This is for my wife Charity.
I should have had this up two days ago, but some activities took my attention away. I hope you will forgive me.
Charity,
Can you believe how much our lives have changed in the last 2 years? We were married, we moved to new jobs in a new country, we got a little mongrel puppy...and so many other amazing events to make the last two years memorable.
What an adventure our lives together have been to date. When you sat down next to me in class that day four and a half years ago, I never thought someone like you would ever agree to marry someone like me. Cute, self-confident, friendly, devoted and...did I already say cute?...you were and continue to this day to be wonderfully hard not to love.
Oh and our first date...I was so nervous to ask you out. Funny, I don't remember being that nervous around other girls. But, then again, I never before had so much at stake. Our long talks over equally long walks never seemed to be long enough.
Does it seem like-with the exception of the engagement and wedding- that we never really had those "BIG MOMENTS" in our relationship? I guess I see only two people who have continually moved closer and closer together. So instead of a list of time-stamped events establishing with each check to mark our "coupleness", we have a simple building which reinforces itself a little more each day, building upon a foundation of love and reaching towards the simple goal of complete unity of the "one flesh."
The year between our engagement and marriage seemed at the time to take forever to pass and now seem like it sped by. The day we took that next step of being married wasn't a nervous day for me. I was at peace with everything that day because it was only natural to marry my best friend and that helper made perfectly for me.
It hasn't always been perfect-yes I would at some point have to use that overly cliched sentiment and then continue it with-and it wasn't all a bed of roses, but those trying times have made us what we are. Those times when we have been reminded of our glaring inadequacies and have been made to view sin full in the face, turned out to be also the times when we have patched that part of our relationship in such a way as to make it stronger then it ever was before.
It has been hard and it has been easy. It has been scary and it has been peaceful. It has been full of laughter and it has had some times of sadness. But above all else, it has been my honor and privilege to call you "my girl"...my wife. You are my blessing and my love.
Happy Anniversary Charity Faith!
I look forward to saying that to you every year God allows us through the grace of Jesus to dwell together here below.
Love,
Daniel
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod Touch
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Summer Plans
With summer vacation quickly approaching at school, I thought it would be a good time to let all those who are interested know our summer travel plans.
June 10th we will be heading back to KC from Seoul and should arrive late on the 10th in Kansas City
From the 10th-16th of June we will be recovering from jet-lag and enjoying almost a week in KC.
On the 16th we will be flying to Penn. till the 30th and catching up with all those in Quakertown.
From the 30th of June till the first week of August, we will be in Kansas City.
Our final tour will start the first week of August and take us Greenville, SC for a few days. Then we are going to Alabama to G-pa’s lake house and finally on the 18th heading back to KC to catch our flight out on the 20th.
Summary:
(6/10) – Fly into KC
(6/10-6/16) - KC “recovery from jetlag”
(6/16-6/30) - Penn. Pritt Family visiting
(6/30-First Week of August) - Kansas City and smaller, shorter trips
(First Week of August-8/18) - Greenville,SC; Lake in Alabama
(8/20) - Heading back to Seoul
So for anyone that would like to, we would love to see any friends or family along the way! Talk to you all (and hopefully see some of you all) soon!
Labels:
Contact Info,
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Summer Plans
Sunday, February 14, 2010
What was that?
So I was sitting in my classroom around six a couple of nights ago grading homework and setting up for the next day when what sounded like the largest rice krispy *CRACKLE POP* ever rang out and my laptop screen fluttered and my desk rattled. Funny enoungh, my first thought was earthquake, but with the news in Haiti I just thought I was being paranoid. Dismissing at as well as I could with thoughts that it must be something to do with all the construction going on in the area, I went back to grading and prep.
The next morning, one of the other teachers informed us that there was a minor earthquake and asked if we had felt it. Now it was only about a 3.0 in magnitude or for my California friends "no big deal" but it was my first. I suppose it is yet another thin I can check off my list of experiences. Although, I would have thought most of my experiences would be cultural, I guess you can never really tell.
I am writing this on Friday late afternoon as Charity, our wonderful local guide and I are heading down to 원지 (Wonji) for Lunar New Year weekend rest. If you have read past posts you would know how nice the buses are here and how comfortable the ride is.
Lunar New Year is quite the affair here. Evedently it is customary to bow in respect to your elders and especially showing great honor to your own grandparents. In return, the grandparents give their grandchildren money and gifts for these actions. All in all, it is a very big family holiday and EVERYONE TRAVELS!!!
As I write this, we are stuck in a massive traffic jam. I would guess we are not going to see the end of this four hour trip for another six hours. Traveling in and around Korea is made much nicer by the fact that Korea is relativley small and Seoul is so set in the country that travel can be easily had by many different means from Seoul to almost anywhere.
School has been going well and we are in full swing for the semester. I enjoy the students so much even though I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility I have been given. It is comforting to know that God has put us here for a reason and that He always gives the grace to accomplish what He has given. Still...in my fraility I feel responsible to get the results. I have to often remind myself (more likely it is God reminding me) that it is only my steadfast commitment to serve (something I still need His help to accomplish) and it is His to move and make the result. How sobering!
For those that would, please pray for the school. Nothing in particular really, I just know the day in day out strain that living the high example that is needed by the teachers and administration can be taxing. I have said it many times before, but I will say it again, getting married was a wonderful event, but it also showed me how evil I am at heart. Being a teacher is like being on display or being observed through a microscope. Every flaw and shortcoming is seen. There is a very natural (as in the "natural man") desire to shirk the life of high standards and to live in non-accountability. Also, students today have all the same problems as every other generation before it but they also have more ease and even less accountability today than even five years ago.
I don't consider myself an old man nor do I believe myself to have achieved, but every year that passes leads me to desire His return more and more. I will stand with Paul when he sakes that still desire to remain and fulfill the purpose the God puts before me.
Well, I would continue, but sleep is pulling at a pair of weary eyes and I am afraid sleep will win soon.
More to come.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod Touch.
The next morning, one of the other teachers informed us that there was a minor earthquake and asked if we had felt it. Now it was only about a 3.0 in magnitude or for my California friends "no big deal" but it was my first. I suppose it is yet another thin I can check off my list of experiences. Although, I would have thought most of my experiences would be cultural, I guess you can never really tell.
I am writing this on Friday late afternoon as Charity, our wonderful local guide and I are heading down to 원지 (Wonji) for Lunar New Year weekend rest. If you have read past posts you would know how nice the buses are here and how comfortable the ride is.
Lunar New Year is quite the affair here. Evedently it is customary to bow in respect to your elders and especially showing great honor to your own grandparents. In return, the grandparents give their grandchildren money and gifts for these actions. All in all, it is a very big family holiday and EVERYONE TRAVELS!!!
As I write this, we are stuck in a massive traffic jam. I would guess we are not going to see the end of this four hour trip for another six hours. Traveling in and around Korea is made much nicer by the fact that Korea is relativley small and Seoul is so set in the country that travel can be easily had by many different means from Seoul to almost anywhere.
School has been going well and we are in full swing for the semester. I enjoy the students so much even though I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility I have been given. It is comforting to know that God has put us here for a reason and that He always gives the grace to accomplish what He has given. Still...in my fraility I feel responsible to get the results. I have to often remind myself (more likely it is God reminding me) that it is only my steadfast commitment to serve (something I still need His help to accomplish) and it is His to move and make the result. How sobering!
For those that would, please pray for the school. Nothing in particular really, I just know the day in day out strain that living the high example that is needed by the teachers and administration can be taxing. I have said it many times before, but I will say it again, getting married was a wonderful event, but it also showed me how evil I am at heart. Being a teacher is like being on display or being observed through a microscope. Every flaw and shortcoming is seen. There is a very natural (as in the "natural man") desire to shirk the life of high standards and to live in non-accountability. Also, students today have all the same problems as every other generation before it but they also have more ease and even less accountability today than even five years ago.
I don't consider myself an old man nor do I believe myself to have achieved, but every year that passes leads me to desire His return more and more. I will stand with Paul when he sakes that still desire to remain and fulfill the purpose the God puts before me.
Well, I would continue, but sleep is pulling at a pair of weary eyes and I am afraid sleep will win soon.
More to come.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod Touch.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Shorter posts...and maybe more of them...
Ok, so now that I have an iPod touch I probably will be able to post more often. For instance, it is about 11:16pm and I am posting from bed with Charity asleep next to me.
Topic for tonight is the equivalent to the DMV in Korea. My international driver's license from the US expired on the fifth so I needed to get it renewed or go and get my Korean driver's license. The slightly more permanent option of a Korean license appealed to me so Mr. Goh, one of the other teachers and I set out to obtain these two Americans their local license.
First we had to ride the subway to the Samsung subway stop and walk to our destination about three blocks away. Done.
Then we stood in the first of what would end up being many different lines for the day. This first lady curtly informed us that we would have to get more pictures for the other teacher and that we needed to go to the physical exam. Done.
We took our increasing stack of papers with us from the main building to a low-slung building in the complex and proceeded to take the "physical."
Now this was no run of the mill physical. No way. First, you walk right by the eye exam boards that you will have to stand much further away to read a few characters that a busy Korean woman pointed to with a…pointer scant minutes later. I was little nervous about having to do it Korean but luckily she knew 영오 (English) and I passed simply and quickly.
While I was standing in this line I was lucky enough to take, what I am affectionately calling, the "squat-stand-honk-honk test.". Basically I had to squat down Korean style, stand up and with my hands facing forward at shoulder level had to make a "twinkle-twinkle" with my hand. Hence my name for it: the "squat-stand-honk-honk test."
From there we paid at another line, stood in another to have another document signed off on and on to take our test.
The test consisted of twenty random questions on a computer. I don't know what was worse, the English on the test or the fact that on some questions I only had a vague notion of what the question was asking. For instance, one of the question began "what mind should you have as you approach a cross-street:" and the rest were way worse...
From there we proceeded to the last two lines. The first of which we surrended our American licenses and the last where we were issued our Korean licenses.
In total we only spent…3+ hours in this process from leaving school to returning.
Another one for the memories!
Hope all who read this are doing well and if you are facebook jump on out to charityanddaniel2008.blogspot.com and leave a comment including additions, subtractions and comments about this or any other posts that you might see.
Thanks for reading and as always More to come...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Topic for tonight is the equivalent to the DMV in Korea. My international driver's license from the US expired on the fifth so I needed to get it renewed or go and get my Korean driver's license. The slightly more permanent option of a Korean license appealed to me so Mr. Goh, one of the other teachers and I set out to obtain these two Americans their local license.
First we had to ride the subway to the Samsung subway stop and walk to our destination about three blocks away. Done.
Then we stood in the first of what would end up being many different lines for the day. This first lady curtly informed us that we would have to get more pictures for the other teacher and that we needed to go to the physical exam. Done.
We took our increasing stack of papers with us from the main building to a low-slung building in the complex and proceeded to take the "physical."
Now this was no run of the mill physical. No way. First, you walk right by the eye exam boards that you will have to stand much further away to read a few characters that a busy Korean woman pointed to with a…pointer scant minutes later. I was little nervous about having to do it Korean but luckily she knew 영오 (English) and I passed simply and quickly.
While I was standing in this line I was lucky enough to take, what I am affectionately calling, the "squat-stand-honk-honk test.". Basically I had to squat down Korean style, stand up and with my hands facing forward at shoulder level had to make a "twinkle-twinkle" with my hand. Hence my name for it: the "squat-stand-honk-honk test."
From there we paid at another line, stood in another to have another document signed off on and on to take our test.
The test consisted of twenty random questions on a computer. I don't know what was worse, the English on the test or the fact that on some questions I only had a vague notion of what the question was asking. For instance, one of the question began "what mind should you have as you approach a cross-street:" and the rest were way worse...
From there we proceeded to the last two lines. The first of which we surrended our American licenses and the last where we were issued our Korean licenses.
In total we only spent…3+ hours in this process from leaving school to returning.
Another one for the memories!
Hope all who read this are doing well and if you are facebook jump on out to charityanddaniel2008.blogspot.com and leave a comment including additions, subtractions and comments about this or any other posts that you might see.
Thanks for reading and as always More to come...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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iPod bongcheon
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Hi I know it has been awhile…
One year later we sit looking both forward and backwards (don't worry, not at the same time… that would be painful) and realize that God has been good to us this past year.
We have enjoyed our students immensly, we travelled around Korea and out the Philippines and back. We added to our household through a little dog Mia, gained new friends and experienced untold new things. We lost a bit of money through a robbery and all our debt through some hard work and God's grace.
I have grown closer to my wife and to my God.
We have enjoyed new foods and new favorite dishes.
All in all it has been a great year and it will be fun to see where this year will take us in location, spiritual walk and mental knowledge.
Love to all and have a wonderful new year from Charity and Daniel
As always “More to come”
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