선생님 (songsaengnim) means teacher in Korean. It is a word which I have become pretty familiar with, as we use it daily to address each of our professors. Recently, the tables have turned a bit and I have been hearing it used as MY title as well. Monday through Thursday nights a different group of international students from Global Village travels to a local community center to work with underprivileged children who want to learn English. Wednesday night is my night. My kids are adorable and very bright! The photo above is of Paul, me, and Mary. Paul is really soft spoken and normally the only boy in my class. I love his sweet smile. Mary is a giggler and understands the most English. She sometimes needs to translate what I say for the other students and rarely does it without giggling. 
The neighborhood all of the students live in was built by Habitat for Humanity. The community center is run by the local Methodist church and my classroom is on the bottom floor. We go through a simple textbook, practice pronunciation, and review how to introduce ourselves to new friends. We almost always end by playing counting games. I have to admit, teaching English appears to be really EASY. I mean, all I have to do is talk to these beautiful children in MY native language. It almost seems unfair. They have to work so hard and I get to sit back and enjoy their company. I have become quite fond of my kiddos and find myself looking forward to each Wednesday night. When I was in India, I remember being amazed at the power and freedom that literacy offered. Here in Korea, I am seeing the role that the English language has in the international world. For better or worse, the United States and England are global superpowers and English is a nearly necessary tool for anyone wishing to get a "good" job here in South Korea. Everyday, I am more and more thankful to God for the experiences He is giving me here. I am learning a lot not only about myself, but also about the different needs others have. He is extra kind to use children so often to teach and to encourage me.
