Two Hectic Weeks: Successful, Beautiful, Stranded, Sick, Stressful, and then Joyful!

This past week, one of our Kindergarten teachers at YISS, Ms. Han, posted on her facebook page that she had "the wonkiest days ever." :-)  I teased her about that and asked what she meant by "wonkiest." She said, "You remember the video you shared with elementary teachers a long time back of a little boy who was trying to get all of the animals together in one place?  Well, that's the kind of day it was in KB!" :-)  Well, I guess you could say that I have had two of the wonkiest weeks during the last two weeks! :-)

It has been very interesting (always a safe word) to say the least!  April 11 and 12 we began the Quarter Four After School Activities program and all was successful.  Yes, a few glitches here and there, but overall, it was a great beginning to a very busy quarter of activities.  On the evening of the 12th, I headed down to the International Christian School of Pyeongtaek (ICS-P) to stay overnight with my friends, Tony and Sue Kuhn, and get up bright and early on April 13 to head to ICS-P to meet the Accreditation Team who had come to ICS-P to see if they were going to recommend continued accreditation for ICS-P.  It was a great two days of visiting with the team, the current Director and his administrative team, teachers, and students. On April 14, the Accreditation Team met with the entire faculty and staff at ICS-P to commend them for the excellent job they had done on the Self-Study.  They then gave some major commendations and a few major recommendations that the school could continue working on during the next six years.  ICS-P and its staff had done a very successful job of preparing for the visit and making great improvements since the last accreditation visit.  Later the staff went out with the visiting Team to a delightful Korean restaurant to enjoy a delightful Korean feast of celebration.

During the Accreditation Team's visit, ICS-P had invited a Korean-

American author-illustrator, Ms. Choi, to come for an author visit.

She did a good job!  ICS-P also had a Book Fair in their brand new

                    gymnasium during the Team's visit!

ICS-P's Celebration Feast with the Accreditation Team and many of the faculty and staff from ICS-P!

This was part of the most delicious food we enjoyed at this Korean

restaurant in Songtan!  Sooooo good!                     

Here I am at the Celebration with my friends, Tony and Sue Kuhn and Jon Richards.  I enjoyed a great time of fellowship, yummy food, and laughter with these delightful friends!

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Right before I left YISS on Tuesday to head to Pyeongtaek, I had one other success!!  I had been hearing all sorts of stories about others' experiences at obtaining a Korean Driver's License.  Coming from a long line of worriers, I was becoming stressed and discouraged.  I did not want to have to take a written exam or an actual driver's test.  I began praying and asking others to pray that I would stop the stressing.  I was told that I should talk to Lee Parsons, the YISS High School Assistant Principal because he has been able to assist many in getting their Korean Driver's License with ease and free from pain and worry!  Within one week of talking with Lee, I was able to get an Apostille for my Pennsylvania Driver's License.  I went with Lee (on his motor scooter) through the busy streets of Seoul to the Global Center.  Two American men in suits on a motor scooter driving through the streets of Seoul AND on the sidewalks is not an every day happening in Seoul.  So there were MANY who stopped to stare at these two big white men in suits on the scooter! :-)

I had all my pictures, my Korean Alien Card, my Passport, and my cash all prepared. We arrived and went to the first office with all of my paperwork.  I signed a few papers.  Then the lady told me to go for my physical exam in the next building.  I went in and the two nurses gave me an eye exam, which was a piece of cake.  Then they sent me to the doctor for my "physical."  I was expecting a physical exam like I have with my doctor back in Chambersburg.  Lee told me that he would be very surprised if it took longer than 5 minutes.  I went to the doctor and he asked me to have a seat.  Then he asked, "How long have you been driving?"  I said, "Since I was16 years old."  He held up his hands and wiggled them.  He asked me to do the same.  He said, "Good."  Then he took his stethoscope and put it against my heart and lungs for 15 seconds at the most.  He then wrote on the paper, "No Problems." And in the next blank, he wrote, "Pass."  I believe it took 4 minutes! :-)  We went back to the other office after paying 8,000 Won (about $6.00) for the physical, and the lady finished the paperwork, stamped everything, collected 7,000 Won from me, and presented me with my beautiful Korean Driver's License!!! Thank you, Lord, and your servant, Lee!

