A Delightful Week of ASAs, Special Visits, Classroom Presentations, & a Memorial!

The week of September 15 was another busy and great week at YISS!  I was able to get to many of our After School Activities to capture more pictures of our cherubs enjoying the activities.  We also had some more September College Visits to our High School as well as a special College Admissions Breakfast for college counselors.  It was a week where I was able to get into several classrooms to observe our wonderful teachers doing what they do so well - teach!!  On Thursday morning we had a special Memorial Dedication in our Courtyard for Irene Bang, our little second grader who recently went home to heaven.  And I had a very special visit from my dear friend, Jungmin Kim (Chris), a former SYME student and great Korean friend!  I will try to keep this brief and use pictures to share the special week!

Our After School Activities program continues to operate in full force each day after school!  About 300 of our cherubs in Kinder through Grade 5 participate in out 22+ activities each day.  It is so much fun to go around to each of the locations and capture some of the neat things that are happening.  This week I will share a few pictures from four more of our activities.

Some of the 27 children from K-3 enjoying learning soccer skills

                            in the IFE Soccer activity!

Another group of IFE Soccer cherubs from K-3 learning soccer with some great fun activities!

And one more of the IFE Soccer (K-3) groups learning about control

of the soccer ball through a fun relay!  They had so much fun!    

One of our Ceramics classes.  Matthew is quite intense as he works on his ceramics project.

It was so exciting to see the students learning how to use the potter's

                                                wheel!

Another of our cherubs learning the skills of the potter's wheel!  She loved it!

Master Kim, our wonderful Taekwondo instructor, with his class of

elementary students and some middle school students last week.  He

was presenting Max Park with his special certificate for earning his 

black belt!  Max has been involved with Taekwondo ASA since he

was in Kindergarten.  He was sooo excited and so proud!        

Our Arts & Crafts After School Activity!  These kids always enjoy the projects they work on each week!

Another pic of some of our Arts & Crafts cherubs working on their

                                  project last week!

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September is a busy month for visits from many colleges and universities!  Our high school students take advantage of these visits to discuss possible options upon graduation from YISS.  The YISS High School Guidance department also hosted a College Admissions Breakfast on Friday for college counselors.

Colleges and Universities that have visited, or will

      visit, YISS during the month of September.

Banner welcoming college counselors to the College

Admissions Breakfast on Friday at YISS.         

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During this past week I began my visits to various classrooms to observe teachers teaching.  I always love these times of encouragement and supervision with our teachers.  YISS has been blessed with a great group of educators, and I especially love our family of teachers in the elementary school.  It is so exciting to visit and observe as they seek to encourage students to think and interact!  I will share several pictures from my visits to Grade 4C and 2A.  I was also in Grade 3C and failed to take my camera, but Ms. Everett was doing a super job with her eager students.

Grade 4C students involved in a hands-on and interactive lesson

during their study of desertification.  They were having so much

                                         fun learning!

4C students in their various learning groups working on their learning of desertification!  I was so impressed with their thinking skills!

This was the finished product of an assembly line production in   

Grade 2A.  They were studying the character quality of enthusiasm.

Ms. Gronski, teacher, had set an assembly line production and gave

each student at job on the line.  Students made these "cars" after    

studying about Henry Ford and his assembly line.  Great discussion

throughout on how one can show enthusiasm in a job that is routine

and repetitive.  Again, I was impressed with students understanding

and thinking concerning this.                     

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Thursday morning was a special morning for us.  YISS decided to plant a tree in our one courtyard in memory of our dear second grader, Irene Bang.  We had a brief memorial service where Mrs. Franck did a superb job of sharing about Irene and the meaning of planting the tree in memory of this young girl and how she taught all of us to love and care and protect.  All of the second grade students came to the dedication along with Irene's parents and relatives.  I was so happy that Irene's grandparents could attend. Mr. Adams, Grade 1C teacher, led all of us in singing Irene's favorite song, God is so Good!  At the close of the dedication each of the children had a cup of water and passed by the newly planted tree to add their cup of water to the tree.

At the completion of the dedication ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Bang stopped to have a picture taken with their two boys and the father's parents in front of the tree that had just been planted in memory of Irene. The tree is right behind the two brothers.  The grandparents were so impressed that YISS would do something like this for Irene.  (Please read the letter in my email this week from Irene's mother.)

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On Tuesday evening I was finally able to have a dinner with my former SYME student and dear friend, Jungmin Kim (Chris)!  Some of you had the privilege of meeting Jungmin when he came to America with me over the Christmas break in 2008.  Our friendship has grown and I love our times together.  Please continue to pray for this wonderful young man as he seeks what God wants him to do. He has been discouraged lately with all of the exams he has been taking and is now seeking which direction he should go as he seeks to serve God.  Thank you for praying for Jungmin!

 Both Jungmin and I enjoyed a Baja Burrito at one of 

            our favorite restaurants, Los Amigos!

Here I am with my wonderful friend, Jungmin, at Los Amigos!

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I want to leave you with information about our Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon! The elementary students have raised over 35,000,000 Won during our previous 5 Walk-A-Sock-A-Thons! This is 35,000 USD from elementary students bringing in their 100 Won coins in socks to assist various organizations throughout the world.  Children can only collect 100 Won coins.  Each coin is worth about 10 cents in US currency.  It always amazes me how those 100 Won coins add up.  The kids are always so excited about bringing in their socks and then walking.  Last year students brought in socks filled with coins that totaled just over 9,100,000 KRW (about $9,000)!  That went to International Justice Mission to help free children from slavery.  The Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon will be held on Friday, October 10.  You can be praying as children save their 100 Won coins and then as we walk on October 10.  This year we will be donating the money raised to our High School clubs that have been started over the years by students to help organizations in Korea as well as outside of Korea.  Thanks so much for your prayers for this special event!

Thanks, always, for your emails, your notes, your encouragement, your love, your prayers, and your support.  Please enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg

A Relaxing Chuseok + Two Days of School!

We're almost half way through September!  As mentioned last week, we had three days off from YISS in celebration of Chuseok in Korea.  Those were three greatly appreciated days of rest and refreshment!  I spent much of the time enjoying the gorgeous weather: lots of walking throughout Seoul, lots of reading, enjoying some yummy meals, and just relaxing and getting a few extra hours of sleep.  They were three great days!

On Monday I was able to continue a Chuseok tradition (at least for the last five years) by going to the delightful apartment of Yeongmin Baek's parents.  Yeongmin still lives at home with his parents and they always want him to invite me to their home for special holidays.  As always, I had a really great time with Yeongmin and his parents.  And, as always, Mother Baek had prepared a most yummy feast of traditional Korean foods for Chuseok!  She always prepares way too much; impossible to eat everything!  I hope you will continue to pray for this wonderful family so that they will come to know Jesus Christ.

   This is the feast that I enjoyed on Chuseok with

          the Baek family!  Soooooo delicious!!

Clockwise starting at the left: Yeongmin,  GGG, Mr. Baek, and 

 Mrs. Baek enjoying the yummy Chuseok feast!!     

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Following the three-day Chuseok break, faculty and staff returned to YISS for busy days on Thursday and Friday.  Some of you had been praying for one of our fifth grade teachers, Ms. Kelley Creecy who had been out of school about 6 days with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease.  Kelley returned on Thursday fully recovered and excited to be back in Grade 5B.  We still have a few teachers fighting off sore throats and colds, but all were back with the exception of Ms. Heidi Corbett, who had taken personal days to attend a family function back in the USA.  Heidi will return on Monday.

Our Elementary Chaplain, Mrs. Carol Franck, was very busy on Thursday preparing for the three Chapels and the OASIS Assembly on Friday.  Coming up is our big Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon on October 10 so she was busy preparing all of  the details for that for children and teachers.  You may remember that this is an event held annually in the elementary school to raise funds for some project that is in need of funds to help those who are in situations where they need clean water, food, clothing, etc.  Mrs.Franck will be announcing next week the group our school will be sending our 100 Won coins to this year.  My collection of 100 Won coins is growing and I may need several socks this year.  The kids are all excited about collecting 100 Won coins and bringing them to YISS on October 10 in socks.  In celebration all of the kids and staff participate in a walk that takes many of them almost to the Namsan Tower near YISS.

Mrs. Franck's office on Thursday as she prepared letters and socks

       for elementary students about the Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon!

Mrs. Franck preparing the letters and socks for    

distribution during Friday's Chapels and Assembly!

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On Friday I helped Mrs. Franck introduce the Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon to the students.  During the Chapel and OASIS times one of my favorite things is to witness the kids singing!  They do such a great job!  One of these times I will get a video clip to show you some of their great singing.  This past Friday, one of our new students to YISS was all smiles as he sang and danced with his class in Chapel.  I love his smile!  He is so full of joy.  His class arrived early to Chapel and they sang while other classes arrived.  here are a couple pictures of this little buddy enjoying the music!

My new buddy loving the music in Chapel!!

Another picture of my buddy singing and dancing to the Chapel music!

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I had a delightful visit with a YISS graduate of last May on Friday!  I thought James Bai had already gone to Stanford University to begin his freshman year, but learned through Facebook on Thursday that Stanford doesn't begin until September 23.  James told me he was going to stop at YISS on Friday before he left on Saturday to head to Stanford Orientation.  This young man is such a fine young Christian and has been a great role model to YISS students from elementary through high school.  God has gifted James in so many ways, and yet he has been able to keep humble.  Our elementary kids just LOVE when James can spend time with them.  I am so excited to see what God has in store for this young man.  Would you please pray for James as he is a little worried about doing well at Stanford?  He asked me specifically to pray for him as he decides what he should major in.  He has so many interests and abilities and wants to do what God wants for him.  He wants so much to be an excellent witness of Jesus Christ among the student body at Stanford.  Thanks for praying for my excellent friend.

James Bai and GGG in the Elementary School Office at YISS on Friday!  Thanks for praying for this wonderful young man!

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Saturday was a fun day!  I was able to attend another Korean wedding!  (I think I will be attending at least three more in the next 3 months!) Through Yeongmin Baek I met a wonderful couple, Sungmin and Soohee!  This was several years ago when Yeongmin graduated from Yonsei University.  We have continued to grow in our friendship and I want Sungmin and Soohee to come to know Jesus, too.  Saturday was such a fun time to enjoy their union as husband and wife!  At every Korean wedding I have attended, there is always an amazing wedding feast for all of the guests! Saturday was no exception!  I am definitely going to have to be careful how much I eat of all this yummy food - especially since I will be going to three more of these in the next few months.

Yeongmin, Sungmin, and GGG just before the start

                    of the wedding ceremony!

The beautiful bride, Soohee and GGG in the VIP room prior to the wedding. I love that you can get your picture taken with the wedding couple prior to the wedding in Korea.

Here I am with Soohee and Sungmin in the VIP room.         

     

Here is Yeongmin doing a great job as the MC during the wedding ceremony!

       Soohee and Sungmin greeting the bride's parents with the 

       traditional bows following the pronouncement of marriage!

Following the ceremony, the happy couple changed into their Hanboks to greet guests at each of the reception tables.

I won't torture you with pictures of ALL the food; you

can take a look on facebook to see much more.  This 

was my first plate of tasty food!                 

I had the privilege of eating at the reception with two of Yeongmin's university friends, Suji and Young.  I had met Young at Yeongmin's graduation from Yonsei University.  He and his girlfriend are such delightful people.  We hope to meet again soon!

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I want to leave you this week with a special request for some former SYME students and my great friends, David (Nam Gyu) and Victoria Baek.  Nam Gyu was one of the first SYME students I met when I starting teaching at SYME in August 2008.  One of the first things I found out in my conversations with Nam Gyu was that he believed God wanted him to be a missionary.  After finishing at SYME, Nam Gyu went to Word of Life Bible Institute on Jeju Island and then on to WOL Bible Institute in New York. He met Victoria and they continued their relationship with each other until they were married in January 2014.  I was privileged to be asked to sing Amazing Grace at their wedding.  They are now officially designated as full time missionaries with Word of Life in Korea.  Nam Gyu and I have been meeting regularly for accountability since last January and this week he informed me that he and Victoria have been given the OK to begin raising support.  Nam Gyu and Victoria are planning to come to the USA to begin raising prayer and financial support. Since neither of them have many contacts in the US, I am asking if you are interested in having this delightful couple come to your church to share their testimonies and/or share concerning the ministry in which they will be involved, I know this would be a great encouragement to them.  They have very limited funds and when they come to the USA, they would be in need of inexpensive housing when they are in an area.  If you have any contacts that you could help put them in touch with, I know this would be a tremendous encouragement to them.

Nam Gyu and Victoria at lunch with me in Itaewon.

If you are able to help Nam Gyu and Victoria in any way during their visit to the USA, please contact Nam Gyu at his email address: david.baek25@gmail.com .  You can also email me if you prefer.  Thank you very much for anything you can do to assist this wonderful Christian couple who are so eager to serve the Lord.

Thanks, once again, for your many emails and notes of encouragement as well as your love, prayers, and support.  Please enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg

Happy Chuseok!! After a VERY Busy Week; a Much-needed Break of Refreshment!!

Happy Chuseok!!  After a very busy and hectic week at YISS, students and teachers (and a certain assistant principal) were ready for the weekend and then a three-day break to celebrate Chuseok (Hangawi)!  Chuseok is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar.  It is a little like American Thanksgiving and is very family-oriented.  Lots of yummy food, too! :-)  We are having a number of teachers fighting off sore throats so this break is greatly needed!  One of our fifth grade teachers has been out for over a week because of hand, foot, and mouth disease.  Please pray that Ms. Creecy will be able to return to YISS on Thursday.  One of our first grade teachers has also found out that she needs knee replacement surgery.  Pray for Mrs. Thomas as she prepares for surgery and then the "delightful" recovery!  She has been listening to my many tales of rehab! :-)  It also means that we will need a substitute for her for about 2 months.  One of our other elementary teachers in the related arts area is having some medical problems and I would really appreciate your prayers.  If things do not improve, we will need a Music teacher for grades 4 and 5 - maybe sooner than we think.  If you know of someone who would be a great Music teacher for that age group, please send me details.

Above is a new wall hanging I just had framed for my office.  It was a gift from our Elementary Principal and I just had it hung this past week just in time for Chuseok!  I have been spending more time lately on thanksgiving.  It has been a great experience!  I post the picture here to encourage you to join me in becoming more thankful.  

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On Thursday afternoon, the After School Activities Ceramics teacher came to my office with a box of handmade taste treats and a little note.  In addition to her goodies, the elementary office received other treats including songpyeon (rice cakes) from a parent.  She handmade these and they were so yummy!  Songpyeon are one of the traditional Korean foods at Chuseok.

Note that Ms. Kim, Ceramics teacher, placed inside the box of Chuseok snacks for me.

           These are the snacks that Ms. Kim handmade for me!

On the left are a basket of handmade songpyeon (rice cakes), one of

the traditional Chuseok foods.  They were soooo yummy!!      

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During the past week, in addition to our permanent elementary substitute teacher, Mrs. Palmer, we had to have the principal, both assistant principals,  and the two Elementary P.E. teachers go into classes to sub for teachers who were sick or away on a personal day.  Friday we had one of our Mandarin teachers out sick as well as Ms. Creecy + Ms. Corbett in 3B had to return to the USA for a family wedding.  Such excitement!  I had the privilege of having first grade recess duty!  I was exhausted after 35 minutes of these cherubs!! :-)

Above are three pictures of the first grade cherubs enjoying the playground equipment they love so much!!  They wanted me to go down the slides, but I thought I better not.  What if I got stuck and they couldn't get me out? :-)  The kids would have loved that sight!!

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In addition to all of the regular events in our elementary classes, it was also a week of MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing in most of the elementary grades.  On my walks throughout the building I noticed this bulletin board outside our kinder classes.  The three kinder teachers are amazing!  I just thought the bulletin board was kind of cool; not sure why.  I just liked it. :-)

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Friday was a busy day with three Chapels and one OASIS Assembly.  I love to go into these and announce those students who have been singled out for meeting our ESLRs (Expected Student Learning Results) and showing they are following the Guardian Way!  I also love to hear our kids sing!  I wish you could attend sometime.

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I thought I would also share a few pictures from two of our after school activities on Friday. I wanted to get more, but ran out of time. :-(  More will be coming.  The After School Activities program is off and running.  I am already beginning to put together activities for Quarter Two  Thanks for your prayers.

The K-3 kids love Mr. Hong, the ASA instructor for Sports (K-3).  Here they are collecting a stamp on their hand or arm for performing well!

This quarter we have 16 students in the String Performance

  Ensemble ASA!  These are some of the 2nd through 4th

grade students on Friday!  They were having a great time!

Some more of these young string players practicing during the ASA on Friday!

Here is Ms. Han, the Strings instructor for the ASA  

working with two of the Cellists!               

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Friday evening, after an exhausting week, I received a phone call from a former SYME student and a my great friend, Yeongmin Baek.  He was hoping I could join him for dinner and then a movie.  I met Yeongmin at City Hall Subway Station and he introduced me to a new Noodle House in the Myeongdong area of Seoul.  We had a delicious bowl of noodles and then we went to Jamba Juice.  I did not know Jamba Juice had Bingsu (one of my favorite cold refreshing desserts in Korea) and Yeongmin introduced me to their Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) and Mango Bingsu!  Oh man, was it delicious and refreshing!!  The ice flakes were so creamy and the fresh fruit (two of my favorite) made it even better.  Continue to pray for my dear friend that he will come to know Jesus.

Here I am with Yeongmin preparing to enjoy and be refreshed with our very tasty Bingsu!!

Here is the most delicious Dragon Fruit and Mango Bingsu!!!!  I will have more of this later!!

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Saturday was a relaxing and refreshing day topped off by a visit to Itaewon from Tony and Sue Kuhn as well as mutual friends John and Pam Richards.  Both of these couples are teaching at the NICS school in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.  It was also special because Yeongmin was able to join us for Brunch in Itaewon.  After a long discussion, it was decided to eat at Tartine's.  None of the group received any resistance from me on their decision! :-)  We enjoyed a wonderful time of fun, laughter, and fellowship!  Tony and Yeongmin had not seen each other for about 3 years so it was an especially good time for them.

Here we are getting ready to feast on our yummy brunches at Tartine's.  Clockwise beginning on the left: Yeongmin, GGG, John Richards, Pam Richards, Sue Kuhn, and Tony Kuhn.  Several enjoyed the German Pancake, Tony and Yeongmin enjoyed a "Make Your Own" omelet with  hash browns and a pancake (Tony added a side of yummy Chili), and I had my usual Tartine's favorite - French Toast, scrambled eggs, and sage sausage!  What a wonderful time together!

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Since this is a time of thanksgiving in Korea (Chuseok), I want to pause to thank the Lord for giving me such a wonderful family and such great friends who support me, pray for me, encourage me, and love me.  Thank you so much!!  Please enjoy a great month of September!

Love, Gregg