Psalm 146

Besides working until 8:30pm on Friday night, we've had a great weekend. Since we were starving we went back to Dehli. The cheese naan was calling Beka's name and I did not disagree! 

Saturday we went to Busan for the first time to go to the kite festival. We have to admit, we were pretty proud of making it there all by ourselves. Particularly since the bus system is in hangeul, not in the oh-so-familiar letters we're used to. Rumor has it hangeul is pretty easy to learn, but we need to put forth the effort. My Lonely Planet tells me that linguists argue that hangeul is one of the most intelligently designed and phonetically consistent alphabets today. 

Anyways, after our long trip (about 1 hour on each bus ride), we made it to the festival! While wind is good for kites, it was probably too windy that day. It was the windiest day yet here, worse than Kansas winds! That did not stop us from having fun though. Once they announced free kites, we were set! Here are a few shots: 

 Yes the picture above us is the rest of the picture =)

It's hard to argue with a festival on a beautiful beach! 

There were a couple windsurfers out too.

Ok, so differences. You know how in the states most people like to be tan? I don't really care, but whatever, that's a good thing for me here. Koreans think the lighter your skin, the better. They take it to the extreme of putting whitener, aka bleach, in their face wash and moisturizers! I'm thankful that I loaded up on both before I came, and that Tamera told us about this so that we make sure not to use it. Eek. 

This morning, Sunday, Beka and I were supposed to go to church early to practice with the worship team. We slept in and missed the bus. Life would be much easier if I were a morning person, but I'm glad I'm a night person! We're planning on going next weekend. Then tonight we went back to church to watch Courageous. It's similar to Fireproof, but Courageous is about police officers, family & fathers. It was a good movie and it helped fill our craving too! 

We're hoping to go on a field trip this week because it got cancelled last week due to the rain. Field trips get us out of the classroom and we get to wear jeans. Thanks to Beka for asking, we also get to wear jeans on Fridays now. Or, ya know, 'we could always wear a dress.' That was a not-so-subtle hint from our vice principal. haha. Hooray for casual Fridays! 

We have our 10k race coming up in two short weeks. We've only ran twice since we've been here so we have to this week, rain or shine! 

Tomorrow we're planning on going to the post office during our lunch break (because they're closed when we get off and closed on the weekends) so hopefully that will go smoothly and cards will be sent! 

I was looking for a verse of encouragement and found an entire Psalm that spoke to me. I'm especially thankful that I have a heavenly Father tonight.

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
² I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
     I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³ Put not your trust in princes,
     in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
⁴ When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.

⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶ who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
⁷      who executes justice for the oppressed,
     who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
⁸      the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
     the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the sojourners;
     he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰ The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

One month today!

We've officially been in Korea for a month. This time last month I was getting picked up from the airport. It’s hard believe that it’s been a month!

Throughout the month we've:

Adopted Ethan as family

Fallen in love with our kids

Settled in to our apartment

Started to get into a routine with school

Found a church home

Tried kimchi numerous times without being fond of it

Gone hiking and running in our area

Made a rule: 10 push-ups per children’s song sang after school

Found an adorable, cozy coffee shop

In the upcoming months we’re hoping to go on some weekend trips and attend some festivals!   We also have our first race coming up on April 7^th. We’re running a 10k, and we’re just praying it’s not a mountain run!

We’re also thinking about where we want to travel over summer and Christmas break. There’s nothing wrong with planning ahead when talking vacation!!

Tonight Beka and I ate at Delhi, the Indian restaurant. Their cheese naan is seriously the bomb! Our curry was really yummy too! Then we went and split a waffle dessert that had whipped cream and strawberries. It was the best waffle I’ve ever had! We took one of my Korean travel books to dinner in hopes of practicing the alphabet but it was the wrong book. We did learn how to say vegetarian, no meat, and water, please. Practice is a necessity if we’re going to learn anything!

Tonight I found out good friends from back home got engaged over the weekend. I’m super excited for Aubrie and Lehr!! Feeling a bit sad that I’m missing their special time!

My older brother is also turning 30 this week. Another time I would love to be home. Wouldn’t it be nice to just zap home for a few days?? Cheers to Josh!

