and halting daily life. People posted dozens of photos on Twitter and Facebook showing inundated streets and mud-covered cars. At least 57 people have died due to rain-induced landslides, flooding and accidents related to the precipitation.

I was fortunate enough to make it onto the airport limo before the drops began to fall. For the next 24 hours, a downpour drenched central Seoul (except for the brief moments that I had to carry my suitcases up the stairs and into my apartment...can we say blessing?!?!?) Even with it being Monsoon Season, it was the most rain than I have ever seen fall from one sky!

Flooding by the River

Cement stairwell turned waterfall!

2011-05-22T11:02:00.000+09:00

Today I was able to return to one of my favorite places in Korea, the infant orphanage. It has been a month since I had seen "my babies," primarily due to the business of this time of year and my perpetual sickness- I could not risk infecting the nursery.

There was the biggest juxtaposition of babies there I have ever seen. There was a precious little girl, less than 24 hours old. Laying only feet away from her, a toddler probably about 11 months- just on the verge of walking. I came for my 4-hour shift and "my girl" was hungry. Unfortunately, according to her chart, it was not yet her time to be scheduled to eat. She was three names down on the list of bottle preparations. Her little fists were clenched as she beat them free from her swaddle and became red from wailing.....learning quickly to make her cries heard. However, with the 31 other babies in the room, her screams were no more distinct. I picked her up and tried to soothe the famished newborn. She would root and take in her whole fist when I introduced it to her mouth. It was one of those many times where I truly wished I knew more Korean, so as to ask for a simple bottle of formula I knew would halt the screams.

About a foot away from her crib there way a square blanket set on the bare floor. Sitting there was the sweetest toddler: four teeth, smiles and a cuddle that would melt any heart! The orphanage was not equipped for a baby of an older age. My guess is that he (**It took us a diaper change before we knew that the infant was a "he"**) was originally placed in foster care, but something happened- thus he was given back to the orphanage until a new family can be located. This little guy opened his mouth to cry and then began to sooth himself- for he already had learned that screaming does not make the help come any faster.

It reminded me that often it can be this way with God. We think He isn't listening- so we scream louder. We think we deserve to be served ahead of others. We flail around, making excuses and it does nothing to get "our needs" met any faster. It simply wears us out. Often our words, or lack thereof, are inadequate to convey our needs. All the while, He desires to scoop us up and soothe our screams; but it has to come at the right timing....it can't be before "our chart" says it's time. It would take something so small to make the world seem right again, but we simply cannot bring ourselves to achieve it in our own strength. We need to do is wait and trust, patiently enduring; because what we can't see is that there are others with even bigger needs (like a poop blow out of the diaper) and when we are brought relief, it may just carry with it unforeseen rewards (i.e. in this case, a hand-fed bottled rather than one propped in our crib!)

Joy of Living in a Foreign Land

2011-04-09T23:55:00.000+09:00

Wow! posting is so mush easier when the tabs are in English! I am at Caffe Bene, a local coffee shop, after my Saturday Orphanage visit and after finally finding an internet signal, my Blogger homepage was all in Korean! After many a failed attempt and strategic guessing/clicking on random buttons,I am here now and wanted to post quickly on a few of the happenings on this side of the world.

Our school has been on a quest to get healthy as a faculty, thus the launch of the Slim Down Fitness Challenge. To ensure my success, I've been trying to make my own healthy meals about 4 nights a week. I've been quite frustrated with the recipes I find online, because I often can not find the ingredients in Korea- particularly fresh herbs and anything whole wheat! Many Western things have seem to catch on in Asia, except for whole grains! I've been unsuccessfully attempting to substitute, until someone told me about a foreign "black market" called Hadden House.

Now, when U.S. troops encamp overseas for any length of time, two things often occur: coveted, cut-rate PX goods appear in the local black market, and the American boys find their way into the hearts of the local girls. South Korea, with its 50,000 G.I.s, is no exception. Although the name 'black market' resonates with the sound of illegal, you'll often hear expats use the word to describe stores and markets that sell imported western goods and products that are not easy to find anywhere else in Korea. Staples like real Doritos, deodorants, Kraft Dinner, you name it-of course you'll pay for it too! Nevertheless, therein begins my adventure to healthy foods!

On Monday, I decided to write down all the information I could forage about Haddan House from the foreigner forums online. Then, armed with my little yellow sticky note, I flagged down a cab and attempted to give him directions. I was successful up until we reached the UN village, upon which I was completely lost. We rode around for about 10 minutes through the back alleys; my eyes glued to rapidly rising red numbers on the taxi meter, my fare increasing. Fortunately, I was blessed with a jolly cab driver very obliging to my horrid accent. He even rolled down his window several times to ask directions to no avail. Surprisingly, he used his i-phone to locate the number of the market. I dialed and the clerk passed off the call to an English speaking man. After many grunts and whines, we headed up the hill three traffic lights, passed a tunnel painted in nothing less that rainbows (Korean design will never cease to amaze!) and behold, there it was in all of it's yellow signed glory! I chuckled as the man even pointed and waited as I crossed the street and got inside the door. That was one dedicated taxi driver~ once inside a man races up to me with a shopping cart and immediately says, "foreigner, you phoned?" My face is still a bit red from embarrassment; but I'd call it a successful journey- especially since I left clutching my basil, fresh roasted turkey cold cuts and wheat bread! ...and I did it all by myself!...now if only someone could cook me dinner!

That same week, I decided I wanted to have a "It's Finally Friday~ no school work allowed" outing! My friend Jess scoured the internet for movie titles playing in English at out CGV theater. We sat there and sounded out the Korean characters, much like the game Mad Gab, until we got to Meet the Parents 3....movie decided, now to get to the theater and purchase tickets...simple....yes? Not in a foreign country! We get to IPARK mall, enter the theater and take a number (tickets are bough meat counter style here) When out number flashes we go to the counter and the girl sees we are foreigners so she runs away and gets someone else. We are moved to a new computer ticket counter and told to wait. We even ask in Korean,표 두 장 부탁. A new girls comes out and we are shuffled around again before being told "no" I think she meant SOLD OUT!

What do we decide to do with our Friday evening!?!??! Food shopping of course! In the basement of IPARK is a store called EMART. The closest comparable US company would be maybe like a K-Mart?Now what makes this even funnier is that somehow Jess and I always end up doing the "grow-up" tasks together. We sat one Saturday and did our foreign taxes together, we often cook and clean together and even have grading get togethers/Survivor nights. Rarely do we ever do something that costs $ or would be considered exciting. That didn't stop us from creating lasting memories!

To up the ante a little bit, we decided to each pick one new random food item we would try in addition to our groceries. We were amazed to find the aisles with more and more Western influence. Items like baking mixes, canned tomato sauce, gluten free cereal, and coconut dairy free-icecream. All this hidden between the canes of sardines, silk worm larvae, kim (dried seaweed) and beef jerky! We had 2.5 hours of fun while we shopped, finally selecting carrot chips and canned grapes to test our palate. Additionally, we couldn't wait to get home with out two added treasures... a published book on poop and 2 foot sparklers!...So much for being a "grown-up!"

Immersion 2011

2011-03-29T14:32:00.000+09:00

Immersion 2011

Adopted as His Own...

2011-03-28T20:43:00.000+09:00

I knew from the time I spent in Eastern Europe holding babies at the Babish orphanage, that I was called to, "spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed…” Isaiah 58:10. I never anticipated that the desire would lead me to Korea and take over eight years to come to fruition.

One of the huge draws to Asia was (aside form me thinking Asian kids are adorable) that there were lots of orphans who needed someone to hold and love them. My first year I designated to adjusting to life overseas. In my second year, I took a training seminar at my church to begin volunteering at the infant orphanage. However, after I completed the class, the orphanage stopped accepting volunteers. I visited some other orphanages but was unable to find my niche with my limited Korean and the children's frequent outbursts. I had resolved to find a new avenue for ministry. My third year began in a similar routine as the rest until one of my new students came into my classroom and announced that her mom was holding babies before picking her up that day. I sent out a quick e-mail and a few days later I had all the contact information, submitted the necessary medical records and chest x-ray, and received clearance to begin working at the Easter Welfare Society.

A subway ride of about 30 minutes, 1 transfer stop, and a brief walk around the block and I arrive for my bi-monthly Saturday morning visits. The babies are all under 6 mos. old, sometimes the ones you hold will have been born within a day or two. The babies can be adopted domestically at any time, but it’s not very common. For foreign adoption they have to be 9 mos. old (a rule about flying???) so they go from this orphanage to foster care until they're older, if they're lucky enough to be adopted. Otherwise they go to a different orphanage for older children. As I glance down at the colored hospital band wrapped around his/her ankle, it becomes a reality that the girls are often adopted faster than the boys. There are inequalities already in the child's short life. The band around each babies ankle identifies each infant and marks his/her "home." You match this band to the signs displayed on the crib stalls to make sure each baby is accounted for. Those who are lucky enough to be "chosen" to be adopted out, have a little vertical signs that mark the child as belonging to someone else. This drew for me a parallel of how God calls us all as His own and claims us. We are sealed with His spirit. We have a home that was purchased for us with a price....we are accounted for.

I go there and hold, change and feed the babies. Often I gesture to an employee which one to hold and switch off depending on who needs to be fed or what the nurses need. I always feel good about being there and am so happy to have the chance to help them in their young lives, even in the tiniest way! A few weeks ago as I was riding home on the subway, I was listening to my iPod and was struck by the Mercy Me song Won't You be my Love The line below really impacted my heart after spending 5 hours holding newborn babies:

She is just a few days old
A helpless little girl
With no family of her own

She is not to blame for the journey she is on
Her life is no mistake
Won't you lead her to My cross

Won't you be My voice calling
Won't you be My hands healing
Won't you be My feet walking into a broken world
Won't you be My chain-breaker
Won't you be My peacemaker
Won't you be My hope and joy
Won't you be My Love

How will you answer that call?

The Lost Get Found!

2011-03-27T20:39:00.001+09:00

The Seoul SK Knights is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League. The KBL consists of 10 teams who play 54 games. Our school was given some free tickets to a basketball game for Sunday March 6th. I decided to go, to foster my love of the sport, and to see what the competition was like in Korea. My friends Krista, Nancy and her sister Lisa met me at the arena. We took some photos at the entrance and under the basketball arch before entering the stadium and perusing the concessions stand for our snacks for the main event. Somewhere between the photo op, the food, and the rest room, I realized that my camera was no longer in my purse. After finding our court-side seats, I took off to find someone who might know about a lost & found. I approached one of the ticket ladies near the front entrance. While she spoke little English, and I barely any Korean, I followed her down the stairs and through he basement corridors to the broadcasting/staff room. I was able to convey orange camera, I don't have. Do you have it? She got on the walkie talkie and moments later a man in a business suit entered. I once again attempted to communicate that I had lost a camera in the arena. The man had me get online and find an image of my camera. He then said he would announce the model over the PA during the game.

I tried to enjoy the game remembering in the past how my camera has been misplaced and noting that it is only a monetary thing- one that can be replaced. Sometime before halftime was over, the Korean gentleman in front of me said that they had announced about a missing camera. The spotlight on center court a man in suit began waiving around a black camera case holding it above his head. The girls began screeming as we heard the words "foreigner missing orange camera." I ran down to center court, climbing down this metal staircase to reach the court. I bowed as they placed the camera back into my hands. I could not believe that someone turned it it! I'm still not sure where it was lost, or who returned it- but it was a great reminder that God cares about even the little things in our lives! I had my camera returned and could use it for my upcoming Immersion Service Trip!

The last shot taken before it's disappearance

The little bowl of noodles for the Vietnamese Pho restaurant

The court at the arena

Guess Who's In Korea?

2011-03-27T16:58:00.001+09:00

First ever in Korea, from a pop-princess to Grammy's diva, Taylor Swift in Korea!On February 11, 2011 at Olympic Park Gymnastics Gymnasium, Taylor Swift sang live in her first ever concert in Seoul! English music artist's are gaining popularity in Korea and I was glad to jump on board for this one. Seoul was slated to be the second stop of 87 shows in 19 countries spanning four continents on the TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR 2011.

Purchasing tickets was the first obstacle as you can only use a credit card and those with Korean ones get seating preferences. Eventually, I was able to use my Citibank card to reserve tickets for four of the five of us that wanted to see her (apparently there is a maximum transaction limit for the number of tickets one person can purchase). Picking them up at the box office is a totally different adventure!

The weekend was the night of the Immersion all-nighter to prepare students' for the upcoming missions trip over spring break. Fortunately, since this was my third year attending the trip, I was granted permission to miss the first night and take some students to see the concert. We waited until the night before to tell the two staff girls...

Seeing as this was only my second concert ever, and SJ's first, we had quite a few wardrobe changes in preparation for the event. We left from the school at 6pm and boarder the subway. It was so crowded that we were basically like a heated atomic particle in a molecule. Despite the crowding, when we exited the subway there was several crew members directing traffic and announcing the way to the stadium.

One of the special highlights of the evenings was after we entered we found a cardboard cutout of Taylor and of course posed for pictures! As we were holding up our signs we made, a mad walked by and asked if we were really from Tennessee. He proceeded to introduce himself as Taylor's dad and explained that her parents walked around meeting fans since she can not do so herself. He spent about 10 minutes with us showing us her backstage passes- he is number 2 and Taylor is always # 13. He also gave us a guitar pick of Taylor's. It was a neat memory to see that he was so personable and cared about building relationships with her fan's.

This photo...

caused her dad to stop and talk to us!

The Other YISS students who attended the concert

Our Seats!

The Concert!

Taylor did a great job moving around the stadium, her costumes were beautiful, and even when her keyboard malfunctioned, she remained composed and just spoke to the audience like she was talking to friends. It was a great night, spending time with two very special staff girls and 3 of my favorite co-workers!

Korean "County Club"

2011-03-04T12:14:00.000+09:00

We'll yesterday was my first time in the Korean hospital as a patient. I have had a less than ideal year with my health (**in case the fact that I have, for the first time ever in my life, reached my medical deductible isn't enough indication**). In September, I went for allergy testing at the International clinic in Itaewon. Now, if you've ever lived in a foreign country you know that finding a reliable doctor is a challenge, and even more so to find one who communicates in the same language you do! Fortunately Korea is extremely foreigner friendly and there are a few clinics that have Korean to English translators. Unfortunately, when I did the blood draw, the results came back way below anything in even the moderate range. After a few months of still feeling sick with sinus congestion and intestinal issues, I got a second opinion for a "holistic" doctor to try the allergy scratch testing instead. He made the appointment for me and off to Dr. Jasmine I went.

I rode in a taxi, which was probably a mistake. In my mind I was thinking roads=faster than subway. But I neglected to factor in the traffic jams crossing the bridge into Gangnam. 10,000 won later, I was dropped off at an office building where I sounded out the characters to be Seoul Global Finance Center. Confused by the tall sleek look of the building, I approached the front desk and handed her my page where I had a friend write the address in Korean. She warmly smiled and held up a 3 and a 7 to indicate the 37th floor. The elevators alone should have been my first indication, but this was beyond any hospital I had ever been to. It has marble, brass and looked more like a hotel lobby than a waiting room! I took a number as if I was waiting in line at the meat counter in a grocery store. Then someone created my chart and led me behind a giant curtain. There was a changing room where an attendant gave me a remote key. You wave it in front of the locker and it automatically opens. It was a floor to ceiling wooden locker with shelves and coat hangers on which to place your belongings. Inside I found a new hospital robe (still wrapped in plastic), fuzzy slippers, and a pale-pink pair of pajama pants. I was instructed to change and then was escorted to a small room where the allergy screening would take place. I was given a second rose colored gown to put on (this one had an open back so they would have access to the skin for the scratch test.)
Dr. Jasmine translated as the nurse explained that they would be placing 53 drops on my back in a linear pattern, then they would go back through and prick each spot to create an exposure to the allergen. There was one "control" spot where the histamine would be administered. She swabbed my back with alcohol then began opening the vials and using the dropper to place a small drip on my back. Then came the small lance needles. I barely felt the prick when it was on the outer edges of my back;however, as it came closer to the spine and middle of my back it did make me cringe a bit! When this was done she took some markings using a red permanent marker and then set the timer for 15 minutes. To pass the time she whips out a Kindle and changed the language to English so I could read and browse the web while I waited for my results to "appear." I could feel something itchy so I knew there was at least one positive mark. When all was said and done there were only two triggers that measured large enough to be considered an allergy- ragweed and tree nuts. Not quite the results I was expecting, but it does feel good to know that allergies are not to blame for my feeling ill. Next week, I opted to meet with an internist to discuss the results and consider if further options are necessary. It is a weird position to want something to show up, so you have a "reason" or feel justified in your pain; yet you have a scale of what is considered "reasonable" answers! I'll keep you posted!

The Woodcutter's Wisdom

2011-02-25T23:33:00.000+09:00

Our Middle School assistant principal shared this story in Wednesday morning devotions. I believe it came from UpWords Ministries by Max Lucado. It is a bit longer than most of my posts, but if you stick with the story, I think you will find it to be simple fable with a profound message that we in our humanness often forget!

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength. People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them. “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed, “we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.” The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?” The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.” The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?” The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.

After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. “Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.” The man responded, “Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don’t judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?
“Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t.”

“Maybe the old man is right,” they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.

The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgements.

“You were right,” they said. “You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever.”

The old man spoke again. “You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”

It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.
“You were right, old man,” they wept. “God knows you were right. This proves it. Yours son’s accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.”

The old man spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows.”

***

The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life’s mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand book. We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve judgment on life’s storms until we know the whole story. I don’t know where the woodcutter learned his patience. Perhaps from another woodcutter in Galilee. For it was the Carpenter who said it best: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” He should know. He is the author of our story. And he has already written the final chapter.

2011-02-14T08:11:00.006+09:00

Sunday the 6th was not a typical evening of sleep. I climbed into bed around 10pm and had difficulty falling asleep. Around 12:20, I became extremely cold. Pulling up my shearing blanket and grabbing a sweatshirt, I climbed back into bed. Shortly thereafter, I began shaking uncontrollably. My body was continually twitching in small convulsions that I could not control. I got up and grabbed the thermometer, expecting to have a fever. There was no explanation, as my temperature was actually 97.8, below normal! As time passed, I became increasingly alarmed as to how long a body could sustain shaking without shutting down. Rather than stare at the clock, I decided to sing and pray my way through the sickness. Chris Tomlin's Our God (whose lyrics are below) came to mind and I repeated the lines over and over praying for healing over my body. I was feeling defeated and tired of being sick in Korea. Expressing my frustrations to God, I finally felt at peace when I declared that I would stay in Korea as long as He has me here, but am willing to move on if this is not the place for me. I'd keep seeking and have my options open rather than closed to my own desires. It was at that moment that my body relaxed. A quiet and not so gentle reminder that His ways are above our own. Often without meaning to, we convince ourselves that our plan must be God's plan and often he must wake us from our slumber to remind us otherwise.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God...
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God...

Not For Sale | Shadowhands from Not For Sale Campaign on Vimeo.

Other Confirmations from God:
David Batstone, University of San Francisco Professor and President of Not for Sale Ministries, came to speak at a church conference to increase awareness on modern day slavery. I learned that we live in a deeply interconnected world, where the crime of modern-day slavery occurs both in plain sight and in the shadows- from sex slaves to work slavery. His website , specifically the app Free 2 Work, helps consumers identify companies which do not have forced, trafficked or child labor in their production. Featured companies are graded on the steps they take to actively prevent exploitation from occurring. Numerous industries are at risk for forced, trafficked and child labor. As consumers we are connected to these types of abuses and we need to know how our products are made and make wise choices in whom we chose to support through the purchase of goods.

At the conclusion of the three-day event, our pastor put forth a call to stand if we wanted to make a declaration of freedom, for these in slavery and to God- that we would be used by Him, in any means he has given us, to serve Him and seek after the things of His heart without hesitation. For me standing to my feet was a declaration that I was in a place of submission to God; recognizing that Korea may not be the place he has for me, but I am willing to trust and follow Him.

My Korean Wheels

2011-01-28T19:27:00.002+09:00

Recently, my friend, and also conveniently my downstairs neighbor, got a cherry red Daewoo Matiz. The car may seem like something out of the movie "Just Married," but in Korea it is a somewhat expensive endeavor and driving adventure to maneuver a vehicle. Add the thrill of the color in a country where grey is pushing the color limits, and it makes for one ideal mode of transportation (and she offers to drive us to school which means that we get an extra 20 minutes in the morning and don't have to walk down the death hill to catch the bus at 6:40!)

Nevertheless, I still feel like Seoul has one of the best subway systems in the world, thus I need to pay homage to my former means of travel...

