Latest scoop...

I've been in Korea for a little over three months now, but ironically, have only taught the first five of those weeks. Because of the confirmed swine flu here in English Village, we have not had regular programs for quite some time. This has been both a blessing and a challenge.

Blessing: we have had a lot of time for staff development, personal development, and seminars.
Challenge: we are all teachers for a reason - with no students, teachers quickly get restless. That said, the staff has been less than satisfied lately, leading to tension, stress, and many disagreements.

All in all, this is the last week before our mandatory week-long Cheusok break (Korean Thanksgiving). Beginning in October, I am under the impression that we will again have students and regular classes. That could change between now and then, but I am nevertheless excited about the possibility of teaching again.

Not too much else is happening here. I am attending church every Sunday in Seoul. It is an international church so that makes things exciting - I've met people from everywhere but the US (Kenya, Russia, Thailand, Nepal, Japan, Korea, China, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Cameroon, Iraq, South Africa, Tanzania, England, Australia, and more - but I cannot remember them all). So fun!

I am also training to run a half marathon in October so that takes up a bit of my time. Since I am raising money to support a very dear Christian organization, I want to make sure to finish the race =) Running 13.1 miles (21K) is soooo far. Three weeks until the big day - October 11th - pray for me if you think of it =)

I also have an electric oven now, so a lot of my time is spent baking and contemplating what to bake =) So far I've made banana bread, blueberry muffins, brownies, and tons of cookies. Desserts are not that common in Korea so sharing my baking creations has been a delight. =)

I think that's about it - if you have any specific questions please feel free to email them to me.

Praises:
* despite not having students, I have been able to teach in other programs on and off
* I am still healthy and well
* church is a blessing and I enjoy our bible study class with the pastor
* training for the half marathon is coming along and I am getting more confident that I can finish it =)
* I have raised some money for my organization and am excited to be able to pass it along to those in need
* I am at peace about being here

Prayer Requests:
* English Village is going through a huge transition/restructuring right now - this angers teachers, changes my job, and creates a lot of questioning and unrest
* that I would continue to stay healthy and able to run the half marathon on October 11th
* I have a dear Korean friend who is struggling with her marriage - her husband recently became violent toward her and her 5 month old daughter - she is now living with her parents, but is terrified of her husband and what he could/might do.

feathery friend

I made a friend the other day - the feathery, flying type. We spent a bit of quality time together - him checking me out, me photographing him - our mutual interests lined up nicely.

What began as an intended "take-a-few-shots-eat-lunch-and-relax" time, quickly turned into "me-sitting-mesmerized" for the next fifty minutes. I love the beauty God created and I find it fascinating to observe "wild" creatures in all their majesty. Maybe I am amused by small things; even so, I cherish the fact that I can sit for an hour and watch a bird flit about me. I enjoy the quiet peace, the whispering wind, and the gentle calm.

I enjoyed my time with this new friend and was sad to leave his haven.

ps - Go here to view more pics of my friendly flying rainbow (and his feathery friends) =)

Girly fun

I am not what most people would refer to as a "girly" girl =) However, since I am running out of things to do in isolation, today I embraced my more crafty side. I fixed, altered, and designed fun new baubles for myself. (Hey, I need accessories to match my fabulous free dresses, right?) =)

ps - I look stunning in these dresses ;)

Deception! Betrayal! Treachery!

He was promised, promised, by his best friends that no one would leave his side. That everyone would be faithful. That no harm would come to him. He was told that their friendship would be defended even unto death. In the heat-of-the-moment one of his closest friends defended him – true. However, a few hours later that defense was nullified by three more heat-of-the-moment decisions – three decisions to outright deny knowing or having contact with one so condemned.

