Seoul Grand Park

Today I visited Seoul Grand Park with the Cheongryang Middle School students. It was a fabulous day! I hung out with the teachers for the most part... and took lots of pictures. :)


Did I ever mention that I LOVE living in a city where I can see mountains incredibly frequently?


Entrance to Seoul Grand Park (It's basically a zoo... and amusement park... and art gallery).


My Facebook friend... I think I may have mentioned him a few weeks ago. He totally makes me smile.


Picture with a few of the teachers... (Alice is in the middle... and Kim Kyung Hwa is on the opposite end of me - I teach with both of them).



Mrs. Moon (bright pink) & Kim Yeong Chae/Anna. Mrs. Moon reminds me so much of my mom... she's always taking care of everyone and making sure people are well fed. She brings breakfast every morning to our before school prayer time. And Anna/Kim Yeong Chae is my main "co-teacher." That basically means that she's the first teacher I met when I got here and she's the one that takes care of all of the official stuff... and is also like another mother to me (I seem to have lots of them here - though they're all great, they definitely can't replace my wonderful mother!). Anna's been really encouraging to me... I'll have to give more details about her at another time.


Apparently, the giraffe on the right needed to give it's neck a rest! We had such a great time observing the uniqueness of the animals. What an amazing Creator we have... It's neat to think that just enjoying and admiring His creation brings glory and honor to Him.


Alice, Kim Yeong Chae, and I all agreed that seeing the baby tigers was our favorite part of the zoo. The tigers were SOOO energetic and played really rough with each other. Not too different from our students...


On the bus...


Alice and I being silly... trying to mimick the statues.


Breathtaking... aren't those mountains GORGEOUS?!!!



One of my favorite things!!! Walking along roads with trees arching over the top, like a canopy. Alice and I went on a short walk and had a grand time together.... great conversations! So delightful!

Time for bed. I've got another field trip tomorrow! :)
And the PASSION SEOUL CONFERENCE tomorrow night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just What I Needed...

Okay, I promise this is the last post for tonight! I'll try to do a better job at not having them all come at once... ;-)

(Another) Break
So, this week I haven't been teaching at all. The students had mid-terms Monday-Wednesday (today). This basically means that I've had lots of "free" time at school. Of course I had super-ambitious plans to roughly plan the rest of my lessons for the semester (I can be so silly and ridiculous sometimes...). Instead, I got one lesson fully planned and another one mostly planned... So, at least I'm somewhat ahead now. It continues to amaze me how many HOURS it takes me to plan a single lesson! Since I'm not using a textbook, I guess it makes sense that it takes a little longer. My teachers keep reminding me that I'm still pretty new at teaching, so it's okay that it takes me a long time. They're so gracious to me!

It's been nice to have some extra time to catch up on stuff, though. Even though I didn't get as far ahead as I would have liked, I was able to take care of lots of little things. It's crazy that my work week is finished now. Tomorrow, we're taking a trip to the zoo (I guess a celebration for the students since they're done with exams for now). Then Friday, I have a field trip with the other Native English teachers in my district. So... that means this week I'm getting paid to sit at my desk and go on field trips. Not bad, huh? :)

A Little Dose of Humility
Yesterday at lunch, Alice was trying to teach me how to hold chopsticks. Although I'm certainly not an expert, I've definitely had no problem managing to get food from the plate to my mouth. It just so happened that the lunch menu items yesterday were slippery - noodles, pickled garlic, fruit drenched in yogurt, etc. So, I struggled somewhat, but not too bad. I was feeling okay with my progress... until Alice volunteered to buy me some "training chopsticks" - ones with grippers that they use for little kids. I felt kind of sad... and had a nice heaping slice of humble pie. It's not like I just got her last week... it's been almost 7 weeks now! :-( I know she's just trying to take care of me... and I love her for it.

A Package from Home!!!!
This morning, I was nearly running late, but saw that the front desk had a package waiting for me. Being unable to contain my excitement, I claimed it and hurried back up to my room to sneak a quick peak at the contents. My dear mother sent me all kinds of goodies!!! I felt like it was Christmas... but it would be more appropriate to say I felt like it was my birthday... because among my requested items (lovely IRS forms, a few clothes, some snacks, BOOKS, etc), she stuck in lots of other birthday goodies. The "goodies:" Reeses, a vanilla cupcake candle (how appropriate), chocolate covered coffee beans, and wrapped presents! I was nearly beside myself with excitement. I had to rush out the door so I wouldn't be late for school, but felt like such a little kid on the way to school. I was SO giddy and excited... I couldn't concentrate to read my book like I normally do each day on the bus. Instead, on my way to school, I decided that I would have to "hide" the birthday goodies from myself so that I can enjoy them on the actual day (self-control required!!!). So, when I got home, I hid them away in one of my drawers that I rarely open. That's where they MUST stay until October 19!
Oh, and I was excited to get the books because I've almost read through all of the books I broughth with me already! Just this morning, I was wondering how I would manage after running out of reading material! So... Thanks Mom, you're the best!

Okay... I think I'm officially signing off for the evening. Thanks for those of you that have read all the way through my blog frenzy this evening! It feels good to be caught up now... :) I'm sure there will be more coming soon. The rest of this week is packed with fun stuff... including the Passion Seoul Conference with Sara, David, & Tae (featuring David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Louie Giglio, & Francis Chan). I can hardly wait! But... more about that LATER!

A Few Thoughts on GROWTH

I guess I'm on a blogging kick right now... Last week I didn't have many blog posts compose themselves in my head. This week is quite different however! This post is in response to small groups on Sunday after the OEM service.

I suppose I need to give you a little bit of background before I tell you about our discussion. Last week I hit my 6 week marker in Korea - the same amount of time I spent in China. While I was in China, I began running consistently for the first time and made significant progress... even started to enjoy it. I also learned a decent amount of basic Mandarin (ordering food, introductions/greetings, directions, etc.) Last week, I started to compare my progress in China (in regard to exercise & learning the language) and felt kind of embarrassed. True, I'm not taking a consistent language course and it's not exactly necessary to know Korean in order to get around for the most part. However, that's no excuse! And... I have a fitness center in the basement of my building... and had only used it maybe twice in the last 6 weeks!

Upon arriving in Korea, I made a list of some areas I hoped to grow in, but didn't really make super-concrete goals on purpose. I wanted to allow room for flexibility/margin/grace. It's such a challenge to find a balance between being TOO detailed/obsessed with goals and allowing room for flexibility/margin. In the past, I've definitely swung from one side to the other.

So how does this relate to small group on Sunday?

We were discussing Luke 2:40-52... the part where Luke writes about how Jesus grew - intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. I used to always make my goals according to this passage, but hesitated for some reason this time. I think in the past I always made the goals and tried to accomplish them in my own strength. Since the Lord has been teaching me more about total dependence upon the Holy Spirit (John 15), I am gaining a different perspective on growth. Rather than focusing upon "goals"... I'm praying for growth. I'm not sure if any of this makes sense...

Anyway, I spent some time reflecting and praying about how God might have me grow in each of those areas this year while I'm here in Seoul. It was time well spent, I think. I'm learning so much about how I must rely on the Holy Spirit for all things... including things like getting up earlier to run. So my week started with a renewed focus and prayer for the strength of the Holy Spirit - particularly in regard to learning Korean and exercising, among other things.

Thanks for "listening" to this rambling post of mine...
~Holly

P.S. This afternoon, Alice gave me my first Korean lesson (yesterday we decided to start meeting consistently... and this morning she presented me with two Korean language workbooks).
P.P.S. I've gotten up twice this week to exercise before school!

Apart from me you can do nothing... John 15:5

OEM & Our Life Purpose

I think I promised to give a more thorough update about Onnuri English Ministry (OEM), the church that Sara and I have decided to attend. Thank you so much to those of you that have bene praying for us to find a church "home!" Several of the teachers at my school recommended that I visit OEM (http://www.onnurienglish.org). One of the teachers even connected me with her sister so that I could visit with her.

