My New Blog!

Hello friends and family,

This will be my last post on this blog. I have decided to move to a more user friendly and interactive blog site. I hope you will continue to follow us on our journey. Here is the link to my new blog:

http://leephelps.wordpress.com/

Just click on the link above, and you will be directed to my new blog. Feel free to subscribe to this new blog so you can receive email updates when I make a new post! Feel free to comment on anything you would like! Bookmark it if you would like! I will keep this blog open for a while until everyone finds their way to my new blog.

Peace and Love,

Andy

Unwilling Victims vs. Grateful Participants

I am re-reading Donald Miller's book: "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years."

There were so many prophetic things that Miller said that I thought it would be worth my time to re-read the book and journal along with it. It is a book about story. It is a meditation on the elements of story and what it takes to make a story {life} meaningful. Miller argues that "if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful (ex. if a biography was written on your life), it won't make a life meaningful either."

On page. 59, Miller writes:

"I've wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want the responsibility inherent in the acknowledgement. We don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn't remarkable, then we don't have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants."

I'm not arguing that being a victim is a matter of choice in all cases. Sadly there are many victims in this world. At many points in our lives we all have been victimized in one way or another. But I am arguing that the posture we take towards life IS a choice. We can live our lives playing the role of a victim, or we can live our lives playing the role of "grateful participants."

The choice is in your perception of life. Is life brilliant, or is it not? If you decide that it is, you have a responsiblity to live differently than most of the rest of the world....even in the face of utter conflict.

One of the key struggles is in choosing to change your thinking. I struggle every day with thoughts that tell me I am not enough...that I am a victim of the evil in this world and the sin that I carry.

But how can I go on like this? The meta-narrative of the universe says that God died on a cross and rose to life to save me from my debilitating sins so that I can be a "grateful participant" in the life and mission of God.

Let us choose to throw off our sinful "woe is me" thought patterns, and join God as participants in His love.

Preparing to move blogs.

I want to let you know.... I am preparing to move to a new blog. I am still in the design stages, but I have been unsatisfied with the Blogger interface. It is very limiting, and only people that have created accounts with Blogger (or an affiliate: Google) can interact with my blog (through making comments). I will be moving to a Wordpress blog, and I will inform you of the web address as soon as I am finished preparing it. With Wordpress, you will be able to more easily leave comments, it will be more user friendly, and I will be able to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I will be posting more media (photo/video) to this blog as well. I also like that you can register your email address to my blog and you will be informed whenever there is a new post. Staying in touch with friends and family in the States is my priority!

Some Pics of My School

Here are a few pictures from my school! The picture of myself is with some of my Korean co-teachers.

2nd week of teaching...

I just finished up my second week of teaching, and though most of the fear that came with the first week is gone, now I am dealing with stress, which is largely due to confusion.

If you are a extreme planner (someone who likes planning weeks and months and years in advance), and you love your weekly planner like it is an extention of your body, then you would probably go crazy trying to live and work in South Korea. I am a planner, but most of my plans are in my head and not written down (so I would consider myself an amature planner). That said, I am going crazy with my inability to plan more than a week or two ahead in Korea. I'm a teacher, and half the time I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants. Even if I want to plan for my lesson plans, it does no good to plan too far ahead because your schedule WILL get changed.

Life in Korea is determined by the wind. It is a culture of procrastination... and yet things are somehow still accomplished, and life still finds meaning. God has taken me out of a culture where I had much control over my life, and put me into a culture where I have slim to no control over my life. I've already discovered here that if I want to stay sane, I'll have to come to terms with the fact that I've never really had much control at all. The only thing that I do have control over, is how I respond to life.

In John 3:27, John the Baptist is answering a dispute that his disciples are having over Christ. They are jealous that more people are going to Jesus to be baptized than are going to John. John answers them: "No one can receive anything, except what is given them from heaven." He later says in verse 30: "He must increase, but I must decrease."

So in all the confusion of my new life in Korea, here is what I am hearing: "my life is not my own. Everything I am given (whether peace or conflict), is given to me... from heaven. Whether peace or conflict, it is for my transformation. How will I respond? Will I respond by trying to grasp for more control (and thus actually go insane), or will I submit to what God gives me each day? Will I take on John's mantel: "He must increase, but I must decrease."? Will I let go of the control I've never actually had, and trust God to lead my life, one day at a time?"

The Serenity Prayer is a God-send:

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen."

