Detergent, Meal Times, and Church

Total Ditz
So, I'm pretty much the biggest ditz ever! I decided to do some laundry before packing for orientation... and managed to make it to the laundry room just fine, paid for the laundry, started the wash cycle and everything. I then went down to put my clothes in the dryer and realized... I forgot to put detergent in!!! Oh dear...

Adventures in Korean Cuisine
Anyway, today I was a little more adventurous with food. At lunch, I tried octopus, quail eggs, ginger leaves... and some other stuff that I can't exactly remember. Hil took us to a restaurant with tons of side dishes before church:


Although I didn't try every single dish that you see pictured here, I tried well over half of them, which was a big accomplishment for me. :)

Dinner was super-spicy, but I managed okay - although I had to make a special request for my own little bowl of rice. Otherwise I would have been in big trouble! I'm TRYING!


Like the bibs they gave us? It really would have been good if they wouldn't have added all the extra spicy stuff... it was almost like a pizza. I go through so much water at mealtime! Oh well, at least I'm getting my daily quota in... :)

Young Nak Presbyterian Church
Sara and I went to church with Hil - Young Nak Presbyterian Church. The service began at 3 p.m. I really appreciated the Scripture reading (Psalm 105:1-6, 45) and teaching (Philippians 2:1-11). We also sang a worship song called Arms of Love, which was especially meaningful:

I sing a simple song of love
To my Savior, to my Jesus.
I'm thankful for the things You've done,
My loving Savior, my precious Jesus.

My heart is glad that You've called me Your own.
Cause there's no place I'd rather be than
Then in your:

In Your arms of love,
In Your arms of love.
Holding me still, holding me near,
In Your arms of love.

Next week we'll be visiting Bok ja's church/Navigators fellowship, which I'm really looking forward to as well.

A Sweet Saturday...

Meeting up with Bok ja...



Here Sara and I are standing with Bok ja at Hanyang University. We made contact with Bok ja via the Gorham's in Arizona (some of our very dear family friends). Bok ja and her husband just arrived back in Seoul last Friday after spending four years in the States at Arizona State University. They have 2 1/2 year old twin daughters. We didn't get to meet their girls today, but hopefully soon.

Bok ja was incredibly hospitable toward us! She took us to a restaurant at the university where we had bibimbop, a traditional Korean dish, which I enjoyed very much! I think Bok ja ordered my dish to be less spicy, but I'm not for sure. It was delicious - an over-easy egg mixed in a bowl with rice, lettuce, noodles, and other stuff (not exactly sure what it was).

The conversation was also wonderful. Bok ja radiates with love for the Lord and is so kind! She took us to visit the Navigators group on campus. I think she came to know the Lord through Navigators and is still involved with discipling students and such. Sara and I are going to be visiting church with her next Sunday, which we are very excited about. Bok ja also invited us to join her in Bible Study!!! It was also incredibly encouraging for me to see a group of college age women rehearsing a song/skit for church tomorrow. The last verse they sang in English and ended with something like, "Here am I, Send me!" Almost brought tears to my heart... It's so exciting to see God's work among the nations!!!

Coffee Break

I've been surprised to find numerous coffee shops all over Seoul. Sara and I decided to stop for coffee after saying goodbye to Bok ja. It was a nice "debriefing" time, reflecting upon the week. This coffee shop is just around the corner from the Co-op, my apt. building (It was decorated in a very classy red, black, and white theme and totally reminded me of Jana Alexis!). My visits are going to have to be limited... the coffee is certainly not any cheaper than the U.S.... maybe even more expensive! So, it's just going to be reserved for "Date Night with Jesus." (When I was in VA Beach last summer with Campus Crusade, we had Date Night with Jesus once a week and it was such a sweet time to look forward to... and I think it is a tradition to continue here in Seoul...)

Overwhelmed... AGAIN!


I checked my email this afternoon and found a message from my co-teacher, Young Chae. She told me that Kang Meesuk (the Christian teacher that I had lunch with yesterday) was going to be stopping by my apartment to drop off some kitchen supplies for me. Unfortunately, I missed her by just a couple of hours! I took a picture of everything she left for me. I felt like it was Christmas again! Two serving trays, cooking utensils, a measuring cup (metric system), kitchen towels, coffee mugs (one of them says, "Coffee Lovers Only" which is SO perfect!), bowls, plates, cups, a knife & cutting board, calendar, storage containers, a knife and cutting board, and a random device that I don't know how to use (it is pictured in the back... and has lots of holes in it). If anyone knows the purpose, please let me know! Now the challenge is going to be finding space for all of these things! The Lord continues to amaze me with His faithfulness and provision - beyond what I could have imagined!

