Pictures of this summer and my one year anniversary!

Back row: Me, Sun Hwa (my Korean TA), Cindy (Chinese TA) and Megan

Front row: Logan, Justin (Korean), Keli, Sadie (Chinese), Esther (Dutch)

Not Pictured: Sally and Jason (both are Korean)

Celebrating my 1 year anniversary!

From left to right: Rochelle, Kari (my roomie), me, and Jennifer (my close Chinese friend)

Inner Mongolia

This is a yurt

Me and My girls

Vietnam: Ha Long Bay

New Update

Yes it's been a long time since I've posted something and I first want to apologize for that.

As you all know I'm in Tianjin, China teaching at Tianjin International School and teaching 3-4 year olds.

I've been here now for 7 months now. Time has flown by.  I have 9 wonderful, cute students who brighten my day and bring me joy.  I had to see one go. His name was Jason. Jason was the boy that was full of life and just added to the class. It was so hard to see him go, but I'm so thankful that he'll be going to another ISC school in China.  I've gotten another student. She's Chinese but has an American passport. Her name is Sadie. She doesn't know any English. But I have two TAs who know Chinese :) My students have really accepted her and even though they don't know any Chinese they still want to help her :) Oh another student I forgot to mention that came before Sadie, his name is Jae-Hun (pronounced: Jay-hoon). He's Korean. The liveliest boy and a very sweet boy too.  When Sadie came, he was taking her hand and telling her to sit down in English, but saying it so she would understand, then he would take her hand and show her the motions to the song we were singing. I didn't tell him to do that, he did it on his own. That whole day I could see that he wanted to help her.

                                             Jason-the student who left

                                              Jae-Hun 

                           

Each of my students have grown a lot these 7 months I've been here. They don't need any more translation, only when needed. They are understanding more each day. And each day I look forward teaching them. My TAs, Cindy and Sun Hwa are a huge help in the class. Cindy is Chinese and Sun Hwa is Korean. I don't know what I would without them.

Besides teaching I've been enjoying getting to know China, hanging out with people and making friends. During spring break I went to Guilin. It's in the south part of China. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. So green and fresh air. I also have a small fury friend who I come home to every day and just makes living alone a whole lot better. His name is Tramp, from Lady and the Tramp. I found him out near the school. He was alone and shivering so I took him home and gave him food and a home. I gave him the shots . His face looks so much like Tramp from the movie and he was a stray too so I had to give him that name  He's  a lively one and I love him:) 

                                                      Tramp

That's just a little up date on me :)

Some Pictures of my favorite little people :)

                                               Sam and Brian

                                                    Yeji and Soo

                      My five boys!!! Tom, Moses, Eric, Joseph and Samuel

                                    
                               Brad and Soo (my little trouble makers that I do miss :))

                                           Becky and Claire

                Soo, Becky, Yeji, Sam and Thomas (my class the second semester)

                                  Yeji and Sally (one of my favorite pictures)

                                                       Becky and Thomas

       
                                       

                               Scott, Alex, James and Sarah on graduation day!

                                    Jay and Joseph: two of my students!!!

Now about China

Hey there, again!!!

I know all of you are wondering about China so here is the scoop.

After I had started to write the last post, I didn't get to finish. But that same day I got accepted!!!! I was supposed to leave on the 28th of September but that didn't happen. 

You are probably wondering why. It's a little complicated but basically they needed all my paper work, so I sent all of that to the head quarters then they send it to the school and they do all that for me. When all that is done then I can work on my visa.  It takes China about 2 weeks and then my visa.  Last week was a holiday in China so they will start it this week. So I will probably be leaving at the end of this month!! 

To be very honest I'm so glad. I don't feel rushed, I get to spend more time with my family and see the people I want to see.

Written September 12,2008

My Dear family and friends,

Sorry it's taken so long to update my blog.  I have been meaning to but it's been kind of hectic for the past 2 weeks.

UPDATE:

I finished my one year contract in South Korea last week Monday and left last week Thursday.  It was a long plane ride "home".  I'm trying to get over jet lag.  It's been getting better:)  I'm visiting my sister here at CIU (Columbia International University in South Carolina, my Alma Mater) this weekend. Next weekend I'll be visiting Grandma Seavey in New Hampshire.  It's been nice to see my family and spend time with them and seeing friends.

As for China: The school now has my test results (I took a psychological test 2 weeks ago as my last thing I needed to do). Now they are deciding.  So far as planned, I'm leaving to China on the 28th of this month. But what is hard is, since I haven't heard the "yes" I cannot get my visa, start getting things ready or start packing.  This is very hard because I want to do all of these but I can't.  I don't want to spend a lot of money and then not get accepted.  So if you can please pray that I will hear back really soon.  I don't have much time and it's coming up fast.  Pray that I will keep my head high and find my peace in the Lord.  As I've said before, waiting is not something I like very much.  But with this whole China thing I've had this incredible peace about it.  I'm not going crazy as I usually do.  I know that this whole China thing is from God alone and he has something huge.  I cannot back down now and He's shown me a lot. But it is still hard not knowing the real answer.

