Please enjoy the photos of the past week! I will try to keep my comments brief and let the pictures talk. Thanks for continuing to pray for all of us here at ICS-Pyeongtaek.
Monday evening I enjoyed a Skype visit with David and Victoria Baek! This dear couple is full time with Word of Life on Jeju Island. They are tremendously involved with a local church that has many very needy young people and young adults. Both David and Victoria have fallen in love with this group and have seen so much fruit among these young people who have fallen in love with the Baeks and have seen Jesus displayed through their love and care and ministry. Please pray as they travel to the USA in early 2018 to raise additional support for their awesome ministry. If you know of any church who would like to hear about their vibrant ministry, please let me know. I will give you contact information. They will have many needs while in the States, such as housing, churches, a vehicle, etc.
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Tuesday evening I enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and a very delicious dinner at the apartment of our High School Science teacher, Mr. Ray Febus and his wife, HaYoung. I enjoyed a very special evening of food, fellowship, and lots of great storytelling with Ben Coyner and the Joe and Dale Amos family! Ben is Guidance Counselor at ICS-P and Dale Amos is our ELD Coordinator and teacher.
My first plate of very tasty food on Tuesday evening!
Ray and HaYoung preparing our feast!
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Below are only four samples of the classroom doors that were decorated for the Student Council's Door Decoration Contest. The students and staff did a great job! The first one "School Alone" was the top winner for the Elementary Family Groups. This is the Golden Doughnuts group. Ms. Hunter even had a video (starring some of her family group cherubs) showing similarities with the original production of "Home Alone!" Sooo good! The Secondary winner is the fourth picture here created by the 11th-grade students.
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Wednesday evening I was invited to the apartment of Mike and Alicia Nicholes, full-time missionaries with Word of Life. Mike is also the pastor of Dae Kwang Church where I fellowship. I enjoyed a great time with Mike and Alicia and their four children!
Alicia and Josiah preparing to eat dinner!
Mike and Charis, Titus, and Michaela ready to eat our yummy pasta and salad dinner!
The four Nicholes' children with the stuffed animals I gave them!
GGG with Josiah and Titus. Josiah is doing really well with his artwork and presented me with this drawing that he was quietly working on after dinner while the adults talked!
My first and only plate because there
was just too much! Sooo good!
Homemade Apple Pie for dessert!! :-)
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Wednesday through Friday our Librarian, Mrs. Lee, had set up all of the books that were donated for the ICS-P Library Used Book Fair. Students were so excited to be able to purchase some great books for only 500 KRW (about 50 cents) or 1,000 KRW (about a dollar). A number of parents stopped by as well. Mrs. Lee was pleased with the number of people who came and the funds raised for new books for the Library! I was able to get just a few pictures.
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In Chapel this past week we were treated to a special prelude by the HS String Quintet! Here is a picture of them tuning up for their prelude of Christmas songs!
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In Elementary Chapel, we took a respite from our Walk Thru the Old Testament to present the Christmas story. I shared a mini-movie entitled The Legend of the Three Trees. Students enjoyed it very much. I closed with an application that Christmas and Easter should be celebrated every day. I encouraged students to ask questions when they returned to their classrooms concerning the Baby Jesus in a manger and also Jesus as he died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins.
On Thursday, I received these messages from our Kindergarten teacher and Grade 2 teacher:
Mrs. Cho in Kindergarten wrote, "The angels are partying in heaven. Four kindergartners got saved. (Ellie, Eliana, Hannah, Angie) Yesterday's chapel with Mr. Garman was powerful as well as our Bible lesson this morning. A Christmas blessing!
Ms. Dather in Grade 2 replied to Mrs. Ho's message, "That is awesome! Mr. Garman's chapel definitely was powerful. I had 4 boys stay in class with me for about 15 minutes during their special today because they were asking about what it looks like to live as a Christian, if you have to ask Jesus into your heart every time you sin, and other deep questions. They had all said they have asked Jesus into their hearts already but were really concerned about all the questions. We ended up praying together."
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Thursday after school dismissed, my dear friend, David Kim, came to the school to talk about his future plans. David has been a great friend since I came to Korea and we enjoyed a great time of sharing memories, eating some tasty Mexican food at El Gitano, and praying. Please pray for David, his wife, Annie and their three kids as they seek the Lord's direction for their next avenue of ministry.
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Friday was our last day at ICS-P for 2017. Quarter Two ended and students departed for the Christmas Break. Throughout the busy week of Final Exams and Christmas events, the Elementary students enjoyed Operation Christmas. The teachers planned various events including art, crafts, book readings, singing, Christmas games, etc. Here are a few pictures of the Elementary Fun Activities this past week.
Grade 5 enjoyed giving some oral presentations. This group is listening and observing as one of the students shared up front and Mrs. Gross looked on giving encouragement!
A quartet of girls making poinsettias!
Grade 1 with their poinsettias!
Grade 2 and their poinsettias!
Gingerbread people in Kindergarten!
Kindergarten cherubs with their Gingerbread persons!
Grade 5 poinsettias!
Grade 4 with poinsettias in their hair!
Kindergarten students with their teacher, Mrs. Cho, came to my office after "losing" their Gingerbread Man! They wanted to know if I had seen him! :-)
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I had another delightful Christmas surprise on Friday! My dear friend, Gunmo Kim, called and said he would like to come and see me before I headed to the USA for Christmas Break. So excited to see this young man! I have known him since August of 2008! He and his wife, Sujin, are doing well. Sujin received a very good score on the Korean National Teachers' Exam. Now she has interviews on January 3 and 4 and is very eager to teach Kindergarten in Korean schools. I know they would value your prayers as she studies for the interviews. Here we are at Puffin restaurant preparing to enjoy a delicious late lunch!
I enjoyed the Chicken and Veggie Risotto!
Gunmo enjoyed the Spaghetti & Meat Balls!
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Last Saturday, I shared a photo and my experience of meeting a new friend and brother, Matthew Moore. We have been texting each other back and forth all week and both of us were excited about meeting this Saturday - before I left for Christmas Break. We had a great lunch on Saturday at a favorite Chinese restaurant near the Camp Humphreys' Army Base. We continue to learn more and more about each other and both of us are thrilled that we are able to share our struggles and joys with each other and spend time praying, laughing, eating, and having lots of joy. I forgot the pictures this week so here is a picture of Matthew and me from last Saturday! :-)
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Once again, I want to thank you for your faithful love, care, encouragement, emails, mail, prayers, and gifts! I trust that you and your family and friends will enjoy a truly meaningful Christmas and a tremendous New Year in 2018.
Love, Gregg
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