I love the awkward unwritten rule of avoiding too much eye contact, and the looks I get when I break it. I love the exhausted middle-aged hikers decked out in their finest color coordinated hiking gear with their North Face jackets, visors, and walking sticks. I love the torn and frayed edges of my well-used mini subway map.I love when strangers offer to help me read my Hangul map because they think I must be lost. I love the conversations I find myself in with chatty fellow passengers that have very little English or Korean, but involve lots of miming and laughter. The earthy whoosh of the approaching train and the fact that line 6’s incoming train bell sounds exactly like the intro to M.I.A.’s song Paper Planes. That the next two stops are announced in Korean and the following one in English. The sickening high school couples (dressed alike in their pink teddy bear sweatshirts) giggling quietly in the corners, failing miserably at hiding their flirtation. I love popping out of subway exits totally unable to place myself on a map that lacks the familiar chaos of squiggly rainbow lines and ity-bity Hangul.Swiping my T-card like a pro when I enter and leave the subway system and feeling like finally I know what I am doing. I love that I could plausibly buy everything ever needed in the depths of the subway system: clothes, makeup, coffee, pastries, shoes, underwear, books, baby rabbits..
I enjoy when my olafactory glad works in overdrive as scents of Deli Mandu (basically creme filled, corn shaped doughnuts) are being made in their waffle irons. I love that people can watch TV on their cell phones and that I can have a conversation with someone in the USA in even the deepest parts of the subway system without any hint of signal interference. I love the occasional feeling of being crammed into the train car, finding myself nose to nose with dozens of strangers packed so tightly there is no need to hang onto anything, just swaying as one mob hurtling through the earth at 40 miles per hour, strangers brought together by circumstance and for that small moment being united as neighbors.

The subway system is a fascinating little human microcosm that has really opened South Korea to me, and perhaps influenced where I might move next. Does this mean I now have a ‘subway system in decent reach of my future home’ requirement? Now that I have been spoiled with Seoul’s subway system.. possibly.

Comments of a Child...

2010-12-16T12:53:00.004+09:00

The cold weather arriving is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have warm clothes and a place to sleep at night. To help others during the Christmas season, the YISS Compassion Club hosted a "Bundle Up" project to collect scarves, hats and gloves for the homeless men and women around Seoul Station Subway.

Our assistant principal had women in his church get involved by knitting 15 scarves for the outreach. As the collection box in the classroom began to fill up, one second-grade boy looked in and saw the knitted scarves in the brightly colored yarn. In a whiny voice his response was, "oh! They are so lucky." Upon hearing this comment both his teacher and I gave him the "teacher stink eye" and asked him to repeat what he said and listen to how silly it sounds. How lucky a person without a home is? One who has little food and no warm bed to sleep in? Lucky?...because they are getting a scarf?!? It was one of the craziest things kids say moments, that at first I considered ridiculous, yet it was a teachable moment for not only him, but me as well. How often do I often look at someone else's life or possessions and think, "they are so lucky!", without even stopping to consider what I have been given? I can look enviously at someones job, relationship status, finances, or technology and I can imagine God looking down, probably wanting to give the "stink eye" at the absurdity of my selfishness.

So often, we focus on small disappointments that cause us to grumble and complain rather than focusing on the wonderful things God has brought into our lives, not the least of which is His everlasting love and eternal salvation.

As endless as God’s blessings are,
So should my praises be.
For all His daily goodnesses
That flow unceasingly!
—Adams(Our Daily Bread)

Times of Tension...

2010-12-01T09:31:00.005+09:00

..For such a time as this

The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea [DPRK] is probably the most closed country in the world with the fortified border between north and south remaining one of the most impenetrable boundaries. While the last 20 years have seen the dramatic collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and the steady opening up of Asia’s other Communist countries, North Korea has fought hard to remain tightly shut (voice of the martyr's.com).

There has been much activity in this region and many concerns over the lasting safety of people. I want to let everyone know that I am fine (** actually nestled under cozy blankets and a streaming cup of coffee as I write**) We have received one e-mail from the embassy since North Korea fired artillery at South Korea's Yeonpyeong island Tuesday afternoon. The attack started at 2:34 p.m. local time, about 10 kilometers south of the tip of North Korea's south coast. The attack is the second by North Korea this year against South Korea in the maritime border area of the Yellow Sea. In March, a North Korean submarine torpedoed and sank a South Korean warship near an island about 40 miles west of the island that was hit Tuesday 11/24.

Actually, without TV, the only way I knew of the event was because our bus driver said, "North Korea pow-pow" and pointed to the screen aboard the bus. Once I signed into my yahoo account at my computer, I understood what he meant. There was no flashes of light or big echoing booms falling from the sky.

I believe that I have been called to be in Korea, for a greater purpose than I originally planned...for such a time as this! I am convinced that as Christians, we need to be people of intercession for wisdom if the walls of Communism come down. Prayers will change the course of nations.

Additionally on my mind, is how will we be on display to the world to show what the love of Christ looks like. If war were to happen, or the starving were able to cross the boarders into Seoul, how do we respond appropriately? Psalm 46: If you are in a relationship and trusting God, He is our only refuge. Neither a shelter, a home or national force can protect us more. Because of who HE is, we will not live in fear for His presence and love surrounds His people. Running away does not equal responding in faith that God called me for a purpose to serve. Just because it is dangerous, does not mean we run away! A proper response for a people of God is not to panic but to serve those whose love has grown cold (Matthew 24:12). Making sure that all nations have herd to gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ's ultimate desire is that before He returns all peoples will hear. If we love Christ and follow His heart, it is for the nations. Our salvation is secure if we die we enter glory but our greater concern above our safety is to let the nations know the gospel. For such a time as this... I believe I have been called to Korea to pray, to wait and to serve until I am called home!

Seasons of Gratefulness

2010-11-28T12:07:00.007+09:00

For my 25th birthday it was 25 things I wanted to do before I died. Last year, I'm not sure I made resolutions, but this year I decided it would be 27 things I am thankful for at 27!

1. I'm grateful for days when I can lay around snuggled under the quilts in my bed...just because I can! (the soft pillows and memory foam topper are an added bonus)

2. I'm thankful for the sound of freshly brewing coffee and the taste of Starbucks peppermint mocha's!

3. A bathroom floor that doesn't drip down in to the neighbors! Flushing toilet are always a good things too!

4. Access to medicines that can help me recover from bronchitis.

5. Access to cold and clean drinking water so that diseases such as Cholera are easily avoided.

6. Warm bath water to soak in after a long day at work.

7. Cinnamon scented candles that add to the glow Christmas lights provide.

8. Technology that helps me stay in contact with family and friends in the US.

9. Families in Korea who are willing to add one more setting at their dinner table so the singles can have a "family meal."

10. I'm grateful to the men and women who came before me whom were obedient to God's call; and to those who recorded the events and lessons from God, so that I could have a guide and copy of the Bible in my language!

11. Black market shops where we can get the imported American goods I crave. So strange how you come to miss Kraft Mac and Cheese, Pop Tarts and Cottage Cheese! If you have to wait in line at the supermarket for your Thanksgiving dinner, be thankful that you can afford what you want to eat and have a convenient place to buy it. We are all aware of the many people waiting in line to have a meal at the local homeless shelter.

12. Finding a Christian counseling service only 2 subway stops from YISS!

13. Kebabs and the various Indian, Iranian, American and Chinese restaurants that line the streets in Itaewon.

14. Downloads via Sidereel/Megavideo that give me access to my American TV shows such as Gilmore Girls, OTH, Big Bang Theory, Better with You, Glee, Mike & Molly, Survivor and The Amazing Race.

15. The opportunity to travel around South East Asia.

16. A large classroom with 8 wonderful students from America, Norway, Poland, Kenya, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B and 2C classrooms.

17. An oven to bake, in a country where many homes do not have this cooking method.

18. A washer inside my apartments, although I wouldn't complain if we had a dryer so clothes don't hang dry for 4 days!

19. Camera to capture the memories of my time overseas-sure beats having to spend all that money to develop film. And I can delete and retake pictures where I look yucky.

20. My friends: If I named them all individually, from wonderful acquaintances to tried and true friends thanks for the wisdom and love you add to my life! Thanks to all the single ladies from YISS that support and encourage me.

21. Being able to laugh-it keeps me sane in the midst of insanity!

22. Being debt free- be thankful for the ability to pay your bills, even if it means that you have to give up some things that you want. Remember that having basic needs met is a luxury for many people.

22. Good Health-I'm thankful for growing older. Not everyone gets this opportunity. Aging with health and grace is a rare and beautiful gift.

23. Four changing seasons- even if I do miss fall leaves, apple cider and pumpkin carving while in Korea!

24. The sound of the rain on the roof: Is there any better sound to fall asleep to?

25. My crock pot: Sounds silly maybe, but, boy, does it come in handy. Throw a bunch of foodstuffs in there, turn it on, go to bed and wake up to hot steel cut oats!

26. Wildflowers: I can't name more than about three or four, but I sure do think they're pretty and along with grass hard to come by in a city!

27. To be called a daughter of the king! Grateful for grace and forgiveness that come with each new day!

2010 Vacation Vietnam Style!

2010-09-27T08:23:00.013+09:00

I must preface this post with, I know it has been awhile since I have written. Nevertheless, Here is an update about my 9/18-9/25 Chusok Travels to Vietnam.

Welcome to Nha Trang- the beach capital of Vietnam. The setting is stunning, with the towering mountains looming up behind the city and sweeping 6km of sandy beaches stretching into the distance. The turquoise waters dotted with little islands and fishing boats tied to make-shift docks.Parks and sculpture gardens spread along the shore front, along with lounge chairs, thatched-roof umbrellas and a 1/4 mile long fresh water pool that made up our welcomed home for the week.

After much research, we chose Diamond Bay Resort and Golf. I roomed with my travel buddy, Krista, and the other two teachers, Natalia and Kara, were up a flight of stairs in the 3-storied hotel block. We arrived to a welcome of sparkling apple juice in flutes so delicate I was scared to hold it by the stem of the glass. The room was average, although I loved the open lobby effect that allowed the Vietanamese heat to permeate our pores and make us thankful for the warm weather to come!

We began the first morning frolicking about the grounds of the resort. After eating at the most multi-cultural buffet I have seen; sipping fresh lychee and passion fruit in the Miss Universe dining room where the 2008, 57th Annual Pagent was held, we ran our toes through the sand. We discovered giant stallion statues, a run-down amusement park and a zoo. We took out a paddle boat and exercised down the river and spent the day splashing around in the pool.

Day 2- was an eventful time of scuba diving cliff jumping and a ferry ride. Kara and I were quite nervous as this was our first time diving in a foreign country- or ever for that matter! My instructor, Cindy, was very reassuring providing an English briefing and chance to practice with the regulator and buoyancy compensator (back pack with floaties) before plunging into the open waters. First, is the wet suit phase. I will warn you that using a boat restroom is an interesting experience, but I highly recommend going before stepping into the black glove. Next, come the fins (I need child sized ones so I wouldn't kick them off in the water) Then, comes a weight belt that is attached slightly above the waist. This apparently help you to sink...

After climbing the ladder off the stern of the boat, Cindy met me with the boyancy converter, air tank and mask. Quickly I learned some basic signs for underwater communication, such as how to ask permission to touch the wildlife/corals, and under the surface we ventured. Descending was gradual, and I only needed to blow out my nose to regulate the pressure twice. She took me face-to-the-bottom so I could touch the sand. It was one of the most freeing sensations I have ever experienced. Looking up at the rays penetrating the water's surface and being able to breath while touching the sandy bottom 30 meters below the fresh air above. The waters support a good variety of hard and soft coral, and a reasonable amount of small reef fish. I held a blue and tan star fish, looked eye-to-eye with some clown fish and a purple and green lobster. After about 40 minuted under the surface we came back to the surface for some jumping off the boat, re-hydration and a snack of fresh fruit. Before long we had to put our wet wetsuits back on. That is not so fun, just so you know. Our second dive location was Madonna Rock - two peaks jutting out of the water - appropriately named for the "assets" of the 90's singing sensation. The main feature of the site is its swim-throughs and caves filled with Glassfish and hiding many small critters. It is a small rocky outcrop off Hon Mun Island, marine life includes giant morays, Lionfish, Scorpion fish and a wide array of breath taking coral. Many were soft and I love the ones that recoiled when you skimmed your palm across them. There was one point that my mask was not properly suctioned to my face due to a strand of hair from my bangs. Foolishly, I broke the seal and began to panic as water flooded the mask. I motioned to Cindy. We tilted my head back and exhaled through my nose to try to clear the water. I began to panic, she checked the pressure gauge, and she pulled the "emergency" string. We surfaced in 3 seconds flat. It was reassuring to know that so quickly I could be back breathing oxygenated air!

Returning from our adventurous day our we took naps, then bummed by the pool sipping Mango Smoothies and Chocolate Cherry shakes. Nattie and I decided to take the Kayaks out for a spin. Mid way through our expedition, it began to pour. Not just little droplets- but the kind that sting as they splash off the surface of the water and catch your skin. We ran our Kayaks ashore and then ran from the cold to the warmth of the heated pool! One we were protected by the water, it was fun to be caught in the tropical monsoon!

Day 3- we returned to the beach for a day of relaxation. We made spa appointments at the hotel and basically pampered ourselves with steak dinners, Vietanamese massages and a game of pool...all for the budget friendly price of USD $5 per person! I love South East Asia!

Day 4- We hired a guide, Nyet, to take us on a tour. We were able to explore centuries old Cham Towers that are still standing in the center of town. Built between 7th and 12th centuries, the Cham people ruled in this area from 243 AD until the 1600's. This is one of the last remnants of their civilization. Once a whole complex of towers, most are now in ruins, yet ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists still come to Po Nagar to pray and make offerings. We had to put on gray robes that covered our ankles so we could enter the sacred site. We also took a boat ride along the river and spotted cranes and water buffalo. We also went to a village home, drank coconut milk, and took a carriage ride through the town. We stopped at a weaving factory where we tried our hand a dying straw and using a giant loom to thread floor mats. Natty even tried to make a clay pot oven by following the Vietnamese workers visual cues. Sad to say I think they will be recalling that one! On our last stop of the day, we visited a thermal spa where we sat in a giant vat of hot mud and baked in the sun before rinsing it off in the thermal waterfalls.

Two nights we ventured out into downtown. By night the town reverts to a bit of a circus with motor bike drivers and cigarette vendors hoping to relieve tourists of their remaining dong(money). We bartered for souvenirs and dined on traditional cuisine.

On our remaining last days in paradise, we lounged by the infinity pool overlooking the ocean, visited Donald Trumps private estate and enjoyed munching on jackfruit chips while sharing about our lives. I'm not sure I have laughed so much in a very long time. However, if what they say about laughter is true, then because of this break, I am able to return to teaching with extremely high levels of Serotonin pumping through my veins!

Bug in the Night

2010-09-15T07:03:00.002+09:00

It has been along week and I have made a huge effort to go to bed before 10pm. Last night was my biggest victory, crawling into bed at 9:12pm! I had said my prayers, counted my sheep, and was reaching that "fog" your brain enters when it doesn't want to shut down but you are very tired. Somewhere between the gates of DreamLand and the "I'm in a coma-don't wake me" sleep, I began to feel a tickling sensation climb up my arm (which was resting across my face!) Now normally I wouldn't be alarmed, as I sleep with the fan on and my hair has a tendency to blow around. However, this feeling was different, thus, I flung up the covers and turned on the light. After my pupils adjusted to the dramatic change, I saw an uninvited roach perched between my covers. I quickly ran to the kitchen and grabbed the first thing I could thing of- a metal bowl and lid! I ran back to my room and the roach was gone! Now I was awake... and on a mission to find that bug! I stripped my sheets, flipped my mattress all to no avail. I then gave my self a pep-talk and convinced my body to climb back into the bed and try to fall back asleep. I never thought I had an active imagination, but every little noise, itch, or wind I was convinced was the roach crawling back on me! I almost went out to sleep on the couch, when I heard a scratching. I again sprung up, hit the light switch, and.... success! There was the black creature making his way up my wall. I zealously sprayed the creature with the Combat spray then trapped it under the metal bowl! I moved my nightstand over to keep my "cage" propped up and in place.

I once again dowsed the outside of the bowl with the milky mist and decided to deal with the mess in the morning, finally at 11:03, I could lay my head down comfortably to rest! And just in case you didn't believe me that the creature was 10 feet long and had sharp serrated fangs and 3 inch bulgy eyes, here is a picture of my little roach friend!

Amazing Race or Amaz'in Grace, however you look at it!

2010-09-12T14:43:00.010+09:00

My life seems so full of joy right now! I have just come off of 72 hours with over 100, 11-14 year old's, getting only 11 hours of sleep; yet, despite this insanity, it was once again an uplifting and encouraging Middle School Retreat weekend.

The theme was Amazing Race (yes themed after the American reality series) and I was responsible to usher 9 students as they raced around Camp Mt. O' Pines to locate clues, solve roadblock riddles,and avoid detour penalties. It was amazing to see the mercies of God as even during typhoon season where we had the most amount of accumulated rainfall in decades, the rain held off from the house of 1-4 when the students were running through the woods participating in the Amazing Race activities. The first drop fell at 4:02pm directly after the students traveled to every "continent" and participated in games from penguin races, sorting hieroglyphs, and cheese tasting to coffee bean tossing, and Bondegi eating contests.

Throughout the weekend the chaplains emphasized that we too are running in a race and are commanded by God to finish strong. Remove everything that hinders us, and finish strong- don't be distracted by society, fears, emotions going on to the right or to the left. When you run the Christian race, you look towards to finish line, keeping the end in mind....eternity with HIM! We also examined the characters noted in chapter 11 of Hebrews and discussed how God has a purpose for us, and we might not see what He promised us until the day we reach Heaven and achieve perfection with our forefathers and friends who are already there. Nevertheless, we need to keep our eyes fixed on the finish, earthly blessings or not, because God has something better in mind for us. What a struggle it is to have an eternity perspective, but how much easier does it make our "race"?

When I was examining Hebrews chapter 11, the accomplishments sound like the stuff of childhood fantasies - slaying dragons, vanquishing evil, beating the odds, rescuing the damsel, laughing at death, escaping in the nick of time, smelling like a rose and making it look easy. Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the other prophets, the widow of Zarephath, the Shunamite woman - they are the people we remember from the Bible. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith. Then again, look at their stuff. Gideon and Barak were chicken generals, Samson was deeply flawed, Jephthah was the kid from the wrong side of the tracks, David was the runt of the litter, the prophet Jeremiah resisted God at first and railed against him later, and the women were foreigners with no apparent right to expect anything from the God of Israel. No one ticketed them for greatness. Ever feel inadequate in your "race"?.... that's because you took your eyes off the finish.

So, what's their secret then? It's faith. They did these things "by faith" - by believing in God and his promises. All those in Chapter 11 had faith, but some won, some lost and some both won and lost. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. It is the same faith that we can exercise. It is the same faith that can call us to a grand adventure. It probably won't look like any of the childhood fantasies, but from an eternal perspective, it will look better.

This weekend, I was also reminded that to help us keep our faith to the end, God has equipped us with a "cloud of witnesses" who have demonstrated a life of faith (Hebrews chapter 12). I am so thankful that at each stage in my life, God has provided a different person to take on that role. In childhood it was Melissa. College, Karen P, and now it is my Nanny- people who have consistently spoken truth into my life. Through their life experiences, these women have infused different nougats of wisdom and guidance, perspective and appreciation into "my race." Amazingly, I was given the opportunity to do the same for a 6th grade girl!...

I have prayed for a while now to be used by God to be able to lead someone to Christ. I remember even as a little girl I grasped the a very basic importance of knowing Jesus and would make my friends "repeat after me" while we were playing on the swings, so I would know that I could see them again in Heaven one day. Now more wise as to the reality that Jesus knows the heart intentions of a person; yet, it has always been my desire to see others come to Christ. I have prayed many times with students to re-commit their lives to Jesus and have mentored many girls in strengthening their Christian walk. But, Saturday, the 11th of September 2010 will be a day I remember forever, because it was the first time I was able to explain and then lead a student to accept Christ! I am so insufficient to describe all the Jesus is and often feel that I don't have the words to say. It was a total God thing because the words just flowed as I answered her question of, "I don't understand this prayer Mr. Hester (our Chaplin) is talking about." While she was very timid, she listened as I explained thatGod is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom from all the bad thins we've done. With the blood of his Son- He forgave our sins. As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. This is real love-- not that we loved God, but that he loved and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take our sins away. She then acknowledged that she was ready to believe that and as I prayed she acknowledged before God that she was a sinner saved by grace. It was a rush larger than any endorphin could produce! An amazing moment that made many angels in Heaven rejoice. One more person realizing that this Amazing Race called life is made possible only by his Amaz'in Grace!

Typhoon Kompasu!

2010-09-02T06:47:00.009+09:00

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) "Typhoon Kompasu -- which mean compass in Japanese -- is fast approaching the Korean Peninsula, with heavy rains and winds. The season's seventh typhoon is expected to dump more than 50 millimeters of rain per hour across the nation by Thursday." We've certainly felt the rain part with the past 21 days having some sort of precipitation and canceling outdoor recess by many more days than not! But no School due to a typhoon is not quite an event most teachers are likely to see during their careers!

