Enrollment continues to increase! We are grateful for this and would continue to value your prayers as to future plans for our current building. This past week we hit 146 students enrolled! We are very thankful. However, since many of our students are from US Army Base (Camp Humphreys) and the US Air Force Base (Osan), many of our students are moving to another assignment in two years. Thanks for your continued prayers concerning our enrollment and the future direction of the school.
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I really like this picture at sunset in Singapore. It was taken from the apartment of the ICS-Singapore of Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker and sons after a very yummy Indian dinner with them. Mr. Whittaker is a HS Math teacher at ICS-Singapore!
One of the scenes near Marina Bay in Singapore! I love these
small boats taking tours throughout the bay.
Here I am posing while the Singapore Merloin attempts to shoot water into my mouth!
Another view of the Singapore Merloin! The Merloin is a well
known marketing icon depicted as a mythical creature with a lion's
head and the body of a fish. It is widely used as a mascot and a
national personification of Singapore.
One of the views in Marina Bay in Singapore!
While at the Fall Conference, I was able to meet an alum of YISS!
I was very happy to meet Jay Kim for a very delicious Thai-Indian
dinner. So good to catch up with this young man. Please pray for
Jay as he finished his studies at a university in Singapore.
I was also able to meet a former YISS teacher Beth Trieber Abdillah and her husband, Robbi. Beth is teaching at a very large international school in Singapore and Robbi is involved in Young Life ministry in Singapore. We are enjoying some very yummy Chinese dumplings!!
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MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Testing throughout the school continued this past week and concluded on Friday. Once our MAP Testing coordinator finalizes the results, teachers will be given a report indicating where each child in her/his classroom is at this point. This allows for some individualized and differentiated instruction. The MAP testing measures each child's progress. Each test is able to be based on the answers given by each student. We find it very helpful.
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During the last two weeks of MAP Testing, students and teachers have been able to enjoy the changes in the rice fields surrounding the school. It means that Fall weather will be upon us! It is so fun to look out the windows of the school and each day and observe the changes in the rice fields. Here are some pictures so that you can get a little view of the changes. So beautiful! Looking forward to observing even more changes as the rice harvest continues.
Above are two pictures of the rice fields right across the street from the ICS-P buildings in July when I arrived at ICS-P. Below is a picture of those rice fields in late September!
It's that magical time of year when giant marshmallows begin appearing! It's the straw part of the rice plant that they then wrap up with plastic. (Some are tempted to go marshmallow tipping at night!) :-)
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In the middle of a very busy week, I had the opportunity to travel with the Girls' and Boys' Volleyball teams to the Osan Air Force Base to watch our teams play the Osan Cougars. I love watching these young people play. ICS-P is a much smaller school than Osan so we were bringing our varsity teams to play against Osan's junior varsity teams. It was fun to observe the reactions of the Osan players who appeared to be impressed with the skills and ability of our teams. Both the girls and boys from ICS-P won their matches and represented ICS-P so well both in their performance on and off the court. We continue to have a presence on the Osan Air Force Base and we continue to get inquiries about our school from those serving on the base.
The ICS-P Boys' Volleyball team doing their warm-ups in the
Osan Cougars' Gymnasium!
ICS-P Boys on the right preparing to score the winning point against the Cougars!
The ICS-P Girls playing! They had a little struggle at first, but
came out on top in the end!
The Boys' team making a tunnel for the girls to run through after winning their match. ( A little blurry; so sorry!)
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I have a dear friend from my days in Groton, CT who is in South Korea to receive an award for one of his marketing videos which earned him a great award. His name is Jordan Ingram, and I am so excited that he and his wife, Meredith, will be coming to see me in Pyeongtaek once their convention is complete in Ulsan, South Korea. Jordan has agreed to do some filming for us at ICS-P and then put together a promotional video that we can use for recruitment of teachers as well as new students. As you think of ICS-P this coming week, would you please remember Jordan and the ICS-P staff as he spends the day with us on Thursday, October 6. So much to accomplish in a day, but I believe we can do it. Thanks for remembering us on that day. There are many interviews to film and many classroom activities and other school events to get clips of. Then Jordan will be taking all of the film clips back to New England and putting together our promo video Out desire is to have it ready by February 1.
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October was welcomed at ICS-P with our annual School Picnic on Saturday, October 1! The rain held off until Sunday and it was so great to see quite a few of our families come to the park to enjoy a great time of fun, fellowship, yummy food, and laughter! Our Athletic Director, Mr. Jon Greener, put together a number of "Get Acquainted" games for the entire family, fun games for the kids, and some tug-of-war competitions, which the kids, parents, and ICS-P staff enjoyed! Then we enjoyed some amazing food! Such a great time. I saw a couple of the parents who attended at church this morning and they were so happy to be able to meet other families and some of our teachers and staff! Our Business Manager, Mrs. Haselman, and our great kitchen staff put together some delicious food + each family brought something to share! Obviously, it was my first ICS-P school picnic, and I loved every minute of it! Enjoy some pictures from this delightful event!
Mr. Greener getting everyone's attention in order to begin the
get-acquainted activities so that everyone can get to know one
another! Everyone had such fun!
"Getting to Know You" activity!
Mr. Greener getting the kids ready to play another fun game - a
version of tag.
Some of the families spread out throughout the park area enjoying one another and having fun getting to know other families!
Two cherubs enjoying some fun!
Tug-of-war fun!
Some more kids enjoying each other!
These two loved the park's playground equipment!
This little lady enjoyed the slide!
A group of students having fun!
The kitchen staff and volunteers serving the families some very delicious taste treats!! Sooo good!
Our amazing kitchen staff with our Facilities Man, Mr. Song!!
