Learning to Say "NO"

On Tuesday of this past week, my co-teacher asked me to teach two extra after-school classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00-8:30 pm at another middle school. (I'm already teaching two after school classes on Tuesdays and Fridays at my school). With the additional T & TH classes she asked me to teach, I would have the potential to make a significant amount of extra cash for each week... also, I'd be working with advanced students and I'd only have to prepare one lesson for each night. Definitely a great opportunity...

After spending a night thinking and praying about it... I said NO.

On Thursday, my vice principal asked me to start teaching a class every other Saturday.

I said NO.

Although I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunities... and could definitely use the extra cash, I just didn't have peace about taking them. Over the past few weeks, I've been feeling a bit over-committed with things at school & church and was beginning to wonder how I'd be able to fit time for PEOPLE in my schedule throughout the week. If I took the extra classes, I would have a very limited amount of room left in my schedule for "margin" and people.

Also, we've been talking about living with an eternal perspective in small group lately. While working to earn an income is certainly NOT wrong, I just felt like my heart wasn't right in taking the extra load. I've really been sensing the need to have more "margin" in my life... to have time and space to invest in eternal things, rather than temporal.

It's SO easy to slip into the flurry of activity and being busy for me... especially in Korea! As I was turning down these extra teaching opportunities this week, I was reminded that I live in a culture so different from my own! My co-teachers (most of whom are married and have children) are teaching after-school classes twice a week until 10/11 pm!!! I can't imagine being a wife and mother and being at school for that long! Even as a single woman, the prospect of 8 extra teaching hours made me feel stressed... Koreans are definitely CRAZY about education. No doubt about it.

Thankfully, I don't have to conform to the culture. I'm learning to pray for a Mary's heart in a Martha's world (I think my mom used to have a book with this title). I'm learning to say no and take steps of faith, trusting that the Lord will continue to provide for my every need in His perfect time...

Lord, you are more precious than silver
Lord, you are more costly than gold
Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds
And nothing I desire compares with you!

Late...

This morning on my way to school, I rode the bus, as usual. I was reading a book on the bus, as usual. However, for the first time (on the bus), I missed my stop because I was concentrating on my reading so much. That's happened before on the subway... but never before on the bus on the way to school. This made me very LATE for school. I was embarrassed, especially because I had to wait outside the teacher's office for about 15 minutes while all the teachers were having their weekly morning meeting. Fortunately, I wasn't late for class though.

All of last week I was telling my students that if they are LATE for class, I will make them sing a song in English in front of the class. I guess I should have sang a song in Korean for my co-teacher...

Fortunately, I work with gracious people.

A New School Year

This past week marked the beginning of a brand-new school year with lots of changes at Cheongryang.

I think we have 20 new teachers altogether this year.
Several of my co-teachers have moved on to other schools. I miss them.
But I also have three new co-teachers. I'm excited to get to know them. =)

I also have a NEW classroom... and am feeling rather spoiled! The English teachers told me that they all "envy me." I am SO thankful for this classroom... definitely a blessing!

This is the wall right outside of my classroom. (All the other walls in the school are very drab and dirty).


I did not choose the decorations or sayings, but I think my teachers did a great job. Although practice makes permanent more than it makes perfect (as my Dad pointed out), I still like the bright colors and maps.


I was happy to see the "Don't be afraid to make mistakes!" That was a phrase I used quite a bit at the beginning of last semester. The teachers surprised me by putting it in big letters on the wall.

I also have a list of Classroom Rules posted:
1) LISTEN carefully!!!!
2) Be on time for class.
3) ALWAYS bring a pen or a pencil. (You'd be surprised how many students refused to do this last year)
4) No writing on the desks or walls.
5) No food or drink.
6) No cursing, swearing, or unkind actions.

I only wanted to have 5 rules, but the teachers added rule #5 to my list, which is okay, I guess. I spent a lot of time laying down the law this week, explaining the rules and consequences. I'm afraid that I spent too much time on the rules, but all the teachers ensured me that it's good to be firm and take the time necessary to lay the groundwork for the rest of the semester. I'd rather start off too firm. I learned a lot after my first semester of teaching! I almost feel like a real teacher!!!



The screen is a "Smartboard" - touch screen. Kind of cool...



I am feeling optimistic about this school year.
Expecting greater things in 2009...

End of Vacation Highlights

The remainder of my vacation ended a week ago. Some highlights...


Spending time with Sara's parents - showing them around Seoul and thoroughly enjoying their company! This picture was taken at Gyeongbokgung - a palace that Sara and I visited toward the beginning of our time in Seoul.