The call came at 6:02 this morning, after my blaring, un-welcomed alarm and while I was in the pitch dark bathroom, standing under the shower. Between the drops of luke-warm water pouring down my auburn locks, I heard muffled shouts of elation pierce through the cracks in the bathroom door (actually our whole apartment is about 12M long from end-to-end so you can pretty much stand anywhere and be heard). I knew immediately that there was NO SCHOOL. The homeroom teachers had to call every student on their roster and I was left to drip dry in the dark and turn off my crock port oatmeal that had been simmering all night....How will I spend the bonus time off? I'll give you a few hints. It involves water, bubbles, candles and a movie (followed by PJs, scrapbooking, Gilmore Girls and air popped popcorn lightly dusted in butter) as I listen to the wind howling through our double panes of glass (it is an older house so they shake on a weekly basis), the neighbors wind chimes churning and the leaves violently swirling around the street.

And now for your viewing pleasure, I have attached photo of me when I received the call, enjoying my day with season 5 of Gilmore Girls, my scrapbook and my dinner of Chicken Paillards with Pomegranate Sauce and Bacon and
Baby Potato Hash (thanks Rachel Ray).

Across town away from my little happy nest lies our school...this is the soccer field up on the roof. The fence here did not fare as well!.... No ouside recess again!

A crazy little thing called SUMMER!

2010-08-31T21:16:00.010+09:00

The end of the year is always filled with the accomplishment for another year survived in the transition to "professional." After returning from Immersion spring had not come to Korea and winter was still in full force. We celebrated an overseas bridal shower at a tea shop for my good friend Audie. It was a day of mixed emotions as I felt like each passing day drawing her closer to her wedding, was also X-ing off the days of her time in Korea. Always a constant friend, there would be many changes upon returning for my third year in Korea: new headmaster, elementary principal, and no Audra VanDyke! Yet I had a whole summer of blessings ahead...

Audie with her scrapbook I made for her containing little notes from all 60 of her past students!

My time off, packed with its 7 flights and visits to 5 states, felt a bit like a summer rodeo (I was going to say three ring circus, but I thought the idea of girls parading around on horses after bulls sounded a bit more intense!) Yet, it was a cherished time visiting with friends and re-vamping my teaching wardrobe. My first two weeks were spent traveling through Israel, Egypt and Jordan with Jenny, Jess and Kirsten.

I rode a camel up Mt. Sinai

I then was home for a few days before leaving for a RWC College girls weekend in Rochester, NY. All five of these girls hold a special place in my life. Fortunately, we haven't been out of college so long that we can pull out the "I was so young then" and "look at my haircut!" photos just yet. But, the conversations are always evolving and deepening into tales of life, wisdom and learning to walk with God together. So far graciously we have celebrated four weddings (*soon to be 5*), and one baby announcement! This was the first year I felt content that life can take us in all different directions, and we will not two have the same story....yet, we will all serve the same God who orchestrates it all! We each bring different experiences to the table and can learn so much from each other's "life story" as it unfolds. Life changes and we are continually faced with pain, hurt, defeat and triumph. No matter what the stage of life you are in, there will always be a choice on earth of how we respond in these times. It was my reminder that life here can never be completely fulfilled by anyone or anything, because God gives us yearning for what awaits us in Heaven.

Another experience of change was on that same trip I was able to stop for 2 days and help my nanny pack up her home in Ingleside to move to the land where all retired people go...Florida! We burned many documents and old pictures. We sorted and stacked files and orders things for the moving boxes. It was sudden and sad to see my "college home" the place with the familiar musty smell and well-known key taped under the umbrella stand be shuffled around into a few spare rooms. It is the house I remember standing in watching my parents sleep the night before I was dropped off at college, the house I came home to during grad school and the one in which I carry the last memories of my grandfather snoring stretched out on the floor while telling the grand kids "bedtime" stories. It is in the maroon counter top kitchen that I learned to make sweet rolls, almond rocca cookies and sunflower seed bread. And whole I won't miss the no pressure showers and the taste of the well water on my tongue, it was sad to pull away from the gray and teal house that was once known as "grandma's home."

Other highlights were visiting Indiana to see the first home of my forever roommate, Karen (* and her husband Nick lives there too! *) I tried sushi for the first time, biked a distance for the first time since I was probably 11, and had my first run-in with a rabid raccoon! I was able to travel to visit my brother in Vermont and acquire accessories from his newest jewelry business. We dined at our favorite brewery and of course visited my favorite scrapbook store! As an added bonus I even got to sleep in the sarcophagus guest bed. This quick trip was then followed by a ferry ride across Lake Champlain to visit my sister. We spent 2 nights in an amazing hotel, dining out playing old school board games, and lounging by the pool. Of course there was sister's shopping advice and thrift/dollar stores to be raided! It was time just spent together. I was some of my best moments of the summer all wrapped up into 72 hours

Life of Change

2010-04-11T11:55:00.015+09:00

Tucked away on Suji Island amidst the Riau Islands, Telunas Beach is a resort-on-stilts that extends about 400m out into the sea with its very own private beach and an unblocked view of the South China Sea. The structures of the resort are situated on an eighth-mile boardwalk above the sea that is supported by wooden and concrete pylons. This is the location of the Middle School Immersion Experience.

One of my favorite songs we sang on the trip is called I WILL GO. The third verse says:
"Let me not be blind with privileged,
Give me eyes to see the pain.
Let the blessings You pour out on me,
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change!"

I feel like this trip was such a blessing for all the little lessons and reminders for change that God taught me through the seven days. First was the reminder that selfishness has no place in ministry, for everything is God's. I remember this lesson illustrated in a simple wet suitcase. Riding on the ferry from Harbourfront to Sekupang, all of the larger suitcases were piled on the stern of the ship. The seals around the deck were not in the greatest condition, thus water leaked onto the bags on the bottom of the pile. My bag evaded the watery conditions and was then swung on the top of the pile when loaded onto the little wooden boats we rode the 90 minutes to Telunas. As the water was spraying off the crest of the waves splashing the suitcases on the top of the pile, my first thought was "oh no! don't let my bag get wet!" It was as that thought finished that another one crept in. It was as as if God spoke directly to me with the words, "your bag? Whose bag is it? Did I not provided for you everything in it? Does not all truly belong to me? Are you doing what is best for others, so that they will see Christ and be saved?" Even in the small things in life, am I choosing to imitate God? Are my actions doing that, or are they motivated by selfish gains or temporal things?

The second reminder came from he lips of one the 12 and 13 years olds we were there to "disciple." Sitting on wooden slats overlooking the cerulean ocean while palm trees blew a soft breeze over our faces ** don't hate me because it sounds like it is just out of a movie ** one boy raises his hand and declares God is already there in the country of Indonesia, already working. Within the communities that we desire to be transformed, God has already staked his claim. From creation until completion the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. The beauty like the ocean and palm trees are all around so that no man has an excuse that there is one true creator." What a beautiful reminder that our response to this creation is rightly awe, an awareness that hope for salvation does not come from us, but only from One. Alongside our awe then goes our engagement.

The final blessing was the opportunity to take three students **and a translator** to spend 24 hours with a host family on the Island of Jung. Being a 99.9% Muslim country, cultures are quite different than life in Korea. We can make no mention of Christ, but are rather "followers of the JC." We must dress in pants and not use our left hand. Feet are deemed unclean. Likewise, it is rude to point with anything other than the entire had or thumb. Moreover, little children are not to be patted on the head or greeted with a bow. Armed with our new cultural knowledge and a few Indonesian greetings, the apprehensive students go ashore in small groups, respectfully hanging back behind their interpreters. But in the village they are mobbed by children wanting to give them high fives. The host family is pleased to meet westerners who have a genuine interest in their lives, who are willing to listen and learn and share. That day was spent on the beach teaching English Songs like HEAD and SHOULDERS and PEEL BANANAS. Our evening is filled with learning how to make fish ball soup, chatting under the stars from out on the families dock and learning traditional dances from the locals. Before unrolling our sleeping mats, we bathe with the ladle and bucket of water. The following morning, we’re woken at 4:30 by the roosters and the amplified call to prayer from the village mosque. Our day begins with melon, fish and boiled egg. We learn to select and peel ripe mangoes, make sweet tea, and how to dip tart green mangoes in sugar. We play badminton with the children and frolic under the hot noon sun. It is then time for our last seafood lunch and photos with the Ibu and Bapak. The observations of the students sum it us well, "our lives are about what we’re doing and where we’re headed; village life is about who you’re with."

Why obey? Because God told us to and obedience must cost us something. Obedience is what spurs us on to change and often in that change, we find blessing!

Faithful Follower?

2010-03-18T13:25:00.011+09:00

This semester I have had the privilege of gathering on Wednesday nights with 10 fellow teachers and studying the book of Joshua. It is a study by Janene Keeth entitled Joshua: More than Conquerors. This past week was week 6 and by far the most memorable sermon for me. It was drawn from Joshua chapter 14 and examined the character of a man people often overlook; Caleb.

To re-cap for you, it highlighted the things that need to be true in our lives if we are going to follow the Lord God completely:

1) Be committed to God's best, don't settle for anything less. God's best is not always what is easiest or quickest, but He has a plan. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh took the land east of the Jordan river, rather than what God had promised to Abraham. The land looked good for their herds of animals, but was not the land of Caanan as God had chosen. Additionally, the tribes did not drive out the inhabitants of the land given by God, they settled for what was easier and alluring. As a result, these people served as a contaminating presence for generations to come.

2) Be consistent in your walk Joshua ch 14-19 deals with the distribution of the land among the 9 1/2 tribes. Several times it is written "Caleb followed the Lord God fully"- he was consistent because he was a man of faith.

He had:

a) faith in the power of God (v 6-8). Caleb means according to my heart and he lived up to his name at Kadesh Barnea when he stood alone looking at the giants in the land, but spoke up according to his convictions. He put his faith in the power of his God. He didn't MINIMIZE his problems- but he MAGNIFIED his God. God is bigger than any fortified city or "giant" in your life. Do you have faith in the power of God that He can do anything? Or do you have faith in the "size" of the "giants" and magnify your problem?

b) faith in the promises of God-Caleb waited 45 years for God to fulfill His promise that he would inhabit the land. That is a long time. I have only been alive 26 years, can I wait another 19 years for God to give me the desires of my heart?
I Thessalonians 5:24, the verse I spoke on before I came to Korea, : "faithful is the One who calls you and faithful is He to bring it to pass." Do I believe that this is only true for certain people, or on certain days of the week? I don't know how I'm going to get everything done- but I'm going to trust that YOU are going to do what has got to be done. I'm going to claim that promise. I may not feel like it, but I need to cling to is and stand on it.

c) Caleb had faith in the presence of God. God would win the battle, not him. Caleb, even in his old age, requested the section of land in Canaan that had the giants that kept him out 45 years ago. He was ready for one last battle and didn't cower away. He chose a huge task, instead of asking for what was easy. He wasn't trusting in his own ability, but had faith that it was God with him that would bring about the victory.

3) Be content with your lot.
Joshua 17 is the depiction of complaining tongues. Not every tribe was happy with the assignment they received (lot they drew). They didn't want to regard the land that was forest, they wanted it handed to them (sharp contrast to Caleb who was ready to fight)

Caleb teachers us to just be what God called you to be- and to be happy with it. Be content with the role God has given you. Caleb was the one who took a stand at Kadesh-Barnea-Joshua just agreed- yet God chose Joshua to be the leader and Caleb submitted.

We live in a society where we want life easy- we don't always want to put in the work. Some of the questions that struck me were:
-Are you content with the lot God has given you in life?
-Can you trust His sovereign hand in choosing what He has already chosen for you? Or are you discontent? Tend to complain/compare to others? I feel this is an area I so often fall short in.

There is joy at wherever God has you, instead of looking around as what "he/she has", be content with what God has given you. Don't be like Ephraim and Manasseh, rather learn to be content by embracing His love and sovereignty. He has a purpose for everything He does and everything He allows.

Will you join me as I seek to....

*Be committed to God's best
*Be consistent in my walk
*be content with my lot

You will find it in the most unexpected places.....

2010-03-13T22:01:00.013+09:00

February 18th was the night that 70 middles schoolers spent almost 24 hours locked in the school building. No, not due to a malfunction or loss of keys, but because it was the Middle School Immersion Lock-In that serves as preparation for the upcoming Spring Break Missions Trip to Indonesia. After a change conflict on facility room assignments that confined us into 3 small rooms in one building and sleeping in the band room, The MS Principal, 6th grade S.S. teacher and myself were assigned to 11 great girls! After completing a 7-5 day of solidly booked parent-teacher conferences, we were weary to immediately embark on a night that was sure to be filled with many things but much sleep!

It was a neat night that reminded me of God's faithfulness. We are studying Joshua in a small Wednesday night bible study on campus, and what is our theme for this years Immersion trip?..."Amazing Things" Joshua 3:5 "Purify yourselves, for the Lord will do great wonders among you!" Coincidence?

Also, I have been praying that God would use me in people's lives, to lead someone to Christ. Well that has not happened, but one girl who has been placed in my group at many middle school functions since last year, as everyone was engrossed in quiet prayer time, tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to pray for her! Such a neat opportunity! It made me consider spiritual markers, whether they be physical buildings or written documents or simple memories in the minds of others. It was as if I could hear God asking, "what kind of legacy are you leaving that will point those after you straight to your solid and consistent love and devotion to me?" In the book of Joshua they erected stones of remembrance 5 times in coming to the land of Caanan. Do you have any?

Recently, I have been experiencing health issues. It is five days prior to departure for the trip, and I am literally and physically "stuck" in a position where medicine is not working. ** Never mind the fact that of the five medicines Dr. Yoo at the international clinic prescribed, none of them could be identified by WebMD.** The whole experience of going to the doctor in a foreign country is always an experience!

My first visit was very brief, a short consultation, stethoscope to my abdomen, some notes scribbled into a computer and a $35,000 W bill. I was then sent across the street to pick-up my little menagerie of medicines. It was an act of comedy just trying to figure out how to take the granules! It looks like someone opened up a capsule and dumped it into a pixi stick tube. My first attempt was to mix the white powder in liquid- nothing. It would not dissolve and looked more like a snow globe. After many filed attempts of searching online and asking around, I decided that one must tear open the pouch, pour it down your throat and chase it with a flavored beverage to get the putrid taste out of your mouth! Fortunately, medicines are much cheaper in Korea- only 28,000 won added to my growing bill. When I went back for my follow-up, I was given an x-ray in which I was brought down to the area by one of the English speaking nurses from the international clinic and then she left. I sat alone on a set of benches until my name was called. I felt much like a small child waiting nervously outside the principles office. When the door opened, I knew the man had some English ability, as he was able to get the "th" digraph correct on the end of my name. The technician led me to a small curtain in the back of the room and made me change into pantaloons and a robe. The technician pantomimed that the opening went in the front. While this was new to me, I obliged, he took one standing and one lying down abdomen shot. The results were immediately sent via computer to the doctor and the prognosis was good- no blockage, but no explanation for the pain either! There is a piece that want to trust and say God made my body, he can make this obstruction in my bowel go away, and yet at night your mind won't turn off as you run through all the possibilities and implications of not being able to go on a trip already funded. I brought me back to my sophomore year in college before I was set to go on my first missions trip to Romania. I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr and things appeared as thought I would not be able to travel on that trip as well. Yet, He sustained me and that trip fueled my passion for missions. As I was wallowing in my dilema, I came across a blog of a young lady who is houseboud suffering from MS. At the bottom of her post was the verse below...

2 Corinthians 4:12-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

It can be difficult, without such “habitual reminders,” to remember God in the midst of our daily lives. Yet, for those with eyes to see, traces of God can be found in the most unexpected places. Can this experience be a spiritual marker left for others?

Goings-On

2010-03-13T18:55:00.028+09:00

There has been a "flurry" of activity both in weather and in the daily happenings around YISS. While I thought my life would be simplified after the basketball season ended, the anticipated break is still not had! Nonetheless, it has been an exciting time.

Read-A-Thon
From February 3-22, YISS elementary students had their noses buried in books as they participated in this year’s YISS PTO Read-A-Thon. This year’s theme, adapted from the popular movie Up was ingeniously READ UP! This is an annual fundraiser for our school as well as a time to promote literacy. A special assembly that featured a cast of our own ES students helped kick-off this year’s Read-A-Thon on February 3. That same day, every ES student was given a Read-A-Thon folder, which contains information about the multiple ways that students can earn prizes and details about several special events throughout this fun, three-week program, designed to help make reading at home a daily habit. Weekly “You Got Caught” at School-volunteer parents, otherwise known as the Parent Patrol, have been roaming the campus on certain days to “catch” kids reading. Those who get caught have their photo taken and added to the display board in the main lobby. It has turned our entrances into a virtual scrap-book, but the kids enjoy searching for their pictures. “Technology Turn-Off Thursday” Home Visits. On Thursday, February 18, eighteen volunteer parents and fourteen teachers roamed the city on a quest to see how many of the 95 elementary students who committed to turn off their electronic entertainment devices for the entire evening and instead curl up with a good book at home, were actually doing so. Students who were caught reading were presented with a special gift and had their photo taken and added to the display board in the main lobby. On March 18, the elementary will have a closing assembly for Read-A-Thon 2010 where students and classes will be recognized for their active participation. Prizes will be awarded for the most read minutes, most money raised, 4-sponsors, 8-sponsors, 30-hours read, top three readers per grade, and most minutes read per grade....what are the prizes? Principal for the day and a new I Pod Touch! I ask, what does a 5-10 year old need with that?!?! If you ask me it is a bit ironic that for reading the most, we give the kids new technology!

Another exciting fundraiser held this semester we have called the " The Super Rice Bowl"- appropriately scheduled for right around the American Super Bowl.Unfortunately due to snow, we had to send the kids home early on February 10th (out at 11 am because of the road conditions)so the event was postponed, but the cool name still applied! The event was our school's way of raising money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. This was neat, because I actually felt like I could valuabley contribute in the planning and sharing. I spoke in chapel three times. Each week in chapel, the students have a GPS time where they highlight and learn about a different country. For three weeks after the hurricane, Haiti was the focus nation. I was able to have my mom help me learn Jesus Loves the Little Children and taught the students how to sing that song in Creole! I also said the limited phrases I know and showed them pictures that my Uncle David took from his time serving as photographer with Samaritans Purse. We asked the student to brainstorm way they could help. Aside from the humorous ones like send our vaccinations, sell our textbooks and give the money, set up a giant lemonade stand and holding a coin drive , one student suggested to send over all the food that they waste in the cafeteria. The idea took off from their and headed by our ES chaplain, the idea to integrate the quality of sacrifice emerged, "giving something of yourself, for the benefit of another." The final concept was to charge student lunch cards for an entire meal ($3.50), and only have the cafeteria serve them rice, kim (seaweed) and water (much cheaper to buy)-the difference in cost would go into a fund to be sent to Samaritan's Purse work in Haiti. The students were encouraged to eat one meal like some of the children in the world eat everyday, and every time they felt a hunger pain to be reminder to be thankful for what they have and to pray for the children of Haiti. There was a giant banner hanging in the cafeteria and all participating teachers/students signed. It was neat to scan the width of it and see students age 5 printed name displayed next to our administrators and doctors signatures with loops and swirls. Overall about 1,805,000 KRW. It pays to have connections, because now my uncle can capture images of the families who are receiving funds from Samaritan's Purse and we can show the kids what a small amount of sacrifice can do to help others!

Brandt, one of my 2nd graders proudly displaying his finished bowl.

Ben, one of my middle school students!

Ryan, He loves his rice!

Sarah, one of my "babies" adding her signature to the participation wall banner.

An adorable KC student! People all across the school participated!

Visiting Author
March 11-12, we have had Canadian children's author Margriet Ruurs come to YISS. She showed the students how books were made and conducted a poetry workshop in our 4th grade classes. She shares how to pre-write and where he ideas for may of her books emerged. She also has a project called BOOK MARKS Our World where classrooms receive a contact elsewhere in the world, make, then mail hand made bookmarks about their favorite books! I Thought it was a neat cultural exchange that I may try out in my class. She also explained how many times authors do not ever meet and/or know the illustrators but the publisher highers the person to draw based on her vision for the books. many of her texts contained hidden images of alphabet letters and words.

Slamm'in Science
March 14 + 15 was Science Camp where students make Mentos/Coke rockets and solar reactive bracelets. They studies Bernoulli's Principal and made Alka-Seltzer rockets. It was a fun bu crazy few days that reminded me why I chose to concentrate in science for my undergrad!

Oh yeah and to top off the insanity, this past Wednesday (3/10) we had a 5 am call from the principal telling us that school was canceled due to a SNOW DAY! I think it was well deserved! ** It took me so long to write this post, that today, as I was finializing the pictures, it snowed again! 3/22/10- students played outside at recess, by bus duty it was a blizzard witht he largest flakes I have ever seen!**

I Actually Liked It!

2010-02-07T20:29:00.017+09:00

Brace yourselves, I think I have finally found some Korean food that I would not mind eating again!

