MOM IS COMING IN
2 DAYS!

YAY!

finally... i'm doing what i said i would do!

jody and i were able to go bike riding with some new friends today! their names are zach and amber, and zach and jody share a few classes at denver seminary. i think there must be a common love of texas here, as both zach and amber are from the great state, as well. in any case, jody and i are thrilled to meet people who enjoy the great outdoors, and so we are hoping this is the first of many rides....

the ride itself was actually quite short, but it was an introduction to riding in the mountains here. i confess i am embarrassed by how challenging it was of a cardio workout for me (the leg workout was easy). with all the spinning i like to do at the gym, it's still nothing like a workout on a real bike on a real hill... that keeps going and going! and also taking the high altitude into consideration. but i am hoping for more rides in the future, where i can really get more apt at this. and one man on the trail said it gets easier in the summer. i wonder if that's true.

in other news, i have interviewed for a nannying position and may soon be starting. i am curious to see what the job may actually entail from day to day, but i have enjoyed meeting each member of the family (including oswald the family's pet pug!). i am praying that God will direct my steps and confirm that this is the right place for me. please be praying for me and the situation!

love to you all. xoxo ruth

A Trip to the River....

Last week Jody and I teamed up with Sam and Britt and their hilarious dachshund Rustie (whom we call 'Wustie Wat' on occasion) and made a trip closer to the mountains to the South Platte River. It was such a fun trip! And the dogs had a blast playing along the trail, sniffing in the brush and attacking each other. Poor Eu-mi does not have as much stamina as Rustie - quite yet - so her main goal was just to keep up with Rustie and even just to chase after Rustie's leash. It was so entertaining!

Jody and I have often mentioned the fact that we would love to get up in the mountains, but it is a challenge to find a big enough block of time. Semester midterms are looming ahead for Jo starting next week, and I am in the middle of interviewing for a possible nannying position. And so I find the greatest challenge is just being available to meet for interviews at any time - and therefore not booking my schedule too much. The excuses are just that.... excuses... but we truly do hope that once life settles into a routine and I find a job, that we can begin to budget for little excursions up into the mountains or into downtown Denver for fun trips.

LOVE to YOU ALL!

At the River with Rustie!

Eu-mi playing fetch!

denver seminary...

behind the school there is a beautiful bike trail that stretches miles and miles both north and south of denver seminary. serious road bikers pack the trail, along with runners, walkers and families just taking their children or dogs for walks. from the house it is very easy to get to the school - about 8-10 minutes.

the mountains!

the back of the school - i think the buildings here are seminary housing

(L) the main academic building and chapel and (R) the library, cafe and bookstore ... those big windows to the right are actually doors that fold open on beautiful days. it's pretty sweet!

(L) the administrative and professors offices, (Middle) seminary housing, and (R) the academic buildings/chapel

straight ahead is the library, cafe and bookstore

the administrative/office building straight on, and yes, that is a fake, plastic coyote on a stick in the yard. it's to scare off the geese, which plague the littleton area. if only we could shoot them!

I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9,2

Jody and I are loving the time we have spent here in Colorado so far, and we praise God for His daily provision for our lives. We love our basement apartment, our new little puppy Eu-mi, our bikes (and the paths to ride them on!), and the chance to start life afresh in America. On top of all this, we are so thankful for the chance Jody has to study at Denver Seminary, and we have really enjoyed meeting other students there. There is such diversity in situations - some go part-time and study over five or six years, some go full-time and try to finish in two or three, depending on the degree. Some are married with children, others are couples with no children, and still others are singles. It is so much fun to meet people where they are, and Jody and I are praying for good friends through the school.

While Jody goes to class, reads books and writes papers (repeat x25oo in that order), I do everything I can to keep the house clean, Eu-mi going potty outside, do laundry, make food (as cheaply and creatively as possible!), and job-hunt. But I do everything I can - before I do all that other stuff - to make time with the Lord a top priority. It has been so encouraging for me to sit down and spend time in the Word and to seek His face about His plans for us and for me, personally. I am beginning to see Him heal disappointments and frustrations about Korea, and my faith and hope is being renewed that indeed, His plans are to give me a hope and a future!

The Newest Member of the Been household...

Meet Eu-mi (or Yoo-mi, as Jody likes it)!

Our puppy is a girl dappled mini dachshund. We decided on a Korean name and found the sound (Yoo-mi) to be fun and easy to say. Eu-mi comes from a litter of 8 pups out in Elizabeth, CO. We picked her for her bold and feisty personality, but also for her love of snuggling. She has proven to be a joy and quite a big job at the same time, and I'm thrilled to have her in our home! She loves to wrestle with her toy Molly the Moose, to play fetch, and to sit on our laps on the couch and sleep for hours at a time. Jody and I are both pretty thrilled that she's going potty outside about 85% of the time, and she's slowly adjusting to sleeping in her crate at night. We will all be rejoicing when we can all go to sleep happily and quietly.... but in the meantime, Jody and I are thrilled by how quickly she's learning!

So you're probably thinking.... 'What are Jody and Ruth thinking - getting a puppy!?' Well, let me tell you....

About three weeks ago Jody and I began spending more time with some friends we met through Denver Seminary... Sam and Britton, who also moved here for Sam to start working on his MDiv. One evening we went over to their apartment and met their beautiful and hilarious young dog, Rustie, who is a mini dachshund. As we played with her that night, I noticed that she didn't bark, smell badly, shed, or act needy and whiny. And she wasn't big enough to be much of a bother! For the first time in a long time I thought that just maybe I could put up with such a breed.


So Jody and I began to talk and pray about getting a puppy. The more we thought and prayed about it, did our research on breeds and prices, and just asked Sam and Britton for advice, we decided we could do it. For the first time, we feel more settled in life. We don't plan on moving for a couple of years, so we finally feel like we can offer a good home to a pet. Also, Jody is and will continue to be very busy with school, and as a result I have a good deal of free time by myself. And while I am job-searching, my schedule is flexible, so I can easily devote the time needed to train her. In short, we felt peaceful and excited about it!

This past Saturday (yes, Valentine's Day, haha) Jody and I invited Sam and Britton along to check out the litter of puppies and to see if there was one we could bring home. In the end, we found this little one, and we're loving the time with her.

Come visit! She's so much fun to play with!

Week #2

Jody survived his first week of classes, and I am really impressed at how well he has responded to the workload. He's taking 14 hours, which I think will keep him busy, and he comes home full of exciting new tidbits of knowledge all the time now. It makes life fun and interesting!

Though the weather is cold, he has started riding his bike to the campus. I think it will wake him up for the 8 o'clock classes he's taking...

I continue to job hunt. It is a slow and painful process, but I'm holding fast to the promise that the Lord will provide all our needs. Please pray for an open door!

Welcome to Our Home!

In the three weeks since Jody and I moved to Colorado, we have attempted to settle and accomplish as much as we could before Jody began classes at Denver Seminary. And here we are, three weeks later, with the first day of classes looming before us tomorrow. The time has flown! I confess I am exhausted and yet rejuvenated, weary of all the unknowns we have had to live with the past five months and yet thrilled that we are entering a season of new everything! It is fitting, at this point, that I acknowledge that apart from the grace and mercy of God, we would not be where we are. I am so thankful He has taken care of us, and I am disciplining myself to remember that He will continue to be faithful, even though I don't know yet where I'll be working or how our daily lives will look once this semester gets going.

I am thrilled about one thing - our home is mostly in order! The most pressing walls in the basement have been painted (the living room / hall and the master bedroom), the boxes and trash have been removed, our items have found their homes and I have been able to catch up on laundry, cleaning and pantry-filling. We have been able to live and move from day to day with enough rest to keep going. God has indeed been faithful.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, called us and encouraged us. Please don't stop! We rely on those prayers and words of encouragement.

These are just a few pictures of our new place, but if you want to see more, please click on this link - it will take you to my (Ruth's) facebook account, which has an album with more pictures.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=216068&l=54bca&id=853925610

Our First Meal in our new home!

Jody and I are loving our kitchen! We don't have an official table, but this little breakfast cart is serving us very well. We love making new foods, too!

Our new favorite brunch dish! We love it!

Update #1

Jody's wisdom teeth surgery went really well. There was the possibility of touching a nerve in the bone on the bottom as well as going through a hole in his sinus on the top, but neither happened, praise God! He was extremely loopy afterwards, and he had me as well as the medical staff giggling to no end with his talk. But with a SONIC milkshake and The Dark Knight to keep him happy, he settled into the Beens' recliner and rested for the next several days. A subsequent visit to the doctor assured Jody that he was doing well and had avoided the dreadful dry sockets.

Update #2

We have successfully moved! On Sunday Jody and I rented a U-Haul in Pampa, and we packed up all our stuff and said our goodbyes. Early Monday morning we made the drive to Littleton, Colorado with no problems. Praise God! We have been here almost a week now and are getting settled in. The basement, where we are living, is fairly old ('60s), so it needs a fair amount of work, but we're excited about making the improvements. We'll start painting in the next few days, which will speed up the process of settling in. :)

• The highlight so far was Melissa (the lady whose basement we're renting) finding a used refrigerator and stove for $95 off of Craig's List. Woohoo! The kind gentleman from whom we rented the U-Haul gave us an extra day and 100 miles for free, and we needed both so we could go and pick up the appliances at the former owner's home. It is amazing how the Lord worked it all out. I used them yesterday and am thrilled that we have a functioning kitchen. God is good.
  
  

Update #3

I am officially Ruth Clementson Been! We went to the Social Security office and got that taken care of finally.

Update #4

We both have new American cell phone numbers. If you want to reach us, email me at ruth.been@gmail.com and we'll let you know how you can give us a call. We get free minutes after 7pm mountain time and on the weekends, of course. How exciting!

Tomorrow morning Jody is getting his three remaining wisdom teeth removed. I'll let you know later how he's faring.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9, 6-7

Dear Family and Friends,

I wanted to take a moment to write you all and wish you a Merry Christmas. Yay for yearly updates!!! As I am writing, I am sitting in the home of my in-laws. Today is Christmas Eve, and I am starting to get excited. Gifts are piled under the tree, candles are lit throughout the house, and homes throughout Jody's hometown are decorated in lights to celebrate the holidays. It is wonderful to spend Christmas in America this year!

2008 has been a year of definite growth and change for both Jody and me. We finished our season of teaching in Korea - closing a huge chapter in our lives and saying goodbye to many good friends. Then we had to transition back to life in America. It has been exhausting. We have had to move countries, spend months with in-laws, live frugally, coordinate to compile all our stuff in one place, apply (and get accepted!) to Denver Seminary, and find a place to live once we got there. It has been a huge challenge for us, but God has been faithful through it all!

Perhaps the biggest challenge, however, has been the waiting. We had decided that Jody would pursue seminary back in February, but there were months of waiting in Korea... and months of waiting here in America. It has been a long season of growing and waiting in faith on God's timing, but we are thrilled to almost be there! And even now we see the Lord's guiding hand, leading us step by step.

We plan to move up to Littleton, Colorado early January, and Jody will begin classes on January 26th. We will be living in the basement of a Christian family's home about a mile away from the school, which is close enough for Jody to reach by bike. Yay! (I got a bike, too, which I am tremendously stoked about. Scroll down to see a picture of it.) I will begin looking for a job. I do not know yet what my options are, but I am praying for God to prove Himself faithful once again! We are also thrilled to be moving to Colorado - where I was born, where my parents spent significant time and raised part of our family, where the Denver Broncos are (woohoo!), where Jody and his family often vacationed, and where it is easier to live an outdoorsy, athletic lifestyle. We could not be more thrilled. :)

I would be remiss if I did not at least mention another great part of 2008: our first full year of marriage! This past August Jody and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary- woohoo! We are so thankful for the time we had in Korea to start learning how to be a team. In another culture it often feels as though it is 'you vs. everybody else', even if it is not the case, so we learned to work together. Now we are learning new lessons as we face the challenges of life in Amerca. It is humbling and challenging, but we are determined to grow. And the Lord is faithful to multiply love and grace between us as we work through all the logistics of life. We love each other more than ever!

As we start a new phase in our lives, we wanted to let you know how dearly we love and miss each and every one of you. We hope and pray that Jesus, the One called Immanuel, God With Us, will be with you this holiday season and into 2009. May He be the Lord of your heart and the One who directs your steps. God bless you and Merry Christmas!

Please keep in touch!

the beens

jody.been@gmail.com

ruth.been@gmail.com

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103, 1-5

The past week was a full one for Jody and me, and we are overwhelmed with praise at God's goodness to us. Last week was full of Thanksgiving festivities. We celebrated with both sides of Jody's family. Pictures are soon to be posted on Facebook, at least of one side of the family!

Then, Monday morning Jody and I left early for Colorado. It was roughly 450 miles from Pampa to Littleton, going through the Panhandle, northwest through New Mexico and then straight up I-25 to Denver. We arrived at Denver Seminary in good time and were ushered to their guest apartment, where we stayed for two nights. On Tuesday we took the campus tour, visited two classes, the chapel, and had lunch with Jody's academic advisor. We even found out that the owners of the school's cafe are Koreans and we are sure to have Korean food for lunch should we want it! YAY!

After a busy day at the school, Jody and I went and visited a basement that was on Craig's list for rent. After viewing it, talking with the family that lives there, and praying a LOT, we decided to go for it. The basement has its' own separate entry, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen (that yet needs appliances), free Wi-fi, washer/dryer, all for $500! We are so thrilled by God's provision. The family sounds really great and are strong Christians. Truly, for the Littleton/Denver area, I do not think we could find a better situation for where we are and what we're trying to do - get Jody through seminary without going into debt.

Now we are back in Texas, catching up on rest from that busy visit, and praying for a job to open up for me once we move and settle in Littleton. Overall, we are greatly encouraged in our faith and are anticipating what God will do in the future.

The Clementson Girls

Fall 2008

MY NEW BIKE!

Thanksgiving is approaching!

To all whom we love and miss, HELLO! I know that you probably feel like we have dropped off of the face of the earth, but Jody and I are still alive and kicking. Please forgive me once again for the delay in blog-writing. It is challenging for me to operate healthily and consistently without a regular schedule and being sensitive to Jody's parents' schedules, as well. But I am praying for grace, health and the love of Christ to flow from me no matter what situation I find myself in.

Right now I am sitting in Pam and Alan's office and listening to Brian and Jenn Johnson, an amazing husband/wife team of worship leaders, based out of California ( http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=90954097 ) . The house is quiet elsewhere, as the parents-in-law are out running errands, Jody is working, and I am taking the day off to rest. I needed a day to just be alone.... and I will not lie, it has been wonderful.

Two weeks ago we returned from visiting Jody's friends in Austin, TX. Since then we have been helping his family friends the Andrews (consisting of Jeff, Sharron, and their three daughters Rachel, Rebekah and Ruth) move from one home to another here in Pampa. Jo and I rouse ourselves around 8 and toot across town (5 minutes from one end to another!) and receive instructions from Sharron for what she wants accomplished that day. Mostly we have been boxing and just taking the boxes to the new house. A few days ago we spent a good amount of time trying to catch the koi fish in the Andrews' backyard pond. Since there is no pond in the Andrews' new yard (yet), they are giving their fish away. And yesterday we began taping/papering and painting the master bedroom closet in the new house. Who knows what we will have to do next week!?

In other news, two weeks ago Jo and I went to Amarillo and bought a bike for me! It is a reddish-orange colored Jamis mountain bike, and I am totally thrilled about it. God is so good! I have dreamed about having my own bike for a long time. I look forward to days on the trail and off-road in Colorado in the months and hopefully years to come.

As for Jody and Denver Seminary..... he registered for classes as of Tuesday! Praise the Lord!! I think, as of now, he is registered for 11 credits and is on the top of the waiting list for a 3-credit class. We heard he has a good chance of being added.

We will head up to the school on December 1st and tour the campus on the 2nd. Then we're planning to stay with a friend of mine Rebecca and her husband Deric, both whom are graduating from Denver Seminary this semester, while we look for an apartment. Please be in prayer for us, as we are making big decisions for the next phase in our lives.

I will close with one prayer request. I am seeing a consistent trend in my life where my body shows it is not happy when I am under any kind of stress. Often it has been laryngitis, when I lose my voice for months at a time. This year it has been that AND fever blisters. I got one in Korea this year (for the first time in YEARS!) and I have gotten two fever blisters in the past month. I am guessing that my body is exhausted from Korea, moving back to the States, living in parents' homes, and living in months'-long transition, all the while preparing for a life and seminary in Colorado. Please pray for me to find my rest in Christ and to cast all my cares on Him. He is more than enough to sustain me.

three week update.

jody and i have been home in virginia for three weeks now. we flew into richmond from seoul (via tokyo and chicago) on 2. september. the exciting news amidst the weariness of the long trip is that we were bumped up to business class for the flight from tokyo to chicago. the reason for it remains unknown, but either way it was absolutely amazing. the difference in service between economy and business was frightening. we LOVED it. and now we see why some people will willingly pay the extra $1200 to get bumped up. it's pretty worth it.

PRIORITIES:

1. sleep.
2. eat. panera's. mexican. YUMMY AMERICAN GOODNESS.
3. see family and friends.
4. take walks and enjoy how quiet and big our country is.
5. BE AMERICAN and love it.
6. (jody) complete denver seminary application. pray for acceptance.
   

we have accomplished almost all of it. jody's application is finished and so the season of waiting and continued prayer begins.

it is good to be back in america. it is also, however, VERY different this time. this time i am married.. this time i am not visiting only to return to korea again. and this time we are going to texas on october 20th and then on to colorado. time is short!

if you are around richmond, let us know! we'd love to see you. xoxoox

goodbyes at ERC

last thursday night (28. august) i said goodbye to my wonderful students at ERC. in hindsight, i can hardly believe that it has been three years since i arrived in korea and began my classes with almost nothing... just a few children's books and my own creativity (combined with a few worksheets found online). what a stressful beginning it was! and now - three years later - i have many wonderful memories of all the different classes, all my hilarious children, quality english books, and finally an established step 3 program that can survive without me. it was time to say goodbye and start a new chapter.

last week i covered my advanced step 3 class for soyon, since she was busy planning the last-minute details of the wedding. thursday was my last night. after teaching the class, we had cake and said our goodbyes...

the following students have been an excellent class. we studied little house in the big woods, farmer boy, and we had just started the magician's nephew as i was leaving. we had so much fun, and i believe they've grown a lot in their understanding of english as well as their confidence in speaking, in synthesizing the material, and in writing solid summaries based on their syntheses. i am so proud of them!

here we are munching on cake with chopsticks, and i was reminding them to stay in touch and to check this blog! if you are my student, you'd better leave a comment!! :)


i will dearly miss all my wonderful students at ERC, and i am so thankful for the opportunity i was given to be just a small part of their lives. i pray that God's hand will touch their lives and bring them closer to Him.


these boys provided a lot of dynamic conversation in the class. they are (l-r) chris, kevin and james. i enjoyed their humor as well as their willingness to lead the class in discussion.

this is alex. he was such a quiet student, but i loved his subtle sense of humor! also, he would always include details in his summaries that the other students never thought to include. another thing i loved about him was his willingness to be a trend-setter. he wore crocs to class and endured ridicule for wearing 'shower shoes' out in public. i stood by him and applauded him for being strong. :)

alice was my only girl student in this advanced class. i was so glad for the female kinship! alice was also a quiet student, but she wrote excellent summaries. alice's dream is to be an english teacher. i hope and pray she becomes more confident in her english speaking and achieves her dream.

chris was the leader in the step 3 class. he was my strongest speaker and also the most competent in the class. his writing was also the most natural and flowing, which i never ceased to marvel at, since he had never traveled to an english-speaking country. he is also a strong Christian. throughout the year i was so excited to see a young man who was unafraid of his faith and whose decisions and lifestyle were effected by his beliefs. may God bless and prosper him!

Goodbye to all my wonderful students!

.mosaic.

our wonderful church in korea - lifechurch - opened up a beautiful new cafe near jeongja station in bundang a few weeks ago. if you are in seoul and looking for a relaxing place to hang out, this cafe is wonderful! and the coffee prices are much lower than the surrounding shops in jeongja. also, the cafe is a good place to hold bible studies or small group meetings.

jody and i were at mosaic for the 'grand opening' on august 23rd. it turned out to be a fabulous night. jody had fun talking and i had fun behind the counter helping the staff make the drinks and teaching them how to steam milk to perfection!