Missouri's Little Vegas?

Road trip! We took a quick visit to Branson, Missouri for the weekend with Ben's parents. For anyone with an appreciation for Dolly Parton, neon lights, and good old American entertainment, Branson is your place. Our trip was more of an overnight getaway, but seeing the Branson "strip" was nice. Mom and Dad took us to some of their favorite places, and we enjoyed the beauty of the winding roads into town. The winding roads made Jen want to sleep, however Ben was more in the mood to be loud while taking scenic photos from the car window, so no napping was accomplished. Here is some of his fine work:


Perhaps he should stick to something that is a bit more fitting to his personality.


Who you gonna call?

Peanuts, Pine Trees, and Passports

During our two months "off" (the time when we've been uninsured and unemployed), we have had many adventures. Think about the last time you ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or when you reached for a handful of peanuts in that decorative bowl. Have you ever wondered where those peanuts came from? Well, during our first couple of weeks in the south, we picked 10 gallons of peanuts. They grow underground...who knew!?! (Oh! The handsome fellow in pink with us in the pictures is Flat Stanley. He's going to Korea with us!)


Though officially unemployed, we have been quite busy, doing things that may surprise some of you. Ben's dad owns a lawn care business, and Ben has spent many of our days here helping Dad mow. Well, last week he invited me along for a change. I handled raking hickory nuts and fallen leaves just fine, and was amazed at how quickly Dad and Ben had cut down an old tree in some back yard (it was dead, of course). It took them about ten minutes. Well, then Dad decides that we'll go ahead an cut down this other dead pine tree, the one that has been dead for over two years. Needless to say, it took us about 3.5 hours at least. This tree was not the baby sapling that was cut down just an hour earlier. This was what you all think of when I say pine tree. That's a new experience!

I took a trip to FedEx today and sent away more paperwork and passports. While it seems that this process is never going to end, we have good news: WE GOT OUR VISA CONFIRMATION NUMBER YESTERDAY!
Now, that may not mean much to many of our readers, but to us, well, we've basically been checking our e-mail obsessively since...August waiting for these numbers. It's about time! Speaking of time, we've got to be completely honest here, each day of this process has been such a lesson for us. Not only have we been through the emotional ups and downs of waiting. And waiting. And, well, you know--waiting. But, we have truly seen the Lord's hand in the timing for everything. We have been embraced by both of our families, who have taken us in graciously for many weeks at a time. Even more encouraging is the random note, e-mail, and phone call that we receive from people that could easily forget about us. We did not plan on being "around" for two extra months, but we are thankful for each of those days.

This is us shortly, after we made our appointment for next Wednesday at the Korean Consulate. Basically, that means that we have been waiting for over two months to get this silly number so that we could make an appointment to get our visas approved. One step closer to Korea!



Thanks to everyone who has left notes and comments! We are still learning how to use all of the fun features, so responses and such will come eventually.

Jen

Welcome to our Blog!

Can you believe we've actually started a blog?  Personally, I can't.  Nor can I believe that I am using the term "blog" and that I think I am currently "blogging".  Ben and I usually poke fun at technological noun-turned-verb words and phrases, such as "just google it".  For those of you who in turn poke fun at people like us, we non-facebooking internet users, please overlook our lack of tech-savviness and welcome us into this new realm of communication.

For those who aren't quite sure where we are or what we are doing, well, either are we.  Our plan to teach English in Korea in early September has long passed us by.  After moving out of our apartment in South Bend, we never anticipated having such a long delay for our visa paperwork.  During that time of waiting, our anticipated jobs were cancelled, as there were ten other teachers also waiting for visas to process, and thus a school that had no teachers.  Unsure of how long we would have to wait for a new school opportunity, we came to Arkansas to visit with Ben's family.  During our stay, we've had a handful of interviews with English schools in Korea, and we finally signed a contract with a particular language institute just north of Seoul.  

We are currently staying in Arkansas with Ben's family, where we have been very encouraged throughout our time here.  We have also been very enlightened into Arkansas culture, which is  quite a bit different from Indiana.  Today, we packed into the Suburban after church and drove about 45 minutes south to a fall arts & crafts festival (the boys only agreed to come because of the promising beauty of the Ozark fall foliage).  The highlight was the pig races. Yes, that is what I said. The day's entertainment was watching four pig races, in which three or four pigs would race around an enclosed track chasing...an Oreo cookie. The emcee, who spoke like an auctioneer, creatively named each pig according to that particular race's theme. An example was the Hollywood Ladies, in which Lindsay Loham was racing Brittney SpareRibs. I couldn't stop laughing, to say the least.

The drive was beautiful, though we all agree that no foliage (or foil-age, says Ben) quite matches the beauty of the northern midwest.  We are privileged to be in the States for the Fall, our favorite season, but we do truly miss the brilliant reds and yellows of the trees that are up north.  The colors are less vibrant here, and the apple orchards less common.  Even so, there is something about Fall that just makes you feel good, no matter were you are.  Dad started the first fire of the season in the fireplace, which is the perfect balance to the chill in the air.  These small things have helped to make our time waiting--still waiting--not only tolerable, but enjoyable.  

We have been frustrated by our situation, but blessed and encouraged by friends and family.  God, in His grace, has been opening our eyes to understand this time of waiting.  For the last two months, we have experienced so much joy from our loved ones, people who have taken time to spend with us, to call us, or just to let us know that we are important.  One of the reasons for us to have this journal is so that we can do the same for you.  We want to be involved in your lives, and want you to be involved in ours.  We often joke about it being just the two of us for awhile, but that is a reality that we are preparing for.  Any updates and encouragement from the States is going to be much appreciated over these next 12 or 13 months.

So, please keep in touch, please take a few minutes to read about our adventures in Korea (we'll try to keep it interesting!), and please please please write us and share what is happening where you are!

Jen (and Ben)