Jen's birthday is this week too. Let's just keep adding to the list! 

Tomorrow marks the first official day of Spring. Yay! Really looking forward to seeing Korea in bloom! 

On the way to the restaurant

Cravings

It's funny the things you crave while living in another country. Of course when you think of craving something you think of food. We all know I've been craving lots of food! Thankfully we found black beans and had some for dinner tonight! In the states I paid less than a dollar for a can of black beans. Here they are 2800 won, which is about $2.50! Totally worth it though.

Besides food though, Beka and I have both been craving watching a movie! It's ironic because neither of us were big movie watchers back home but tonight we spent half an hour trying to watch a movie, sadly without success. First we tried some random sites online without luck, then we tried my itunes. For some reason it wouldn't let me pay for a movie but I remembered I had a gift card so I thought we were set. However, it still claimed to need my billing info to be able to watch. Fail. Then I tried fox.com and abc.com to try to at least watch a T.V. show. Nope, can't watch it out of the states. So no movie or T.V. show for us. I originally planned on bringing a couple with me but they didn't make the cut. If I knew then what I knew now I would have left some clothes behind and traded them for food and DVD's. Live and learn, live and learn!

Yesterday, after sleeping in and Skyping of course, we went to the beach with some other teachers in the area and had a BBQ for St. Patrick's day. It was nice to be outside and be near the ocean. I'm looking forward to this summer when we'll camp on the beach!

Today we went back to Okpo Foreigner's Church. Beka and I are so thankful for this church! We've connected with a lot of the people and it's helping Korea to feel like home. I know I'll look forward to it every week. The service was on waiting on the Lord. I've really learned a lot about waiting on the Lord over the past year or so, and it was nice to hear a sermon on it. After church we went to eat. We were going to go to a 'western' restaurant but they were both closed. We ended up going to a Turkish place and I had falafel. Then we were introduced to the World Market, full of American food. Peanut butter galore, tomato soup, oatmeal, granola bars, and deodorant were some of the things we were glad to see.

After a long 4 hour nap (I love sleeping!!), we worked on lesson plans for a while. I also got to Skype with my grandma so that's always good! Now it's getting close to 1am. I should probably go to bed since tomorrow starts week 3 of being a kindergarten teacher.

Happy Sunday to my family and friends back home!

Isaiah 40:31
"..but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Partly sunny with a chance of candy

So we’ve quickly come to find that Koreans love birthdays and holidays. That is A-okay with us! Today in Korea was ‘White Day.’ No, they don’t celebrate their ‘white’ foreigners …It’s in correlation with Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is the day that girls give boys chocolate/gifts. White Day, March 14^th, is the day that boys give girls chocolate/gifts! What a great holiday!! Then on April 14^th is another holiday, I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s the day for those people that did not receive gifts either of the other days and apparently they all go out together. Sounds like fun to me. I was pleasantly surprised to receive candy from our director, one of my kindergartners, and one of my elementary students. We’re also celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Friday.

This is Joshua, one of my kindergartners. He also wrote me a sweet note on the box.           I love that kid!! 

Here is Ashley. She's in the after school program meaning she goes to Korean school all day and then comes to Kids College to learn English. She's a sweetheart! 

Beka and I have made a new rule. Any time we sing a kids song after working hours we have to do 10 push-ups. We don’t even realize what’s happening until we’ve sang a line or two! The other day I was minding my own business, and next thing I know Beka says, “Give me 10!” haha! We’re going to be pretty buff, you just wait and see. 

Korea is so vain. It’s true. They would admit it right before giving you a ‘compliment’. Like the compliment I received the other day, “Alisha, you are much, much prettier in person!” Ha! ….thank-you?! So that compliment led to the conversation of the importance of looks when hiring. Our boss told us that everyone including our director has to approve our pictures before we’re hired. We asked why, and it’s straight up because they want good looking people that aren’t fat. Well alrighty then!

We also talked about the differences between Korean interviews and American interviews. Koreans, for example, are allowed to ask age, about their family, and their religion. If someone claims to be a Christian they will ask, “Do you go to church every Sunday?” Wow! Could you imagine? The funny thing is though, our vice principal interviewed around 30 people for 3 positions and the three of us that are here are the only three people that she did not ask religious beliefs, for whatever reason, and we all three are Christian.

