This past week on Tuesday morning I read the following from a little book entitled Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It came in the middle of a busy week and at a time when Satan is working over time at YISS. Just what I needed! Perhaps it will be an encouragement to you.
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Lots of pictures this week to explain some of the events I was able to enjoy! First is my dinner with Adrian, the YISS Security Manager. He had to leave after a few months with YISS because of his father's health and business. Adrian has become a very good friend and I would ask you to pray for him. His parents are separated and he has a heart for both of them. His Dad is working in Japan and that is where Adrian is going to help with the business and check on his health.
Adrian has learned to really enjoy western cuisine so
he wanted to eat western. We went to Suji's and his
choice was the Lumber Jack!
Here I am with my good friend, Adrian, at Suji's! We had a great time getting to know each other!
This was my choice. In all the times I have been to
Suji's, I never ordered the rib eye steak so I did! It
was yummy! Of course, in great Korean style, Adrian
and I shared our dishes!
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As I mentioned last week, the Christmas concert season is underway at YISS. Ms. Weir, a very talented and creative teacher, is teaching Music to Kinder through grade 3 this year after teaching grade 2 at YISS for several years. She does an amazing job with these cherubs and is preparing for the two concerts she has on December 11 and 17 with her two groups. Here are a couple pictures of Ms. Weir rehearsing with some of her young cherubs! They were responding so well to her direction. Such fun! I can't wait!!
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On Wednesday evening the first of the three elementary Christmas Concerts took place. Grades 4 and 5 presented Christmas is Like a Box of Chocolates. Dr Harding does a great job with Grades 4 and 5 and they did a super job to begin our Christmas Concert season at YISS! In addition to Grades 4 and 5, the After School Activity, Strings Performance Ensemble, presented a mini prelude of three songs they have been learning. These are 2nd through 4th grade students who play stringed instruments. It was their first time to perform publicly and they did a great job and they were so excited! You will have to check out the little video of them I posted on Facebook.
Grade 4 cherubs performing Glo Glo Glorious!
Special singers from grade 4 singing A Song for Hanukkah!
Another group of special 4th Grade soloists singing in
A Song for Hanukkah!
Grade 5 cherubs singing Breath of Heaven!
Sean L, one of the three wonderful 5th
grade accompanists, playing Candles
in the Window. He did a great job!
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Another After School Activity, Compassion Club, was a buzz of activity on Thursday during their ASA. The kids went to each classroom collecting the scarves, hats, gloves, coats, etc. that they brought back to their central classroom and began sorting and placing in bags to distribute at Seoul Station to the many homeless who seek warmth and shelter underground at the Seoul Station Subway. I will have more details about their "Bundle Up" project at Seoul Station next week. Here are some pictures of them getting ready!
Above are the collection of beautiful scarves and caps
knitted by two special ladies in America, Judy Kiesler
and my sister, Gae Fasold! Both of these ladies
prepare these scarves and caps for Compassion Club's
Bundle Up project each year!! Thank you sooo much!
Compassion Club members collecting and sorting the MANY items students and friends collected for the Bundle Up Project!
This is just the beginning of the piles of warm clothing
collected for the Bundle up Project! The kids in the Club
were soooo excited with all of the wonderful items!!
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Now some pictures of some special people this week:
First, there was a surprise birthday party and shower for the High School Secretary, Mrs. Bang! Mrs. Bang is almost ready to give birth to her first child - a daughter! It was also her birthday on Wednesday! She is one special lady! Mrs. Bang is in the office suite of the High School and Elementary office complex so I see her every day and she is extremely helpful and caring! It was a privilege to be part of this special celebration for a special lady!
Here I am with Mrs. Bang at her surprise party!!
