Out of the Cave, into the Sunlight

For the entire week of midterms I felt almost like I was trapped inside a cave where all that existed was late nights, study, caffeine, and the looming shadows of tests. Little sleep was to be had even though I started studying at least a week in advance. I had five tests that week, so at least I was able to get through them all at once instead of having to wait two weeks for them to be over.

Although it was very stressful at times because I did not know what to expect from the tests, I actually enjoyed the challenge. It really reminded me how good it is to passionately pursue excellence in all areas of life. I think a healthy balance between busyness and idleness is needed of course--a balance which few of the Koreans here seem to have, but it was not so bad to be a bit too busy for a week. It also was encouraging to see how much I had learned from the start of the semester.

And as I mentioned earlier, there were so many small blessings throughout the week which made a huge difference. For instance, our Korean friends from orientation week made all of us new international students candy necklaces. They put our names in Korean on them then strung them up in a tree for us to find. It was really great!

I finished my tests Friday at about noon. Freedom! Although I still have no idea how well I did, I was very glad to be done. I gave it my best shot and leave the results up to God.

After finishing I decided it was time for rest so I took a nap. Friday afternoon I ended up baby-sitting for a conference. It was really refreshing to spend some time with energetic, cheerful children. We had a blast.

To further celebrate completing our first big tests here in Asia, a group of us got together on Sunday to go to a park for a picnic. The weather was chilly, the sky clear and bright--too perfect for words! There was a small zoo as part of the park, and a lot of steel sculptures and walking paths. We took a path up and down a few hills and through the woods and came to a beautiful park with a stunning view of the ocean. It was just the right time of day for pictures, a game of Frisbee and just enjoying a break from school. It really was like coming out of a cave and into the sunlight. 

Pictures can describe it better than my words, so here are some of the wonderful shots we all took that beautiful afternoon:

It was with reluctance that we left the park as the sun disappeared, though it was getting pretty cold. The bus back to school ended up being completely full, so we had to wait an extra hour or so. As we waited for a bus with available seats, we sat on the curb, ate some bread, and chatted together. It was a good day--a very good day. The perfect blessing after a crazy week. I am very blessed to get to spend these months in such a beautiful place with such fun people! I know I keep saying that, but I keep being reminded of it again and again. 

Thanks for reading!