Road Construction has Begun!! Two More Interviews! Book Tasting!! A Chronic Bronchitis Attack! :( A Respite!!

The beginning of Quarter 4 was a busy one with lots happening! When I arrived on Monday morning at school at 6:30 AM, it was obvious that the road construction has begun in full force!  We were delighted that they decided to do a lot of the heavy digging (very noisy) during our Spring Break!  Here are just a couple photos of what the road area around our academic building and gymnasium looked like on Monday.

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We were able to conduct two more interviews for two remaining positions for 2018-19.  We met with a delightful gentleman  (at ICS-P) about the MS Math/General Science position and a wonderful young lady and her husband (via Skype).  The wife is interested in our Art teacher position.  We liked both candidates and I would ask you to pray as they think about, talk and pray about God's direction for them.

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On Monday evening, I began to feel a scratchiness in my throat.  It is usually what happens first when an attack of Chronic Bronchitis is coming.  Sure enough, by Tuesday evening it was a nasty sore throat and was heading south to my chest.  My voice sounded really nasty.  I was able to take part in our "Book Tasting" (more on that later) on Wednesday, but then went home after that as well as my Lunch Duty with Kinder, Grade 1, and Grade 2 cherubs.  I wasn't able to do ES Chapel on Thursday morning but came in later to take part in the Skype interview with the prospective Art teacher and her husband.  After the interview, I went home.  I had previously scheduled a day off on Friday and one on Monday.  These days helped as I was able to get some rest and do some sorting and packing five suitcases with books, file folders, Tax Records for the past four years, etc.  God gave me good rest and then the strength to get these suitcases ready for taking to the USA on Monday, April 9!  How?

This was a direct answer to prayer.  I was doing my greeting of parents picking up their children at the close of the day on Tuesday.  I came to the yellow van with the wife of one of our teachers in it.  I asked her if she was picking up all three children and teased with their fourth child in her car seat.  Very quietly, Corrie Kolbe, the mother, said to me, "My daughter and I are going to America on Monday, April 9th to help with the rehab of my mother's double knee replacement surgery.  We don't pack very much and I have four or five suitcases you could fill with your books and I could take them and then ship them to your home in Chambersburg, PA using Media mail!"  SO I was overwhelmed and told Corrie that she is a direct answer to prayer.  It would have cost me A LOT to ship them from Korea.  So I now have 5 suitcases prepared all at or near the weight limit for Corrie to pick up on Monday morning and take to the USA!  Thank you Lord, and thank you, Corrie!!  I have also been donating a number of my books to the Library at ICS-P and have placed a number of them on a table in my office for staff to come and take if they would like any.  They can just take or leave a donation if they would like.

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One of our seniors, Jamie Park,  came to me on Tuesday with a big smile!  She had applied to attend Wheaton College.  She had been accepted several weeks ago.  She was also accepted at a couple other colleges.  She said, "Mr. Garman, I just sent in my payment to reserve my spot at Wheaton College!"  I was happy!  I congratulated her and asked if she would like a Wheaton T-Shirt.  Wheaton had sent me a couple.  One was for another person and one was for me, but I had never worn it.  It is LARGE on Jamie, but I told her she could wear it around the dorm, or it might shrink.  She loved it!  Here she is with her Wheaton T-shirt.

Here I am with Jamie in front of the bulletin board in our lobby showing many of the colleges and universities to which our seniors have been accepted! 

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I mentioned earlier about a "Book Tasting."  Our Librarian, Mrs. Tina Lee, asked if she could have Wednesday, April 4th as a day when she would invite students in the elementary grades for three different times to enjoy the many books I donated to the Library. She had K and Grade 1 come as a group, then Grades 2 and 3, and finally Grades 4 and 5.  She had arranged the room with tables, placemats, and then had me read one of the books and share about the other books.  Her desire, and mine, was to get children READING and enjoying it!  When I finished sharing and reading with each group, Mrs. Lee had lunch trays prepared with age-appropriate books for the children to browse.  teachers were excited and so were students!  One teacher said that we should have had the "Book Tasting" all day because the kids were so excited!  I am thrilled that I was able to give may books I had collected to our Library and so happy that students are excited about reading!!

Mrs. Lee had the B1 Gym area set up like this for the children when they arrived. 

  GGG introducing the "Book Tasting" for Kinder

                        and grade 1 students.

GGG reading to a group of the students.  Mrs. Lee, 

our Librarian, is seated at the computer to work the 

PowerPoint pictures.                     

The lady standing is our student teacher, Miss Emily Flaget, from Asbury University, who is student teaching in Kindergarten.

Students reading while Ms. Hunter and

                   Mrs. Lee observe.

Several cherubs focused on their reading!!

Kinder cherub, Beckham is focused!  

Some more Book Tasters!

  Some Third Grade students intent on

                 tasting the books!

Grade 2 students enjoying their tasting time!

More Grade 3 book tasters!         

More tasting!!

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Our HS Math Teacher, Ms. Becca Gaul, was privileged to have her parents visit from the USA for two weeks.  This past week they came with her to school and were eager to help teachers and staff and me with some of our projects!  They were such a blessing to all of us.  One day Mrs. Gaul asked if she could take a photo of the director.  I said, "Yes, if you would like to break your phone camera." She smiled and took the picture.  Here it is.  I think she must have doctored it up in some manner. :-)  Please feel free to use it to pray for me or it might be good at clearing your house of mice or rats! :-)

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On Saturday morning, I woke early after a very restful sleep (Thanks, NyQuil!) and loaded my car with the suitcases and books for shipping via Corrie Kolbe.  In my office, I added some more books for teachers to take + packed, unpacked, repacked, weighed, packed some more, and so on until I had five suitcases filled!  I will check again on Sunday afternoon to see if I can put in a couple more I found.  I will be leaving a note for Corrie with some cash to help pay for the shipping in the USA.

Right after packing the suitcases, I left from Pyeongtaek Bus Terminal to travel to Itaewon to meet my dear friends (former colleagues at YISS), Roger and PamDeHart.  Roger teaches HS Science at YISS and Pam teaching Elementary Art.  Both are great friends and they had invited me to their apartment for lunch.  What a great time of remembering special times and talking about changes in education, great things that are happening, laughing, and just fellowshipping with great joy before I depart.  They have invited me to their home in Seattle, Washington once they return to the States in the USA.  I am looking forward to that.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner with one my favorite meats - SALMON!!  Such a delightful time with dear friends!!

My YISS friends, Pam and Roger DeHart.  What a great time we enjoyed!!

Pam preparing food for our great lunch!

Roger preparing the delicious salmon!!

My delicious lunch!!! :-)

Yes, the flowers on the top of this cake are real!  This was a gift to the DeHarts from a friend and they saved it to enjoy with me.  It is beautiful and the cake was very tasty. We did NOT eat the flowers! :-)

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Sunday at church, we had another packed house.  Dae Kwang Church continues to grow!  We will need to find another room soon.  I have been enjoying many new friends.  Here is a picture of one of my newest friends, Youngsol!  His Korean name is Kim Youngsol, but as a student at SYME, he goes by Sol.  Thanks for praying for this delightful young man as he studies the Bible and English.

Sol and GGG at church.

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I need to stop for now.  This is longer than expected.  So sorry.  Thank you so much for your continued care, love, encouragement, notes, mail, emails, prayers, and gifts of support.  Thank you to so many of you who sent me 69th birthday wishes via Facebook, email, or regular mail!  Please enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg