Trip To Seoul!

So yesterday, Erin, Steph and I went into Seoul. It started out with a horrible bus ride complete with being filled to well over maximum capacity, and then the heater on so high everyone was sweating. It was horrible. But, everything got better when we reached our first stop, Dos Tacos.

My very tasty burrito. YUMMM. Yes, I'm sure you're wondering where the veggies are... but this was so perfect to me!

Me and Steph outside the Kyobo building.

Erin and I. I just really liked this art piece behind us!

Next stop, 신세계 Shinsegae. This is basically just a huge department store... 10 floors of every designer for women, men, and kids you could think of. It was really beautiful. I randomly got a $40 gift card to here, so it was the whole reason for the visit to Seoul. Since everything in there costs a fortune, I ended up spending it on a super cute Coach purse scarf for my black Coach bag. It's pink polka dots and it makes my purse so much more fun. Love it! Plus, it was like half free from the annonymous gift card sender...even better.

Next stop, 명동 Myeongdong. We went to Forever 21 and I bought my birthday outfit. So fun.

Then of course, we had to hit up Krispy Kreme. YUMMM!

Erin also decided to try some street food...

This is so cute/strange. It's called egg bread and it's like half bread/half egg. Eggs are not my favorite, so I didn't try it :)

And finally, the train home. I had to get back by 7 to meet up with Cameron, so our night was cut a little bit short. Such a fun day though!

Me and Steph on the train... SO much better than the disgustingly hot and horribly crowded bus. Thank goodness.

I hope you have a great week! Just gotta get through this week, and then two short weeks in a row!!! Thank you home visitations and field trips! Woohoo! Now I'm going to buy my sister some cool stuff to go in her package!

Song for today:
One Of It By Milow (Listen HERE)

you came over
like a midnight appetite
nobody believes me now

i ran across and
saw thousand people on my way,
on my way, on my way out

one of it, two of it
one of it, we'll make the most of it
you'll love it
one of it, two of it
one of it, we'll make the most of it
you'll love it

you left me out there
in the early morning rain
why would you believe me now
I'm only trying
to protect my point of view
I want you to let me in

Blizzard

So we randomly had a blizzard on Monday. Not really a blizzard, but more snow falling at once than I've ever seen... that's not saying much I guess, since I'm a Texas gal. Enjoy the pics!

You can barely see the snow behind them, but this is some of my kiddos

We decided it was more beneficial to let them play in the snow then to have English class... I thought so too :)

We were both super excited!

They were trying to catch snow in the umbrella bags! haha Oh, kids.

The snow flakes were huge. Like bigger than a quarter... amazingly beautiful!

I had a pile in my hair afterwords

It was so pretty! The view from my classroom.. I love our big windows!

After school... on our way to dinner... little did I know that this small trip would bring back my sickness.. BLEH

We thoroughly enjoyed all the snow~

Oh, and the big announcement! LAUREN SIMON, aka bff, IS COMING TO KOREA MAY 2-10!!! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. That's only 39 days away! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! I need this visit so badly right now. This week is going by super fast, so I'm so grateful! I'm sure April is just going to fly by too! My birthday is 2 weeks from today... be thinking about what you're going to send me ;) haha.

I have nothing else cool to say. Enjoy the rest of your week! Love you all!

Song For Today:
Your Love is Extravagant~ Casting Crowns
I heard this song on my way home from work. Every time I hear it, it just clams down my heart and is so refreshing. The lyrics and melody are so simple. I'm so grateful for His extravagant love.... (Listen HERE)

Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate
I feel I'm moving to the rhythm of Your grace
Your fragrance is intoxicating in the secret place
Cause Your love is extravagant

Chorus:
Spread wide in the arms of Christ there's a love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend
Capture my heart again

Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate
I feel I'm moving to the rhythm of Your grace
Your fragrance is intoxicating in the secret place
Your love is extravagant

Spread wide in the arms of Christ there's a love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend
Spread wide in the arms of Christ there's a love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend
Capture my heart again

Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate

No news

So I really wanted to update because my last entry was so depressing, but I have nothing cool to talk about. There is something really exciting happening, but it isn't final yet, so I can't talk about it today. When it's for real, I will definitely write about it.

