300313

by

two hundred and nineteen

First post in over a month... Amazed at the title... 200+ days I've been here... 200 rollercoaster days to say, at the least.

Where do I begin... How do I even start talking about what my absence entailed.. 

SECRECY.

Probably the best word to describe what I've gone through the past few weeks... Unannounced life events... My yesterdays, todays and tomorrows being of an unknown nature.. No one needs to know.. No one should know.

Let's start slowly... From after the day I parted ways with my family and moved back into the dorms.

Excitement was probably the right word.. Excited to find out what the new semester had in plan.. To see what kind of room mates I would get and if I would really enjoy the last few months of being in this country.

DISAPPOINTMENT.

Probably the best word to describe what I felt.... My new room mates are nothing close to what I'd call the ideal room mates and I'm finding it hard to love them. They have very unhelpful sleeping patterns and it has become rare to see a good night's rest these days... To resolve this issue, I had a chat with them, but to no avail. Therefore I had no other choice than to sleep on the floor in the kitchen section of our room. I bought a second blanket to shield my back from the cold floor, but apart from that, it's a cosy shift and one that helped minimise any sort of conflict between us. Although I am forced to adopt new sleeping positions, it is an acceptable price to pay for a good night's rest. 
This semester isn't what I'd call fun. If anything, it has been busy and full of academic troubles. I've picked up classes that demand a lot of my attention and time... And especially since I opted for a Teaching Assistant role in one of the classes - International Marketing. It is a tough job sometimes, but I feel like I am learning a lot - discipline, leadership and responsibility - thus this effort that I am exerting I feel is going towards a valuable cause.


However...

Besides these...

This semester has already seen great reminders that there are countless other things to be thankful for...


Nina came to visit Korea and I had arguably one of the best times with her and Selina basically touring around Seoul. It reminded me of when Tim visited and combined with re-visiting places I took my family meant that I was all the more excited to finish things up here and head home - where my heart truly is.

Of course, after Nina left, it was back to studying and room mate troubles... But things really aren't that bad anymore... I now have Selina, Sami and Jo who I can rely 100% on if I ever feel like a taste of Aussie and having such faithful friends as they are, is truly a blessing. 
Although last semester was more 'fun' in the sense that almost every night I'd be out with Eero, Lyna and Nicole doing whatever... This semester is more 'fun' in the sense that I am able to get to know my Sydney friends on a lot deeper level and it has been awesome so far.

Today, I had a checkup for my post-surgery eyes with Jo... My eyes are now 1.0 (20/20 in Aussie terms) and the recovery process has been highly successful.. There are no complications regarding the flap and my problematic night vision will continue to improve as I approach 3-6 months from now. Very thankful for the results.

After the checkup, Selina hosted a house warming party where she cooked us a lovely tomato based stew. I do envy her having a kitchen to cook in (I would be cooking everyday if I had a stove equipped kitchen) but having a home cooked meal was most definitely refreshing. I was privileged to be able to chop onions once again and to prepare tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and capsicum. I tested what I learnt from Gordon Ramsay in regard to cutting skills and (I apologise for my pride) am pleased to say that I learnt well. I am more and more excited to come back now so I can continue cooking... But Selina said that I am always welcome to come over and cook - a tempting offer that I will definitely consider.
The biggest and most fun event today however, was meeting with Kenzi.
A good man and a truly encouraging brother in Christ.. It was the first time that I was able to have a deep and fruitful conversation with him about things that really mattered, and further having Selina present meant an even more fruitful time. It was most definitely one of the best conversations I've had during my time in Korea and not realising that time inside that cafe had passed from 10.30pm to 2am is testimony for a much enjoyed time.
We also went to Karaoke and Kenzi is an awesome singer.. Although I wished Selina would release her inner singer and not be shy singing at K =[. Perhaps her sister needs to be present so that Selina would replicate her so called karaoke sessions in the car. =P.
Anyway... really awesome conversations were had tonight and I am immensely excited to come home and catch up with everyone.



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And so... despite the secrecy... the darkness and the uncertainty that brooded over me in the past few weeks... Things are now looking up.. Skies are clearing and I can say that I will most likely enjoy the last few months of being here... The last 90 days of this rollercoaster ride... And although there were a lot of times I felt I would not be able to hold up against the forces, I have not derailed... 

Why?

Because the One who operates this rollercoaster knows what He is doing.. Sure, He will speed things up sometimes, or put me through a rush going down a slope, or make me climb up steep ascents.. But whatever He does, it's all about the experience... The learning journey and having the courage to persevere despite the fear inside. Just like how you would feel near-death experiences going on a scary rollercoaster, you know that the ride operator or the ride itself isn't designed to kill you... It will test you, stretch you and make you scream.... But all you can really do is sit back, buckle up and get through it.

When you trust God with all your heart... You know you can confidently jump off any cliff of a struggle because He will either catch you ... or teach you how to soar.

"He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 1:8


I've gotten better at my British accent.
Interesting.


Thankful: The sunshine in between storms.. The blessings of true friends and clean leisure in between busy-ness and difficult circumstances.

Prayerful: A truly fruitful last 90 days... For the sake of growth and maturity, may I be a sponge that will soak up God's overflowing cup of grace.

Dangers: Not being loving... Not being patient enough and not being wise with how I act, talk and treat others.