The pain must have been unbearable – to be defended one moment, yet disowned the next. To look a close friend in the eyes as he blatantly swears that he never knew you. Overwhelming anger and bitterness would seemingly, and rightly so, fill the betrayed friend. Close friends are supposed to be there – when you’re going through a rough patch in life, to bring comfort and encouragement, to merely hang out with. But when that close friend disowns you in front of witnesses, three times, there is no room for forgiveness. No mercy. No grace. That so-called “friend” deserves everything he gets.

Imagine then, pardoning that friend – the one who betrayed you, who lied to you, who lied about you. Imagine granting that friend grace and loving them as though nothing happened; loving them more than before the deception.

That is what Jesus did. His love surpassed the bitterness and betrayal of one of his closest friends. His love granted peace and restoration. His love opened the door to salvation. And his love is offered freely to all who will accept it.

Yes, we get hurt and we hurt others. But can you imagine an unconditional love? A relationship where, no matter how many times you mess up, if true repentance is there, true, unconditional love will be returned? That is what Jesus offers. I can’t think of a better relationship to be involved in.

But don’t take my word for it - check out the Bible (books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). This story is found there.

Went pro...

check it out for pic updates...

introducing...

... my new travel buddy.

The ever-popular, always sporty, highly fashionable, m-a-s-k. I am told that he needs to be my closest friend this next week. I suppose a breakout of H1N1 does that to a village.

Here are a few shots from our photo shoot together:



...isolation does strange things to a person... =)

success!

In my desperation to "garden" here in Korea, I brought a few packs of lettuce seeds with me. Last Saturday I made my way to the plant section of the local store, immediately snatching a $1 bag of potting soil and two planter-like-things. Although it was after ten pm when I returned home, I immediately planted my packs of hope. I thought about posting that night about my endeavor, but refrained considering the seeds may never sprout.

Needless to say, the following pics prove that my attempt was, thus far, a success. I have never seen anything grow so quickly!


36 hours after planting/watering

60 hours after planting (2 days and 1 night)

SUCCESS! =)

Random Combos

I am the queen of random combos - or so I've been told. Most people cringe when they hear my choice in food duets:

• applesauce on top of pizza
• cottage cheese on top of pancakes, french toast, etc.
• gravy on top of johnny cake (baked in a round cake tin - not as smaller cakes)

to name a few.

At the local EMart here in Korea, I found anothing interesting set of combos: items the store wishes to put on sale. For example, a pack of batteries had a scotch tape dispenser as an incentive. A box of Corn Flakes proudly displayed a free water bottle. And get this, a pack of beer threw in a few mechanical pencils.

Random?

Experience Korea

So here I am – exactly a month after departure – still in South Korea. As normal as that feels to me, it still sounds awkward as I read it aloud. I teach classrooms full of Korean-speaking students, I hear South African languages spoken more often than English, I am the minority by far, and yet it all seems so natural.

In two days we end our month-long program. I will be sad to see such dear students leave – bonds have formed and pictures have been taken – students and staff alike will store remember these experiences for years to come.

Next week I return to my regular schedule, working 1-9, Monday through Friday. I teach only middle school students who come for one week at a time. A new group of students will come the following week, and so on. As excited as I am to meet new students, part of me is sad to see the chaos and spontaneity go. Our weekly program is much more structured and much less demanding – things that lead to routine, rather than excitement. My challenge will be to remember that, for each student, it is their first time hearing these lessons, participating in these classes, and spending time with these people. It is new for them and I need to keep it new within me.

So what have I done since the last update? A plethora of things, ranging from cooking class, to dance studio, to newspaper class, to craft club, to conversation class, to movie night, and back again. I have met Korean friends in Seoul, made a trip to the nearest Costco (bring on the cheaper bulk foods), and gotten paid to drink coffee and talk to customers who want to practice English.

On the down side, I have also now visited a Korean doctor’s office, been on Korean meds, and suffered from bronchitis and infection while in Korea. There is something much more intimidating about going to a doctor in another country and in another language. (Having to explain the simplest things can get complicated in a hurry.) God is always good and it was a blessing to have Korean friends intercede on my behalf, taking me to a doctor and insisting on the care I needed. Two weeks into this ordeal, the meds are kicking in and I am beginning to feel better. That alone is a blessing.