After unpacking all of the goodies from Meesuk, Sara and I went to search for the nearest grocery store - four subway stops away. The first man we asked directions for sent us on a wild goose chase (although Koreans are VERY kind and helpful... they don't like to admit if they don't know something... so they'll give directions even if the directions are completely incorrect). In this case, we walked for probably a good 20 minutes unnecessarily. But we got some good exercise and saw more of the culture and found an Italian restaurant that we hope to visit in the future. Two other people helped us find the LOTTE Mart. One man gave us wrong directions at first, but then ran after us to tell us the right way to go and even walked a little bit with us to make sure we were going the right way - so kind.

The Lotte Mart was HUGE and CROWDED. We only visited the main floor where most of the groceries were. I'm not sure how much cooking we'll actually do in our apartments. I think it might actually be cheaper to eat out most of the time. We'll see... I was excited to find wheat noodles and spaghetti sauce, peanut M&M's, and cheese... although I didn't purchase very much because we have orientation all next week (hopefully I will still have Internet access).

It was a good first Saturday in Seoul...

Medical Forms, Good Korean Food, & Gratitude

Yesterday I want to the hospital for a medical examination - part of the requirements of the Korean government for my Alien Registration Card. It was my first medical experience in a foreign country. Things went okay for the most part. I only had a difficult time concealing my laughter as I filled out the medical form. The two questions that made me smile:
1) Do you hear a voice/person talking to you?
I checked the "No" box, but wrote in the margin, "The only voice I hear talking to me is God's." I had to be honest... but definitely smiled as I thought about what their reaction might be.
2) What does it mean to measure twice, but cut only once?
I think I've heard this cliche in the US, but not all that often. I don't know why, but it really seemed funny to me that they would have that kind of question on a med. form. There was another question like that, but I don't remember what it was. Hopefully I answered correctly... otherwise they may think I need psychiatric help. Oh dear... lol.

Last night, Sara and I met up with Hil for dinner in her area of town. It was probably the best Korean meal I have had thus far. They cooked our pork in the middle of our table in front of us. I forgot what it was called... but you wrap up the meat in lettuce and add some other random side dishes, pieces of garlic, and stuff it all in your mouth at once (if possible). I also tried some seaweed soup. It actually wasn't half bad. I enjoyed it better than the acorn jelly. It was nice to share a meal with Sara & Hil. It really is nice to communicate with Westerners and reflect on all the crazy little things that we observe/get frustrated with/ laugh about. I'm thankful for both of these girls... and looking forward to some slumber parties at Hil's. :)


With Hil...


with Sara...

I've been so encouraged by the Lord's presence and provision... with Hil, Sara, all of your prayers & emails/blog comments, indescribable peace, co-teachers, etc. Last night I got a phone call from Bok ja, a friend of some of our dear family friends in AZ. She and her husband were missionaries in the US and just got back to Korea a week or two ago. She invited Sara and I to come have lunch with her today. I'm so excited!!! I can't wait to see her... Rest assured, I will dedicate an entire blog post to our time with her and her family. :)

Much love to you all!
~Holly

More About Cheongryang Middle School...

Logistics
I mentioned earlier that I would blog about my school... so here goes. I am teaching 7th and 9th grades (they call them 1st and 3rd) at Cheongryang Middle School. I am responsible for teaching 22 classes each week and have mandatory prep time when I'm not teaching - basically sit and my desk and do whatever I want. Since each class consists of 30+ students, I will have somewhere between 600 and 700 students!!! I only see them once a week, so I think it is going to be pretty much impossible to learn their names and get to know each one of them. That is unfortunate and somewhat disconcerting. However, I was excited yesterday because one of my students came to visit me at my desk yesterday just to say hi. The Lord is gracious and helped me to remember her English name (Stacy), which was even better!

