Thursday, May 28, 2009
Celebrating Sally
Nothing says "Happy Birthday" better than an 80's workout party followed by a cake fight. Good times for one awesome woman's birthday!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thinking 'bout Thailand
Thinking ‘bout Thailand
I am getting really excited for my upcoming trip to Thailand. The primary reason that I am going is to meet with other missionaries and organizations that are already working to help fight against human trafficking. I am contemplating ways that I might be able to be aid victims in the future. In particular, I have a big heart for women escaping the sex industry and am thinking about ways I could actively help this ladies.
I will be staying in 3 cities in my short trip. I will be spending about 4 days total in Bangkok. In my time there, I will be visiting with four organizations: Home of New Beginnings (http://homeofnewbeginnings.com/about_us.htm), The Well (http://www.servantworks.com/well), Nightlight (http://www.nightlightbangkok.com/), and Rahab (http://www.rahabministriesthailand.org/). All four of these groups are already doing amazing work to help women escaping the sex industry. They each approach the issue in slightly different manners. I am excited to learn more about each ministry.
Next, I will be in Chiang mai for a few days. I am looking forward to my stay at Juniper Tree, a Christian retreat center. In Chiang mai, I plan to meet with a representative from International Justice Mission (http://www.ijm.org/). IJM is an inspirational organization that works to find legal justice for the oppressed. I am also hoping to see the New Life Center (http://www.nlcfoundation.org) with an interpreter while I am there.
I spend my last few days in Phuket. I have no big plans for my time there. I am really looking forward to relaxing near the coast. I am sure by then I will need some serious processing time! I can’t think of a better place to do it than a Thai beach.
Just one week of classes and another week of final exams between me and Thailand!!
I am getting really excited for my upcoming trip to Thailand. The primary reason that I am going is to meet with other missionaries and organizations that are already working to help fight against human trafficking. I am contemplating ways that I might be able to be aid victims in the future. In particular, I have a big heart for women escaping the sex industry and am thinking about ways I could actively help this ladies.
I will be staying in 3 cities in my short trip. I will be spending about 4 days total in Bangkok. In my time there, I will be visiting with four organizations: Home of New Beginnings (http://homeofnewbeginnings.com/about_us.htm), The Well (http://www.servantworks.com/well), Nightlight (http://www.nightlightbangkok.com/), and Rahab (http://www.rahabministriesthailand.org/). All four of these groups are already doing amazing work to help women escaping the sex industry. They each approach the issue in slightly different manners. I am excited to learn more about each ministry.
Next, I will be in Chiang mai for a few days. I am looking forward to my stay at Juniper Tree, a Christian retreat center. In Chiang mai, I plan to meet with a representative from International Justice Mission (http://www.ijm.org/). IJM is an inspirational organization that works to find legal justice for the oppressed. I am also hoping to see the New Life Center (http://www.nlcfoundation.org) with an interpreter while I am there.
I spend my last few days in Phuket. I have no big plans for my time there. I am really looking forward to relaxing near the coast. I am sure by then I will need some serious processing time! I can’t think of a better place to do it than a Thai beach.
Just one week of classes and another week of final exams between me and Thailand!!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Doing Nothing
It’s no secret that I have a ridiculously hard time staying still. Yet this weekend I had a wonderful time sitting on a floor for two days straight doing absolutely nothing.
Friday after school, I went with 8 of the other teachers to a cabin about 4 hours northeast of Daejeon. Three of our original singles group (that came to TCIS in 2007) are leaving to return to the States or Canada in just a few weeks, so the weekend was an opportunity for us to spend some quality time together before the end-of-the-year rush.
The weather was not ideal: nonstop drizzle. So instead of hiking or lounging by the lake, we laid in a giant mound on our living room floor. From morning until bedtime we talked, affirmed each other, and laughed, laughed, laughed. I’ve never had more fun “doing nothing.”
The view from our cabin:
Friday after school, I went with 8 of the other teachers to a cabin about 4 hours northeast of Daejeon. Three of our original singles group (that came to TCIS in 2007) are leaving to return to the States or Canada in just a few weeks, so the weekend was an opportunity for us to spend some quality time together before the end-of-the-year rush.
The weather was not ideal: nonstop drizzle. So instead of hiking or lounging by the lake, we laid in a giant mound on our living room floor. From morning until bedtime we talked, affirmed each other, and laughed, laughed, laughed. I’ve never had more fun “doing nothing.”
The view from our cabin:
Friday, May 15, 2009
Liz visits Korea :)
Last weekend I got to show off Korea to another visiter-- Liz!! It was so fun to get to see Liz again (it had been about 2 years) and bring two of my worlds together. We wandered Seoul, went Salsa dancing with some of my coworkers (well let's be honest, I didn't dance much), sat in jimjilbangs, belted in norebangs, let tiny fish exfoliate our feet, and talked for hours. It was a wonderfully refreshing weekend. So sad to see Liz go!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Weekend Happenings
What an eventful few days at TCIS.
