Changes, Meetings, Coughing, AND Bright Spots!!

As most of you know, last week at this time I was struggling with a sore throat.  Dr. Kim had prescribed some meds and I tried my best to save my voice throughout the week.  The sore throat moved south and I began my coughing spells.  The voice has come back and the coughing is subsiding!  Thanks for your prayers.

The beginning of this year brought a new elementary principal as well as five new Tech personnel at YISS.  MANY changes have continued to be introduced - almost every week this year there is some new change is added.  Most of these changes involved technology that impacts grading systems, attendance systems, and communication systems.  I won't bore you with all of the complications, but just want to ask you to pray that soon these changes will come to a stop for a little respite for our teachers as well as myself. The most recent change impacted how we grade and prepare Progress Reports for students and parents.  This was something that had to be accomplished quickly so there were many meetings!  There have already been many meetings added to our schedules and it has been difficult to keep track of all of them.  (I have never been a big fan of meetings, so I need to have you pray for my attitude.  I would rather be doing than sitting around talking.)  I know our elementary teachers would really appreciate your prayers as well.  They are attempting to implement the new Reading and Writing curriculum as well as figure out all of the tech changes and attend more meetings than usual + trying to teach the children in their classrooms.  Thanks!

One of the meetings this past week was a PTO meeting for those planning to be Room Parents in one of the elementary classrooms.  It was great to see so many parents interested in assisting in their child's classroom.  Our Elementary Principal and I were in attendance to welcome them and answer questions.  It was a profitable time together with some wonderful parents.

This is a picture of some of those who had gathered for the PTO Room Parents' Orientation.  At the front is the Chair of this PTO Committee. Mrs. Willetts, our Elementary Principal, is standing at the left answering some questions from parents.

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Throughout this past week, there have been so many bright spots as well.  One of the first was a simple picture that one of our teachers shared with me.  I think it is beautiful and it came at just the right time for me to pause and reflect on God's great creation and the beauty of what He has created. Some of you may have seen it on my facebook page.  I hope you will be encouraged!

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During Chapel and OASIS assembly this week, our Elementary Chaplain officially announced our Annual Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon, which will be held on October 2.  Students are all excited about this special event where we will be collecting 100 Won coins to send to Agape International Missions in Cambodia to help a new school, Rahab House Community School, as they educate and assist children who are subject to human trafficking.  The poster below is a sample of those that have been shared throughout the school.

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The After School Activities continued in full force this week, too!  And yes, ladies and gentlemen, we were rain-free Monday through Friday between 3:00 and 4:30 PM every day!  The weather was beautiful Monday through Thursday every day!  Friday was cloudy in the morning and then at Noon, the rain began, BUT at 2:55, it stopped and then picked up later around 6:00 PM!  Thanks for your prayers.  I was able to get a few pictures of just some of our After School Activities this past week. Thought you might want to see some of the classes our cherubs can experience.

            Some of our cherubs enjoying Ceramics!

Another picture of Ceramics!

And one more from Ceramics class!            

Here are some of our younger children enjoying Arts & Crafts!

This is a little Kinder boy in Arts & Crafts.  They were

                     creating a farm on that day!

Another Arts & Crafts little lady creating her farm!

Another popular ASA is Board Games!  A Monopoly

game is in progress!  My friend, Joshua, is the Banker!

This is a group in Board Games playing Clue!

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Bright Spot on Thursday morning!!  I was in the middle of working with parents at the PTO Room Parents' meeting around 10:00 AM and the owner of a new restaurant I enjoy in Itaewon came to me with a bag containing two big breakfasts from her restaurant, TOSS & TURN.  It doesn't open early enough for me to enjoy their breakfasts so she brought some to me!  I did some sharing, but I enjoyed so much that I did not eat any lunch on Thursday!  Just what I needed on Thursday!  Thank you Mrs. Jessica Chung!

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Another bright spot was coming in one morning last week and finding our Elementary Office refrigerator cleaned out of items that people had left in there way too long! :-)  It has always been a pet peeve of mine in school refrigerators.  Our delightful Elementary Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Yoo, had cleaned things out that were outdated, etc.  Then she made this great poster to place on the front of the fridge door.  Enjoy! :-)

Such fun! :-)

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A big bright spot for me this week was the phone call I made to my Buddy and friend, Craig Lininger, from my hometown of Chambersburg, PA.  Craig turned 32 years old on Tuesday, September 8.  When he was born, the doctor at Hershey Medical Center said to the Craig's parents that they might as well just go home.  He will not survive and if he does, he won't love long or be very productive.  Well, God had other plans for Craig!  One of those plans was to teach me through Craig that children and adults who may have Down Syndrome can understand much more than you think they understand. Craig taught me what it really means to love all people!!  Craig and I love to sing together and I miss him when I am here in Seoul.  I called him on Tuesday morning (Pennsylvania time) and sang "Happy Birthday" to him and we chatted before he was going to work at a restaurant in Chambersburg.

    Here is my Buddy, Craig, along with his Dad at BWI Airport.

      Craig held his gift bag all of the way to the airport and then

                 presented it to me as I departed into the airport.

This is what Craig had prepared and placed in the gift bag for me.  I love it! On the back of the picture he had written a note saying that he loved me very much!  It stays on my desk at YISS!

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As always, but especially these days, I want to thank you for your encouragement, notes, letters, emails, packages, love, care, prayers, and support!  Enjoy your week!  May the Lord fill your week with many "bright spots" in the middle of your busyness and service!

Love, Gregg