So back home I was pretty disappointed to leave the Seed and to miss out on the women’s group. Sunday we tried the Foreigner’s Church in Okpo. We met a lot of really cool people and we’re looking forward to joining in their small groups. Their women’s group is beginning in Romans in just a couple of weeks on Thursday nights so Beka and I are planning on going to that! Of course I still miss my Seed family, but the Lord is providing for us!

For those of you that find kindness in your hearts to send a care package, here is a list we’ve thought of.  EDIT: We have already received TWO packages! Thank you Luke & Ana and thank you Stephanie & Ed!! I also know some people are preparing packages or have sent packages, thank you too!!! You're all amazing! 

Beka and Alisha's Wish List:

• Packages of dry soup
• Black Beans
• Mac & cheese. Kraft and Velveta
• 100% fruit strips
• Granola bars
• Energy bars
• Dried fruit
• Teddy Graham’s
• Any other American foods/snacks that we may be forgetting about.
• Tomato seeds – We’re planning on growing some this spring!
• Hand Sanitizer – those kids are germy!
• One or two sticks of natural deodorant
• Recycled DVD’s =)
• Most importantly: cards, letters, post cards – any sort of love that way!! <3 
• NEW addition!: A simple, yet efficient, hand can opener

Beka and I have yet to find the post office. We fully intend on using it once we do! 

Bedtime. Zzzzzz! 

Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back.

Ahh weekends! They never are long enough, are they? Such is life I suppose. 


The title is a simple and true quote by Arthur Rubinstein. Yeah, I didn't know who that was either until I looked him up. He was a Polish-American pianist, considered the greatest of the twentieth century. There's your history lesson for the day. You're welcome. 


Today I've been thinking about the importance of relationships, mostly due to meeting so many new people lately. I just love meeting new people, learning about them, and eventually growing with them. Relationships definitely help shape us and mold us into who we are and who we will become. Sometimes pain causes the shaping but many times it is love and friendship that allows growth. 


People have asked how we're adjusting to the Korean culture. The two main differences, like many foreign places, are 1- language, and 2- food. Korean kindness trumps the language barrier though and I find that really amazing/humbling. Beka and I were talking about how we are going to be much kinder to foreigners in the future! =) And, well, you've heard what I have to say about the food. Although tonight, Tamera and Steve took us to a restaurant in Okpo and we had gimbap. I liked it; will have to find a place near us. We also joked today about submitting ourselves to ramen noodles. Ramen noodles are the poor mans food, like rice and beans. I'm all about rice and beans, just unfortunately that's expensive here. I'm sure I'll jump on the ramen train soon. Other cultural differences are not hard to adjust to... taking our shoes off, giving and taking with two hands, letting other people refill your glass, and bowing. We even enjoy the differences. 


The other day Beka and I went to our favorite coffee shop and were reading the word. I'm not sure if I had ever read this story or not, but this time it really stuck out to me. It's the story of a centurion in Matthew 8:5-13. Jesus came through the town the centurion lived in and the centurion stopped Jesus and asked him to heal his servant that was paralyzed at home. Jesus said he would come and heal him but the centurion replied that he was not worthy to have Jesus under his roof, 'but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.' Jesus responded, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such a faith.....Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." -8:10b, 13a And immediately the servant was healed. How many times can I say I've had that much faith? Umm, probably never. There was no doubt in his mind that Jesus could heal him from a distance.  I know all I need is faith the size of a mustard seed but I would much rather be like the centurion! I hope you find as much encouragement in those verses as I did! 

Another shot from a hike on Saturday. I like doing something active on Saturday afternoons because I'm usually in bed sleeping/Skyping until 2pm!! We definitely needed the rest, and that's the best time to Skype, but with running or hiking I don't feel like a complete bum.


Pray for energy and endurance for us as we begin our second week! =) 

1 week down...

48 to go! Since technically it's been two weeks, and we have two weeks vacation, that means we have 48 working weeks left. I'm not going to lie, this week was a loooong week. I hope that as time goes by it will get easier and not drag as much. With that being said, I adore my kids and often find myself wanting to hug them and squeeze them!

