Greetings from Yanji! I apologize that this is the first time you have heard from us since we arrived Saturday night, but the hotel computer has been acting up a bit. Beau Brannan and I are currently in the office of Middle School #4 while your kids are in 40 classrooms teaching English for the first day!
I wish that all of you could see what great representatives of Oaks your kids are. They jumped right into the classrooms with smiles, enthusiasm, and a freightload of family pictures. The Chinese students absolutely love having them in their classes and from time to time, we can hear roars of laughter or rounds of applause emanating from the hallways.
The basic schedule is this: breakfast (a cross between Chinese and Korean), teach two classes, lunch, and teach two more classes. We will maintain this schedule for four days, Monday through Thursday with the exception of Wednesday afternoon. On that day, we will watch a school talent show as well as play one of their schools in a basketball game. Oaks is around 8-0 here and I don't anticipate an upset with the likes of Matt Johnson, Jules Sharpe, Tyler McGrath, and Michael Henahan on the USA Dream Team. Of course, it did SNOW here today a little so the game is somewhat in question.
This is the first day of teaching after climbing the Great Wall on Saturday, flying to Yanji, and visiting the North Korean/China border on Sunday. The pictures are a group photo from Tiananmen Square and Sean Spear with his fan club after teaching at Middle School number 7.
The kids are doing great and with a group of 54 students, they are mixing well and "making new friends." There is kind of an unwritten rule at school that you associate with those closest to you on not venture too far away from that group, but on a trip like this, those rules quickly vanish. I'm especially proud of the six middle school kids as they have demonstrated an unusual maturity for their age.
The early group led by Beau Brannan and Jason McMaster will depart here in Yanji Wednesday night. They will be home by Thursday at around 5PM.
Overall, things are great, most everyone is healthy with the exception of a few minor colds, and your kids are having the time of their lives.
Thanks for your continued thoughts; we REALLY appreciate it!
Jai Jian,
Jim
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3 comments:
Kelsey LOVED teaching her second round of classes. Sounds like she had a bit of "stage fright" with her first classes. She reports that she is making new friends and loving every minute of this incredible experience. Many thanks again for making it happen.
It sounds like everyone is having a blast and learning a lot about themselves. I love it that they are moving out of their comfort zones and into the world of true service. Tell everyone that Comander Coyle is proud of them!!! Also, please tell Chris Coyle that Mom, Dad and Katie say Happy 17th Birthday!!!
Kel,
I know you won't see this until you get home, but for posterity sake, I want you to know I am wearing your CIF ring and praying for you and all the Oaks family in China every time I fiddle with it. I know there are wonderful lessons and memories in store for each one of you on this special journey. Be safe and open to all you are to glean from this opportunity.
Love you,
Mom
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