Run, children, run!

So, I'll start with most recent news. I have a roomie now. On Tuesday afternoon I went to the office and was told that I was getting a roomie the next day. Merry Christmas! Thankfully, she's very nice and sweet so it's fine.

This evening I went to a place where they have a whole huge floor covered in bead shops!! A dream come true!!! I bought some beads...but I'm telling you...there were SO many!!! After that we went to an Uzbekistanian restaurant. We walked up this tiny staircase, opened the door, and almost walked out. It was litterally a hole in the wall with about 4 tables. At one of the tables there were 5 or so fast talking Uzi's. We were served by a girl who we later learned didn't even work there but was just a friend of the owner. Hmm...anyways, before our food came out (which, by the way, was AMAZING and soo tasty!) one of the men came over, set two shot glasses down on our table, and poured some vodka into them. He proceeded to tell us that he wanted us to drink. When we refused and told him we were Christians, he told us that he was muslim and was not allowed to drink either but did. We refused and refused and refused some more. So, he poured more into our glasses. Finally, his friends told him to leave us alone, and he did. He told us he was hurt inside. Well, needless to say, we never drank it.

I've decided that I love parent teacher conferences because the parents almost always bring a gift. :)

I decorated my classroom for Christmas!! :D I bought a 4 foot tall Christmas tree and a strand of 650 white lights which I put up around my blackboards and on the tree. I made a star for the tree and my kids cut snowflakes to hang from the ceiling and also made paper chains to hang on the walls. We need more lights, but it looks very festive!! :)

It's been a pretty slow week overall. Fun things are COMING in the form of NATHANIEL! Next Saturday. We're going to the zoo on Friday...hmm....

We've booked our hostels and plane tickets for China. Tomorrow we'll be going to get our visas and then all we have to do is wait until December 19th. Oh when that day comes! We're going to Shanghai and then to Xian for a couple days and then back to Shanghai for Christmas and New Years. Then back to Seoul on January 2nd.

I was able to go to my Korean friend's houes on Thursday. We ate and then read 3 chapters in Philippians together and talked about them. It was a really good time. God's been so good in helping me have enough strength to do everything I need to do and giving me wisdom in teaching and giving me awesome friends. He's so good!!

Other than that, not much is really going on. I'm baking a cake for the church pot luck tomorrow. Then I will sew buttons onto my winter coat. It's getting very cold here. I bought pink ear muffs which really help in keeping my ears warm. I've heard it gets much colder than this, but I am ready. I like the cold. I heard it gets so cold at times that you don't even want to go outside. Bring it on.

There's a song I really love:

Verse 1:
Before the cross I kneel and see
The measure of my sin
How You became a curse for me
Though You were innocent
The magnitude of Your great love
Was shown in full degree
When righteous blood, the crimson spill
Rained down from Calvary

Chorus:
Oh, the precious blood
That flowed from Mercy's side
Washed away my sin
When Christ my Savior died
Oh, the precious blood
Of Christ the crucified
It speaks for me before Your throne
Where I stand justified

Verse 2:
And who am I that I should know
This treasure of such worth
My Savior's pure atoning blood
Shed for the wrath I'd earned
For sin has stained my every deed
My every word and thought
What wondrous love that makes me one
Your priceless blood has bought

Bridge:
A crown of thorns, pierced hands and feet
A body bruised, and Mercy's plea

Ok well, time to be done rambling.

Peace.