Friday, aka a day of learning:
Friday I had the opportunity to learn more about North Korea from several people who have experienced the culture first hand. During the school day an alumni from TCIS who started an organization that works with North Korean health care providers to set up functioning TB clinics came to speak. I was really inspired by the things that his non-profit group, with the support of donors, does alongside the North Korean people. The need in North Korea is so great for sanitary hospitals, medicine, functional and clean equipment, and support materials (ex: bicycles to help doctors get to their out-patients). I appreciated the information that was shared with us and was impressed with the partnership that has been formed to improve medicine in North Korean clinics.
I had a second opportunity to learn about North Korea Friday evening. To finish out the semester-long campaign focused on North Korea, the Amnesty International group hosted a coffee house and recruited about a dozen students/TCIS staff members to perform musical or dance numbers. This lured in about 100 kids and adults for our keynote speaker: a North Korean refugee. The speaker shared for about 35 minutes about the education system in North Korea. We were all on the edge of our seats as he shared in Korean (and Christina translated) about corrupt schools where people earn grades and promotion through bribery (food goes a long way in a starving nation). He spoke about schools where all subjects are second to political education, where computer classes are taught on paper outlines of keyboards, where tattered outdated text books are passed down and shared by dozens of students, and where uniforms are desperately patched. The night ended with an inspirational message intended to spur the students present into action. It was a fantastic experience.
One of the coffee house performers:
Saturday, I-fest:
Saturday was TCIS’s annual International Festival. International Festival is a fun event where a bunch of campus organizations and local groups from the community pull together a large carnival to celebrate. Historically held around Korea’s Children’s Day, I-fest is a fun way to interact with the community and play in the sun (though this year there was more rain than sun). As a sponsor for a range of activities, I found myself busy working booths most of the day. I painted henna on people’s hands and feet to raise money for the India orphanage I visited in April. I baked cookies to sell at the soccer booth. I baked brownies for the creative writing magazine to give as a prize to the poetry contest winner. I painted handprints on an Amnesty mural to represent a new awareness of North Korea. I got suckered into spending about 10 minutes in the dunk tank for student council (and got dunked twice). And I auctioned off two pairs of earrings to support another service group. All in all, a busy afternoon. The event finished off with an impressive fireworks show.
Sunday, moving in to a Korean hair salon:
After church I went to a hair salon that I had never been to before. The place was PACKED. Kirstin and I waited about an hour to get started and then spent another 2-3 in the slowest hair/nail procedures ever. The great thing about this salon is that as you wait to get your hair done, you can have your nails done at a highly discounted price (a manicure was only 5,000 won= $3.50). While that was nice, I was REALLY ready to go by the time my hair was finally cut. It never fails to amaze me how much of a production it is to cut and color Caucasian hair here.
Well, that’s a pretty packed weekend I guess. So much for relaxing after soccer season, eh?
Friday, aka a day of learning:
Friday I had the opportunity to learn more about North Korea from several people who have experienced the culture first hand. During the school day an alumni from TCIS who started an organization that works with North Korean health care providers to set up functioning TB clinics came to speak. I was really inspired by the things that his non-profit group, with the support of donors, does alongside the North Korean people. The need in North Korea is so great for sanitary hospitals, medicine, functional and clean equipment, and support materials (ex: bicycles to help doctors get to their out-patients). I appreciated the information that was shared with us and was impressed with the partnership that has been formed to improve medicine in North Korean clinics.
I had a second opportunity to learn about North Korea Friday evening. To finish out the semester-long campaign focused on North Korea, the Amnesty International group hosted a coffee house and recruited about a dozen students/TCIS staff members to perform musical or dance numbers. This lured in about 100 kids and adults for our keynote speaker: a North Korean refugee. The speaker shared for about 35 minutes about the education system in North Korea. We were all on the edge of our seats as he shared in Korean (and Christina translated) about corrupt schools where people earn grades and promotion through bribery (food goes a long way in a starving nation). He spoke about schools where all subjects are second to political education, where computer classes are taught on paper outlines of keyboards, where tattered outdated text books are passed down and shared by dozens of students, and where uniforms are desperately patched. The night ended with an inspirational message intended to spur the students present into action. It was a fantastic experience.
One of the coffee house performers:
Saturday, I-fest:
Saturday was TCIS’s annual International Festival. International Festival is a fun event where a bunch of campus organizations and local groups from the community pull together a large carnival to celebrate. Historically held around Korea’s Children’s Day, I-fest is a fun way to interact with the community and play in the sun (though this year there was more rain than sun). As a sponsor for a range of activities, I found myself busy working booths most of the day. I painted henna on people’s hands and feet to raise money for the India orphanage I visited in April. I baked cookies to sell at the soccer booth. I baked brownies for the creative writing magazine to give as a prize to the poetry contest winner. I painted handprints on an Amnesty mural to represent a new awareness of North Korea. I got suckered into spending about 10 minutes in the dunk tank for student council (and got dunked twice). And I auctioned off two pairs of earrings to support another service group. All in all, a busy afternoon. The event finished off with an impressive fireworks show.
Sunday, moving in to a Korean hair salon:
After church I went to a hair salon that I had never been to before. The place was PACKED. Kirstin and I waited about an hour to get started and then spent another 2-3 in the slowest hair/nail procedures ever. The great thing about this salon is that as you wait to get your hair done, you can have your nails done at a highly discounted price (a manicure was only 5,000 won= $3.50). While that was nice, I was REALLY ready to go by the time my hair was finally cut. It never fails to amaze me how much of a production it is to cut and color Caucasian hair here.
Well, that’s a pretty packed weekend I guess. So much for relaxing after soccer season, eh?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
One Proud Coach
Soccer season has officially ended. I am so proud of the way the girls finished the year out. Over the weekend we traveled up to Seoul for our final tournament. Despite a growing collection of team injuries (I am becoming a pro ankle taper), the girls played two of the best games of the season in the tournament and finished the weekend in third place. It was a fun trip filled with lots of laughter, a few tears, and a whole collection of awards: 6 all conference team spots, 5 all tournament spots, top defender award, Most Valuable Player award, coach of the year award (this is the 2nd year in a row Tiece has won this!), and the league sportsmanship award.
I am especially proud of the team for winning the sportsmanship award again. This was the second sportsmanship award win of the season. By receiving the award as a winning team, the honor showed that our first award was not just out of pity. Instead, it reaffirmed that the girls of TCIS really do display remarkable sportsmanship. And they really do. The girls were constantly cheering for each other and for their friends at other schools. I don’t think there was a single school that didn’t have at least one friend on our team. The girls kept a great attitude, played tough (but clean), interacted with other coaches, were friendly with refs (even when calls did not go our way), and treated each other with respect. I was really proud to say I was one of their coaches.
All in all, this was a fantastic season. I am sad to see it end.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
2nd Place!!
Today marked the last league game of the 2009 season and the girls pulled off a 1-0 win versus one of the other top spot contenders. This win ended us in SECOND PLACE for the first time in TCIS girls' soccer history! It was a fun win and a great way for our seniors to go out. Now all we have left in our season is our final KAIAC tournament (which our 2nd place ranking should seat us well for).
I can't believe the season is almost over! These girls have such a special place in my heart :) I am really excited to have a bit of time to myself, but not really ready to let these girls go...
Especially the seniors:
Juniors:
Sophomores:
Freshmen:
Just a couple others:
I can't believe the season is almost over! These girls have such a special place in my heart :) I am really excited to have a bit of time to myself, but not really ready to let these girls go...
Especially the seniors:
Juniors:
Sophomores:
Freshmen:
Just a couple others:
My 7th Country Since Christmas
I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Beijing for an APAC soccer tournament. It was a great experience where the girls grew as soccer players a lot and had an opportunity to meet players from all over China and Korea. We did not finish the tournament with a winning record, but it was still a valuable experience. The girls enjoyed homestays and the coaches snuck in a brief Great Wall trip and an acrobat show. Plus, both the girls and guys teams walked away with sportsmanship trophies. Overall, APAC was a really neat opportunity.
Check out pictures posted to facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2149288&id=4702163&l=70beac805b
Check out pictures posted to facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2149288&id=4702163&l=70beac805b
Monday, April 13, 2009
India
India. I don’t know exactly where to begin. I spent one week at the Beulah Home, an orphanage in Bangalore. At the Beulah Home, about 90 kids live with 6 “aunties,” two dogs, and one baby kitten. In this home, kids praise God with a more genuine joy than I have ever seen. Girls dance with confidence, children care for each other with patience, and all sing at the top of their lungs with faith. I was so touched by the love that these kids shared with each other. I was so drawn to their stories, their immediate embraces, their openness, their tangible love for God, and their contentment with so few material possessions. These kids will forever have a very special place in my heart. It was incredibly difficult to leave them.
Let me introduce a few of the kids who I especially connected with.
Meet “the gang”: (back row) Pretesia, Alem, Bonchai, Wikheng, (front row) Lydia, and Wilam. These were a set of the teenage girls who spent hours and hours telling me their life stories. They educated me on Indian pop trivia, explained many aspects of Indian culture, and shared the struggles they faced as their families sent them to the Beullah Home. Almost all of them told me that their best and worst years involved their move to the Beullah Home. As one girl told me, “my friends are my everything here. When one is missing, there is a hole. When one of us laughs, we all laugh. When one of us cries, we all cry.” I had to encourage them to make each other laugh as I gave final hugs to the set of weeping girls the last morning.
Meet Roma and Chinielle, another two teenage girls who took my poetry tutoring sessions and who shared their stories with me.
Meet Abishek (Abi). This tiny tiny dynamic boy of 5 had huge expressions. I loved his smiles, laughter, and hugs. He was my favorite child to watch sing. He poured his entire heart into his hand motions and gleeful cries.
Meet Alito. This boy is the youngest kid at the orphanage (3 years old), but he has enough personality to make up for his lack of seniority. His stout little body found mischief like a bee to honey. Whether he was shredding flowers and stuffing them in people’s ears, trying to grab expensive cameras, or turning on the orphanage sound system to mutter phrases into the mic during rec times, Alito gravitated towards trouble. Yet somehow this little darling made up for all his mischievous escapades with his cuddly side that emerged between his adventures. His little smirk melted my heart.
Meet Aruna. This sixteen-year-old dreams of becoming an astronaut and brims with stories, scattering like loose marbles on a wooden floor.
Meet Barat. I don’t think Barat said more than one word to me in English all week (“Auntie”), but I felt such a strong bond to this little child. His bright white grin gleamed between dark dimples. His knobby arms locked around my neck and his bony legs made a vise around my waist whenever I saw him. All the while, his face eagerly looked to mine with a bottomless smile. I love love love this child.
Meet Illumina (sp?). This gentle soft-spoken girl was glued to my side the last two days. Every time I sat down, her hand, foot, or head somehow found a way to touch me. Darling.
Finally, meet Rupa. This adorable little one rotated from lap to lap. She seemed to have an innate awareness of the camera. Every time a camera got near her, she smiled a little bigger and struck a pose, her eyes peering straight into the lens. Rupa’s tiny hand was perpetually grasping for others’ warmth and her deep brown eyes whispered stories with an endearing gentleness that completely captivated me.
These are just a few of the children who stamped their faces into my memory and found their way into my heart last week. It always amazes me how deep bonds can grow in just one week. I hope that some day I will be able to see these kids again.
Let me introduce a few of the kids who I especially connected with.
Meet “the gang”: (back row) Pretesia, Alem, Bonchai, Wikheng, (front row) Lydia, and Wilam. These were a set of the teenage girls who spent hours and hours telling me their life stories. They educated me on Indian pop trivia, explained many aspects of Indian culture, and shared the struggles they faced as their families sent them to the Beullah Home. Almost all of them told me that their best and worst years involved their move to the Beullah Home. As one girl told me, “my friends are my everything here. When one is missing, there is a hole. When one of us laughs, we all laugh. When one of us cries, we all cry.” I had to encourage them to make each other laugh as I gave final hugs to the set of weeping girls the last morning.
Meet Roma and Chinielle, another two teenage girls who took my poetry tutoring sessions and who shared their stories with me.
Meet Abishek (Abi). This tiny tiny dynamic boy of 5 had huge expressions. I loved his smiles, laughter, and hugs. He was my favorite child to watch sing. He poured his entire heart into his hand motions and gleeful cries.
Meet Alito. This boy is the youngest kid at the orphanage (3 years old), but he has enough personality to make up for his lack of seniority. His stout little body found mischief like a bee to honey. Whether he was shredding flowers and stuffing them in people’s ears, trying to grab expensive cameras, or turning on the orphanage sound system to mutter phrases into the mic during rec times, Alito gravitated towards trouble. Yet somehow this little darling made up for all his mischievous escapades with his cuddly side that emerged between his adventures. His little smirk melted my heart.
Meet Aruna. This sixteen-year-old dreams of becoming an astronaut and brims with stories, scattering like loose marbles on a wooden floor.
Meet Barat. I don’t think Barat said more than one word to me in English all week (“Auntie”), but I felt such a strong bond to this little child. His bright white grin gleamed between dark dimples. His knobby arms locked around my neck and his bony legs made a vise around my waist whenever I saw him. All the while, his face eagerly looked to mine with a bottomless smile. I love love love this child.
Meet Illumina (sp?). This gentle soft-spoken girl was glued to my side the last two days. Every time I sat down, her hand, foot, or head somehow found a way to touch me. Darling.
Finally, meet Rupa. This adorable little one rotated from lap to lap. She seemed to have an innate awareness of the camera. Every time a camera got near her, she smiled a little bigger and struck a pose, her eyes peering straight into the lens. Rupa’s tiny hand was perpetually grasping for others’ warmth and her deep brown eyes whispered stories with an endearing gentleness that completely captivated me.
These are just a few of the children who stamped their faces into my memory and found their way into my heart last week. It always amazes me how deep bonds can grow in just one week. I hope that some day I will be able to see these kids again.
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