Demographics & Job Description
On Thursday afternoon, one of my co-teachers (Ellis) told me a little more about the demographics of the school and my job. She informed me that Cheongryang is located in one of the poorest areas of Seoul. She also said that many of the children come from broken homes (one of her classes has 8 children from single parent homes - a high number for Korea). So, it's especially important for me to also give as much love, compassion, and care as possible to these kids. Due to the low SES, very few of the students receive extra training in English. [Most students in Korea go to a govt. school during the day and then a private school when they get home to practice their English and other classes... education is HUGE.] So basically, Ellis told me that the only shot these kids have to learn English is through ME - once a week in large classes! Talk about overwhelming...

Before I could feel too overwhelmed, Ellis proceeded to tell me something that was SO encouraging. She told me that rather than focusing on trying to teach the students many things, I need to RELAX & ENJOY my job.... and just try to make English class fun. (How's that for a job description? I think I might be able to handle that...) I am not expected to give any exams, so that helps to make the atmosphere more relaxed. Basically, I think the logic is... if we can get the students to practice speaking English more with me (an intimidating foreigner, apparently), then they will have more confidence to speak to other foreigners in the future, which automatically gives them opportunities to practice English. So, one of my major goals is to INCREASE student talk time dramatically - a challenge since most of my students seem to be incredibly shy.

I'm actually impressed with their philosophy of education - at least as it pertains to me (minus the large, only once/wk. classes!). I like the idea of focusing on making learning fun and interesting rather than throwing a ton of standards and pressure upon teachers (like we do in the States). It's kind of interesting... I have TONS of creative license. They gave me a textbook (just yesterday), but have strongly encouraged me to devise my own lesson plans. Apparently, there hasn't been a whole lot of success with the textbook. I appreciate the freedom, but a little bit of structure/direction would be nice. Fortunately, I have some really helpful websites to refer to for resources.

Yesterday afternoon, I was given one minute notice (literally) that I was supposed to have a meeting with the 9th grade English teachers in the lunch room. You would expect that since they are all English teachers, they would have been communicating in English, right? Of course not! It's difficult... even they are intimidated to speak English to me when they are around each other. So, most of the meeting consisted of me looking at them wide-eyed, hoping that I would get some translation. The meeting was somewhat helpful, though. They outlined their expectations for me (in a round about way) and told me they want me to prepare lots of worksheets, pictures, videos, etc. We discussed different ways to increase student talk time... but I'm not sure that they liked my idea of pairing the students up to practice English together (they told me that the students would just speak in Korean to each other). So... I've got my work cut out for me! They also informed me that they want to see my lesson plans a week from Monday (I will be at orientation all week). It would have been kind of nice to know earlier this week... I've just been sitting at my desk catching up on emails and studying little bits and pieces of Korean because I didn't have anything else to do! (Hil laughed when I told her about this and just nodded her head... apparently it's typical to find out these things much later.... after time has passed that could have been used more efficiently.)

Extra Classes Already...
Yesterday I was informed that I am "required" to teach an after school class two days a week for two hours. They will be paying me extra for the extra classes, which will help with Sallie Mae... I think I will like the after school classes because I will have much smaller classes, so hopefully I'll be able to get to know those students yesterday.

Co-Teachers
I've really been enjoying getting to know my co-teachers!!! They are all SOOOO friendly and welcoming. I've had two conversations this week that have been particularly encouraging to me.

The first one took place Thursday afternoon with Ellis (English name), one of the English teachers (she's the one that told me to relax and enjoy). Ellis is single, just barely 30, and has a pretty high proficiency in English. She has volunteered to teach me some Korean, to take me around Seoul, and to even go places outside of Seoul with me... because according to her, she has LOTS of time since she's single. Please be praying for her... I'm not sure where she's at, but I think I might have some opportunities in the future to share the joy of the Lord with her. So, also be praying for opportunities and courage for me to share!

The second encouraging conversation took place yesterday afternoon during lunch with Meesuk Kang. She teaches moral education and her desk is right across from mine. We ended up being at lunch at the same time and sat down together. She spent 2 years in the US before, so she also speaks English very well. Meesuk Kang is a Christian and loves the Lord very much. I asked her how she came to know the Lord and she explained that during her time in the US, she had a host family that took very good care of her and showed her the love of Christ. Her life has never been the same since! She told me that she prays for the Holy Spirit's leading before each class - a quick, but very powerful prayer! I also had the opportunity to share my story with her - when my personal relationship with Jesus began, why I'm in Korea, etc. It was such a sweet time of fellowship! Both of us are very excited about our new friendship. I'm looking forward to many more conversations with her. She is incredibly genuine... and knows what it's like to live in a different country, so she's been extremely sensitive to anticipate things that I may need. I was so excited after having lunch with her - I was nearly giddy (hard to imagine, I know)! It's just so sweet to see how the Lord is answering prayer... thanks again for your faithful prayers!

