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I really enjoyed these pieces of Art that are Kindergarten cherubs and some of our high school Art students had completed. They are pieces featuring the final autumn leaves but are so colorful and creative, I think they are just perfect for this time of year! So thrilled with our students' enjoyment of the creative Arts and the gifted teachers encouraging them to use their creativity!
Some of the kindergarten cherubs' work!
A few more pieces of the Kinder cherubs!
One from one of our HS students!
Another piece from another HS student!
And one more piece from a HS student!
__________________________________________________In the middle of this past week, I received a package from my one sister, Gae! For a long time now, my siblings and I exchange names at Christmas and select gifts for the person whose name we have received. This year Gae had my name and this past week I was very surprised to receive her Christmas gifts early! Everything made it safely and I am enjoying some of the ones that I was informed that I should open so they would not perish! Some remain wrapped for opening on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Thanks so much, Gae!
Here are the gifts from Gae! She first told me that the wrapped ones
should be OK to keep wrapped until Christmas Day.
Then she sent another email indicated that the one gift
that was wrapped and had slightly sloped edges should
probably be opened. :-) Above is that gift! Some of Gae's
famous homemade peanut butter fudge! It will not last long!
Thanks so much, Gae!!
_____________________________________________All week long at ICS-P, our music teacher, Ms. Jennifer Kim, was preparing our elementary school and middle school students for their Christmas Concert on Friday, December 2! Ms. Kim along with classroom teachers and others had been working on the program diligently and I was enjoying attending some of the rehearsals during this past week. This is Ms. Kim's first year at ICS-P and she did a wonderful job! One of the firsts at ICS-P this year is the beginning of an orchestra! Ms. Kim asked if she could begin an orchestra at ICS-P. Friday evening was the debut of this group and everyone in the audience as well as teachers and staff were so delighted! They were excellent! The orchestra and the ES and MS Choirs gave a Christmas Concert that shared the meaning of Christmas and had fun doing so! I hope to have some video clips of some of the highlights but have not been able to get them downloaded from my camera. Hopefully, I will be able to get this accomplished this week.
Here is the ES Choir performing their Christmas play, Bows of Holly,
to the students in MS and HS during their Chapel on Tuesday!
This is the first picture of our first orchestra at ICS-P! They are taking their seats and preparing to perform four Christmas selections while wearing their Santa hats. My favorite was Classic Bits & Pieces by Michael Story! They did a fantastic job and the audience was thrilled with the first performance of our orchestra!
Here are some of the parents, grandparents, other relatives, and
friends at Friday's Christmas Concert!
MS Girls singing a beautiful rendition of Edelweiss!
MS Choir (mainly grades 5 and 6) performing Happy by William Pharrell!
MS Choir (mainly grades 7 & 8) performing Clouds by Zach Soblech.
The combined MS Choirs finished with an excellent rendition of Witness arranged by Roger Emerson! Very beautiful and a great message to be a witness!
Transition to the ES Choir's performance of a short Christmas play, Bows of Holly by Dennis and Nan Allen. Above is the Music Director, Ms. Kim and one of the soloists from grade 4 introducing the play. That little lady in grade 4 has one powerful and beautiful voice!
Here is the ES Choir after walking to the stage preparing to sing. You can see that one young man is so eager to make sure his parents know where he is! :-)
Here are the three main soloists for the play performing with the
choir backing them up!
Another beautiful selection by the soloists and ES Choir!
Another photo of the ES Choir performing!
This was a crowd favorite, especially when the fourth grade boy in the front right with the blue shirt performed his Christmas rap with the ES Choir! It was a great evening to begin the Christmas season!
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On Thursday afternoon during our teachers' regular professional development time, our MS English and ELD teacher, Mr. Jon Greener, appeared to be dropping on his left side. Mr. Mooney and Mr. Kuhn noticed that he didn't look very good and immediately called his wife and she came quickly and took him to the local hospital. He was told initially that he had a mild stroke. The hospital sent him to Seoul to a bigger hospital for observation and tests. It is also the home of his wife's family so he was able to be cared for more easily. On Friday afternoon, Jon reported informed our staff that he "has heard from three doctors who guess it's a slipped disk or a pinched nerve rather than a stroke. " Jon said, "On Saturday I will have MRIs and X-Rays to determine more definitely." I have not heard at this writing the results of those tests. I know Mr. Greener would value your prayers. His children have been sick and recently his wife's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been having treatments. Please pray for the Greeners. Thanks!
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As of this writing, I have not received in writing any specific update on Ben Coyner. He has been coming to ICS-P in the afternoons and staying after school to work with seniors on their university applications and prepare for SAT and ACT tests. I spoke with him at lunch on Friday at ICS-P and he was eating our cafeteria's wonderful Chicken Soup. I love it and he usually does, but today he said that it has no taste. He believes the radiation therapy has caused many foods to be tasteless. Thank you for continuing to pray for Ben!
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Saturday was another wonderful day of writing and refreshment and enjoying some wonderful Christmas music in the stores, coffee shops, and at home. In the morning, I went to my regular (almost every Saturday morning) cafe', BC 800 Coffee & Tea Cafe'. The Manager is Chang Sik and he worries about my health - especially if I don't show up on Saturday. Today we had another nice chat. He was telling me that he was planning to get a doctorate in engineering, but ever since his mother, the owner, made him the Manager, he has really enjoyed meeting people at the cafe' and making many friends. He told me he loves what he is doing and has some dreams for the future involving the coffee shop, etc. One thing he told me was that he wanted to have an area in the cafe' where he would feature regular customers with photographs and writings. He was all excited. Then he said, "And the first photo I will put on it is one of Mr. Gregg, who was my first regular customer who always encourages me and talks with me." He then began to move several tables away from where I was sitting and I thought he was going to clean the floor. He brought out a hammock and began putting it up where the tables had been. Chang Sik said that he is the only one working at the cafe' and often he is tired and during the slow business times, he will get in the hammock and rest. :-) He places a sign on the door that says in Korean and English: "If I am resting in the hammock, please come and wake me." :-) Here is a picture of Chang Sik in his hammock on Saturday after I helped him put it up! Thank you for praying for this new friend!
My friend, Chang Sik, in his hammock in the BC 800 Coffee & Tea Cafe'! :-)
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After my morning visit to BC 800 Coffee & Tea Cafe', I traveled to Songtan to meet my wonderful friends, Tony and Sue Kuhn. They had invited me to have lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, Hoa Mai to celebrate the birthday of one of our former SYME students and a dear friend, Justin Lim! What a great time we had sharing some delicious food, talking, laughing, and just plain enjoying each other. Justin continues to teach English at an academy in the Songtan area and is thinking of starting his own academy. Justin had gone to SYME in Songtan and then to Word of Life Bible Institute in New York and finished at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. I am excited to see how the Lord is working in his life. Please pray for him as he seeks to know His will.
Here we are celebrating Justin's birthday at Hoa Mi! Tony and Sue Kuhn are on the left and Justin is in front of GGG!
This is what Justin had for his birthday lunch. He woke up at 9:00 AM and had a large Korean breakfast with his family and was rather full when he arrived for lunch. He actually ate only half of his lunch. We had to help him finish! :-)
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It is hard to believe we have only two weeks remaining in Quarter Two and then Christmas Break! If you have nothing to do over Christmas, why not fly over to South Korea and celebrate with me? :-) Thank you for your prayers especially during these final two weeks before Break. Thank you for your love, care, emails, regular mail, encouragement, prayers, and support! You mean so much to me!
Love, Gregg
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