I still cannot believe that a year went by. In some ways it went fast and in other ways it went slow.  As I look back at my year in Korea, I see now how God put it all together.  It was fast. God has shown me that "impossible" is not in his vocabulary.  When ever we think something is impossible, God can make that something impossible into something possible.  God taught me a lot about myself; as a teacher, a woman and his child.  I have yet far to go, but Korea grew me in every way possible.  Teaching was very challenging but it's what I needed. I learned and grew so much just in one year. My relationship with God, I felt it grew.  Living alone was not bad as I thought it was going to be.  During the alone times, that's when I felt closer to God. Yes it was still hard not having someone else with me but God was.  I still have far to go in my relationship with God but it's growing. And last but not least I've learned that God has a reason for everything in our lives. We may not know it but there is.  He may have already shown you or he's working right now.  There are times when I ask myself "why Korea?"  I really don't know. But one thing I know.  Going to Korea has prepared me to go teach in China. In the school 65% of the students are Korean!  There are probably more reasons why God chose Korea but he hasn't shown me that yet. It's just amazing how God works!

Something I want to share with you:

Since 9th grade I've wanted to serve God overseas. Since my senior year of high school I wanted to be a Missionary Teacher.  I knew that when I graduated from College that I'd have to put my dream/goal on hold.  Usually schools overseas want at least 2 years of teaching experience so I knew that I couldn't do that right away as much as I wanted to.  But God in his awesome ways he showed me that anything, I mean anything is possible if we just trust him. Wow!  I had been struggling with.......

Continued October 6th 2008

...... letting go of something in my life.  I knew that I needed to fully give it up but I knew if I did just that, God would take away something else.  I know God doesn't deliberately take away something.  He takes away something but then gives us something better.  But it was so hard to do just that.  I was doing this Bible study by Beth Moore. She had been talking about God being our provider.  At t he end of each lesson she would have a personal response and this time she said something like "do you trust that God is your provider?" To be honest I couldn't say yes  and I wanted to.  I wanted to finish the lesson and truly mean it.  So I stopped and talked and prayed to God about it.  It took awhile but I finally came to the realization that it was time for me to give it all up to him.  And when that happened I felt different. Then God started to do something amazing in me.  It was like his test to me, in a good way.

I said earlier that I wanted to be a missionary teacher, teaching overseas. Well  my dream came true.  Within a week I had decided to go to Korea to teach.  This happened, mind you, a 3 to a month later after this bible study. My best friend and her husband had come down to visit for a week and that's when I heard about Korea. It sounded like a great opportunity.  I will never forget what her husband said to me (after I had said "oh that sounds like fun"), he turns around and says "come with us Bethany". Ever since then, Korea was in my mind.  I really wanted to go but I had already had this job offer and it was a great job too.  I didn't know which to choose. After talking to my parents, they encouraged me to go toward one door and if that door closes you know that the other was meant to be.  I have a hard time when God gives you two doors that are open.  I need either or.  But it was God's way of saying "Here Bethany, I give you two great opportunities and I will back you up. I want you to choose and trust me".  It was his ultimate test of trust.  So I went toward the one that I really wanted to do, Korea. I had no idea what I was doing, but I stepped out in faith and to be very honest, it felt so good. To be in that place not knowing, but knowing that you had given it all to God was great!

So for a year I was teaching overseas. Didn't even know that I'd be doing that right after college. My time in Korea, I don't know where to begin. It was amazing. I learned a lot, met some wonderful people and most of all I grew so much in every way.  

When I think back on how Korea all started it's just amazing to me.  See the thing that I was struggling with, was going back to Peru.  I hadn't been back in 5 years and I really wanted to go. But if I had gone, Korea wouldn't have happened. If I had gone back to the summer camp I was a counselor at, Korea wouldn't have happened. My parents were in NH with my grandmother who had fallen, my sister was in SC, my brother was visiting his girlfriend and my little brother was somewhere. So it was just me. It was the right time for God to work in me, to really get my attention.  I am just in awe on how Korea worked. It was a God-thing!!!

Again I'm sorry this took awhile!!

I just wanted to share something with you all. Something that happened yesterday.Most of you know that my contract here in Korea is coming to an end and I have applied to International Schools of China. I had my interview a month ago and now I had been waiting to hear about what the schools said. I'm not too keen on waiting, especially for a long time. I know that's when God grows us and teaches us many things while we wait.
I had sent an email last week asking when I would hear something. They still didn't know when but they would let me know ASAP when they heard something. Yesterday while I was on my break, I checked my email and I got an email from the school in China. He wanted to talk to me about the teaching position. So last night I talked with him. Let's just say it went well and just really good. I don't even know where to begin. After I got off the phone, and as I was thinking all about it I'm just happy, excited. But also, I'm overwhelmed (in a good way) by it all. God was totally in the converstation. It was as though He were speaking to me, reminding me that I am His child and that He is taking care of me. It was though He were saying, "Here I'm giving you this, this is what you need".
You are pobably wondering what that is. Well there are three things that the principal told me that are just WOW things and I didn't know posible.

1) After Korea and if I got the job in China, I thought I would have to go right away not having a break in between. As I thought about it, it would have been nice to go home, but if China wanted me, really needed me I would go. We talked about this and the guy told me that he was just worried that if I came straight to China with no break, I would come burned out. So he told me I could go home and then come to China. I would have to anyway for visa stuff. At the end, I asked him "if I were to get this job, when would you want me?" He said, "Go home for about 3-4 weeks (basically a month), get rested, see family, visa". As he said that, I about died. I had no idea that was possible. I get to go home first!!

2)What I will be doing: working with 3 year-old kindys, half day and then helping out the kindergarten teachers in the afternoon. That's what I did when I did my student teaching! When he said half day you have no idea what that did to me. I have been working 9:30-6:20 every day for 12 months. I have no summer break. Well I do but only a week. That's the longest vacation I get.

3) He told me that if I wanted to go and check the school out and things I could do that too!!! It sounded like I could come a few weeks early to get settled and check it out.

After we talked, I just sat for awhile, so excited and thinking about all of it. I was just in shock, and all I could say was WOW!!! I'm like, "really God?!" This has been a dream of mine since I heard about these schools. And now it's almost happening. For me to go home first, didn't know that was possible, half day teaching. I really don't deserve it at all. But you know, God loves his children and He takes good care of us and wants the best for us. I am his child, and I know for a fact he is taking care of me. He knows how hard I work and it was as though he were saying, "Bethany, you need a break. Go home and relax get the rest you need, then come back". I don't know, I'm overwhelmed by it all, in a good way. I'm reminded that He does take care of us and that when we trust him, anything, I mean, anything is possible with him. Impossible is not in God's vocabulary. I didn't know that going home would be possible, but God reminded me of that.So just wanted to share that with you. I'm doing great. And all I can say is WOW!! I'm still in shock :) Thanks for all your prayers!!!

Proverbs 3:5,6 (My favorite verse)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 (English Standard Version)
For thus says the Lord, "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promice and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for eveil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Pslam 37:4-7 (ESV)
Delight* yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act. He will bring forth righteouness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
*Delight means: to have great pleasure,take pleasur, satisfaction or enjoyment to, please highly, something that gives great pleasure

Matthew 6:25-
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat? or What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

These are some verses that really have spoken to me over the years and have been a reminder to me as I think about last night.

Waiting

Sorry it's been awhile since I've last written. I've been trying to do my best in keeping you all updated and it's hard.

I know I had said earlier that I had to make some decisions about next year. Well I told my school that I will not be signing on for another year. Why? Well it's not because I don't like my school, it's not because I don't like my kids; I love the school and I love my students. They are giving me more than I thought they would, but the one thing they aren't giving me is less hours. I've thought about this long and hard and it wasn't easy. Yes I could do it for another year, I have that ability. But God wants us to take care of our bodies and to be very honest I'm burned out. I've gotten sick so many times (I never get sick), I have no energy left, and I need a break. I work long hours every day for 12 months. I just cannot do that to myself. I have a whole life to serve God. So what is next then? Well I don't know if I said this last time but I'm applying to the International Schools of China. I sent everything, had my phone interview. Now I'm just waiting to hear back. I've always wanted to go to China after I heard about these schools. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I don't know if I will get it or not but I do know that China will happen. God has been showing me things, in random ways. He's also shown me to just be patient. I'm not a patient person when it comes to these things. I want to know right away. But we can't rush God.
So if China doesn't work out then what? That is a good question. I have written to schools in North Carolina but only heard back no. I haven't heard back from some yet. If I hear back and all of them say no, what I might do is apply to be a substitute and while I'm doing that start looking for the spring. I do want to take it easy but I do want to have some type of job:) Then I've also thought about coming back to Korea. My friend said public schools are better. So I may do that. These are just thoughts that I've been thinking about but don't know yet.

Pray as I just look to God and wait on Him and trust Him. Pray for my plans next if I China doesn't happen this time. Pray that God will show me what He wants, not what I want.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. Love you all!!
God bless!!