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I had to leave Pyeongtaek right after our celebration Korean dinner on April 14 to head back to my apartment to back for the YISS trip to Jeju Island on Friday and Saturday.  We needed to be at YISS at 5:30 AM on Friday morning for the bus to the Gimpo Airport.  This began the beautiful journey of 25 faculty and staff from YISS to Jeju Island.  It is a beautiful island off the southern coast of South Korea.  This trip was one of the study trips that the Korean Foreign School Foundation gives to teachers at YISS.  Usually, they take the first 25 who sign up.  We visited some very delightful places on Jeju, including the Spirited Garden, O'sullock Green Tea Museum, Mt. Songak, Hanwha Aqua Planet (an aquarium), and the Haenyeo Museum.  Friday evening we stayed at one of the Korean Airlines Hotels on Jeju.  We were to visit several other places and enjoy a boat tour to Gapa Island, but the rain and very strong winds began on Saturday and we had to cancel those and the tour guide made other arrangements.  In fact, we were informed that our flight back to Gimpo was canceled because of the very bad weather.  So we had another evening at another Korean Air hotel very close the airport.  Sunday was relaxing and we did some walking.  The sun came out and the winds had ceased.  We were told we were booked on a flight leaving at 6:45 PM and e needed to be ready to leave for the Jeju Airport at 4:00.  The traffic on the streets in Jeju City was like a massive rush hour. We got to the airport only to discover wall-to-wall people; some standing, some sitting on cardboard on the floor, some in airport chairs, some in restaurants, etc.  It was a delightful bit of chaos.  I got a couple pictures, but they really don't show you what we could see and feel at the airport.  All of the rescheduled flights were late.  At our gate, the public address system was terrible.  The airport employees walked among the crowd with these portable speakers or using their own voices informing people of their flights.  Many thought they were going to be stranded once again in Jeju.  All of us knew we needed to be back for school on Monday morning!  Our flight finally left at 10:35 PM and I arrived back at my apartment in Seoul at 2:01 AM.  Those on the trip were given permission to come in late to school on Monday morning.  

Here is the group from YISS in the very beautiful Spirited Garden, our first stop!  What a great time!

This is the YISS group at the Aqua Planet, the site of one of Asia's largest aquariums.  It was really quite nice.  I have added only a couple pictures.  You really have to experience this in person.

At the Aqua Planet, this very familiar Jeju Island      

man (usually in stone) was dressed in an orange color   

as he promoted Jeju Oranges and Jeju Orange chocolate!

This is one of the sculptures at the Haenyeo Museum in Gujhwa on Jeju Island.  Very fascinating to learn of these Haenyeo (women divers) who only exist in Jeju Island and Japan.  The term refers to very sturdy and hearty women who gather seaweed, abalone, or other shellfish from the sea.  They do not use diving equipment and no oxygen devices and can spend up to three minutes diving at a time for these sea creatures in order to make a living.

Above is our KAL Hotel where we stayed on Friday night!

You can see these monuments throughout Jeju.  You can read about the tradition of "Mool Ho Bok" in the next image.

Explanation of the "Mool Ho Bok" in Jeju.

This is a picture I took of our KAL Hotel in Jeju City near the airport.  It's where we stayed on Saturday evening.  I sort of like this photo.  Across the street from the KAL Hotel was a building where the main headquarters was on Jeju Island for Korean Airlines.  The image in the glass building shows a reflection of our hotel.

The mass of humanity at the Jeju Airport on Sunday evening!  This picture and the following ones can't even begin to show you the wall-to-wall people and the pushing and shoving by this sea of humanity on Sunday!  It was crazy!!

This picture was taken near our Boarding Gate on the bottom floor.  The one above this one was taken on the first floor at the various airlines' agent counters.

 Closer to our departure gate!  You can see the man in the middle

holding up a speaker while he walked through the masses making

                                    gate announcements.

This is a group from YISS playing a card game on the floor and a 

Korean family having fun together while waiting to hear when the

flights would be leaving.  Such fun!  NOT! :-)               

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I was starting to feel one of my bouts with my bronchitis, or sinusitis (as Dr. Kim calls it), and when I arrived at school I was not feeling so wonderful.  I came to school on Tuesday and had lost my voice and was feeling nasty.  I made it through the day and then headed to Dr. Kim's office.  He did some tests and confirmed that I had acute sinusitis and ordered some medicine for me.  I stayed home from school on Wednesday and returned on Thursday feeling much better.  Thanks for praying for me.  I hate being sick, especially when I can use my voice.  I am sure many others at school were delighted that I was quiet for a change. :-)

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When I returned to YISS on Thursday, the Spring Book Fair was in full swing.  These are always happy times for me.  I love reading and our kids at YISS love to read.  It is always fun to watch children select books at the Book Fair and often see parents helping students select books.  (Please remind me to quit buying books!) :-)  Below are a few pictures from this year's Book Fair.  Love observing elementary and middle school YISS kids selecting books!

