It’s the New Year and I’m a little late!!

3 Months In a Nut Shell

I can’t believe I have not written about the last three months of my life here in Korea.  I know of two words that can describe it….SUPER BUSY…..I’ll start from September and finish in December.

Fall begins with a blessing of getting to see American Football on the Military Base

It was great to be in the atmosphere and hear the live whistles blow on the field.

Fall Leaves at Yonsei University, my back door...

Korea Week!

 

Kukje Art Gallery Field Trip

Lisa, my sister, came for her birthday!!

 

Thanksgiving Feast!

 

Teacher Fun at my school's Christmas party...Guess who knew the American Chef:)

These pics are just a few of the highlights that I’ve been having for the Fall Season.  I also experienced a Korean Folk Village, Seoul Tower, Thanksgiving in Daegu with my Tres Dias and base friends(along with that was good ol’ collard greens and turkey, only available at the base) and VIP guest at a K POP concert(the bass player found my wallet and returned it, so of course, I had to squeeze in another request!).

Now, the count down is on for my arrival stateside for the Christmas holidays to check on my family.  Recently, my sister has been really sick and my mom is recuperating from her 2nd back surgery in two months.  That being said, along with God’s direction, my decision has been made to return back to the states permanently after this school year is completed.  I truly believe the order God calls us to is Him-1st, Family-2nd and Job-3rd.   So…I am going home to my family to comfort my parents in the later years, the best I can.  Plans are also being made for future graduate school to go along in the mix….Stay tuned and Happy Holidays!

Craziness to This Westerner!

First Stop, The Famous Great Wall which was built to keep out all invaders…

The Ming Tombs-Don’t cross through this thresh hold or your soul will go to stay with the Emperor’s!….Seriously…hmmm….and I really can’t walk through this?? An insult to the culture, it would be for sure!

On to, Tienanmen Square..an Unreal Place.  A picture still exists for the beloved Chairman Mao who proclaimed the  People’s Republic of China in 1949.  You have to see it to believe it the solemness still there.  And who has heard of the 1989 Student Rioting that turned into Massacre? Remember the Picture of the Tank Man? Anyone?  Well, the commoners of China haven’t…Facebook?  Google? and only Government TV still… Really there is another world out there that only tourists know of!  Hard to Imagine for me!

The Forbidden City…Really, really a huge place…

Can’t believe it was hidden for so long..Seems it was constantly under construction from fires from winds and sacrificial cisterns and Eunuchs.  The fires came randomly mainly to keep work for the Eunuchs and workers to live there and you should have seen the loads of concubine rooms!

And now, The Temple of Heaven-

Yup, I am standing on the Royal Stairs and inside the temple, there are 12 stone cows set up for the sacrifice rituals.  Yikes, good thing for me anyways, there hasn’t been an Emperor since 1911, which marks the 100th Anniversary.  Interesting enough,

the anniversary for the 90th year of Communism was also celebrated in 2011.  In, 1921, the Communist Party was founded in Shanghai.

All in all, the rich culture of China is long lasting and slowly changing.  The oppression and the SMOG are still very thick.  God is way bigger than this and does protect His Chosen ones.  Ps. 10:17 -O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted.  You will strengthen their heart and you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed so that the man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Rereading this makes me think:  hmmm…This very verse might have parallels to my own nation.  God, your mercy is unfailing and unending.  Have mercy on us all…

On another note, I was totally impressed the artistic roof tops and tiles….

                            Can you see the Great Wall at the top?

Summer Palace

and some Panda’s for the Kung Fu Westerners!  I couldn’t help but try a little Kung Fu!

How random, there was a wedding in our restaurant and I didn’t offend anyone by crashing it!  Red means happiness so all brides wear red!

I unexpectedly got to hang out with some special friends from the USA!

  We found some snack foods! Packaged Chicken Feet and

Sausgae Lollipops…… Did I or Didn’t I? Na…Heard they were quite tasty though.

Then we had old men bicycling us around in rick shaws.  We were hoping he was going to make it!

My twin and flat mate riding in the Rickshaws in the Hutuongs!

And we did eat some amazing authentic Chinese food and western food!

                                 Peking Duck in Beijing!  The best!

And as usual, this trip was with wonderful people and being teachers, we ran to the School House to eat lunch!  Thanks to my good friend Candace from So. Fla and Seoul for hooking me up with sweetness in China!  A great trip had by all!

School in Full Swing!

My Sweet Mama eating her favorite…Hot Dog from Sams!

I can’t believe we have finished 18 days of school with kids…It seems just like yesterday I was stepping off a Korean Airlines plane and onto Korea soil.  Before I left Mississippi, my mom decides to schedule all of her doctors appointments when I am there so I can take her!  I was happy to do it especially because I see it as an opportunity to make memories with her.  Since then, she has had many tests run on her back and now has her third back surgery scheduled for next Thursday.  It seems with all the osteo stuff and degenerative disk disease, two more of her vertebrates are shot.  Her words verbatim and there is only a 50/50 chance of pain reduction.  I would greatly appreciate your prayers during this time especially since my next visit home isn’t until Christmas.  Also, my contract renewal at school is up and I’m pretty sure where God is leading me but I plan to post at a later date…Korean Thanksgiving is here upon us and I am traveling to China maybe even get to see some friends who are visiting there Florida.  Below are pics of me and my kids at school.  Hope you enjoy!! Hugs and Kisses

Seoul sunset from my apartment building roof top..you have to catch it while the sky is clear!

Center Time in my class-it was blue day!

Practicing our poem and Green Day

Yellow Day and Center Time Outside our class

These girls love to take pictures!

More Blue Day and Center Time

King Fu Panda Noodles...China here I Come

Pre China Trip Planning at my house!

Kimchi Che Gae

Sunset in Seoul from my rooftop

I love Freedom!

First summer stop-SWEET HOME SOUTH FLORIDA!!

I got this term because Sweet Home Alabama is my favorite movie because it reminds me of my home culture with lots of comfort.  I even saw a Sweet Home Alabama license plate in Louisiana which made me smile.

Then I touched down in Ft. Lauderdale and I just breathed in some of my favorite air in the world.  It was great to reconnect and experience homeland freedom and spiritual freedom with my beloved Harbour Church family, my sister, Lisa and Ocean Boulevard family, my Key West family and one of my new expat Seoul families and Louisiana families.   With each “family”, God reminded me of some the most precious and freeing times in my life in the sunny state that I love so dearly.  These times were all because God loves me so much that He allowed many Jesus love encounters of rainbows, beach treasures, prayers and dreams and visions.  The purest love I have ever experienced that I can’t explain it. I even got to experience my 1st South Florida Fourth of July Parade and I had lived there for 5 years!  Crazy right.  It was a sweet time for sure! South Florida, I will love thee forever and my friends there..xoxoxo

                                                             I HEART THE KEYS!

                                                                 SoFl Iguana

                                                  Ft. Lauderale Beach and Port Everglades

                                                                        Sister Time!

Next Stop–SWEET HOME MISSISSIPPI

                                                         Mighty Mississippi River in Louisiana

There is nothing like leaving an a/c building and walking out into the stifling hot, take your breath away, I can hardly breath humidity of south Louisiana…I love it!  First things first, stopping at Sonic and getting a Route 44 cup full of crushed ice…yummy!

Then home to Mississippi to hang out with my parents and their fun dog Sam!  It is great quality time where I call it the place to detox from the world because of limited internet service and cell service.  And of course, good food, clean air and quiet times!

                   In Mississippi, the rooftop of the barn and the newest addition…Crepe Myrtles

                                             Mississippi State Flower….The Magnolia

The Mighty Mississippi River in Natchez, Ms.. Can you believe some areas reached 20 miles wide during the flood this past spring…wow…

                                                 And….my parent’s funny dog Sam

Also, I know that time with my parents is short in many ways.  One because I have to go back to work and two because they are a little elderly and are starting to have some physical troubles like back problems and not being able to walk much.  More so my mom than my dad.  He does pretty good and still drives the tractor and doing farm work a lot…Needless to say, there are many things I am pondering about concerning their future and mine.  Please pray for strength for them to endure the pain and finish the race!  As well as my decision for my next assignment from God!!  I am looking forward to my new school year, which I leave Thursday to go back to Korea. I am also excited to see what God has up His sleeve for me.  I am hoping for some witty adventures!!  Until next time…..