There are several things I appreciate about OEM (focus on God's GLORY, presence of the Holy Spirit, missions priority, emphasis on small groups, solid & exegetical teaching, etc.). The English service that we attend is a reasonable attendance size - about 200ish, but OEM is a pretty huge church (the Korean membership is 60,000+). I wasn't really looking to join a megachurch, but Sara and I really believe this is where God has led us. There's no doubt about it... He is working here!

This past Sunday, I particularly appreciated the sermon. Pastor Eddie is beginning a seven-part series on the Marks of a Healthy Church. This Sunday's message was about Our Life Purpose. The stuff he preached on is the stuff that makes my heart beat:

1) I am created to KNOW God (Mt. 28:19-20, II Peter 1:2, Mt. 7:20-23)

2) I am created to GROW Closer to God (Mt. 28:19-20)

3) I am created to SOW THE GIFTS of God (Mt. 22:39, Ro. 12:6)

4) I am created to SHOW [share] THE GRACE of God (Mt. 28:18-19)

5) I am created to DO ALL FOR THE GLORY of God (I Cor. 10:31, Is. 43:7, Mt. 22:37, Ps. 29:2 to name a few...)

Truly, there is no greater joy than knowing Christ and making Him known... all for His glory!!!

A Sweet Sunday with Alice

SO much to blog about... I'll have to do it in segments. I've got a couple of pictures uploaded from my time with Mrs. Park on Saturday... and then LOTS of pictures from an amazing time with Alice on Sunday afternoon.

Mrs. Park & I... notice all of the beautiful GREEN around us (a real treat for a girl that lives in a metropolitan city!)


Yes, that's a mountain in the not-so-far distance!


More beautiful GREEN!


So... Sunday with Alice:
After going to OEM (Onnuri English Ministry), Alice and I spent the ENTIRE afternoon and evening together. We had lunch at a cheap, but tasty Korean restaurant in Insadong (a tourist/traditional section of Seoul). I ordered non-spicy bibimbop (which Alice referred to as white bibimbop)... and it was delicious! I also tried anchovies and a few other Korean side dishes.

Following lunch, we walked up and down the streets of Insadong... and I actually took lots of pictures this time!








A little mall in Insadong:


Me with Alice


Yes, I've got the Asian two-finger pose down pretty well...


Alice posing as a model on a magazine cover... too cute!


Another Asian pose that I learned (perhaps unique to Korea... I'm not sure). I think I'm supposed to have my hand closer to my face and kind of covering my chin... it's supposed to make the face look smaller. Some of my friends get complimented on their "small" faces... I've even heard that some people have plastic surgery to try to make their face smaller here. Interesting, huh?


Another one of those tricks to try to make your face look smaller. Oh Alice...


Selling tasty snacks... we sampled several of them!


These guys totally cracked me up! I took a video of them. (Unfortunately, I wasn't able to post it... which is a bummer because I think you would have enjoyed it...) They made really delicious honey cakes - it's incredibly entertaining to watch them. They totally ham it up!


I got a little bit of extra special attention... since I'm a young foreign girl, you know... oh dear! They sure were funny.


This was really sweet. This guy was sitting near the street painting Chinese characters with pieces of wood. There were multiple colors of paint on each piece of wood. It was fascinating to me!


Yeah, those beautiful drawing are really Chinese characters! (The Chinese had some significant influence on Korean culture. I don't know enough of the history yet to tell you exactly...)


Mountain fruit. I'm still learning how to take close-ups with my camera, so I apologize for the fuzziness.


The fruit was mild, but sweet. I liked it. It was the first time Alice had ever tried it too. It's kind of expensive fruit since it is only grown in the mountains. I'm not sure if there is an English word for this fruit. Alice didn't seem to think so.


Posing with Snow White at this super-sweet cafe that Alice took me to. Can't wait to go back again - the atmosphere was amazing, the prices surprisingly low, and memories sweet.


Alice's turn.


You can see a little bit of what I mean by atmosphere... just look behind me!


Alice is SO cute!


We're standing in front of the entrance. Unfortunately, the sign "Cafe de Marina" got cut off. It's totally my new favorite place!!! When we sat down to enjoy our warm hot chocolate/green tea latte, we had the most amazing conversation! I am really growing to cherish my friendship with Alice. We talked more about the service at Onnuri and what it means to KNOW God. She asked me when my personal journey with the Lord began, so I got to share my story with her! We have a lot of things in common, it turns out.



After the lovely cafe, we caught the HiSeoul Music Festival along the Chunggyechun. (I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the Chunggyechun - a lovely stream that runs through the city). I'll have to take some pictures next time I'm there. It's becoming one of my favorite places in Seoul, thus far. This picture was taken to help me remember the name of the festival (thanks to the back of someone's shirt). :)


This was a really popular rock singer, Kim Chang-wan - famous especially to the older crowd.


These guys were so fun to listen to! SG Wannabe (meaning Simon & Garfunkle wannabe) was great. Apparently, they are a really popular band among the youth (not quite as popular as "BigBang" but almost). Alice told me that these guys were initially rejected as artists several times because they're not attractive by Korean standards. Finally, they got a record signing and are actually popular because of the quality of their music, rather than their looks... what a concept!


So... that pretty much sums up my amazing Sunday with Alice. We had such a sweet time together. I love her!!!

Mrs. Park & finally... a Movie Night!

I met up with Mrs. Park, my vice principal this afternoon. She invited me to hang out with her. We went on a lovely stroll around the Yangjae chun (Yangjae stream). I learned a few new Korean words. She practiced her English. We were able to communicate better than either of us thought we would be able to, which was a blessing. I really had a great time with her - it was relaxing (even though it definitely took a lot of energy to communicate) and it wa lovely to see green trees, grass, and bushes! We ended our stroll with cheesecake and coffee at a cute little coffee shop. It was grand - totally my idea of a perfect afternoon!

Sara popped over tonight on her way home from a long day of sightseeing. I've been wanting to have a movie night with popcorn since we got here... and this was the first official movie night with popcorn! (It's the little things in life...) My dear cousin sent me microwave popcorn and trail mix... which was so exciting!!! We watched part one of a four part series on Jesus in China (compliments of my Aunt Diane). It was so refreshing to my heart and made me all the more eager to learn Mandarin and soak up as much about Chinese culture as possible! Although I am loving my time in Korea and find the Korean people to be incredibly endearing, I still really miss China... and have had a difficult time feeling terribly motivated to learn Korean since it is not really necessary for survival. I'm asking God to give me a "learner's heart" (Bok ja's words) for the Korean language.

Tomorrow, we get to go to church for the first time knowing that it is our church "home" for the year! Alice, one of my Korean co-teachers asked to come along too... which I'm super-excited about! I love her... God is doing great things!

Good night friends...

Happy October!

The best month of the year is here and I'm ready to fully enjoy it! Fall is in full swing. The weather has changed significantly and I'm enjoying light jacket weather. Apples are in season and absolutely delicious (brings sweet memories of apple picking to mind). I ate an apple tonight (compliments of Mr. Chung) and lit my apple cinnamon candle followed by my pumpkin spice candle in honor of autumn. So delightful.

Loving my school... and my teachers. The students have been better behaved this week.

This morning, I was reminded of God's incredible GRACE, which I am so undeserving of! I am so thankful for the power of the cross... so unworthy of His unconditional love... and so in need of it! Bok ja gave me a belated welcoming gift on Saturday - a 30-day Max Lucado journal titled, It's Not about Me. What a timely reminder! Tonight, I had some extra time to just reflect on this journey thus far - the preparation stage, arrival, and getting settled in. Once again, I'm overwhelmed with all He's done. I don't ever want to lose that awe... praise the Lord for reminding me that this is all about HIM and HIS GLORY!

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