Here I am eating with some parents (two of them on staff at ICS-P). What a great time!
After lunch, the Tug-of-War gets underway!!
Kids getting ready to defeat the parents!
I had the pleasure of announcing that the kids won the Tug-of-War!! They were delighted!
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Following the ICS-P School Picnic, I went with Tony Kuhn, to COSTCO to do some shopping for food and snack items. We had a great conversation going to and from COSTCO + we were able to pick up the necessary items we needed. Then we went back to the Beauty Shop that Tony's wife, Yvonne (Sue) Kuhn gets her cut as well as a pedicure. When we arrived, Tony had previously agreed to get a treatment on his feet from the "Doctor Fish" at this beauty salon. I told him I would join him for my second one. I actually thought he would back out, but he didn't. All three of us (Tony, Sue, and me) were going to sit on the bench and have the Doctor Fish nibble on our feet and eat the dead skin! However, Sue had already had her treatment so it was Tony and GGG on the bench! Tony seemed to really enjoy it and I enjoyed my second treatment. It is quite relaxing for me! Here are some pictures of the Doctor Fish at work on our feet.
The two bad boys after sitting down on the bench are beginning to feel the tickling sensation of the Doctor Fish! :-)
Here we are again and you can see the Doctor Fish enjoying our feet. (I did not check on Sunday to see if the fish were still living.) :-)
A closer look at the fish enjoying some tasty feet! :-)
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I would really appreciate your prayers for this coming week. ICS-P does have Monday as a holiday for Foundation Day in Korea. However, lots to be done beginning on Tuesday. I will be doing some work on Monday. Please pray that I will be able to get some time to just begin to prioritize what needs to be accomplished first, second, third, etc. Your prayer for my friends, Jordan and Meredith, as they travel to Pyeongtaek this week to spend some time with me as well as help us prepare an effective promo video. I would especially appreciate prayers for a couple of my toes. It is amazing how 1 Corinthians 12 becomes real when two little members of your body hurt! I just can't seem to get effective relief
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I am ging to leave you with a great praise as well as prayer request! Some of you may remember that the first Middle School boy who I connected with my very first year at YISS has graduated from YISS and completed a year at California Baptist University. You may remember that I have shared often concerning this wonderful young man who has been through so much, but I am so excited about how God is working in his life! His name is Matthew Hahn. Matthew has wanted to serve in the military for a long time. During his first year at California Baptist University, he was in the R.O.T.C. program there. All Korean men need to serve two years in the military in Korea and Matthew was accepted into a very special Marine Corps program with the ROK (Republic of Korea). He will leave on October 10 to begin his service. Following his service, he is planning to return to California Baptist University and continue his studies there as well as his involvement in the R.O.T.C. Matthew plans to come to ICS-Pyeongtaek on Wednesday to meet with me before he leaves. Please pray as we get together on Wednesday.
I would like to share with you what Matthew posted on Facebook just the other day about his decision and also a comment he made in reply to my comment of encouragement to him. He continues to bless me and I am so thrilled how God has grown Matthew! Keep praying for this wonderful young man! Here is what he wrote to his friends on facebook about his decision to join the Marine Corps in South Korea:
"Greetings! For those of who I have not been able to update, my enlistment in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps (대한민국 해병대) has been made official. The date has been set on the 10th of October and I will be heading off to Boot Camp in Pohang, South Korea. Although it has not been a part of my plan initially, I am so grateful for the privilege I get to have in serving the people of Korea. I truly feel blessed to be surrounded by those who have encouraged me throughout this Summer when I was overwhelmed by fear and I once again, give all of you the credit for the new uniforms to be issued. Much love and respect to you all :)
My beloved Lancer Company, I don’t even know where to begin to thank you guys. I can say with much confidence that my year in ROTC was probably one of the hardest and the best moments of my life. All throughout the year in the program, you guys were the ones who were always beside me and everything that I was able to accomplish and achieve couldn’t have been done without the love and hospitality that you guys have demonstrated. I am truly excited for the future to come ahead of each and one of you as officers of the United States Army. As soon as my service in Korea is over, I will be returning to ROTC and I know that I will eventually be able to see all of you again, whether that is during my time in the program or during my service after commissioning. Until then, best of luck to you all and God bless. HUA!"
After I saw the above, I made a comment on FB to Matthew and this was his response to my comment:My beloved Lancer Company, I don’t even know where to begin to thank you guys. I can say with much confidence that my year in ROTC was probably one of the hardest and the best moments of my life. All throughout the year in the program, you guys were the ones who were always beside me and everything that I was able to accomplish and achieve couldn’t have been done without the love and hospitality that you guys have demonstrated. I am truly excited for the future to come ahead of each and one of you as officers of the United States Army. As soon as my service in Korea is over, I will be returning to ROTC and I know that I will eventually be able to see all of you again, whether that is during my time in the program or during my service after commissioning. Until then, best of luck to you all and God bless. HUA!"
"Thank you Gregg, my brother and father :) I was and am able to be brave because you have been and will continue to be there for me. I cannot fully express by words how much I thank you for being the father figure of my life when I needed it the most and I know that you will continue to do so. It is truly my honor to be able to serve with them and this was possible because of you. Thank you Gregg and see you soon! :)"
Here is the most recent picture of Matthew. He posted it on FB with his post. It is so good to see that smile. Thank you for praying for this young man. Many of you have prayed for him ever since I told you about him way back in 2010. Thank you!!
Matthew - ready for Boot Camp! :-)
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As always, thank you very much for continuing to be so faithful with your love, care, encouragement, emails, regular mail, prayers, and support. Enjoy a great month of October!!
Love, Gregg
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