--Reinhold Niebuhr

The only logical conclusion is to trust God. Even though this is the logical conclusion, trusting God requires that I die to myself...to what I think best for me....and this is extremely difficult to do.

This week has been challenging, but good. The challenging part is figuring out my class schedule. I teach each of my aproximately 385 2nd graders once a week. I teach each of my aproximately 520 3rd graders on a sporadic schedule. Sometimes I see them two weeks in a row, and then I won't see them for two weeks. Other 3rd graders I'll see every other week. This makes it extremely difficult to remember who I have taught what. It also makes it hard to keep everyone learning at the same pace.

The good part is that I actually enjoying teaching. My students are fun to teach; my co-teachers are kind and helpful; I'm getting better at teaching with each new week; and I am being transformed. So God is good.

I am re-reading "A Million Miles in A Thousand Years" by Donald Miller. I thought it had some prophetic things to say, so I am re-reading and journaling along with it on my second time around. One of the things Don Miller said after he tells the story of his uncle who died is this:

"The thing about death is it reminds you the story we are telling has finality."

I try to remember this everyday. The question I live with is this: "what story will my life tell? Will it be a meaningful story?" I can't control when I will die, nor much of what will happen to me...but I can choose to respond to each day that is given to me by trying to live for God's mission on earth. His is a mission of love and life with all of humanity. I think that will make my life meaningful.

amen

First Week as Teachers!

March 6 2010

Well, we have finished our first week of teaching at our Korean schools. It was a whirlwind of a week. I feel as though more has happend to us this week than has happened in multiple weeks combined. Highs and lows, busyness and downtime. Schedules set, and schedules changed.... and no one knows for sure. Stress, and excitement. Teachers and students. The biggest thing that I feel has happened this week was the fear that was faced, and by God's grace we pushed forward and didn't back down. In a very real sense we have died to some of our fears and been rebirthed into a new life of service for God.

For some days before my first day of school, I felt as if March 2nd was a day of significant change. March 2nd was the first day of school, and as it approached, I felt as if I was preparing mentally and spiritually for war. I have read some epic stories of war. And on the eve of battle, there is always this heavy sense of reality; of the fragility of life; of the significance of life and love and death that pervades the thoughts and spirits of those who are preparing for battle. In some way, so it was for me. I realized that I was on the eve of facing some of my greatest fears and inadequacies. "Do I have what it takes? Am I adequate? What will happen to me? Will I die?" It seems funny that I think this way sometimes, but is not all fear ultimately based in a deep fear of death itself?

Paradoxically, it is death we must face if we will have life. More specifically, it is fear of death that we must confront. For fear of death is at the root of all sin.

In a book of prayer that I like to use, one of the Psalters says:

"Age after age You proclaimed by the lips of Your holy prophets that You would deliver us and deal mercifully with us, calling to mind Your solemn covenant. This was the promise that You made: to rescue us, and set us free from fear, so that we might worship You with holy worship, in Your holy presence our whole life long."

Christ was sent to rescue us from our fear of death, so that we might face it, and find life. If we do not face our fear of death, we will become the death we are trying to escape.

So now the verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" has a new significance.

Thanks to Christ who lives, I was able to face something that I probably would have typically ran from because of my thoughts that said "I am not adequte; I am not good enough." Through Christ, I am enough. "My grace is perfected in your weakness."

What was it like?

I have to confess that half the fear I had was going to my school. I am teaching at Cheonan Buk Middle School. Meeting new people, people that I will work with, and people that have authority over me can be very intimidating, and even more so when they are people of different cultural background and language than my own.

I found out when I arrived at school that I probably wouldn't be teaching the first two days because they were days of orientation for the students. The first day, I arrived at school and took off my shoes (as is cusomary) and put on my school slippers. I was greeted by a teacher who showed me into the main teacher's office. It is a large room with probably around 50 teacher's desks. I was shown to my desk, and shortly after I was introduced to my principal and vice-principal. My principal is a female (which for some reason intimidates me more than having a male principal). They both were very nice and welcoming. Shortly after, I had to come to the front of the teacher's office with the other new teachers, and give a short speech to introduce myself. Talk about the stress of first impressions! A couple hours later, they had the student body lined up military style outside in the school yard and all we new teachers had to bow to the students to introduce ourselves! It doesn't matter how long a foreigner lives in Korea, Korean say we always look awkward bowing. Haha. The first day I got to know my head teacher Mr. Yu, and my supervisor Mrs. Jeon. I also met some other of my co-teahcers, and they were all very nice.

