I was made for this

This is how I have been created to live overseas

1. I love making new friends. Building community is one of my favorite things to do. Whether its organizing a blood drive or bike ride with friends, watching my favorite TV shows with old college alums, or catching up with friends over coffee, I love building and being in a community. Moving back to Fishers has taught me that. Support from a community is vital in my life. So naturally I am drawn to make or find community.

2. I love blogging and writing about my experiences. I love reading blogs and getting caught up in people’s stories.

3. I love love love making movies. Yet another way to connect with the West.

4. I live for awkward moments and adapting to a new culture is sure to be full of embarrassment.

5. I’ve gradually built up to being away for a year. First I went to college, then to France for 4 months, then California for 7 months. 1 year is the next stepping stone naturally.

The Local Market

I just looked up adventure in the dictionary and this is what it gave me

Adventure-an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

The walk of FAITH is to live according to the revelation we have received, in the midst of the mysteries we can't explain.~ Bill Johnson

*Spoiler Alert

(*Spoiler Alert: I’m moving to Korea for you non-readers)

Dear friends,

Hey y’all! Whatever season in my life you are connected to, I come to you now and say hello. This is a letter of explanation and inclusion in my life. As you may know, I’ve been living in Fishers for a little over a year now. My time in Fishers has been filled with long hours at the preschool I work at and fun times with my friends both old and new. I have cherished the different seasons in my life and the life lessons I have taken from them. Although living with my mother and brother has been an experience in itself, I am moving on to the next season in life. For those of you who know me, I have always had my site set on living internationally and teaching English as a second language. When I was at IU, this was all I could dream about, but when it came time for me to make a decision, I came back short handed. I could never make a decision of where and when I wanted to go. I could not even limit it down to a continent. For the longest time I felt so perplexed by this looming question, eventually I tried avoiding it completely. I think that there was a point where I could be swayed to go anywhere if it had the right appeal. Well, after years of asking God where and when, I have an answer to give you…

Ulsan, South Korea April 2011

It feels good to have an answer, a destination, and opportunity. So here is the situation. I will be teaching English to students from ages 8-13 at a private language institute. Here are some frequently asked questions you may have for me that I have readily prepared for you. Please scroll down to the section marked “Frequently Asked Questions”

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you know anyone from South Korea let alone Ulsan?

No, but I am good at making friends. There are 5 other English teachers at my school so they automatically have to be my friends. Right?

2. How long are you going to be there?

My contract is for a year starting in April. After that time, I will reevaluate.

3. But wait Kristen, you don’t speak Korean, do you?

Not really, but I can figure it out one way or another

4. What is Ulsan like?

It’s a bigger city, about 1.3 million people. Nowhere near as many people as Seoul. It’s on the Southeast coast of Korea, about a two hours outside of Seoul. South Korea is about the size of Indiana for a reference. From what I gather, Ulsan has some major shipyards, there’s a big Hyundai plant, and it is very mountainous.

5. Where will you live?

The school has set me up with a furnished apartment. I even have a laundry machine! Unfortunately no dryer.

I am so excited for this move. I wanted to include you all in this news, because guess what?!?! I’m taking you with me. Live this portion of my life out with me. Pray for me. Read my blog. Skype me for any reason in the world. Follow me on twitter. Watch my videos.

This is going to be new and different and I want you all there with me. And if any of you where there for my France e-mails you know that interesting stuff just happens to me.

WE ARE GOING TO ASIA!

God has just given me amazing peace about this whole situation. I am so blessed to be given this amazing adventure to embark on. And no matter how brave I can pretend to be, I still have a lot to learn about trusting God. There’s sure to be challenges, miscommunications, and times of complete frustration, but I’ve had an incredible realization, I am following where God is taking me. I’m just along for the ride and it feels so good.

So this is where I am. I’m going. Really.

Pray for my preparations, especially my work visa process, and my life left in Indiana. Come and see me or make me come and see you. Let’s talk life. Shall we?

Revolutionize Your Paradigm

My mind is struggling with this one

"Jesus came to comfort the afflicted, but He also came to afflict the comfortable.

Throughout history true followers of Christ have been revolutionaries. As the trends of society have been dictated by the herd mentality, these men and women of God have stood up and said, "Hey, wait a minute. That's not right!" They reached out their hands to people the rest of the world walked by without a glance, they spoke out when shutting up may have saved their lives, they took God places others called "God-forsaken," they picked up their crosses and followed Christ when others cried "Lord, Lord" but did nothing. And for this they were called 'Freaks.'

Proverbs 1:32 NIV tells us "the complacency of fools will destroy them."

-DC Talks, Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries

Where do you go from here? You can't let the past hold you back, the things you should of done, but see every moment as an opportunity for change, resistance to the world, and for the Gospel to live out through your life. That's what I'm trying at least.