Packing for a year.. AH

What started out as a far off dream last March is now a reality. I am going to be teaching English in Changwon, South Korea for the next year. WOW! My visa is here and plane ticket booked to leave from the Fargo airport at 6am Saturday morning. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of events with the interview, signing a contract, applying for a visa, and... packing! I have spent the past 24 hours trying to put as many clothes and shoes into two 50lbs suitcases. It has proven to be a difficult task, but I am sure I will figure it out somehow.

My leave time is less than 48 hours away and my mind is rushing with thoughts. i.e. What will my apartment be like? Do Korean children behave well in school? How will I learn this new language? What will I do without my closest friends for a year? However, I have been taking moments to stop, breathe, and remind myself that God has a plan and will provide no matter what side of the Pacific Ocean I am on.

I suppose I can tell you a little bit more about my school and city I will be in. Changwon is a city located in the Southern part of Korea right next to the coast.

The population is a little over a million, which for Korean cities is actually small. i.e. Seoul area is 36 million. The city was a planned city established during the 1970s and is a huge manufacturing center. I will be teaching at Poly Language Institute, more commonly known as Korea Poly Schools. They have many campuses around the country and hire lots of foreign teachers to teach English. I will have 5 sections of 7 year olds, which in Korea is still part of Kindergarten. At my school the maximum number of students in a class is 12... 12! I am excited to have such small classes and build great relationships with my students.

Changwon, South Korea

I am eager to find and hopefully join a choir while I am there, and I have found a choral school in the neighboring town, Busan, whom hopefully can help me figure that out.

This year is sure to be a roller coaster ride of adventures and I cannot wait to see how God will work through me to teach those darling Korean children. Oh and one more thing... I won't exactly be alone in this endeavor, because I know 4 other Concordia grads who are teaching English in Korea this year too! Perhaps we will have to have an American Christmas in Korea.


안녕히 가세요 (Goodbye)
Britta