better late than never...

about a month ago for chuseok, my new church had a thanksgiving dinner for all us poor foreigners who needed food and some love. it was a great time.. and afterwards we all climbed namsan to the seoul tower... at 2 in the morning.

awesome.

food!

dinnertime..

starting a game of charades (l-r: christy, jeff, ashley, and... i don't know her name)...

ridiculousness abounds...

lol

daniel explaining to me what i have to act out.

grace and i. grace is from denver (REPRESENT!), but she came to korea a few years ago, met the Lord, and is growing SO much in her walk. she is an absolute riot. i am so blessed to know her and to see the evidence of God's Spirit at work in her life. i cannot wait to grow in friendship with her.

and this is nicole doing heaven knows what. lol. no, she's just really getting into her 'word' ... nicole is puerto rican, but she's here teaching english. her english is phenomenal. right now her work is really demanding, so we don't see much of her, but we're praying that she'll get more time off, so we can see more of her. :)

with ashley, eunice, and grace. oh, that embarrassingly prevalent peace sign. just can't get away from it ::sigh::

.the group of us.

christy is awesome. after 8 years in the UK her accent is as thick as anything. :)

daniel's an artist.

playing a game the koreans know and love. i could never get the hang of it. it involved 4 sticks and a board with a list of what to do with various combinations of those 4 sticks.

and afterwards we drove into seoul and climbed namsan to the seoul tower. it was so much fun

the ladies.

the tower

eunice is an awesome young woman. a graduate of the same seminary in seoul that daniel and emily attended, she is such a servant. i am thankful that God so sovereignly brought her into my life.

well, that's all, folks. thanks to william for all the great pictures.

my precious children...
here's the shot with heidi that i promised. she's so dear. and she got a new hair-do this week, of which she was extremely proud. she was sure to include it in the get-well cards we all wrote and decorated for peter this week. he had to stay home with a terrible cold.
and then there's the most recent vocab development, which all the children seem to be picking up so much more quickly than such useful words like "there" and "didn't". it has dramatically changed the air in the classroom - literally.
i don't know where, but the most fascinating word in a child's vocabulary has begun appearing out of thin air. (why this constant reference to air, you ask?) it is ::drumroll please::

peter: wendy! wendy! no farting!
miss ruth: peter!! where did you learn that word?!
peter: (uncontrollable giggles)

the little ones are eating what we translate as 'fish bread'. they are dough-covered red beans in the shape of a fish...the koreans love 'em! a grandmother outside our building cooks and sells them for 250won (25cents).

the weather is getting colder, so i'm having to pull out my sweaters and start making tea both at work and at night after walking home.

last weekend emily took me to a flower market in yangjae and then to cosco. we bought cheese and hamburger meat and buns so jody and i could make hamburgers. that exciting event happened monday night after work. it was rather ridiculous how excited we both were. mrs. kim even gave me the school's microwave (since we don't use it there anymore!), and jody was able to thaw the meat. haha. it was almost like being home. jody, who is from tx, is really missing his beef, and this korean dietary emphasis on vegetables and fish is causing him to waste away. where's the steak, mashed potatoes and gravy?!

i am continuing to read e.m. bounds book on prayer. his thorough understanding of the power, importance, and results of prayer encourage me daily as i seek the Father's heart. i sense i am growing a lot in my attitude towards the Lord. the biggest area is surrender. now that i am more in that place, i am wondering why i have struggled so much with the Lord and His purposes for me. if anything, i am more willing to drop everything and run at His call. it's a good place to be and i'm not anxious to leave it... it's a place of peace and grace for which i am so grateful.

be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the peace of God,
which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
-philippians 4,6-7

randomness...

my tea that brittany and stefanie brought back from china. it starts as a little green ball and unfolds in the hot water in about 30 seconds. i had to be fast...

brittany, jackie, and ambrose out in seoul for stefanie's birthday a few weeks ago. ambrose is ridiculous. they are expecting their first little one in about 4 months, and so they just finished the process of finalizing jackie's visa to the UK. (jackie's from CA.) i am grateful for the support they've been to brittany, as they are part of her church in seoul.

brendan (good irishman, rolls his 'r's like you wouldn't believe, loves his catholic mass in seoul, beer and the pub atmosphere) took to singing to the group out on the street. a great guy. like him a lot. and john (canadian, blonde) just chill... takin' it all in. this group was really quite eclectic.

and then here's jody and stefanie... jody has become a friend recently. he lives a short distance from me and has begun attending the same church as me. it's been a real joy to have another believing friend nearby. he's from tx and teaching at an american-run christian school here in suji.

the past month or so brittany, stefanie, john, jody, and i have taken to having friday movie nights with pizza. i am thankful for God's wonderful provision after the long months of consistent solitude. i look forward to seeing how God leads and guides each of my friends, as we are all waiting on Him.

lead me, Lord. i will follow.
lead me, Lord, i will go.
You have called me. i will answer.
lead me, Lord. i will go.

this is a tribute to my children, who have made my time in korea so meaningful.

i love them.

here is danny. danny is 8 years old, and i have had him almost the entire time i have been in korea. the first few months i had him, he didn't say a word. i marveled at his neat handwriting. then, miraculously, one day after several months he opened up his mouth and glorious english came out. this boy is incredibly sweet and persistent and genuinely cares for his little sister, who i also taught for a short while. danny is a perfectionist and struggles to stay up with the rest of the class, but he never gives up. he works so hard to communicate. i am immensely proud of him and am reminded of him when i wonder if my teaching is effective.

here is john. i am so sad to say that i am no longer teaching john, because he has moved to an international, all-english kindergarten. still, for the whole year i had him, he was a joy to teach. he brought so much life and ridiculousness to our class, and i've missed him a lot since he left. an out-going boy, competitive, quick, and creative, he was the first to finish the warm-ups (where they have to write a story and use their imaginations... which they LOVE doing) and the first to jump at a game. his english was amazing, and i often forgot that english wasn't his first language. i miss him.

this little snapshopt is one of the only ones i have of heidi. i need to get another of her. (she must have been absent the day i got one with the others.) in any case, this little picture does almost nothing to convey the sweentess of this little one. heidi has been in my class for almost a year, and i knew almost immediately that she was a christian, because she was always talking about Jesus and how much she loves her older brother. it is through her, that the Lord has answered small heart desires for things like a new wallet, a pen, and lip gloss. how could she know how the Lord uses her? she's a jewel to have in my class.

this is my wendy, who is 7 years old. last fall i taught her phonics and how to read, and now she is creating her own stories with dialogue and present, past, and future tense. she's amazing. if i came to korea just for her, it would be worth it. she takes life by the horns and dominates it. i am proud of her and love her so much. please notice she is wearing my glasses - upside down.

and this is peter. peter is sehwan's younger brother, and the dearest little thing ever. he is extremely competitive when it comes to dictation. he is the master speller in the class. he would totally win the spelling bees back in the states. and i have found out that he is a romantic, too. LOL. sehwan teases him about having lots of little female friends and drawing stars, hearts, and pictures of princes and princesses in his notebook. also, i have had to pull him and cara apart on occasion. (oh dear. i promise i have not been encouraging this kind of behavior.) i love this boy so much. now he's using correct past tense when he tells me stories. yay! the big challenge now is not so many run-on sentences. he has taken the word 'and' and run with it. lol

and this is little cara. cara is a short and stocky little thing, but she's incredibly intelligent. the youngest of the group at 6, she has remained consistently one of my best students. her english is phenomenal. one year ago she would cry if her favorite pencil was stuck underneath the table; now she holds her own quite well with the older, bigger kids in the class. as an only child, she has received a lot of attention from her mother, who is so kind and caring. apparently, her mom is very well known in suji as having a genius child, and many mothers in the town have come to ERC because cara is enrolled here.

News flash:

1) it's friday!!! i cannot begin to describe how happy i am about that. and i know i am speaking on behalf of everybody here at ERC, as well. it's been a rough week for all of us, for some reason. nothing that can be pointed out, though.

2) the lady who serves us dinner downstairs says my language is alive when i'm talking (aka - i'm extremely animated). she doesn't speak any english, but i know she and the other ladies who cook for us get a kick out of me when i'm talking at the table with the other teachers.

3) we've been watching a copy of Cars in a few of my classes. the boys love it, though i know that they couldn't understand half of the slang and cultural aspects. so much of that movie is geared towards the american point-of-view, which is why i love it, too. it makes me long for home! life is a highway.. and i'm gonna ride it all night long... and 'mater is forever my favorite character. those two front teeth and the usage of the word 'knowed' is enough for me.

4) my friend jody is ridiculous.

5) i saw bikers on the road today. yes... black leather jackets, harleys... the whole nine yards. and i decided i had to share that with you. somehow, korea and bikers is just a humorous combination to me.

6) today mrs. lee brought in fries... only sweet potato fries. never had those before. :)

7) i finally bought my ticket for germany this christmas! YES! thank you to everyone who prayed. the trip will only be a week ~ dec 22-29, and i'll have a day and a half to recover from jetlag when i get back, so it works out well.

i love you. the end.

dear friends,

i just wanted to ask for prayer as i try to make plans for germany this christmas, as well as big decisions regarding the Lord's calling in missions.

please pray for clarity, peace, and confirmation. i am fighting for that 'rest' that hebrews 4 talks about, as well as the easy yoke/light burden Jesus promises in matthew 11.

your prayers are coveted. i bless you and thank you for your support.

love,
ruth

North Korea Scare:

I would like to alleviate everyone's concern about my current safety here in South Korea since the alleged nuclear testings in North Korea.

I just registered with the US Embassy, so they are aware that I am living in Korea, and should there be any problems, they should have no problem getting ahold of me. They have my address, phone number, and passport information. I am also receiving email updates from them, so I know what's going on in the political arena from this part of the world.

I have also spoken with my boss about what to do in the case of a potential threat. She said that if the situation does become potentially dangerous, that she will make sure I am sent home safe and sound. I do not doubt her in the least.

The situation from the South Koreans' perspective is one of care and concern. They recognize the threat that Kim Jong-il poses, but I don't sense major anxiety or panic on their parts. While the news seems to be addressing the issue more (I have seen Korean news anchors talking about the nuclear tests and showing President Bush's speeches), there seems to be a sense of control and order.

Amidst it all, I am confident in the Lord's sovereign hand and care over the big picture and over my life. I'm doing just fine! I am reminded of Isaiah 40 (verses 16, 22-25)...

Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing...
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent
to dwell in.
He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.
Scarcely shall they be planted, scarcely shall they be sown, scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, when He will also blow on them, and they will wither, and the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.
“ To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy
One.

MY WEEKEND ADVENTURE!

on saturday i met up with my friend stephanie's boyfriend jarrod (left) and his coworker ken in seoul, and we visited the COEX aquarium at samseong station. it was pretty impressive overall... had a great time!

and on this delightful note... i'll close for now. more pictures to come later... (thanks, jarrod, for some of the pics)

Joyful Church

i also wanted to enclose a picture of some of the new people God has put in my life. after much prayer, i have felt the Lord leading me to a new church that, translated, is called 'Joyful Church'. it is actually a Korean church, but they offer English translation at their 2pm service. there are between 5 and 10 internationals who come, and they make room in the back for us to sit and listen to the translated message through little headphones. i am anticipating wonderful growth in the Lord, as the church is full of faith and the Spirit, and the pastor preaches the uncompromising Word of God. he is unafraid to address head-on the issues of sin, spiritual warfare, holiness, and the difference between living in the flesh and in the Spirit. all these are spiritual truths i know, but i am thankful for the opportunity to be under that teaching once again.

for my birthday a few weeks ago, the international group surprised me one night and brought over cake, some pears (in season right now in Korea), and a big container of German fruchtbonbons (fruit candies). it was rather amazing, because i had given a much smaller glass container of those same bonbons to my german friend thea while she was here. i had seen that they were made in germany and so thought she would really enjoy them. so when i received those same german bonbons (only more and bigger), the Lord promised me great fruit in what i pour out for the germans.

i guess this is also as good as time as any to say that the Lord has answered a prayer of confirmation in my life. i feel that He is indeed calling me to Germany. and while this probably does not come as a shock to most everyone who has known me for a long time, only now am i able to realize how long i had to keep my desires in check and fully submitted to the Lord. now i have greater freedom to dream... this is an exciting time of preparation and prayer, as i begin to see the Lord making things clear - things that have been simmering on the back burner for several years now.

please pray for me as i begin applying to missions agencies. the main one i am interested in is Operation Mobilization (OM). may the Lord continue to lead me by His Spirit.

Praise the Lord!

fun!
last week was fellow william&mary alum michael's last weekend in korea, so i made the trek into seoul to say goodbye. i also finally got to officially meet another wm alum - susan - during her stay in korea. i joined their group for fun times at 'seoul forest' which was really just a big park. and so here we are with the ubiquitous peace sign.

"Holy, holy, holy,
the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come." - Revelation 4,8b

Thank you to everyone who prayed for me to get better. The tonsilitis was quite a shock to my system, but I am thankful that it came at a time when I was able to rest, and I am doing so much better! The past week is the big holiday time for Koreans, Chuseok - Thanksgiving - so with the holiday time already given, I only needed to ask for Monday as a sick-day.

There is a shortage of English reading material here in Korea, and so today I was reading a novel that I had bought for a few dollars in Seoul. In reading it, I could not help but marveling at the wonderful life that is found in Jesus Christ... and I have found it. I realized my heart was weeping for those who do not know what life - TRUE LIFE - is, but instead those whose lives are bound by selfishness, darkness, and pain. In one ugly word, sin.

I cannot help but remember the parable Jesus spoke of the man who found the treasure in a field, and after hiding it went and sold everything and bought that field. Is not a relationship with our Father in heaven, purchased so sacrificially through His Son at Calvary, worth such a price - all that I have or am? And, the paradox that comes in giving up my rights! To repenting of my hypocrisy and selfishness and pride... to trading it in for a heart that is soft in the Potter's hands. To be used of Him. To be loved of Him. To be known and treasured by Him. To spend eternity worshiping at His feet.

As I live in Korea, I see it is the first "mission field" to which God called me, though it is not where I would have picked or even imagined. But no matter where He has me, I see the Lord calling me back daily to His feet, to remind me that He is my treasure, He is my lifesource. And the invitation I gave Him to be Lord of my life invited His Presence into my life in a way that makes me different.... not because I'm great, but because He is in me.

/barret reunion/ 2006/

as you can see, i am still trying to filter through and post pictures from my time at home. an event i did not want to forget was the gathering of my small group Bible study girls and dear friends from William & Mary. lindsey and i graduated a semester early (dec 2004), but the rest of the girls finished with our class in may 2005. since i was coming home, my parents graciously opened up their home to allow the girls to crash for a night. even local richmonder, dear friend (encourager!) and fellow alum sarah lehman was able to make it.

we did nothing special, really - just caught up on what each of us had done in the year since graduation and shared the joys and struggles of what it's like to leave the euphoric bubble-like experience that college is and struggle to make sense of what the real world is supposed to look like. as courtney so hilariously said, "what do i do with all these gifts from God that i neither asked for, nor wanted?" for many of us, we could honestly say that it had been a rough year, but we were learning to trust God in the midst of it.

last week during one of my quiet times, the Lord took me to Psalm 81, a chapter He used to encourage my faith last fall. as i remember all of the girls' struggles, i look to the promises of the Lord. His Word never fails.

"You called in trouble, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!
There shall be no foreign god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
I am the LORD your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
Psalm 81, verses 7-10

catching up around the dinner table

Barrett 3rd (and Sarah) reunion (September 2, 2006). I think we look lovely!

Older.. and wiser, eh? Five years later, Lindsey's still trying to pick my nose.

....
This is the website of one of my good friend's church: http://www.liquidchurch.com

Good sermons online. And for some laughs I highly recommend the iDate video on the September 28th post.

where i'll be hanging out...

yesterday i came down with something, and i'm not faring well at the moment. swollen tonsils have caused a fever, body aches, and the sweats... please pray for me, dear ones.
tonight i went to a Korean thanksgiving dinner for internationals at GEM - global english ministry - and everyone was so kind. a doctor was present and he took me to his home to get some medicine. he and his wife ministered to me. God is indeed good.
depending on how i feel i may/may not go to work tomorrow, but thankfully tuesday-sunday is free because of chuseok (thanksgiving). praise the Lord!