I am flat out struggling with the food. I felt bad tonight because Beka and Ethan were up for a Korean dinner and I just couldn't do it. Although I would have eaten by myself or taken a pizza with me to a Korean restaurant. We had Mr. Pizza after walking to KFC only to find out they do not have mashed potatoes. Rude. The pizza was delish and I'm thankful I haven't got tired of it yet.

Our director invited us to go hiking tomorrow at one of the tallest mountains in Korea. Then he asked if we had hiking shoes, but Beka and I just have tennis shoes. So, Ethan is going hiking with him and his wife, the principal, and we are going to wait until we buy hiking shoes. I don't mind waiting as in a month or so the flowers should be blooming and it will be much warmer. Beka and I plan on running or hiking on our own tomorrow.


Just wanted to give a quick update. Happy weekend!!

No Korean!!!!!

If I had a nickel for every time I said that today….. Well, I’d have a nice chunk of change!

Today was day one of morning (kindergarten) and afternoon (preschool & elementary) kids. Nothing too eventful happened which I suppose is a good thing. One of the main rules is that they aren’t allowed to speak Korean in the classroom, explaining the title. Kids had to do squats and hold their hands in the air as punishment for speaking in Korean. I think they kind of enjoy it sometimes though. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try push-ups. I’m also starting a rewards-sticker chart tomorrow so hopefully the positive reinforcement will help.

I am pretty worn out so I can only imagine how I’ll feel Friday after class! We took an 1 1/2 nap after work today; I imagine this may be a regular thing for a while. 

Last week was pretty chill as we had Monday-Thursday off. We explored the area and just hung out. On Thursday we went hiking with our director, ee sa jang nim. He’s about 50 years old and he invited us to hike with him. We were hiking along and at one point he said, “Me – jogging path.” Beka and I laughed because we were struggling to hike it let alone jog or run it! Needless to say, it was a really good hike and I’m sure we’ll be doing it a lot in the future. One of the first few days we were here he told us about a mountain run. I informed Beka that I will not be doing the mountain run. I told her I’d cheer on Ethan and our director!

As you’ve probably seen on FB, we’ve been eating quite a bit of pizza. We like Korean food, but it’s just not home food and we can only handle so much. This has definitely been the toughest adjustment. One thing we're not fond of is kimchi; this happens to be the Koreans favorite side dish and it is served with every meal! Beka and I have promised to try one bite at every meal in hopes of maybe liking it someday. It's fermented cabbage with hot paste, sounds tasty, right?? Besides pizza we’ve had Indian food a couple times, spaghetti at home a couple times, and Quizno’s once so we’re surviving just fine. Tonight Beka is making her own version of fried rice. We also found a place that serves Italian so we’re planning on checking that out. Oh, and did you guys see the picture of the 'black beans' we had?? We searched high and low in the store and finally had someone help us find them. We got them home and cooked them and they ended up being black shell covered soy beans. False advertisement!!! We were really disappointed because we both love black beans and rice. As far as coffee and desserts go, we’re set with tons of coffee shops and Paris Baguette bakery! May not be the healthiest but it’s helping us keep our sanity.

Last week we also tried out a yoga class. We all (Beka, Ethan and I) really enjoyed it and found it to be a challenge. It is very different from yoga in the states. There's no down dog, child's pose, or warrior poses here. Multiple times the instructor came up to us and stuck her knee in our back to help us out. We found it amusing because a couple times she told us to stretch but what she didn't realize is that we were stretching!! We plan on going again. 

On Saturday we ran a 5k. It felt pretty good but if we’re going to do a race we need to figure out which one and start training.

I've had the chance to Skype with many friends and family members so that has been nice, and I hope that keeps up. 

Feliz cinco de marzo!!! 

Beka and I are having a make-shift margarita. Ethan came to the rescue and brought over tequila tonight. We added mango and orange juice. Limes are nonexistent here so it will be rather difficult to make a real margarita. We have to maintain our tradition of a margarita on the 5th of every month though! 

It's almost 11pm here; I have to go to bed earlier tonight than I did last night for rest.

Here is a shot from our 2 hour hike: