| Pyongtaek Post--March 23, 2004 |
| Greetings! I hope your St. Patrick's Day was fun. I'm so blessed to be able to share with you again all of the things I am learning and experiencing. WEATHER March has started well here at ICS. The weather is getting warmer and warmer; although it's still very cold; nothing like the great Mississippi weather of my childhood. It snowed here a week or two ago--I believe it is the first time in over 30 years that Songtan has seen snow in March. The older Koreans were very excited about it. SPORTS Soccer season is in full swing, and our girls' team is doing well with one tie and one win, but the boys' team is not doing very well. We are low on players because of grades, so the boys we do have playing are working really hard just to stay in the game. But as the weather warms up, skills should improve with more practice. It's always a joy to watch them play. HEADLINES SPRING BREAK IN THE PI I hope Spring is knocking on your door, wherever you are. Spring Break is fast approaching for me and with it a trip to the Philippines. I have shared this information with you before, and I thank each one of you who have prayed about this trip. I am so happy to let you know that we have 12 students and 8 teachers committed to go! PRAISE GOD!! It's still not too late to be involved financially or in prayer support. If you are willing to pray for our team during the week of April 3-9 or if you would like to contribute any money to the project, please send me an email. I would like to send you a list of student/teacher names and of specific prayer needs so that you are able to fully understand what God is going to do in us. One specific thing you can pray for before we leave is that our students would really learn from the prep sessions. Paul Gary, our Art teacher has been designing and hosting sessions for the students. These sessions are held every Tuesday during Study Hall, and they are designed to prepare the students to work together and to have the attitude of service. Thanks again for your prayer support! I look forward to reporting what GREAT and MIGHTY things the Lord has done!!! 1 DOWN, 3 TO GO Thank you so much for your continued prayer for our staff and its future needs. Praise God we now have a teacher coming to take some of the middle school burden that I will be putting down as I become the Guidance Counselor next year. We are so excited to have her with us. We are waiting to see if our Science and Business Manager positions can be filled by a couple with a family, and we also still need someone for our 5th grade position. So, please be in prayer for these needs. If you wish to pray for these new teachers by name, please email me.:) THE CHALLENGES KEEP ON COMING Friday was our big Language Arts Curriculum Session 1. It was an all day; grueling experience. However, it will continue to be quite important to the updating that must happen routinely in a school. Please pray that I will have wisdom as I continue to lead this effort and that I will know what is most important in this area. This curriculum effort is just one of many improvements we will be making through the end of this school year and into the next. These improvements include but are not limited to creating a new Discipline Plan, updating and adjusting our Discipleship Program; and ordering new Language Arts resources. I know it sounds like a lot, and it it. So, please pray for me and the rest of the administrative staff. We want to provide the best education possible, not only because God calls us to do everything for His glory, but also that our witness will be effective. Its much easier to minister effectively to the spiritual needs when you have the physical needs already met. THE MANY FACES OF MBC Saturday was another work day at Mission Baptist Church, my home away from Carriage Hills. We are working to have the 1st floor ready as the Sanctuary by the end of the summer. Praise God! We already have 2 work teams confirmed to come from the States this summer, and a 3rd is in the works. The last two months of Saturdays have been used to totally gut the first floor which, in its former life was a pool hall. We tore down walls and the ceiling; we tore up carpet and tiling and bagged more pieces of sheet rock and metal than I have ever seen in my life. Now we are beginning to see the end of the beginning and moving solidly into the middle of the work. I want to Praise God, our provider, for the building and for the strength to do the work that is necessary. Well, it will be Easter before I write to you again, so I hope you will celebrate Christ's resurrection with your local body of believers. This is such a beautiful season filled with hope. Don't miss opportunities to share the freedom of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. May God turn his face to you and give you peace. Emily |