The first I was hesitant to try knowing its spice level. However, my neighbors Jess and Aimee invited me to sample this popular South Korean chicken dish (Dak Galbi). Prepared in an inset wok at your table, the dish is generally made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a chili pepper paste based sauce, sliced cabbage, scallions, onions and rice cake together on a hot plate. Once the pan really heats up, that's when the action starts! Prepare for an assault on your taste buds! The "waiter" (who sees four "wae-gooks" or "foreigners" walk in)uses his broken English to help us. He then proceeds to bring things to the table before he picks up a blade and tongs and sword-fights the chicken, just like a scene right off Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Then it rains rice cakes and the cabbage leafy greens are thrown in the sizzling mix. It's stirring, simmering, stirring, simmering till it's done. That's about 10 minutes of twirling and tossing. I attempt to hold my chopsticks in a civilized manner and manage to spoon the first bite of fiery goodness to my tongue. I stab and chop until I am full. Just when I think I can't stuff myself any further, out comes the helper again with rice to thrown in the mix, soak up the sauce and finish up all the lovely bits of burnt and charred remains from the pan. Let's just say, no matter how full I get, my friends and I always manage to finish up all the warm and crunchy fried rice. By the time it's done, your whole body is covered in that dakgalbi smell and your taste buds are burning from all the flavors. Wohoo. They even give you a little half apron to wear so you don't soil your clothes! (I would have posted pictures of this, but that sad story is for a later post, so for now see this image I stole off of googleimages.com)

The second culinary experience that I would eat a second time without gagging is Bulgogi hotpot or in Korean Dook Bae Gee Bulgogi. It is basically a beef broth with meat, vegetables, and chop chae glass noodles. Typically served with rice on the side, it is avery tame Korean dish that arrives at your table bubbling over with steam. Don't touch the dish, it will burn you! I tried this one on a whim, deciding on the bus home to go out with a colleague to Kimbop Chongu (heaven).

The third dish I have lived through to tell you about is also very tame, and actually it is Japanese, but served often here in Korea. My co-worker, Silk Lee, was having a birthday and chose to eat at a restaurant that served this dish. It is called Shabu-Shabu and is prepared by submerging a very thin slice of meat or a piece of vegetable in a pot of boiling water or dashi (broth) made with kombu (kelp) and swishing it back and forth several times. The familiar swishing sound is where the dish gets its name. Shabu-shabu directly translates to "swish-swish". Cooked meat and vegetables are usually dipped in ponzu or "goma" (sesame seed) sauce before eating, and served with a bowl of steamed white rice. Once the meat and vegetables have been eaten, leftover broth from the pot is customarily combined with the remaining rice, and the resulting soup is usually eaten last. This meal is especially good for those on a diet as boiled meat has very few calories!

Burdens, Blessings, and Basketball

2010-01-26T07:12:00.017+09:00

It was almost 21 months since a flood of tears were leaving my eyes as I sat paralyzed in fear above my keyboard. The words of my friend Megan Redd echoing in my head, "I feel like you are running away from God and if you don't pursue this, your life will be missing a part that you were meant to live." Yet, I was too scared to press the "send" button and submit my application to NICS for a position to teach overseas. I remember I called my Nanny and was comforted by her words that could be paraphrased as...

"Jesus promises His disciples that He will be with them - even to the end of the Age. However, the implications of this promise are far-reaching: First, we have an automatic right of access into God's presence at any time. Secondly, we have a helper, constantly by our side. There is therefore, an answer to any fear we feel rising up. It can be dealt with swiftly, because Jesus is bigger than anything we could ever face."

...and this week as I sat frustrated at my current state, questioning what to do, once again her words of wisdom came to the rescue! The reality of life overseas is that seasons change, people come and go, many families grow. As things continue to grow, it is hard to not feel left out! If I could ask one thing, it would be that you pray for a renewed passion and desire. A restored motivation to cling to the one who sent me and reminder of the calling for which I was sent.

On a happier note, an update on one of the reasons I have been absent so long from the blogging world...BASKETBALL! The word "coach" is never one that I thought I would hear in reference to myself. I was consistently told I was not good enough on the court to succeed at the game and considered my period in college to be the last time I would ever be associated with the sport. Yet, God truly does have other plans!

One of the biggest blessings of coaching JV ball was the opportunity to get to know not only the 9th and 10th grade girls, but also a fellow staff member; whose exposure to and knowledge of running a practice and selecting a starting line-up, far surpassed mine. If my racing heart and trembling hands are any indication that I do not respond well to unplanned situations such as imprompto before the game pep-talks, player injuries and suddenly assuming the role of deciding who plays when, it is evident that I was not acting this season totally within my own strength!

I never realized the enormity of all that the word "coach" required- 5-6 days a week, to the school at 6am, staying well past 6pm and to do it well it brings a whole new dimension to multitasking! One has to watch games, record weaknesses, think of/design drills to target those areas, all while focusing on breaking through the other teams press and who should sub in to give the someone a rest. That was not a task I could handle on my own, and I am so grateful for someone who has gone down that road before and was patient enough to teach me in addition to the players on the court.

The girls: Nicole, Amy, Elaine, Isabel, Jennifer
Caitlin, Josh, Sarah, Sharon, Jew-Hee, Suzanna

The winter sport began in November and ran until the end of January. With many of the players from last year deciding not to return, it was a season of learning and growing not only for myself, but for the girls as well. We had exactly 11 come out for the team, and began our first practice learning how to get the basketball to the rim of the hoop! The fundamentals of basketball were things we frequently re-visited up until out last practice, however their skills definitly improved as the weeks passed! Coach and I tried to re-iterate that if you do enough small things right, big things happen. The girls were taught one 3 primary offenses (Half-Navy, Swing and Motion along with a simple press break STACK and 2 inbounds plays) Although they sometimes forgot to execute these in games, and often hurt themselves by not catching the ball or throwing clean passes, there was never a failure of attempts to make baskets or of the bench to cheer on their teammates!

Rutgers coach C.Vivian Stringer said,
"If you've given the greatest effort that you can expect of yourself, you always get what you deserve." ** I actually stole that from our locker room wall, but was inspired to note it here so I don't forget it is there ever is a next time I coach**

I think my past experience of never truly having a coach who believed in me increased my patience and made me want to work individually with the girls to see each one of them improve. It was a struggle for me to get over the possibility of failing and simply demonstrate skills for the girls; yet, I realize now that those "character building" situations of my past were not in vain. They gave me a sensitivity for the girls who were struggling and a tender heart to celebrate the small victories (like a successfully completed left handed lay-up!)

I am very proud of the girls. In a culture where academics is supreme, they took the time to commit to playing basketball. We completed the season losing to only the American Military Schools. Everyone who started the season saw it through to completion and learned to work together so that not one girl was ever a "superstar" player. I have learned a lot about each of the girls individually. The season has reawakened my love for the intricacies and subtleties of this wonderful game that have laid dormant since my sophomore year of college.

Since I am just quoting all throughout this post, I thought I would wrap-up with another great one:
"I believe that God meant for life to take our breath away, sometimes because of the sheer joy of it all, and sometimes because of the severe pain. To choose living over pretending means that we will know both." *Angela Thomas*

My First Ambulance Ride

2009-11-21T13:27:00.019+09:00

Other than those parked and open for children to climb in during Police and Fire exhibitions at Greis Park, this was my first time in an ambulance....and it was in a foreign country!

When I first arrived in Korea, we were told that you seldom see traffic accidents in Korea **not for a lack of their "creative" driving skills** however, if there is one it is usually severe; and if we were ever involved in one- pray for Jesus to take us the Heaven instantly- because the ride in the ambulance would take hours! I now realize the validity in that piece of advice!

Last Sunday I followed my usual routine of sleeping in, cleaning then church at 4pm. I was feeling a bit proud of myself for being able to tell the taxi driver directions to get to the service. I found a seat on the balcony and this particular week, there were about 5 other colleagues that were seated up there as well. The sermon was on David and the characteristics of a true leader. Somewhere around the pastor's second bullet point,I glace over at the chair next to mine, where my friend Audie is currently seated, and I see her head bobbing. Now this may be a typical scene in some churches, but for one Koreans are very vocal in their services, and second that was just simply not typical Audie behavior. I asked her if she was alright, noting that she looked like she was either being a super spiritual introvert or was running on 24 hours with no sleep! Initially she said she was fine. When I asked her a second time and petitioned her to check her insulin pump, she became irratated and her voice esculated to one that would match an obstinite three year old! Now Audie is a fabulous story teller and I remembered her telling me of a time when her blood sugar went low and she would scream at her sister's for trying to get her to eat a Reeces (her favorite candy) to get her sugars back up. I also knew that she was diabetic when there is an excess of insulin in the blood, it causes low blood sugar levels and irradic behavior. I immediatly went to my friend Kate and confirmed that we needed to get a quick source of sugar for her. I checked her purse for her fast dissolve Glucagon tablets, however the container was empty. In a matter of one song, it was physically evident that her brain was beginning to feel the pinch of lack of sugar. By this time her movements were stiff and lethargic and we had to physically bend her legs to get her to sit down in the seat. It was a miracle there were about 8 YISS staff memebers all sitting near her. One was recruted to run to the corner store and grab an orange juice. By this point her pale complextion and had a glassed over look in her eyes,almost like she was stairing into your soul pleeding silently for help. She had entered Diabetic shock. Three of our friends jumped in, one to hold her neck up, one to coax her to open her cleanched jaw and swallow the juice and one to hold the trash bin under her mouth as she began drooling. I ran down from the balcony with my co worker Heidi to find an usher to call 911. An added blessing was that one of our co-workers Isabel, knew Audie and spoke fluent Korean. It was a huge help to have someon who knew the patient and could speak the language! Time seems to stand still during an emergency. During the time the ambulence was in transit, I remember being gripped with fear and wanting to let the tears of panic run down my cheeks. But, as if God were standing there, I was reminded of Psalm 91 and was challenged to silently prayed for the situation rather than turn it over to my emotions. The pastor also came around and some of the elders began praying in tongues over her ** that part was a little out of our confort zones ** Hovever in and through that, the ambulence that was said to take 35 mintues arrived in only 20! Once they arrived, the paramedics pricked her finder with the meter and the reading was at 18 ** typical is around 100 ** They immediatly shot her with a seringe of glucose and set her up on an IV drip. About 3 minutes after the fluids entered her veins, she began to cry and came through saying she was so embarassed. They then had her sit on an orange gurney and wheeled her out the back of the church. I volunteered to ride with her in the back on the ambulence to the nearest hospital. Despite the sirens and lighes, no one pulled over to allow the vehicle to pass (our friends actually took a taxi to the hospital and beat us to it!) The paramedics were very kind asking us questions about when she last ate and testing her cognitive/receptice abilities. The ambulence was very clean and had lots of tubing equiptment that I was thankful they never had to use. We stayed at the hospital that night for about 3 hours of "observation" and when her levels stabalized, she was released.

Apparently, she had turned off her pump when she entered church, sensing that her blood sugar was low but thought she could wait until after service when we all go out to eat. Without much warning her levels dropped so drastically that she didn't have time to react accordingly, leaving her at the mercy of others and a glucagon injectable to raise her levels back to a functional level!

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2009-11-14T09:19:00.019+09:00

I hesitated to write this post as I know my parents read this blog (sorry mom and dad)...however I want to accuratly record all the events of my time in Korea and this is a major part in my journey.

Korea is not immune to the global crisis that is ensnaring the earth. As the economy plumets and people are out of work, there seem to be more people begging along the streets (something typically not so common here) and an increased need for security measures.

Two weeks ago, following a late night at school celebrating Fun Fest, my co-worker returned to find her apartment have been broaken into. Thankfully here, the event is slightly less traumatizing as the intruders does not reansack the home and only takes concealable things of immediate value like cash and jewelry. They generally don't take computers, documets and other large valuables. Nevertheless, it does not vindicate the feeling of beign violated and wondering where the indtruder sat, what they touched that they never took and how it can be prevented in the future-nor the fact that the intruder made away with three months of her salary that she was saving for an upcoming vacation! I spent the next two nights being woken up at 2:30am and felt a knawing conviction to pray for Krist and Natalia (who I knew were still sleeping witht heir lights on) and thanking God for keeping my things safe.

The next week, my roommate awoke at 4 am with an unsettling feeling. Our motion light outside our front door was mimicking a strobe light flickering on and off for the duration of the evening. ** I was so tired that when the light accosted my eyeballs in the midst of my slumber, I contributed simply thought it was a stray cat triggering the sensor.** My roommate however was so alarmed, she grabbed the kitchen broom and reached for the kitchen light. As her fingers hit the switch, she heard scrambling and the patter of feet clamboring down our front steps. Now, I have no idea if this noise was a filiment of her imagination or a reality of the terrors of the night, yet fear is an ever present emotion that can do crazy things to ones logical thought processes. I am a bit uneasy that the last tennants in my apartment were evicted on non-friendly terms and the key to our entrance "security" gate has remained unchanged.

The past few nights I have not been able to sleep. Rather than dreaming soundly, my eardrums were tuned into every little squeak and key lock going on around me. Admidst this restlessness, I spent the past few nights praying and was led to pick up a book by Peggy Joyce Ruth on Psalm 91. "

"You will not be afraid of the terror by night.."

The author writes, "Fear comes when we think we are responsible for bringing about our own protection. Too often we think, If I can just believe hard enough, maybe i'll be protected. That is wrong thinking, the protection is already there.It has been provided, weather we recieve it or not. faith is simply a choice to recieve what Jesus has already done. If we find ourselves afraid of the terror by night, that is our barometer to let us know we are not abiding close to the Lord in the shelter of the Most High and believing His promises.

God wants our faith in His Word to become more of a reality to us than we see in the natural world. Take the story of David and Goliath. David did not deny the existence of the giant. David's eyes saw the giant, but his faith saw the promises of God. Too often, fear has us compare the size of the giant to ourselves. Faith, on the other hand, had us compare the size of the giant to the size of our God. No evil had been conceived by man against which God has not provided a promise of protection for any of His children who will choose to believe and act on it."

What perfect timing to stumble across a book simply left in the bathroom basket...even those hours spent reading late into the night can be turned into a learning experience!

Beijing Baby!!!

2009-10-29T16:02:00.023+09:00

Chusok, also known as the Korean Thanksgiving, is held on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month. It occurs during the harvest season. Thus, Korean families take this time to thank their ancestors for providing them with rice and fruits. This also means that from October 1st through 5th, I get to take a much needed vacation from life at YISS. It was prime vacation time. On out trip we ran into 3 other families from our school: The DeHearts, The Swingers, and The Parrishs.

Because last year's travel track record was so great, I decided to book another trip with my pal Krista ** my roommate and another co-worker also joined us** After drowning our fantasies of laying on a beach somewhere in Malaysia ** side note, I am very glad we did not choose Philippines, b/c there was a giant tsunami 2 days before we left ** we decided to use the USO to book a travel tour to Beijing. It was days later with tickets in hand that we realized we would be crossing over to the Red Party, visiting in prime time- exactly 60 years after Mao Zedong proclaimed his embrace of communism.

Our flight was set to leave at 9 am, however, the time was changed to a 12:55 departure because of the Chinese Holiday. This basically meant we lost 1/2 a day of planned time to sightsee. To add to the fun, I discovered on the plane that I had left my camera charging in the battery outlet in my apartment...who goes to China without their camera...I do! ** fortunately Kate had an extra one so for a few days I wasn't completely without my lens **

We were excited to finally be in Beijing!

After arriving and paying a taxi van way too much to transport us to our hotel, we were excited to learn that the National Day Military Parade, set to be the largest since the founding of "The Peoples Republic of China" in 1949, was scheduled to take place that day. However, as the authorities blanketed the capital with the strictest security alert allowed outside wartime, any thoughts of catching a glimpse of the 180,000 marchers (shadowed by tanks and other heavy weaponry) as they rumbled across Beijing, were quickly drawn back to the reality that we were visiting a Communist Country. Even five miles away was too close, it seemed, as police with bullhorns ordered the grumbling crowd even further back away from the center at Tiananmen Square. The Square, which at 100 acres is the largest public space in the world capable of holding several hundred thousand people comfortably, was restricted even to those with prime real estate along the parade route. Black-uniformed patrols of SWAT police, sometimes accompanied by large dogs, were seen at railway stations and on street corners, keeping an eye on things. The government went so far as to order that no pigeons, balloons, or kites be permitted within a 125 mile radius of Tiananmen Square until the end of the anniversary holiday on Oct. 8. Even the weather co-operated, with aggressive cloud-seeding by the government having brought overnight showers to disperse the smog and usher in blue skies. It was in the 70's and 80's with blue clear skies the whole time I was there! :)

Marching Militia

Columns displayed in Tiananmen Square

Cutest Chinese girl hat was a proud supporter of her country!

The first evening (for a solid 33 minutes) red, pink, white and orange fireworks erupted into the night sky. The spectacle illuminated the Tiananmen Rostrum and the 56 giant decorative columns, which were set up on the square to symbolize the unity of China's 56 ethnic groups. We watched: windows open, TV tuned in, and faces pressed up against the glass, from our accommodations on the 18th floor of the Crowne Plaza Sun Palace Hotel!

Due to all the festivities, our day-to-day itineraries were altered slightly. Let me just say that when you get four sets of XX chromosomes in one place, there is bound to be disagreements on where to go and what to see! Nevertheless, we did manage to see quite a bit in our 5 day trip!

Summer Palace- Originally named the Garden of Clear Ripples, was built by Emperor Qianlong in 1750 to celebrate his mother's birthday. It was later used as a pleasure retreat for emperors and empresses. It is situated in the northwest suburb of Beijing,** We took a taxi the 45 minute drive for about $4 USD per person.** It is a vast area of impressive silhouettes of lush trees, tall cypresses, pavilions, winding corridors, bronze sculptures, and rippling water of Kunming Lake. We spent all morning taking in the beautiful hiking, concentrated architecture with entrances great for posing, and little paddle boats across the lake.

...

Silk Market- The one thing all four of us could agree on was that the shopping in Beinjing is great! Our second hotel, The Beijing Jianguo Hotel, was ideally located directly down the street from Beijing's most famous indoor market. We spent our entire morning of the last day browsing the aisles of high-quality knock-off bags, silks, baggage and shoes (although I didn't discover the UGGS floor until I was out of money and on the way to the airport!)

Chinese Chaoyang Acrobat Show- Happily this is one art form that you can enjoy in Beijing without understanding a word of Chinese! :) Seated second row, center, it was one amazing experience. An hour filled with the worlds’ most accomplished performers contorting and spinning their bodies in ways that paralyze YOU in pain. The acrobats juggled anything from porcelain vases to people using all orifices of their body to spin plates on sticks, build enormous towers of people, jump through tiny hoops 7 feet in the air and my favorite run atop of a rotating "hamster wheel" dangled 12 feet above our heads! Sadly, after the show we had planned an evening out to enjoy some Peking Duck...we checked with the front desk and they said the restaurant was open 24 hours. That should have been our first clue, what restaurant is open all hours of the day? Anyway, after a 30 minute taxi ride, we arrived at 9pm just to see the last person leave the restaurant at 9pm! Here is the duck we did get to enjoy...

Beihai Park- Claimed to be the place of Kublai Kahn's palace. While we didn't make it here until an hour before we had to return to our hotel, this was a beautiful outdoor area with lakes that highlight the White Pagoda situated high above. Red lanterns were tied around the circumference of the park. There were many buddhist temples and shrines that covered the grounds. While these statues made for interesting architecture, it was always humbling to walk by people lighting incense and bowing before a piece of carved gold asking for blessings! How much easier do we have it as Christians, and yet many of us fail to truly realize the immense privileged it is?

Forbidden City-There were winding corridors staffed with fresh flowers and statues of The Mao. It is also the place where I was able to see The Little Red Book and the Olympic Torch. Probably my favorite memory, and something that just happens when you have white skin and curly hair, is that about 45 people ** all at different times ** asked to pose with use for pictures! Since we live in a foreign friendly city in Seoul, it is not common to get asked for your picture. However, as people from the country side flocked to Beijing for the 60th Anniversary, many had never seen a light skinned person before! If you read my blog before, you know that when I went to Cambodia people thought I was Lindsay Lohan and stalked us. This was much less aggressive and made for a humorous game of tallying all the people! Kate won, being asked for the most, the SJ, I finished in a strong 3rd! The best photo was when we were in a museum taking a picture in front of the white marble MAO statue. Suddenly we were ambushed by about 7 Chinese soldiers, who marched in, surrounded us and one asked, "excuse me, photo with you?" They then proceeded to arrange us kneeling in front and told the others to stand in back. I think the photographer pressed the shudder about 12 times before a new person moved in and asked for our photo! After about 10 minutes of this, we had to devise a plan to walk towards the exit! Finally, cheek bones aching and lips trembling from the big grins that were plastered on our face, we made it outside... only to be approached by a mother who wanted her young child to get a picture with us. Sadly, we made him cry because he was so scared!

What is China without Bamboo and Pandas?

The Torch from the Olympics

Bird's Nest and Water Cube- One of the places I wanted to drive by was the site of the 2008 Olympics. We chose not to pay to go inside, but we had fun posing from different angles around the exterior! The little path lights were in the shape of the Bird's Nest and it is truly a unique design. The water cube was less impressive, a simple box covered in what looks like blue plastic cellophane! The police out front were fun to try and talk with, as were the tourists that also asked for our photo!

Walking the Wall Mutianyu Section- Our original plan was to go with The China Guide and spend Saturday night hiking then camping ON the Great Wall. Kate, my adventure buddy, and I were all set to go until we received an e-mail 5 days to our departure that said the Chinese Government had restricted all sleeping on the wall due to the 60th Anniversary. I scrambled e-mailing different tour agencies to find someone to take us to a non-tourist section of the Great Wall and stay for sunset before bringing us back to our hotel. I finally settled on hiring a private car and English speaking tour guide, Iko, from Beijing-travels.com. It took about an hour and a half to drive out and it was our only time outside the city into the countryside! Some of my newly acquired knowledge includes that Mutianyu (mù tián yù 慕田峪 ) is a section of the Great Wall of China located 70km northeast of Beijing. This section was first built in the mid-6th century during the Northern Qi. Watchtowers are densely placed along this section of the Great Wall - 22 watchtowers on this 2,250-meter-long stretch...and yes I hiked up to the tallest one. The wall is 7-8 meters high and the top is 4-5 meters wide **although it did not seem that high, at times it seemed I could jump off and land on my feet.** My favorite quote from the trip was by Krista (in reference to the height of the Great Wall) she said, "this isn't so impressive, its like stand on your camel's back and jump over!" Unfortunately, Krista had drank some water from the Hotel tap and was not feeling well that afternoon. SJ and Krista went back down as Kate and I climbed the 611 steps to the tallest tower. After taking in the view and chalking our name in the wall, we descended to the main section of the wall. I was the only one who stayed on top of the wall for sunset. I found a spot in one of the windows of one of the central towers and hunkered down until the sun was a orange orb was hidden behind the tall trees. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip! Then, not wanting to get stuck in the dark on the wall, I meandered to the toboggan to slide down the incline. It was a metal track with guards and signs saying slow around the turns. While I would have liked to go full speed, I decided it was not worth being ejected from a ride in China, and I chose to oblige and follow the recommended limits! There was a shady man who kept following me, and I was grateful that when I exited the slide, my friends were not too far off the bottom shopping in the many stalls at the base.

My first view of the Great Wall..notice the dropped jaw!

Who knew there is a Subway at the base of The Great Wall? We took our sandwiches up and had a picnic on top!

Here I am after Conquering the climb to the top of the Great Wall!

The sign says that for my safety I should not climb any further!

Faith Over Fear

2009-09-27T10:45:00.016+09:00

Fear: it's always in the back of my mind in the hours immediately preceding departure on a trip like this. I've done literally dozens of trips in my life, but before leaving on every one of them I've experienced a queasy sensation in the pit of my stomach, a tremor in my lip that I had to bite back, and a handful of words --"Maybe this isn't such a good idea" -- that I had to swallow to keep from blurting out.

This past weekend was the annual YISS/ICS-U Middle school Retreat. Entering the auditorium after a long day of teaching, only to see 200 teenagers stampeding around and shouting as they scramble to claim their color shirt (thereby identifying their leader and "posse" for the weekend) there is always a wave of trepidation that you are now an instant mom to these 15 student and must successfully navigate the 19 subway stops until you reach Camp Mount-O-Pines in Dokbawi. My elementary teacher instincts kick in and I make each student find a buddy. Then I herded them out the door, embarking once again on an experience of amazing rewards! ** Ironically, the theme for the weekend was NO FEAR! **

I must say I had an amazing group of students. We were the light blue team also named the Blue Narwhals ** I will be the first to admit that only in Korea would students come up with that name, and I had no idea what that was! However, after thinking back to my primary school years and the alphabet strips hanging on the walls, I vaguely remember a whale/unicorn figure and the students drawn logo pictured below also helped to clarify the image for me **

The weekend was filled from 7am-12pm with events for the students. From a slime pit, bug boxes, cow eyeballs, dissected frogs, ice cream topped with gross things like anchovies and squid, the students were reminded of the reality that it doesn't make much difference how well the body can work, if the mind won't let it. Just the fear can be enough to stop the completion of a task. My team did pull together and took home a proud 3rd place!

One of my favorite events was midnight hide-and-seek where the teachers hid and tried to scare the students. I found a spot where was joined by the MS Biology teacher, Melinda, as we threw fake bugs, made creepy noises, and jumped out at students. I was proud of my hiding spot! **Even thought I grew up in the suburbs where there is no woods and trees to practice climbing** I managed to scale the building of a storage shed. It took students over a half hour before someone spotted me lying face down on top of the tiles!

One of the speakers for the event, a HS English teacher, shared from Mark 4:35 where Jesus calms the storm. She highlighted the fact that the disciples took Jesus on board - an intentional move; yet when the storm came, they tried everything in their personal power and own might to save themselves. I would imagine they struggled to bail out the excess water that the boat was taking on, battled the gale winds to take down the tattered sails. The one thing they forgot to do was to remember the care of The One they invited to join them on the ship. They failed to remember Jesus was on board. In the disciples time of fear, they forgot that the safest place to be in any situation is in the presence of Jesus...and He was on their boat!

Mrs. Peters also shared about her near death experience of drowning. As a young girl she went swimming and realized she had gone a little to deep. As her emotions kicked in she began struggling and used up her energy trying to stay afloat. She began thrashing about and felt defeated that it seemed to get her nowhere. It wasn't until she gave up and truly let her body relax, that her foot hit a rock on the bottom and held her up. The rock was there all along, but it was not until she let go of trying the save herself, that she felt it and knew she was safe. How often do we fight God- when all along He is there willing to hold us up?

Random Ramblings

2009-09-16T08:39:00.009+09:00

Originally developed in Asia as an oriental medicine, what could be a better locale than here to try acupuncture? ** that and the price of chiropractic care is about $50 a visit where this is $10!**

Last week my adventure buddy Kate pops into my room and announces that she has made an appointment for us to go get acupuncture. I agree to go and as we hop in the cab and turn down the back alley away from Itaewon, my senses kick in and I finally consider the rational part of my decision. Now I am not needle phobic, but the thought of allowing someone who does not speak my language ** nor can I read their credential certificate ** come near me with 25 little needles is at first a bit alarming!

We pull up outside Dr Yoo's Wellness Care Center, open the door and my sensed are assaulted with the aroma of ginseng and incense. The receptionist speaks broken English and asks, "you name?" I tell her and she helps me fill in the form marking off the areas of pain currently radiating through my neck and upper back. An attendant then comes and escorts you back through a series of curtains and adjustment tables. It is like one large room sectioned off much like a hospital room would be ** yes, there was an eerie similarity. ** They tell me to remove my shirt, hand me a buckwheat pillow and gesture for me to lie face down. First, they apply these four suction like things to my shoulders and upper back. When the machine was turned on it sounded like a giant vacuum cleaner hose standing over me slurping and sucking my back into the hose. The build up of pressure and the release were very soothing, although I was not sure that I wasn't going to end up with giant "hickeys" on my back afterwards ** side note: after my treatment, my back held no vi sable signs of my endeavor. ** After the timer went off, the doctor came in and told me to relax with my arms above my head. She then swabbed my back with rubbing alcohol and prepped my back for the prick. I cringed just like in the movie theater when the scary music starts to play. But, viola, I didn't feel a thing! She placed a bunch of needles on my arm and shoulder, and head, turned on a red heat lamp, flung back the curtain, and left. I probably could have drifted off to sleep if I had my soothing music and lavender pillow mist! Not long after, she returned with a long tweezers looking apparatus and removed the needles. She placed them in a kidney shaped metal dish and when I sat up and put my glasses back on, I could see the 2 inch long "spikes" that were once inserted in my back! I must say it was not too bad of an experience and I would even consider going again! Maybe they can work on my big toe that I broke when a chair fell of the desk and found my right foot!

Classroom Crazyness

2009-08-29T14:27:00.014+09:00

Frustration is a virtually daily emotion that touches even the smallest of individuals. The school year is less than one month in and most afternoons are swirling with bartering and coaxing students to the point of frustration.
I'm not sure who gets more flustered, me or the little 7 year old! Yet after minutes of banter back and forth of "no-no-no, no thank you, it is all part of my plan- to rest!" and countless simple commands of "sit" and "color in the letter A" before he proceeds to use my classroom rug as a blanket, climbing under the desk, hanging onto the legs and wailing not to come out, and finally using the red,green, and blue markers as action heroes, there are times this year when I severely question my desire to be a teacher for the rest of my adult life!

Then the reality check that I am here for so much more. These are the children Jesus would scoop up into His arms and rock them showing them how much they are loved! It is a reminder that often those who seem to deserve love the least, need it the most! So I did a little browsing to remind me that frustration is an ever present emotion that can consume us if our priorities and perspectives are not aligned with the truths that:

1. Frustration is an indication of lack of faith and trust in the Lord and seeking to do things in our own strength.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Zechariah 4:6b Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

2. Regardless of the source of frustration, pray to be more patient, trusting, and dependent upon the Lord.

Psalm 55:22- Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Then there are the priceless moments of teaching that seem to balance out and to make one forget the long hours invested and nuisances experienced. ** I would imagine it is a bit like labor, although I can not be certain at this time in my life ** Two days ago I arrived in one second grade classroom a little ahead of schedule, in-time to participate in the last half of their Bible lesson. The teacher was leading a discussion on Heaven prompted the students to envision what they think it might be like. After a long moment of silence, one of my usually cutup kids raised his hand and stated sincerely, "there will be playgrounds of gold, brighter than the sun!" I had never heard that there would be playgrounds of gold in Heaven, but it is fun to think about, isn't it?

Moving On Up...tales of settling down once again

2009-08-29T12:52:00.022+09:00

Welcome to my new apartment. I am upstairs :)

The boxes are unpacked and the apartment is beginning to take on a less than sterile appearance. We have a lovely fresh coat of white paint, splathered over three layers of wallpaper. This makes for some creative ways of affixing colorful images to the sagging walls! The apartment is still much nicer than my last apartment, with a landlord who lives on the same street, maintenance issues are fixed immediately. After fixing our shower thermostat so that it maintains a temperature other than scalding, the next fix was our large entrance window and that did not seal and a front door that had an old lock. The completion of this project was discovered one evening when we returned home late only to discover that our key no longer fit into the door and our front window was now replaced with a one that locks, is frosted and adorned with cranes! No one had informed us that they would be working to fix our apartment, and we were not previously given a key to get into our newly secured apartment. So much for notice! Thankfully, I had left my bedroom window open a few inches in an attempt to free the hot air that usually accumulates there. I was able to pop off the screen, shimmy the window over (we have horizontal sliding windows) and have my friend Jessica boost me into the opening. All this was happening while our landlord came running down the road dangling a key while yelling "yo-guio" meaning "here,here." After opening the door, we turned on the lights to reveal an orange wallpapered boarder around the new window! So much for an apartment with bland walls!

Here is the front door.... complete with a new lock!

See the colorful boarder, the best part is the bottom has alphabet letters on it because they ran out of the orange paper!

In our remodeling process, there have been numerous trips across town to the nearest "Walmart" store know to Koreans as E-Mart. On one such occasion. we were seeking to purchase a rug to cushion the cement covered in wood looking laminate floors, and curtains to hide our newly orange boarder that covered our front window. After pushing the cart through the store for 2 hours, we accumulated much larger and more quantity of goods than anticipated...too much for taxis to stop when we hail them! Fortunately, and by God's grace, there was also a family from our school that we bumped into upon exiting the store, and they offered to rescue us and squeeze us, our stuff, their three kids, and them into their family sedan! Thankfully it all fit and in true Martha Stewart fashion we have turned our apartment into a "home."

Living room with our new soft checkered rug!

Bathroom with the shower curtain bought to match the peach tiles!

Laundry room- no more drying rack in my living room!

Kitchen, with actual counter space!

My Bedroom!

I could do a cartwheel in my room!

So I don't forget you!

Other comical adventures of settling in is our attempt to construct an entertainment stand for our television. I purchased a bookshelf with drawers from a family who was leaving our school last year. SaraJane and I bought a hammer and began demo of the particle board frame. We detached the shelves by removing the screws and staples. The second phase of the job required finding a saw to cut out an opening for the rear of the TV to sit. Both of us being new to the area, we wound our way down the hills and eventually came to the bottom with a strip of shops. The one we entered first had toilet seats,kitchen knives and cutting boards out front, so we deemed it the closest thing to a hardware store. Using our pantomime skills we acted out "saw". After three attempts we finaly had a "toupe" (tree shrub saw) with which we could cut through and finish off our refurbished entertainment shelf. We are very proud of our handiwork!

FOP

2009-07-29T22:28:00.002+09:00

Fresh off the plane and officially back in the still-not-so-familiar place of Korea. This time it wasn't as hard to leave my parents, but there was the added stress of an issue with the weight of my bags which left me scrambling in the middle of the terminal to shed pounds from my luggage, that may be credited for the distraction of saying "goodbye."

On a positive note, once on board the aircraft, and after heaving my 40 pound carry-on into the overhead compartment, I was asked to switch my seat to allow a family to sit together. While this may seem like an annoyance, I willfully obliged and was rewarded with a trade for was a bulk-head row. For those of you who have no clue what that means, it equates to an almost euphoric addition of legroom from the traditional 31 inches. I had unlimited leg room and a small footrest *courtesy of the rescue raft container that rests above the wing* Despite my newly purchased "Celebrity Travel" bag -complete with eye mask, earplugs and plush neck pillow- I was not able to sleep very much. This 777 flight was equipped with personal entertainment consoles for each seat, so I watched 3 movies on my 14 hour flight to Tokyo.

After a layover in Japan and a delayed flight, I cleared customs at 10:59, four minutes after the last bus leaves the airport. Equipped with my bartering skills I talked the tax cab driver down to 80,000 won for the hour ride to my new apartment. The last problem of the evening was that I didn’t have keys to the new place. I called our HR person at midnight and she said that my new roommate SaraJane was expecting me and to ring the buzzer to get in the gate. Sounds simple enough right? *because the apartment is a new rental they hadn’t hooked up the speaker yet, so it was not ringing for her to buzz me into my new residence.* By this time my cell phone battery had died and I was basically stranded in the dim-lit alley sitting outside my new home and feet away from my cozy warm bed! I think the taxi man felt sorry for me because he pulled out his phone and said, “need call?” Eventually I was able to get the house phone number and SaraJane came down to rescue me. She was even kind enough to have a bed made up for me to crawl into when I arrived home at 1am!

I am still in the process of beginning to unpack the boxes, however, the apartment is much bigger and more modern. The neighborhood seems quieter and so far there have been no fights outside our house. We have an actual living room that is separate from the kitchen. But, it seems like my house is surrounded on all sides by steep hills that only ascend indefinitely upwards! I know this is an exaggeration, but after only one day my calves are aching! Also there is no direct route to public transportation and with the new switch of bus routes and numbers in the Seoul Transit, I am about as confused on transportation as I would be sitting in an astrophysics lecture given in Latin! Fortunately, the roommate appears nice, although she is opinionated and has a colorful, eclectic style that almost resembles 1990's sitcom Punky Brewster. We shall navigate this new life together and see in the days ahead. For those of you who care, I will try and get pictures of the new place posted soon :)

Wrapping Up

2009-06-30T03:13:00.004+09:00

I couldn't think of a better way to close out the year than with images and pictures of my student who attend YISS! There are over 750 students from 45 different nations of the world, pretty amazing!

A few of the 4th graders from class 4B!

End of the Year Celebration

Having some fun before our lesson

Showing off one of the butterfly reading art projects we did detailing their "metamorphosis" as readers

One of my girls on bus #16

Licking the bowl after our Resurrection Cookies that we baked to illustrate the Easter story.

On International Day students could dress in traditional outfits from their countries. Here are some from Saudi Arabia and Korea

End of the Year Slump

2009-06-30T03:04:00.002+09:00

The ability to ask the right questions, at the right times, is the hallmark of a truly successful learner. As teachers, we focus, therefore, on prompting students to learn not random bits and pieces of information, but systems, organized networks of concepts, active modes of thinking…. We teach how to ask, yet do we ever prepare them for when answers don’t come?

These past few weeks have been challenging to say the least! Amid a crazy end-of-the-year schedule that included Spelling Bee, Field Day, Banquets, Spring Concerts, International Night festivities, Spring Bizarre and a Teacher Appreciation Tea, there is the gnawing feeling that my life is never quite settled. I am a bit tired of always packing up my things, living from boxes, in apartments where I can’t decorate. I want this place to feel like home; yet with all the changes about to come, I fear that this is not as simple as it seems in writing. I have come to discover that part of living overseas and working with an International community, one must become accustomed to change. Students come and go on only a days notice, leases are terminated, friends move back to their home country and it is a cyclical pattern of perpetual change. I am currently in the process of preparing for a new roommate and packing up my things once again. Additionally, I am battling against budget restraints those who do not understand Special Education and the investment/time that is required to adequately and appropriately help the students. There are no aids to help these students in the classrooms, and I am not feeling appreciated as the 1:1 teacher. I still have yet to find a new space for my classroom next year and may be in one room with the ESL teacher which increases scheduling and stress levels! I am caught in the proverbial ferries wheel, where once you reach the top, things must change, gravity takes hold and you come down to reality. There are many unknowns and questions left unanswered.

These words are not my own, yet I find them very comforting to the situation in which I find myself: I was reading through an online excerpt by Ron Ethridge. He made the point that Jesus didn’t come to help you with your salvation (or your perceived plans). He came to be your salvation (and your calm)!

I have not… as of this writing been tested to the degree of others I know. I have not lost someone to death that was truly close to me (Parent, Spouse, Child, Friend). Nor have I yet experienced what I would consider a genuinely tragic life event. But one day… if God chooses for me to live long enough… it will happen. My goal now…before the event happens… is to prepare myself spiritually as best I can. So that when the event happens I can go on autopilot and not lose my faith. What are the promises of God that are sure? Does God promise… A long life? No change? That people will appreciate what we do? Our prayers will be answered the way we want?

No is the answer to each question… God promises NONE of those things to anyone, not even his own children! If those aren’t promised, what is? Here is what God does promise…
* Never to leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5),
* That nothing can separate us from His love (Ro 8:31-39),
* To comfort us in our trials (2 Cor 1:3-4),
* That His grace is sufficient for every need (2 Cor 12:9),
* To make everything work out for our ultimate best interest (Ro 8:28),
* To conform us to the image of Christ (Ro 8:29),
* To forgive our sin & cleanse us from all iniquity (1 Jn 1:9),
* To grant eternal life to those who believe (Jn 3:16).

So when we pray, when under the great pressures of life, those are the assurances we have. When the foundations are cracked and our house is shaking, those are the things we cling to. The reason we pray and cling to them is that we KNOW God is love, is good, does what is right, & can be trusted. Here is to the better times that I know belongs to those who put their hope in the Lord....

1/2 a Degree North of the Equator

2009-04-05T17:03:00.032+09:00

It's that time of year again; the first buds of spring are sprouting on trees, the birds are beginning to return to snowbound cities, the sun is beginning to light up the morning sky before I have to catch the bus to work...and hordes of college students are descending on warmer climates turning them into twisted cesspools of sunburn, margaritas and wet T-shirt contests. Ah, SPRING BREAK.

First thoughts to these words very rarely would include the terms service, sacrifice, immigration, and ministry. In fact, the words seem almost contradictory to this time...now add in taking 68 middle schoolers on a trip south to Indonesia and the idea seems absurd! Yet, on Friday March 27, 2009, seventeen faculty members set off on a trip to Indonesia armed with the theme "ready to serve."

The Immersion trip is designed to give 12-14 year olds a chance to experience serving others and prepare them for the missions opportunities they have in High School. It is just as much about investing in their lives as it is about serving the people of Indonesia. I was blessed with a family group of three 7th grade girls for who I was responsible for the duration of the trip. The idea of carrying four passports, alien card for re-entry to Korea, along with $600 in cash is terrifying for someone who previously was only a student on missions trips, not a leader of one! I always remembered loving the opportunity to participate when in college, but it was a little odd to realize I was on the other side of it this time. (Am I really old enough for that??)

The first stop on our trip was a layover in Singapore where we prayer walked through the streets and did a little bit of the tourist scene. Just imagine 68 12-14 year olds set free after spending 12 hours in an airport! Not to mention that Singapore has grass and lost of bright flowers, something foreign to the city of Seoul. The leaders had 36 hours to plan activities for the students. While being a leader did make me feel grown-up, I was not about to take 3 students around a foreign city I did no know how to navigate. So, a group of us decided to stick together and all venture off to the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. We'll turns out the zoo closes at 6pm, so by the time we got there we had about an hour to wander the park before closing. Despite the limited time, I would agree with the travel magazines that this is on of the best zoo's in the world- it even beats my childhood memories of the Bronx Zoo! (the fact that they have a tram to explore wildlife in the tropical jungle at night is an added bonus!)

The next morning we rode the Batam Fast Ferry from the HarbourFront to
Sekupang. After passing through Indonesian Immigration, we boarded the smaller boats that transported us to our own secluded beach sanctuary.

I got to ride standing up like a surfer on the front of the boat!

Ever imagined yourself sleeping in a thatched hut above emerald waters?... Telunas Beach is just that, complete with flushing toilets, running water, cold showers, and mattresses on the bunk beds! The owners of Telunas are committed to giving 10% of it’s profits back into the local community in the areas of health and education needs. So, a portion of the money spent to stay at the rustic resort goes to help the Riau Melayu people on the surrounding islands.

