Modern Day Slavery

Slavery Map
"Slavery thrives in the shadows. An estimated 27 million live in bondage today – yet we know about the plight of so few of them. The battle to end slavery begins by revealing it." (from the link above)

Not For Sale Campaign

IJM

Historians Against Slavery

I don't really know what I can do yet... maybe this is my first step--sharing the information with my readers so we can learn about this together and become more aware...that's where our involvement begins, I think.

As I learn more about Modern Day Slavery and the Movement to end it, I also must dig deeper into what it means that I am set FREE at the Cross of Jesus Christ.  As I seek to understand my freedom in Christ, I am asking God to give me eyes to look around and see what really is going on. 

As David Batstone said, "This is at the very core of who we (Christians) are."


He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

Feel free to share other links or resource you know of...

My little chomper, a lollipop and Daniel's job

Ti found his thumb!

This is what he did most of his waking hours today.

So I don't know when babies typically show signs of teething, like excessive drooling, chewing on everything, etc.  I don't think it was this early for Ari but this little guy seems to be totally onto it already at two and a half months.  He has found his hands earlier but lately he really has shown complete obsession with his hands and fingers.  Those handy, easily accessible appendages!  Oh, he just LOVES to bring them to his mouth and suck away!  He was unusually fussy this evening before he fell asleep.  I offered to nurse him but he refused, quite furiously I might add.  Finally, I offered him my finger wrapped with a piece of thin cotton cloth.  He was absolutely satisfied by that.  It was so funny to watch him chewing on my finger because he kept chomping like he was trying to break it into pieces or something!  He would scrunch his whole body and chomp down on it like he was mad. :)  After chomping down on my finger for awhile, he fell fast asleep.  My sweet little boy...

Ari and I were reading a book about a lollipop sea and gum drop trees with tempting illustrations.  When she saw the page of the sea of lollipops, her countenance changed and she looked at the lollipops very intently for a few seconds as I was reading.  She kept wanting to go back to that page as I kept reading on.  Then finally, she said, "I want one.  I want one, Mommy...?"  What is it with kids and candy?  I just really don't get it.  I grew up on candy too and I have had quite the visits to the dentists.  I really want my kids to have healthy teeth and not be too overly tempted by sweets... I am nuts, I know.  Anyway, since I brush her teeth after lunch and dinner (no matter how much I have to fight her to do this thoroughly!), I decided to give her one.  I bought a small bag of "organic fruit juice suckers" from Trader Joe's before we left Wheaton.  That was last summer and I have not run out of them, ha!  Candy is something of which I don't mind depriving my kids... maybe that's why she just LOVES it.  Her face lights up and the world is right when she has one of these.

oh, so good!

the happiest girl

She was the happiest girl in the world and ran around the house sucking her lollipop.  When she was done with it, she ran to the kitchen and threw away the stick.  Then she came to me and said, "I want more!  I want a green one, Mommy!"  ...Not for a while, dear!  and I order her to go drink her water (so her teeth can be rinsed!).  :P

So rare for us to be in photos together lately, we decided we needed one--the tired parents

So we've been weighing our options for Daniel's job for the next few months we're here.  His contract with the current agency is ending next month.  Looks like he will be working exclusively with one of the schools where he's been teaching and drop all the others to where the agency has been sending him.  Thankfully, all the traveling and commuting will be over and he won't have to leave for work till after lunch.  I'll probably have to put both kids to bed without his help but I don't mind that as much since he'll be home in the mornings.  I am thankful for the slight change in his schedule.

It has been quite the life for us here in Seoul for the past half a year. (I will have to write a whole other long post sometime).  Sometimes I wonder what life would've been like if the pastorate position never fell through or that international school teaching position never fell through... would we have enjoyed living in Korea more?  I guess I will never know.  Daniel and I sometimes talk about the lessons God has been teaching us through this challenging time.  (I will have to write about this separately as well.)  I know that we are not here as a mistake and that God is doing things in and even through us that we can't even begin to imagine right now.  That's why we must keep pressing on, by faith, and be faithful in our daily lives here and now.

Winter Wonderland

my happy Ari outside today in the snow

about to throw a snowball at daddy taking pictures of her

she got him!

got him good on his face!

I went grocery shopping by myself today.  We didn't make it to church again... sick husband.  :(  It started to snow when I left the house.  Kids and hubby peacefully asleep.  By the time I came out of Lotte Mart with a heavy box full of groceries and about 20 rolls of toilet paper in a package I had arrived in a winter wonderland.  I stood beside a couple of men waiting to flag down a taxi.  Cars were moving slow.  After standing there for quite a while, I began to think I may never make it back home today with these groceries... finally, a taxi slowly came to a stop seeing me flagging him down.  I turned to get my box and the t.p. and saw one of the men getting in MY taxi... I was so mad.  I called home.  They were all up from their naps.  Ti was screaming and Ari was whining.  My poor hubby trying to feed Ti from a bottle (I had expressed some milk before I left just in case.)...
Well, after a while longer, I got in a taxi finally.  The driver recognized me from before and said to me as soon as I got in that there's no way he's going to drive up the hill today.  I said sure I totally understand... So he dropped me off at the bottom of the hill with my heavy box and the t.p.  I couldn't even carry both at once so I had to carry one and come back and get the other a bit further.  I asked a random guy to watch my box of groceries while I go get my husband.  I called Daniel that I would come home and have him go get the box...he told me he was already on his way--with both kids!

