On the downhill slope.

With almost 7 months under our belts, we have only 5 left to go! Sweet! We have had a great time in Korea and are looking forward to how the Lord will round out our year here. God has been doing some great things, but in ways we were not expecting. It just goes to show... "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21. When we first moved here, I was disappointed with our placement in a small farm town away from the city we had asked for. BUT... God had bigger plans for this little town. I was disappointed when NO ONE spoke English in our community... BUT...Turns out, God had big plans for the little people here. I was disappointed when NO kids were home during the daytime for Corin to play with... BUT, God had yet more plans to use me in entertaining and educating him during that time. Funny how God works in contradiction to our worldly desires...

Being in a small town has had a HUGE impact on our marriage. Without the distractions of the big city nightlife, we stay home everynight and spend time with one another. We are our only source of entertainment. Most nights we watcha movie or tv shows together as well as talk about our day. It has been nice to get to know one another once again. It seemed like the year leading up to Korea just slowly tore us apart. But... God had BIG plans for our SMALL town, and for that, I am very thankful for our remote placement. I am also looking forward to the continued growth in our marriage throughout the next 5 months to build a strong foundation when we come back to the busier life in the States.

While I cannot boast of any relationships built between myself and any of the women here in the complex... I can say that I have a fan club amongst the kiddos. Corin and I enjoy playing at the playground in the evenings and typically have the opportunity to talk to several of the local kids. The girls are especially interested in trying out their English skills on me and I am eager to talk with them. They are constantly trying to teach me new words, share their snacks, and complement me on my attire. (I should mention that it is usually t-shirt and jeans/shorts...hehe.)So, the small people in this small town are eager to communicate with me and so for that, I am thankful! One story relating to that...
Corin and I were playing on the playground one evening when a little boy starting saying "Oh my God." He kept repeating it and soon the whole merry-go-round was echoing those words. I grabbed the bar and stopped it from spinning. Then I looked at them very seriously and said "Please don't say that anymore" as I shook my head no. They all understood and soon after, one of the girls caught herself saying it again. The problem is, I was not sure they understood what they were really saying. I am constantly hearing Korean kids say this phrase. I think it is due to American movies having this phrase so prominantly and consistantly laced throughout the dialog. It is one of those phrases that they pick up so easily from watching the films. So... since I had the little girl that speaks really good english there to translate, I asked them to sit down and had her translate for me. She was eager to help and as soon as I explained it to her... she paused and stared at me as if in shock. Then she turned to the other kids and explained that saying "oh my God" was like swearing to Budda. That they were taking my God's name in vein. They all had the same reaction as they covered their mouths and widened their eyes. They all said they were sorry before running off to play. I have only heard that phrase one more time since then and it was a boy who caught himself midway through and then gave me a look as if to say he was sorry. I am glad they understand now... Hopefully they will call others out on it when they hear friends using the phrase.

As far as playdates go... we have none. ALL the kids Corin's age go to daycares. It is a status thing here and everyone tries to live up to that social expectation. So, while there are moms that stay home during the day, they are not raising their children at home. Sad. But... God has given me the opportunity to teach Corin scripture and share Bible stories with him during that time. I have been using an online pre-school Bible program and he is doing really well! It is great for both of us as we memorize scripture together."God's word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Him." Psalm 119:11 (slightly modified for Corin's understanding!) Of course we also learn the usual shapes, colors, numbers and letters... but I find the Bible program more rewarding. :) Glad I get to share this year of learning with Corin... it is such a growing experience for both of us! I cannot claim success and consistancy everyday, but on the whole, I would say we are doing pretty good!

Well, just letting you know how God has worked against our plans to meet our desires! It is great to see how God works in retrospect... since it can be hard to see what He is doing as it happens! We are in GOOD hands!
LL