Puddle jumping

When it rains..

Go play in it!

Easter 2014

He is Risen, indeed!

 After church, we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at our apartment playground with a potluck Sunday dinner and community Easter egg hunt.

Jarrod corralled the kids while the other adults ran around "hiding" eggs.  

 The kids collected all the eggs off the playground and returned them to the large basket, then went to get a goody bag of candy, toys, and a Jesus has Risen coloring page.

 When Jarrod collected the eggs, all the kids gathered around him to see what was next.. so he took the opportunity to talk about the significance of Easter and egg hunts... celebrating New Life!

Happy Easter!

This is the day.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!   

This is a song we sing around our house at times.. and with recent events, the words to the song hold so much meaning.  I have been watching the news to get updates on the situation with the missing plane MH370 and then the capsized ferry Sewol.  I am heartsick with these events, perhaps because they were unexpected tragedies - people traveling some where and trusting those who were taking them to get them to their destination safely.  I travel a lot and fly internationally.  This past weekend we went on a trip with high school kids... not on a boat, but still.. it could have been me.  

I have been watching the news - and when they announced the plane and the ferry, I thought "oh wow, that is terrible..." but assumed they would FIND it or that they would RESCUE the missing people.   I have become desensitized to the news and to tragedy... or perhaps in our day and age don't really think there is any risk involved in.. well, much of anything.  And then days went on.. and nothing changed... and I started to realize that they may not get rescued.  I am ashamed to say that it was not my first reaction to pray for the situation and the people on the boat.  As the missing people did not get rescued, I  was hit with the reality of the situation: a real life "Titanic" story that was happening as I was walking around unaffected.  And I started praying... especially that God would be supernaturally near any one trapped, cold, scared, and facing their last moments alive inside the boat.   Now, it is unlikely any one is still alive.. and so I am praying for comfort for families, friends, and classmates of those who lost their loved ones so unexpectedly.   When we take trips with high school students - or send them off on a trip - the last thing on our minds is that they might not come back.  But we are not invincible and accidents do happen.

As I hold my babies today and see them so full of life, I can not help but think of the parents who sent their kids on that school trip to Jeju.  As I thank God for my kids'  lives - I am stuck anew that tomorrow is not a guarantee. 

Today is Easter Sunday, and we have the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This world is not the end of our story!  For God so loved the world that He gave His only son to come and pay the price for our sins that whosoever confesses with their mouth and believes in their heart that Jesus is Lord - they shall not perish but have everlasting life with God in Heaven.  Do you believe this? Have you made Jesus your Lord and Savior?  If not, I encourage you to really seek the Lord. We may not have tomorrow.. this is the day we have, let's not waste it.

Camping, Korean Style!

Thursday night after school, we headed out of Seoul to go camping with the students he took on a mission trip to the Philippines last month. I have heard that camping in Korea is jokingly called "glamping".. which stands for: glamour camping.   Yes.

We got to the camp site and easily found one of the four rented trailers for Jarrod's post-GWAM camping trip.   Inside, we found that it was quite similar to renting a hotel room.

Marc and Emmalyn were PUMPED about the bunk beds!  Marc called the top!

We went to sleep that night.. and it got.. in a word: COLD.  Since Jarrod and I are Americans used to tent camping.. this did not phase us.  We bundled up, and camped.  Come morning.. as we started to move and thaw a bit.. we discovered the floor heat that could have been on all night.

Then we thawed much quicker and happier. 

Jarrod manned the stove to make eggs and bacon for all the students on the trip!

Then we explored a bit...

.. on Bicycles!

Here are the two other teachers (Ms. Bandy and Ms. Corbett) that lead the trip with Jarrod.

We found all sorts of interesting things to look at..

And then had a picnic lunch before heading home.

It was a quick overnight trip, but such a good experience and SO fun!