보고 싶은 가족이

보고 싶은 가족이 - Dear Family,

I do enjoy Saturdays! That is the one day a week that I allow myself the luxury of sleeping in as long as I like, and of not opening my Korean books all day. Instead, as the day gets lazily underway, I usually turn on quiet music, and take up some craft or art to employ myself with. Such a very pleasant and relaxing way to spend a cold afternoon, snuggled in my little house! Last weekend I wrote some letters, and this weekend I painted my window. I haven't curtains, you see. And my front, wood-paned window looked a little bleak all by itself. So a few weeks ago I bought some watercolors and paintbrushes. I haven't had time to actually use them until today. After sketching an outline, in black, I thinned down all the paints, and colored in my hills and tree and river and sunshine and clouds, feeling as though I were painting in the pages of a coloring book. After they dried, I fitted the windows back in their tracts. Against the light from outside, the water colors took on a stained glass effect, as I'd hoped they would, so I'm quite happily pleased with the results.

Days are growing colder. I've been keeping my eye on Oregon weather, and though we have yet to catch up to you, it's cold enough here that the mosquitoes are finally dying off. That is a very good thing. For nearly the whole month of October, I would jerk awake three or four times a night to a high pitched whine in my ear. After a few nights of particularly fruitless mosquito hunts, supplemented by empty threats, I discovered that if I leapt out of bed and flicked the light on instantly, the mosquito usually wouldn't have time to fly further than a few feet from the head of my bed before being stunned by the light, and settling on a wall. Then it became a simple matter for me to reach for the sandal I keep under my bed, for just such a purpose, and deal the penalty of capitol punishment on the offending party. Of course, in the chill night air, such procedure would thoroughly wake me, and not being the one of those fortunate few who fall asleep the moment their heads touch the pillow, my only consolation lay in the fact that my opponent had fared worse than I.

Finals are upon us. In just a week and a half the interrogation begins, and for three days we'll feel the pressure of having our writing, grammar, reading, listening, and speaking skills minutely examined and picked to pieces. An intimidating prospect, but one that I look forward to more with impatience to be finished than with dread. We'll be given two weeks, after that, to recover from the ordeal. Then those of us who are fortunate enough to have passed inspection will move on to level two, while the rest of us are corralled heartlessly back to the beginning. I want to pass. Replace that verb with a dozen more potent, and the mark may come close to being hit. I desire, wish, aspire, long, yearn… You may be glad that I haven't a thesaurus by me now, or the list would be indefinitely extended. But even so, I have perfect calm in God's hand over all. I know that the outcome, whatever it may be, will be governed by Him, and so I experience no trepidation, no anxiety. Just a very strong desire to be given a few days to rest. That God is my strength is reassuring, because where my own abilities fail, His never reach an end. He is always strength, and I am always His. Thus, by right of love, I have unlimited access to His unlimited help.

On Friday evenings I've been attending a Bible study that meets in a little coffee shop about fifteen minutes, on foot, from my house. I find it particularly pleasant. It's a very small group, composed of a few enthusiastic individuals. Since I haven't found a church, yet, that I feel at all one with, these few hours of fellowship on Friday are a blessing to me.

I've been studying Psalm 18, and am struck again and again by the violence of God's response to David's cry for help, and by the calamitous discomfiture into which the world is cast in response to God's wrath. And why? How can David have had such a hearing with One to Whom the earth responds by undulating and violently agitating, and the mountains and hills by quivering with fear? It's incredible to me that God allows Himself to be so swayed by our words. But He does. And so, please continue to lift me before Him…

Elisabeth