Celebrating Sunghee's birthday with Zane and Janis. It was fun to half surprise her.


She treated us to Noraebang (a private karaoke room) afterward.

Friday morning, I met up with some friends for amazing pancakes for breakfast... but I forgot to take pictures! Definitely delicious...


Finally visited Namsan Tower and got a good view of the city. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't like to take pictures at night. =(


Sara and I with Jon Baker, one of my friends from college. It was fun and random to meet up with him in Seoul. He spent his first night in Korea getting to see Namsan Tower... definitely more exciting than mine and Sara's first night in Korea!


Locks at the foot of Namsan Tower... a thing that most Korean couples like to do. They each buy a lock and chain them together on the fence and then throw away the key. This symbolizes that their love will last forever or something... It doesn't really seem all that special since practically every couple does it. Korea is such a couple's world sometimes... lol!


I'm SO happy to have my Sara back in Seoul!!!


Zane, Janis, Sara and I took a water taxi for the first time with Sara's parents. We had planned on taking a boat tour of the Han River, but found out that the tours weren't running this time of year. The water taxi was fun and random to take instead. We went to Yeouido, a small island in the middle of the Han River in Seoul. We visited the 63 Building (it has 63 floors) and ended up going to a sweet aquarium. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures(again!)... it was a marvelous way to end vacation, though!

Six Months

As of today, I have officially been in Korea for six months.

In celebration, I got to see Sara again (she just returned from her trip to the States) AND her parents. We had a lovely day together. I realize I've learned a lot and adapted to a lot of things in six months.

Praise the Lord.

Collecting Dried Flowers

On Sunday, Pastor Eddie talked about drying "flowers" from God. These "flowers" basically represent daily gifts from the Lord. Pastor Eddie used the example of how girls always like to dry flowers that are given to them... to remember special people/moments/etc. Pastor Eddie encouraged us to learn how to "dry" God's "flowers" to remind us of His goodness and generous gifts. (In college, I went through the Bible study Falling in Love with Jesus. In the study, these gifts are referred to as "kisses" from the King.)

So... in effort to put this teaching into practice AND catch you up on the last couple of weeks, I will share some "dried flowers" with you:

God, I thank you for...

• My vacation time - this week and last week. It's nice to have time to just RELAX.
  
• An email that I received last week from a dear friend encouraging me to enjoy my vacation time and spend lots of sweet times with Jesus - time that is NEVER wasted! I had been worried about wasting my vacation time... but her wise words were such an encouragement to me. So, I've had lots of relaxing, UNwasted time. =)
• The opportunity to use my gifts to help plan an upcoming ministry fair at our church. It's exciting to use the gifts I've been given to serve!
• A phone call from my mother at JUST the right time last week. A moment when I was feeling terribly homesick and ridiculously emotional... God's timing is perfect.
• Lots of time to sit at cafes and read good books.
• An encouraging package that came at just the right time from a dear family friend.
• Good times with amazing friends.
• Replacing lies from the enemy with the TRUTH of God's Word... it's amazing how easily I can get discouraged sometimes...
• Reminders to place my HOPE in Christ ALONE.
• Encouraging words from a fellow teacher.
• Prayer time with my friend Grace, a "kindred spirit."
• Isaiah 26:3-4 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD is the Rock eternal. (This verse has been mentioned to me personally THREE times over the past week!)
• Reassurance that God is holding my hand along this journey...
• Confidence that God will continue to provide for me, regardless of how terribly the won exchange rate plummets.
• Reminders to keep my mind and heart focused on eternal things, rather than temporal things.
• Hearing that one of my teachers from last semester has MET JESUS!!! Such a beautiful thing God is doing in her heart!!! It's such a joy and privilege to know Christ and make Him known...
  

Babysitting...

On Saturday, I had the privilege of babysitting Bok ja's lovely 3 year old twins and their friend, Hee ju for an hour and a half. It was so much fun!!!

I think the most interesting thing that happened while I was babysitting was our reading time... they asked me to read them a book. No problem, right? Except it was in Korean!!! Rather than thinking to make it up, I struggled through and slowly read the story to them (although they gave me a few confused looks). Fortunately, we found a couple of English books after that and our reading time went much better...


Hee Ju, Song mi, & Cheung mi... three of the most adorable Korean 3 year-olds...


Cheung mi & Song mi... (they love being in front of the camera!)


Aren't they adorable?!


Hee Ju was totally content reading her own little book... (my kind of girl...)


Good times...




Already doing the Asian poses...


Wearing masks to protect them from the cold (a very common practice in Asia...)