#8

Dang nabbit. I knew I’d do this. Blog semi-well for a few months. Keep you up to date. And then BAM dropped the ball. But that’s okay. Here I am, getting back on the blogging bike.

Korea and I are becoming good friends. I initially started the sentence with “Korea is”…and then paused. I stopped and thought for a moment. I couldn’t simply write, “Korea is good.” That provides some insight to what I am learning. Scratch that. It provides no insight to what the Lord is teaching me here. Because let me tell you. I may be a teacher. But I am learning so much about relationships, resting, and Reba [myself]. (Like that cliché triple list with the same first letter. Creativity has always been my strength…kinda.)

+There really is no place like home for the holidays. Really, there isn’t. By God’s grace I was able to travel to India to celebrate Christmas with dear family friends. It. Was. Awesome. During my time in India, I saw how refreshing it is to be with people that know me. Now, I would say that people in Korea know me, but there is something sweet about being around people who’ve seen me grow up. It was so restful to spend time with people that I really love.

+These past few months I have missed my family and friends. Relationships are a gift from the Lord. God did not create us to isolated beings. We are made to be in community. Thank the Lord for FaceTime, airplanes, and snail mail. (I would say letters are most definitely my love language...hint hint.)

+This past month was so restful. I had a month off from school. Yes, it was amazing. During this time, I had some lovely visitors. It was incredibly sweet to share my life here with my dear friend, sister, and dad. Sharing my Korean life was an incredible gift. I felt so cared for by my visitors. It was sweet to travel to Jeju with my dear friend. We explored some falls, caves, and an archetypal tuff (don’t worry I didn’t know the technical term until about 10 seconds ago). With my dad and sister here, I was able to show them the Demilitarized Military Zone and a few parts of Seoul. Having visitors made this whole transition easier. It was refreshing to just talk. Real conversations with people I love nourish my soul or Seoul. (Depending on how punny you are feeling.) It was sweet to laugh, cry and be challenged by my visitors.

+Jumping back into school has been a smooth transition. Surprisingly. The more I teach, the more I fall in love with this job. It is tough at times? Yes, it is. But there is something sweet about building relationships with students and helping them understand the world around them. The beauty of working at a Christian school is that I get to talk about Jesus whenever I want. This has by far been my favorite part of teaching. With my students, we get to talk about some tough questions. It has been sweet to develop a classroom where questions are expected and welcomed. Please pray for my school and students. I so desire them to know more and more about Jesus.

+I am beyond grateful to be member at my current church, Seoul Covenant Church. The Lord has been faithful to provide a community of believers that help me to see Jesus. Praise the Lord for this church and pray for continued growth in relationships!

Let us love the Lord Who bought us

Pitied us when enemies

Called us by His grace and taught us

Gave us ears and gave us eyes

One of my favorite hymns. Check it out. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zkJ5e4ouoE)

In Christ,

Ms. Salonek

Curious about a specific aspect in Korea? Let me know. I’d love to write or answer any questions.

This is the lovely family I spent Christmas with.

Let's just say that Jeju had some pretty intense winds. The sand was PELTING our faces. Our solution? The most obviously one...get a taxi. However, taxis are harder to call when you are in the middle of NO WHERE. and speak no Korean. We ended up walking sideways for about a 200 yards.

This family just starting talking with us. It was so sweet to chat and laugh with them!