Saturday, May 12, 2018

Happy Mother's Day! We are almost half way through May!

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother's Day!  I trust you and your family are enjoying a great day!

It has been another very busy week at ICS-Pyeongtaek!  I want to try and keep this brief and use some pictures to show the many events of this past week.  But before getting into the week of events, I wanted to share two particular prayer requests and a couple praises:

*  Please join me in thanking the Lord for the continued growth and good health of Cora, the Conqueror!  She is doing very well and the Mooneys shared several pictures this past week of this delightful little princess.  Enjoy!



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*  On Saturday, my dear friend and brother, Chris Haynes, arrived back in South Korea after a year of study at Appalachian Bible College in West Virginia.  Chris was at Dae Kwang Church this morning and after church, we enjoyed a wonderful time of lunch at Subway!  I am so excited to see how the Lord is maturing this wonderful young man!  He will be back for a few months this summer and then returns for his Junior year at ABC!  I am looking forward to meeting him more frequently when I return to the States this summer.  Please continue to pray for Chris!

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*  Many of you have been praying for Ben Coyner.  As you may remember, he had recent surgery to remove a lymph node on the right side of his neck.  He has been struggling with the swelling and this past week learned that the doctors believe the cancer has returned to his throat.  I know he is depressed right now and would value your prayers.  I will try to keep you updated.

*  At the end of Week Without Walls, one of our fifth-grade boys came to me to tell me he had accepted Christ as his Savior.  Satan has been bombarding him with lots of stuff to make him depressed and sad.  Corey (not his real name) came to talk with me this past week and was in tears.  His father divorced his mother and has left Corey at home with his mother.  When he goes home after school, his uncle is the only one to care for him.  Then his mother comes home after work around 8:00 PM.  He told me he misses his Dad and often feels that he, Corey, is the reason for the divorce.  My heart aches for this dear young man and SOOOOO many like him, who have no father at home.  Thank you for praying for Corey particularly at this time.
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Lots of special events at ICS-P this week:

Student Council Elections
    
     On Wednesday, the ICS-P Student Council had speeches by candidates for the offices of the Student Council for 2018-19.  I enjoyed listening to the candidates' speeches.  All of the Middle School and High School students listened attentively and then voted.  This year's president, Joon Ha Kim and Vice-President, Jamie Park presided over the speeches and election.  Both Joon Ha and Jamie have done great jobs this year.  The next morning the current president announced the winners.  Ryan Lee will be the President and Huin Lee will be the Vice President.  (Ryan and Huin are not related; just lots of Lees in Korea.)  Ryan and Huin are wonderful students and will do amazing jobs!  Below is one of Ryan's campaign posters.  I did not have any for Huin. :-(  Please pray for both of these young men as they lead next year.


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*  Elementary Science

     Our High School Science teacher teaches a science lab activity to each of the elementary classes each week.  The kids love it and are always very excited about Science.  This week I looked out my office window and there was Mr. Febus interactively teaching a Science lab to one of our elementary grades.  They were investigating nature and having fun experimenting and interacting with Mr. Febus.

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*  Thursday Lunch with the Director

      Our third-grade teacher, Ms. Colgain, has a classroom management system using Class Dojo points.  When students earn so many points, they can enjoy a lunch with the Director.  Thursday was so much fun with these two 3rd grade cherubs, Robert and Ylena!  They talked and talked and talked and we laughed and had lots of great fun and also some serious conversations.  I even surprised them with an ice cream treat.  So proud of these two!


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*  Friday evening High School English Drama

     Mr. Thornton's High School English classes (with a little assistance from some Middle School students) performed Bullies - five different plays by five different playwrights centering in on bullying.  I will share a few pictures but they don't really capture the excellent performance by our students.  Here is a note from the teacher and Director, Mr. Thornton, about the plays: "The truth is that all of us are fallen creatures.  All of us sin and are imperfect. Jesus first pointed us to the irony of judging and bullying others, when all are imperfect.  Tonight we also point to that irony.  As we laugh together tonight, let us remember that our joy comes from the Lord, who by Jesus Christ, wipes all of our imperfections away."  It was a great evening and the students did a wonderful job for their first performance in a couple years.


Mr. Thornton even played a role!  Three students also performing with him.


One of the other short plays on bullying from our HS Drama Team!
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*  Saturday - The Wedding of Jay Chae and Hyemi Lee!!

    My dear friend Jay Chae ( former SYME student( got married on Saturday to a beautiful and Godly young lady, Hyemi Lee!  I was privileged and honored to be asked to share a Congratulatory Message during the service for Jay and Hyemi!  It was a beautiful wedding and I was so happy to be reunited with a number of my dear Korean former SYME students.  Jay's brother, Jacob was my translator.  I believe I have attended 13 or 14 Korean weddings and have participated in about 6 of them.  It is such a delight and honor.  Here are some pictures from this special day on Saturday!


Meeting with Jay and Hyemi on Thursday
         evening to get to know Hyemi!


Here I am with Jay Chae and his parents as soon as I arrived at the church!


In the Bridal Photo Lounge prior to the wedding with the beautiful bride, Hyemi Lee.



Entrance of Jay and Hyemi!!


Bridesmaids - not common in Korean weddings!


Parents of the groom being seated with the Groomsmen standing
behind them!  (Also not common in Korean weddings)      



Jay's brother, Jacob - my translator during the service!


Here I am with Jacob sharing my Congratulatory message to the newlyweds!!


On the big screen is the group called "Holy Angels".  This is the group at the church where Jay grew up.  Jay was a founding member of the group and became the teacher for a number of years.  Later, Hyemi was also a teacher of the group!  They sang a beautiful song at the wedding!


The newlyweds with their parents at the close of the ceremony!


The traditional bow at the close to the audience by the Bride and Groom and their parents!


The recessional begins!!  One very happy couple!!


Here they are at the reception in the church's restaurant!


Reunited with these "bad" boys at the wedding.  from left to right: GGG, David Kim and his oldest child, Jay Chae, Gunmo Kim, Youngbin Lee, and JiSang Hwang!  I love these guys!!!


Another photo with John Choi at the church's coffee shop!
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Please continue to pray for me as I finish my last month at ICS-P.  Thank you so much for your faithful love, encouragement, care, mail, emails, prayers, and gifts of support.  I trust that you will enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg

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