My Cup Runneth Over 

The past few days have been so awesome. Like David in the 23rd Psalm I can truly say, "My cup runneth over." I wanted to share a few pictures with you.

Here is the Global Mission Church children's choir. They sang for GEM (Global English Ministry) last Sunday for the Thanksgiving celebration. I don't know why they did it last week instead of this week, but anyway... the kids were so cute! and quite good, too. They sang in English, Spanish, and some Latin, too. Very impressive for elementary and middle school aged kids, don't you think?

Here are Sehwan and Phil acting ridiculous. Sehwan always makes that face when he's pretending to be so pleased with himself - when, for example, he answers a question very well and I say how impressed I am. LOL. So I wanted to capture that look for you all to see.

Here are my little ones - Turkey Indians! They had a blast coloring and then playing with their new hats.
On Saturday we had a big western Thanksgiving celebration. It was held at Dave and Winnie's work place - the SIM Korea office in Migeum. Since the Pitmans (Dave & Winnie) are the only ones equipped with an oven and a full kitchen, she cooked the turkeys. We also had stuffing (sent from the States), cranberry sauce (from the army base), real mashed potatoes, fresh fruit and veggie salads, apple dumplings (my contribution!), rolls, and pumpkin pie. Not only that, we got to eat with forks, too. It was so wonderful to spend time with new friends over familiar holiday foods.

The troops in the kitchen :)

And the young ladies (Maria, Kelsie, Laura)... This weekend I found out that Kelsie is returning home to Alaska, because her father is sick. The doctors are not sure what it is yet. Please pray for his complete healing. Nothing is impossible for our Lord!

The first serving ;) ...

(L-R) Maria, Amanda, Emily, Diane... the ladies at my table. Diane, I discovered, spent a summer in Gloucester, VA; she was considering working as a professor at W&M! She is quite the live wire, and already we have shared several laughs. She has already been in Korea for 4 years, and she is currently teaching at an international Christian school. Her daughter, who is about my age, is coming sometime in December, and since many at GEM are planning on returning home for the holidays, it will be a true gift to have someone my age here during Christmas.

Here I am with Emily Chang, who I have gotten to know only in the past two weeks. She is Romanian, came to Korea to get her Masters of Divinity, met her husband Daniel Chang at school, and is now part of the worship team at GEM. Last Sunday we spent 3 1/2 hours talking at Dunkin' Donuts... the time disappeared we were having so much fun! Her heart is for Muslims in Greece. We are very different in personality and humor, but we click quite well. I do believe I have made a new friend. Pray for God to bless our friendship.

  Here's the whole gang. I don't know everybody's name or story, because we're a new group - some arrived at or about the same time I did - but we are growing closer and closer together as each week passes. May God richly bless GEM and everyone who is involved.

After Thanksgiving lunch, Maria, Emily and I raced to meet Jacob Ru, who takes us to the orphanage on Saturday afternoons. It was a wonderful time. We introduced the songs "Deep and Wide" and "Jesus Loves Me" to the children, and though some don't even know their ABCs I know that songs are one of the best ways to teach children a new language. After a few feeble attempts at the music, we began to play with the kids. This time I was a horsie, and I had two very enthusiastic elementary school boys on my back. They took quite well to the rough-housing! :)

When we got back to Migeum, I met up with Laura and Winnie, and we took the subway to Yangjae station to the Yangjae Onnuri church, where I met up with Lauren and Michael Jeter (another W&M grad - yay reunion!). Along with about a thousand others - Koreans and foreigners alike - we spent an evening hearing a man named Brother Yun speak. Brother Yun, called 'the Heavenly Man' by his coworkers and members of the Underground house church in China, was a young man when he gave his life to Jesus, and God called him to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was pursued, imprisoned, and tortured, but God performed many miracles through him. He shared some of his story with the help of his translator and partner in ministry Brother Wren (a Finnish man who has spent the past 20+ years laboring in China). Here is the website advertising the event: http://www.yuninkorea.com . It was a powerful night. How refreshing it was to be in a place where faith is - faith for God to move by His Spirit, to perform many miracles, and to bring many thousands into His kingdom, no matter how intense the suffering and persecution may be. I was greatly challenged, encouraged, and renewed. What a gift from the Lord. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it. Buy it and read it when you have few other distractions, and before you do, ask the Lord to prepare your heart to hear from Him. Our Lord is always speaking. May we have ears to listen and open hearts, desperate to obey Him - no matter what the cost may be.

Here Brother Yun is speaking, with Brother Wren translating for us. With what authority and power both men spoke and prayed for those in attendance.

Happy

Thanksgiving!!!

how was your thanksgiving?

mine was a little different... but God is so good to me!

i talked with my family. and my broncos won. yay!

denver vs. dallas

24-21 (overtime)

http://nfl.com/gamecenter/live/NFL_20051124_DEN@DAL

my all-time favorite ecard

http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product1000110051143935-2;-102001;11441;-102238;68110P1R7SOproducts

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. ~ Psalm 100

UPDATE:
i have only a few moments before i need to head off to school, but i wanted to take a moment to update you. (here's for some fast typing).

i can comfortably say that i am fully recovered now. thank you for all your prayers and concern. i know the Lord heard from on high and raced to my behalf. just last night mrs. kim told me that even though she had stayed up all night with me and had to go go go the next few days she was still not tired. she said it was God's Spirit working in her. hallelujah!

in other news:
miss yun (the skinny one in the halloween hat) has moved to another ERC campus. what i did not know before was that she actually was not hired for suji, but she merely came for the first few months to help our campus get settled and to instruct our teachers in ERC teaching methodology. her departure also explains mrs. kim hiring new teachers- cindy and jenny. cindy is 26 years old and the softest, sweetest young woman ever. she is petite and beautiful and easily embarrassed. :) of all the teachers she is the only one married. over dinner last friday she told me the story of how her husband proposed to her the first night he met her. anyway, i like her lots!

jenny is a recent addition who i liked immediately. she is 23 y. o. and actually lived in australia for 15 years because of her father's business. she studied law and needs to return to australia to finish her degree. when she speaks in english she has the australian accent, so i find it quite pleasant to be in her company. :) also, she lives in my apartment complex, so i'm hoping we can hang out outside of school. 


the kids seem to be thriving under a firm and loving hand. yesterday when i complimented dennis on his great new haircut, he beamed and told me that it was his grandmother's birthday. today, after mailing a few letters and paying my electricity bill (i do that at a bank in "downtown" suji LOL), i picked up a few goodies at the Hi-mart to add to my goodie basket. we'll see if there is an occasion to reward good behavior....

First Trip to a Korean Hospital! 

it has been a hard 36 hours. around 6 pm yesterday i started feeling sick to my stomach. i was still in migeum, so i took the bus home and by 8 i began throwing up. most everybody was in seoul, but mrs. kim came and took me to the hospital. the doctor was so kind. he said i had acute gastritis, which he explained as inflammation of the stomach due to high acidity. so they began pumping nutrients into me through an IV. when they thought all was well, they began helping me get ready to leave- putting my coat and shoes on. i must have passed out, because the next thing i knew i was back in the bed - stuck full of IVs and oxygen tube... this time b/c my blood pressure was extremely low. so more fluids and trying every 10 minutes to see if i could stand up without passing out. we must have tried 4 or 5 times....

mrs. kim stayed right there with me. we were at the hospital for 5 hours and didn't get home until 5:30 in the morning. there was no way i could have worked today... i have slept most of the day (and i had planned yesterday the days i would go work out this week. LOLOL!). tonight after work mrs. kim and esther came by, bringing phil and sehwan with them! it was such a blessing to see them. they were so worried, and they each took turns struggling to pray for me in english. apparently the boys had been in esther's class, but they were bored. i asked them if my class was hard... they said no, so i told them i'd have to think of ways to make it harder. LOL. anyway... i am tired so i should go. praise God for mrs. kim and the love people here have shown me. nothing is too big for our Lord, and i praise Him for His care.

would you pray for complete healing? and please stay in touch so that i, too, can pray for you.

Galbi (Korean BBQ) & Karaoke


After work tonight a bunch of us went out to eat and then for an experience of Korean karaoke. It was a great night, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
For dinner we had pork cooked on grills right in the table... and did you know? They don't use knives as much as scissors to cut the meat and any other food that isn't manageable for chopsticks! I'll never forget my surprise initially when I saw a server cutting food with a pair of scissors.

And unlike American dining, Koreans do not serve meals in courses; they bring out all the food at once and it's a communal eating experience.  
Clockwise: Cindy, Hannah, Miss Che (our secretary, who will be moving to the Yeongtong branch with Lauren), Mrs. Kim, Esther. 


