Blessed! Tired! Entertained! Disappointed

Okay, I'm back to the blogging world! Let me just say that these last few days have been a mixture of all of the adjectives in the title above! Let me explain:
Blessed:
We had Open House on Monday night (Aug. 11) and school for the students started on Wednesday (Aug. 13). I have 24 students in my class and 22 of them and 23 of their parents showed up for the big event Monday night. I enjoyed meeting all of them and sharing with them the LORD's answer to my prayers in sending me overseas and hand choosing each of their children to be in my class. They were so encouraging. Many of the parents told me that they had been praying that the LORD would put their child in the 5th grade teacher's class of HIS choosing. So in actuality I had been praying for them and their children at the same time that they were praying for me. God is so wonderful! I have students from Switzerland, USA, Korea, Japan, India, Brazil, Nigeria, and Belgium in my class. How awesome is that? I am so blessed! We had school on the 13th and 14th, and then had Friday off due to Korean Independence DAY. My first 2 days with the students were smooth sailing and fun! God also allowed me to get a full night's rest before both days. Having Friday off was a God-send, as well as a tiring experience!
Tired:
I came to work on Friday from 9:45 am until 8 pm. I did have a lunch break in there. However, I was very tired and a bit overwhelmed after thumbing through curriculum and planning all day. Then, this morning I got to work at 9 am and just finished my first week's plans at 6 pm. It should not be this grueling every week. I have a better handle on things now and feel that it will get easier to plan with time. Can we say tired??
Entertained (or freaked out):
Okay, so I left my house yesterday morning thinking about what I'd share in my next blog. I was going to tell you that Koreans have not been staring at me intently like the S. Africans, Chinese, and Thais did when I was in their respective countries. I haven't felt so out of place. However, I can no longer say that. Yesterday, I decided to practice patience and step out of my comfort zone by taking the busses to school. (I still am not in my element where public transportation is concerned. I usually end up walking miles and sweating like a pig until I make it to my destination just to avoid busses or taxis.) Well, I get on and off my first Bus 03 and make it to my second bus stop to wait for the anticipated Bus 0014. As I am waiting, this seemingly nice looking younger Korean man (looks can be deceiving) comes strolling down the sidewalk staring intently at me. Well, I took 2 steps backward to clear the walkway, so he could get by. He decides to align himself with me by taking 2 steps to his right. He then stands almost shoulder to shoulder with me and proceeds to stare at me. It freaked me out. I took 2 steps to my right and forward, and he follows standing within 6 in. of me still staring at me intently. I proceeded to pray for the "stupid" public transportation to hurry up and get there and took my subway map out and pretended to study it. In the midst of praying and "studying," I again shifted away from the psychotic fellow. This time he stayed put, lit up a cigarette (or cigaLette as the signs here say), my "coach" arrived, and he didn't get on it. Praise the LORD!
Also, as I was walking to lunch with some fellow Americans, several different Koreans stopped and stared at us as we talked. Needless to say, I can no longer report to all of you that these countrymen don't stare at me/Westerners in general.
One of the Korean builders working on our school brought me and my friend April food last night. That story is entertaining too, but I can't write all of it now. I think that it was a peace offering since they had been pounding on my wall all day due to adding on next to my classroom. That was a blessing, b/c it served as my dinner!
Disappointed:
I am disappointed, b/c I had planned to post pictures of my house and classroom. However, my school computer is not allowing me to download my pics. I'm sure I'm just too dense to figure it out. Anyway, I'll have to post those soon.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. I have definitely felt them! God is using you to encourage and uplift me. So far, things have been going much better than I ever anticipated! However, I know that things will not always been easy cheesey! I did experience a hint of being overwhelmed over the past few days. However, God reminded me that easy or difficult I need to depend on HIM.
Please pray that Satan will not be able to use stress and worrying to distract me and get me down. God is bigger than any stress or any overwhelming circumstances. HE alone is sufficient to strengthen me to carry out that which HE's called me to.
Please also pray for me as I prepare to co-lead a 6th grade girls' discipleship group here at school.
GOD is so FAITHFUL, and I have been so BLESSED! I look forward to hearing from you!