September Update...

Well, things are clipping along at a rather fast pace here in the East Bay area of Northern California. Since our arrival from Korea, we have been able to reconnect with both pairs of grandparents now, which, in a sense, solidifies the end of our transition back to the States. We still feel like this is some kind of wierd vacation that will soon come to an end, but realize that it isn't, and that this is our home now. Our minds are consistently going back to "Korea Mode", thinking about all we would be doing there at this point with getting back into the flow of school and what-not. We certainly do miss all of our friends and the students at ICS-Uijongbu, but are daily reminded and assured that this is where God has called us to be at this point in our family's journey.

My Mom and Dad came to visit about a week and a half ago. And while it was cut short because of Space-A travelling restrictions, we had a great visit with them. This was the first time since we moved to Korea that the kids had been able to spend time with their grandparents on my side, and the first time that they and Katherine had met, since she was born in Korea. We went to the Jelly Belly Factory over in Fairfield, CA, which was a blast. And we took them to the Golden Gate Bridge, too. I figured it would be a travesty to travel clear across the country to the San Francisco Bay Area, and not go see the Golden Gate. All in all, we had a great time of reunion, and we can't wait to spend more time with them in the future.

Speaking of school, we have decided to go with ABeka Academy Video School for the kids, and are going to begin that next Tuesday. It was a difficult decision to make, as it will put more responsibility on Dulcy and I for the kids' education, but financially, it was the only feasible avenue for action. With pastoral discounts at different schools around the area, we would have been paying approximately $650 a month for all three kids, which is a really good price, actually. But $650, compared to the $220 that we are paying with ABeka, is still a lot of money. So, we are trusting and praying that God will help us meet the somehwhat daunting task of home-schooling all three kids, and we know that He will.

I just recieved a call from Berean Christian High School, in Walnut Creek, for an interview next Wednesday, Sept. 9th, for a substitute teaching position. According to the principal and director, this would be a good way for me to get my foot in the door, for them to get to know me, and vice-versa. So, this is a big praise and answer to prayer. I have placed a total of 20 applications and resumes this week alone, and I have more to do today. Please continue to PRAY that God will guide me to exactly the right job.

We took David to the dentist yesterday, and got some pretty bad news. He's in need of a lot of dental work, and we don't have the money for it, even with our dental insurance. I'm going to be calling the dentist back today to see if we can cut back on some of the less urgent things first. The first hurdle they presented was that he needs a root canal. I'm kind of fuzzy on whether or not this tooth is one of his permanents or not. And if it isn't, I don't completely understand why they want to do all that work on a tooth that's going to fall out in the next couple of years. But this is why I'm going to be calling them back today. So, please PRAY that God will provide guidance and funds in this financial area, too.

Concerning church, things are going well. We are going to be starting a new kid's mid-week program next Wednesday. I also had breakfast today with one of the men of the church to talk about re-starting a Men's Prayer Breakfast each month, and I'm excited and encouraged that this is the Lord's will for the men of our church right now. Please PRAY that this endeavor will be a source of encouragement and spiritual growth for our men. The youth group, for which I am now leading the Bible study, is going strong. We have our meetings on Thursday nights, and so far they've all been a blast. The more important thing, though, is that we always have good discussion times that are somewhat deeper than the normal superficiality that sometimes seems inherent in teenagers these days. Please PRAY that this trend will continue.

Well, that's about it. I've got to hit the pavement to put some more applications in today, and do some reading and studying. So, thank you again for all your prayers and support, just keep it coming...:)

In His Service,
Sam
Mark 10:45