Happy Birthday, Samantha!

We just got home from China.  We left on our 13th wedding anniversary and came home just before Sam's 12th birthday.  It's hard to believe I'm the mother of a 12 year old.  She's a wonderful 12 year old and I'm thankful for everyday I've known her.  In some ways it seems like she has more maturity and wisdom at the age of 12 than I have at the age of 33.  Of course, I have prayed for her that just like Jesus, she will "grow in wisdom, stature and favor with God and with men."  Apparently God's been listening!

The opportunities for the Gospel here in Asia are unbelievable.  It's almost overwhelming -- mostly in a good way.  Kids camps in Korea and in China went great.  It was so fun to work with the Korean and U.S. teams for a few weeks and it was a joy to see everyone using their gifts and working together as one to share God's good news and love.  Thank you for praying for us.  It made a difference and we needed it!

There were several opportunities to lead worship for different groups in Korea and China.  We had the opportunity to lead worship for the adults in the Shanghai church.  We had a powerful prayer time with them and really sensed God's power and presence within and on behalf of their church.  It's amazing to see and experience the growth of the church in a country that openly rejects religion.  God is at work in Asia.  The kids were so hungry for God and for the most part very attentive to the teachers.  One night we had a Parents Night for the campers.  We worshipped together and then had the parents and kids pray together as families.  That was a sweet time.

I never realized how beautiful China is.  I always imagined it as a polluted, factory-filled nation.  It's not that way.  There are many trees and gardens.  It's lovely.  There are, of course, some unlovely things, but I guess that's to be expected.

We had the opportunity to see the Pearl Tower in Shanghai.  The city at night is so pretty and SO huge!  I've never been in such a large city.  Seoul dwarfs Atlanta, but Shanghai is massive!!!

Funny things I observed:  Men often walk around shirtless with their potbellies hanging out (it's very hot in China), children relieve themselves in public, parents carry around naked babies, you are expected to provide your own toilet paper around and also Chinese people will literally stop you in your tracks just to take a picture with you because you're a white person (that doesn't happen in Korea much.)

Tomorrow I go back to work.  I've got mixed emotions about that.  We obviously need and appreciate the paycheck, but part of me wishes we could continue to travel and do ministry.  God uses it all, though.

I think the next trip will be in October.  Barry will go to Singapore with Kidoong for a conference.  That's all for now.

Camps

The Mongolia trip was incredible!  The team ministered to 104 churches and gave them free supplies and training.  GREAT trip.  Thank you for praying.

Next up is 2 weeks of camp.  Six wonderful people from the States will be flying over in a day or so.  We will lead a camp here in Korea and then we will go to China for a camp.  In the bits of time in between we will be recording, acting and doing voice over work for KidsWorship.

I'm working at S&P up until camp begins and will work immediately after.  They've graciously given me an extra week so that I can go to China.  I've never been so busy or so dependent on the Lord.  There is such a freedom in trust and surrender.

So, here we go!  Barry and I have both had a few random physical ailments and such, but by God's grace we're moving forward.

Please keep the team in your prayers.  We need energy, health, unity, and God's grace and anointing.  We're asking Him for "fruit that will last" and we want to be full of His Spirit and love so that others can see and experience the reality of Christ.  Thanks.

Hi

So, Barry left for Mongolia a couple of days ago.  I'm excited about that trip.  They will be training 1000+ Mongolian pastors and lay people and supplying them with much needed resources for teaching the Bible to children.  It's a very poor area so the folks are incredibly grateful for the free resources and training.  The team is way out of wi-fi range (ministering to folks in the countryside) so I probably won't here from Barry while they're there.

The kids and I are holding down the fort here in Jongno.  I'm working during the day and the kids hang with Chan Hye and San.  In the evenings I cook supper and we watch some Andy Griffith reruns or play Legos or whatever else we can find to do.  I've started reading Dr. Doolittle to the kids at night before  bed.  That's been fun.  The kids get a kick out of that because they have recently acquired 2 caterpillars as pets.  One is named "Fluffy" and the other is named "Fuzz."  Sam likes to watch them while I read.

The weather has been so nice the past couple of days.  We're getting a little reprieve from "rainy season."  I have never encountered humidity like this -- not even in Valdosta, GA.  It's crazy!  I have some dried flowers sitting on the night stand by my bed and they WILTED!!!  They literally rehydrated and promptly slumped over in the dry vase.  It's a suffocating type of humid, so, we're glad to get a break from it.  I like the rain, I think it's cozy, but I also like dry towels and clothes.  There are no dryers here, so it can take days for your clothes to dry if it's raining outside.  Now I know why Asia is so lush and green!

I envy the rain here on y'all's behalf.  I know it's painfully dry in the U.S.  I saw an article recently about a guy who has gone into business painting grass green in the States.  For real.  He uses eco-friendly green paint that won't wash off.  Why water it when you can just paint it, right?

That's all for now... (I woke up at 4am today.  I don't know why, but I'm loving the extra time.  It's a great thrill when a "non-morning person" like me feels perky in the wee hours of the morning.  It gave me some extra time to write!)

Summer...

Summer is almost here.  We've hit the high 80's, but I know that's nothing compared to Georgia heat!  It's very humid here, too.  It does a number on my guitar strings!

I enjoy keeping up with folks by looking at pictures on facebook.  I am so excited about all the babies that we will meet when we get back!

Communication is not what I had hoped it would be.  I think if the time change weren't so drastic it might be a bit easier, but, like I said, I try to follow folks through blogs and fb and the pictures speak a thousand words.  We'll pick up where we left off once we get back!

So!  This summer Barry will travel to Mongolia for 2 weeks in July and then in August we'll have our team from the States fly over to help out with 2 weeks of English camps.  I may have mentioned this already, but, one camp will be at Horeb (you can see pictures in the previous post) and the other camp will be in Shanghai.

We're still involved in our weekly meetings and such.  I'm still leading worship for the Y.E.S. English Worship service on Sundays as well as helping out monthly with kids music and Barry teaches Saturday nights and Sundays throughout the day.  He's such a good teacher.  I admire his mind.  Though we are so, so different, I really value and appreciate his strengths.

My burden for Korea continues to grow.  So many people here are burdened and weighed down by so many things -- social pressures, expectations, busy-ness, etc.  Jesus said that "his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30)."  For many people it would seem that the fear of man or what others think hinders them from the freedom that would come if they could take up only the yoke Christ has assigned them.

I know this is a challenge we all face.  I, too, have to learn to continually keep watch so that my inner convictions line up with my use of time and energy in my "outer life."  It's not easy in a world so full of "urgent" requests and demands on our time, especially when we want to say yes and convey our willingness to help in any and every arena of life.

I guess it's like they say, "good is the enemy of best."  We have to ask ourselves, "what is the best use of my time?" "What has God called me to do?"  It's not helpful to just blindly fill our schedules with "good" things or be at the continual beck and call of that which drains us, but is unproductive or unhealthy.

Anyway, that's a snap shot into some of my thoughts lately.

I'm still teaching Monday through Friday.  I love the kids, but I find that it's a very tiring job.  I guess that's to be expected.  That's why they call it work!

Here are some random pictures that were on my phone:

Sam, Will and San watching Kung Fu Panda 2

Joy-Bird, the more sociable of the 2 birds we have

Paper Lanterns on the Chungee Chung, a nearby tributary
of the Han River

The kids and I at Lotte World

The English Team from S&P -- when we went to see Jane Eyre together.
I am a giant.

My school (S&P)
I don't know the random guy getting out of the taxi...

Sam and Barry went to climb a mountain.  This is Sang Hyo who is a member of
the worship team and a good friend of ours.

Dung aka poop is a popular and funny thing here.
These are "dong" piles made on the side of the road.
The kids  couldn't resist...

June

Hi!

We're still here :)  We just got back from a much needed break in the mountains.  Private schools here don't take summer breaks.  My 1 week off this year will be spent working summer camp so I'm very thankful for any day that I am able to take a break.  Monday was a national holiday so we were able to travel and get outside for the day.

The water at Horeb was so pretty.
I would love to see what the mountains and trees look like here in the Fall.  Hopefully, we'll get a chance to see it then.

Our Korean summer camp will be held at this retreat center.  I'm sure our American buddies as well as all our campers will enjoy the facilities.  They have a driving range, a swimming pool, trails and more.  An interesting game they play in the summer is called, "Catch the Shark."  They literally put a shark in the pool and let the kids try to catch it with their hands.  It's not a dangerous shark.  I thought that was pretty crazy.  I guess we'll get our chance to play that game this summer!

I think I mentioned in the last post that my work load at school has increased.  That was/is tough.  I'm just now coming out of the fog from that.  I've learned a lot about Korean culture in the process. I'm having to make some changes in the schedule to compensate for the extra time and energy spent at work.  

The biggest help in that matter has been picking up a book that Brandy and Brandon left here called Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald.  What a timely book!  It's been such a help to me in reordering my schedule, beginning with what matters most.

Barry and the  kids are well.  Time seems to escape us here and I apologize on behalf of our family for not doing a better job keeping in touch.  I am attempting to walk against the tide in that respect right now and hoping to improve on the relationship front.  Love you all and miss you!

Oh my.  This is long overdue!!!

So many wonderful things are happening around us.  Life here passes so quickly.

The kids are doing great.  School is going well.  The kids enjoy playing "catch the people" and other random games as well as scootering, skateboarding, rollerblading, etc. with San and other children around here.  We have a rooftop playground in our building on the 3rd floor.  We live on the 10th floor so I can watch the kids play from the apartment.  They enjoy playing on the playground and in the bushes down there.  It's our "yard." I bought the kids season passes to "Lotte World," the nearest amusement park.  We can't send them to the States for the summer, so I thought I would buy them the passes as a consolation gift.  They're more than satisfied. 

We have pet birds now.  Did I mention that already?  The kids have lost interest, but I like them.
The yellow bird is my buddy.  She lets me know when she wants to come out of her cage.  She likes to ride around on my shoulder.  (She's on my shoulder right now.)  I do love animals.

Barry's China trip went well.  I'm still amazed at the number of people in that nation and the spiritual hunger that exists there.  I'm excited to see what God is doing.

Barry teaches and preaches now.  I'm enjoying hearing him.  He does a great job. He still teaches English and fitness at the Tae Kwon Do facility on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as well.

The weather here has been so nice.  It took a long time to warm up, but I think we're finally catching up with you all.  It's been in the 60's and 70's lately.  It rains a lot more here, but when it's clear, it's really lovely.

I'm still playing badminton regularly.  It is SO fun.  I'm so thankful.  This is the first time since my injury in 2007 that I've been able to consistently excercise.  It's a small blessing, but it is SWEET!  Thank you God that you always restore!

Work is going well.  They are increasing my work load so, we'll see how I do with that.  I'll teach more classes and stay late one day a week.  The pay is the same, though.  Doh!  I really am thankful for this job.  My co-workers are wonderful!  I've enjoyed getting to know them and sharing our stories about the children we teach.  Oh, there are so many moments I wish I could whip out a video camera.  There are some incredibly cute and funny moments with these kids.  I'm sure anyone who works with kids can relate.

Outside of school I spend time weekly with my neighbor.  She's learning English and has questions about the faith.  She recognizes her need for the Lord and the peace that can only be found in relationship with Him.  We talk and share and pray together.  She's a sweet friend.

Things with the English worship team are going great.  I'm so thankful for that group.  We're really becoming family, which is as it should be!  They all come over Saturday nights and we eat together, talk, hang out, pray, sing and share the word.  It's been good. On Thursday mornings our lead guitarist comes over and we work on arranging the songs I've written to prep for recording.  This was his idea.  That's really an answer to prayer for me because, I don't know what I'm doing!  I've prayed many times, "Lord, show me what to do with the music.  I want to be a good steward, but I don't know what else to do."  Jee Hyung has such a heart to serve and is a gifted and helpful musician.  He is incredibly talented and volunteers his time, energy and expertise freely.  He serves in 4 or 5 different bands!!!  It's really amazing to see how eager these folks are to serve and seek God. It's been very humbling for me.  I hope I can follow their example as they follow Christ.

I'm out of time, but I'll try to do better on staying in touch!!!

April Update

The Mongolia trip went great.  Thanks so much for your prayers! They've been felt. 

I'll let Barry share his thoughts about the Mongolia trip when he has time.  He has a trip for China lined up for the week May 4th.

There are so many things to tell (good things!), I don't even know where to start.  It's been so busy and the computers have been down so I haven't had a chance to update here, but I'm going to try to give it a shot here and now.

I guess I'll start with today.  At school I got to teach a song a friend and I wrote last year to two of my 7 year old classes.  We sing English songs everyday in our English classes, but the response to the worship song was very unique.  One student said, "when I sing and raise my hands (there are motions to the song) my heart feels so bright."  Another student said, "I can feel Jesus in my heart when we sing that song,"  and another student said, "my heart feels clean/pure when I sing that song."  It was fun.  That's my favorite thing in the world -- to see people encounter and experience God in an intimate and personal way.

In terms of Sam and Will, they're doing well.  Homeschool and Tae Kwon Do are going great.  Right now, their favorite thing to do is roller blade.  The weather is finally warming up so it's been great for being outdoors.  Also, I've been taking them to Ansley's kids service in Suwon every Sunday so they can have church with some native English speakers.  I now feel like I can identify (somewhat) with those folks in Africa who walk miles and miles to get to a church service.  It takes the kids and I at least 2 hours including walking, subway rides, multiple bus transfers and 1 taxi to get to the church in Suwon.  It ends up being a 6+ hour trip when it's all said and done.  There is no direct route from Suwon to Jongno.  But, the kids are worth it.  We get back to Jongno in time for the kids service at Youn Dong that Barry helps with weekly.  It's back to back practices and services at that point on for me. Sundays are so busy!

Speaking of busy, I've never been so busy in my life.  God is really stretching me and teaching me to just trust him for everything including rest, energy, inspiration, motivation, ect. I think it's against human nature to do that and it wasn't until I had no choice that I began to learn it.

I  was reading Psalm 18 yesterday and thinking of how David, who was a warrior, related to God in terms that made sense for him.  David knew the importance of a "stronghold" and "refuge."  It was the only safe place in times of war.  God was that for him.  In the same way, God is my "teacher" and my "song" leading me and taking care of me in every way and in all that he has given me to do here.

We were created to need Him for everything and contrary to popular belief, it's not a sign of weakness to need God.  It's not foolish to depend on resources that surpass your own, when the Source is Someone who never fails, never abandons, cannot lie, has all power, all knowledge, and loves unconditionally. He doesn't begrudge our neediness!  I believe He delights in it and loves our dependence upon Him.  He calls us His children!  His ways don't often make sense and often aren't easy, but they are always good.  With the wisdom of a father He leads His children in ways that are uniquely suited to bring out the best in and for each child.

I realize that in the States I had more liberty to manage my schedule according to what I thought I needed or wanted and what I thought I was comfortable with and capable of.  (Basically, I did what I felt like doing.)  Here, I have to let Him make the schedule and even when it's tough or messy I have to fall back on His sovereignty and wisdom knowing that He cares more about my life than I do!  He's made a way EVERY time.  Really.  I'm so thankful for that.  God is who He says He is.

In terms of school, I love my co-teachers and students!  It's been wonderful to get to know them all better.  Also, I've enjoyed getting to know my neighbor better and share a little about the One who can take care of our worries.  I've also enjoyed getting past the difficult beginning of forging relationships with the English worship team.  There are about 20 of them.  They are such a great group.  Despite the language difference, God is helping us to connect and really enjoy working together as a team. 

I got the 070 phone up and running thanks to Eunyoung, Chanhye and Iron Tiger.  The only issue is the huge time difference between the States and Korea.  It's exactly 13 hours.  Love and miss you!