Today was long and chaotic and exhausting. This week is the last week of classes for the current school year. As I may have mentioned earlier, school starts in Korea in March. So next week, we are beginning our new school year; some kids are graduating and new ones are coming in. I'm staying with my same students, which has some pros but also some cons. One of the good things about staying with my same kids is that they're, for the most part, already accustomed to the way things operate at my school. So I won't have to go through months of trying to get kids sitting nicely and learning our rules and expectations. Regardless, already this week has been crazy busy, and I can see it will only continue to be.
I am expected to finish up all the books and journals we use in class this week and send them all home along with all the papers that the children have done for the year. One of the annoying things at my school is that I can't send a workbook home with students until all the students in my class have fully completed it. It's a nice idea in theory, but I have a student who rarely comes and a couple more who work slower than snails. And if a child is ever absent, he/she falls behind. So it's just a big nightmare. I have several students who are completely done with all the books we use in class. Meanwhile I have other students who still have half a book left. So I'm desperately trying to use every extra minute to get my students to finish their work. It's a real pain! So that's work right now. It will all settle back down in about 2 weeks or so. And I can't wait for the normal chaos, anxiety and stress of the normal work week.
I had the opportunity to go grab some Mexican for lunch yesterday after church with some of the young adults at my church. It was a lot of fun. I got to know some of the young adults better, and I'm really feeling blessed to have met these people. I can't believe how lucky I have been to get plugged into such a great, fun, hilarious crowd of young believers. So praise God for that! I wish there were more Sundays in a week...haha.
That's about it for now. I'm sure I'll have more to fill you in on as we transition into our new school year.
Lots of love from halfway around the world,
KendallCooke
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Something Beautiful -- needtobreathe
Something Beautiful Song - Check it out!!!
This song has been my encouragement for the last couple weeks. Every time I feel depleted or discouraged or lost or confused or unsure, I listen to this song and am reminded that my job is to deeply desire God and wait on His timing for my life. The image of a person down on her knees calling out to God to consume her with fire and then waiting for God to present His beauty in His time is such a marvelous and beautiful image to me. I hope this blesses you all as much as it has blessed me.
Hope everything is well in the States. Miss you and love you all!!!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
This song has been my encouragement for the last couple weeks. Every time I feel depleted or discouraged or lost or confused or unsure, I listen to this song and am reminded that my job is to deeply desire God and wait on His timing for my life. The image of a person down on her knees calling out to God to consume her with fire and then waiting for God to present His beauty in His time is such a marvelous and beautiful image to me. I hope this blesses you all as much as it has blessed me.
Hope everything is well in the States. Miss you and love you all!!!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Day...White Day...Black Day...Oh Korea!
Korea is totally obsessed with love and couples and relationships. It is completely acceptable and actually expected for a person you've just met to ask you point-blank, right off the bat whether you have a boyfriend/girlfriend. Everywhere you look there are couples. Couples do everything together. There aren't big groups of friends hanging out and doing things together. It appears that the majority of life here after college is lived as a couple. Couples even take pride in wearing identical matching outfits here, from head to toe, glasses to shoelaces. This aspect of life is so different from life in the States.
Korea's love and obsession with love/romantic relationships becomes evident in their holidays this time of year. Obviously, today is Valentine's Day, and we all know what that means in the States. But it's different here. On Valentine's Day, girls buy chocolate for their boyfriends/fiances/husbands. The holiday is completely for women to lavish love and gifts upon their men. On March 14, Korea celebrates White Day. White Day is the opposite of Korea Valentine's Day. On White Day, men give their girlfriends/fiances/wives chocolate and lavish love and gifts upon them. Further into the year on April 14, it is Black Day. Black Day is a special day set aside for all the single people in Korea. On Black Day, all the single people are supposed to go out to Korean style diners and eat black noodles. So if you don't already feel like enough of a loser having to suffer through both Valentine's Day and White Day alone, you get the opportunity to look like a total loner and go out and mourn your singleness over black noodles. Just a little Korean culture info for you to think about. Needless to say after finding all this out, I'm glad we only celebrate Valentine's Day in the States.
Special shout out to an awesome friend, who totally surprised me with a fantastic package today...AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME start to my week. Thank you, Thomas Mathis. You rock!
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
Korea's love and obsession with love/romantic relationships becomes evident in their holidays this time of year. Obviously, today is Valentine's Day, and we all know what that means in the States. But it's different here. On Valentine's Day, girls buy chocolate for their boyfriends/fiances/husbands. The holiday is completely for women to lavish love and gifts upon their men. On March 14, Korea celebrates White Day. White Day is the opposite of Korea Valentine's Day. On White Day, men give their girlfriends/fiances/wives chocolate and lavish love and gifts upon them. Further into the year on April 14, it is Black Day. Black Day is a special day set aside for all the single people in Korea. On Black Day, all the single people are supposed to go out to Korean style diners and eat black noodles. So if you don't already feel like enough of a loser having to suffer through both Valentine's Day and White Day alone, you get the opportunity to look like a total loner and go out and mourn your singleness over black noodles. Just a little Korean culture info for you to think about. Needless to say after finding all this out, I'm glad we only celebrate Valentine's Day in the States.
Special shout out to an awesome friend, who totally surprised me with a fantastic package today...AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME start to my week. Thank you, Thomas Mathis. You rock!
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
Sunday, February 13, 2011
God is good all the time!
Today was a really, really, really good day! After hearing several different people's opinions and praying about it during the week, I decided that Seoul Union Church at Yonsei (the church that is about a 10 minute walk) was the church that God could best use me at while I'm in Seoul. So this morning, I got up, got ready and headed to church. Upon walking into the chapel, I could feel God letting me know that I was in the right place. People I had met the previous week came up to talk to me and a bunch of new people wanted to get to know me. It was astonishing how much buzz and passion and life there seemed to be in this church that only last week looked weak and somber and lacking fire for God. Perhaps God has changed my eyes to see the body of Christ at Seoul Union as He sees them. It was encouraging and exciting and great.
After main worship at 9:30, there is a short fellowship/coffee time, and then everyone goes to Sunday School. Seoul Union has a Young Adult Sunday School class so I went there really excited to meet some of the young people that are active in this church. It was an absolute blessing! This Sunday in the Young Adult class, it was prayer Sunday, so we spent an hour and a half praying for one another. It was so awesome! After church, the Young Adult Sunday School class always goes to lunch together. Thus, I had the opportunity to sit around and talk and get to know some of the active young people at the church.
I couldn't stop smiling...even now I can't. I had just had an absolutely TERRIBLE work week. And as much as I love Seoul, I haven't been able to find my niche since coming. I have people to hang out with and talk to but no one to share my heart with, no one that completely understands who I am and where I'm coming from. It was so comforting to meet a group of people who understood me without barely knowing me, because we share Jesus' love. Unfortunately a couple of the members of this Sunday School class are leaving Seoul within the next month or so. I'm bummed that I won't have the opportunity to get to know them on a deeper level. I'm sure as they leave, other people will come, and I'll have a chance to meet new people, new friends.
I just feel so blessed and so loved that God has put me here in Seoul exactly where I am so that I could meet these people, become part of this church, and find a place and a people where I will be able to learn and grow as I work to continually glorify God. God is so good that He would remind me I am loved and I am His in the midst of difficult times when I feel so unloved and far from everyone.
What a mighty, good, beautiful, just, powerful, saving, loving God we serve!!!
KendallCooke
After main worship at 9:30, there is a short fellowship/coffee time, and then everyone goes to Sunday School. Seoul Union has a Young Adult Sunday School class so I went there really excited to meet some of the young people that are active in this church. It was an absolute blessing! This Sunday in the Young Adult class, it was prayer Sunday, so we spent an hour and a half praying for one another. It was so awesome! After church, the Young Adult Sunday School class always goes to lunch together. Thus, I had the opportunity to sit around and talk and get to know some of the active young people at the church.
I couldn't stop smiling...even now I can't. I had just had an absolutely TERRIBLE work week. And as much as I love Seoul, I haven't been able to find my niche since coming. I have people to hang out with and talk to but no one to share my heart with, no one that completely understands who I am and where I'm coming from. It was so comforting to meet a group of people who understood me without barely knowing me, because we share Jesus' love. Unfortunately a couple of the members of this Sunday School class are leaving Seoul within the next month or so. I'm bummed that I won't have the opportunity to get to know them on a deeper level. I'm sure as they leave, other people will come, and I'll have a chance to meet new people, new friends.
I just feel so blessed and so loved that God has put me here in Seoul exactly where I am so that I could meet these people, become part of this church, and find a place and a people where I will be able to learn and grow as I work to continually glorify God. God is so good that He would remind me I am loved and I am His in the midst of difficult times when I feel so unloved and far from everyone.
What a mighty, good, beautiful, just, powerful, saving, loving God we serve!!!
KendallCooke
Thursday, February 10, 2011
stupid...frustrating...growl!
Today has been a totally stressful and discouraging day! All I wanna do right now is climb up onto the roof of my apartment building and scream at the top of my lungs until I lose my voice. As you may have guessed, Korea has thrown me another curve ball.
This afternoon at work, I was asked to go to lunch with the girl at work who acts as liaison between my bosses and the teachers. I knew as soon as she asked me to lunch that it was bad news...we never go to lunch together just the two of us. I tried to think about what could possibly be wrong but finally decided on just waiting to hear what my new big problem was. We went to lunch, and upon sitting down, she told me that a bunch of my K parents have been writing to my bosses saying that they think I'm mean and lacking in compassion and that I'm expecting too much out of their children and pushing them too hard. I think my jaw hit the floor...for a number of reasons.
First of all, when I first got my K kids from the previous teacher, my bosses via Vickie, the liaison, continuously reminded me that my K students were WAY behind where they should be in the curriculum. They told me that the previous teacher had done too much playing and not enough teaching, and it was my responsibility to have these students on track with the curriculum by the time I left. It sounded like quite an undertaking. But I like a challenge, so I was confident that I would be able to push these students to their full potential. Thus, I began implementing changes in the classroom so that more of our time was directed to learning all the stuff that my students were already supposed to know.
Secondly, when Vickie was observing my classes, she let me know that I was too lack on my K students' behaviors, and they should be required to stay in their seats and raise their hands, etc. So I've instilled these rules and expectations in my classroom, and I had thought that I had done it successfully. But apparently my antics are evil, mean and more likened to a National Guard Drill Sergeant than a Kindergarten teacher.
The next reason I was so shocked to hear all these issues from Vickie is that my ENTIRE life people have told me over and over and over how good I am with kids, how well I interact with them, how I should become a teacher, etc. My entire life I've heard this. And before coming to Korea, I was actually beginning to buy into some of it. I thought, hey, maybe I am good with kids; maybe I do have a gift. And then I moved to Korea and got punched in the face by my inadequacy as a teacher. It's so frustrating. So disheartening. So putting me in a terrible mood, which obviously is only gonna make things worse.
Normally, I wouldn't let what other people were saying affect me so much. I'd brush it off and move on, confident that I'm not mean or lacking in compassion or expecting too much out of my students. My students are completely capable of everything we do in class. And I think we have a good balance between having fun/being goofy and learning. Unfortunately in this situation, I don't have the luxury of choosing how to run my class. I work at a private school, so my school is fully funded by parents that are willing to pay to send their children to our school. Thus, when a parent thinks there is some issue or if their child comes home with some problem, these parents call into the school and demand that things be changed or they will take their children to another private school. Basically, parents run my school. They decide everything. And now that a bunch of parents have decided I'm a "drill sergeant" who hates smiling and hugs and fun, I have to bend to their every whim and ensure that their children are happy or I run the serious risk of losing my job.
The worst thing is that I'm sitting here driving myself crazy complaining about all this stuff, because I don't want to be complaining about this. There are a million other more important things going on in the world for me to be thinking about and focusing my attention on. Hopefully now that I've put all my feelings on the matter out there, I'll be able to drop it and move on. Tomorrow is a new day. And I knew there would be numerous obstacles and difficulties in moving to Korea. I chose to still do it, and overall, I'm glad I did.
I guess I'd just appreciate your prayers or any possible thoughts on how I should be more adequately interacting with/teaching Kindergarten ESL children.
I hope all is well for you all back in the States. I miss you all and love you dearly!!!
KendallCooke
This afternoon at work, I was asked to go to lunch with the girl at work who acts as liaison between my bosses and the teachers. I knew as soon as she asked me to lunch that it was bad news...we never go to lunch together just the two of us. I tried to think about what could possibly be wrong but finally decided on just waiting to hear what my new big problem was. We went to lunch, and upon sitting down, she told me that a bunch of my K parents have been writing to my bosses saying that they think I'm mean and lacking in compassion and that I'm expecting too much out of their children and pushing them too hard. I think my jaw hit the floor...for a number of reasons.
First of all, when I first got my K kids from the previous teacher, my bosses via Vickie, the liaison, continuously reminded me that my K students were WAY behind where they should be in the curriculum. They told me that the previous teacher had done too much playing and not enough teaching, and it was my responsibility to have these students on track with the curriculum by the time I left. It sounded like quite an undertaking. But I like a challenge, so I was confident that I would be able to push these students to their full potential. Thus, I began implementing changes in the classroom so that more of our time was directed to learning all the stuff that my students were already supposed to know.
Secondly, when Vickie was observing my classes, she let me know that I was too lack on my K students' behaviors, and they should be required to stay in their seats and raise their hands, etc. So I've instilled these rules and expectations in my classroom, and I had thought that I had done it successfully. But apparently my antics are evil, mean and more likened to a National Guard Drill Sergeant than a Kindergarten teacher.
The next reason I was so shocked to hear all these issues from Vickie is that my ENTIRE life people have told me over and over and over how good I am with kids, how well I interact with them, how I should become a teacher, etc. My entire life I've heard this. And before coming to Korea, I was actually beginning to buy into some of it. I thought, hey, maybe I am good with kids; maybe I do have a gift. And then I moved to Korea and got punched in the face by my inadequacy as a teacher. It's so frustrating. So disheartening. So putting me in a terrible mood, which obviously is only gonna make things worse.
Normally, I wouldn't let what other people were saying affect me so much. I'd brush it off and move on, confident that I'm not mean or lacking in compassion or expecting too much out of my students. My students are completely capable of everything we do in class. And I think we have a good balance between having fun/being goofy and learning. Unfortunately in this situation, I don't have the luxury of choosing how to run my class. I work at a private school, so my school is fully funded by parents that are willing to pay to send their children to our school. Thus, when a parent thinks there is some issue or if their child comes home with some problem, these parents call into the school and demand that things be changed or they will take their children to another private school. Basically, parents run my school. They decide everything. And now that a bunch of parents have decided I'm a "drill sergeant" who hates smiling and hugs and fun, I have to bend to their every whim and ensure that their children are happy or I run the serious risk of losing my job.
The worst thing is that I'm sitting here driving myself crazy complaining about all this stuff, because I don't want to be complaining about this. There are a million other more important things going on in the world for me to be thinking about and focusing my attention on. Hopefully now that I've put all my feelings on the matter out there, I'll be able to drop it and move on. Tomorrow is a new day. And I knew there would be numerous obstacles and difficulties in moving to Korea. I chose to still do it, and overall, I'm glad I did.
I guess I'd just appreciate your prayers or any possible thoughts on how I should be more adequately interacting with/teaching Kindergarten ESL children.
I hope all is well for you all back in the States. I miss you all and love you dearly!!!
KendallCooke
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Decisions, decisions
This morning I went to a new church that is about a 10-12 minute walk from my apartment on the campus of Yonsei University. I was excited to try a church that is so close to where I live. Up to this point, I have been attending a church that is about an hour and a half to 2 hours round trip, in Itaewon, every Sunday night. The church in Itaewon is great. It is a new church plant with a bunch of young adults, and the pastor and people are really great. It's a fiery church that puts a great emphasis on the power of prayer, and the worship and sermons are phenomenal. I really like the church, but it is sooooo far away. So today I wanted to try something closer.
The people at the church this morning were really great! Everyone was so friendly. Numerous people came up to talk to me, and I met some pretty cool people. The church at Yonsei is a much more family oriented church. There are lots of families and children, but not as many young adults (though there is a small group of them.) The service was nice, but it was pretty slow and kinda lacking in passion and fire. There is a young adult Sunday school class, which is a perk, because maybe I'll be able to meet some people and make some real friends/connections with people that live in my area of the city.
So now I'm trying desperately to make a decision on which church to become a regular attender at. The Itaewon church is awesome and fiery and feels great to me, but it is ridiculously far away. The Yonsei church is close and the people are nice, but I feel like the people are lacking any real passion. Back in high school, I read a book and in it the author, a pastor, wrote that whenever he and his wife moved around, they picked a church just by proximity to their house. His reason was that attending church and worshipping and being in a community of believers was not about him and his comfort, but it was actually all about God. Everything about church is for God, done for God, meant for God.
I completely understand this point but am still struggling to decide which church I should go to. This is a big decision, because whichever church I decide to go to, I really wanna get involved and start actively participating in the church. I guess I'd really appreciate your prayers as I continue to work through which church I should attend. Thanks in advance!
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
The people at the church this morning were really great! Everyone was so friendly. Numerous people came up to talk to me, and I met some pretty cool people. The church at Yonsei is a much more family oriented church. There are lots of families and children, but not as many young adults (though there is a small group of them.) The service was nice, but it was pretty slow and kinda lacking in passion and fire. There is a young adult Sunday school class, which is a perk, because maybe I'll be able to meet some people and make some real friends/connections with people that live in my area of the city.
So now I'm trying desperately to make a decision on which church to become a regular attender at. The Itaewon church is awesome and fiery and feels great to me, but it is ridiculously far away. The Yonsei church is close and the people are nice, but I feel like the people are lacking any real passion. Back in high school, I read a book and in it the author, a pastor, wrote that whenever he and his wife moved around, they picked a church just by proximity to their house. His reason was that attending church and worshipping and being in a community of believers was not about him and his comfort, but it was actually all about God. Everything about church is for God, done for God, meant for God.
I completely understand this point but am still struggling to decide which church I should go to. This is a big decision, because whichever church I decide to go to, I really wanna get involved and start actively participating in the church. I guess I'd really appreciate your prayers as I continue to work through which church I should attend. Thanks in advance!
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Life of the Alien
I've lived like an outcast in Korea up to this point. But I finally got my Alien Registration Card (ARC) last week, so I'm officially registered as an alien in Korea. This was especially good timing, because I had to get my ARC before I could open a bank account. And I had to open a bank account before I could get paid for my first full month of teaching.
I'm happy to say after 6+ weeks of picking up change off the ground and portioning food and refusing to turn on the heat all in order to stretch the money I came to Korea with, I have officially been paid. And boy, does it feel good! We are on break from school this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for Lunar New Year (aka Chinese New Year), and I woke up bright and early on this first day of break to go to the grocery store and actually buy some real food with my hard earned money. I felt like the richest person ever walking around and actually being able to pick out some good stuff to eat. Additionally, I was able to purchase a simple, little coffeemaker that I have been dying to buy since I got here.
It's amazing how simple my life has become since coming to Korea. I live in a studio apartment half the size of my parent's living room. I know approximately 10 people. I currently own a handful of shirts, a couple pairs of pants, and a couple pairs of shoes. I eat ramen far too often to admit. I spend my nights after work and my free time walking around and exploring my neighborhood, reading books, or occasionally (when I can get internet service in my apartment) watching a couple American tv shows. It's such a simple, stripped down life. No big house. No car. No endless wardrobe. No fancy meals. And yet when I step outside and feel the sun's rays on my face and the wind blowing in my hair, I feel so good...so in touch with my surroundings..so alive. The other stuff doesn't seem to matter. In this simplicity, I find it easier than ever to find myself and to understand those around me. The distractions that so often have captured my attention have been ripped away. It's freeing and exciting and sometimes scary. And this might not make any sense to any of you back in the States, but it's been on my mind for awhile. And I guess this blog is for me to tell you what's on my mind afterall.
I've read that you all are in the midst of a terrible snowstorm, being nicknamed, "Snowmaggedon." So stay warm, be safe, and know I'm praying for you.
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
I'm happy to say after 6+ weeks of picking up change off the ground and portioning food and refusing to turn on the heat all in order to stretch the money I came to Korea with, I have officially been paid. And boy, does it feel good! We are on break from school this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for Lunar New Year (aka Chinese New Year), and I woke up bright and early on this first day of break to go to the grocery store and actually buy some real food with my hard earned money. I felt like the richest person ever walking around and actually being able to pick out some good stuff to eat. Additionally, I was able to purchase a simple, little coffeemaker that I have been dying to buy since I got here.
It's amazing how simple my life has become since coming to Korea. I live in a studio apartment half the size of my parent's living room. I know approximately 10 people. I currently own a handful of shirts, a couple pairs of pants, and a couple pairs of shoes. I eat ramen far too often to admit. I spend my nights after work and my free time walking around and exploring my neighborhood, reading books, or occasionally (when I can get internet service in my apartment) watching a couple American tv shows. It's such a simple, stripped down life. No big house. No car. No endless wardrobe. No fancy meals. And yet when I step outside and feel the sun's rays on my face and the wind blowing in my hair, I feel so good...so in touch with my surroundings..so alive. The other stuff doesn't seem to matter. In this simplicity, I find it easier than ever to find myself and to understand those around me. The distractions that so often have captured my attention have been ripped away. It's freeing and exciting and sometimes scary. And this might not make any sense to any of you back in the States, but it's been on my mind for awhile. And I guess this blog is for me to tell you what's on my mind afterall.
I've read that you all are in the midst of a terrible snowstorm, being nicknamed, "Snowmaggedon." So stay warm, be safe, and know I'm praying for you.
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)