seeing through new fresh eyes

Rainy days make for perfect days of being cozy, feeling peaceful and being refreshed. Lately, there have been quite a few rainy days with it being typhoon season in South Korea. I am loving them (I mean I would not be enjoying them if they happened every single day, but a few here and there over the past few weeks have been wonderful).  

Rain always reminds me of being refreshed, renewed, washed cleaned and overflowing.  And these words describe exactly what is going on in my heart right now as well. Since arriving back in Korea for another year of teaching I have felt peace that this place is completely where God has me right now.   He will use all that I learned last year from Him to show me even more this year. It is a journey. Journey that is beautiful and sometimes not so beautiful, but it always has love from a Savior who loves no matter what.

I feel refreshed from a summer of weddings, friends, lots of ice cream, being outdoors, and loving on family. I feel renewed with a new desire to serve those in my community with Christ-like love. I feel washed cleaned of all that happened last year and ready to embrace that I have established myself in Korea for now. I feel overflowing with contentment, peace, loved and knowing that I am creating a space here in Korea that I call “home”. My home will always also be where my family is, but my own home for now is Korea. I am so thankful that God has worked in my heart and open it to accepting that my home for now is here. I feel completely at peace about it. It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s wonderful.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of being a part of a team that helped the new teachers and their families’ transition to Korea and our community through a week of orientation. Showing these wonderful people around Songtan and explaining Korea to them gave me a new set of fresh eyes for this community and country that I live in. It helped me to feel the overflowing feeling of contentment that it is right that I am here. It was funny because I felt all week that God had purposely place little things throughout my days to show me/remind me why He has me where He does, but the really funny thing is that it has continue over the weeks. One day in the market a sweet old man threw some cherries in with my nectarines giving me new insight to how sweet Koreans really can be. I feel so safe running around my city. When it is really hot there is a fountain that refreshes you and actually makes you feel cold for a second (I needed this on the hot humid days).  I am relearning how to take public transportation and loving how easy and convenient it is. I love that I can walk almost anywhere! I see the adventures again in Korea (renewed) - there are many things that I want to discover this year.  There are many things that I want to do, see and explore. I feel accepted and loved in my community. I feel taken care of. I love that I can be a part of people’s lives here and walk a journey with them. I love that I can see how much my students from last year have grown and my heart is truly thankful to my Savior for giving me wisdom in coaching a student in my class from last year in dealing with anger in appropriate ways and seeing him use the techniques this year just makes my heart explode. I love that I can teach a class of second graders.  I love that all of these things are only possible because I serve a God who is perfect. I could not do any of these things, but because my Savior lives in my life He gives me His strength, His wisdom, His love and His guidance.  It is only because of Him and what He is doing in my life that I am where I am right now. I am clinging to Jesus.

Refreshed I am! Renewed I am. Washed cleaned I am. Overflowing I am. Thank you, Jesus for working in my life. Thank you, Jesus!



Love, Daniella

P.S Here are some pictures of how I have decorated my room. My lovely roommates and I are still in the process of decorating our apartment, but I will have pictures up as soon as we are finished with all the details! J

My desk area... still waiting on finding the perfect desk chair!

My bed area

Walk into my rom with joy, wake up in the mornings reading "Today I am grateful" and "welcome home, Daniellas!" Also, my view outside my big bedroom windows that bring so much sunlight in! Yay!

My room! :)