Basically I spent the whole weekend locked up in my apt. I went home sick Friday at about 2pm from school because I felt like I was dying. My throat hurt worse than it has in my whole life probably, and I felt very feverish. I was definitely a lousy teacher on Friday. I hid in the Lego corner during play time so that I could just rest and look like I was playing! haha. I asked to go home at lunch time, but my principal insisted that I teach my phonics lesson before I went home (even though at this point I could barely speak, mind you). Such is life in Korea... there's no such thing as calling in sick or taking a day off. Anyways, at 2pm I bolted as fast as I could out of there and went straight to the ear, nose, and throat doctor. After a very uncomfortable check up of prodding in and out of my nose and throat, he said I had tonsillitis, and another "itis" I couldn't understand through the broken English. I got pills for about 5 days, and a gargle.

After doing nothing but rest, watch movies, and read for the whole weekend I am happy to say I am feeling much better. Definitely not 100% (I still can't talk very well), but I think I'll be fine to go to school on monday... not that I have a choice.

I hope everyone had as cool a weekend as me... be jealous.

Maybe I'll have something cool to talk about next time. Sorry for tricking you into wasting your time by reading this.

Here's a song for today:
"Running" By: Kari Jobe and Klaus (Listen to it HERE)

I hear the voice

It’s the voice of the One I love

He’s callin my name

I hear the voice

The voice of the One I love,

Hes callin my name

Hes sayin…

"Come up higher

I hear the angels sing

Come up higher, my beloved

Come up higher and leave this world behind

I find you to be beautiful"

I am running, running after You

Youve become my soul’s delight

I am running, running after You

Here with You I find my life.

There Must Be More Than This... Oh Breath of God Come Breathe Within

I'm not even sure what I want to write about right now. All I know, is I'm going through a lot. I've been having an extremely rough time here in Korea this year, and every day I think that I made the wrong choice to stay one more year.

I've become a bit of a shut-in these past 3 weeks or so. After working 11 hours pretty much every day (8-7 with no breaks is the new norm), life has become mundane, exhausting, and full of anxiety. Basically, my work has spewed into every part of my life, and there is pretty much no separation between inside/outside my workplace. I don't have time for anything, and when I do have time, I'm too exhausted to do the things I love. I've spent my life promising myself that I would never be that person who let their job be who they are. I'm becoming my own worst nightmare. I spend everyday counting down the days to Saturday... my one day of freedom. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?? Not that I can see right now.

I don't write this so that anyone will worry, or feel for me. But, if you think about it, please pray for all of us here in CCA kindergarten. I'm not the only one having a really hard time for sure. Pray for peace, for unity, for wisdom, for hearts that love our kiddos, and for REST.

I also do want to note, that I'm learning ALOT. My heart and my character is being molded deeper and deeper in my relationship with the Lord. I'm pretty sure God has brought me to this place to break me, and to restore me for the better. I am definitely learning that God designs our limitations just as carefully as our strengths, because who we ARE NOT makes us who we ARE. I also believe that accepting my circumstances is a part of accepting who I am. I know with everything that I am that I am supposed to be here, and God carefully and purposefully ordained this time of trial and hardship.

Here's my song for the day:
CONSUMING FIRE: TIM HUGHES (Listen HERE)
Verse 1:
There must be more than this
oh breath of God come breath within
There must be more than this
Spirit of God we wait for you
Fill us anew we pray
Fill us anew we pray

Chorus:
Consuming Fire
Fan into flame
a passion for your name
Spirit of God
fall in this place
Lord have ur way
Lord have ur way
with us

Verse 2:
Come like a rushing wind
Fill us with power from on high
Now set the captives free
leave us abandoned to your praise
Lord let your glory fall
Lord let your glory fall

Happy White Day!

So today, I thought I'd give you all a lesson in Korean holidays that I find quite obscure. Today is White Day, after all.

The first holiday you all know, but it's celebrated a little bit differently in Korea. The day is celebrated February 14th, and is known as 잘렌타인 데이 (Valentine's Day). Valentine's Day in Korea is celebrated by the girls giving their significant others gifts, and girls do not traditionally receive anything on this day.

The next holiday is celebrated exactly one month later on March 14th. This holiday is known as 화이트데이 (White Day). This day is celebrated by guys now giving the girls gifts. Some people go seriously crazy during this holiday treating these Korean girls like princesses (not that they ask for anything less!).

The final holiday in this series is celebrated exactly one month later on April 14th. This holiday is called 블랙데이 (BLACK Day). Black day is a "celebration" for singles, if you can really call it that. Basically, it's for all those who didn't participate in VDay or White day because you are without a significant other. Black day is celebrated by going out with your single friends and eating 짜장면 JaJangMyun (black noodles).

So that's it for today's culture lesson on Korean holidays for couples and singles. Enjoy white day today, and for all you singles out there, get ready for April 14th!

애슐리 선생님 (Ashley Teacher's) Classroom!

So I finally got a chance to take pictures of my classroom! Since I'm sure you've all been anxiously awaiting these pictures, enjoy! Oh, and just as a preface, there's not a lot on the walls because the church uses our classrooms for Sunday School, so we're not allowed to put very much up on our walls, and most of what we do put up, we have to take down every Friday. Also, all the furniture, carpets, and shelves have to moved every Friday and taped off into one corner in the room so the church doesn't use our supplies. It's extremely obnoxious taking apart and resetting up your classroom every week... :/

The Carpet for circle time, and for playing games during play time.

Our big bulletin board...

My David Goes To School bulletin board. It's supposed to look like one of the pages in the book where David is staring out the window daydreaming in the clouds. He's looking out the window, so what you're seeing is the back of his head (that's why there's no face). Our first day activity was decorating their clouds. They can't write their names in English yet, so they just colored them :)

I'm really proud of this bulletin board! It made me feel super teachery, if you will. You can't see it, but the clothes pins have little lady bugs on them! So cute!

English center is behind the piano :)

Cubies for backpacks and folders, and where they hang up their jackets. Also, Jisun teacher's desk.

Sinks and water fountains.

Me and my partner teacher, 안지선 선생님 (Jisun Teacher... or her English name is Sunny). For those of you who don't know, I teach in a full Bilingual classroom. Every aspect of the program is completely bilingual, meaning the day is half in English, and half in Korean. I really love my job this year so far, and I really enjoy working with my partner teacher. We're going to have such a good time this year!

Jisun and I again... she's so cute!

One more time. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I really have the cutest kids of life this year. I can't wait to get to know them, and enjoy being with them all day! Yay! High hopes for this school year!!!!!

Rough week...

So I've had an unbelievably rough week. Probably one of the hardest weeks I've had in a long time. From working 11 hour days all week, to a crazy first day of school, to losing a dear family friend, I just am so ready for this week to be over.

It's times like these when I just want to be home with my parents. Laying on the couch with my head in my mom's lap, while my dad eats ice cream out of a coffee cup (X2 haha) in his chair next to the fire, while we watch the Biggest Loser or American Idol or something silly like that. I feel like a child saying that, but I don't think you're ever too old to go home.

Here's to hoping for a restful weekend, and a week full of new things.

Useless...

I have to be up in 6 hours.

Tonight I find myself restless, and unable to sleep. I feel as though my mind could explode any minute because of the thoughts racing around and around in my head. I kept praying and begging for the Lord to let my mind rest so I could get the sleep I need for tomorrow. But God had other plans for tonight then sleep, and has been stirring my heart for a reason.

As I was lying in bed, attempting sleep, I began to reflect on what my life is like here. My day-to-day centers around myself. I am helpless to the questions that haunt me: How can I make myself stand out at work? What can I do to make people like me more? What’s wrong with only doing the things I want to do? How can I be the best teacher? Why should I ever get uncomfortable?

I’ve realized that I don’t like being uncomfortable. Much like the 5 year olds that I teach, I thrive on routines, schedules, and things going the way I plan them. When they don’t, I am thrown off enough to at times throw a fit to my Father, just as they throw a fit to their teacher. I have also realized that I’m much more introverted than I thought, meaning that I need time to myself at the end of the day to re energize, rather than the extrovert who relies on the constant presence of people to re energize. It’s amazing how much you learn about yourself by isolating yourself in a faraway land.

But when has being a believer ever looked like this? God never promised routines, and definitely never promised that things would always go my way. I believe that the major disadvantage to being a lowly human is the inability to see the big picture. I can’t see what the Lord is going to bring out of my messy life, and I certainly can’t understand why He would even think about using someone as broken as me.

That being said, God has been showing me that the gaping hole in my life right now is service. I’m way to caught up in me right now. It’s funny because no one likes to think of themselves as a selfish person, but as a broken people, we can’t help ourselves. The Lord is ripping at my heart, begging me to serve Him by serving His people. Who knew He sent me here to serve Him? It’s amazing how tainted our vision can become when we let ourselves get in the way…

Our Tuesday night Bible study has been brain storming a lot about how we can better become God’s hands and feet. We started last week by prayer walking around Suwon Station instead of our normal routine. Tomorrow, I’m going to propose a new ministry. That’s the reason God kept me awake tonight…

I’ll get you all the details as soon as I can. Hopefully my heart and mind can rest now so I will at least be somewhat useful at work tomorrow *^^*