This is wild...I've been here a month and a week. In some ways, it seems like much shorter. I couldn't possibly have been outside the U.S. for so long. There is no way it has been that long since I talked to people. In other ways, it seems like it's been much longer. I've settled into a routine, made new friends, established my classroom, met all my students, etc, etc, etc. All that couldn't possibly have happened in such a short time. So time continues its dichotomous march.
I have been richly blessed. The Lost newbies (as I've taken to calling us as we've begun watching Lost together weekly) hang out regularly, with honorary additions to the newbie crowd. It has been great getting to know these people, and I look forward to continuing to build friendships. I've started helping out with tennis practices, and aside from it just being fun to get out and play a little bit, it's a great opportunity to get to know some of my students outside the classroom.
I am getting to know my students better, both individually and as a group. I returned quiz results the other day, and quite a few of them, in complete seriousness, made comments like "Oh man! Only a 96%! I thought I did better." I struggled not to goggle at them. They are incredibly serious about their academics. I was being goofy yesterday, and without thinking about it too much, put "What is 3 - 2?" on the board as a warm up problem. They all thought it was some kind of trick or philosophical question. So from now on, I'll confine my jokes to the verbal medium - what's on the board is canonical. There's been a little bit of testing, and I think I scared one class when I broke out my teacher voice (not yelling, just speaking sternly). But they have responded well to what little correction I have needed to dish out.
Today I went out to a cheese factory. One of the principals put the trip together, and I signed up, thinking it would be fun - milking cows, making cheese and pizza, hanging out with people, and just getting out of the city for a bit. It turned out to be a bit of a comedy of errors, though I definitely still enjoyed myself. First off, I realized as we were departing that I was the only one who had come without kids. But that turned out to be fun, as I got to hang out with some of the little ones I hadn't met before. We made pizza - the crust was 5-grain, and surprisingly good. And went to 'milk the cows'. Apparently something got lost in translation here, because what this entailed was feeding the calves milk from bottles, which, from a certain perspective, could indeed be called 'milking the cows'. In like manner, 'making cheese', turned out to be more like 'softening cheese that was already made'. But the company made it all worthwhile :)
After the cheese factory, we went to a site that used to be a kind of school of Confucianism, where people would come to learn the Master's teachings. The buildings were cool to look around in, but what was really neat was that a woman there showed us the traditional Korean tea ceremony. I had not known the tea ceremony was a part of Korean culture as well (I had heard of the Chinese and Japanese versions). It is an elegant ritual, with everything in its proper place - prepared and served just so, with guest and host alike following proper etiquette. It exemplifies a few things about the Korean culture - the precise attention to detail, patience, and the showing of proper respect. As one drinks the first cup of tea, it is appropriate to complement the host on the flavor, aroma, presentation, design of the dishes, etc. Conversation is to be kept to light, positive topics. The tea is drunk in three swigs. The woman that walked us through it also made the point that regularly having formal tea like this teaches children when one ought to be formal and serious, and when it is okay to be informal and exuberant, which was not something I had considered. I have been calling this a 'ceremony' or 'ritual', but it is more a way of receiving guests in a respectful manner, such as when the in-laws or the boss is coming over. It was fascinating, and gave me a sense that beyond than the characteristics I mentioned, it is a window into the heart of what it means to be Korean in some deep way that lurks outside my comprehension.
I have also found a great church here that I look forward to attending each Sunday. I like the preaching a lot, and small groups start up next weekend. I'm looking forward to getting involved in that community, and being in a Bible study again. I've missed it.
So...while I'm still figuring some things out, I'm feeling more or less comfortable with being here, and, with tennis being a first step, I'm looking to start committing and involving myself beyond my teaching duties. I just pray that the Lord will use my meager efforts (I have only 5 loaves and 2 fish after all - that cannot possibly feed this many people) to work something glorious in His Name.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Video Tour
Howdy folks! Apparently blogspot only lets you embed youtube videos, so I can't upload a video directly. I'll probably write another post sometime soon, but in the meantime, check out my Facebook for a video tour of my neighborhood!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100835044785370&comments
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100835044785370&comments
Friday, August 12, 2011
First School Week
Yesterday, we concluded week one of school here at YISS. It was great! I'm still getting used to having 85 minute class periods instead of 45, so some improvisation was required, but we got through :) Nothing like a 2 minute stretch break to figure out what you're going to do with the last 20 minutes of class. Some of the kids even laughed at my jokes. Maybe they think it will improve their grade.