Overwhelmed

I am overwhelmed in the best way possible, I think. The Lord is so good. His love endures forever. He is definitely at work... and I'm very excited. Please continue to pray... and let me know how I can be praying for you as well! I will update more later, but I really need some sleep...

Apartment Update

Thank you for praying about our living situation. It appears that we are going to be staying where we are at. We've explored pretty much avenue possible and it sounds like nothing is going to change. Even though it is much different than Sara and I both were originally expecting, I think God might have a purpose for it all. We just don't know exactly what it is yet. Tonight we met kind of halfway for dinner and it worked out all right. I guess one of the positive sides of this is that we have more of an excuse to do exploring together. It's also a blessing to have cell phones!

So... since I am going to be staying at the Co-op, I've decided to post pictures of my apartment. My dad wanted me to post pictures of the unpacking process... but it was such a mess! So, I'm not planning to post them. But here's what my apartment looks like when it is exactly the way I want it to be:


This is a side-view of my little kitchen. I have one stove burner, a microwave, a dorm-room size refrigerator (inside one of the bottom cupboards), and a sink. On the right side, you might notice a shelving unit sticking out. That's for my shoes. Koreans (or maybe it's just an Asian thing in general) take their shoes off when entering any living space. There is actually a short step separating the entry way from the rest of my room. Interesting, huh?


My desk with my laptop and TV (which will probably just serve as a dust collector) and pictures. Next to my desk is my wardrobe and dresser drawers. The silver drawer is a little different because it has a mirror on top when you pull the drawer up. It folds out and has little compartments to put make-up or whatever in it. It's actually kind of inconvenient, so I just decided to use it for storage. The white column next to the wardrobe is my pantry. It pulls out and has wire shelves in it. The Koreans are definitely space-efficient.


The inside of my wardrobe. It is colorful, so I decided to take a picture. I need to get more hangers for the rest of my clothes. The vice principal brought some hangers from her home for me to use yesterday, which was pretty sweet.


My bed, window, and air conditioner (top left corner). The air conditioner actually comes with a remote control, which makes me feel very technological and high-tech. I like my blanket and purple pillow... compliments of my mom. :)


An outside view of my little bathroom. I have Kate's infamous white bow hanging on the door handle - we tossed it back and forth the whole semester that we roomed together my junior year and she sent it with me here.


Notice that the shower head just sticks out of the wall and the water splashes all over the floor. It is different, but works out pretty well. The left corner has a small sink and narrow mirrors on both sides of the wall. I don't know if you can tell or not...

So, that's my apartment! Downstairs, I have access to a laundry room, fitness center, and a restaurant (although the restaurant is somewhat pricey, so I probably won't frequent it). The apartment is located downtown, in the midst of quite a bit of hub-bub, which has it's pros and cons. I decided not to take a picture of my view from the window because 1) it was already dark when I was taking pictures and 2) it's not that great of a view at all... so don't worry, you're not missing out!

I will be sending out an email with my address for those of you that have been asking for it. I decided it would be better to send it via email.

Update on my School:
I love Cheongyrang Middle School! All the teachers are so friendly and welcoming toward me. I had a wonderful conversation with one of the English teachers today, but I'll have to tell you more about it tomorrow. I really need to get to bed!

Oh, and I successfully managed to get to school today on the bus without getting lost! And I'm getting more and more confident about navigating the subway system. It's fun to feel like I know where I'm going - at least somewhat! :)

Blessings & Random School Stuff

Hilary = amazing
Last night I met up with Hilary, one of the girls from Bethel who taught here last year and is teaching for another six months. She's been one of my primary contacts as we prepared to come to Seoul. She has been absolutely incredible the whole way through - helpful information, encouraging words, etc. I'm excited about spending more time with her. When she came by last night, she brought cell phones for Sara and I because some of her English-teaching friends from last year went back home and obviously didn't need them anymore. Definitely a huge blessing! She also brought me a T Money card (absolutely necessary for using public transportation - buses and subways) and a whole bunch of other goodies. It almost felt like Christmas! We went to dinner and I was able to find some non-spicy Korean food (dumplings and pork cutlets). I decided it would be a good idea to just get some kind of food into my system, rather than insisting upon being adventurous and trying to fit in with the culture. I really enjoyed my time with her... I'm so thankful she's here. I can't wait until her and Sara are able to meet up. Hopefully Friday night...

The sweetness of jet lag...
Jet lag has been rough. I woke up at 4:45 a.m. the past two mornings. I should probably get to bed, but I'm hoping that staying up later will result in possibly sleeping a little longer. I'm not sure how great of logic that is...

My Classes
I found out that I will be teaching a total of 22 classes each week. At first, I was somewhat overwhelmed. Then the co-teachers told me that I would only need to prepare two lessons - one for 7th grade and one for 9th grade. The 9th graders are at four different levels, so the lessons will need to be modified slightly for each level, but that's not too big of a deal. I'm thinking I might have a lot of free time on my hands... which will be something new for me. We'll see if it actually works out that way...

Yesterday and today I spent most of my time at school meeting my classes and introducing myself. I've got my introduction pretty well memorized by now - talk about how names are different in the U.S., draw a rough map showing where Indiana is in the US, talk about my family members, share about my travel experiences... end with the challenges I faced when I was learning Mandarin in China and strongly encourage my students not to be afraid of making mistakes! Most of them are very timid and afraid to use their English because they don't want to make mistakes. I'm trying to come up with some reward system for students that use their English words -regardless of whether there are mistakes or not (I'm open to suggestions...). The introduction is kind of long... takes up the whole class, but that's what the teachers have asked me to do. I try to weave in new vocabulary words (like "sibling") along with questions for the students to answer about themselves. Hopefully I will remember to take pictures of my family tomorrow. Everyone wants to see what my handsome brothers and beautiful sister look like.

So Beautiful!
Oh, that reminds me of something funny. I'm pretty much convinced that any girl that has a low self-esteem should just live in/visit an Asian country for awhile. When you walk into the classroom, all of the students gasp and say, "Oh, so pretty! So beautiful!!!" It is kind of awkward... Sara and I laughed about our stories together. It's really weird when I'm walking in the hallway and the 7th grade boys shout, "Hello! I love you!" They have no idea what they're saying. I just shake my head and smile...

Most random question ever...
The most random question I had today from a student was: "Teacher, what blood type are you?" My blood type?! Apparently, in Korea, people think they can measure your temperament based upon your blood type. According to my blood type, I am supposed to be "funny." They're stereotype definitely makes me laugh... I'm not sure that it would hold up under any of the psychological tests we talked about in psych measurement.

There's so much more to share, but I'm afraid this post is already much too long. Life is such a whirlwind right now. So many changes. I need to learn the Korean alphabet and learn how to say basic vocabulary beyond annio haseyo (hello).

Good night friends! Thanks for "listening" to this culture-shocked girl... and thanks for all of your prayers!

Pray for our Living Situation...

Wow, so much has happened in the last several hours/days! So much to blog about... it's overwhelming! The biggest piece of news is in regards to my apartment situation. My apartment is tiny, but works for my purposes. My co-teachers, vice principal, and principal have all been amazing in helping me with everything I need and more. Today my principal brought mugs, silverware, and pots and pans for me to use. They are all concerned about me because I don't like spicy food very much, so I eat rather small lunch meals and they know that I don't have anything to cook with. I feel like I have several mothers taking care of me. It is kind of funny... and incredibly sweet.

Also, my co-teacher, Young-Chae has been bending over backwards for my friend Sara and I. We were unable to contact each other for several hours upon our arrival in Seoul because we were immediately taken to our respective schools and apartments. At the time, we had no idea how far away our apartments and schools were from each other. Thanks to the wonderful Internet, we have been able to communicate and actually arranged to get together this evening, which was good. The news is unfortunate, however. We live nearly an hour away from each other by subway! We are very disappointed and have had multiple conversations with our co-teachers about moving us closer together. The situation was nearly taken care of today at one point... and then completely dissolved due to several external factors. It is too long and confusing to explain. Basically, our co-teachers have investigated every possible avenue that they can think of to arrange for us to be closer together. Today I was told that our situation is impossible and hopeless.

After several long conversations, Sara and I have decided to continue to dialogue with the SMOE about honoring our initial request (we actually requested multiple times to live either together or near one another before we even left the States). It is a very frustrating situation and has taken most of the day attempting to figure something out. I think we are going to be calling an official that is higher up in the ranks tomorrow about arranging a face-to-face meeting. We've been told that we must be firm and determined in order to have our request honored...