Not too much else is happening – some staff are leaving and others are coming. I am enjoying my time in bible study Tuesday evenings and I am thoroughly excited to attend church this coming Sunday with a group of Korean friends. All in all, things are going well here and I am settled into the routine and expectations of the program. I’ve received my first paycheck and am on my way to becoming a millionaire (well, in Korean won, mind you) =)

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts, emails, prayers, and messages. It is an encouragement to hear from home and I love staying connected to the happenings of friends and family. Take care and continue to keep in touch.

~Renee

Week two

My first week of teaching went well =) I taught a four-part newspaper class to a group of thirty 5^th and 6^th graders. I had a blast with the kids and we did everything from making a nature page (drawing and describing a piece of nature we scavenged from the front lawn), to writing about our dreams. This week we made rough copies of everything and next week we will make the actual book with our finalized information. The students are having fun as the classes are filled with an ample amount of word games, acting, and group competition.

Because this week was the beginning of a program called VIP (Vacation Intensive Program), my schedule for the next month varies from the norm – I still work 1-9 days, but now I work Sunday through Thursday. For the next tree weeks, my weekend will be on Friday and Saturday. The only disappointment in the schedule change is that I cannot go to church for the next few weeks.

That said, I joined a bible study here in the village so that was a blessing. There are around ten or so people in the group and it was nice to meet and converse with a few fellow Christians. I am the only US resident in the group so that is interesting – everyone else is from South Africa or New Zealand =) Right now we are listening to sermons online, discussing them, sharing prayer requests, and praying as a group. Although I do not work the same shifts as most of these people, I am excited to be connected with them whenever possible.

Not too much else is happening – I found my way to the gym so that made me happy =) I also sucked it up this week and paid outrageous amounts of money for fruit – six apples and six nectarines for about ten American dollars! Ugh! You better believe I am relishing every bite of that fruit =)

I am heading into Seoul tomorrow and Saturday to meet a few Korean friends so that is also a blessing. I am excited to see a familiar face and hopefully we will have time to walk around so I can get more familiar with the city. Either way, I plan to have a great time re-connecting with friends I have not seen for four and five years. God is so good like that. =)

One of my most memorable moments thus far - last week I rode the bus into Ilson with a few friends. For about 20 of the 25 minutes we were on the bus, we drove along the border - within fifty feet of the DMZ between the two countries. It filled my heart with sadness to think of such hardship that close yet, so far out of reach. Since it was dusk, the lights from the north reflected on the water that separated a once peaceful nation. I believe I will never forget that experience.

So here I am...

... waking up my second morning in Korea. It is extremely hot and muggy here - I guess I arrived at the beginning of monsoon season. It is already 68 out (at 7:30am) and it is predicted to reach 85. It has rained almost nonstop since I arrived - so much for getting away from it all. =)

My schedule so far has been extremely laid back - I arrived at the village on Saturday evening around 6:45, was given a short tour and shown my room (picture a small motel room with studio apartment-ish appliances added), and began to unpack. I was tired so I called it a night around 10 pm. The only disappointing part of Saturday was that I could not get the internet to work, nor could I find anyone to help me.

I woke yesterday (Sunday) morning to the sound of someone knocking on my door. I quickly threw my contacts in and answered the call - it was my "tour guide," Mike, from the night before - offering to show me around and get me lunch. Wow - it was 11:00 and he woke me up. I told him I'd be ready in half an hour.

First, we went to a Korean version of Starbucks. Maybe this is a bad sign, but it is right across the road from my house. =) I believe the owner may become my new best friend =) Mike introduced me to me Josh - another new teacher who arrived shortly after I did. The three of us went out for lunch about a five minute drive away. Mike and I had tuna kimbab, while our vegetarian friend, Josh, had a large bowl of bibimbap.