My kids are fantastic. They are all very polite, and actually make eye contact and say 'hi' to me of their own volition! It's completely uncool for an American student to act like they care about the teacher, so it's very refreshing and rewarding for kids to be interested in talking to me. They come from a variety of faith backgrounds from Christians raised in a Christian home, to Muslims whose parents were just barely okay with them coming to our school. And everything in between. I look forward to getting to know them and (hopefully) having an impact on their faith journeys.
I am also cognizant of the friendships forming with my fellow staff members - especially those of us who are new. It would be easy now that school is going to become isolated, working, going home, relaxing, and not spending time with them. But I don't want that, and furthermore I think God has called us to more than isolated lives of individual service. We need those relationships to serve and live to our fullest potential, and it is through those relationships that we garner great blessings of joy and fellowship. So I'll be looking for (and creating) opportunities to spend time with people outside of school.
It may be difficult to live in a balanced fashion, with the duties (and optional commitments) of school and students, building friendships, maintaining prior relationships, and becoming involved in the local church. I need much wisdom to prioritize and manage time so that I am maximizing what I can do here. By the grace of God, I pray that I can do all these things well, and that none will suffer because of the others.
Tonight, we've been invited to go to my principal's house for dinner and fellowship. I'm looking forward to spending time with everybody. On Monday, I plan on taking a photo walk to get and post some pictures of my usual haunts in order to share them with y'all (on Facebook).
That's all for now! Thanks for reading :)
My kids are fantastic. They are all very polite, and actually make eye contact and say 'hi' to me of their own volition! It's completely uncool for an American student to act like they care about the teacher, so it's very refreshing and rewarding for kids to be interested in talking to me. They come from a variety of faith backgrounds from Christians raised in a Christian home, to Muslims whose parents were just barely okay with them coming to our school. And everything in between. I look forward to getting to know them and (hopefully) having an impact on their faith journeys.
I am also cognizant of the friendships forming with my fellow staff members - especially those of us who are new. It would be easy now that school is going to become isolated, working, going home, relaxing, and not spending time with them. But I don't want that, and furthermore I think God has called us to more than isolated lives of individual service. We need those relationships to serve and live to our fullest potential, and it is through those relationships that we garner great blessings of joy and fellowship. So I'll be looking for (and creating) opportunities to spend time with people outside of school.
It may be difficult to live in a balanced fashion, with the duties (and optional commitments) of school and students, building friendships, maintaining prior relationships, and becoming involved in the local church. I need much wisdom to prioritize and manage time so that I am maximizing what I can do here. By the grace of God, I pray that I can do all these things well, and that none will suffer because of the others.
Tonight, we've been invited to go to my principal's house for dinner and fellowship. I'm looking forward to spending time with everybody. On Monday, I plan on taking a photo walk to get and post some pictures of my usual haunts in order to share them with y'all (on Facebook).
That's all for now! Thanks for reading :)
Monday, August 8, 2011
Beginning's End
Today was the first day with students. Up until this point, I (and the others new to the school) have been the center of attention as we have been given tours, taken to dinner, and generally focused on and looked after. As of this morning, it's not about us any more.
A sense of reality hits me now. The time devoted solely to adjustment and preparation is complete. When I talk of my teaching here, my verbs are now present tense. I don't know how to convey this turning point in the events and in my mind, but it all seems real now. I have left the home and family I have been blessed with, left my friends with whom I have lived and laughed, left the cornfields that are so deeply rooted in my heart. I have left behind everything I have ever known to follow the road God has laid before my feet. As I write this, I am crying my first tears shed on Korean soil, knowing I am far from the roots formed in the land and people of Illinois.
