so much to be Thankful for!!!

To be honest, I was wondering what this Thanksgiving holiday would be like... being away from family for only the second time in my life. It turned out to be a wonderful time - despite being in a foreign country (that clearly doesn't celebrate an American holiday) and away from family and traditions that Jarrod and I have grown up with. Though we had Friday, the 27th, off of school - Thanksgiving day, Thursday the 26th, we had to work - and it was a big day for the school nurses: H1N1 vaccination day! The local health department came to vaccinate students with parental permission - and we organized 570 of our 800 students to get the vaccine. Praise the Lord that everything went smoothly that day, there were no complications from the vaccination, and we were able to get through everyone in 4.5 hours!

After school Jarrod and I went to a friend's house (who works for the DOD school on the Army Base) for a Thanksgiving meal. It was a meal complete with Kimbap and Japchae (...not your traditional Thanksgiving foods, but thoughtful contributions from the Koreans that participated) - and a group of people from a variety of backgrounds (American, Korean, Australian, British.. to name a few) to share together in all that we have to be thankful for! I thought it was appropriate - though we are not giving thanks for traditional harvest that made it a US holiday.. but it was a good reminder none the less to share with one another with a thankful heart for all that the Lord has given us!

On Friday morning (Thursday evening in the US), Jarrod and I were able to talk with our families as they gathered together - and then prepare to have the first ever YISS Progressive Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a great group (15-20 people) - the food everyone contributed was delicious - and the progressive part worked out really well - going to some of the other teacher's houses for appetizers and the main course before coming to our house for games and dessert! Here are some pictures from the night.

Appetizers at Diane and Melanie's houseDinner at Kirsten and Lynn's house

Dessert at our houseWe played lots of games.. which was so fun to see our co-workers "let their hair down" and get into it... silliness abounded. It was definitely a late night, but one full of fun times with great memories.

On Sunday following Thanksgiving, we went to the Yongsan Army Base for another Thanksgiving dinner with the church we are attending: Onnuri English Ministry. It was a great opportunity to meet new people from church, Jarrod reconnected with an old friend and co-worker - Doug, and eat more amazing food. (I thought turkey was hard to find in Korea - but somehow we managed it 4 times!) The evening also had games and mixers, but was not without focusing on the Lord in worship and with thankful hearts - sharing with one another what He has done for us and in us in this past year.
A year ago, I don't think I would have said "next year, we will be living in Korea"... and to think of all that the Lord has brought us through to take us where we are - it is really incredible. At this time a year ago, I don't know that I would have been ready for that... but the Lord was preparing my heart for this time and revealing to me/us His purposes in His timing. For this coming year, we already know some of the BIG changes that will happen in our family.. and while I find myself eagerly anticipating the day we get to hold our little one... I am reminded that there is joy in the journey and to take each day with a thankful heart before the Lord and offer it to Him. I also know that the future is in the Lord's hands and He truly does give us grace in the moment for what we face today. So as I think about all that I have to be thankful for this Thankgiving - family, friends, provisions, the miracle of life... what we truly have to be thankful for is the Lord - alive and active in this world and in our lives - that He has made a way for us to know Him and to join Him in what He is doing.. that He equips us for every good work with His grace.. and ultimately that we are called Sons and Daughters of the King (2 Corinthians 6:18).

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1

YISS Annual Turkey Bowl

This past weekend Jarrod and I participated in the recently instituted YISS Annual Turkey Bowl: an intense soccer game between the YISS Dad's Club and the YISS teachers and staff. Well... Jarrod participated, and I cheered along with some of the other staff supporters. :)

(click on images to enlarge)

It was a long game, 45minutes each half, and both teams played hard; however, the many hours of Saturday practices paid off for the Dad's Club, and they came out victorious in the end. This was a good experience to get to know some of the parents at the school and to enjoy a fun activity together.

After the game, we all headed inside the school - to get warm - and found a feast before us, put together by the Dad's Club and the YISS PTO (aka, Mom's club :). As we sat down for the first of several Thanksgiving Dinners Jarrod and I will have over the next week - I realized once again how much we have to be thankful for! The Lord has blessed our lives abundantly here, as we have all our needs met and so much more! Still, it is easy to so acutely feel the distance from our loved ones during the holidays - as they gather together and share in family traditions. I am thankful that our family is so much larger, as part of the body of Christ, and that we are able to share these holiday celebrations with thankful hearts for our brothers and sisters in Christ that are living along side of us in Seoul. We miss you and love you all, and pray that you are blessed with the nearness of our Lord this holiday season!

Psalm 100: A psalm for giving thanks.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are his people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Where has November gone?!

I am sorry for such a long silence from us! It seems as though time is flying by -with every week marked by a growing baby! This picture is from the 4th of November. We passed the 20 week mark (this past Monday) and entered the second half of pregnancy. Jarrod has already been able to feel our baby move! We are excited about this addition to our family and eagerly anticipate his or her arrival! I am continually in awe of the miracle that is happening inside, as I read about and go through each stage of EVERYTHING that happens and goes into forming a child in the womb. I Praise You, Oh Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Now, more than ever before - those words are held close to my heart. We continue to ask for prayers for the little one's healthy development - and praise Him that things have been going well so far!

In the past few weeks, we have watched leaves change into beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow; we got together with the other NICS schools in Korea for a "Fall Family Gathering" - a time of worship, professional development, and fellowship with the staff at all three schools; AND we started basketball practice! Jarrod and I are both coaching basketball for YISS Junior Varisty Basketball teams... He is coaching the JV boys and I am coaching JV girls. It is a JOY to get to know these students and interact with them in a new way at school - a unique opportunity to serve them in this setting, but it is definitely time consuming! We have found that we get home late most week nights, only to wake up early and do it all over again. Jarrod coached basketball last year at CCS - but for me, it has been 5 years (since I was a senior in college!) that I coached girls... and it feels good to be back on the court. There is one BIG difference this time... I am pregnant! And so I am constantly battling with myself on how much do I show/demonstrate/work with the girls verses how much I just give instructions. It is fun to come home and bounce ideas off of Jarrod and get his feedback and encouragement as well. Tonight (Friday) was our first game - and I can at least speak for my girls... they were NERVOUS! But all of our school's teams - JV and Varsity girls and boys - did very well and we left the gym with each team winning their game - what a way to start of the season! Jarrod and I were both very proud of our players!

It is so easy to be busy... to say "yes" to the MANY opportunities to get involved good things - in school activities, spend time with friends, and still try to plan lessons and prepare for classes well. It is easy to focus on the here and now - what is going on around us - what is seen. It is easy to DO. Yet, I can't help but think of Mary and Martha.. and know that we are called first to sit at Jesus' feet, who is our source of life and strength. So, as I read the Bible and am renewed in focus, I am reminded in 2 Corinthains 4 and Hebrews 12 to fix our eyes on Jesus - the author and perfector of our faith - to know that we are being renewed inwardly day by day so that we are able to run with perserverance the race marked out for us, to not grow weary or lose heart.

It is my prayer, especially as we enter the busyness of the holiday season, that we are intentional to sit at Jesus' feet, to know how vast is His love for us - so that from the overflow of His love poured out on us we are able to love one another! 1 John 4