Rain is falling outside of our window as we sit on our couch to write another life update from Korea. Bennett is only half-awake right now, having taken a "short" afternoon nap to tackle his jet lag. Joy was supposed to wake him up at 2:00, but she wasn't "mean enough" (Bennett's words) to do it and let him sleep until 3:00 instead. Oops!We're here today to tell you more about our summer vacation.
First of all, it was great! All around, we had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family around the country, and we finished the summer feeling refreshed and ready to come back for another year of school.
Here are a few highlights from the second half of our summer in the States:
- Michigan - Lounging on the beach by day, playing games by night, and cleaning up every type of dog-made mess known to man.
- Little Cousin Visits - A few of Bennett's cousins (all of whom are middle school girls) came out to stay at the farm in Illinois for about 2 weeks. The house was full of laughter and fun and perhaps a bit more mud than usual.
- Hanging out in Illinois - Hiking, disc golf, board games, a guys' night of video gaming fun, a visit to the Field Museum, deep dish pizza, Jessie's birthday celebrations...Good times all around!
- A Long Road Back to Florida...With a Few Stops - First stop, Champaign, IL, Bennett's college stomping grounds. Second stop, Johnson City overnight (Thank you, Sidney!) Third stop...Congratulations Ross and Abby! This couple met at the same training that WE met at 3 years ago. They were married at a farm near Boone, North Carolina with cows mooing in the background on July 26. On the day of the wedding, we were busily hunting for an open tire repair shop given that we had just discovered one of our tires was leaking! We were thankful to finally find one Clark's Auto that was open until 4:00 on Saturdays. They fixed our tire, we rushed back to the hotel, and we hurried to get ready for the wedding. Thankfully, we arrived just a few minutes before the ceremony started. We are thankful for God's kindness to us in his timing and provision. He takes good care of us on the road. :)
- One Last Visit - After a full day of driving on Sunday, we spent Monday unpacking and repacking for our Tuesday flight back to Seoul. We did manage to squeeze in some last minute visiting with grandparents and Joy's cousins, Scott and Ashley, who also live and work overseas. What a treat!
Last night, we arrived back in Seoul after a very, very long day in flight. Long lines greeted us at the airport, and we were more than ready to hit the hay when we got back to our apartment. When we reached our apartment, we discovered that our power was out. Further investigation revealed that someone (probably our well-meaning landlady) had turned off the main breaker, helping us to start a mold colonization in our fridge and freezer. Yuck! This morning, while cleaning out the colony, we got a real-world lesson in which foods are mold's favorite mediums. For example, frozen fruit is an excellent breeding ground. Mold also loves Tabasco and BBQ sauce. On the other hand, ketchup was less appealing. We didn't dare open the whipping cream. If you're ever interested in learning more about mold and its lifestyle, you can follow our example in leaving food in your un-powered fridge/freezer for a few months. Very enlightening.
Our internet was playing hide-and-seek when we arrived, but it came out of hiding soon after we called our provider. And that brings us up to the present. The rain has stopped, the sun is shining, and the fan is blowing. We have a few more days of summer vacation before we have to report for "duty." Please pray for us as we prepare for the new school year - time management, loving our students, and depending on the Lord day by day.
We love you all and look forward to our next visit to the States!
With love,
Bennett and Joy
Bennett and Joy
