A Special Valentine Week of Sharing Love!!

Happy Valentine's Day to you!  This past week brought many special opportunities to give and receive love.  I knew it was going to be a very busy week when I was informed of all the sickness among our students and staff in the elementary school.  Our one fourth grade section (4A) had less than 50% of its students at one point.  I believe they gave the Flu to their teacher, Mrs. Roll. Mrs. Roll arrived Monday morning feeling somewhat OK (she hates missing school), but soon after her arrival, the nurse took her temperature and because of school policy, Mrs. Roll had to go home.  After visiting the doctor, she discovered she had Influenza, Type A.  That meant she would be out Monday through Friday.  Two of our music teachers were out throughout the week. Dr. Harding was fighting a nasty case of bronchitis; Ms. Weir was not sick, but had already been scheduled to attend a Music Conference in Taipei on Thursday and Friday.  One of our Phys. Ed. teachers, Ms. Park was out with bronchitis a couple days.  Our Principal, Dan Lazor got sick and he was out three days.  Mrs. Birmingham, one of the Assistant Elementary Principals was out 2 days with a very bad cold.  So I had the joy of sharing some love by subbing in Grade 2 Music and OASIS Assembly on Friday for Mr. Lazor.  I also enjoyed lunch recess duty for two different teachers throughout the week.

Two fourth grade girls making mini snow creatures

during my lunch recess duty in the snow on Monday!

Here are some fourth and fifth grade cherubs

making a snow creature on Monday at lunch

recess.  It was so much fun helping them enjoy

their snow creatures during recess duty!!    

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It was interesting that the OASIS Assembly was centering in on the character trait of "love."  I always enjoy hearing these OASIS kids give definitions they have been learning on the various character traits.  One of the definitions we use for love is taken directly from I Corinthians 13.  In OASIS I asked students to stand and share what love is.  I was overwhelmed with joy to have second graders and fifth graders stand and share with me from memory I Corinthians 13!  It is exciting to know that God's Word is going into the minds and hearts of these kids and they often do not know it!

And then of course, Friday was Valentine's Day.  I received many demonstrations of love from children as well as staff.  I wish I had pictures of all of the visits to my office or in the hallway or in the cafeteria on Friday.  I did capture two pictures of Giselle, who came to my office on Friday with chocolate around the edges of her mouth with a beautiful smile and a card of love.

Above is Giselle in my office on Friday.  She had

been enjoying some chocolate before coming to my

office to bring me a Valentine.  I love her chocolate

mouth and her heart headpiece and her smile!!! :-)

This is the cute Valentine she brought for me!!    

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And on Friday we had a special visit from Mrs. Bang, the high school secretary (on maternity leave for several more weeks), to show us her little love package - her little angel who is now almost 2 months old!  What a delight it was to see both of them!

Here is Mrs. Bang and her little cherub in the ES/HS Office on Friday!  I was so happy to see her precious little bundle of joy!  I love her amazing head of hair!  I think Mrs. Bang is very happy and proud!!

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Before I forget, let me go back to the beginning of the week.  Monday was the Opening Assembly for the PTO's annual Read-A-Thon (RAT) for the elementary children.  This year's theme is The Wizard of Oz - actually we have called it The Reader of Oz.  Mrs. Birmingham had written an adaptation from the original Oz to kick off our 2014 RAT.  I was the Great and Powerful Reader of Oz!  It was a fun skit and the kids enjoyed it.  They are finishing their first week of reading. They need to read 555, 555 minutes during the RAT in order to have Mr. Lazor and me shave our heads again.  For some reason they get very excited about this.  Some of the kids are making suggestions for the style of hair shaving this year.  Some suggest leaving designs on our heads. Some think it would be cool if we had a "Mohawk."  The suggestions keep coming in.  We shall see.

One of the posters that are scattered throughout YISS giving the main events of RAT 2014!

Here is the Great and Powerful Reader

of Oz wight after the curtain is pulled

back showing the real Reader of Oz

reading one of the many books in the 

                 Library of Oz!

The Good Librarian (Mrs. Birmingham) and Dorothy (Ms. Weir) with Toto (the Birmingham's little dog) and some of the Munchkins of Oz.

Dorothy, the Scarecrow (Ms. Stair). the Lion (Ms. Greaves),

and the Tin Man (Mr. Williamson) following the Alphabet Road

in order to find the Great Reader of Oz.              

Meeting the Reader of Oz!

     Some of the Munchkins in their cute outfits!!

A fourth grade boy "caught reading."

Two first grade girls "caught reading."          

Two second graders "caught reading" together!  So cute!

Two fourth grade boys "caught reading" in the gym

while waiting for their class to go to their classroom!

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In conjunction with the RAT, our librarians have planned an Author Visit to YISS on February 27.  We will have a husband and wife team (Kathleen Krull, author and Paul Brewer, illustrator) share with our students about writing and illustrating books.  Should be a fun day!

Here is one of the posters announcing the Author Visit at YISS on February 27.  We are looking forward to hearing from this delightful couple!

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Tuesday I was delighted to have a special dinner visit with my wonderful friend and former SYME student, Gunmo!  As always, we have a great time together!  We are able to talk about anything and everything and I love our conversations.  Please pray for this dear young man as he seeks to find a job where he can use his English skills and his passion for telling others about Jesus.  Please continue to pray for his father and the decisions that Gunmo and his siblings need to make concerning his future.

Here are the two yummy dishes Gunmo and I enjoyed

at Ho Lee Chow restaurant on Tuesday evening. On

the left is Mongolian Beef and on the right is a tasty

Fried Rice with Bacon, Shrimp and Garlic!! So good!

Two "bad" boys preparing to eat using the Korean 

sharing method for eating!  Thanks for praying for

Gunmo and me.                    

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I made it through the week, but on Friday, I started this very different type of cough.  I would get these coughing fits and some headaches.  They just seemed to get worse so on Saturday morning I went to see my friendly doctor, Dr. Kim,  at the International Health Clinic in Itaewon.  After an examination and a swab of my throat, Dr. Kim informed me that I had Influenza, Type B.  He said it is not as serious as Type A but that it can still be contagious.  So his orders were to stay home, rest, and take the medication he prescribed.  He said, "You should not go to school on Monday and Tuesday.  See me on Tuesday evening to see if you are OK to return on Wednesday."  So I am having some special time of rest, reading, thinking, praying, etc. over this weekend and on Monday and Tuesday.  Please pray that I will be obedient to the doctor's orders and recover quickly.  I really do not like being sick, but I have found these times to be very good at refocusing on what is important and spending time with the One who should be my primary focus!  Thanks for praying.

I trust you enjoyed a great day of sharing love on Valentine's Day.  Thank you so much for the love you share with me along with your prayers, encouragement, and support!

Love,
Gregg