In Korean culture however, it is unusual for anything to be planned and set in stone prior to a scheduled date. So my teachers told me that they didn't yet know my schedule for classes I'd be teaching, but that they should know in a couple weeks! This only added to my stress levels! How am I supposed to prepare my lesson plans? Later in the day they told me that I would be teaching the 1st and 2nd graders (same as 6th and 7th in the States). So they gave me my textbooks, and I prepared my lesson plans for my first classes. Lunch came, and so I went with the teachers to the lunch room and had my first Korean school lunch. It consisted of kimchi, seaweed soup, fish, rice, and some vegetable medley. It was actually really good as my palate is becoming adjusted to eating the earthy and spicey Korean diet.

My second day I also did not teach. I stayed at my desk most of the day working on my lesson plans. Not much happend this day. I did meet some more of my Korean co-teachers, and I have to say that they are so hospitable. One of the aspects that I love about Korean cultue is that the virtues of humility and respect are highly valued. People tend to repect and value each other, not seeking to show off or put others after themselves.

The third day came and I was prepared to meet and teach 1st and 2nd graders. I was going to be teaching first period. Upon my arrival as I was getting ready to go to my first class, one of my co-teachers said: "sorry, schedual has changed. You won't be teaching 1st graders anymore. Now you will only teach 2nd and 3rd graders! Ahhhh! I've learned that if I'm going to survive in Korea, I'm just going to have to learn to go with the flow. You just never know day to day, what is going to happen. And because status is so important in Korean society, you are just supposed to accept what is passed down to you from your superior. So I threw out my 1st grade lesson plan, and started on my 3rd grade lesson plan.

The other part of my fear was meeting and teaching the students. Every student is put into a class with about 35 students. This set of 35 students are their classmates for the year. As a teacher, I see each class once a week, and I teach up to 22 classes a week. That means that I have around 770 students! It is nearly impossible to learn all of their names and adequately give them the attention they need.

But I went to my classes on the first day of classes, and I faced the fear that has long crippled me. And God by His grace sustained me, and I even found that I was energized by being with the students. Which is interesting for me as an introvert. Typically, I am drained by being around people, and I need alone time to re-energize. But this week, I found the opposite to be true. I was being energized by the students!

I even found that I was having fun! Some of the student's English ability is less than others, and sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get them to talk in English (because they fear being embarassed, or by embarrasing their friends if they know a lot!). Fortunately pulling out candy, and playing games that go along with their textbooks really gets them excited and more willing to talk! My last class of the week was the most purposeful that I've felt at a job in a long time. I felt like I was connecting, and making some meaningful difference. In every classroom, there is always at least two curriculums going on. The actual subject of discussion, and the other unstated one. This one is often more important and more loudly heard. Is is the unsaid curriculum that either expresses to the students that you care about them, or that you don't. It is a curriculum that is based in the opportunity to mentor, or to forsake a fellow human being who is looking for guidance.

That last class of the week, I felt like I realized how important this unsaid curriculum was, and it was like tapping into a purpose for my life that I think may be my vocation.

Jill and I are praying that God will help us to love not just the students that are easy to love, but even the ones that are obnoxious. It has been so exciting to meet the students. Being a foreigner, we feel like celebrities in our schools. The students are so excited to see us and they swarm us and smile and say "you so handsome", or to Jill "you so beautful." Over and over again they swarm us in the halls.

On Friday I can't remember how many cell phone pictures I had to take with some of the students. It was a blast! Pray that my head doesn't get too big!

I feel that even in this first week of school, Jill and I have been stretched and pushed, and pulled, and frustrated, and stressed; but we have also grown, and I hope we are being transformed into better human beings.

Thank you for all your prayers! Know you are in ours!

amen.

Busy but fun weekend...first day of class: March 2nd

"On March 1, 1919 the Korean

people rose against Japanese colonial rule, which had existed in Korea since the annexation of 1910. The holiday remembers the non-violent, peaceful independence demonstrations which began on that day. The demonstrations went on around the country for another three months, with

approximately two million people participating."

The Japanese held a ruthless rule over Korea, attempting to stamp out all Korean culture. Korean language, names, food, and many other things Korean were forbidden. I think it a beautiful and amazing thing that the Korean's non-violent resistance earned them back their independence.

So this weekend we had a three

day weekend because of Independence Day. It was a busy, but fun weekend. Friday night we celebrated one of the English teacher's birthdays at a Noraebong (Karaoke bar). Saturday, some of us went into Seoul to do some school shopping. Sunday we went to our new church, and relaxed, and Monday Jill and I and our new friend Ben went to Costco! Whew!

