And So It Begins...

It's that time of year again! Back to school! This has always been one of my favorite times of the year, and this year is no exception. I am now starting my fourth year of teaching, and my second year here in Korea. Today was our first day of school, and I will be teaching five different classes this year—American Literature, British Literature, World Literature, 9th Literature and Composition, and Speech/Drama—as well as directing the spring play. But before all the new adventures of the school year happen, I wanted to make sure I caught everyone up on what I did this summer.

I spent about six weeks back in Iowa this summer. It was a great chance to catch up with family and friends. I got to spend a lot of quality time with my family, which was really good since it will be a while until I see them again.

Three days after I arrived in Iowa, I was able to have carpal tunnel release surgery on my right hand. Surgery went fine, as has recovery. My arm was in a brace for the first two weeks after surgery, which meant I had to pretty much everything with my left hand. That wasn't fun, but since the brace has come off, I haven't had any problems with my left hand. I'm still having some pain, especially when I write or type for too long. However, the pain doesn't linger, which makes it a whole lot better than it was before. The pain should continue to lessen as my wrist heals more.

I also had a travel with my family to the Northeast for a week on vacation. We were only able to hit the highlights, spending a day or two in Philadelphia, New York City, Maine, and Boston before returning to the Midwest. It was a great opportunity to be together as a family since we've all been in about a thousand different directions over the past year.

I've been back in Korea for about two weeks now, and I've settled back in quite comfortably. After spending so long in the States it has taken me a little while to adjust back to Korea, but I am doing better each day. It once again feels like home.

As the new school year starts, I would ask for your prayers in the following things:
1. I would be an effective and engaging teacher
2. I can clearly articulate the Gospel to my students
3. Students would have a desire to learn and work hard
4. Students would be open to God's Word and grow in their knowledge of God, including finding salvation
5. Wisdom for what to do next year

If #5 sounds like a strange prayer request for the beginning of the school year, let me explain. I have to decide by the end of November if I want to return for next year. If I decided to return, it would be a one year contract as opposed to a two year contract. But, it is still a lot to consider. At this point, I have no idea what I am going to do. I am considering going to graduate school sometime in the future, with an eye towards getting my Ph.D. in English to then teach at the college level. But I still love Korea and teaching at PICS, and it would be really hard to step away. If you ask me on any given day which way I am leaning, I will probably give you a different answer than the day before. The only thing I do know right now is that if I want to even consider applying to grad schools this fall, I have to take the GRE General Test and the GRE Subject Test in English within the next couple months. It's a lot to take in and consider, which is why I would greatly appreciate your prayers, even at this early stage in the school year.

I'm so glad I have people all over the world supporting me and praying for me. Thanks for partnering in my ministry in South Korea!