Many of you know that I have been stretched with the After School Activities program in the Elementary School this year. I have met many new people through conversations by phone, email, and face-to-face: instructors, parents, new students, persons in our facilities department, technology experts at YISS, and the list goes one. Yes, it is a major task, but it has been so thrilling to work with so many people to bring some excellent after school activity choices for out elementary cherubs! Through a project that I initially feared, God has brought many wonderful folks into my life! I have especially enjoyed meeting parents who had questions or wanted to clarify things or came to pick up their children at 4:30 after the activity was over. I am so blessed and so grateful! The first week of ASA went extremely well, with only a few glitches.
There are many activities in which the children can get involved, but there is one that I especially enjoy: Discipleship Group for Grades 4 and 5! I have been involved with this activity since my first year at YISS. I get to invest my life into the lives of a small group of boys from grades 4 and 5. I have three young men this year and I am so excited about what God will do in their lives. My first meeting was on Tuesday with Paul (Grade 5), Joshua (Grade 4), and Ethan) a new student in Grade 4).
This is Joshua! It was fun to watch him as I shared. He likes
to copy all of my hand motions and expressions. :-)
Ethan is a new student to YISS this year and he is very excited about being in our group. He is still trying to figure me out!
Paul is the fifth grader in my group and is so excited about learning more about God!
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Relationships can continue to grow even when someone departs. Leaving has never been an easy thing for me, but with technology today you can continue relationships until you are able to be face-to-face. Last year two beautiful students left YISS to return to Brazil. I had a hard time saying, "Hasta la vista!" I still miss Fabio and Bia, but Fabio continues to write to me and share what is happening in his family's life. Just this past Monday I received an email from Fabio telling me how much he missed the relationships he had developed at YISS. He wanted to share that they have a new home now in Brazil and a new dog! Please pray for Fabio and Bia as they readjust to living in Brazil and as we continue to build our relationship.
Above is a picture of Fabio and Bia with their new puppy in their new home!
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Many of you have been praying for my new friend, Jisan (Jared). Thursday evening he took me to a violin recital where his younger sister, Jiwon, was performing. Jiwon has been studying violin in Austria and returns there on September 28. Jisan wanted me to meet his family. He also knows that I enjoy classical music so invited me to this beautiful recital.
Here is Jiwon at the Win Art Hall performing one of her selections. Jiwon performed pieces from Schubert, Bruch, Paganini and Ravel demonstrating tremendous skill and expression as she played! It was a beautiful recital!
I was delighted to meet Jiwon! I also had the privilege of meeting her family. Here I am with her grandfather (veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars), her mother, Jisan, and her father. They were so proud of Jiwon and thrilled that I would come to hear her perform. Some new relationships have been formed!
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Friday evening we enjoyed excellent weather (nice and cool, too) for our YISS Back to School Picnic! I always enjoy this evening of food, fun, fellowship, and relationship building! One of our biggest problems at YISS right now is parking!! With all of the expansion construction in progress, parking is quite limited. There were no major concerns with this on Friday night and everyone seemed to enjoy a great time! There are different games and booths set up for the children as well as many food vendors + lots of musicians! It is so wonderful to see families connecting and sitting down together with new families and beginning to establish relationships!
Some of the families eating and talking while musicians were performing!
Two of the elementary girls who wanted to stop and talk with me. One wanted to model her face painting for me as well.
This second grade boy had just finished playing with the water guns
and was quite wet, but was eating very vigorously when I stopped by.
His mother was laughing at his fat cheeks stuffed with food and a towel
wrapped on his head to help get him dry! He was having a great time!
A special friend from the middle school, Eugene! He was soaked from being drenched in water during a water gun battle on the soccer field at the YISS Picnic. Eugene is an amazing young man and I am so excited to see what God is going to do through him.
My wonderful middle school friend from Israel, Ziv! He loves when I stop in the hallway and tease with him. he always has a big smile for me. Ziv's English is getting better and we are starting to build a great relationship. Your prayers for him and his two brothers at YISS would be appreciated.
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And finally, I had the privilege to attend the wedding of one of my former SYME students on Saturday. MinSeok (Jeff) was a great friend and student at SYME and we have continued to build our relationship ever since he left SYME in 2009. He called me last March all excited and nervous to tell me he was going to get married in September and he wanted me to be there! MinSeok continues to ask me many questions about my relationship with Jesus but he still has not put his faith in Him. Please keep praying for him. He is such a wonderful young man.
The wedding was another beautiful Korean celebration! In addition to celebrating MinSeok's special day, it was a "relationship reunion" of some former SYME students and the Spalding family! What a beautiful day! I was thrilled to see my friends, the Spaldings! I was also very excited and proud to see former students I taught, but also have continued building relationships with! We had such a great time sharing special memories and sharing what is happening in our lives at present. I will share only a couple pictures, but you can see more at my facebook page.
I was able to meet with MinSeok and his bride in the Bridal Photo Room prior to the ceremony and reception. The photographer was shooting many pictures of them and Gunmo asked him if he would allow me to interrupt for a picture with the couple. Here I am with MinSeok and his beautiful bride! They left for Hawaii after the ceremony for their honeymoon. Thank you for praying for them!
Here is part of the "relationship reunion"! We grabbed MinSeok after the ceremony and took a picture of those former SYME students who came to celebrate with him. (After we took a couple pictures, the photographer came running and ordering Minseok to return to the front of the Wedding Hall for more pictures.) In the back row left to right: Younghyun (Daniel), Chang Yong (Chad), Su Yong (James), Jaemon (Jacob). The row behind MinSeok from left to right: Jae Hong (Dr. Fred), Joonsoo (Carlos), Sung-in (Josh), GGG, Gunmo (Steve), Yong-Jin (Gene), and Kwan-ho (Jimmy). These young men are amazing! I love them so much! Thanks for praying for them. I wish I could take the time to let you know what each of them are doing currently, but I have already taken too much of your time. Please do not hesitate to ask me about any if you wish.
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Enjoy a great week! Thanks for standing with me as I seek to invest in others through relationships! I trust you will go into your world and invest in a relationship or two this week!
Love, Gregg
This week's joke is from one of my tenor friends in the New Harvest Ministry Choir. His name is Jaejin. He, and many of my Korean friends, enjoy American English jokes and riddles. We have been practicing the song, In the Garden, the last two weeks. The song reminded Jaejin and me about a joke you may have heard before, but the choir didn't and loved it. Here it is:
A Christian man had just died and was on his way to heaven. When he got to the gates of heaven, he met an angel. The angel asked him what God's name was.
"Oh that's easy," the man replied, "His name is Andy."
"What make you think his name is Andy?" the angel asked incredulously.
"Well, you see at church we used to sing this song 'Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me.' "
"What make you think his name is Andy?" the angel asked incredulously.
"Well, you see at church we used to sing this song 'Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me.' "
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