At the Noraebong, there were around 12 of us packed into this small room with a disco ball, big screen TV and great surround sound. Most of us got our turn to sing our hearts out. My personal song was "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas. I especially like attempting to hit Fergie's high notes.

Seoul was awesome! I finally experienced a little bit of life in one of the most densely populated cities in the world. We were shopping for dress clothes for school, so we stayed in one of the shopping districts. There were so many people that I was almost always touching or running into someone. H&M had a grand opening while we were there. Ribbon cutting, fashion celebrities, and the red carpets were all rolled out. I wasn't even going to attempt to wait in the line to get in. My favorite part of Seoul was the people watching. I can't wait to go back and do some more site seeing.

Being used to a Western diet, Jill and I have struggled to find food at the grocery store that we can make meals out of. So we took our BIGGEST suitcase and went on a 45 minute train to Costco and stocked up on food we are used to.

It's been a great weekend, but now tomorrow is the day we've been waiting for since we arrived in Korea. We start teaching on March 2nd, the b

eginning of the school year for Korean students. Jill and I are both really excited and anxious because we aren't completely sure what to expect. But the adventure of it is more motivating than the fear that makes us not want to do it. I can't wait to get to know my Korean students, and build relationships with my Korean co-teachers!

Please pray for us this week as we start our new jobs! I've posted a few pics from Seoul. I have a bunch more on Facebook!

TESOL Graduates!

Today has been a good day. This whole week the temperature has been in the 50's and today it peaked to 60 degrees. The sun was out, and all of us that came here to be English teachers graduated from TESOL today. For those of you who don't know, TESOL is an acronym that stands for "Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages."

After four weeks of classes that lasted from 9:30am to 5pm ever day, with lectures, multiple micro- teaching and teaching practices, we are finally done! I am thankful for this class because I feel much more equipped to fulfill my role as a teacher successfully. I am also grateful because this certification opens up even more possibilities. We are now certified to teach English anywhere in Asia, and it looks good on the resume when we look for jobs when we come back to the States!

Now we have a three day weekend, and we start teaching March 2nd (which is the beginning of the new school year for Korean students). I am really anxious, but excited to start! But first, we're going to celebrate our graduation by going into Seoul and hanging out!

... on another note, I got my first haircut in Korea today! Fortunately, they gave me to a hair stylist who spoke English, and it turned out pretty good! For $10,000 won ($9 dollars) I got a cut, shampoo, head and shoulder massage! That's less than they charge at Great Clips in the States!

Well, we're off to a Noreabong tonight to get our KARAOKE ON!!!!

Love you all!

Questions die away...

I finished re-reading "Till We Have Faces" By: C.S. Lewis. It has been three years since I last read it, but it still leaves me in awe. C.S. Lewis has a way of helping me through my struggles against God, and to fall deeper in love with Him.

After Orual (the main character) has a chance to state her complaints against the gods, she reflects on the experience by saying:

"I saw well why the gods do not speak openly, nor let us answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?"

After Orual's meeting with the gods, she is utterly transformed. At the end of her life, she writes in the last paragraph of her book:

"I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?"

I have often struggled in my faith due to philosophical and theological contradictions between my heart, mind, and life experiences. Sometimes, I have teetered on the edges of relativism. But as I pursued God (or as He pursued me), many of my questions lost their meaning. As I spent time, and as I spend time with The Christ, I begin to realize how much of my struggles were only babble based in illusion. These illusions fall away as I dwell in front of the face of Christ.

I have been practicing Lectio Divina in the Gospel of John, and I find myself afterwards, feeling like I have just sat at the feet of Christ, as if I was actually with the historical Jesus. And the truth is, I was. C.S. Lewis' words are so true..."before your face, all questions die away." The only point in all of life is Christ. It is when I stray from this understanding that I find myself babbling like an ignorant child again.

I guess my point and hope is that those who are plagued by theological, philosophical, and experiential struggles - struggles that keep them from seeking out God - would just take a moment to set them aside, and get to know the Christ. If you seek to grasp or own some truth, you will be disappointed, because the truth is not something one can own, the truth is a Person.

Let us look into the face of Christ, that we may find our true faces.

amen.

New Tastes!