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Part of my stress has been over renewing my Visa to work in Korea.  I was being told several different things that I would need to do and most of these involved being here in Korea or having to start the entire Visa Application processHelen at ICS-P, Young Nim and Sean at YISS for their patience and counsel.  Things are in process.  It is a complicated process that I won't confuse you with, but please continue to pray that everything will work out according to His plan.  I just need one more document, my contract for 2016-16, and then we can proceed.

One other good thing is that ICS-P will be sending movers to my apartment probably on June 4 to pack and move my belongings to ICS-P.  My dear friend, Ji Sang, will be coming some Saturday before then to help me move my belongings from my YISS office to my apartment so that the movers only have to pick up things at my apartment.

Saturday was a relaxing day for me.  I went out for breakfast at the Original Pancake House and enjoyed some time along with some yummy food.  I saw a number of YISS staff there and had a delightful time talking with the owners and the one manager who loves cats.  His name is Jin and we have connected because of his cats.  He always likes to show me pictures of his many cats.  He is starting to ask more questions about what I do and believe.  I would appreciate your prayers as I keep building my relationship with Jin.

After breakfast, I went to do some shopping in Itaewon.  As I was walking, I noticed for the very first time a sign above a small store.  I have no idea why I had not seen it before.  Here is a picture of the sign on the store.  It appeared that they were doing some remodeling or something; not sure exactly what.  So I am not sure what kind of store it is, but I love the name.  It reminds me of my father and all that he taught me.  I had a special time of reflecting on my Daddy's input into my life this morning.  Oh, you see, the first grandchild of my parents started the name that we all have used for my Daddy every since that first grandchild.  He was called "Popeye" by the grandkids!

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I believe next week I will be giving information on my visit to the States this summer.  It is going to be a very busy one and a shortened one.  I still hope that I can see many of you.  Some have asked about my salary and support as I move to ICS-P.  I will be taking a cut in salary because the school is much smaller than YISS  God has always provided and I am sure He will continue to provide.  I will be sharing in the future how you can support me financially, should you desire to.  Thank you so much for your prayers, your love, your care, your emails, your regular mail, and support.  Please enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg

Refreshing, yet Very Busy Week; Feeling Appreciated!!

Spring is always a special time for me - both in the USA and also here in Seoul!  I just really enjoy the change of seasons, and especially enjoy the Cherry Blossoms and beautiful flowers and warmer weather!  I am blessed at YISS in many ways and this week gave me many opportunities to realize this once again.  One of the blessings is to have the school surrounded by God's beauty right in the heart of a busy large city!  I love walking during this time of year and the walk up the walk and driveway leading to the main entrance of YISS is so beautiful during this time of year.  Here is one of the pictures I took on one of my walks leaving YISS one day this past week.

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As you know, I am working diligently to finish well my responsibilities at YISS, while keeping informed and assisting as needed with new responsibilities at International Christian School - Pyeongtaek.  God has been doing some wonderful things to help ease this old man's stress level during this time of transition.  I am such a slow learner when it comes to placing my complete trust in the Lord to provide for me just at the right time - HIS time; not mine.  Maybe you do not struggle with this, but I do.  I have been learning more and more about giving my stresses to the Lord and letting Him take care of them.  That doesn't mean I am supposed to do nothing, but it does mean that if I come to the Lord with my concerns, struggles, and stresses right away, it is amazing how He brings everything together.  I would like to share two stories that took place over the last several weeks.

