Ready and Willing

Well, the dog and cat are now in the hands of 3 very attentive children and so I'm completely ready to go. Well, actually I still need to pack, but then I'll be ready to go. Here is a picture of me and most of my team.
In the back row we have:
Natalie - she graduated this year, is a natural leader, and has never been overseas.
Beca - finished her first year of college, recently became on fire for God, is seeking whether her chosen major is right for her.
Megan - never been overseas and is a little socially awkward (potential to rub other teammates the wrong way)
Becky - my co-leader who just graduated and is thinking about joining the peace corp (or maybe a missions organization?) next year. She is willing to help lead, but not unless asked.
Front row:
Rachel - shy, never been out of the US except for Mexico
Me - !
Deanna - in Korea right now so we haven't seen her since school ended, her mom and brother moved there this past year and are putting pressure on her to join them even though she feels the US is her home, another natural leader.
Not shown:
Corrie - getting married this year, wanted to go with her husband on a two-year missions trip starting in 2009, but now talking about going back to school, another natural leader!

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. If you want to check in on how we're doing, the office will post updates every 3-5 days at this website: http://www.calbaptist.edu/spiritual-life/international-service-projects/default2.aspx?id=7376.
If you'd like to read about other trips our school has done, check out this website and click on any country: http://www.calbaptist.edu/spiritual-life/international-service-projects/intservproj.aspx

2 to go

Got Jordan off to Oregon successfully today. She had a slight fever today, but what was I going to do? I pumped her full of Motrin and shipped her off. I did throw up this morning though after eating my breakfast of toaster waffles. And I leave in two days. And I can't get sick. sigh.

Korea - 4 days and counting

The days are coming closer and closer to heading on a 16-hour flight to the land of kim-chi. Out job got slightly changed at the end of April, in fact, the university that was going to sponsor our visit backed out and told us they didn't want us to come after all. This of course was slightly stressful but we have a great office of people to deal with these kinds of issues and I knew that if God really wanted us to go, it would all work out. The answer came about a month ago. A new group which runs summer English camps for underprivileged Korean junior high and high schoolers asked us to come and so the trip was back on with some slight adjustments. The first adjustment is that we arrive in Korea on Sunday at 7:25 Korean time. Our first lessons begin the next day. Originally we had a week between arrival and teaching to adjust to the time change (a 16 hour time change is no joke) and to finish prepping lessons. As it is we get to start teaching lessons we don't know while we are completely jet-lagged. Please, please pray for us.
Jordan leaves for Salem to hang out with my parents tomorrow, but another hurdle is that she got a fever of 102 yesterday. Today it's a more manageable 99.9, but still not what I'd like for her before she heads on a plane alone. Things will all work out - they always do - but if you would pray over the next week for health (that I don't catch whatever she had) and for alertness as I teach and help these other 7 students - none with real teaching experience, and most with no foreign travel experience - to do their best and make a difference for the kids.

Anyonghee kahshipsheeyo,

Cyndi

H2O

I went swimming today. This isn't huge news, but I do generally avoid dipping myself in water. It's just not something I'm that interested in doing for the most part. I dislike the transition period between from hot and dry to cool and wet - I know, I could just jump in, but I refuse to do this. I also dislike chlorine and water in my eyes/contacts. So I just let Jordan go to the pool and have fun with friends and I stay home and be lazy. Today however I gave in and went into the pool. Jordan and I will be separated for over three weeks starting Thursday so she's getting a little clingy. It wasn't that bad, but our pool has a LOT of chlorine in it. After I got out and dried off, my legs had white powder on it. While in the pool Jordan and I did some swimming races. I did pretty well considering I have no swimming skills at all. Actually, I think Jordan's swimming lessons have rubbed off on my over the years. Just watching her and listening to the swim instructors telling her what to do has given me a theoretical understanding of how to swim better. Last week and this coming week Jordan finishes up her swimming lessons for the summer. The previous time she was put in the lower level swimming class and spent a large majority of the time on the side of the pool waiting for each swimmer to individually be helped to swim across the pool. This time I told her that on the first day's swimming test she needed to show that she could swim and do the freestyle stroke and breathing to the side thing. She did so and was put in the higher level class. The problem (for her) is that it's much more challenging. The instructor put the kids in two groups and just has them swim laps over and over for the 40 minutes. By the last laps of the day I can tell she's tired by the slower strokes. She complains but I'm very happy that she's actually doing some swimming. At the same time as her lessons, another instructor teaches jumping and diving from the diving board. This is the next lessons we'll do.