a list...

i'm deskwarming, which means i'm sitting in my empty corner of the school. doing nothing. just distracting myself with mindless internet activities. and thinking.

i'm thinking about what i think my purpose for being here is. because i know there is one... i'm just not sure what that is yet. but i can guarantee that at least part of it is that God wants to teach me. and i have a lot to learn.

here are just a few of the things i've learned so far while being in korea:

1-enjoying kids and liking to spend time with them does not mean that teaching them is a good job for you.

2-language barriers are hard.

3-despite the language barrier, it is entirely possible to get by with charades, gestures, patience, and a willingness laugh at yourself.

4-middle schoolers are way more fun than elementary schoolers, even if they are a lot more difficult to entertain.

5-raw fish, tentacles, fish with bones and scales still attached, and loads of other questionable things are not actually that bad. quail eggs, on the other hand, can disappear forever and i will not be even a little bit sad.

6-a year is not a long time to be in a place.

7-a year is a very long time to be away from the people you love.

8-restlessness has nothing to do with location.

9-no matter how frustrating it can be, living with roommates is completely worth it.

10-i have completely taken for granted the community i've always had and the importance placed on it by myself and those around me. not everyone has that same desire.

11-i build things up in my head to be way harder than they actually are, even after i've seen and proven to myself that this is the case.

12-i rely too much on people and not enough on God. this is the hardest, most important lesson that i'm still in the process of learning.

13-it sucks missing things like weddings and holidays and random events.

14-it's relatively cheap to travel around asia. it's the getting over here part that's really expensive.

15-the whole north/south korea issue is really really sad. i've never really thought about it before, but the more i learn and the more i see how it does affect people's lives, the more blessed i feel to be able to talk to and see my family with almost no restrictions (even when i'm halfway around the world from them).

16-being surrounded by a solid community of believers who lead, support, and go alongside you is a huge blessing that should never be taken lightly.

17-heaters are the greatest thing ever.

18-there are some things that transcend cultures. like bieber fever.

19-even though respecting cultural differences is important, there are some things that are just a)wierd, b)frustrating, and/or c)wrong.

20-lots of times i feel stupid. ask me about politics and i couldn't tell you much. ask me about which celebrities are getting married/pregnant/broken up/caught doing something illegal, however, and i should be able to fill you in. is it bad that politics don't interest me in the slightest, but all of that keeps me completely entertained?

21-"the hawaii of korea" means nothing except that it's a volcanic island.

22-knowing all the right answers--that God is there, that He has a plan, that He's working even if you can't see it--usually does nothing to make me feel better. in fact, it usually just makes me annoyed.

23-sometimes the "best" plans are completely wrong.

24-it would be nice if God would just give answers in an obvious way instead of letting me think that i have everything figured out on my own. but He doesn't work like this... and if He does, i need to learn how to listen and stop thinking that i know what i'm doing.

25-i feel sorry for myself a lot. in reality, i know that i am truly blessed.

and there it is... there is a lot more that could be added to this list. these are just the things i can think of right now, without getting into snarky comments about korea.

i really do know that i am blessed, and that God is right here, holding me and teaching me and helping me through. it's just a long process of breaking and rebuilding that i've been due to go through for a long time now...

i love and miss you all!