So What's Next...?

Over the last few months, I have had a few people ask me this question. I haven't taken the time to answer very many of them individually, and so I thought I'd simply answer the question as a post on here.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure about everything coming up in my future, but I do have some simple plans and that is what I intend to share with you.

First of all, I want to finish well my time in Korea. This has become my home in so many ways, and I often have mixed feelings over leaving it. The only thing that allows me to continue saying good-bye and facing the details of going is the assurance somewhere deep down that it truly is time to go, that my season here is ending.

Secondly, I plan to be in Texas sometime in mid-June. I don't have exact dates - one of those details of leaving that I haven't finished yet - but that is the time-frame I am aiming for.

Once I am there, my intention is to spend the next six months or so focusing on spending time with family and friends, and resting. I will also be using that time to look for God to reveal what's next in His plan for me. I have some ideas that I need to research and pray about, but He has not given me anything solid as an answer to this point.

On a side note, if you are one of those who has asked about my plans for this summer, the answer is probably yes - I would love to see you when I get back to the States. I simply haven't been able yet to face making plans for the summer when some days it's all I can do to think about leaving Korea. My mind doesn't get much past the end of school these days.

I know that as an answer, this is still rather vague. But honestly, my life is somewhat "vague" at the moment, with just enough light to see the next step. I'm learning to live with it, to be content in the present and not worry about the future, but it's difficult to explain it to others in a way that feels satisfactory. So I ask for your patience and understanding, and that you would pray with me and for me. And I really am looking forward to seeing many of you in the very near-future!

Spring Break 2010

Here, finally, is the promised post with pictures from Kenya. Just a brief overview of the time I spent there, and then you can peruse the photos.
I arrived Sunday afternoon. We went straightaway to a market where I was introduced to Kenyan bargaining.
Monday was a lazy day spent recovering from the flight, enjoying local coffee and seeing giraffes at the nearby Giraffe Centre.
Tuesday, I has the opportunity to spend time at a local ministry for disabled children from the slums. I got to play with the kids as well as "help" their mothers make jewelry to sell. Here is a link if you're interested in finding out more about this incredible ministry:
www.heshimachildrenscenterkenya.wordpress.com
Wednesday was spent at West Nairobi School and Thursday was a trip to Kibera, one of the largest slums in the world. 600 acres of poverty. We spent two or three hours walking around with our guides and ate lunch at a local hotel (cafe).
My last day was Friday. Aftan and I drove out to a game park and spent the morning searching for wildlife before she took me to the airport and I headed back to Korea.

Now for some visual highlights! Enjoy....


Pictures of the Giraffe Centre and Karen Blixen's house (of "Out of Africa" fame).





A couple of pictures from West Nairobi school....




Kibera: pictures of the acres of houses, our guides, Leslie and Moses, a daycare and some government-housing that we were able to see. We also got to go inside Moses' house, but I don't have pictures of that....







Just a few of the animals we saw on Friday at the game park. We saw lots of giraffes, some water buffalo, ostriches, deer and lots of birds....

February and March and Now....

Just a quick overview of the last couple of months:

February gave us some snow days and then some days with snow that we couldn't take off from school because we'd already used our built-in snow days. Basketball finished up and soccer began. We began hiring teachers for next year, as well.

March was rainy and cold for the most part with a few beautiful, sunny days thrown in to tease us into thinking that spring was on its way. The month literally flew by and we are already in April, on Spring Break this week. In school certification news, the city of Pyongtaek approved our proposal, which means that we are certain the certificate will be following - hopefully, soon. We have hired about half the new teachers we need for next year.

This week, I am in Kenya visiting a friend and former co-worker. She and her husband work at our sister school here, teaching PE and high school math, respectively. I'm currently sitting in Aftan's new office, taking advantage of their new fiber-optic internet that was put in over spring break. Their campus is beautiful, with flowers and trees and shrubs everywhere. I'll be sure to post pictures of my visit here at a later date....

Please continue to pray for us and the certification process, that the government would continue to work with us and that we would have all the necessary paperwork for next year. Also, pray that we will finish out this year well as April and May are always busy and it's easy to lose focus on what is truly important.

Blessings to all of you!