One of the major parts of culture adjustment are all the new tastes. If you've grown up your whole life around food from the West (as I have), then being immersed in foods from the East can be challenging. Drinks are often the same way. My favorite thing to do right now is try new drinks. I have tried one drink that is produced by the Coca-Cola company called "Fanta-shakers" that I really like. It is a drink that you have to shake, and then when you open it, you drink down what feels like carbonated jello. It is part liquid, part solid. Another drink that I've found that I like is called 포 카 리 스 우ㅔ 트 which is called in English "Pocari Sweat." It is kind of like a Gatorade type of drink, but its flavor is unlike anything I've ever tasted. The English translation would obviously make it difficult to sell in English speaking nations. But if you understand it as a drink for people who are playing a sport and sweating, it makes more sense. It is an "ion supply drink." It is not a drink with sweat in it...which is what an English speaker would probably imply. My advice to anyone who travels outside of their country who wants to experience the culture: try whatever new food/drink item that you can!

"Die before you die. There is no chance after." Focusing on Lent.

I am re-reading C.S. Lewis' book "Till We Have Faces." I feel as though it is having an even greater impact on me now than it did when I first read it. Tonight at the International church in Korea, we had a Lent Service to begin the season of Lent. It is a season of remembering our

mortality--we are from the dust, and to the dust we shall return. Most of all, Lent is a season of remembering the journey of Christ towards the cross, and hoping for the Resurrection. In this time, we consider the things in our lives that prevent us from following Christ. Therefore, in this season, we repent and fast those things that enslave us to the world in order that we may be bound to Christ.

Tonight, as I was reading "Till We Have Faces," I was struck by Your truth. The main character was about to kill herself in an attempt to escape the shame she carried...but the voice of a god stopped her and said:

"Do not do it...You cannot escape {Shame} by going to the deadlands, for {Shame} is there also. Die before you die. There is no chance after."

Therein lies the truth: "Die before you die. There is no chance after."

We must die to the evil and the shame and the death that enslaves us to ourselves. We must die by putting our lives into the hands of Christ who can resurrect us. For only He has overcome the power of evil's child: eternal death. If we do not die before our deaths, we will be led by our shame into eternal "deadlands."

One of my theology professors in college said, "God does not send people to hell...he simply honors their will to reject Him."

So it is with us. God has given us a choice to be with Him, or to not. Only in Him is there life, and apart from Him, there are only "the deadlands."

In this season of Lent, let us remember our mortality, and let us choose life.

"May we die before we die,"

....in order that we may live eternally in Christ,

" for there is no chance after."

amen.

Buddhist Temple

Today we had a day off, and some of us decided to go into the mountains of Cheonan and visit a Buddhist temple. It was such a blessing because I got to do what I love to do--take pictures. Often when I go out to take photographs I have a difficult time because I can't concentrate, or I'm distracted by something. But if I'm able to focus, photography becomes an act of contemplation for me. If I'm able to come into this place of concentration, I feel like my soul is being nourished by the simple, yet difficult ebb and flow of capturing the right light and composition in a photograph. I find myself noticing the world not just as some material object, but rather infused with light and glory. What if our lives were really just a representation of how we choose to see the world? What if we could change our lives by choosing to see differently? I think God gave me a love for photography for this reason: to bask in, and point towards His creative glory; and to learn to see differently...the way He sees. I've posted a few photos of what I took today. You can see the whole album on my Facebook page.

Praise God for C.S. Lewis.

February 6, 2010

It is Saturday (the second Saturday I've had in SoKo). After a long week of TESOL courses, I am thankful for a day off to rest...a little, for homework is always on the horizon. But today, I took some time to myself, while Jill went with a couple girls into Yawoori. I wanted to try and get some work done, but I was drawn to C.S. Lewis' work: "Till We Have Faces." I am re-reading it, and I have to confess that it is just as powerful, or more so than the first time I read it. There are many people I want to meet when I die, but C.S. Lewis's writing has been such a blessing to my life, that he is one I want to meet and thank with deep gratitude. Of all his works, I have been moved and blessed most by "Till We Have Faces."

Today I was reading in "Till We Have Faces," and I came across a passage that seemed to pierce my heart, for I knew it to be true. It was a knowing that I experience only by grace. It was a knowing that I glimpse and hold only briefly because I comprehend so little, and because the glory of its fullness could destroy me. For some reason, by God's grace, I am given these moments when I least expect it, and only when I stop to listen. I know one plus one equals two. But when God reveals a truth to me, it is as if my whole being is transformed to embrace a truth that cannot be grasped or owned (as 1+1=2 is), but only honored, and worshiped. I honor and whorship it, because truth is not an objective material that I can examine; rather truth is a Person...and when I AM confronts me, I am the one that is examined.

I was examined by this text:

"Now mark yet again the cruelty of the gods. There is no escape from them into sleep or madness, for they can pursue you into them with dreams. Indeed you are then most at their mercy. The nearest thing we have to a defence against them (but there is no real defence) is to be very wide awake and sober and hard at work, to hear no music, never to look at the earth or sky, and (above all) to love no one."

Some context must be given for this text. This was written by one of the characters of this book, and she is also the narrator. She is the older sister of a beautiful princess. She loves her princess sister to the point of obsession and co-dependence, which is in fact not love at all, but only self-interested passion. Her beautiful sister is taken by the gods (for a reason she is not yet aware), and she wrote this book as words of defiance against the gods. This book has a powerful climax, as she finally gets to say what she's always wanted to say to the gods...but she discovers everything she thought was true about love was only an illusion.

I love this book, because over and over again, I can hear the complaints that I've uttered towards God. This story has a powerful way of revealing the truth or lies that are hidden in my complaints.

This text pierced my heart today because I find that often I make subtle choices in my spirit, and in my actions in an attempt to escape from God. Often they seem innocent--dive into my work, stop listening to music, and stop doing what nourishes my soul ; or just as subtle, yet much more evil: I push the people I love away.

You see, God never stops pursuing us. It may often times seem cruel what we think God is taking from us, but it is truly a work of grace to come to the end of yourself, and find the only thing that matters...and that thing is a Person, and that Person is God.

Praise God the Father, Son, and Spirit who are One. May we not seek escape, but rather unity with each other and Them.

amen.

Our First Week in Korea!

This has been a good, but difficult week. I don't know if Jill and I will have the typical "honeymoon" phase of culture shock. We are enjoying much of the newness that we are experiencing, but everything is so different than we are used to, and because we know that we will be here for a while, it can be very overwhelming. We are having to learn to be very flexible. And as both of us like to be in control, it has been emotionally draining to realize we have very little control. Everything from communicating to eating has been difficult. I am enjoying much of the food, but the diet is so different that there have been some days where Jill and I just went to McDonalds to cope.

This week we met our head teachers, and I loved my teacher! She is a sweet Korean women named Mrs. Jeon Yang-ok (pronounced Mrs. Chon). She liked to smile and laugh, and I think we will do just fine working together. I will be teaching at Cheonan Buk Middle School which is in downtown Cheonan. I've only seen the school from the outside, but I've never been more excited and nervous to start a new job!

We've experienced so much this week that it has been a whirlwind adventure. From singing Karaoke at a Noreabong, to always using chopsticks, to learning to get around in communication and geographically, to visiting a Buddhist temple in the mountains, we have been drenched in this new culture!

One stressful thing about Korean culture is that nothing is really planned in advance. Often, we find out about things at the last minute. For instance, in one of our sessions for orientation, the schedule stated that we would be learning about how a Korean church usually works. But when we arrived for the session, we found out that they had invited a bunch of Korean pastors from Cheonan, and they had assigned us each with a pastor of the church that we would be attending for the year. We were totally unprepared. It is one thing to unexpectedly meet someone on the street through a friend, but to not be told that we would be meeting a Korean pastor, AND that they expected us to go to their church for the year was incredibly stressful.

We've been trying to trust God in all of this. I'm trying to realize that this is just how Korean culture is. It isn't necessarily wrong, it's just different, and if we can learn to be flexible and trust God, and keep a healthy prayer life, I think we will learn to love the Korean people. I know that the director of our program was just trying to help us, and probably thought it would be easiest for us if they just showed us where to go to church.

We ended up going to Tang-Jung Church of the Nazarene this Sunday with our new friend Ho Kwon. He speaks English and is studying theology here at Korea Nazarene University. He attends the church we were given to attend. Our first Sunday was an overwhelming experience, because the whole service is in Korean. They wanted us to introduce ourselves, so they had us come in front of the congregation and Ho translated while we spoke. After service it is normal to eat lunch with the congregation, so we went into their fellowship hall and sat on the floor and had rice, a spicy soup, a couple different types of seaweed, and kimchi. I actually liked it! The church is full of children, and they were so curious about Jill and I, so they crowded around us and stared and said "hi", and asked us questions that Ho translated for us. The children helped us relax and enjoy ourselves.

Our first week has been no walk in the park, but God has been good to us, and we are being transformed for our roles here in Korea. We have made many new friends (both foreign and Korean), and all of our needs are being abundantly taken care of.

I had a dream last night that I was a foreigner trying to sneak my way into a new land. I was caught in the waves, and the guards of this land were throwing spears at me to keep me out, but in my dream I had no fear, only a desire and anxiousness to gain access to the new land.

Emotionally, and intellectually this is how I feel; like and outsider trying to get in. The Korean people aren't what is keeping me out, it is ignorance of the culture and language that is not allowing me to feel like I've arrived. If you've ever experienced the shock of jumping into ice cold water, you will know a bit of what we are experiencing right now. It is such a change of environment that we are basically in a state of shock.

Pray that the shock will pass, and that we will become acclimated and successful in this new culture. Pray that we would discover the role we have to play in ministry here. We are going to be in prayer over the church that was chosen for us, and try and figure out if this is the right fit for us.

The whole month of February we will have TESOL training, which is a university level course that will certify us to be good teachers of English as a second language. Our first day of teaching will be March 2nd! Pray for us...and our students!

Know you are in our prayers! Feel free to comment!

Love, Andy and Jill

First Day in South Korea!

We arrived at Incheon International airport Monday at 4:30pm in South Korea. We had to wait for Terry Hwang from Korea Nazarene University to arrive with KNU's charter bus. After waiting for the rest of the native English speakers to arrive at the airport, we departed at 9pm (6am Monday in the Midwest) for a two hour bus ride Cheonan City.

Meeting the other English teachers at the airport was a huge encouragement, as we all quickly became friends while telling some of our stories. Many of us had similar passions, and our reasons for coming to South Korea were not unfamiliar. While we sat there talking, we all realized our common solidarity...we were now guests in a host country where we were now the minorities!

Our first day in Cheonan was nothing less than jumping in the cold, yet exciting water of cultural immersion. As with a sudden splash of ice cold water, our entire beings were almost in a state of shock when we arrived back in our apartment at then end of our day. So much happened, and the sensory stimuli was almost overwhelming. Yet, I must say, I loved every minute of it (this coming from one who is in the "honeymoon phase" of the culture shock process).

Much of our first day was business oriented, as we still had some things to tie up before settling into a routine. The new native English teachers make up a group of 16. In order to obtain health insurance, we had to complete the application and requirements for an alien registration card. Part of the requirements meant that we had to go to the local hospital for physical examinations.

The tests that they conducted on us were: for color blindness, vision, height, weight, chest measurement (I'm not sure why they needed this), and blood pressure. Then we moved to another room where they took x-rays of our chests (my friend Brandon Chapman who is a pre-med student thinks they were testing for TB). After, we had to pee in "hello kitty" cups, and give a couple vials of blood. It was a crazy morning, but we all got it done.

After our hospital visit, we had an authentic Korean meal. It was a totally new experience for both Jill and I, as neither of us have been exposed to this cuisine. Our reactions were surprisingly opposite. I enjoyed it (and even liked the kimchee), and Jill was the picky one! It is usually opposite for Jill and I; I'm the picky eater, and she's the one who likes everything! Note: I've added some video of this meal!

Later in the day, we had the chance to walk through some of Cheonan. Jill and I needed to buy some groceries, so our good friend Tori Palmer (who has already been here for half a year) took us to the local "Lotee Mart." The mart is as close as we'll probably get to a Wal-Mart. Walking down the streets of Cheonan is similar to the experience of a big city like Chicago or New York. Lots of high rise buildings, street vendors...and smells. There are many Korean advertisements and neon signs. It's even more overwhelming to be bombarded by the sights and smells because we are alien to the culture and language. But, being a city dweller, it hasn't been too difficult an adjustment (of course this is only the first week).

If you've ever been to a store where there are no signs to guide you to the products you are looking for, then you will know a bit of what it was like in Lotee Mart. Add this dilemma the fact that all the products are primarily written in Korean, and you have a bit of a challenge to find the things you need. Fortunately for us, we had Tori, and her friend Courtney with us, and they guided us to the things we were searching for.

Our next door neighbors are seasoned cross-cultural workers and missionaries named Larry and Martha Wilson. They invited us and some others who were available to go out for dinner to get to know us. We went to "Signore Pizza" and had some authentic Italian fire baked pizza. It was a nice conclusion to our night to sit and eat some familiar food, and get to know our new friends. We look forward to this new adventure that we find ourselves on.

Our apartment is a cozy one bedroom loft style environment. We live on the fourth floor, and have a kitchen, living area and a small separate bedroom. Our ceilings are really hight and we have these great big windows the open onto two patios that face the west and overlook a nice trail and park. It's a bit of nature, while we live in the heart of the city. One genius thing I already like more about Korean housing is that the heat comes from the floor. Our floors are heated, so in the winter, when we get out of bed, we are greeted by a warm floors! This makes absolute sense, as heat rises anyway. I'll post pictures of our new place as soon as we've finished unpacking!

Keep us in your prayers, that we might acclimate well to our new life and host culture, as you are in our prayers!

I woke up this morning to my alarm clock, and my stomach immediately jumped into my throat as my thoughts stressed over the fact that we still haven't received our visas in the mail. We had been approved for our visas last Friday after our interviews in Chicago, but we still had to wait for the visas to be processed, then shipped to us.

During my morning prayers, I gave these thoughts of worry and doubt over to God, and placed our lives back into His hands, trusting that His will (no matter what happened) was best. He was faithful to give me peace that surpassed understanding.

At 10am, Jill saw the FedEx truck pulling up and said, "get your shoes on and run out and meet the deliverer!" In my excitement, I left my shoes behind, and ran outside in my socks to meet the driver. I felt like a school boy on Christmas morning as she handed me the envelope with our visas inside!

I came inside and opened the envelope with Jill, and there they were, little pieces of paper attached to our passports that say, "you can work in Korea (in more official words of course)!"

We praised God for helping us overcome the last hurdle in our way to working as English teachers in South Korea.

Moving to Korea

I've not updated this blog in a long while, but my frequency of updates will increase as I write about our time in South Korea.

Jill and I have been praying for over a year for the direction we should take with our lives. There have been many months of confusion and lostness as we've sought out God's will. Over and over in our prayers we would express our frustration: "How long will You be silent? How long will You keep our path dark?" I've been reminded recently that life is less about the destination, and more about the journey-- and specifically the transformation we either reject or accept during this journey. I've learned since coming out of those dark times, that unless we allow ourselves to be transformed, we very well may not be able to handle the final destination... Its glory and reality may destroy us.

God has opened the door for us to teach English in Korea, and these positions will allow us to do things that we have been praying about since the first day of our marriage. But getting to the point where we could leave has been long and arduous.

At every step of our paper work to get work visas, we have come up against trials and difficulties. There were times that we seriously doubted if things would come through for us to be approved. It came down to the week we were going to move out of our apartment, and we still needed to have our visa interviews with the Korean Consulate. We were under the impression that we could have video interviews, but after talking with a sweet Korean woman at the consulate, she refused anything but face to face interviews. This was a week and half before our departure to South Korea on January 23rd. On Thursday the 14th, I called Jill from work and said: we have to drive to downtown Chicago TONIGHT to have our interviews on Friday morning if we want our visas to come in time for our departure."

After some frantic planning, we left that day for Chicago at 4pm. God was looking out for us, and thanks to my cousin Suzanne Blackford (who works in the hotel industry), we got to stay at the Double Tree Hotel in downtown with the employee discount! What's more is the hotel was two blocks from the Korean Consulate! Friday morning we checked out of the Double Tree, and walked ten minutes to the Consulate for our interviews.

At 10:30am they called my name for my interview, and after ten minutes of talking with a nice Korean official, and answering a few questions, he shook my hand and said: "Have a great time in Korea!" Jill had her interview right after mine, and the Korean official did more laughing and flirting with Jill than interviewing her! He told her, "you have a beautiful smile, the Korean people will love your smile!" After she answered some questions that he was satisfied with, Jill was approved too!

We left the consulate overjoyed. We had overcome the last wall that stood in our way to taking the jobs we had been praying for for many months. As we walked in downtown Chicago back to our hotel, we were sharing with each other about our experience, overjoyed that the interviews had gone so well. While talking, we walked by a man who was walking in the same direction as us, and he turned to us and said, "Praise Jesus the Lord!" Then he turned and went down another street.

At first I thought it strange that a complete stranger (who I can confidently say was in his right mind) would say such a seemingly random comment to us as we walked by. But as we were driving home, God spoke to my spirit, and showed me the significance of this encounter. God used this man to solidify and affirm the direction Jill and I are taking. I don't believe that it was a coincidence that as we were celebrating the success of our interviews, this stranger turned and reminded us of Who was guiding our lives. As I sat driving, my spirit was filled with deep gratitude and love, as God showed me that He is Lord over all things, and that all things are in His hands, and that all things are being made new. Even in the midst of seeming darkness and confusion, Jesus is Lord, and His Spirit is guiding our lives.