And here is a picture of the men. On the far left is a guy who is moving to work at our campus. I forget his name, but I feel sorry for him - the sole male amidst all the females! The man behind him is the one who does our advertising, and the two men on the right are the ERC shuttle bus drivers. I see them ever so often as they come into ERC for some water or to discuss the pickup schedule with Mrs. Kim.


Here I am at the karaoke place, standing next to a famous older Korean singer. I don't know who he is, but Esther seemed to get a kick out of seeing him there. 

For karaoke, we reserved a room that was complete with a table, an L-shaped sofa, two microphones, 2 thick songbooks full of Korean and English songs (many of which I didn't know, but some that I faintly recognized). I confess I was ashamed of my lack of knowledge of English music, though the Korean I could not help. There was also a disco ball and a TV showing the lyrics and music videos that definitely did not correspond to the songs we were singing to. Esther and I sang "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. That was definitely my favorite. Overall, I was reminded of elementary school days at the roller skating rink, singing and skating to well-known songs, and I truly enjoyed myself... once I got over the fact that about 7 or 8 of us were making complete fools of ourselves in a small little room. And we were staring at the screen to make sure we got the words right... LOL. I'm telling you - these demure Koreans can really let loose sometimes! After seeing how much fun they have, I can see why karaoke is a popular pastime among Korean youth....

Migeum Station, the Korean Subway System....

Here I am at Migeum station in Bundang after church this past Sunday. Behind me - on the 8th and final floor - is my church Global English Ministry (GEM). It is part of a much larger Korean church of 10,000 in the building behind this one. In case you can't see, there is a good deal of English mixed in with the Korean on the signs. Not only is it because I think Migeum has a lot of English schools (and hence, a lot of foreign teachers), but it's also because most Koreans want to speak English very much.
Within the past few days the temperature has dropped considerably. Last week I could wear a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans comfortably, but now I'm having to put several layers on, along with my coat and scarf if I want to keep the wind from cutting through me!

If I want to go anywhere via the subway, I take Bus 11 from Suji to Migeum, and from there I can go all over Seoul. Believe it or not, the subway system here is easy, clean, and very efficient... much to my relief. Before I came I looked at the subway map in horror. The DC metro scared the bejeepers out of me, but I find that this is a piece of cake. And while it isn't the most exciting thing to be underground, it's a cheap and a lot less dangerous than dealing with Korean drivers! Here is one of the signs... If you go to the Korean subway map, it's the 3rd from the last stop on the yellow line (down at the bottom).

http://www.smrt.co.kr/english_smrt/cyberstation_smrt/cyberstation.jsp

I finally remembered to bring my camera to church with me, but I forgot to take pictures until the service had been over for a bit. Wish I could have gotten more of the crew, but I'll try again soon. Here is Amanda, Laura, and Kelsie. I don't know Amanda well, at all, but I have found Laura to be a true kindred spirit. And Kelsie is quite the fireball. I love teasing her about being from Alaska: the state that's not really part of the union... it always gets a rise out of her! The joke is not mine originally, but from another foreigner who when he met Laura (from Wisconsin) and Kelsie, turned to Laura and said, "Oh it's so nice to meet another American!" Kelsie was shocked that he didn't so much as acknowledge her and said as much to us, "What? Doesn't he know Alaska is state number 49??"

Friday night after work I went over to Maria's place to watch Little Women with her, Laura, and Kelsie, but we ended up taking a taxi to Samsung Plaza because the girls were desperate for fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts. LOL. Unfortunately, Krispy Kreme is not open all hours of the day and night here in Korea, so at 11:30pm it was closed. Instead we went to a chicken place, where we told the server we just wanted some nachos with cheese. Five minutes later we had our nachos...... preceded somehow by 4 cold steins and an overflowing pitcher of beer. How we came to order the beer (4 young American women with almost no understanding of Korean) will remain a mystery, but it definitely brought a lot of laughs!

On Saturday I visited an orphanage with Maria and three men from my church, including the pastor Bob Kim. This orphanage is actually a woman's apartment, where she and her husband care for 14 orphans. It was such a powerful experience for me that it's a little hard to put it all into words. The children's ages range from 6 months to 15 years (a girl named Sofie with pretty good English), and they are all desperate for love and attention. We took off our shoes at the entrance in keeping with Korean custom (amidst the sea of children's shoes) and within two minutes of sitting down on the ground, a little girl had inched her way into my lap and was holding my hands in hers. They wanted touch, but they were also "greedy" in that they reached for anything we had. It was an odd experience, but it made me want to give them all I have and more.... It also reminded me of when I was growing up - the times of not having a lot of material possessions but ever so many kids in the same house. I am praying about helping out on Saturday mornings/afternoons as the church develops a plan of action for reaching these little ones. Already I am praying for opportunities to love them with the wonderful love of Jesus Christ.

On another note, the past week and a half was pretty rough. All last week was difficult not just for me but for everybody at ERC. On Tuesday during a warm-up game of 'Simon Says' Dennis kicked off his shoes amidst his regular uncontrollable behavior, and one of them hit Min in the face. Her nose started bleeding and she started bawling. A few days later two boys from ERC (not in my class) ganged up on another student on the bus. These situations and the overall atmosphere at school reminds me that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood..." (Ephesians 6,10). Every day I am mindful to remain in prayer. Is not our God bigger than anything, and does He not eagerly wait to answer the prayers of those totally submitted to Him and hungry for His hand in their lives?

And for me, I confess that the cultural adjustment continues. Some days I love being here, and other days I feel so wonderfully American... and it completely clashes with the Korean way of life and thinking. I am trying hard not to be impatient or condemning of myself, but after a while it gets exhausting. The Korean work ethic puts Americans to shame, but sometimes it borders on such legalism that it can be suffocating to me. I am praying for God to restore all joy.

It is late and I need to get to bed. (Holy mackeral it's 1am. What am I doing still awake?) Thank you all, dear friends, for your love and support. I ask for your prayers... and I point you to Jesus. He alone can sustain us, fill us, and enable us to live victoriously. Amen!

Happy Pepero Day!

Yesterday, November 11th, was Pepero Day here in Korea, and the only American holiday I can best relate it to is Valentine's Day. It supposedly began in 1994 when two schoolgirls in Pusan (a city in the south of Korea) exchanged these chocolate covered breadsticks on 11/11 (representing 4 sticks standing straight up), wishing each other to be as slender and pretty as pepero sticks. More cynical individuals believe it only to be a marketing trick of Lotte, the company that manufactures the item. Since its' recent inception, however, it has come to be a way to express love or goodwill to those around them. In any case, yesterday I was bombarded with these little treats and even another rose from John. The day was filled with a wonderfully festive mood, and I allowed more playtime than usual.

I confess, however, I found the lightness of the day a strange contrast with the understanding that in the West the ideals of honor, sacrifice, and democracy would be celebrated... Veteran's Day. And while I feel that I can do so little to acknowledge the men and women who have suffered and died for freedom, I wanted to pay a small tribute to them on my little corner of cyberspace. Your labor and sacrifice have not gone unnoticed. Thank you.

On another note, a rather strange development has occurred in my 2nd class. Since their English has not quite reached the level of spontaneous creation throughout the whole class period, I would often gasp in mock horror whenever I heard them speaking in rapid Korean, and I would say, "Is that Korean I hear?! Oh my goodness, in here we only speak English!" Well, these kids have taken that phrase and run with it. Now they catch each other when they slip into Korean and say with a pointed finger "ONLY ENGLISH!" The culprit will look around with a guilty face and cover his/her face with little hands. Even when I use a random Korean word, they will all look at me with glee and shout, "ONLY ENGLISH, TEACHER!!!" Trust kids to never let you get away with anything.

CANDY!

Amy has a long tongue.

They were having a blast with their fruit rollups in class yesterday, and I couldn't help but remember my elementary school days when fruit roll-ups were by far the coolest treat you could bring in your lunchbox. The only time I had one was when I exchanged something else far more healthy. Oh, but it was hoarded and treasured all day long!

"Mrs. Ruth"

Here I am - as Esther says - looking like a professor. It's actually just the best way I've found to look halfway decent in about 2 seconds. (Pull the damp hair up and stick 10 little clips in it). 

Mrs. Kim bought 10 Berenstein Bear books to help with Amy and Danny in my 1st class, since they are more advanced than the Little Critter books. I'm still having to come up with creative ways to challenge them and help them to improve their English in a way that is not monotonous. Please pray that Jesus guides my every step and helps me to be a great teacher to these precious little ones!

My Favorite Little Pathway

Sorry the picture isn't clearer! I was walking and realized I had my camera, so I raced to grab the shot before we got to the end of the pathway. The little girl is dawdling behind her grandfather, playing with leaves. When they arrived at the street, her grandfather reached behind for her hand. It was a natural, but beautiful scene to observe.

Amy

Amy is 7 years old and a beautiful young lady. She is also extremely intelligent. The past three days I have had her and Danny (in the following picture) in my 3 o'clock class. iIhave been very impressed with their capabilities and really look forward to teaching them in the year to come.

It is a real treat to have highly motivated children; I feel like my workload is cut in half when the kids are the ones pestering me with questions!

Danny

Danny, 7, is a great little man. The first sentence he wanted to know how to write correctly was "I will win."

 Sweet, sweet friends

Sooyeon and I on her last day at the Suji campus. Since last Thursday Mrs. Kim has officially hired a new teacher, Cindy, and is in the process of of hiring another. Cindy is great, but I miss Sooyeon!!

Let me explain. Sooyeon was hired to work at the Yeongtong branch of ERC - where Lauren and Carlos work under Danny and Wuan jang nim's care. Since Miss Che quit working here at Suji to care for her grandmother, we were left short on staff and Mrs. Kim had to begin looking for a new teacher. Sooyeon came over during the 1st block to fill in the gap for a couple of weeks. When Mrs. Kim hired Cindy, Sooyeon returned to Yeongtong full-time. From what Lauren has shared with me, I think she is a welcome friend to both her and especially Carlos. The teachers at Lauren's branch are perhaps not as much a close-knit group as my campus is (I attribute it to Mrs. Kim's loving touch), so Sooyeon's international mindset is a breath of fresh air.

This past Saturday I spent with Dave and Winnie Pitman, SIM missionaries to Africa for 35 years. With their humor and tireless tackling of life, you would never guess they're approaching 60. I had a blast hanging out with them and hearing stories of their travels. They took me to a Costco in Seoul, where I lovingly stroked beautiful American foods. Cheez-its. Goldfish. Since buying in large quantities is ridiculously expensive, I bought only a huge can of peanut butter (I know it's a worthwhile investment), a block of Colby Jack cheese (YAY!!!), and a 12 pack of muffins. Beautiful, beautiful muffins. :)

And I do believe I have a little group of girlfriends at church now. Kelsie is from Alaska, Laura is from Wisconsin, and Maria is from Michigan. With Dave and Winnie from Oregon and me from Virginia we have a little family! We went and got Baskin Robbins after church and lunch. What fun it was! After that, I met up with Sooyeon right there in Migeum and she treated me to Haagen Daz (sp?) ... yes... more ice cream. We played with scrabble-like cards and talked. Around 6 we met up with Carlos, Esther, and Lauren for dinner at a vietnamese restaurant and then went and watched The Legend of Zorro in Ori (the next town on the Seoul subway line). I thoroughly enjoyed the movie; it was a breath of fresh American adventuresome air amidst my very Korean world. 

At church on Sunday, Maria and I found out about an opportunity to work with orphans on a volunteer-basis, teaching English. I am really looking forward to checking it out and seeing if this is something the Lord wants me to pursue. We're going to visit the orphanage next Saturday afternoon.

Nichole Nordeman - Brave

From the album Brave

 

The gate is wide

The road is paved in moderation

The crowd is kind

And quick to pull you in

Welcome to the middle ground

It’s safe and sound and

Until now it’s where I’ve been

‘Cause it’s been fear that ties me down to everything

But it’s been love, Your love, that cuts the strings

Chorus:

So long, status quo

I think I just let go

You make me want to be brave

The way it always was

Is no longer good enough

You make me want to be brave

Brave

I am small

And I speak when spoken to

But I am willing to risk it all

I saw Your name

Just Your name and I’m ready to jump

Even ready to fall

Why did I take this vow of compromise?

Why did I try to keep it all inside?

I’ve never known a fire that didn’t begin with a flame

Every storm will start with just a drop of rain

But, if You believe in me that changes everything

Random, But Cool

Something random but cool happened last week. So I was sitting at my computer updating my blog when I got this IM (that's AOL Instant Message for you guys who have no clue about chat lingo). The person said, "Hi, I know this is probably weird, but I just read your blog and it's really encouraging." I was thinking, "Whoah? Who are you and where did you get my screenname?" Turns out there is a girl in North Carolina who happened upon my blog. We chatted online for a bit and found out that we'd both been in Slovakia last summer and both of us have a heart for missions. How cool is that? 

