In about 12 hours, I’ll be getting on a plane to Korea. This is the moment I’ve been preparing for for almost 2 years. I just can’t believe it’s finally happening! (I also can’t believe I’m already packed! A definite 1st)

As most of you know, I’ll be teaching at a VBS and then an English camp for Suwon Central Baptist Church. It’s the same trip I took last summer, but I think it will be just a bit different this time. Before the VBS and camp, we will have the opportunity to teach at Gracie’s school for a one day English camp. I’m so looking forward to seeing the school I’ve heard so much about. I think I might get to meet Gracie’s family while I’m there. Can’t wait to meet them!

After my responsibilities are over with the English camp, I’ll be traveling to Japan for my work visa and then back to Korea to teach at Central Christian Academy for two years.

Our camp last year was held at this school so I already know one or two things about it. I know that it is one of the best schools in Korea and I feel both blessed and unworthy to be there. I’m truly thankful for the opportunity. I’m not sure what grade level I will be teaching yet, but it really doesn’t matter. I’m just happy to be there.

I’m mainly just happy to be back in Korea. In some ways it feels like just yesterday when I was there but in other ways it seems like a million years ago. I am sad to leave Dallas, but I think the Lord has been preparing me for the last couple of months and helping me to let go.

As usual, I do have a couple prayer requests.

~traveling mercies for our team. We have a direct flight from Dallas to Seoul so that will definitely help, but we sure have a lot of teaching supplies that need to arrive safely in order for us to function as effective teachers. Please pray for safety and no lost luggage

~Unity for us all. No matter how well we get along here, it’s always a struggle in the stressful circumstances that are surely waiting for us.

~That God would even now be preparing the hearts of the many children we will be ministering to. We have so many chances to be the light of the world for these children. Please pray that we will shine as God intended us to and that it will be Him that shines and not ourselves.

~For my Visa. Please pray that everything will go smoothly and my work visa will be quickly approved. I have to leave the country and go to Japan for a few days to process the visa. (SO excited about Japan!) I won’t have a lot of time between the end of the camp and when school starts. I need for things to move quickly and efficiently so I can get back to Korea and get settled a day or two before school starts.

I think that’s about it. I know there were more but my brain is tired of thinking now. I will let everyone know when I arrive safely. God bless you all and thank you for your love and support. I definitely couldn’t do it without you all.

I got an email this week. It was addressed to “Future Missionary to Korea.” Talk about your wake up call!! I mean, I’ve done mission work before, but I guess I’ve never seen that title associated with my name. Exciting and scary all at the same time.

So u may be wondering why I started this blog… I’m kinda wondering that too.

I guess the main purpose of this is to let some of my home folk keep up with what’s going on here. I’m not always the best at keeping up communication with everyone there, so this is my cop out. Now you can all keep up with me on here instead of getting novel-sized emails that you may or may not want to read.

Well, as most of you know already, I have been accepted into Graduate School at DBU. My degree will be a Masters of Arts in Global Leadership with ESL certification. (Masa and I are gonna Lead the Globe!) This Masters Degree is not new to DBU, but the program that I am a part of is very new to DBU. It is called the DBU Korea ESL Initiative. The program is through DBU, the International Mission Board, the Korean Government, and the Korean Baptist Convention. There is a great need for English teachers in Korea. Apparently, the government was not satisfied with the quality of foreign (mostly American) English teachers that were being put into the school system there. The Korean government can see the difference between Christian and non-Christian teachers! They have asked for help from the Korean Baptist Convention in recruiting quality Christian English teachers to place in mostly public schools. So the Korean Baptist Convention and the IMB contacted DBU as the pilot school for this project. The short term goal is for 20 students to commit to teaching in Korea for two years. Long term, they would like 200 students. In addition to our teaching duties, through the IMB, we will be partnered with a local church in Korea. We will teach 5 days a week and on the nights and weekends, we will be serving in the church. We will be responsible for two Bible studies each week; one with any interested students in our classes, and one in the church. On top of all of these responsibilities, we will be taking classes for a Masters degree. (Sounds like we’ll be busy!) We have already begun learning the language and culture and we now have weekly meetings with a Korean teacher (my adorable roomie!) and individual Korean tutors. I love the willingness and excitement of our sweet Korean students to volunteer their time to teach us about their language and their country. They really are amazing, Godly brothers and sisters. I am truly blessed to know them…

As of now, it looks like I will be leaving in July. I will graduate in May and begin Masters work in June. I think there is a class or two they want us to complete before leaving the country. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am that I have been given this opportunity. As you know, I was looking at going to Korea on my own before this opportunity arose. I was determined to get there somehow! I feel even more confident in going under the umbrella of the DBU, the IMB, and the Korean Government. I know that I will be well taken care of.

Well, I do have a few prayer requests going into this new journey…

· That God will continue to call willing DBU students to Korea

· For John and Amy, a married couple who left for Korea last week. Please pray that they will get settled quickly and they will have a smooth start to the beginning of the school year.

· For God to prepare the hearts of the students and the parents that we will be ministering to even now before we get there.

· The MANY details of the program that still need to be worked out before we all go.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I will continue to keep you posted with any updates. It is a privilege to serve with you all. I look forward to sharing this journey with you! I love you all!