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Second, there are a number of elementary students who will be leaving Seoul and YISS during December. Their parents have been reassigned to another part of the world and we need to say "Hasta la Vista!" It is always a difficult time. The first to depart is Sofia! What a beautiful 5th grader! Her English skills were not very good when she arrived, but she now speaks very well and she even wrote a really beautiful thank you note to me. Sofia came to my office with her mother to bring me a gift and card to say goodbye. Please pray for Sofia has she and her family move to Saudi Arabia.
Sofia with me in my office!
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Third, on Friday I took a personal day so that I could attend the graduation of a former SYME student. When I returned Friday evening, I found a picture in my email box from Mr. Lazor, our elementary principal. The subject in the email was: "Here is a picture of your replacement!" The picture was a delightful third grader who comes to the elementary office almost every day at 3:00 to with for his middle school brother to pick him up to go home. His name is Ian and he has this great little smile. We tease with each other each afternoon. Mr. Lazor took him into my office and asked him to pose for this picture on Friday. I love it!!
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Here is the new Assistant Elementary Principal Ian seated at my desk on Friday while I was in Pohang! I love this picture!!
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Before I share some pics of the special day in Pohang with Sa Ra (Cindy) and several other former SYME students, I wanted to share two pictures from the trip to Busan.
From left to right: Mrs. Hong (Office Manager of
YISS Business Office), Ms. Zhang, Ms. Wei
(Mandarin teachers at YISS), and GGG. I was
so happy to get to know these special people on the
Busan trip!
Here I am with our headmaster and his wife, Dr. Joe
Beeson and Becky + the Secretary General of the Korean
Foreign Schools Foundation, Mr. Kang on our Busan trip.
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Friday morning I left early on the KTX fast train from Seoul to Singyeongju with my dear friend, JiSang. Please pray for him as he is not getting much sleep as he completes some major papers for his final courses at Liberty University. We had a delightful time going to and from Pohang on Friday. We were heading to the graduation ceremony for Sa Ra at the Asia Research Institute of Language and Culture, a department of the Handong Global University in Pohang, South Korea. At Singyeongju, JiSang and I were greeted by another great friend from SYME days, Jae Hong (Dr. Fred). He took us in his father's car the rest of the way to Pohang where we met Sa Ra, her parents, and her "special" friend, Jong Hoon, for a most scrumptious luncheon to celebrate Sa Ra's accomplishment in earning her Master of Arts degree. Then we went to a local church to enjoy the graduation ceremony! At the ceremony we were joined by another of my wonderful friends, Jin Seok (Simon). (Pray for Jin Seok as he was taking many final exams all day on Friday for his completion of his program in translation. They are quite difficult and I know he would value your prayers.) What a great time we all had with Sa Ra! Please pray for Sa Ra as she prepares for what God has for her next along with her relationship with Jong Hoon! They looked so happy together!
Here I am at our celebration lunch with Sa Ra, her
parents, Jae Hong, JiSang, and her boyfriend, Jong
Hoon (on the far left).
GGG and Sa Ra at lunch!
Sa Ra's parents, Sa Ra and GGG at the grad ceremony!
Some bad boys at the graduation! Front: Jin Seok, Jae Hong, and GGG. Back: Ji Sang and Philip (friend of Jae Hong). So great to meet Philip and see my special friends once again!
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OK, I am going to stop. But first, please continue to pray for Gunmo. I was so happy that his boss at his work gave him a special week off. Gunmo needed some time to relax and refresh! I was so happy that he was able to go with a church friend to the beautiful island off South Korea's southern coast, Jeju Island! They enjoyed a wonderful and refreshing week. Continue to pray for this dear friend as he prepares for another exam and then his next steps!
I would also like you to pray for my excellent friend and former SYME student, Nam Gyu (David). Nam Gyu will be getting married to Victoria Cho on January 11 and they have some very important decisions to make in the next month concerning full time mission service. Please pray for my dear friend during this time.
Thank you so much for your many prayers, great love, tremendous encouragement, and faithful support for me during these busy and exciting times. You are the best!!
Love, Gregg
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