Here is Cora right after getting home
from isolation in the hospital.
Daddy shaved off his beard and I think Cora likes it!
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Tony Kuhn was hoping to be all recovered from his respiratory sickness, but he was in no shape to return on Monday. He did return on Tuesday but is still not quite back to normal. Keep praying for him to get complete healing from this nasty cold and cough. Ben Coyner finished all of his radiation therapy, but had some nasty effects this week. Continue to pray for him. He is hoping to return on Monday. Below is his update for this week:
"Yesterday, my MRI procedure went smoothly. I will hear what can be determined by this MRI scan by my doctor(s) no later than my appointments with them on Wednesday, 1/25.
My overall condition is improving every day. Today I feel much better, especially considering my parents actually moved home yesterday, which was fairly stressful.
Although there still is some lingering scratchy pain in the back of my throat, I am trying to eat soft foods and soups, instead of the liquid formulas that I was prescribed.
As I eat more, I appear to have fewer problems with excess mucous, but this is still an all-day issue. So, I will not be able to return to ICS tomorrow (Friday, 1/20)."
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Tuesday was Hat Day in the Elementary School and it was fun to see teachers and students wearing some silly and delightful hats. It was a fun way to begin the day. Here are a few pictures I was able to capture before having a very full day to take care of. Enjoy!
Ms. Dather and Ms. Hunter in their delightful hats!
Some of the cherubs with Ms. Hunter and Ms. Dather!
Ms. Hunter and Mrs. Cho with some of the silly cherubs!
Ms. Lee is joined by some more of the cherubs in their hats!
Mr. Song, our wonderful facilities man, with Mr. Kuhn.
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Tuesday is also Chapel Day for Middle School and High School. Today's Chapel was introducing the exciting projects and trips that all students will be involved in during our Week Without Walls. This is a week (March 20-24) when students don't have academic classes. They are involved in service projects or trips in and around the Pyeongtaek area as well as several trips outside of Pyeongtaek. Here are most of the projects that were introduced by faculty members who will be leading each of the activities.
Steel Drum Performers
Elderly Hospice Care
Elementary Conqueror Camp
Word of Life Bible Institute Jeju Island Service Project
ICS-P Gym Outreach
Homeless Care at Songtan Central Baptist Church
Phuket, Thailand Service Trip
Beijing, China Service Trip
Mission Baptist Church Clean Up Project
I think I am missing one or two. I will be giving more details about these later, but it was great for me to hear what each group will be doing. I loved watching the students listen and get excited about the various opportunities. Beginning shortly, each group will begin working on the many details of preparation for their group's project/trip. Thanks for praying for Week Without Walls. Many great things have happened in past years and we are excited about what will happen this year.
Some of the MS and HS students listening to Mr. Greener explain
about the project he is leading - ICS Gym Outreach!
Students signing up for their first and second choice for Week Without Walls!
More students signing up for their top two choices!
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Wednesday was this month's Spouse Orientation and Information Fair at the Osan Air Force Base. ICS-P has been invited to set up a display at these Information Fairs to share about ICS-P. In the past, we have not been able to do anything like this on base so these have been great! Mylene Haselman and I went to this one and although there were fewer spouses in attendance, we had some great contacts for new students! We also met the General Manager of the Osan AFB Officers' Club and his assistant. For the past several years, we have been permitted to have a promotional dinner in the Officers' Club and share a presentation about ICS-Pyeongtaek. Often we take a group of students along to share as well. The lady who has been very helpful in working with Mylene Haselman on these arrangements is back as the assistant and she was there at the lunch following the Spouse Orientation. We were able to do some ground work about the promotional dinner with her!
Before leaving ICS-P for the Osan Air Force Base, I was able to catch the weekly elementary Chess players enjoying some games of Chess under the supervision of one our teachers, Mr. Ryan Kolbe. Here are a few pictures of the kids enjoying some Chess before going to their classes at 8:30.