First, I am not someone who loves to pack and move. :-)  So when I realized that I was supposed to head to ICS-P to become the new Director, I started worrying about packing and moving. Where will I live?  How will I get things down to Pyeongtaek?  How will I afford furniture? (I really own one chair, a couple small tables, a few pots and pans,  an electric piano, an exercise bike, and a couple small fans. All of the bookshelves, desk, nice bed, clothes closets, dining room table and chairs, and kitchen dishes, etc. are owned by YISS.)  Will the new apartment have closets for all of suits and shirts?  And I am supposed to have a car!  How will I get a car and how will I secure a Korean Driver's License?  Question after question kept coming.  And Gregg kept stressing!  I even stressed out some of my dear friends with all of my worries.  Once again, God smiled as I ran around stressing! :-)  He was waiting for me to give everything to Him.  He knew ahead of time that I would be receiving a salary that was much less than what I received at YISS.  I sat down one day and just looked in the mirror and laughed at myself! :-)  Then I began praying for the Lord to just take care of things while I did all that I could, but then leave all the worrying up to Him.

The current Director at ICS-P contacted me again to tell me the process of how ICS-P would come to Seoul and pack all of my things and move them to Pyeongtaek.  I was shown several apartments when I went to visit ICS-P on March 11.  It just seemed that the right thing was to move into the current Director's apartment.  Then Mr. Newman shared with me that he and his wife did not want to take the furniture they had back to the States.  He said that the car he owned would be available for me to purchase.  He began listing all of the items he wanted to sell: all of the furniture (living room and dining room, two queen size beds with homemade quilts and all of the linen, an American-made washer and dryer, a desk and desk chair, a new microwave, all of the kitchen utensils I would ever need, two really nice fans, a TV as well as Apple TV, some miscellaneous items, plus his car.  I was excited and then I thought, "I can't afford all of that."  He said all that he wanted was $2,200!  I couldn't believe it!  Three years ago I started a savings plan where I would put cash in an envelope each Saturday for the 52 weeks of the year.  The first week of the year I put in 2,000 Won, the second Saturday of the year - 4,000 Won, the third - 6,000 Won, and so on until the 52nd Saturday, when I put in 104,000 Won.  At the end of this last year, after December 31, I kept the cash not realizing why.  Now I do.  The total on December 31, 2015 was 2,386,000 Won which is almost $2,100!!  Even before I asked, God had provided!

Then I was hearing many different stories of getting a Korean driver's license.  I was getting more and more confused and once again, prayed that God would make it clear to me.  This past week, I was prompted to go see our YISS High School Assistant Principal, Lee Parsons.  he and his wife have been serving in Korea at two different international schools for a number of years.  Someone told me he had helped them get a Korean driver's license.  He was thrilled to give me the information I needed.  I knew that the best way was to get the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to grant an Apostille for my PA driver's license, but wouldn't be home to do that until the end of June.  Lee got me in touch with an organization that can do this very quickly.  I followed the simple steps this past week and within 3 days I received an Apostille.

OK, I am sorry that took so long.  I just wanted to share how God is taking care of all my stresses one at a time and in His timing and through wonderful people who are open to His leading!  Thank you for all of your prayers for this man who continues to need to be reminded of God's faithfulness! :-)

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Very quickly, let me share my week with you:

Sunday - I was treated to a special birthday dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Lobster Bar, by two very special and fantastic teachers of YISS, Shauna Weir and Lynn Greaves!  These two Godly women have been at YISS a little longer than I have been.  Both will be leaving this year to serve God in new places!  Please pray for these dear ladies as they go to serve.  They will be greatly missed at YISS.  We had a great time of joy and laughter and memories at Lobster Bar on Sunday evening!

Ms. Lynn Greaves and Ms. Shauna Weir celebrating my birthday at Lobster Bar!  I always have such a great time with these two Godly women!

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Monday - This was the day for Parent-Teacher conferences at YISS.  In the elementary school, we had Student-Led conferences!  I absolutely love these days when students share with their parents what they have been learning, how they have reached many of their goals, and actually involve their parents in some of the learning activities.  It is so exciting to go from room to room and observe children leading their parents in many activities.  Prior to the student-led conferences, teachers have been teaching students on oral presentation skills.  Parents are always so impressed with their children and it is so much fun to see their responses throughout the conference.  Enjoy some of the pictures from this year's conferences! I took about 30 pictures throughout the day, but I have narrowed them down to 12. :-)

Tuesday & Wednesday - These two days were busy with Chapels and an OASIS Assembly in the elementary school as well as planning meetings for our annual VBS (Values Based School) at the close of the year.  These days were also days that I could put final touches on the After School Activities  program for Quarter Four.  GIRO Payment Slips were sent home and parents began making payments for the many classes in Quarter Four.  One of the Swimming classes began on Tuesday; another on Thursday; and then the official beginning of Quarter Four activities began on Friday.  Things went very smoothly for Quarter Four which offered the most activities we have ever offered in a quarter.  Thanks for all of your prayers.

Thursday - Grade 4 has a couple days each year when they have a Market Day.  One of the units in their Social Studies curriculum studies economics, business, and marketing.  Each student, or a group of students, prepares a product or service to sell.  They spend a lot of time studying various marketing techniques.  Thursday was the culmination of this study.  The Main Multipurpose Room was packed with student vendors and many parents and even high school students + many teachers coming to purchase.  One other thing that the students study during this unit is a culture.  They had just finished studying about India and the number of people in poverty.  Teachers then present a number of ways that business can help those in poverty.  The students agreed to give all of the money raised on Market Day to these two organizations: "Free the Children" and "Gospel for Asia." I love these days. It is almost like a night market in Chiang Mai, Thailand that I was able to experience a few years ago. 

The Fabulous Four Fourth Grade Teachers who worked with students to prepare Market Day!  From left to right: Ms. Lauren Dean, Ms. Itiel Sarmiento, Ms. Lynn Greaves, and Mrs. Kimberly Lynch!  They and their students did a fantastic job!

Some of the business people and some of the buyers.

Another group of vendors with those interested in buying!

Some more vendors!                                   

More of the vendors and buyers including parents!

One of the mothers came for her daughter to create some henna on

                          interested buyers' hands or arms.

I had to get a picture of my buddy, Sigge.  I was planning to buy one of his yummy cookies, but he wanted to give it to me.  He said that he made them himself.  (His mother was right beside me and she said, "Yes, he did.  All by himself."

Two more buddies, Max and William!  They had me shooting   

nerf darts on the target.  I think they were impressed with my aim!

This is Isaac, who also had a dart game that he wanted me to try.  He always has his smile!

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Friday - One of the very special days of the year at YISS is Teacher Appreciation Day!  This is an event sponsored by the YISS PTO.  There are over 130 faculty and staff at YISS and this group of amazing volunteers provides a huge yummy feast for all of the faculty and staff to show their appreciation for the YISS teachers and staff.  From 11:00 AM until 1:30 PM the B1 Cafeteria is filled with PTO volunteers serving an amazing variety of main dishes as well as desserts to the teachers and staff.  Each staff member is also given two huge containers of gifts including snack foods, gift certificates, coffee mugs, etc.  It is truly a grand event!  I am so grateful to be blessed by this awesome group of PTO volunteers!

Here are some of the wonderful volunteers who made Friday's Teacher Appreciation Day such a great success!  They are wonderful!

     These are only some of the desserts that were 

                available for all of us to enjoy!

Part of the table with all sorts

meats, etc.  Most of them prepared by volunteers!

My first dessert plate! :-)

   These are cupcakes!  I had never seen such

     beautiful flowers like these on cupcakes!  

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Also on Friday, the 4th and 5th grade boys' basketball team wore shirts and ties as they prepared for their tournament on Saturday with other international schools in Seoul.  Mr. Resende, one of our Physical Education teachers does a great job with the boys and it is exciting to see them learn how to play the game, but more importantly how to win and lose with the right attitude!

Here is Mr. Resende and his 4th and 5th Grade Boys' Basketball team!

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Friday evening was a special evening for me.  Henry Kwon, Korean young man, who went to SYME before I came but we got to know each other through Word of Life in NY, had just returned from his studies in the States and wanted to get together with me.  We enjoyed a delightful time of fun and fellowship at "My Thai" restaurant in Itaewon.  Henry is excited to see what God has for him in the area of film production in the sports industry.  Please pray for Henry as he searches for that position that God wants to place him.  

Henry and I at "My Thai" preparing to enjoy some yummy food and continue our delightful conversation!

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Saturday - I enjoyed another planned late birthday dinner celebration with my wonderful "son" and friend, JiSang!  I always enjoy our times together.  Thank you for continuing to pray for this young man as he continues to seek to serve God each day.  JiSang wanted to go to his now favorite restaurant in Itaewon - the Original Pancake House! :-)  I knew what he would order before he even arrived.  He wanted the Thick Cut Bacon (3 strips), Sunny Side Up Eggs, and pancakes!  He ate every bite, although he reluctantly offered me some bacon, but I refrained because I wanted him to eat the entire meal so that he could gain some weight! :-)  We enjoyed a wonderful time of fun, food, and fellowship!

Here we are preparing to enjoy our delicious meals at the Original Pancake House!

       Above was my choice!  I loved every bite!

Here is JiSang showing off his favorite meal at the

Original Pancake House! He ate every bite!!    

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Last Sunday, three beautiful ladies from Tanzania came to New Harvest Ministry for the first time. They were ushered into my row and one of the ladies joined me in the small prayer group before the message.  (At NHM we have everyone get into groups of 3 or 4 prior to the message to learn about those fellowshipping at NHM.  Then we spend a few minutes in prayer right before Pastor Doug preaches.)  All three of the ladies are nurses from Tanzania and are visiting Seoul for a Nurses' Study Conference for two months.  I had such a delightful time with the one in my prayer group.  All three are believers and they all came back again this Sunday.  I hope you will pray for these three delightful nurses as they study and then return to Tanzania to serve the Lord in hospitals there.  

Here I am with the beautiful lady who is the Head Nurse for all three who are visiting.  This was this Sunday morning following the service.  I look forward to getting to know all three of these wonderful ladies while they are here in Seoul.

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Thank you for your continued encouragement, love, care, emails, regular mail, prayers, and support. This coming week I will travel down to ICS-Pyeongtaek to be there for two days of their Accreditation Visit.  Thanks for praying that their report will be a positive one and that ICS-P will be recommended for another term of accreditation.  Enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg

What an Exhausting, yet Exciting, First Week of Quarter Four!!

Quarter Four entered with a flourish!  Following a refreshing week of Spring Break, we all hit the ground running last Monday morning!  It was the final day to prepare for the Accreditation Team Visit, Quarter Four Online Registrations on Tuesday, final checks of Quarter Three Report Cards, and the Closing Assembly for our annual Read-A-Thon!  It just seemed like the events just kept on coming and keeping everyone quite busy!  I think I need another Spring Break! :-)

First, I am delighted to report that the Accreditation Team, made up of six individuals from both accreditation bodies who jointly give YISS accreditation, gave YISS a very positive report and are recommending to the Accreditation Boards of WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) that YISS should be given full accreditation for another six years!  That gave us a number of commendations as well as several recommendations to work on.  We all were delighted to hear the report after the MANY hours of work over the last several years to prepare for this visit.  Thank you for your encouragement and prayers.

Second, many of you have been praying for me as I prepared for a very busy final quarter of After School Activities.  Many of you were praying specifically on Tuesday morning at 8:00 when online registration opened.  From 8:00 to Noon I was either responding to emails or phone calls to assist parents with the registration process. Overall, it went very well with the usual problems that are caused by a flood of parents all registering for activities at the same time.  After the registration closed on Wednesday afternoon, I prepared a document to send to our Business Office with 423 students' names who had registered for 44 activities!  The Business Office prepared GIRO Payment Slips for each student's activity and then on Friday evening and Saturday morning, after adding 95 additional GIRO Payment Slips for those students who had registered for 4 After School Swimming Activities, collating all of these slips with each of the 22 classrooms in the Elementary School. Monday, I will be working on the major project of putting together the Bus Lists for our After School Monitors to make sure students get safely to their activities or to the school bus to go home or to the pickup areas for those who will be picked up.  Such fun!  :-)  Here is a picture of my desk on Saturday morning at YISS working on collating all of the 518 GIRO Payment Slips for distribution on Tuesday to students.

My desk on Saturday getting things organized for collating GIRO Payment Slips and Grade Lists with students' names and their activities for Quarter Four!

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On Tuesday, I also had to be in a meeting with the elementary administrators with the Accreditation Team.  At least it was scheduled for after the ASA registration flurry of activity.  That meeting went well and I still had some time to begin working on checking Report Card Grades and Comments for Grades 2 and 3.  That checking would continue throughout the week and finally finish on Friday after all of the tech problems were worked out.  Parents received their child's electronic Report Card Friday afternoon.

Oh yes, on Tuesday morning between 9:05 and 9:50 was the Closing Assembly for our annual Read-A-Thon.  Kids have been so excited about this and it would not have been good for me to miss it.  Prizes were to be awarded and students would learn if they reached their goal of reading minutes for the Read-A-Thon.  Students went crazy when the total number of minutes was flashed up on the large screen in the auditorium!  They knew that three students were going to be selected to smear a pie in the face of the Elementary Principal and both Assistant Principals!  They had been taunting me all day on Monday that they were sure I would get my face smeared. :-)  Here are some pictures from that special event!

Kinder through Grade 5 students and teachers singing heartily at the Read-A-Thon Closing Assembly on Tuesday!  I love to hear our YISS kids sing!  Can you find me?

One of the PTO Read-A-Thon Chairs announcing the winners of various prizes and making the long awaited announcement that the kids had gone over the goal that was set for reading minutes!  Let the pie smearing begin! :-)

    Mrs. Willetts is first to enjoy a smear from this 

 little Kinder cherub!  She was almost too afraid to

                                  do it! :-)

Then this young man had the joy of smearing Mrs. Roll's face!

Although I made every attempt to talk this fourth   

grade lad, J. T., out of smearing my face, he refused!

The kids started chanting, "In his face!  In his face!"

Not only did he smear me, he took both hands and smushed it around!  Such a bad boy! :-)  And the kids were delighted!! :-)

                           Final result!

When I opened my eyes, I could only get one to open at first!  The kids loved that! :-)

And then I decided to clean my face without my towels!  Whipped 

Cream cannot be wasted!! :-)                       

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Wednesday was "Hat Day" in the Elementary School and students and teachers got to wear a favorite hat and dress down.  I think teachers look forward to the dress down days more than the kids sometimes.  They get to wear blue jeans and be more casual in their dress. :-)  I am sorry.  I did not get pictures of students and teachers with their amazing hats because of all of the responsibilities with ASA Registration, Accreditation, and Report Cards.  We did pause in the Elementary Office for a picture of the Elementary Office staff with their glittery hats! :-)

Above is a picture is a "Hat Day" picture of the delightful ladies I get to work with every day at YISS.  Left to right: Mrs. Sara Willetts, Elementary Principal; GGG; Mrs. Jane Yoo, our amazing Administrative Assistant; Mrs. Krista Roll, one of the Assistant Elementary Principals; and Mrs. Lauren Hooper; Elementary Counselor.

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I hope you will continue to be in prayer for the events of this quarter.  Here are a few things you can be remembering in prayer as you think of them:

1 - Monday, April 4:  This is the day for our annual Student-led Conferences in the Elementary School.  Teachers and students have been working on presentation skills and on Monday, students will lead the conference with their parents!  I always love these times as students inform their parents about what they have been learning.  I wish you could be present to witness some of these.  They are so good!  Please pray as students and parents visit classrooms and enjoy discussions about their child's learning!

2 - After School Activities:  Swimming activities begin on Tuesday and Thursday this week and Friday will be the official beginning of our regular Elementary School After School Activities.  I am really excited about several brand new events this quarter and a few begin this Friday: Current Events Round Table (Grades 4 & 5), Badminton (Grades 3-4), and Elementary Tennis Club (4-5) are the three new ones on Friday along with some returning ones - Sports (Kinder-1), Taekwondo (K-5), Beginning Band (Grade 5),  Friday Free Swim (K-5), and Math Games for Boys in Grade 2.

3 - Korean Language Class:  Saturday, April 9, I will be part of a class for YISS teachers to learn a little of the Korean language.  I have never been gifted in languages, and I need to hear and write the language.  I think it would be so great to be able to get off an airplane and begin to speak and understand the language of the country you are visiting. :-)  It just doesn't happen that way.  I'd appreciate your prayers that I might be able to pick up a little more of the language in these seven sessions offered to YISS teachers.

4 - Continued Preparation for ICS-Pyyeongtaek:  I would like to be able to finish well at YISS but begin really working on various things for ICS-P.  I will be going down to ICS-P on April 13 and 14 for their Accreditation Team Visit.  I hope to work through some more details about moving my stuff down there as well as getting a Korean driver's license.  A great colleague at YISS has been assisting in that area and I think it will be easier than I thought.  I will also be working through departure things at YISS at a meeting on Monday, April 4 and then another on April 12.  Thanks for your continued prayers.

OK, I will stop.  Thank you so much for your faithful love, care, encouragement, emails, regular mail, prayers, and support.  They are greatly appreciated.  It's beginning to get warmer here in Seoul. The Cherry Blossoms are becoming very beautiful in South Korea!  The Korean strawberries continue to be so yummy! :-)  I hope you enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg