WOOT - it snowed - FINALLY!

I know it's New Year's Eve here, and I should post something about how great this last year was, and how I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in '08, but this blog is really James' thing, so I will let him do that. I do, however, want to share my overflowing joy at the fact that it has been snowing for over two days now. James is a snow scrooge and if he mentions that it's snowing, he is sure not to be happy about it, so I am writing to say that Abby and I are most happy about the arrival of snow.

Our Christmas in Seoul

So just in case the previous video wasn't long enough, here is our Christmas week in Seoul, for your viewing pleasure. We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a very blessed New Year.

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary

8/19/02 to 8/19/07, the best five years of my life, so far!

Korean Restaurants

The principal and staff of the local elementary school took me out to lunch today. I've been filling-in as their English teacher for their summer term and they wanted to say thanks. We went to a little restaurant (they're ALL little) that I had walked past several times but had never been into. It was delicious! Apart from the 12 side-dishes and the ubiquitous kimchi, we had Galbi (beef short-ribs, heavily marinated, that you cook yourself on a grill that is embedded in the table) and Naengmyun (a partially frozen noodle soup). They tasted fantastic and the soup was very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Happy 4th of July

Ha Ha

You Are 92% Republican

You are a card carrying Republican, and a pretty far right one at that! There's no chance anyone would ever mistake you for a Democrat.

How Republican Are You?

Deoksan

In the mornings, Tue-Fri, I've started teaching for an hour at an elementary school in the neighboring town of Deoksan (or 덕산). It's really nice, the teachers and staff treat me like a dignitary and the place seems very efficiently run. I enjoy the break from Sabkyo (삽교) but getting up early to get there isn't fun! =)
On my first day there, I was waiting in the teachers lounge when a lady came in with her son. She sat down facing me and said, "You are very handsome. I think you can teach my son English. I will pay you. I need your phone number." Apparently in Korea if a person is 'handsome' that also means they possess not only an ample command of the English tongue, but also an acceptable pedagogical style to instruct small children. Maybe they think 'handsome' means 'well put together' or 'appears capable'.
All but one of the teachers that I work with at the Deoksan school are male. The one who is female teaches third grade and I have her class on Thursdays. She has a good class. The kids are bright and eager to learn. On my ride home, I asked the school caretaker what the female teacher's name was. (I'm bad at remembering names and wanted to write it down.) He told me her name and then shockingly stated, "She is a virgin." I thought I had misheard him, after all who says that kind of thing about a colleague, so I said "she's a what?" He replied, "a virgin." Did he mean what I think he meant, or did he mean 'young' or 'single' or even 'Catholic.' I just don't know.
-JNP

Graduation

Well graduation has rolled around again. But this year is special. "Our" youth group is graduating this year. Some of you we called and it was wonderful talking with you. Some of you we couldn't get a hold of, but you are still in our hearts. We want you all to know that we love and miss you all. We are sooooo proud of you guys. You are still and always will be in our thoughts and prayers. God bless all of you in all your new adventures. Our advice to you-well my advice to you is remember to let God be in control-but realize that He does have a sense of humor. James' advice is to memorize your roommate's student ID number. Sara and Alexa-don't do that.
Lots of love
Beth and James

New Photo Album

Easier than having photos invade your inbox, we now have a album you can look at anytime. Just check out the links section on the right and click on "photos"
-JNP

Salsa

So this week in one of my classes we had a unit on music of the world. I would try to explain the different musical genres by acting them out and trying to give the class a feel for the style. We did opera, jazz, rap and country. Then we got to salsa. I said:
"SALSA can get really hot and steamy! It's exciting! for SALSA dancing you hold your partner really close and you move like this;" (execute intricate salsa-like move with a spin). "SALSA is like being in a bullfight. SALSA makes your whole body twist and turn and sweat! SALSA. . . what's the matter with you guys?"
The whole class is rolling on the floor with laughter. I'm not that great of a comedian and they didn't laugh like this at the other musical demonstrations, so I ask, "what is so funny?"
"Teacher," one of the kids chokes out, "salsa is Korean for poo-poo. WATER poo-poo!" Another teacher looked it up in a Korean phrasebook and sure enough salsa=diarrhea.
It really makes me wonder what else I've said wrong.

Phone Booth

The Korean people, as a rule, are neither large nor tall people. I am, in fact, the tallest man in town. So why would it be necessary to have a phone booth large enough to accommodate Andre the Giant. I'll let you be the judge.

Because they're just dead.