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THURSDAY!!! What a delightful day! Our current fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Johanna Sigler, had informed us before Christmas that her husband, who is in the military, had been reassigned to the United Kingdom. Mrs. Sigler came to us in August two days before school started! We had to divide 5th and 6th grade because the enrollment had increased in both grades since last May. Johanna was hoping to enroll both of her boys and was hoping we had a teaching position open. When she brought the boys to ICS-P, we did not have an opening, but suddenly we needed to split Grades 5 and 6. We called Johanna! She came in for an interview and was so excited. This is what she had been praying for. She and her family fell in love with our community and they didn't want to leave. They wanted to wait until the end of the school year to make the move to the UK, but her husband found out they needed to leave at the end of March.
So in December, we started searching for a possible teacher to replace her at the end of March and then continue next year. We were not getting any leads. After the Christmas Break, I was notified by our Home Office, Network of International Christian Schools (NICS) that there was a lady who had just completed all of her paperwork and was interested in teaching in the Pyeongtaek area. We contacted her immediately and our interview team fell in love with her right away! She fell in love with the school and after our interview on Tuesday, she talked with her husband and came to the school on Thursday to inform us that she accepted our offer! We are so thrilled. We welcomed Mrs. Hollie Smith Gross to our ICS-P community on Thursday! She is already making plans to come in and work through the transition with Mrs. Sigler even before her contract begins! We are so thankful to the Lord. Please pray for Mrs. Gross as she begins to prepare for taking over the Grade 5 class on March 15! I will be sharing more as we progress through this quarter. Please pray that she will get all of her paperwork completed in time.
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We also had our leadership team meeting on Thursday and I shared with them final details about the promotional video that was just completed for us. My dear friend, Jordan Ingram and his wife, Meredith, had come to Korea in October because Jordan was being presented with an award for one of his video productions that was winning different awards. God has gifted this young man in producing quality videos of various types, but especially promotional videos. I invited him to stop in Pyeongtaek and visit the school. They stayed in my apartment and were very impressed with the teachers and students at the school. I had asked him before coming if he could help us as we needed a good promotional video for ICS-P! He was planning on shooting footage for two days, but because of a nasty storm in Ulsan where they were at the Awards Convention, they came late and could stay only one day. We were ready for him and he was able to get many hours of footage. He left and on his own time, not his company's time, he prepared a 5-minute video for us. In late December he sent me a rough cut of the video. Our leadership team made some corrections of names, etc. and he corrected them. The final Master Cut came this past week! All of the leadership team was so thrilled with the amazing job he did with only one day, one camera, and one tripod!
Thursday afternoon at our All Staff Prayer Meeting, I was able to show them the premier showing of our 2017 ICS-Pyeongtaek Promo Video!! It was such an exciting time. The staff loved it! Many have already posted it on facebook, etc. After they viewed it, I shared with them that we did not have money to pay for someone like him. He said originally something like what he did would cost $6,000 - $10,000, but he would only charge us $50 an hour for any editing that we needed after the first rough cut. I was planning on paying that fee because of our very limited budget at ICS-P. So I asked Jordan via email to give me his mailing address so I could have my sister (my Power of Attorney) send him a check.
Jordan emailed the following to me with his response. He has always called me "Uncle Gregg." :-)
"Hey Uncle Gregg,
First, I'm thrilled you guys are pleased with the video. It truly was a wonderful experience and I'm very proud of how it came out. Especially since it was filmed in one day with one camera and a tripod.
Second, I've not been to church in over a year and it's left me without an opportunity to tithe. I'm so grateful for your offer. It means a great deal to me that you would see the value in my work. However, I believe in the ministry that you're leading. I believe in the education that you're providing for these kids. I believe in the teachers that are providing not only that education, but the spiritual leadership toward Christ. That being said, it would mean a lot to me if you would allow me to gift this video to your school. It's beautiful to hear about the teachers rallying to push through hard financial times and fulfill the needs of the kids before themselves. I want to help in any way I can."
What an awesome blessing! Our staff and I are overwhelmed and thanking the Lord. So now, I want to share the video with you. I shared it on facebook, but want to share it here for you. I hope it works on the blog. If you read the blog and get to this spot and when you click on the link, if it does not work, please let me know. OK? Thanks.
Here is the link to the Master File for our ICS-P Promo Video produced by Jordan Ingram:
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Friday was a Snow Day to the delight of our students and teachers. I enjoyed some brisk walking and working at the apartment. Then I needed to go to school and finish a report that needed to be sent to the NICS Home Office on Friday. In Korea, they don't know how to deal with snow. I have not seen a snow plow. Many still use a broom to sweep snow from sidewalks, etc. So at 5:00 AM on Friday, I received a phone call from Ms. Tia, our staff person who handles the bus coordination. The bus drivers said they could not drive in the snow, so students enjoyed a Snow Day! During my brisk walk, I lost one of my gloves. When I returned from my visit to the school, I noticed the lost glove on the side of the road back to my apartment complex. :-)
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Saturday!! At 11:00 AM, I headed to Itaewon for two special events. The first was to meet Paul Oh, one of my first Discipleship students when I was at YISS. We have been texting back and forth ever since I left last June. Finally, we arranged a late lunch at one of my favorite eating establishments in Itaewon, The Original Pancake House. This is now his freshman year at YISS and he has been having some struggles adjusting to being in the newbie class - especially from some sophomores. We had a fantastic conversation and Paul really opened up to me about his struggles. I have seen such growth in this young man. I am so excited to see how God is going to use him. I know he would value your prayers. We plan to keep meeting on a more regular basis.
Paul and GGG preparing to eat some very tasty brunches! So excited to meet with this awesome young man!
Paul's meal!
GGG's meal + a bowl of strawberries and whipped
cream for both of us to share!
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After enjoying some great fellowship and tasty meals with Paul, I went to my favorite bookstore, What the Book? to attend a presentation by an author. I was invited by the Manager of What the Book? to come for a presentation and book signing with a new author, Sungju Lee. Sungju has written his memoir when he was a North Korean boy who was forced at the age of twelve to live on the streets and fend for himself. He tells how he was separated from his parents; to be along; to have to create a new family with his gang, his brother"; to be hungry every day; and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution. The title of his book is Every Falling Star. I was introduced to it by my niece, Kara. Kara emailed me to say that her son, Harrison, had read the book and loved it. Kara and I often exchange book titles with each other for our reading enjoyment and growth. I also have a great interest in those who have escaped from the horror of living in North Korea. I enjoyed meeting Sungju Lee on Saturday evening and spending time chatting with him. I won't tell you anything more because I don't want to tell you too much! I think you would enjoy reading it! Thanks, Harrison and Kara!
Poster announcing the presentation and book signing with Sungju Lee.
After signing my book, Sungju posed for a photo with me! Loved meeting this young man!
Sungju beginning his presentation for those who had gathered at What the Book?.
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I will close this week with some snow pictures from Saturday. Yes, Friday we had a Snow Day at ICS-P, but Saturday evening we got even more. When I left to go to Itaewon on the bus, there were only a few flakes. When I got to Itaewon, it had stopped. Then I left What the Book? and took the subway and bus to Pyeongtaek Bus Station. I actually fell asleep on the bus and when I got off the bus, it was snowing like crazy! The taxi driver who took me from the Pyeongtaek Station to my apartment was driving very gingerly on the roads. Here are some pictures I took quickly at Pyeongtaek Station before getting in the taxi. It brought back many wonderful memories of snowy Christmases in Chambersburg, PA!
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Thanks for reading all of the above. Thanks for your love, care, encouragement, emails, regular mail, prayers, and support. Thanks for praying for the school's finances. This next week will be a pay day for staff and all will be taking a reduction in their salary to help with the possible deficit. The staff have been wonderful and I am so excited to be able to serve with this group of wonderful people. Thank you for praying especially at this time.
Love, Gregg
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