But there is great joy here too. I have been blessed with amazing people around me, people helping me, encouraging me, praying for me. And I am blessed with the friendships I am forming with these people. I didn't know what I have been missing, working in public school the last two years. To share devotions as a staff in the morning, to pray for one another at department meetings, and to be able to share a common purpose, common faith with those around me is a blessing that cannot be underestimated. I can't wait to see what God is going to do this year as this community of faith speaks and acts into the lives of students of all different backgrounds.
Meeting the students today, I have a vision of potential. These young people could be the leaders of their generation, and we have an opportunity to impact them, to equip them, to teach them and pray for them. I pray that I can be a picture of Christ, showing my students what it means to live a life of faith, and showing them that they can have the same. But it is more than "I" - I am not an isolated missionary. We, the teachers at YISS, have this opportunity, and we walk forward into it together, for as it is written, "...If one falls down, his friend can help him up...a cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:10a, 12b).
For all that, the joy and strength I have does not come from seeing my students; it does not come from the people around me, nor does it come from some well within my heart and soul. All that I have comes from the Lord, and my confidence comes from knowing I am in the center of His will; I know, down to the core of my being, that I am precisely where He wants me to be. My sorrow for my home does not take away from that - it deepens and enriches my conviction, because I know that I would never have considered leaving my beloved cornfields if not for the work that the Lord has done in me.
Please pray for me. Pray that I will be faithful in following Christ, living as He would, and that in sorrow and in joy, through rain and sunshine my first instinct would be to turn to the Lord. Pray that I will be a good teacher, a good friend, and, above all, that I will reflect Christ to those around me.
My last thought is of Job, who upon hearing he had lost all his possessions and family said "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (Job 1:21). May I give praise to the Lord through all circumstances.
A sense of reality hits me now. The time devoted solely to adjustment and preparation is complete. When I talk of my teaching here, my verbs are now present tense. I don't know how to convey this turning point in the events and in my mind, but it all seems real now. I have left the home and family I have been blessed with, left my friends with whom I have lived and laughed, left the cornfields that are so deeply rooted in my heart. I have left behind everything I have ever known to follow the road God has laid before my feet. As I write this, I am crying my first tears shed on Korean soil, knowing I am far from the roots formed in the land and people of Illinois.
But there is great joy here too. I have been blessed with amazing people around me, people helping me, encouraging me, praying for me. And I am blessed with the friendships I am forming with these people. I didn't know what I have been missing, working in public school the last two years. To share devotions as a staff in the morning, to pray for one another at department meetings, and to be able to share a common purpose, common faith with those around me is a blessing that cannot be underestimated. I can't wait to see what God is going to do this year as this community of faith speaks and acts into the lives of students of all different backgrounds.
Meeting the students today, I have a vision of potential. These young people could be the leaders of their generation, and we have an opportunity to impact them, to equip them, to teach them and pray for them. I pray that I can be a picture of Christ, showing my students what it means to live a life of faith, and showing them that they can have the same. But it is more than "I" - I am not an isolated missionary. We, the teachers at YISS, have this opportunity, and we walk forward into it together, for as it is written, "...If one falls down, his friend can help him up...a cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:10a, 12b).
For all that, the joy and strength I have does not come from seeing my students; it does not come from the people around me, nor does it come from some well within my heart and soul. All that I have comes from the Lord, and my confidence comes from knowing I am in the center of His will; I know, down to the core of my being, that I am precisely where He wants me to be. My sorrow for my home does not take away from that - it deepens and enriches my conviction, because I know that I would never have considered leaving my beloved cornfields if not for the work that the Lord has done in me.
Please pray for me. Pray that I will be faithful in following Christ, living as He would, and that in sorrow and in joy, through rain and sunshine my first instinct would be to turn to the Lord. Pray that I will be a good teacher, a good friend, and, above all, that I will reflect Christ to those around me.
My last thought is of Job, who upon hearing he had lost all his possessions and family said "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (Job 1:21). May I give praise to the Lord through all circumstances.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Staff Retreat/All Together Now
Friday was the first day with all the staff. So I got to meet and promptly forget the names of all the folks that have been here before. Okay, so I remember some of them, but there are a lot of staff at YISS. Perhaps most importantly in terms of day-to-day, I met the people in the high school math and science departments, including the people that taught my classes last year. So I know who to badger about what :) We played some goofy games Friday morning - Ross and I are now the reigning YISS birdie on a perch champions, and we did the classic aluminum foil dress-up thing. It was fun :) We took a trip to the school supplies store, and I picked up some things for my classroom. My ability to avoid actual lesson planning is coming to its end. Actually, it turns out that there is a very detailed curriculum map on the school's Atlas website, so rather than making everything up, I can reuse and tweak at my discretion. That'll cut down a lot of the planning stress. And the aforementioned teachers who had my classes last year are at most two doors down in my hallway, so that helps too :)
We had Saturday morning off, which I used to full advantage talking to people in significantly different time zones. I Skyped my little sister, and chatted with some friends from back home and from PFO. In the afternoon, we all headed out for our staff retreat. We were at a camp in what apparently passes for wilderness to a Seoulite. I got to do some running around - played Ultimate and soccer (ahem...football), and we did a goofy activity where we came up with lyrics and performed songs to popular tunes that were somehow related to what we're all doing here (my group sang "I need your lesson plan" to the tune of the Beatles' "I wanna hold your hand"). "American Teacher" (to the tune of "American Woman" brought down the house with some incredible singing and air banding, although I was most impressed by the lyricists that brought us "Land of the Morning Calm" to a tune I didn't recognize. I took video...if it turned out okay, I'll post it on fb before too long.
We then got to sing some song around a campfire, which I haven't done since high school, and I took a walk and spent some quality time talking to Jesus. We slept, awoke, and came back home. Wow...I just typed 'home' without thinking about it. An introspective person might wonder what that means. Good thing I'm not that introspective.
Back to work again tomorrow. Kids arrive in a week. I've been here a week and a half. It seems like a lot has happened in that time. The Lord has been faithfully providing. I just hope and pray that I can be faithful in carrying out what I am here for - that I can show whatever small bit of Him is in me to my students, and that they will want that for themselves.
Looking forward to what God has in store.
We had Saturday morning off, which I used to full advantage talking to people in significantly different time zones. I Skyped my little sister, and chatted with some friends from back home and from PFO. In the afternoon, we all headed out for our staff retreat. We were at a camp in what apparently passes for wilderness to a Seoulite. I got to do some running around - played Ultimate and soccer (ahem...football), and we did a goofy activity where we came up with lyrics and performed songs to popular tunes that were somehow related to what we're all doing here (my group sang "I need your lesson plan" to the tune of the Beatles' "I wanna hold your hand"). "American Teacher" (to the tune of "American Woman" brought down the house with some incredible singing and air banding, although I was most impressed by the lyricists that brought us "Land of the Morning Calm" to a tune I didn't recognize. I took video...if it turned out okay, I'll post it on fb before too long.
We then got to sing some song around a campfire, which I haven't done since high school, and I took a walk and spent some quality time talking to Jesus. We slept, awoke, and came back home. Wow...I just typed 'home' without thinking about it. An introspective person might wonder what that means. Good thing I'm not that introspective.
Back to work again tomorrow. Kids arrive in a week. I've been here a week and a half. It seems like a lot has happened in that time. The Lord has been faithfully providing. I just hope and pray that I can be faithful in carrying out what I am here for - that I can show whatever small bit of Him is in me to my students, and that they will want that for themselves.
Looking forward to what God has in store.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Video tour
So...my buddy Ross's video tour is pretty awesome. It shows where I work, with an Australian accent. Shamelessly stolen: http://followross.blogspot.com/2011/07/yiss-wildlife-adventure.html?spref=fb
Enjoy :)
Enjoy :)
A Week Gone By
So I've been in the country a week and a day now. It feels like so much longer, somehow. I guess we packed in a lot of stuff those first few days. This week, we've been doing work stuff during the day, which isn't all that exciting, but definitely essential. In all my interactions with the staff, and becoming familiar with the vision of YISS, I can say that I am excited to work with people who have a genuine passion for God and for ministering to kids. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord can do with this group of people, and I haven't even met most of the staff yet :)
On Monday, we visited the hospital to get medical tests, I guess to ascertain whether we are fit enough to be permitted to live in Korea. And then we got donuts. A few of us guys finished before others, and stood loudly enjoying our donuts so the others could see how delicious they were. We were just trying to show them the glory that was to come, but they seemed annoyed for some reason. Oh...and Sunday night is when it started raining.
We did some more stuff at the school - it was beneficial, but nothing anyone wants to read about. We had dinner at a really good Thai place located above the English bookstore (What the Book?), so I also ordered and paid for the recently released Dresden Files book :) Excitement. Dinner entertainment was provided by the Carlson children (Cade, boy, age 2 and Kennedy, girl, age 4), who are quite possibly the cutest beings in existence.
Tuesday morning was a new experience for me. We started the day with a devotion and prayer time, which I've never done in a school setting before. It was pretty good, and it was great to be able to share that with my coworkers. The afternoon was a lot of fun. We got to play with some of the school's toys - they have these handheld cameras that can also take video, and we wandered about the school. Eric, JJ, and I walked together, mostly taking video, and narrating where we were. When we finished, we came back and loaded our media onto our macbooks and started playing with iMovie. The idea is that we'll splice this together so we can send a video tour to people back home. It was a fun way to learn about some of the tech stuff available to us. We'll see if I get around to finishing the editing. Oh, and it was raining all day. It really started pouring in the afternoon. We went to a place called Dillinger's for dinner - they have half price burgers on Tuesday nights and you can play darts for free :) My pride suffered as Miranda kicked my butt twice in a row, but it was fun.
After dinner I had quite an adventure. It was pouring at this point, and I was riding with my new friend Craig to go play volleyball, usually a drive of a half hour. The weather made traffic terrible, but it was also highly amusing because Craig talks to the other drivers. I think my favorite was when someone was inching into his path - "Oh, you are not going to do that, sunshine." Non-stop entertainment. Volleyball was a lot of fun. There were a couple of guys who could really pound the ball. I blocked one of them once, and it snapped my wrist back; it's still sore. A lot of fun, but we didn't get back until around midnight, so I don't think I can keep that up during the school year. I'll need to find another sporting outlet...
Yesterday morning was kind of cool because we got to meet the support staff and pray for them (hey! We really are a Christian school!). These people do all sorts of things for the school and for us in terms of getting our paperwork through and helping us move in and such, so it was good to be able to give some prayer support to them. We also got to spend some time in our classrooms, and I actually started thinking about teaching stuff :) And it was still raining.
I think it was yesterday (Wednesday) when the rain started getting dangerous. There is a lot of flooding in some of the lower parts of the city. We drove over the Han river today, and the water has totally flooded all the park areas next to it, and has climbed about 2/3 of the way up to the bridges. Young nim, our immigration expert who has been here 20 years, said she has never seen the water so high. A few dozen people have died in landslides caused by the rain. Please pray for the flooding, that the rain will stop, and that people will be safe.
Today we went to the immigration office and got fingerprinted. It took about five seconds - they have digital fingerprinting devices. No rolling your fingers in ink. We had a bit of confusion there because of Charissa. They pulled up her last name and found a teacher with the same last name and same birthdate who looked like her. They asked her "have you taught here?". She said no. There were some confused expressions exchanged and then Young nim figured it out - she said "She's a twin!" And everyone had a good laugh. All in all, the immigration office was exceptionally efficient. We got our passports back, and should get our alien cards in two weeks.
We got Korean food for lunch, had time in our classrooms, and took a trip to CostCo. That's about it.
Tomorrow is a big day, because it's the first day that all the teachers are required to attend. Up till now, it's just been us newbies. I'm excited to meet everyone else, especially the people I'm actually going to be working with (only one of the other noobs is even in the high school, and none are in my departments).
We get to go on the staff retreat this weekend, although I don't know how much the rain will limit what we can actually do. I'm excited to get out into the mountains a little bit. I hear it's a good place for hiking :)
I bought lots of cereal at CostCo, so I'm ready for anything!
peace,
Bennett
On Monday, we visited the hospital to get medical tests, I guess to ascertain whether we are fit enough to be permitted to live in Korea. And then we got donuts. A few of us guys finished before others, and stood loudly enjoying our donuts so the others could see how delicious they were. We were just trying to show them the glory that was to come, but they seemed annoyed for some reason. Oh...and Sunday night is when it started raining.
We did some more stuff at the school - it was beneficial, but nothing anyone wants to read about. We had dinner at a really good Thai place located above the English bookstore (What the Book?), so I also ordered and paid for the recently released Dresden Files book :) Excitement. Dinner entertainment was provided by the Carlson children (Cade, boy, age 2 and Kennedy, girl, age 4), who are quite possibly the cutest beings in existence.
Tuesday morning was a new experience for me. We started the day with a devotion and prayer time, which I've never done in a school setting before. It was pretty good, and it was great to be able to share that with my coworkers. The afternoon was a lot of fun. We got to play with some of the school's toys - they have these handheld cameras that can also take video, and we wandered about the school. Eric, JJ, and I walked together, mostly taking video, and narrating where we were. When we finished, we came back and loaded our media onto our macbooks and started playing with iMovie. The idea is that we'll splice this together so we can send a video tour to people back home. It was a fun way to learn about some of the tech stuff available to us. We'll see if I get around to finishing the editing. Oh, and it was raining all day. It really started pouring in the afternoon. We went to a place called Dillinger's for dinner - they have half price burgers on Tuesday nights and you can play darts for free :) My pride suffered as Miranda kicked my butt twice in a row, but it was fun.
After dinner I had quite an adventure. It was pouring at this point, and I was riding with my new friend Craig to go play volleyball, usually a drive of a half hour. The weather made traffic terrible, but it was also highly amusing because Craig talks to the other drivers. I think my favorite was when someone was inching into his path - "Oh, you are not going to do that, sunshine." Non-stop entertainment. Volleyball was a lot of fun. There were a couple of guys who could really pound the ball. I blocked one of them once, and it snapped my wrist back; it's still sore. A lot of fun, but we didn't get back until around midnight, so I don't think I can keep that up during the school year. I'll need to find another sporting outlet...
Yesterday morning was kind of cool because we got to meet the support staff and pray for them (hey! We really are a Christian school!). These people do all sorts of things for the school and for us in terms of getting our paperwork through and helping us move in and such, so it was good to be able to give some prayer support to them. We also got to spend some time in our classrooms, and I actually started thinking about teaching stuff :) And it was still raining.
I think it was yesterday (Wednesday) when the rain started getting dangerous. There is a lot of flooding in some of the lower parts of the city. We drove over the Han river today, and the water has totally flooded all the park areas next to it, and has climbed about 2/3 of the way up to the bridges. Young nim, our immigration expert who has been here 20 years, said she has never seen the water so high. A few dozen people have died in landslides caused by the rain. Please pray for the flooding, that the rain will stop, and that people will be safe.
Today we went to the immigration office and got fingerprinted. It took about five seconds - they have digital fingerprinting devices. No rolling your fingers in ink. We had a bit of confusion there because of Charissa. They pulled up her last name and found a teacher with the same last name and same birthdate who looked like her. They asked her "have you taught here?". She said no. There were some confused expressions exchanged and then Young nim figured it out - she said "She's a twin!" And everyone had a good laugh. All in all, the immigration office was exceptionally efficient. We got our passports back, and should get our alien cards in two weeks.
We got Korean food for lunch, had time in our classrooms, and took a trip to CostCo. That's about it.
Tomorrow is a big day, because it's the first day that all the teachers are required to attend. Up till now, it's just been us newbies. I'm excited to meet everyone else, especially the people I'm actually going to be working with (only one of the other noobs is even in the high school, and none are in my departments).
We get to go on the staff retreat this weekend, although I don't know how much the rain will limit what we can actually do. I'm excited to get out into the mountains a little bit. I hear it's a good place for hiking :)
I bought lots of cereal at CostCo, so I'm ready for anything!
peace,
Bennett
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