In the midst of all of this, I'm kind of torn. I would absolutely prefer to live closer to Sara. It would be so nice to be in the same apartment complex... to be able to share meals together, cook together, share lots of memories. Living an hour away makes traveling during the weekdays rather difficult. At the same time, I am wondering if God has a purpose in all of this. Perhaps there is a reason we are separated? Perhaps God has strategically placed us where He wants us? It's difficult to know. In the midst of trying to improve our living situation, we both acknowledged that we want to be careful to preserve relationships with our co-teachers and others. It's hard to know exactly what we should do... please be praying for wisdom!

My First Day of School

Today went well for the most part. I met several other co-teachers and was overwhelmed with how friendly and welcoming they were toward me. I had several people tell me to ask them for help if I need anything at all. They were so very kind.

Lunch was interesting. Everything was spicy except the rice, soup, and nectarines. One of the co-teachers suggested that I start bringing my own lunch. She offered to bring her own lunch too, so that I wouldn't feel left out or whatever. A very kind gesture. I'm thinking I'm seriously going to have to ask God to give me a higher tolerance for spicy food even though I don't even want to like it... and probably for seafood too. Interesting the two types of food Korean is known for (spicy and seafood) are two of the types I avoid at nearly all costs. Oh well... I'll learn to adjust... part of the adventure! :)

So much more to come...

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands... Including Seoul!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand... For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you. Do not be afraid... for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:10, 13

The Trip
Well, I am here - in Seoul, South Korea. It was a long trip. We left my house around 9:15 a.m. Sunday morning. Goodbyes were difficult at O'Hare, but the flight went very smoothly. In fact, I didn't feel like it was really 13 hours and 15 min. Fortunately, I was able to catch several naps. Sara and I sat together and we also met a couple of other English teachers, which was encouraging. I arrived at my apartment last night (Monday evening) at about 9:00 p.m. Needless to say, I was quite exhausted.

My First Friends in Seoul
After we arrived at the airport, we met people from the SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education) and boarded a bus to meet our respective co-teachers at Midong Elementary School. I met my vice principal (Park Young-Soon) and my co-teacher (Kim Young-Chae). I was a little nervous at first, but both of the women are so very kind! Young-Chae gave both Sara and I her cell phone number so that we can be in contact. She also told me to feel free to call her at any time - even if it is at night.

I don't think Sara and I are living very near to each other, but we don't really know for sure yet. I don't think Sara has internet connections yet either. Hopefully she will today at her middle school. Both of us are teaching at middle schools. I'm not sure how many middle schools there are in Seoul, but one Korean woman told us yesterday afternoon that there are more than 500 elementary schools in the city alone! Wow.

The Apartment
Young-Soon and Young-Chae took me to my apartment. I have to admit... on the car ride there, I was beginning to wonder a little bit about what I had gotten myself into... and wondering if a year is truly 365 days. But, the Lord assured me that His hand is leading mine.

When we got to my apartment complex, I was surprised by the peace I had when they informed me that I had not been expected to arrive until next week because of orientation. However, they quickly cleaned my apartment and allowed me to move in.

About my apartment... it is cute and very small, as in one room. I will post pictures later. I am glad I'm the only one living here, otherwise I would probably feel over-crowded. However, this will work quite well for my needs.

Young-Soon and Young-Chae helped me move in and checked the condition of all the furnishings and drawers with me. It reminded me of our check-in forms that we always had to fill out at Bethel.

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand." Psalm 73:23

As we were checking the apartment, I have to admit... I was feeling somewhat emotional. Very tired, overwhelmed, culture shock, and missing my family. I tried not to cry, but I couldn't keep the tears from coming. I was somewhat embarrassed, but the women were so kind to me. Young-Soon (my vice principal) sat down with me and let me show her one of our family pictures. She studied the picture very carefully, asking me questions in her Korean/English. She told me that she has a 28-year old daughter and a 32-year old son. I don't know what it was about her, but she was comforting.

When the women found out that I hadn't eaten for several hours, Young-Chae went to grab me food (although I didn't know that was where she was going at the time). She brought back 2 liters of water (which I was SOOOO thankful for), some orange juice, milk, and a chicken hamburger. I was really touched that she bought a hamburger for me. It was a kind gesture - trying to give me something that would be somewhat familiar. I must admit, I didn't eat it after they left because I just wanted to call home, shower, unpack, and sleep. However, I was really touched by their thoughtfulness. I was also incredibly thankful for an internet connection.

I finally got to bed around 11:30 p.m. last night... and then woke up this morning around 5:00 a.m. That's definitely jet lag! I'm glad I didn't have to worry about over-sleeping though. Young-Chae is coming to pick me up this morning around 7:30 to take me to school. I think today is just an orientation day. It sounds like I may actually do some teaching tomorrow. That ought to be interesting...

"Morning by morning, I wake up to find the power and comfort of God's hand in mine
Season by season, I watch Him amazed, in awe of the mystery of His perfect way.
All I have need of, His hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me."

I'm Here Safe

Lots to share... but I need to find my clothes for school tomorrow morning, straighten up my little apartment somewhat, have a much-needed shower, and SLEEP!

Thanks for your prayers.

My Lovely Familia...

So, I'm really thankful for my family! I was so blessed by the time we shared together last night. Lots of delicious food, Grandpa's jokes and stories (he shared most of his repertoire), Aunt Sally's laugh, coffee with my Uncle Anthony & Marie, lots of hugs (a given at family gatherings), my cute little cousin Ava, admonitions to be careful from my Papu, amazing grandparents, unexpected gifts, overwhelming encouragement from aunts, uncles, and cousins. Even though everyone wasn't able to come, it was great to see most of them. I know that everyone that wasn't able to come would have like to be there... I guess that's why email is a wonderful thing! It was just a sweet night. I'm blessed with a pretty amazing family! [There's so much more that could be said... but I'm not exactly sure how to express it all...]

I've also been realizing that this is a pretty major time of transition for the rest of my family. Emma just started middle school and cross country. Caleb is now in high school, taking algebra 2 honors, and playing Penn football. Josh is a junior - driving to school and playing bass for chamber choir. Zac just got back from Catalina Island Camp on Wednesday and is leaving for Purdue today. I'm leaving for South Korea tomorrow morning. My mom starts her new job next Tuesday (she would start on Monday, but it's Labor Day and she gets holidays off with her new job!!!). Both my mom and my dad are trying to find a new van because our other one is about finished. Lots of change, I think.

Amidst all the changes, I am so thankful that the Lord remains constant and faithful. He continues to overwhelm me with His great faithfulness.

I've also been amazed by the peace I've had through this whole process. Although there have been a couple of moments of panic over the past couple of weeks, I've really been overwhelmed with peace throughout most of it, especially this past week. I realized yesterday that it's probably because so many people are praying for me. So... thanks for your prayers, you amazing people!

He's Always Been Faithful to Me
-Sara Groves

Morning by morning I wake up to find
the power and comfort of God's hand in mine.
Season by season I watch him amazed, in
awe of the mystery of his perfect ways

CHORUS:
All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me

I can't remember a trial or a pain he did
not recycle to bring me gain. I can't
remember one single regret in serving
God only and trusting his hand

CHORUS

This is my anthem, this is my song, the
theme of the stories I've heard for so long.
God has been faithful, he will be again.
His loving compassion, it knows no end.

So true!

Random

There is so much to blog about I don't even know where to begin.

God is FAITHFUL.
I love my family.
My brother Zac is coming home from Cali tomorrow morning!
I leave for South Korea on Sunday (Zac goes to Purdue Saturday).
My Mom has a new job!!!!
I'm trying to pack everything I need into two suitcases... and just might make the weight limit!
My coworker and dear friend Jordan made us an AMAZING lunch Saturday afternoon and gave me the sweetest note that totally blessed me .
I am thankful for the sweet times I've had with friends lately, although the goodbyes have been bittersweet. I have particularly enjoyed times of prayer together.
Nana made chocolate chip pancakes for me last week and gave me coffee and took good care of me.
My mom has been spoiling me.
Emma needs to paint my nails soon before I leave (she just reminded me)... and we have to play checkers.
My sibs and I all got Vivanno drinks last week from Starbucks while my parents were on their date night... and we didn't like them, but had a nice time together.
I enjoyed spending the summer at New Life.
Grandma helped me with my letters and took me out to breakfast and hemmed my six pairs of pants (they just make them too long!) on Monday.
Kate came to visit me and we had a marvelous time a couple of weekends ago. The highlight for me was our time at Panera.
Dad took me out to lunch last week and we had a great time.
I finished backing up my computer pictures and documents.
God's been overwhelming me with His provision. It is so encouraging to know that He knows what I need better than I do and is more than capable to provide it!
Sara's parents had my family over for a lovely dinner Saturday evening.
I like random phone dates with friends over the phone at our respective coffee shops when distance separates.
The Olympics are fun... I should watch them more.
I got to see Jana and Char-uh-bee with Megs for an Egle 101 reunion.
Our girls night was fun last night. Josh made a really nice fire for us.
I really like the hymn Jesus I am Resting, Resting.
My brothers are amazing.
I'm still adjusting to my new glasses.
John 15 is my favorite chapter right now.
I feel restless and kind of ready to go and wishing I could skip the goodbyes (not because I don't want to say goodbye... because it's easier to just keep acting normal).

Overwhelmed with His Faithfulness (once again)

The faithfulness of the Lord continues to amaze me. He surprised me with a divine appointment this morning and overwhelmed me with an incredible reminder of his great provision. He is so faithful.

The goodbyes have begun. This morning, I had coffee with Hope and just had a wonderful time of sharing with her. I will certainly miss her, but it is so encouraging to know she is praying. Last night, I was so blessed to have dinner with Mrs. O, Mrs. Fisher, my mom and Emma. The fellowship was so sweet. I savored every bit of it. Mrs. O shared the following verse and hymn with me as encouragement as I prepare for Korea:

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. - John 15:4 [This passage has been a recurring theme this summer... I think the Lord just might be trying to teach me something!]

Jesus I am Resting

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
Sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.

Waffles, Watermelon, & Sisters

Today was a big day according to everydayisaholiday.com: National Waffle Day, National Watermelon Day, and Sisters Day. My family did an excellent job celebrating each of the "holiday" festivities today. It was grand.

Growing Up...

I am officially starting to feel like a grown-up for the following reasons:

• I bought new shoes last night. The main concern was not fashion, but arch support.
• I bought new sunglasses (because my other ones broke... lasted 3 months though, which is some type of record for me) and wanted to make sure there was adequate UV protection.
• I get sick if I don't have sufficient amounts of sleep, thus I find myself going to bed much earlier than my college days (and even those were on the early side sometimes).
• I get sick if I have too much sugar/caffeine at once.
  
• When preparing for meal time, I try to figure out a way to incorporate healthy fruits and vegetables.
• Junior high kids in the youth group have no idea when I refer to memories from my childhood.
  
• I'm learning about the wonderful, ridiculously confusing world of taxes, insurance, and the like.
  

I'm okay with growing up, though... even if it does make me feel old sometimes.

Everyday is a Holiday... and other randomness

Update on things with South Korea:
Sara and I have both received our visas!!! We are almost ready to apply for our traveler's insurance and send in the most ridiculous tax treaty document ever (talk about a headache!). My contacts and new glasses have been ordered. God is providing for me in ways that continue to remind me of His incredible faithfulness. Yesterday I found out that Bethel owes me a $100 dorm deposit refund (things got lost in the shuffle with me studying abroad last semester). It's absolutely perfect timing... because that is exactly how much my insurance will be costing me for the first three months. The Lord is SO FAITHFUL!

Everyday is a Holiday...
This is complete randomness and the result of boredom at Meijer Starbucks. A few weeks/months ago, I was talking with one of my coworkers about being bored and livening things up with celebrating random things. My friend Sara (who is going to Korea with me) had mentioned to me several months ago a really silly, fun website: www.everydayisaholiday.com.

Tuesday was national lasagna day - so my siblings and I ate lasagna for dinner while my parents were on their date night. We made it extra special by eating in the dining room and playing Imaginiff afterwards.
Wednesday was cheesecake day - so two of my coworkers and I bought cheesecake to eat during our Experiencing God Bible study at Bella Vita, which was absolutely marvelous!
Today Jordan and I made up our own holiday - Christmas in July. This consisted of purchasing white chocolate peppermint mistos, playing Charlie Brown Christmas music at Starbucks, making announcements over the PA about our white chocolate peppermint special for the day, and sharing some of our favorite Christmas memories with one another. Totally cheesy, and totally fun.
I'm not sure what we're celebrating tomorrow.... but it definitely helps the time at work go by faster... and makes for some fun memories. You can rest assured... I will continue to update you on my holiday festivities throughout the month of August before I leave.

Time for me to go to bed... I get to open in the morning!