Woweee!

Man, it's been too long since I've posted...I've been a teacher in Korea for almost a full month! Woweee! I honestly don't remember all that I've wanted to post about since I posted last. I do remember that I've got some pictures that will help me though!

Little Update before the pictures: I've now been teaching for a month, and have gotten great reviews from my students and their parents. I've got 3 great classes! They are fun, learn well, work hard, and have supportive parents. I don't really have any of the infamous "Tiger" parents, but I do have a couple of parents that just care a lot and call about the smallest things. Quite a refreshing aspect of my job here :)  I now forget that I am not Asian quite often. Especially when I walk to work. I've gotten it down to about 20 minutes at a slower pace, 15 if I'm booking it. I've got a routine down for arriving and leaving work; I'm finally beginning to get into a rhythm of grading and organizing, and man is it nice! I am getting to where I leave work on time, and never do work at home (even when I take it with good intentions). I really love not taking work home, and having a life (a very small one, but still a life)outside of my job.

After moving here and being in the constant transition for the first 3-4 weeks, I gained a little weight and lost the hard-earned muscle that I'd built up. But, I'm finally beginning to handle going back on my gluten free diet, and I am overall eating healthier than I was in America. (I get more nutrients, and eat more natural and fresh products than I did in America) The school lunches are made daily by the sweet cook, and are generally very nutritious with many different food groups. I'm learning a lot about what is healthy here and what is not, and I'm finally able to say "No!" to the unhealthy things. I am also finally beginning to do yoga more. Even if it's by myself, I'm getting in at least 2 good half-hour yoga sets a week. I'm trying to hold on to some of that muscle! Kristen also has been contacting this lady who is a Christian and a Zumba instructor in an area of town within walking distance. Praise the Lord!!! Hopefully we'll be able to connect with her as well as our fellow Brother Yoon (Met him at a prayer meeting, and God divinely set us up for relationship).

I've met several new people here, two of which being German guys who are living in the hotel that I was staying in when I first got here. They are very nice, and Kristen and I got Korean BBQ with them one night a couple of weeks ago. So interesting to meet Germans in Korea! What's more interesting, they go to church, and one of them is a hard-core believer! One of 6 from his University in Germany. How cool is that?!? We've also met a couple of other believers at work: the man who is our caretaker, Samuel, and one of my partner teachers, Stella. Both of them are very sweet, and generally the Korean staff seems to work well with us. It is truly a blessing to be so taken care of :-) Thanks, Papa.

We have also found a church that we Love! We have taken the required membership class, and are going through the process to become members of it now :) I really feel like this church will challenge me in so many ways, but the most clear way is just by calling me to trust God and trust the people around me more than I've ever been asked to trust. Everything about Korean culture is so intimate, and the church we've found isn't any different. The church is called New Philadelphia, and it's just that--a place of New Brotherly Love.

We got our first authentically asian massages from this chinese place called the Foot Shop. It was such an interesting experience! We dressed in these really drab UT/Avatar Air Bender orange shirts and shorts and felt like inmates...then they soaked our feet and then took us back to this room with 3 beds where for the next 60+ minutes they massaged, slapped, pulled, and elbowed every muscle in our entire bodies. Including that one called the Glutious Maximus. haha! The girls and I caught ourselves up in some really riotous laughter at various parts because of what they did to us, but it was seriously the best massage I've ever had. I'm definitely going back...

I'm becoming an expert at food stuffs at the near-by Homeplus, and I managed to find Salmon very reasonably priced at the E-mart the other night....using my Korean Dictionary and translating symbols. You should totally be impressed. I felt like such a grown-up. I also bought my first authentic Korean outfit, a dress and boots....then I got a blister from the boots that is almost totally healed now, three weeks later. I've bought my first Korean Make-up and Skincare products, and am almost out of my American products. I'm going to be a Korean convert soon! I've had quite a selection of Korean foods, some I will eat again, and some I won't. And, I've learned certain key phrases and words in Korean which my students commonly call me out on whenever I speak them. (Classroom Rule #4: We Speak in English Only.)

Through all of these adventures, I do feel as though I've lived here my whole life. I am also beginning to feel that certain homesickness which only comes with the realization that I won't be able to just go home for the weekend, or head to Josh's house whenever I want to see him. I'm learning a lot about companionship, relationship, and longing in every area of my life--and God has been so good to me by giving me a best friend here to learn it with. Kristen has honestly been one of the biggest sources of strength and encouragement for me here, and I know I have been for her as well. We have really leaned on one another, and it is a beautiful picture of what healthy relationship can look like :-)

Anyway, hope that's enough for now, please send me any questions that you have. I love answering them, and I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in a while.

More to come!

Love,
Madison