In Sabkyo, there seem to be a disproportionate number of old women (65+) to old men. For every elderly man you see there are at least 7 women. What's even more puzzling about this is that about a third of the old women have severe rickets, a vitamin deficiency which bows the spine, and none of the old men have it. So I asked my high-school class why there are so many more old women than old men and they said, "Because they're dead."
"Yes," I said, "I know they're dead, but why?" They held a short discussion in Korean and came to the philosophical conclusion, "Because they're just dead."

Flying Yogurt

A learning experience in Korean discipline:
OK, so one of my classes has some real troublemakers. Yesterday the ringleader of the group threw a full, liquid yogurt at my head. It missed and splattered spectacularly on my white-board, floor, wall etc. So I sent him without ceremony to the director's office. When class dismissed I carried the backpack that he had left to the director. I found the two of them alone in the auditorium. The student was standing stock-still with his hands held out, palms up, in front of him, tears rolling down his face. The director was standing to the left of him holding a cane. He told me; "Umm uh, I call his mother. . . Uhhh. . . she say to me that he is very bad boy. Umm. . . He bad at school all day and . . . Uhh. . . he come here and bad every day.. Mmmm. . . mother said ok to hit him." I didn't know what to do. I sat down his bag and left the room.
Today he showed up for class, gave me some apple candy, and apologized. He acted better than usual, though still not great. We'll see if it lasts, although I don't know if I can bear to send him there again.
-JNP

Posting from Korea

Well,
It has been WAY too long since I've updated and I apologize, but I do have a couple of excuses. (excuse #1) - this website and the page that I use to update the blog were written in korean. I guess the site can tell where we are and use the local language. I fixed that today. (excuse #2) the first two weeks we were here, we had no internet connection and couldn't do anything online. Korea is BEAUTIFUL! We love working with the kids and are adjusting to the culture.
Okay, excuses done I hope to update on a more regular basis. Our hope is to update at least weekly with day-to-day events and cultural differences as we find them. It'll be fun!
Lots of Love
-James, Beth and Abby

Ready to go!

Praise God for taking care of all of our needs! All we have left to do is clean the house (yuck) and get on the plane. We're leaving on Thursday the 22nd at 12:10 pm. Pray for us as a 14 1/2 hour flight with a one-year-old could be challenging.

Focus on Korea

As you may have already heard, Beth and I have recently accepted positions as missionaries in South Korea. We will be teaching English at the Wesley Missionary School and helping Korean kids to share their faith in the international languages of English and love.

This is a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to give of ourselves from the blessings God has given to us. It is also a huge step of faith. The school is providing us with housing and a monthly stipend to take care of our needs once we arrive, so we don’t need to raise monthly support, but we do need your help before we go. Here is our list of needs:

• Three plane tickets to Seoul, South Korea (estimated total $2700.00)
• One medium sized dog crate
• Money for three visas (estimated total $200.00)
• Two expedited passports (total $300.00)
• A foster home for Stella (a very well-behaved, very sweet, spayed, lab/golden mix)
• One or two LARGE suitcases
• Medium and large boxes for packing
• Storage space or money for rental of storage (estimated $500.00) for one year
• Vaccination costs and quarantine fees (estimated total $300.00)
• Lots of Prayer!!!!

We ask that you pray with us that these needs will be met and, if you are able, to please give generously to allow God to use us to reach the children of Korea. As with any mission work, the ongoing support that we receive through your prayers is the most important way that you can help. We are very excited and looking forward to this new opportunity for God to show us his wondrous love.

wesley mission school

check it out

http://www.wesleymission.yurx.com

Best Smile Ever

Auld Lang. . .whatever

A new blog for a new year, but why? Am I so egotistical as to believe that people really want to read my senseless ramblings? . . .maybe. In any case, the rambling begins here.

Do you ever feel stuck in a rut? Like your life was supposed to be something or mean something but you just got held-up along the way? 2006 really sucked. At the end of it I sit here as a 29 year old, former youth minister, still stuck in a low-paying dead-end job, still stuck in Denton, still stuck with the same frustations and stresses as last year, still just stuck. I used to tell the youth group that God had amazing and wonderful plans for their lives but I find myself doubting that those plans might ever apply to me. And with doubt comes confusion and disruption until you find yourself in a downward spiral of despair and depression.
I don't want to give the wrong impression, the content of my life is wonderful, it's the direction (or lack of direction) that's the problem. I have a beautiful, loving, supportive wife who I am absolutely in love with and a brilliant, adorable daughter who lights up the room when she walks in. It's not the people or the stuff or the ways that God provides for me. I have more blessings than I could ever count, but I can't escape the feeling that I am supposed to do more than just sit and wait.
SO . . . I am a man in search of a purpose, a direction, an outlet, a ministry. I need to be re-directed into something meaningful, even if it's small.
If you find it, let me know.