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This past Sunday I was able to make three new friends. One of them, Andrew, sat next to me at church. He was my prayer partner during our community prayer time before Pastor Doug's message each week. We had a great time getting to know each other. Andrew is a strong believer attending Duke University. He has been home in Korea for two years doing his required military service. Please pray for him as he finishes his service and returns to study at Duke. He asked prayer for his sister who is still not a believer. I hope to get a picture of him in the coming weeks.
After church I was to meet another new friend, Jay Yostanto, an exchange student who has studied at Yonsei University for this past semester. He was also a member of the Yonsei University Male Choir Glee Club. We had a delightful brunch at The Flying Pan Blue and some great conversation. I am hoping to stay in touch with this young man as he returns to California to study. Please pray for him.
Here I am with Jay preparing to eat our delicious brunches!
Jay enjoyed the Pancakes with Strawberries and Ricotta
Cheese with a side of sausage!
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While waiting for Jay, I saw a high school boy in his school's uniform near me. He kept glancing at me and finally came over and asked if he could interview me. I get many of these, but this interview was completely different. He introduced himself as Soonyong Park, a high school student studying history. His English was perfect and through his questions, I learned so much about the ancient history of Korea. I know a little about recent history, but not so much about the past ancient history. We exchanged contact information and he thanked me and left - only to return to say he forgot to give me what he really wanted to give me. He and nine other Korean high school students had written a book on the new Korean wave that is impacting culture in Korea as well as worldwide. He is the main editor and author and I am enjoying reading about the contemporary "Korean Wave" culture. Please pray that we will continue to keep in contact. Soonyong really wants to continue our conversations. In fact, he sent me an email of thanks and another question that he hopes I will answer. Thanks for praying for this new friend, Soonyong (or Edward).
My new friend, Soonyong! The sun was quite bright on Sunday! :-)
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Monday through Thursday at YISS were busy and exciting days! Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the Kindergarten classes were rehearsing on stage for the first time for their concert on Thursday morning! This was a new experiment. We decided to have Kinder Christmas Concert in the morning on an early release day. It went very well! Many parents and friends came out for the concert at 10:30 AM. Ms. Weir does an outstanding job of teaching music to the Kinder through second grade cherubs and she chose a mini-musical, One Starry Night, as this year's Kinder Christmas concert. They were fantastic. Those who had speaking parts did such a great job of telling the story of the birth of Jesus. You can see more pictures and a video clip on facebook. They ended the concert with a great song, The Best Present Ever! I wish you could have been there!
Kindergarten cherubs singing at their Christmas concert on Thursday morning!
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Tuesday was a day full of meeting a new author, Kenn Nesbitt, an old student-friend from PCB days, Tae Cho and his family, and later in the evening, another friend and conductor of the Yonsei University Male Choir Glee Club, Eric Lee! It was a great day!
Here are some pictures from the Author Visit to YISS. Our Librarians invited Mr. Kenn Nesbitt to YISS to share his poetry with our elementary children in several different sessions. He did a great job communicating with each group and the kids loved his crazy and funny voices and actions. He spent time with teachers in a professional development session after school to share about ways to get kids involved in writing poetry.
Ms. Henspeter, Elementary Librarian, had asked students at each
of the sessions to introduce Mr. Nesbitt. These two from 4th grade
did a wonderful job of introducing Mr. Nesbitt to students in Grades
4 and 5 at the very first session in the morning on Tuesday!
Mr. Nesbitt getting involved with the students and sharing his passion for writing poetry books for kids.
Part of the first audience enjoying Mr. Nesbitt's presentation!!
Mr. Nesbitt getting the kids involved in writing a poem! They loved it!
Some of the books Mr. Nesbitt has written. Any student who had
purchased a book, or books, had his/her book/s autographed by Mr.
Nesbitt!
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Around lunch time, Tae Cho and his family arrived. What a great reunion we had! I had not met either of his children, Enoch and Chloe. That was so much fun! Then I was informed #3 is on the way! We had a little tour of the YISS campus, lunch in the cafeteria, and some excellent conversation! This was the first Tae was back in Korea in over 20 years and he really noticed many changes! So good to see him and Wisdom and meet the children! Pray for them as they serve the Lord in New York with the youth had a church there.
Here I am outside the Elementary School offices with my great friend, Tae Cho. His beautiful wife, Wisdom, is on the right holding Chloe. Daddy is holding Enoch! So great to see this wonderful family!
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Tuesday evening I met up with Eric Lee, the conductor of the Yonsei University Male Choir Glee Club. I learned about this men's glee club about 3 years ago and have enjoyed their concerts and Eric's conducting ever since. It was the first time we were actually able to sit down and talk with each other. I really love his passion for good music and he is a fantastic conductor. He recently graduated from Yonsei with a degree in Church Music Conducting. He is now applying for graduate schools in the USA to earn his Master's in Conducting. I hope you will pray for my new friend, Eric!
GGG with the conductor of the Yonsei University Male Choir Glee Club, Eric Lee. He wanted to try Mexican so I was happy to take him to meet my server and friend, August, at Los Amigos!
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Wednesday was a Fun Dress Down Day for Elementary students. They were encouraged to dress up in the outfit of the career they want to pursue! Always very interesting to see what they are dreaming about becoming. :-) Here are just a few pictures of some of the students and teachers on Career Day!
Two girls in Grade 5 in their "dream job" outfits!
Kinder cherubs and their possible careers! :-)
This is my buddy in kindergarten, Isaiah. He wants to be a chef!
First thing on Wednesday morning he came to my office to give
me one of the cookies he "made."
Ms. Weir with an up and coming baseball player for my favorite Korean baseball team, the Doosan Bears!!
Ms. Lee, one of our teaching assistants in Kindergarten,
dressed as a policewoman! GGG is his career suit as
an educator!
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Thursday was Thanksgiving and we had an Early Release Day as well as the Kindergarten Christmas Concert. Teachers and administrators remained all day for work for our Accreditation Visit in March. YISS provided a tasty turkey dinner which everyone enjoyed. Then they provided three different pies for dessert. We could choose apple pie, pumpkin pie, or cheesecake with ice cream on top! Very yummy!
Some pumpkin pie and a cheesecake at the YISS Thanksgiving meal!
There was also yummy apple pie!
My choice was the pumpkin pie with ice cream!
And then this "bad" Middle School teacher, Ms. Shelly Lewis, photo bombed this picture threatening to eat my pie! :-)
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Then at 3:00 my good friend, Joy Carl, arrived at YISS. Joy was a teacher with me at SYME and we both had made many wonderful friends with our Korean university students at SYME. Joy planned her recruiting trip for international students for the Christian school where she works in Michigan so that she could visit China and then South Korea - just in time for the wedding of one our former SYME students and very dear friend, Gunmo Kim! Gunmo married his beautiful bride, Sujin, on Saturday. Thursday evening a few of our students from SYME days got together in Itaewon to have a little celebration before the wedding on Saturday. What a great time we had sharing memories, talking about all sorts of topics, encouraging Gunmo and Sujin, laughing and enjoying yummy food!
Here we are enjoying a wonderful time with Gunmo. Sujin was suddenly asked by her boss to stay late to work so she came later and she wanted us to go ahead and eat. What a great time I had with these beautiful people. Joy Carl and I had developed long-lasting relationships with each of these wonderful men who have a heart for God! (Clockwise starting on the left: GGG, Joy, Jungmin, Jay, JiSang, and Gunmo!)
I loved this rolled omelet that came with our Korean
grilled chicken!
Chicken and mushrooms on the grill!!
When Sujin arrived, I gave them the gift and card that my sister, Julee, had sent for their wedding! They loved the card and gifts very much!
Here we are at the Netcafe. What a fantastic time we had here - probably too loud! :-)
Joy and I told the lovebirds about the eating of the cake at American weddings so here is Sujin feeding a piece she cut to Gunmo!
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Saturday was the big day! Gunmo and Sujin became one! I am so excited for this beautiful couple as they begin serving the Lord together as one! I know they would value your prayers as they begin this wonderful journey together. I was delighted and privileged to have a little part in the ceremony held at the National Library of Korea in Seoul! You can get more pictures on my facebook page which describe more of the ceremony. So many former SYME students and teachers were in attendance. So great to see so many of them. Gunmo was beaming as he processed on to the stage and watched his beautiful bride, Sujin process! It was a very God-honoring service and there were many cheers and much applause as they became husband and wife
The only glitch was that there were so many more came than expected. (Koreans don't really RSVP to weddings so it is always a guess. I think that is why most have buffets.) I know Gunmo was a bit sad that he had to tell some of us who were last going in that they ran out of food. We went to a delightful Korean Buffet near the Library and enjoyed a yummy feast and talked about the wedding and our special memories. Gunmo would not allow us to pay. He said we must give him the receipt. I found out that was a Korean custom as well. If they run out of food, the groom and his family pick up the tab for any who have to go elsewhere.
The only glitch was that there were so many more came than expected. (Koreans don't really RSVP to weddings so it is always a guess. I think that is why most have buffets.) I know Gunmo was a bit sad that he had to tell some of us who were last going in that they ran out of food. We went to a delightful Korean Buffet near the Library and enjoyed a yummy feast and talked about the wedding and our special memories. Gunmo would not allow us to pay. He said we must give him the receipt. I found out that was a Korean custom as well. If they run out of food, the groom and his family pick up the tab for any who have to go elsewhere.
Here is the happy couple prior to the ceremony in the photography room!
Gunmo, Sujin, and GGG in the photography room prior to the wedding.
I love this picture of Gunmo, Gunmo's Dad, and me! His Dad
was beaming the entire ceremony. I thought it was special that
the family had Gunmo's older sister sit in the chair at the front
which is reserved for the mother of the groom beside the chair
for the father of the groom! God used the accidental death of
Gunmo's mother to bring him to know the Lord as his Savior!
In the photography room before the ceremony with some of the SYME folks who attended. Front row: Joy Carl, Sujin, and GGG. Back row: JiSang, Jungmin, Chang Yong, Micky, and Jay Chae. Such a great reunion!
Someone at my seat picked up my camera and took this picture as I shared my congratulatory words to Gunmo and Sujin during the ceremony. It was such an honor and privilege for me. My dear friend, Jungmin, is translating into Korean for me. (It's a little blurry; so sorry.)
My copy of the "Wedding Worship" program. My name really sticks out with all of those Korean words. :-)
Gunmo and Sujin with all of their friends at the close of the ceremony. I am there. Can you find me?
This is our group that needed to go to the Korean Buffet for our reception meal. What a great time we had with some very tasty food. During our meal, Gunmo called to again apologize and see how we were doing. Clockwise: GGG, Jungmin, JiSang, Jay Chae, Joy Carl, and Yeongmin! So glad that Yeongmin made it to the wedding. Afterwards, he said that my message was well written and he understood everything without the Korean translation.
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Sunday after church, I went to one of my favorite brunch restaurants, Tartine's! I knew it was my favorite server's last day. Yu Young had to quit to go back to her university to complete her studies. I had picked up a box of chocolate for her, but before I could give her my gift, she had a box of Macnut Crunch for me with a handmade Christmas and thank you card with a special note on the back. She said that she always looked forward to me coming to tartine's on Saturday or Sunday because I was always smiling and always greeted her and talked with her. Most customers do not she said. They just order, eat and leave. It was a special time today and she said she wants to keep in touch. Please pray for Yu Young.
This is my usual brunch at Tartine's: Yummy French Toast, Sausage,
Eggs, and Coffee. Soooo good! (The French Toast is the closest to
my mother's and my older sister's, Gae.)
Here I am with Yu Young in front of the famous Tartine's pies!
Yu Young and the Chef with GGG.
This is the front of the Christmas/Thank You card Yu Young made for me!
Macnut Crunch with the special note from Yu Young!
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As always, I want to thank you for your continued love, encouragement, emails, notes, packages, and support. I can't believe that this week brings December already! So many busy times in the next three weeks. Your prayers are appreciated. I trust you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Love,
Gregg
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