No room at the inn?

Ahh so I originally started writing this last Wednesday....what a FAIL!

I've been in Korean now for 5.5 weeks! Last week I was finally able to pick up my F4visa! It’s apparently like having dual citizenship and I can stay here for 3 years before I have to renew it. If I'm in Korea for five years I can apply for actual dual citizenship and have 2 passports- this is something new for adoptees, and quite a milestone for getting the government to even acknowledge us.

Since the last time I updated which was 2.5 weeks ago:

• I had to pay $1400 to my car dealership- but it's finally over!
• My friend that I'm staying with came back from her US trip
• Got my midterm grade: 94.53
• Struggling a lot with my finances
• My $2200 refund/credit from JAL was applied to my credit card early
• I had to buy a hello kitty fan
• I'm super pissed at citibank for having incompetent customer service reps
  
• I watched Secret Garden and now I'm a bit obsessed with Hyun Bin...
• I learned more about how little Koreans know about sex and pregnancy prevention
• I thought it would be weird and awkward at first, but now I really like my classmates and we get along despite the language barrier. Alcohol and food is a universal language!

Last week I also volunteered at the baby home in Yoksam- where I have volunteered at before. I was unfortunately not allowed to take pictures of the babies- but I will try to ask again next time. They were soooo cute! One of them had a crazy bad lazy eye- so I hope he's able to get the proper medical attention as he grows up. The ladies who work there loved me because I was able to put two "difficult" babies to sleep. One of the babies was really sweaty and I didn't really want to hold him....for fear of making him hotter...and because a sweaty, sticky baby is kind of gross! haha The main caregiver really cares for the babies and took time to interact with them. There was also a lot of volunteers when I came and when I left- so that made me happy.

In reference to the title of this entry- I will be visiting Naju this Friday and Saturday. I really should have gone sooner- but there was some miscommunication- as always. I had been told that the main baby home was being rebuilt this summer and now I've just come to find out that reconstruction will not start until August. I was told previously that I would not be able to live there until after they finished. My school ends on 8/24 and I was planning to go to Naju right after that. Will the construction be done in 4 weeks? What will I do if it isn't? I cannot stay where I currently am now, I can't get another scholarship to study Korean without paying for half of my tuition and I definitely don't have the finances to stay in Seoul for another 3 months. Something that I've been considering is volunteering with Holt. They are an international adoption agency with several homes in Korea. I visited a home for orphaned mentally and physically handicapped people with my church in NJ, GCC. In Korea disabled children are not kicked out of the orphanages at 18. So they can pretty much live there their whole life. When we visited it was cute to see that many of them actually ended up marrying each other and starting their own family. I know working with disabled people will be new for me- but if it's what God wants- I will do it.

Prayer Requests:

• Reconstruction on the baby home in Naju- things will go as scheduled, finances, etc. The new home their rebuilding will also be more "green".
• My future plans for when school ends
• Current living situation-that my Unnie and I will continue to have a good relationship!
• My finances- I need to resend support letters.
• Japan- that the Gospel will spread like fire
  
• North Korea- the future leadership, the refugees, the captives/prisoners, current food crisis
• I will be volunteering all of August for just one day/week at a community center type place for low income children in the area- please pray that I'm able to just love on the kids and maybe even teach them something!
  

I will try to update while I'm in Naju but there will definitely be pictures to come!

P.s: If you're still reading...I updated the pics section!