In other news: Mrs. Kim asked me yesterday if I would start up a new class at the 3 o'clock hour, beginning next Monday. The past two weeks I have not had a first class, so that 80 minute time slot is available. Right now there are only 2 students, but Mrs. Kim said that the children (a boy and a girl) are extremely smart and so have had a hard time staying in English classes for their own age. Apparently the work level for their age is too easy for them, so they get bored quickly. I told her I'd be willing to give it a shot, so next week is a trial run. I have no set curriculum and no idea what we'll be doing, but Mrs. Kim said that if ERC does not have the books or materials necessary to meet their needs, we can go to Little Johns - the English bookstore in Suwon - next weekend. I seem to be getting blessed with some of the most capable students that Suji has to offer. God is answering prayers!

I have also decided to join a gym. Actually, I have already decided, and I've been going the past two mornings! It is a YMCA about 2 minutes away - just across the busy street from my apartment complex - and I have only joined the workout area of the gym since I really only want to use the bike, treadmill and weights anyway. When the weather started getting colder, I realized that neither biking nor running fast in the cold air was wise if I wanted to stay healthy. I do not regret my purchase of the bike, however. I have used it a fair amount already (despite getting sick and having to stay inside a lot), and it makes any semi-lengthy trip (i.e. grocery shopping and lugging everything back) a good deal less laborious. I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to stay in shape. And while most of the people in the workout room are women, I did see one or two Korean guys who are actually bigger and stronger than me. LOL. My faith is restored.

CURRENTLY READING: Charles Finney's Greatest Sermons and The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

Happy Halloween!

I am SOOO glad I captured this picture for you all. When I saw John with those markers and his hat, I ran for my camera. The day was a success - Mrs. Kim was very satisfied, and the kids had a blast.

So Monday was our Halloween Party in my 2nd class. I was the only teacher to wear any kind of costume, so naturally I drew a lot of attention (on top of already being a foreigner), as well as the jack-o-lantern tub of candy. In between classes I went from class to class offering the kids candy. If anything, I think it was helpful in reaching out to the kids who are not in my classes. My kids, of course, were wired. We didn't do much work, but I think they had a really great time.

Happy Halloween!

Ok, I'm being vulnerable here, friends. This picture is absolutely horrible, but here I am in all my Tinkerbell-esque glory.

Halloween is not really celebrated here in Korea, so finding ANYTHING Halloween or "Harvest festival-ish" was quite a challenge. I ended up finding a few things at Lotte Mart, and then in Ori (where Laura lives) at a Walmart on our way back from Seoul Sunday night. 

Please notice the rules on the board... we're still working on implementing them.

In the health realm, I am just noticing the tissues on the table in the picture, too. Ha! I'm not 100% recovered yet. Still needing to sleep a lot, but I take comfort that it's not just me. Everyone here in Korea seems to be sniffling, and the other teachers are fighting sickness, too. Also, our campus is new (4 months old) so there was no heater in the building. It was FREEZING. Esther has been walking around with her winter ski jacket and huge blue scarf. LOL. in any case, the heater came last night. We'll probably take to standing in front of it, warming our hands and behinds.

Look at this character.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Miss Yun

I am sorry I have not been able to show you a picture of Miss Yun sooner. She is another teacher here at ERC - about 27 years old and one of the skinniest women I have ever met. LOL. Most of her students are the little ones, and from what I understand she has a very effective way of teaching them. The weird thing is she doesn't speak English very well. When I try to talk with her, she clams up. She's SO sweet and kind, but our friendship is slower in developing.... only as she is willing to step out with her English. Still, I really like her and believe that by the end of the year we will be good friends. 

Pray for our friendship, would you?

 Unofficial PTA

Min and John's moms brought in goodies for the kids, too. It was encouraging to have some support from the parents. Here the children are amidst all that sugar. They were WILD...

goodies for the kids

I have bought or made WAY too much candy for my students. What was I thinking? I guess because when I was younger I LIVED for the huge bags of candy I got at the harvest festivals. It was my candy stash for the rest of the year. hehehe.

Jason 

Here is a picture of Jason from my 3rd class. He's quite the character.... an odd mixture of intelligence, shyness, boldness, immaturity, and humor. It has been quite a challenge to figure out the best way to motivate the Prep class level. If I could compare it to anything in the public school system in the States, I would say the Prep level is between C level and Honors. My last class is definitely at a high Honors level.