Teaching is not a cake walk!

What is the hardest thing about my life in Korea? That's a question I was recently posed by my friend David. I had to think about it for a minute. It's not the language, although that is an obstacle to communication, I find so much joy in listening to it and learning it on a daily basis. (Not to mention, in the USA one will very rarely come across an advertisement as entertaining as the one in the picture below--all thanks to the fact that English is not the native language of Korea!)

It's not the food, although that is certainly a challenge at night when I have to come up with something to cook or buy that will fill my stomach and not completely burn my mouth off (Korean food is very hot at times!). But right there is even more motivation to learn the language, so again, I can't complain!

Neither has the hardest part been finding encouraging friends--God has placed so many people in my life already who have been a blessing and whom I have had the opportunity to bless. Just the other day, I had to take the bus home from school because the teacher who normally gives me a ride home had to go somewhere else that day. At first, I was very upset at the thought of spending 45 minutes on a slow-moving bus over about 200 speed bumps all the way home (in Korea, all the roads that are not freeways are littered with speed bumps, or so it seems,--hence: lots of slowing down and speeding up providing a good workout for your breaks and your shocks). But, I knew God had put me in that place for a reason and that He would provide me an opportunity to be a blessing. And He did! I can't really explain it, but I had a couple short interactions with some of the other passengers on the bus which turned out to be a blessing for both them and for me. It's funny how so many times we try to be a blessing in the life of another and it turns out they are the blessing in our life. The key is to have one's mind on Christ and His perfect love for us. Only then can we come close to seeing the world as God does.

Galatians 2:20:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

No, none of the above things have been terribly difficult. I think the most difficult thing I have had to do is simply teaching the children at my school. Not just teaching them, but finding a balance between motivation, entertainment, and educational-benefit. Again, the Lord is the only One who knows the best way to teach these children and I am trusting Him to guide me in my decisions regarding their learning. Be that as it may, I need your prayers. All of my teacher friends out there will most certainly understand the plea of a first-year teacher---but most of you majored in education! It is a challenge. But it is a welcome challenge and a healthy challenge for which I am thankful. You might think I have a good attitude about it and I guess I do most of the time. But I also (usually) know when I need prayer in a certain area of my life. And this is one of them.