After lunch we strolled along the road, stopped inside a bakery and bought bread, and checked out the local "Mom and Pop" store. Fruit here? RIDICULOUSLY expensive! One watermelon? 15,000 won - approximately $15 US dollars. And this is in season. Apples are a buck a piece, tomatoes cost over a buck a piece - ughh! After freaking out about the prices, Mike told Josh and I that it is much cheaper to eat out in Korea. No kidding.

After our mini-excursion, we returned to the village, I finished unpacking and began a list of the items I needed to buy - dish soap, laundry detergent, paper towels, windex, food, toaster oven? (there is no oven in the room - only a hot plate), tape, clock, fan ...

At six, I met about 25 other people from English Village (EV) and we went to a local restaurant. This time we had a different Korean dish - I cannot remember the name. It is like a three course meal. First you start out with a community pot filled with broth, random greens (no kidding - it looks like the servers ran outside and chopped up some of the weeds along the road), mushrooms, and potatoes. We were also given a plate of raw, thinly sliced, beef. The pot was so hot that upon dipping the meat in the water, it cooked instantly. Round two - noodles were added to the pot. Round three - rice and spices were cooked in the pot. fun. Oh yeah - we ate sitting on the floor, cross-legged, with chopsticks. I am really in Korea.

I came home, walked a bit around EV, and spent a couple of hours in my next door neighbor's room (Melissa). She is leaving in a month or so.

I went to bed around 11:30 and here I am this morning. Today, those of us who are new will go to the hospital to get a medical check to officially release us from quarantine. We will then exchange money, set up a bank account, and stop at the local "Walmart" (Emart) for shopping. I then report to work tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1:00. I believe I am on the 1-9pm shift right now.

There you have it - my first couple of days here. It is different. It is hard. It is intimidating. But it is also filled with peace as I know it is God's will.

Life - imagine the possibility

Check out this commercial...

Stuck...

Inside, that is. Stuck inside. I do not like being cooped up inside a house. I long for fresh air, warm breezes, sweet smells, and stretched legs. That, however, was not my portion these last three-going-on-four days. Nope. I was all too tired/achy/sneezy/coughy/sick to move.

Rather than traversing fun places with the family (okay, Massena mall and Potsdam Walmart are not that fun, but they are places nonetheless) I stuck like glue to the couch in our family room. I missed hanging out with a dear family from church and bailed on a lunch get-together with a college friend. I skipped my way-too-fun jazzercise classes all week and spent most of my "exercise" time getting off and on the couch. Sad I know.

This morning brought good news - I was feeling better. I kept food down for 24 hours and was determined to feel well enough to venture outside today. And venture I did =)

Not too far mind you - just to the local thrift shop. And not to buy anything mind you - this girl has little cash flow and even less desire to spend that cash. I did take a friend with me, however - my new camera. We had a blast, made some memories, and captured the thrill of the moment.

I was out an hour and a half and I overdid it. Ughh. Don't you hate that. And all I did was walk around and take pictures. Sadly, I returned home, made myself some kicking rice/veggie soup, and downloaded the fun moments of my outing.

As I peruse my pictures I count the cost as worthy =)

Random

So I was "tagged" and since I've never written one of these before I thought it might be fun. Random - I can do random =)

1. I love God. A lot.
2. I once swallowed tin foil when I was younger - I was trying to blow a bubble in it and upon breathing in deeply before the bubble-blowing, I inhaled the the foil. Brilliant huh? =)
3. I have a metal plate and screws in my right collarbone - broke it once - needed to be welded together.
4. I used to cut cows hair for a living.
5. I once delivered a calf - reach in, untwist legs and head, re-situate, pull calf out. Interesting.
6. The most credits I fit into one semester of college - 28. Plus a 12-hour-a-week job. Insane - don't do it.
7. I once donated 22 inches of hair to locks of love (I had enough to donate more but wanted my hair to stay a few inches below shoulder length).
8. I am allergic to the sun - it makes me sneeze. Medical name for it? Photic sneezign reflex. It is genetic.
9. I can trace my lineage back to my ancestors who came to America. Fun.
10. I'm my own fourth cousin (my parents are third cousins). I have cousins who are their own third cousin (their parents are second cousins). Weird to others - normal for Mennonites.
11. I like cottage cheese on my pancakes.
12. My hands and fingernails are often purple/blue - even in the summer. Poor circulation.
13. I have been on 6 mission trips/outreaches in the last year and a half (Dominican Republic twice, NYC, St. Louis, Canada, Mexico - going a second time soon). I love it!
14. My grandmother on my mother's side is one of nineteen (19) children. Wow.
15. I like to sleep in the fetal position.
16. I have 85 (give or take - I lose count) cousins/spouses/kids on my father's side of the family. Talk about a lot of cousins!
17. Spring, summer, and fall are my favorite seasons...pretty much I don't like winter - I am miserable when I am cold.
18. For the last eight years I have never resided for longer than a year and a half in the same place (although my stuff has resided for years at random places) =)
19. I want to write a book someday.
20. I love God. A lot. Did I mention that?

Mexico

About the trip - it was amazing - so much poverty, illiteracy, oppression, and hopelessness, but that is why people need others to bring them a message of hope =) I ate cactus while I was down there, had shrimp that was caught about half an hour before we ate it (we rode to an island to minister and the boat cast out a net as soon as we landed - it was shrimping season), and ministered in such remote locations that it took us an hour off main roads to reach a small remote community. Some of the "churches" we ministered to had no building - we met outside under trees. The weather was warm most of the time - definitely warmer than here =)

All together, our team ministered in six churches over five days. Two of our team members got sick after a day of being there and spent two days at "home" resting while the rest of the team traveled and taught. I got sick toward the end of the trip (last two days) but nothing unbearable. Throughout our time in the villages we handed out over 400 gifts to children, young teens, and adults. It was great to see how eager everyone was to receive something of their very own (considering most of them frequented trash and salvaged what they could on a daily basis).

God ministered to me a lot while I was there - he laid many things on my heart and strengthened my desire for missions: he placed in me a new depth of love for the lost and hurting, he called me higher me in areas of pride and submission, and he refined my ability to be flexible =) Since I was a group co-leader, the Lord also challenged me to step out of my normal comfort zone of sitting back and following. I had to be proactive, make group decisions, and lead a bible study. This was somewhat new to me, but through it all the Lord brought me to a new level of understanding and grace. I also shared part of my testimony in one of the churches - something I have not done for years. I was able to share about the love, grace, and comfort the Lord has poured into my life - restoring many times over what the devil had stolen. Although I am not one for tears, I began to cry as I shared of the grace God overwhelmingly poured into my life - I felt such a burden to share God's deepest desires with these people - my heart ached to see them hurting and hopeless. God really ministered to me as I tried to humbly share some of what he has done in my life. It was an amazing experience.

Was everything exciting and joyful? No - I spent the better part of two days feeling sick, got soaked and cold on a boat ride to an Island church, had little time to rest or have "down time," and endured long bumpy rides on ridiculously pot-holed roads in a rickety old van. Still, I loved being in Mexico. I enjoyed practicing my Spanish and loved playing with the little children - I hope to return for the bible school programs that they hold for closed communities in the mountains. It was a blessing to be there and to allow the Lord to use me to minister to such a people. Again - it was amazing.

blue and silver

Red and green at Christmas never excited me - I am prone to liking blues and silvers. Today I was delighted to feast my eyes on these displays - what fun.


Stop in here if you'd like to see these gifts and antiques in person. The whole place is decked out beautifully - each room harboring a different theme: Dr. Seuss Christmas, Country Christmas, Elegant Christmas, Wintery Christmas, Traditional Christmas...

It was fun to browse there today - what better way to spend an hour on a cold, blustery, winter day? None can compare.

What were they thinking?

I was reminded of this site recently. If you need a good laugh, go there. =)

julia marie band

Vote here for one rockin' band =)

nite run

It was five o'clock and still a balmy 51 degrees. The wind was warm and the air smelled musty with the promise of winter. I wanted to run. Never mind that it was dark - just think, a few months ago there would have been another three-three and a half hours of sunlight left.

So I ran. I donned my black mesh shorts, a gray thin long sleeve shirt, and a pink "DUDE" t-shirt - gotta love the attitude =) Oh yeah, and not to forget the ever-so-cool head lamp - a necessity at this time of the year.

As I headed out, I stopped more times than I like to admit - the head lamp was fitted for a present day Goliath and it insisted on falling down and smacking me in the nose every third step. After a quarter mile of adjusting (I suppose I could have stopped rather than merely slowing down but I was determined not to let this contraption get the best of me) I was set and running a good pace.

As the sun officially set, a cool wind ruffled my loose hair and I settled into the adrenaline rush of running. A little less than a mile and a half into my excursion, I noted the need to turn around. Had I lost energy? Was I cold? Did I get lost? Nope. Nope. And nope. My ever-so-cool head lamp was officially annoying me. With every step forward, my brow was being forced lower and lower, ever increasing the furrow in my forehead.

Enough of that. I tightened the band one more time, turned around, and retraced my steps. Now that the moon was my only natural source of light, the beam protruding from head bounced obnoxiously in front of me. As I plodded up a familiar hill, I made a mental note: people with extreme cases of motion sickness should not run in the dark with a head lamp - remember that.

With only a mile left I noticed how nicely my breath was being illuminated by my head lamp. Two mental notes this time: 1) when the sun goes down in the fall, the temperature drops rapidly and 2) a bouncing light combined with reflected breath does not make for an enjoyable run.

Time to ditch the light. I took it off and ran with it in my hand the rest of the way. Oh yeah - another note to self - when an on-coming vehicle approaches, move off the road before you are completely blinded, because you will be blinded and you will trip over the shoulder in your mission to avoid becoming the next road kill. Okay, maybe I am embellishing my story a bit - still, I think you would find my theories proved true if you attempted to run alone in the dark on an old country road.

Long story short (see, you could have just skipped to this part and still had the whole story - you're glad you didn't though, huh?) tonight I ran in the dark. Conclusion: I miss summer, fresh smells, sun until eight p.m., and long runs in the light. That's all.

=)

Confession

I confess, I am not prone to reading forwards or "pass this on to ten people" emails. Content as such often finds itself in my 'deleted items' bin, circulating somewhere in the black hole of internet space.

In light of our country's historic presidential election, however, I paused at the content of a particular email. Yes, I am privileged to witness history in the making - the color of one's skin no longer a deciding factor in rights or capabilities. Sadly, however, as the wall of ethnic prejudice was torn down by popular and electoral vote, the walls of murder were rebuilt and fortified.

I support and respect my president, his leadership, and his place as my authority. I do not, however, agree with his stance on human life - killing a child is murder regardless of the age. We can lessen the sting by calling the baby "tissue," "fetus," or "cells," but truth be told, a child is a child inside of the womb or out.

I say all of this to let you know that it saddens me when I know our president-elect supports abortion. I ask God what his plans are in such situations and am reminded once again that He is in control. So I begin in earnest - I pray for our new president. I pray that he will use wisdom, that he will guide us carefully, and that he will support life rather than deny it. I pray that he will be used for the purposes, and in the ways, the Lord intended.

Here is the timely email that reminded me of these things:

TEN PREDICTIONS NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION:

1. The bible will still have the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of his people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings on his people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL?