Our Korean Apartment

Click here to see the video. 
On February 15, 2012 we will move into our new home!  It is a 2nd floor unit with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, with 2 glassed in balconies, and access to the roof!  Here are some pictures.  I'll have to add pictures of what will be Caleb's room and the Korean style half-bath later!

Master Bathroom

Will probably be Connor's room

Our view from the roof

Second bathroom

Master bedroom

Kitchen (Obviously)

From the outside

The plant room

Art Studio for Caleb/Craft Room for Mom

View of the Public Middle School and their soccer field

Random Ramblings in Korea

Beautiful gazebo DHL property

View from our room at Dragon Hill

Itaewan

In less than an hour, we had snow

Lost in translation?

It's nice to be trusted

·         The beauty of Korea is difficult to capture in a photograph.  It might be because photos can’t capture depth in a picture and there are many layers to consider when I try to reveal the story of the subject matter. (User error?)

Furniture at the Dragon Hill Lodge Seoul, Korea

·         The Korean language seems to have a rhythm and pattern so that even if I cannot tell what someone is actually saying, I can regularly hear the sing-song similarities of commonly used phrases.

Shopping with Caleb

·         Even at its coldest, it is not horribly uncomfortable here unless the wind happens to be blowing; then it is incomprehensibly vicious!

·         I will probably never get used to the time difference between here and the states.  I will always feel like I’m in the wrong time zone.

·         Our new unit has been without a chaplain for the past 2 years!  At our recent hail/farewell, every time someone cussed, about 5 people’s heads turned straight to see what Corey’s reaction was. 

·         It makes me sad that facebook is so quiet during the evening hours here when I want to interact with people in the states and share about my day.

·         I will never figure out how to keep a hotel room tidy when it has to serve as home until we actually find a home. 

·         Today, the cashier at the commissary asked us if we were Christians.  I have no idea why she asked but it made me smile J

Everybody Leaves

We all walk away eventually
            we grow up
            we move on
            we get distracted
            we cease
                        to live, to move, to have our being
Nobody gets to stay forever
You’re just prolonging the inevitable
It’s life’s cruel joke
            that we long for stability and eternity
            but what we get is irony and finality
Two forces working against each other
Almost like they’re working together
            co-conspirators in life’s great caper
            it’s too complicated to put on paper
            we knit a legacy in hopes it will last
            we leave our mark to preserve our past
            we show up each day to make a difference we pray
            we can’t possibly know the full weight
                        of the fears and the tears and the stuff you can’t say . . .

All we can hope is that something will stick
That something will turn in your head and will click
A nugget of truth to take when you leave
To pass on to another to accomplish their dreams

                                   Everybody leaves
                                   Everybody goes
            The trick is to leave something that will take root and grow.

Famous Last Words

Everyone dreams of being a hero, but not everyone is aware that they pass up opportunities every day.  The reason it’s easy to miss the opportunity is because it’s not really as glamorous as we imagine it to be.  What it really looks like is ministry.  If I’ve learned anything in my lifetime it’s that everyone needs to be ministered to at some point in their lives, it may be difficult to recognize when someone needs it, and children largely underestimate their ability to minister to their parents, pastors, and yes, even their teachers.

This was never made more clear to me than recently when I found myself feeling rather out of sorts but unable put my finger on what was wrong.  I had made it a habit to practice what the late Mary Kay Ash teaches her sales force, “Whenever I meet someone, I try to imagine him or her wearing an invisible sign that says: MAKE ME FEEL IMPORTANT!”  But it never occurred to me that by doing so, I might unwittingly communicate to my students that I’ve got it all together and don’t need them to minister to me.  But even the strongest person you can imagine will experience struggles that they cannot wrestle with alone.  I found myself on the other side of need due to the impending upheaval related to our relocation to South Korea.  My students had been communicating to me that they appreciate what I do for them, but I found that I needed to be uplifted and reassured just the same.  The revelation caused me simultaneous relief and unrest.  ME?  Need kids to comfort me?  I began to fear that they actually might forget all about me once I was gone.

But none of them knew that I was in need and this was exacerbated by the 2 week Christmas break in which we never saw each other.  I got to thinking about ways that we can recognize a person who is in need of our ministry.  The first clue is that they may seem a little needy (read: annoying) or you may find that something they do really angers you.  I remember encountering one of our church members in the fellowship hall kitchen one Sunday morning fuming as she stared at the sink in which sat a large pot that had obviously been used to pop popcorn.  Since our church did double duty as a school during the week, I was pretty sure that one of the teachers had made popcorn but did not wash, dry, and put away the pot when she was done.  Instead she left it soaking in the sink (and if the burned kernels of corn are any indication, it probably needed a good soak first.)  This scenario was not greeted as an opportunity to serve a fellow worker for Christ, I quickly observed as the woman became more and more furious as she stared into the sink.  It hit me that she just hadn’t seen that she was given an opportunity to serve: to take care of something for someone else.  In other words, to be a hero!  Maybe the first question you should ask yourself when faced with a fellow human’s irritating behavior is, “Is there anything I can do for them right now?”  Just ask yourself what you would want or need if you were in the same position.

Finally, if you are young, never underestimate the power of your encouragement toward those in authority over you such as parents, coaches, pastors, and teachers.  We know there’s a lot that you are learning from us and that you look to us to be examples for you to follow, but Paul’s instruction to Timothy is just as relevant for you today as it was for him, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young but be an example for the believers in speech, in love, in faith, and in purity” (1 Tim 4:12).  That also means do not look down on yourselves or each other because you are young, nor underestimate your ability to encourage, uplift, teach, serve, give, and show up!  Take my word for it; your authority figures live for those moments when they know something they’ve done has made a difference for you.  When you tell us that we’ve made a difference, we can practically live on that encouragement alone for days—maybe even weeks!  The ball is in your court.  Don’t miss another opportunity to minister just because you are young.  You have the power to help energize the ministry of someone else through your words and actions and most of all, your demonstration of appreciation.

Merry Christmas 2011

In an effort to sum up the year twenty-eleven succinctly enough to keep your rapt attention through to the very last word, I’ve attempted to write it in Dr. Seuss style.  Please do try to stay focused!

2011 has been a frivolous year
so get comfy with a hot drink and lend me your ear
Or your eyes as it were since you’re reading this script
I’ll fill you all in on our fantastical trip!

It started with buying a cozy abode
in the midst of carrying a heavy school load
We signed the papers from thither and yon
And now in Boise, we do own a home!

If you don’t know where Thither is found on a map,
it’s on the other side of the world where you’re at
And Yon would be Minnesota, and Idaho, and here
You take your pick, we’re not very clear!

Christmas of two thousand ten was quite strange
so thank God for in-laws we hopped on a plane
But I had to arrive in Virginia for class
The very next day so it went rather fast!

I rang in the new year all by myself,
with my kids in Kentucky and my love in Tibet
Well not really Tibet but I wanted to rhyme
He was in Afghanistan for a really long time!

Then Gramma and Grampa knew just what to do
in order to keep our two boys in school
They travelled to our house to hold down the fort
Til my classes were over and I returned home.

A couple weeks later I was scheduled to test
and return to Virginia in a big winter mess
I was supposed to leave at a quarter to three
That would be a.m. in case you’re wondering

Lucky for me, some people like snow
and the way it feels under their cars when they go
I shut my eyes tight and prayed all the way
But Scott got me safely to my airport gate!

Then suddenly it was time for an awesome surprise,
our soldier would be standing in front of our eyes
Missing anniversary 21 by a day
But we didn’t care and had fun anyway!

We camped out for a week at our new house in Boise
and met the neighbors and tried not to be noisy
But two weeks went by way too darn fast
And on Valentine’s Day had to send him on back

The rest of February was pretty much history,
I had a few big events that almost did kill me!
But we did get through it like we knew we would
Then March was upon us like a scary typhoon

Connor traveled to Washington DC
to argue with students about world policy
His band that was named “Nothing Rhymes with Orange”
Had their very first concert at a talent show at FCHS . . .

I hope that last line didn’t throw you off
but their name is true they didn’t make it up!
And then it was April before we all knew it
A long year of deployment about to be through it!

He came home to crowds cheering and clapping,
at 5 in the morning hard to believe it was happening
We made a video to relive the scene
and you can see it yourself at this here link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpr1o2W7T0Q&feature=youtu.be  

No sooner was he home and we were up running,
and hosting people from all over the country
“A Life Set Apart” crashed on our floor
And some people came for graduations galore

First Connor then Caleb received their promotions
And some really cool gifts as a sort of a token
But then it was time to hit the road
And into our trusty minivan we did load.

Because we had been through 48 states,
we circled around to add one to the slate
And through the great state of New Mexico we drove
Adding a whole extra day to our trip up north

Where another school graduation to see
of former students we both used to teach
We left our youngest with my parents in Oregon
And the rest of us Arnolds got on the road again

And to Minnesota we quickly did go
and stayed with Corey’s parents while there was surely no snow
and when it was over, we headed back south
Making an almost perfect square of our route.

In early July we found out a secret
But weren’t really sure how the kids would take it
The Army was sending us to Korea you see
Though Connor was leaving to attend BBC.

Caleb took all this news quite well
In fact, he thinks it’s going to be swell
To live over in Asia away from the states
As long as one day to Alaska we make.

In August we said our good-byes to our first born
And Caleb and I started at a new school in Hoptown
Little did we know what an impression it would make
And on our last day, our hearts did break!

But in the meantime lots of stuff happened
Like strong bonds with soldiers and Thanksgiving weekend
Where we got to see Connor with a manly full beard
I’m not going to lie, it was really quite weird.

But Caleb has left his mark in each class
using dry erase markers and his artsy sass
Many a white board within HCA
Has been transformed into a sort of display.

If you’re curious at all and would like to see it
I highly recommend you add me on facebook
Where I keep a whole album named after him
Displaying his craft as only he can.

I’m glad to announce just two days before Christmas
That my master of arts degree I did finish
And now it is just a matter of filing
the paperwork in order to prove I’m not lying.

In all it has been a fabulous year
And God has been faithful, our prayers He does hear
Especially the ones we pray about you
Hoping for you His salvation too.

But if for some reason you still aren’t sure
Perhaps some proof would provide some allure
There is an empty tomb out Jerusalem way
That our Savior did lie in once for three days.

But since death could not hold him down as they say
He got up from his death and just walked away
Leaving a baffling scene to unravel
And a story that over the world has traveled.

For centuries the question has begged to be answered
“What happened to the body of Jesus of Nazareth?”
And though we didn’t see it in our time or place
I’ll paraphrase Thomas when he saw Jesus’ face,

“Is this an imposter wearing these wounds?
Everyone says you were laid in a tomb.
You can’t have survived but You’re obviously here,
My Savior, My God, You really are here!”

And because of his and 500 others
We can believe the word of these brothers
That Jesus who was born in a stable one day
Was killed but now lives to take sin away!

February 2011 R&R; Christian Children's Ranch

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012 from the Arnold family!

Connor grade 12 Photo by Phil White

Photos by Scott Hollingsworth

Caleb grade 9

Thanksgiving 2011 at Nashville Parthenon

Go Ahead . . . Deck the Halls!

There must be something horribly wrong with me, but it does not bother me one bit when stores begin stocking for Christmas well before the Halloween candy even goes on clearance.  In fact, I really don’t see why it bothers anyone.  I think Christmas decorations are beautiful and just the idea of the Christmas season approaching can make even the worst day seem a little brighter.  It seems that we’re always going to find something to complain about when it comes to Christmas so here are the reasons I say go ahead and deck the halls whenever you feel like it!

First of all, Christmas tends to get top billing on most people’s list of favorite holidays.  Some will say they like 4^th of July or Easter better, but I suspect they secretly just don’t want to be a foregone conclusion and are trying to be unique.  Personally, I like New Years, but that would be second to Christmas.  Nothing during the year smells, feels, looks, sparkles, twinkles, or sounds like Christmas.  On the scale of holiday favoritism, Christmas gets its own category and the rest of the holidays tend to fall in line after that.

Also, the very fact that it is the most commercialized holiday (with Mothers’ Day pulling out a close second), just proves how much people love it.  And it seems the more attention we draw to its commercialization, the more commercialized it becomes.  Quite frankly, if it were to become completely un-commercialized, I am almost sure it would cease to get the attention it deserves.  No matter how much I spend or save on Christmas, there are just certain things that put me in the holiday spirit and they include certain groceries (there has to be fudge and egg nog), certain decorations (of course we pull out our old favorites, but we almost always have to replace a string of lights or two), wrapping paper, ribbons, gift tags, and tape—you can’t forget the tape!  Trying to get upset because stores put out the Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving is a little like getting upset that they start putting out school supplies while it’s still summer.  This is not a travesty, America!

Finally, they wouldn’t put it out if nobody was buying it.  Somebody out there wants to get a head start on Christmas and who can blame them?  Depending on the kind of pressure they put on themselves, it can be a lot of work.  They need to get started as soon as possible and it just may mean that yes, they start shopping before Thanksgiving or even—gulp—before Halloween.  So what?  I love Thanksgiving too, but I really don’t think it gets slighted one bit by being lumped into the wonderful celebration of Christmas.  After all, what is the best part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? 

The end.

When Santa can finally make his first appearance.  

Reflexion

I see her face so clearly

It's the one I can't shut out

Resounding with seduction

Her eyes reveal her doubt

She says I cannot measure up

To her level of perfection

But I'll spend a lifetime taking in

Her summative rejection

I'll never even question her

When I'm weak with near starvation

When my energy is running low

And I've lost my concentration

"It's worth it" I will tell myself

I purchase another lie

My value solely measured by

Her perfect airbrushed eyes

It never will occur to me

I'm chasing an illusion

She slips into my consciousness

And orchestrates my ruin

Then one day I will find myself

Almost getting there

I've bartered everything I was

For this shadow of despair

I like the view; I take it in

All eyes are on me

I cannot help but notice when

I sense familiarity

Another one who isn't sure

Falters on her feet

I cannot take my eyes from her

She is so intimate to me

She sees my face so clearly

It's the one she can't shut out

Resounding with seduction

My eyes reveal my doubt . . .



(c) 2008