My room is the first one on the right-Cabin O

On the second night, I left my family group behind and chaperoned the 8th grade girls who chose to step beyond their comfort zones and spend a night in the village living amongst Riau Melayu people. Telunas provided a translator and held a short briefing on culturally acceptable greetings, body positions, meal time etiquette and toilet usage. FYI, In the villages there are no utensils for eating, or toilet paper for wiping; thus your left hand serves a very important purpose and it is rude to use it when eating or greeting people. The food was a struggle- as those of you who know me know I do not like seafood- but Karen you would be proud b/c I ate my share of shrimp, squid, crab, Talapia, fish sausage and rice with a smile on my face!It was the first year this was done with our students, so many were hesitant to pioneer this experience. Two brave girls signed up and it was such a blessing to see them outside the school, without their normal group of friends, and be able to interact with the village children despite not knowing a word of Indonesian!

One of the bathroom "potties" at the village

The joke of the trip was that one of us would trip on the uneven boards of the dock and fall into the water!

Zee- Her face says it all!

I became very good at the Do-Mika-Do hand game and asking the question "apa ini" "apa itu"
( "what is this") that the kids would play for hours!

One of the observations the two students made was that the children had nothing, but smiled and were happy. They didn't care about their I-POD or TV show, they were happy without those things! I am so impressed that these 13 year old girls were able to make such a mature observation! During our brief overnight stay in the village, we were suppose to help fix the community well. But, due to a rain storm, the cement work was canceled. However, the girls were give the opportunity to work hard the next day when we joined the other students back at Telunas and departed to local schools on the Island of Moro. In these community development projects all students were able to get their hands dirty and meet real life needs. They worked at various task from painting, to building bricks, cementing a wall, laying walkways, weeding gardens, and teaching English. We were able to bring along gifts of school supplies and computers to distribute to the local teachers.

School # 15

We built that wall behind us!

Making cement bricks without straw!

The children crowded in the windows to get a peek at "the foreigners"

I couldn't resist capturing this boy on film :)

It costs about 4,000 rupiah per month per child to attend school. Students attend school sporadically due to inability to pay. May attend one month and then skip one due to financing. ( in a fishing society income is not consistent). Only 1 in 5 students have books and there is 1 teacher for 30-40 students.

Another awesome experience that the students had was to go on a 5 K Jungle hike. The best part was seeing the students encouraging each other and remarkably there was no complaining! Another priceless moment was when the nature guide used the machete to hack into a piece of dried wood and then challenged the girls to eat the termites!Their faces watching the teachers go first was awesome!

Here I am chowing down on a termite (the white dot on my finger tip)!

"All Gone!"

The entire trip was a great experience for students to be apart of a community where Islam is the religion for 99.99% of the people. It was great to see how He can work when students are removed from what they know as normal attending a Christian School in Korea. Students were able to connect to a bigger world through exposure to the beauty of nature and to a new culture. It was through both the vigorous outdoor activities and the calming natural environment that students were able to bring into sharper view their unique abilities, personality, and passions and to appreciate the simpler things in life.

Here I am in the grey jumping off the dock with the MS principal next to me! :)

Flesh Eating Fish!?!?!

2009-03-08T12:16:00.000+09:00

Street in Myeong-dong. Always busy, and very popular with younger shoppers, this district accommodates various international and local brand-name stores and colorful shops, restaurants, and street vendors that sell accessories and clothing to traditional snacks and fast food; and the location of the Dr. Fish Book Cafe where I had my first Asian Spa experience.

Do not be fooled by the Disney-ish name, Dr. Fish is not for the faint-hearted. Dr. Fish is a cafe and foot spa, which may sound meditative and eventually is, but have you ever had over a dozen carnivorous fish biting the dead skin off your feet while sipping chamomile or chai? The idea is a special kind of fish that love eating dead skin. Asian ingenuity capitalized on them and started spa centers for people looking for smooth, dead-skin-free feet. The South Koreans took it a step farther and combined the spas with posh cafes.

On Saturday, I ventured out with a girl Rebekah from my Korean classes. She is a teacher at a Korean hagwon and agreed to experience this fish sensation with me. It is a bit intimidating despite the fact that when you enter it appears just like a Starbucks or little coffee shop in the US would. Along one wall are magazines and tables. There is a counter to order your beverage and a meal menu complete with waffles and gelato! After we had something to drink, we went went over to the tanks alongside the window and asked to Korean monitoring the area if we could try the Dr.Fish.

.... these directions should help to clarify for you! :)

She led us back to the register, where we had to show our receipt that we ordered something, and then pay the 2,000 won (about $2 USD) to gain access to the special tanks. We were led to a washing sink and the woman asks us, “Which fish would you like?” (pointing to two of these little pools) ”Big fish, or small fish?” Now we are all of the spirit that if you’re going to try something new, you may as well dive right into it, so we chose the “big” fish….which, to be fair, weren’t really TOO big, just bigger than the other minnow-sized ones.

The little fishes begging me to put my feet in the spa tank.

Nothing could have prepared me for the bizarre feeling that I was about to endure. Immediately after I stuck my feet in, the fish came swarming up to me and attacking, resisting the urge to jerk them out of the tank, I got use to the feeling of all these sandpaper-like mouths chomping away at my dead skin. For fifteen minutes, it was an experience that was well worth it. And my feet do feel really soft now thanks to all the “food” I gave those little guys!

Here are some pictures of my flesh-eating experience!

See the tattoo?...proof that it is indeed my foot!

Tales of Living in Korea

2009-02-16T07:13:00.001+09:00

Last Saturday morning was a rude awakening! Here is how my morning unfolded~
5:30am switch alarm off,
5:31am walk to the bathroom,
5:35am begin shower, step under the stream of water
5:36....scream!

I was jolted to an refreshing start, because there was no hot water(we are talking not even lukewarm). I had to tromp, hair half dripping, to my roommate's room (the thermostat dial is only in the master bedroom) to see that the water heater indicator light was blinking yellow. When it seemed like it would be cold showers and freezing hands until Monday(when we could report the problem to maintenance), our gracious neighbor Rachael Adams came over and read the Korean. Fortunately, we were able to drain the heater (not into a bucket, but by a hose run out of the window, and yes we are on the third floor so it created a waterfall cascading down to the street below!) After draining the heater and waiting a few hours, our frigid water slowly returned to bearable temperature.

Last week I received just one more reminder that I am not of Average Asian size! Weeks ago I was returning from recess duty, fell, and put my heel through cuff of my favorite dress slacks. I procrastinated as long as I could, but finally when I ran out of outfit combinations, it was time to venture to the tailor and have my basic black pants fixed. Equipped with a pocket dictionary and lots of gestures for the words "sew", "cuff" and "fix," I dropped my beloved pants off at a shop near my house. Two days later I returned, the man couldn't remember what I dropped off (you never get a tag, everything is verbal agreements) Fortunately his wife recognized my hair and "non-Korean" features and I was able to get my pants back! But, alas, that is not the happy ending to my tale...for the next morning when I tried on my favorite pair of pants, they were now cropped to my shins! And, one was about 1/4 shorter that the other-they weren't even straight! As a disclaimer I must add that it was not my limited Korean skills that are responsible for this misfortune, the same tailor unevenly cut my neighbor's pants....and she is Korean! Oh well....Now I will have a good excuse to go shopping when I return to the states this summer! (after all a girl has to replace what was ruined, right

look at how short and uneven they are!

I must share just one more indication that I am living overseas- mail service takes a long time!....the piece of literature curriculum (a book high-interest, low readability series for my struggling readers) that I ordered back in August, finally arrived! Too bad the students I was planning on using it for no longer need it!

Korean Explorations and Frustrations

2009-02-15T14:42:00.001+09:00

Occasionally, I get the courage to venture off on my own around Korea. I am finally getting a chance to blog about my latest jaunt. I chose to explore one of the most commonly consume items in Korea....Kimchi! I took the subway to the Kimchi Field museum. For people who think kimchi (pickled vegetables) comes in one flavor, a trip to this museum is an eye-opening experience. The small 3 corridor building displays many of the various types of Kimchi (there are over 100 different varieties), explains how kimchi is made and stored, and gives an in-depth lesson in the nutritional value of Korea's main side dish. Then, depending on your stomach and strength of your taste-buds, you can sample different types at the Kimchi Kitchen.

Kimchi is buried in a hole the ground and covered in straw to keep warm, moist and ventilated for long-term storage. The taste of Kimchi comes from Lactic Acid fermentation by storing Kimchi at a specific temperature-generally at 0~5 degrees Celsius. The shape and characteristic of the pottery of each region is a little different because of the environment and weather conditions. As one travels north, sunshine becomes scarce and the temperature falls, therefore the diameter of the Kimchi pots rim (mouth) increases to catch more sun light. In contrast with the North, the South regions pottery has a small mouth because lots of sunshine would evaporate its contents.

Me posing next to an ancient green ceramic kimchi pot

Plastic Model feeding me a taste of Kimchi!

With every good thing, comes some negative. Here are some things about Korea that are really starting to get on my nerves!....

Things that I could do without-
1. Learning the Korean language: this is proving to be one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. I never realized how many sounds my mouth is not accustomed or trained to form. Koreans have a "b/p", "d/t" ...too many combination sounds. This is much different than my other foreign language experiences! Those seemed to come a bit easier. Learning a whole new alphabet, different aspirations and guttural sounds, direction for reading (top to bottom), and dictation sounds is very challenging!They say practice makes perfect, but being in an American School there is little opportunity to practice. This experience has however made me realize how many letters we have in English that look similar and must confuse English Language Learners. We have a "b" "p" "d" "m" "n" "q" "g." Additionally, teachers often tell our student to "memorize" the facts, but I feel like my mind only has the capacity to retain so much information! I have studied my flashcards every night and can name the symbols, but when they get put together in words, their sounds elude me! Who knew a literacy teacher could struggle so much with the task of reading! I guess it is a lesson in compassion and humility!

2. The smells: If I smell one more rotten egg/sulfuric smell, stewing sewage in my neighborhood, heated trash heap, or nasty cabdriver breath, I may need to barf!I need some fresh country air to breathe in!

3. The sounds: If I hear one more child screaming outside my window at 11 pm or 12 am, one more man belching or hocking a loogie in the streets or subways (it sounds like someone puking up flem), or Konglish (Korean mixed with English) commercials on t.v., I might just scream. Three times on Sunday, while I was riding the subway, a man (and this is common around town) hocked a huge loogie and spit it in the station as I was walking by. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if it had landed on me.

4. The sights: I so wish I didn't have to look at one more sunny day covered in a thick gray fog and dust. I do miss the blue skies, the sound/smell/sight of the ocean and beach, the smell and sound of grass being mowed.

A Literacy Teacher...Reading?!?!?!

2009-02-01T13:06:00.000+09:00

As little kids we were read bed time stories to wind us down before bed. Now I don't need to wind down, I am already exhausted, but find myself wanting to read until my eyes won't stay open! I started 5-10 minutes each night picking up two books that friends had given me to pass the long hours during my plane ride to Korea. (I chose to watch 5 movies instead, thus I had these books simply sitting on my shelves). One night, when I had a rare moment of free time before bed, I decided to open one of them up. Since then, I have become a "before bed reading addict", and I have learned so much from the women is the pages of my novels. The books of Francine Rivers and Karen Kingsbury are my current nightstand addictions.

The first book I read in Korea was Mistaken Identityin which after a tragic accident on an Indiana highway, two blond girls of similar features were mistaken for one another.If you can think what is the most outrageous unbelievable story you heard in your lifetime, it has to be this; the daughter you buried is not yours, and the injured daughter you nursed for five weeks was not yours. Although this tragedy evolves into miracles, it was inspiring to read about the families feelings, fears, surprises, stamina, hope, faith. The book also made me grateful, when I was in Korea missing home, that my siblings and family were alive and that I would be able to physically hug them again in a few months time!

I have also learned from the story of Ruth- that love and loyalty persevere in the face of tragedy. The book Unshaken illustrates the overwhelming truth that God will faithfully provide for his children-even when hope seems lost.

Another one of my book reads, the story of Tamar. The book Unveiled taught me how God uses our circumstances and steps toward Him, however faltering, to fulfill His plan. Tamar was a woman who wouldn't allow her emotions to prevail. She fought against self-pity to uphold her sacrifice of obedience and patience, behaved with dignity, and clung tenaciously to hope ss she waited. She let her anger over her mistreatment by Judah and his sons. She didn't want revenge, she wanted justice. She was gambling everything in the hope of something better, something permanent.

Proverbs 28:13 tells us, "people who cover over their sins will not prosper.But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy." In the story of Tamar, the man who mistreats her, Judah, was on a pathway of separation from the truth. He tried to run and hide, rather than confront the real issues.He chose to handle things for himself, rather than let God direct his path. But God offers us mercy!

In most recent read Unashamed, I was reminded that if God can write His name upon the heart of anyone he chooses-even a Canaanite prostitute Rehab- why not the drunk Korean man on the bus who annoys me by insisting on twirling my hair simply because it is blond! Or the old Adjema lady shoving at you on the streets? The Lord protects those who belong to Him, as does he call whomever he chooses, despite the hopeless circumstances and judgments of others!

Although some of the novels are fictionalized, there are definite moments that spoke to truth into my life. In one scene describing a conversation between Caleb
and Salmon after he returned from spying out the Canaanite Land, Caleb warns Joshua not to "add to what the Lord has said. You must align yourself with the will of God-not the desires of your own heart. We must learn to be patient, God doesn't need our help." WoW! I often struggle with a sense of urgency. But Salmon was challenged, "where is your faith? If it is indeed God's plan, will he not do it? Do you believe enough?For 40 years the Israelite were punished to wander the desert because they refused to believe the promise God had given them. What promises to I have yet to understand and accept?

Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

2009-01-18T09:24:00.000+09:00

Ever felt like the more things change, the more they stay the same? It was around this time last year that I began seriously perusing an opportunity to teach abroad. I was praying and feeling overwhelmed and unsettled about my job for the upcoming year, where I would live, and who my roommate would be. Ironic how almost one year later I am in a new country, but still mulling over the same three life factors.

I am currently contracted as the literacy specialist at my school. While there are pros and cons to any job, and I must say that mine is nothing but ideal (7 students 1:1 for an hour a day each) and would certainly never happen in a public school in the States, yet I have a part of me that misses the chaos of the classroom and having “babies” to call my own. With a position open in every grade for the 2009-2010 school year, I am torn between resigning an extension of my current contract, or candidating for a classroom teaching position. Factor number one *check* job uncertain.

Next is exciting and distressing news all wrapped into one. My current roommate and I have gotten along wonderfully! I didn’t think it would happen again after being so blessed in college, nevertheless the second time worked out as well. Although she was wiser by more than a decade, she had lived abroad before and was able to teach me the tricks of living overseas (plus she makes a delicious Mexican tostada!) Now for the sad part to my tale…our apartment will most likely not be re-leased for another year, and she was selected to be the elementary Vice Principal for next year, thus she will be moving to her own place….leaving me roommateless and with out a home once again! Factor number two and three *check*….are we sensing the pattern here?

In the words of Albert Einstein, "my dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better."

Lesson from the “Lice of the Land”

2009-01-06T15:38:00.000+09:00

New Zealand has the highest density of sheep per capita, with sheep outnumbering the human population 12 to 1) the sheep standing on a hilltop in the distance, do take on the form of the little wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs. Yet, I have learned so much more from spending the past few weeks looking at sheep. Surrounded by the livestock, one can’t but help to do some thinking and draw some uncanny scriptural parallels. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this, but it is no accident that God refers to people, and often His own people, as sheep…and I have come to observe that this is probably not the highest of compliments.

Sheep are definitely not in the “gifted and talented” category. They are not dumb because they are so unintelligent, but sheep are dumb because they have a strong herd instinct that is stronger than their reasoning and intelligence. If one sheep moves, the others will follow even though it may not be a good decision. There is no such thing as a sheep that possesses leadership qualities—all are born followers. Consequently, any sheep that does anything out of the ordinary, regardless of how foolish it is, becomes a leader by default. Have you ever tried to even get your picture with a sheep? One starts to run away and they all follow in a little line. In fact our bus driver, Danny, use to ride past the sheep grazing and beep the bus horn just to see them stampede away in unison. Sheep are easily misled, and so are we. As hard as it may be to admit, we generally tend to be followers who let others or even society do our thinking for us.

Another thing I have observed is that sheep sometimes wander. They graze without paying attention to where they are going. Sheep find a gap in a fences, pass through it, and then are unable to find their way home- even when it's within sight. Once found, that same sheep will often be the one to wander off again through the very same opening. Likewise, God’s people stray too. We get so consumed by the routines that we drift away from what God has taught us to do. We look up only after we are lost and something dramatically diverts our attention. Moreover, we keep on doing the same things over and over, passing through that same hole in the fence and expect different results.

Fortunately for the sheep, the shepherd is there to rescue them and bring them home to the fold. It is no accident that Scripture refers to God using that phrase. A shepherd must be very patient and loving to look at how dumb and dirty the sheep are, and yet care for them and protect them anyway. I imagine there are many times when we look as dumb as sheep next to the infinite God.

Those who "love the approval of men rather than the approval of God" (John 12:43) are most likely to follow other sheep, craving their approval and failing to realize they have wandered away. But the sheep who can honestly say, "The Lord is my Shepherd" (Ps. 23:1), is safe. He won't be running, rather, he'll be lying down in green pastures (Ps. 23:2).

Kiwification

2009-01-06T15:37:00.000+09:00

There’s a reason the sun shines on New Zealand before anywhere else – every new day in is something thrilling! NZ immediately strikes visitors with sprawling harbors, dramatic winding mountain terrain, streaming volcanoes, blinding white ice glaciers and pristine coastline beaches. As my tour manager would say, " keep your camera set to "stunning," because there is plenty to see."

My travel to New Zealand came about through a simple invitation to come spend Christmas with a "kiwi" friend, Marisa, whom I met during her year living abroad in the USA. It is so neat to see how God intertwined our paths so that we could support one another during our times living away from home. It was an unexpected blessing to be able to visit a friend and take a vacation where I wouldn't have to spend Christmas alone! A few Facebook messages and one splurge on a plane ticket later, I was on my way to a land far different from Seoul. My itinerary was to spend one week touring South Island with a tour company while she finished up her work hours, then we would meet back up for the holidays and a week of touring and camping around North Island.

I began in the "Cathedral City" of Christchurch. For the next seven days, my home was a seat on six wheels. The tour bus transported me to the beautiful glacial Lake Tekapo, Mt Cook (New Zealand's highest mountain), Lake Ohau (at the base of the Southern Alps) traversing Fiordland National Park, through the hand dug Homer Tunnel and into the land of 100 waterfalls near Milford Sound. From there the tour bus took the 36 on board to Queenstown - the 'Adventure-Adrenaline capital of the world.' The drive took us along a winding two-lane highway that ran on top of the hills, down into the valleys, around various bays, through various forests…in short, it was a transcendent ride. The landscape is dotted with native New Zealand species, including palm trees and their infamous Pohutukwa growing alongside imported trees like the Australian gum tree (aka eucalyptus) and our own Douglas Fir. It was humorous to see an American Christmas tree set in a cluster of palm trees!

Who says vacations can’t be educational? I experimented with Newton’s Third Law by defying gravity with a skydive from 15,000 feet. I also learned a new vocabulary word …do you know what a fjord is? We’ll I have slept overnight in one and have come to learn that it is a term given to a steep sided inlet created by glacial activity.

The Jump

The fjord

Drinking the purest glacial water during a excavation hike

Meeting back up with Marissa, I celebrated Christmas with a back yard barbecue and some tetherball. It was a full house of relatives, but much different from Christmas in New York. It was a more modest and less elaborate (by American standards) and definitely felt strange to be in shorts!...but I was very grateful to have an amazing family in New Zealand to share it with!

Marissa and Me

Camping on the Beach

After braving the stores on Boxing Day for the holiday sales ** side note- there were none that I found too impressive, things in NZ are expensive!** Marissa and I took in New Zealand heritage experiencing Maori culture and together we ventured to Paihia, a port town, for a cruise in the Bay of Islands. We were headed out to the infamous hole in the rock and on our way we saw private islands covered with forest, secluded beaches and periwinkle waters. We also got completely windblown, but it was well worth some tangled hair and touch of red skin to see the bay. The islands are perfect. Every time we turned a corner, it was a new stunning view. The fact that I took 150 photos just today should tell you something about the sheer gorgeousness in which we found ourselves immersed!

Hole in the rock- Our boat actually navigated us through it!

She was also very patient with me as I got my adrenaline fix once again. Friends, I say to you: plunging down a hill in an inflatable ball is amazing fun! For those of you who haven’t heard or seen it on The Amazing Race, Zorbing involves climbing into a big plastic ball with an inner chamber (actually, you jump in Superman-style) partially filled with water and then rolling down a zigzag downhill course. Because of the water, you slip and slide inside the ball. It is not scary at all. There is not even a sensation of falling…it is more like getting thrown into a washing machine. It was a terrific ride.

ZORB

I leave you with some of the new terminology that has infiltrated its way into my vocabulary:

"tea" time (dinner)

Put on your "jandals" and "togs" (flip-flops and swimsuit)

"Good on ya mate" or "sweet as" (General phrases used to express happiness or a confirmation)

"Chilly bin" (An icebox / cooler box that forms an integral part of any summer holiday)

“Fush & chups” (in the Kiwi accent - a popular, and generally quite healthy meal, bought in local ‘take-aways’ and cooked to perfection on the spot. The “chups” are generally sold by thescoop, approximately the size of a 1L ice-cream tub.)

"Eh" (used at the end of sentences when expecting a response to a statement - it is not spoken as a question.

"hokey pokey" (golden 'foam' tasting candy coated in chocolate)

“Lollies" (candy/sweets but they are not attatched to a stick)

A Crazy Little Thing Called Life

2009-01-05T10:00:00.000+09:00

Apologies for my prolonged absence from the blogging world. Yes, I am still alive and detoxing from the craziness of holiday traveling. But I must pause for a moment to say a belated MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all those people out there still reading this blog! Thank you to those who send me Christmas cards, photographs and e-mails. For those of you who may have missed my December update, here is a recap:

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED AFTER FIVE MONTHS IN KOREA…

I have mastered winding down the narrow corridors and alleys that lead to my 3^rd floor apartment. I can tolerate the loud city noises of honking horns and pushing on the crowded subways. I now know where the local supermarket is, and continually visit the same fruit vendor hoping someday she will recognize me as more than "the foreigner." Slowly I am learning the multi-colored maze also known as mass transit and I can proudly tell a taxi cab driver minimal directions, before he corrects my Korean pronunciation. Additionally, I have gone from novice to expert a the "nod and smile technique!"

HOW I AM DOING…

Winter has come to Korea- although despite the frigid temperature, there is no snow here...I almost miss the piles of white fluffy stuff on my windowpanes! My apartment is small and cozy warm, but waiting at the bus stop is when you truly feel the wintry wind whipping through the hills.

On the 27 of November, I celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday. A family "adopted" me for the day and made sure there were plenty of balloons, cake and singing. If that wasn't enough, fellow teachers then treated me to a fabulous Italian dinner, so even though I was not home for my birthday; I did get my fair share of merriment.

Many have prayed about my adjustment and connection to a local church. I have committed to attend Onnuri Church here in Korea for at least the next few months and I begin language training there this Saturday. Please continue to pray that I get connected and will not get lost in the congregation of 40,000.

PRAYER REQUESTS...

Pray for wisdom as applications are being accepted for next year’s positions. YISS is loosing a large chunk of our current personnel and my co-teacher is moving on to middle school.

I ask that you continue to remember the special education department that I am trying to launch. Please pray that I would have the patience, knowledge base, and resources to be effective in leading the teachers and over 500 elementary students, and particularly the 8 special little one I work with!

Pray that I would be content with where the Lord has me for this season!

Time Goes By....

2008-11-16T20:42:00.000+09:00

Thought I would just share a barrage of pictures capturing how my past few weeks have been...

October 31st- No trick-or-Treaters or kids running around in costumes, no candy exchanges and sugar highs, no carved pumpkins and dried Indian corn, Koreans don't celebrate Halloween. But some the teachers did get together at Kara and Jenny's apartment for a festive night of mischief! What to do when you have no costume? Wear a bed sheet of course!

The whole gang

Good -vs- Evil

November 1st- The circus has come to Korea! The Cirque du Soleil show Alegria arrived, Big Top tent and all! Our third row tickets were a bit expensive, but well worth the price! Some of the most impressive acts included three high bars set more than 40 feet above the stage that formed an aerial playground for daring acrobats to fly to and from the arms of mighty catchers, suspended by their knees on a cradle swing. The astounding act, performed by Russian acrobats culminates in an impressive plunge into the net (which was conveniently located directly above our head) After, for the Aerial High Bars, a Ukrainian young man pictured below takes the stage and balances on canes towering meters above the stage. My other favorite act is a group of performers that soar in the air tumbling in unison on long trampolines that magically appear from within the stage.There are over 18 different titles performed all over the world by the Cirque du Soleil Company. If you get the chance, I highly recommend it!

Hot man balancing on the canes

5th grade teacher, Audie, and I playing around before the show

November 11th- Pepero Day. Pepero is a brand of cookie--a long, thin crunchy wafer half dipped in chocolate, and in Korea apparently this treat has it's own holiday! One of my students came in this morning and handed me a green box of this treat. I had no idea its meaning until he explained that Pepero Day is an observance in South Korea similar to Valentine's Day. It is named after the Korean snack Pepero and held on November 11, since the date "11/11" resembles five sticks of Pepero. The holiday is observed mostly by young people and couples, who exchange Pepero sticks, and candies.

Relationships and love are not taken lightly in South Korea. There are over twenty holidays devoted to celebrating one's affections for family, friends, and beloveds. For starters, the 14th of each month is set aside for sweethearts. Also, just as in North America, Valentine's Day is celebrated in South Korea, but with a slight variation on the tradition. Only the women give gifts on Valentines Day. To balance this out there is "White Day" one month later when men take their turn giving gifts. This is one of the many holidays that have been named after a color with "Black Day," "Silver Day," "Green Day,"and "Yellow Day" dotting the South Korean calendar.It almost makes me want to break into song..red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight...

November 15th- Yongsan School visits the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas. The two Koreas have been separated one of the world's most heavily armed borders since a three-year war ended in a truce in 1953. It is the most heavily fortified border in the world, bristling with watchtowers, razor wire, land mines, tank-traps and heavy weaponry.

On either side of its 151-mile (248 km) length almost two million troops face each other off. On the southern side, stationed alongside some 600,000 South Korean soldiers are 37,000 U.S. troops, one of the largest single overseas deployments of American forces. If North Korean forces ever crossed the DMZ again the United States is automatically at war -- under a 1954 treaty backed by United Nations resolutions the U.S. is committed to defend South Korea.

Nancy, me and Sandy standing in North Korea

The military actually stand half-exposed and stair down the North Korean guards

That building behind the blue peace talk buildings is actually North Korea
April and I standing on the North Korean side of one of the blue peace talk houses. The doorwaybehind the soldier is all that is stopping someone from deflecting to North Korea!

Lookout post in North Korea-unfortunately the weather did not cooperate,
so we couldn't see too far!

South Korean Military Soldier at the DMZ for our protection
"Peace" Monument
Photo of a North Korean Soldier

Red Toe Nail Polish

2008-11-05T17:41:00.000+09:00

All I have to do is glance down at my little toenails coated in crimson polish, and I smile; because I was privileged to be a part of my best friends "happily ever after." It took a 15 hour plane ride, 6 hours of sleep in 72 hours, and 9 hours of driving, but I made it safely "home" to the USA and I was able to stand up on the 25th of October to support Karen and Nick on their special day. And yes, for everyone who wondered... it was well worth it! I didn't get to see very much of my biological family that weekend, but I did get to spend a limited time with some of the people I miss the most.

Karen Drury- I'm not sure that will ever not sound a bit strange to me. Thank you for being the one and only "roomie". I cherish the four amazing years of memories, late night talks and continued support of all my life’s endeavors. Both you and your family have a special place in my life!

Heidi- Although we didn’t really get to know each other when we lived 200 yards away, going across the ocean has definitely solidified our friendship! I appreciate your continued “check-up’s” and calm reassurance to enjoy right now with where I am!

Amy- My “girlfriend.” You know more about me than many others! Although you are not the best at keeping in touch, our conversations when we meet more than make up for the time in-between! Thanks for loving me and for your honesty!

Megan- My scrapbooking comrade who made me love country music! I think about you often teaching those third graders and moving into a house! I can’t believe how far you have come since those days driving in the ‘shaggin wagon, the purse incident, and surviving through Harris-Ewing’s class!

Suz- I do miss my travel buddy! There is no guarantee I won’t get left on a train now! The cold weather is coming, and I will miss playing rugby and learning to tackle in the snow!

On the return flight I slept for 12 hours (courtesy of sheer exhaustion and having an empty seat next to me)The day of my return, we had parent teacher conferences at school and fun fest that evening (translation = teachers are required to be at school from 6:45 am-9:30 pm). The following day it was up and running with another round of parent teacher conferences. While this meant no students again, so no lesson plans, I was so exhausted that I missed my first conference of the morning! I swear in my jet lagged stupor the schedule noted my first meeting at 11:45! Thankfully, the parents were very gracious and we rescheduled for the following day....crisis averted (although missing an appointment is so uncharacteristic for me- and probably not the impression I want to leave my first year at a new school!)

Here are some pictures from the big day....

The bride, hair done and all, gracefully eating her lunch at the salon

Me and Dave, my escort down the aisle ( not my finest picture but it will have to do for now)

Only Karen could dance to Butterfly Kisses and have it still be a sweet Father-
Daughter dance

Jehovah Jira...My Provider

2008-10-16T18:34:00.000+09:00

....a song I sang when I was little, now ringing ever more true! For those of you who know me know that when I began looking to come abroad, I bargained with God saying, "make it somewhere warm and near the beach" When I signed my contract, there was a bit of sadness that Seoul is not near the beach, nor a warm climate. But thankfully there is something called God's sovereignty, and I can honestly say that I am not the one who knows it all!...and I did get my water, it was just in the form of the Han River running by my house. April and I will go down by the water about 2 nights a week and walk 2 miles in the coolness of dusk and take in the lights and sounds of living in a big city.

For those of you who know me ever more deeply, you know that I have always loved sunflowers. While they are not my favorite flower, I am amazed by their height, golden color and am also a big fan of eating the seeds they leave behind after they die. I use to say I wanted to get married in a field of them, we'll "NO" I am not getting married, let me just clarify that right now, but the simple field of these flowers down by the river near my house brought me almost full circle as God's reminder that this is where I am to be and He knows my future!

A couple of weeks ago, I went through a phase where I was fearful that God would take everything from me that I had back home, fearful of becoming like Job and loosing it all. Strolling down by the Han River, next to the path of sunflowers reminded me that life is never easy, and it was never promised to us as such. No matter what stage you are in there are blessings and hardships, but everything is meaningless except what is done to glorify God and make His name known.

So I have started making a list. Here are some of the things I have been blessed with since arriving in Korea:
-My water oasis- even if it isn't the beach!
-A wonderful roommate (I have had amazing luck in that area) who loves to cook and make enough so I can eat too! And she has lived overseas before and is willing to share her wisdom. (she was the one who encouraged me to use the washing machine for the first time here- by simply pressing buttons and seeing what happened!)
-A small but adequate "villa" to live in(this is no Italian Villa however, simple a four story house)
- Amazing people who sent me hand written notes, unexpected packages of random stuff, encouraging e-mails and prayers!
-Seeing Louie Giglio, David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman all in one place...and in English (yeah for the Passion World tour that came to Korea)

I close by sharing with you my "theme song" for while I am in Korea (yes Amy, I know it is by Steven Curtis Chapman):

How could I stand here
And watch the sun rise
Follow the mountains
Where they touch the sky
Ponder the vastness
And the depths of the sea
And think for a moment
The point of it all was to make much of me
Cause I'm just a whisper
And You are the thunder and

I want to make much of You, Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used
To make much of You

And how can I kneel here
And think of the cross
The thorns and the whip and the nails and the spear
The infinite cost
To purchase my pardon
And bear all my shame
To think I have anything worth boasting in except for Your name
Cause I am a sinner
And You are the Savior

This is Your love, oh God
Not to make much of me
But to send Your own son
So that we could make much of You

For all eternity

Retreat

2008-10-06T07:02:00.000+09:00

A picture of a rice patty I took on our trip home.

Loading the busses

Suspending dozens of feet in the air, ascending to the top of a mountain and then winding down through the forest and plummeting at high speeds around curves sounds like feats for adventurers and stunt men. Yet it was sixth, seventh and eighth graders, not professionals, who faced these challenges last week as 239 middle schoolers rode the mountain coaster down the peak at YongPyong Resort.

YongPyong Resort is found at the eastern edge of Asia, about 200km from Seoul, the capital city of South Korea and it is not your typical MS retreat locale. It is a ski resort in the winter months; but boasts golf, an indoor water park, gondola rides, an outdoor roller coaster that zooms down the side of the sloaps, and an assundry of outdoor activities. I have been on MS retreats before and was expecting dirt floors, lots of bugs and nothing this luxurious. (Actually our condo where we stayed was larger than my current apartment in Korea, and I had my own bathroom!)

Students and faculty spent the 26-28 of September away from the city, interacting with each other, the mountain views, and the guest band- Station 2. It was such a blessing to be able to present the gospel to theses students outside of the school building, and to see them interact with the music and lyrics that praise our Lord and Savior! Many of the students who attended the retreat were from a division of NICS known as OASIS. The OASIS track is not religious in nature, but emphasizes the development of character and a sound foundation for morals, ethics and values. Several of the students in these classes are Muslim, Buddhist or come from non-religious households. The retreat presented an opportunity to share unbiasedly about Christianity and a relationship with Christ. 36 students responded to the messages this weekend and it was an amazing time to pray for and with the students, and to meet with them on a new level. It was something I have waited my whole life for, and although I had no idea what to say, my friend Ms. Walker and I were able to pray with two girls!

My girls

My assigned role for the weekend was to watch over the four 7th grade girls in my cabin. It is fun to realize that even thought they are teenagers, they are big kids at heart. We spent late nights eating junk food, sharing about ourselves, and going to noedaebong (Korean Karaoke) where I dazzled the girls with my renditions of MMM Bop and Backstreet Boys!

Photo booth fun!

A funny story from the weekend, courtesy of my fellow teacher Mrs. Panks! We were on a set schedule for the weekend and breakfast was served promptly or you didn't get food! On Sunday, 9/28, our allotted time was 9:30. She awoke Sunday morning to the sun glinting through the curtains and grabbed her cell phone to see what time it was. She jumped out of bed a little startled that she has slept so late, and ran to bang on her girls door to tell them they had 2 minutes until breakfast and needed to just grab their things. The girls were unresponsive until one girl glanced at her clock and protested that it was only 6:30 am! Mrs. Panks coyly responded, right "go back to bed, I'll get you up in 3 hours!" Yeah for phones that are all in Korean, so you read the date, 9/28 rather than the actual time!

Squishing Monkeys?!?!

2008-10-05T19:35:00.000+09:00

Funny little story, and your vocabulary lesson for the day.

My roommate April is a teacher in one of the fifth grade classes. She was teaching her students about writing personal narratives that are descriptive and interesting. As an example, she quoted our little tale about killing the cockroach I previously blogged about. Except, when giving the story she used the term “anthropods” instead of “arthropod.” This was a new vocabulary word for the students so she gave the “teachery answer” to go to the dictionary and use the definition to guide their understanding. Moments later a boy raises his hand with the statement, “that word doesn’t exist.” As she politely goes over to guide his search, another student calls out in horror , “you killed a little monkey?” Now before you go dig out your dictionary and look it up for yourself, “anthropod” is not actually in the dictionary. The word “anthropoid” is and it is defined as any of a suborder of higher primates... not quite the same thing as an “anthropod” (invertebrate animals, insects and crustaceans, that have a segmented body and jointed appendages). How does a good teacher recover from a faux pas like that?...use it as an illustration to teach students how important spelling is- it has the potential to change what a writer is trying to say. (the students still have no idea that April even made an error, they simply thought it was part of their spelling lesson!)

Safely "Home"

2008-09-29T14:53:00.000+09:00

You may wonder, 'How can I leave it all behind if I am just coming back to it? How can I make a new beginning if I simply return to the old?' The answer lies in the return. You will not come back to the 'same old thing.' What you return to has changed because you have changed. Your perceptions will be altered. You will not incorporate into the same body, status, or world you left behind. [Steven Foster, The Book of the Vision Quest]

Such is how I found my past week to be. September 13-21, the Chusok holiday, was a time for a much needed break from school life. One of the fourth grade teachers and I decided two weeks prior, that a trip out of the country would be a great way to capitalize on our 7 day recess. Our original plan was to travel to Boracai, the 3rd most beautiful beach in the world. However, those plans were quickly re-routed when we discovered it was monsoon season there and thus most snorkeling adventures and resorts were closed. Our 2nd destination of choice...Cambodia

Cambodia borders Thailand to its west, Laos to its northeast, and Vietnam to its east. It is truly the temple capital of Asia. The country is strewn with the lavish construction of buildings the rich legacy of the Khmer empire. It is home to a definite contender for the 7 wonders of the ancient world- the Angkor Wat funery temple built by Suryavarman II. Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology (although Buddhism is currently the country’s religion). In stark contrast to the glories of this Empire that flourished in the 9^th-15^th centuries, is a country that has been weathered by the debilitating power of the Khmer Rouge. The results of this turmoil, civil war, and corruption are evidenced in the distressed landscapes and scars on the faces of its people. Children soaked in mud and digging through rubbish, remorque-moto (motorcycle with a carriage attached) drivers desperate for a days work, and hoards of women calling out “hey lady, I know you, you buy silk scarf from me” are all within view from a hotel room window.

So begins my trip to Siem Reap….the flight on Asiana Air left at 7:30 pm on Sunday night from Incheon International Airport. Krista, my “travel buddy” and I met at our typical landmark, the Paris Baguette bakery to catch a cab to take us to pick-up the airport shuttle. This effort was to no avail because as soon as the drivers saw us with luggage, they turned us away. As a last resort, we lugged all 50 + lbs of our bags (because we can’t use the water in Cambodia, I brought 9 liters of water and jars PB + J in my bag) onto a green Bus #15 and rode the public transport to catch our shuttle. The airport is about an hour and half ride from our home (yes, this is the furthest I have ever lived from an airport, but should give you an idea of the size of Seoul). There were no delays and our trip got off to a great start! On a humorous side note, Krista and I realized that we had only spoken a handful of times and hung out twice outside of school before we decided to board a plane together and travel to a third world country! Oh the joys of being young and spontaneous!

Knowing we wouldn’t be in Cambodia until 1:30 am, we arranged for our hotel to pick us up from the airport. After paying our $20 Visa fee and going through customs, made our way outside to be bombarded by drivers all wanting to assist us to our hotel. Someone finally directed us to our car where Mr. Lee our guide and driver was parked. Our hotel, the Majestic Angkor Hotel, was rated four stars, and while I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness and amenities provided, it was clearly different than the American four star standards. We awoke the next morning to the sight of dirt huts, falling down shops and the sounds of chickens and barking dogs outside our window. When we arrived, the poverty was masked by the darkness of the night. But the morning brought with it a humbling reminder that although I was living comfortably; many around the world are not.

The first morning, we took a tuk-tuk to the market to do some shopping. (I would highly advise eye wear to keep the dist our of your face during the ride) Then, in the heat of the afternoon, we had Mr. Lee take us to the fishing villages to see the floating bamboo houses along Tonle Sap Lake. We took a boat guide who navigated us through the winding maze of houses built over the sea. At one stop, there was an alligator farm, and although it took some convincing, I did hold a live alligator! It was upon our return from this excursion, that we witnessed how overtly corruption remains a way of life in Cambodia. Riding along one of the back dirt roads, we passed a ravine where a mob was gathered. As we narrowly inched along, out the passenger window we could see people exhuming a dead body from the water (Mr. Lee said it was probably someone they killed for $; that it happens a lot in the corrupt society where political elite betray the Cambodian people for short-term personal gain.) Seeing a human lying breathless on the side of the road, solidified Krista and my desire to pay a little extra cash and ride in the safety of the town car!

The next few days we spent being typical tourists utilizing our 3-day pass ($40 USD) to appreciate the temples. A large number of the temples of Angkor are made of sandstone, which tends to dissolve when in prolonged contact with dampness. The erosion, plant growth, as well as the pilfering of sculptures and cut stones took their toll on the majesty of the temples. Nonetheless, numerous impressive carvings had survived or been restored. The intricate designs etched into the pink, cream and grey stone rocks, along with the contrast of the green lichen clad stone are breathtaking! We had a great time, and fairly decent weather, as we explored the temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Preah Kahn, and Banteay Srei. (…and yes dad, Angkor is blessed with some of the finest public toilets in Asia. No squatty potties, but actually stalls, albeit very dimly lit, but they even had automatic flush!) Some of my favorite moments were climbing the steep stair ruins at Baphoun, riding an elephant around Bayon, having a private tour through the maze of vaulted corridors and carvings changed from Buddhist lotus position of crossed legs to that of a Hindu God at the temple Preah Khan (Sacred Sword), and of course hiking through the jungle, trying to find the path and avoid the landmines, in the pouring rain to get to see the riverbed carvings of the Kbal Spean. My only complaint was being swarmed by the hoards of children selling things at the temples. Every where you turned was a little voice and charcoal eyes peering up at you pleading for you to buy from them a postcard, bracelet, bottle of water, or silk scarf. It was sad to turn them away, and while yes we did have a Caucasian complexion and a driver which is an indication that we had money, it broke my heart having to ignore all the calls and pleas. It also didn’t help that some thought I looked like Lindsay Lohan (I’m not really sure how they got that resemblance) so they talked about us, knew where we were staying, what we bought, how much we tipped our waiter and other random facts. It was very strange to step into that life without merit. Although, now I know I would never want to be a celebrity, the hordes of people and no privacy gets old real fast- not to mention perpetuates fear for your safety in a foreign county!

Most nights we would have dinner at the hotel and relax by the pool (it was indoors, which was good when it rained, but little sun means freezing water)- where I fell in love with Dragon Fruit and coconut milkshakes! Walking in the Cambodian heat wore us out so much that often after that we simply collapsed in our AC room and watched movies. (We got more English channels on TV in Cambodia than I do in Korea!) Our one big evening outing was to go for traditional Khmer food and enjoy the traditional Cambodian dances performed by the Apsara dancers.It was a great trip, although by the end of the six days, both of us were “touristed out” and very ready to return to Korea. It was not quite the relaxing beach vacation we once were seeking after, but it was a great experience to be in the Cambodian culture and witness the beauty in other countries. On my other trips abroad, there was always a leader, lots of other students, and missionaries to guide and transport us. This was my first time in a third-world country on where I was on my own (with a travel buddy of course), making decisions for myself about who to trust and how to get around.I did not return from this trip to the ‘same old thing.’ What I returned to truly has changed because I am so grateful to be a “missionary” in Korea. God knew what I could handle, and if I were to be in a third world county like Cambodia for two years, life would be much different. My perception of the place I left has changed. I am glad to be back on the ground in Korea, where there are some signs in English, I can get most American goods (thought they are pricy) and I have a society that is welcoming to foreigners and Christianity. God does take care of us…and can teach us even through vacations!

We have reached a landmark!

2008-09-21T13:02:00.000+09:00

A little over a month of the 2008-2009 school is officially over... and this means progress reports for quarter 1 are due! In many ways these four and a half weeks of school have been a time of huge adjustment. With more students being added to the SLC Reading Lab, and the gap between my students growing, I am busy looking for middle school appropriate reading curriculum to guide my lessons. I am finding it a challenge and a bit frustrating to differentiate instruction for my older students. Yet some days are so very much worth the struggle; like last Monday I went to meet a little boy for his reading lesson. He came bounding down the stairs with his arms wide open yelling, "Miss T, I missed you!" The smiles, hugs, and waves make the labor pale in comparison.

Other rewarding times include the elementary-wide field trip that YISS took on September 11. All classes traveled to the Korean War Memorial to participate in a pottery-making activity and to visit the museum exhibits that celebrate the history and culture of our host country, Korea. My ceramic skills from my art classes at Roberts were of no avail helping the 17 classes (in total 420 students) aged 5-12 complete their clay creations! After getting our hands dirty and a quick lunch, it was off to explore the museum. Fortunately, there were very hands-on oriented displays with tanks, guns and planes that the students could run and climb aboard. The boys loved the sound effects and animation and it was a great day for me to get outside my basement classroom and interact with other students who I usually don't get to see on a daily basis.

Another huge blessing was on Friday, the day before our school let out for the Korean Holiday Chusok (Chusok is Koreas three-day harvest celebration where families travel to their home nation and visit the ancestral graves of their relatives) students took part in special activities to foster Korean Awareness. Students were permitted to break uniform dress to wear hanboks (traditional Korean costume) on that day and I was fortunate enough to be invited into Ms. Leyenaar's 4th grade class to sample traditional Korean rice cake and assorted desserts. But, the most memorable experiences on this day happened at the 2nd/3rd grade chapel time. The students were singing and signing to "Love the Lord Your God." As I lifted my head from the back of the room where I sat, I was witness to what a blessing it is to work in an International Christian School. As I gazed around, I could see selections of students from some of the 47 different countries represented at the school. While some were dressed in the hanboks, some in western clothes, all were engrossed in singing praises to God. It did not matter where they were from, where they call home or if they held a Korean passport. Those seven to nine year olds were genuinely worshiping. It hit me what a unique situation it is to be able to work with these amazing and diverse students... a blessing I may not have if I taught in America.

I am not alone...

2008-09-01T10:31:00.000+09:00

Truthfully, I have felt more discouraged recently than I expected to feel, but it's amazing that I am able to look back on the times in the past when God has proved Himself to be the MOST faithful during these times. I am finding myself drawn back to Psalm 73:26... "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

I read this on my friend Lauren's blog, and found comfort in knowing that during this transition, my feelings are shared by others serving around the world. I am reminded of my desire to come to Korea because I needed to be out of my comfort zone and stretched in order to grow and really rely on God. I remember saying I truly wanted that.. to be in a place where it isn't easy or comfortable, because I know that's how God has grown me the most in the past. That is so good to remind myself of, because now that I am in that place, where it is really difficult, and stretching, and out of my comfort zone in every possible way, I am so quick to long for what is easy and comfortable. I came into this knowing, or at least telling myself, it would be really difficult... to step into my first year of teaching in another country, where I don't really speak the language (or at least well), away from all the people who know me so well. But now that I am here, I still manage to be surprised by the way I am feeling. It is a good time and one in which I look forward to growing through, yet I always hope I remember to try not to solve things on my own, but to rest on promises found in the Psalms.

Hit and Miss...random tales about living here!

2008-08-26T14:28:00.000+09:00

Cockroaches:
I have never been the kind of girl to be squeamish about infestations of house creatures.
I have squished many a spider, camped alongside the Daddy Long Legs at GTBC, and even removed a dead mouse from a trap in my friend Megan's basement apartment. However, these feats pale in comparison to the encounter I had with a cockroach in my apartment! It a fairly uneventful morning. I go up, showered, SKYPED my family and my roommate quietly approached me and asked me how I felt about bugs. I nonchalantly replied that I could handle them, so she asked me to come in her room. There on her floor was a 2.5 inch flying arthropod! She loathes these creatures so she ran out of the room screaming and ready to vomit-leaving me to face the beast alone! Pushing on the creature one more time, hearing the crunches of its exoskeleton breaking, I assumed it was safe to pick up and dispose of. As I held the paper towel in my hand, I could feel the cockroach moving. I peering down and it's legs were still moving. Screaming, I quickly rushed to the trash bin, threw the cockroach in the paper trash and ran the bag out the door, down the tree flights of stairs, and to the curb-where if it was still alive, it would not be taking up residence in my house any longer! I can now say I am not a fan of foreign creatures!

Friday Night Fights:
Last Friday was just an ordinary day. I went to teach, came home, had a delicious dinner of homemade chicken fingers and garlic mashed potatoes- courtesy of my roommate chef extraordinaire! As I was doing the dishes, I heard some clamor coming from the alley outside of our apartment. I ran to the window and used my limited Korean and context clues to deduce that I was witnessing what appeared to be a domestic dispute. My roommate and I hovered to peer out her window and look down on the commotion. There was a man with his shirt off, another man shouting at a woman. One older woman lifting up her shirt to flash the two men, and an onlooker shouting phrases in Korean. The scene escalated to the point where the man began beating the woman with a large point umbrella. To the side of that two women were in a cat fight, pulling each others hair and open-palm slapping each other across the face. There was no restraint from anyone...and I'm pretty sure the old ladies could have kicked my butt had I gotten involved. People from the other apartments began just strolling by the fight like it was no big deal. No one called the police, it was just like a matter that needed to be fought out. Sure enough after about twenty minutes of the fighting, all of the five people involved were sitting in their little plastic lawn chairs chatting like nothing ever happened! The plan for that night was to meet some people at a pub downtown, but I didn't want to leave my apartment and have to pass the five people. Gotta love life in Korea!

McDonald's is Cheap!
I am typically not a fan of McDonald's fast food. However, I severely underestimated the comfort that its familiar menu of processed food could bring!...and in Korea they have a "lunch menu" where all the value meals are half-price. Apparently the portions are smaller, but I still find them completely filling. It is a wonderful day when you can get a Big Mac meal (with fries and a drink) for $4.00 american. :)

Neighbor Encounter:
They do exist! Since moving in to this house, there has been no sign of other neighbors-except for the pile of unclaimed mail that seems to overflow the mailbox. On Tuesday, I arrived home and was fumbling for my keys. I had my back to the stairwell that leads to my door and I heard these shuffling steps behind me. I briefly glanced over my shoulder and there is a male figure standing there. He was on his way up to the rooftop apartment, which he rents and spends about 1 weekend a month there. He is a Canadian, based in Korea and working for a Specialty Coffee Roasting Company. It was good to meet a neighbor, and once my adrenaline came down from the surge he caused by sneaking up on me, we had a pleasant stairwell conversation.

Uneven Pavement:
Anyone who has been overseas knows that the sidewalk isn't always level and the roads they call paved are anything but! Unfortunately, my ankle has first hand experience with the effects of this truth. I was on my way back from taking my paints to the tailor to be fixed. As I exited his little shop, I stepped down and failed to notice the enormous crater that was about a foot ahead. I stepped down, took my first step, and my ankle rolled to the bottom of the pothole. My knees buckled but I did not fall. I took an enormous step. People were all around, so I ever so gracefully played it off like I was running somewhere. Pain seething through my foot, I made gimped back to my apartment and grabbed some ice from the freezer (which on a side note, Koreans use very little ice, so the ice cube trays make the smallest cubes ever!) Thankfully, it did not swell or bruise. However three days later, it is still quite tender and hates me when I wear my high heals around school.

Trials in a Taxi
Every foreigner has at least one story of getting lost...unfortunately mine cost me 10! (By NYC standards this may seem cheap, but here taxi fares average $2.50) I was leaving the travel agents in Itaewon and meeting friend at her house by Namsan Mountain (about a 20 minute walk from each other) I was running late and decided to hail a cab. I called her and she said to get out by the kimche pots on the side of the road. I did not know where this was, but the travel agent had explained to the Korean driver where I wanted to go. I felt confident as I sat in the cab, resting until I saw the location race by the window. I tried everything I knew how to say to get the driver to stop "yogiyo" (here), "aniyo" (no), "oreunjjogeuro gaseyo" (right turn) I tried to pantomime "u-turn". Finally, I called my friend who handed the phone to someone who spoke Korean. The cab driver made some grunts into the cell phone and loudly said "ne" (yes). I was just praying he wouldn't let me out on the side of the road in the unknown neighborhood. We got stuck in traffic coming back down the hill and the fair continues to go up despite standing still. We waited at the same traffic light four times! Getting nervous I called a native speaker, Wilson, and he gave the cab driver new directions. At that point I decided that I was just going to enjoy the ride and take in the new scenery and buildings. Finally, a ten dollar fare later, I did make it....only to arrive three blocks over from where I first began! It does make for a good story though!?!?!?

A strange, indescribable feeling

2008-08-25T08:10:00.000+09:00

Have you ever felt like you were God wanted you, but yet there were moments where you are so uncontent? I feel like I am continually being torn by my desires to be in different places all at the same time. It is strange to think that I have been in Korea for over a month. In some ways the time has flown there are still many more things I am wanting to see. However, by some strange phenominon, I also feel like I have lived in Korea for a very long time! I am not fully acclimated to eating Korean spices, and while there is a great variety of American foods available, it gets quite costly to continually purchase the "comforst of home"! I long for late night talks with my roomie, and the girls only Roberts weekends we spend togehter. As college starts up again at C-State, I miss my "freshies" and the AGAPE meals we shared together at Dragon Cort. I even miss my peach room and the little boys hollering across the street to me. I see the pictures and they bring my mind back to that exact moment in time. My fear is that this desire never really changes- the past is remembered as all the good times with the hardships it took to get you to the place you are standing, now negatited and erased. I know that I am building new memories in the place I am at, but I wish I didn't have to feel so distant from those memories and people I left behind.

It seems so negative when I have been continually blessed in so many ways. I have a wonderful new roommate, a great school facility at a well-established International school, and a friendly school staff with whom I am beginning to become friends. Currently, I have an ideal classroom situation, planning only 5 lessons a day-seeing each student for 1 hour! Yet, there is always this sense of loss. How does one learn not to covet the past, but instead anticipate the future and appreciate the present?I'm not sure how else to close but with the lyrics to a song by B. Mason that was sung at a church before I came to Korea. I think its words are so powerful and sum up what I am tryings to say through this post...

"All things work for our good

though sometimes we can't see how they could

struggles that break our hearts in two

sometimes blinds us to the truth

Our Father knows what's best for us

His ways are not our own

So when your pathway grows dim,

and you just can't see Him

Remember you're never alone

He alone is faithful and true

He alone knows what is best for you.

He sees the master plan

And He holds our future in His hands

We see the present clearly

But He sees the first and the last

And like a tapestry He's weaving you and me

to someday be just like Him

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart."

Seoul Slip- Ups (and a half naked man)

2008-08-17T19:41:00.000+09:00

We'll everyone has their little blunders (that they later learn to laugh at), as they learn to live and adjust to life overseas. Just thought I'd share two of these. First last Monday, after a full day of open house, neither my roommate nor I felt like cooking. We agreed to go out to survey some of the authentic Korean cuisine every one has been raving about. We settled on a little place called Kimbap Heaven. Once inside, we adeptly became keen observers of the etiquette and mannerisms of the other diners. We used the handy "travelers phrase book" to request an English menu. We ordered what we thought would be a cheep and filling meal-one vegetable and one meat kimbap (neither of us knew what kimbap was, but since it was in the restaurants name, it had to be their specialty,...right?) As we waited the waitress brought us some soup. April, my roommate, then spotted what looked like sushi and commented how good it looked. Other table had the rolls on them and we assumed it was like the "bread basket" they bring as a starter in America. Conveniently, the waitress then brought us some of the rolls. We dined on a few slices and then waited, not wanting to fill up before our "main meal." We waited about 25 minutes very patiently, wondering if we had not ordered correctly or if they didn't understand the foreigners correctly. April pulled out her handy travel book to ask and stumbled on a section labeled kimbap. As she perused the pages she burst out laughing. Apparently kimbap is the name for roll made from steamed white rice (bap) and various other ingredients (usually carrot, cucumber, ham, omelet and yellow pickled beets) wrapped rolled in gim (sheets of dried seaweed) and served cold in bite-size slices. We had our meal and didn't even know it! Needless to say, both of us are now very familiar with what kimbap is!

The second adjustment to living in Korea is loosing all sense of personal space. People stand close to you on subways, in elevators, and at the bus stop. Additionally, houses are built very close together to maximize space. Case and point, when we sit on our living room couch seeking to simply enjoy a movie on our newly purchased television, we see directly into the neighbors house. This wouldn't generally present a problem except, even with blinds drawn, we can see one of our male neighbors standing shirtless and watching his baseball game! (now I wouldn't mind, if he was a strapping young Korean lad who was built, however, and unfortunately for the two single ladies living in this apartment, he is a man his 60's and not the most pleasant living room window art!) I guess some teachers get a view of the cityscape or of the Han river...I get the view of the shirtless man!

School in Seoul

2008-08-16T18:55:00.000+09:00

August 13th- Summer's End

It's official...marked by the bustling in the hallways and chaos in the lunchroom, the students have returned from summer break and school is in full swing here in Seoul. It is uncanny to think that this is first and only time in my life I'll ever have a first day as a first year teacher. Through my six years of collegiate schooling, I have anticipated and at times wished for this day. I am trying to take it all in- and yet, now that it is here, I find it a terrifying phase of transition from book knowledge to practical application. In college we are trained to utilize the textbook and to make the information align to the state standards. But what do you do when there are no guidelines to follow? I am piloting the literacy program at YISS and therefore there is no manual or framework to follow. While this sound exciting, I admit that submitting weekly lesson plans and diagnosing difficulties is an arduous task and one for which I am feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. I feel a bit like it is a floundering task. As of today, before the mass of teacher referrals pours in, I have about ten students coming to my room ranging from 2nd grade up to 10th all who need 1:1 remediation and reading assistance. It is strange that I don't have a "whole class" to call my own. I am just hoping that is some capacity I will be able to make the reading program a success and an asset to the school. I am confident that I am destined to be a teacher, and unexpectedly saddened a bit today that I am no longer in the familiar role of student in a classroom. My time of putting off papers and hanging out late with friends has come to an end- and the real world of a 6:40 am pick-up and 4:30 pm bus drop-off has begun. I am blessed to be working with a special education coordinator, so much of the paperwork will be handled by him. Nonetheless, there is no denying that his first year teacher is scared to admit that she truly has no idea how to operate in classroom of her own!

I spent the last week setting up my classroom in the basement. I loved the decoration work

Every literacy teacher has to have a word wall! Mine has all the irregular words in the English
language that can't be sounded out!

The calendar and writing center

Computer and phonics activity center

Along the back wall is the "U-shaped" table for my work with the younger students. This is where I will teach the WILSON ACADEMY

Front of the classroom with cubbies and desks!

2008-08-10T20:32:00.000+09:00

I have been so busy with school meetings, classroom set-up, and learning to navigate a big city in a foreign country where all you know how to say is "hello" and "thank-you"! But since I love you all so much, I have found a spare moment to share with you my housing amenities overseas. I tried to post a video for you as well, but sadly I keep getting an error-so that neighborhood tour shall have to wait.

My Humble Abode

Place your back against the far wall and this is what you would see. The door is my front entrance. The TV on the bottom left is a recent purchase and I am very excited to now be able to watch the Olympics! (even if the commentary is all in Korean)
This is the largest area in our apartment. It is the center living room. The doorway is where my roommate, April, has her bedroom. The desk area on the right is where I sit when I talk on SKYPE with most of you!

Right behind the brown arm chair shown above is my bedroom. The smaller of the two sleeping rooms.

A different angle of my bedroom

The view from my bedroom window
Next to the front entrance is a third room which I use for my "dressing room". Notice the fridge in the picture. There is no room in the kitchen for it!
Our bathroom. I have no bathtub. It is just a shower spicket from the wall and a big drain in the middle of the stunning magenta tiled floor.

This is what you would see to your right as you walk in the front door. Notice our teal kitchen cabinets!

Seoul Searching

2008-08-04T21:36:00.000+09:00

The time has come!....I am writing this blog while sitting in the airport preparing to board my plane for my 18 hour flight to Korea. I have geared up for this time, and yet I feel like it came so soon.

Many people have asked me why I chose Korea….and the truth is I don’t know- except, I felt a need to do something with my life and a desire for Asian people (although, yes I tried to ignore it for a long time!). Throughout Middle and High School I always had a dream to travel, I was always intrigued when missionaries came to speak, yet I never thought I would be brave enough or could survive going to another country being away from home. When college came around, I was provided with the opportunity to travel to Eastern Europe to work in orphanages and gypsy schools. This experience will forever be etched in my mind because that was the time I took the first steps in trusting God with the details of my future. I remember sitting alone on the plane as it left the ground and thinking to myself. I’m never going to make it three whole weeks! As I was freaking myself out, Phillipians 2:13 came into my head. Which says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire, and the power to do what pleases Him.” And it hit me- He puts desires in our hearts so we will pray and ask for those things He wants us to have. Then He gives us the peace and joy to let us know we are fulfilling His perfect plan.

This all leads up to today. The day that, as we were told in training, would be where, “the airport is the location in which the excitement and anticipation of what is to come is uniquely coupled with the sorrow and sense of what you leaving behind.” I now understand the truth and power in that statement. A myriad of emotions are pulsing through my veins. My heart is beating fast and my hand is trembling as I type on my keyboard. I am excited to see how my life is expanded and enriched through this move, yet I am hesitant to walk away from everything that I have valued for the past years of my life. I have attempted to say my "good-byes" to everyone, but if I missed you, I am sincerely sorry. Please know that my family, LBC, my first floor RWC girls and my Cortland “freshies” - you mean the world to me and are what make leaving a bitter sweat event. I thank you all for being a part of my life.

Part of this adventure doesn’t yet seem real. I feel like life is in a blurry halt, numb to the effects of boarding that first plane. In its most basic form, I feel like I am three years ago and simply flying back on a flight to Roberts. Yet, my mind knows there is so much more at stake with this trip. I feel so blessed at all the people I have met in the passed and how God has provided, and yet it is a challenge to relinquish my fear. Nonetheless in simple ways, I am already beginning to see God’s faithfulness. First, I do not have a person booked on the seat next to me-which means I can recline across 2 seats! Second, I met a sweet old lady when I was passing through security and bawling as I was saying goodbye to my parents. She was so kind and walked with me through the airport, to the shop where I bought some gum and a People Magazine for my flight, and then bid me farewell saying that it was even harder on the parents to say good-bye and let their children grow up…so enjoy being on the easier end!

I apologize that this post is so random, but I guess it is appropriately corresponding to my fluctuating anticipation and fear about the trip ahead. I will post as soon as I get internet hook-up in my new apartment. Thank you all for your continued love and support! :)

It's Only Just Begun...

2008-05-26T05:22:00.000+09:00

Ok, so I decided to give this whole blog thing a whirl. Sorry to those of you whom I bore with my ramblings...but I figure this is just one way to keep in contact as I venture across the world to teach in Seoul, South Korea. I am nervously excited about the official date for departure -July 28th, 2008. This will put me in Asia at 5:35 pm on July 29. (For those of you who I haven't told, there is about a thirteen hour time difference between the locales). I will be teaching in a reading specialist position at Yongsan International School of Seoul. If you wish, you can check out their webpage at http://www.yisseoul.org/. I am currently sorting through the abyss of possessions that I have accumulated over the years, and trying to narrow my items down to two fifty pound suitcases. How does one gather so much stuff?...anyways THANK YOU to everyone who had helped or supported me in this endeavor. I love you all!