Ari loved to find so much snow and it still snowing outside.  Daniel grabbed a camera and went back out of course even though he is still so sick with a nasty cold.  Ti had taken the bottle (which I'm glad about) but there was only a little bit of milk.  I nursed him and the world was right... after all the craziness.

I enjoyed a hot cup of vanilla latte at Dunkin Donuts on my way to Lotte Mart this afternoon.  It was so so good but now I'm thinking I shouldn't have.  I'm just now getting sleepy and it's almost midnight!  Yikes!

my abdomen and a haircut

It has been over two months since I had Ti.

I have been inside all winter (which feels perpetual!) except for grocery shopping and a couple of other trips like going to church.  On those Sundays when the weather and our health permitted us to leave the house for church, I have had a battle.

No, it's not with my husband or Ti, not even with my toddler--it's with my pants.  It sounds silly but not to me at the time.  The first time I tried on my non maternity pants, I was a little shocked but thought 'oh just a couple more weeks...I went back to my normal size eventually after having had Ari...'  Then a month passed and I would try on those pants again thinking 'this time they should fit no problem!'  And then I wonder what on earth has happened to my body especially on my belly and waist!  One Sunday I literally sat down on the floor and cried like a toddler (frustrated) after having tried to squeeze my belly into those pants for what felt like about half an hour.  I don't know if it's because we live in Seoul, Korea (skinny, model looking Asian women are everywhere) or it's because it's my second baby but this postpartum figure seems to have claimed my abdomen and waist forever.  A lot of it is probably due to my lack of exercise...
Today a worker we got to know a little bit at a restaurant down the hill from us said something like the following: "How come your belly still looks pregnant?  It's been long enough, hasn't it?"  I know he didn't mean to be rude and actually it probably will never occur to him that it might have been rude of him to say such things but he's the first person who acknowledged this fact to me beside myself and my husband.  It confirmed my suspicions and now I know for sure I need to do something about it....like start exercising again.


Perhaps a haircut?  (nothing to do with my abdomen but it's gotta start somewhere...)  After putting the kids down, leaving them with my poor sick husband, I ventured out to get something (anything!) done with my hair this evening.  It has been over half a year since I got a haircut.  I walked into a salon and waited for about ten minutes.  A stylist approached me while I was reading a friend's birth story on her blog drinking a nice hot cup of green tea the salon provided for me.  I took off my huge long jumper that hid mostly everything about my body and was escorted to get my hair shampooed and conditioned.  On my way there a couple of women sitting at the waiting bench turned their heads their eyes fixed on my belly.  I tried to keep tensed and breathed in but that didn't help much.  I tried to examine their faces to quickly decide what they were thinking... they were thinking, 'oh my goodness, what on earth has happened to her belly?!'

I quickly sat down feeling ashamed and humiliated.  The worker reclined my seat, covered my eyes with a piece of paper towel and started shampooing.  I was thankful to have gotten my eyes covered.  I enjoyed the pampering for a few minutes.  It was simply marvelous.

The stylist came and asked what I wanted done with my hair.  I said, "I don't know... something different!"  She smiled and we discussed a bit about the whole range of possibilities.  (I always love this part.)  I like what she did although I was thinking a bit more drastic... I wonder if she would've done something more exciting if I hadn't told her that I was a full time nursing mom.  

after a not so drastic haircut

Of course it's so nice looking right after a haircut because they do the blow drying and the finishing touches... I'm not washing my hair tomorrow for sure.  No more ponytail! (well, probably for about two days...)


I've lost enough hair, I wanted to get a glamorous perm and a few highlights but being a full time nursing mommy of a not even three month old baby, we decided to wait on a perm and highlights.  I was happy to pay only about $18 for the cut and even gave her a good tip (tips are not expected here.).  My belly still looking pregnant, I left the salon feeling a bit prettier...at least above my belly.


I'm sitting at a coffee shop now typing this.  I better get home to nurse Ti soon and get to bed myself.


Sorry, no picture of my abdomen but I'm sure you get the picture...
No too sympathetic comments please...

Thirty

My facebook profile read, "Today is your birthday."  Thanks, fb!  I almost forgot! :)

Thirty.  It still sounds like someone else's number but it definitely feels different from my birthdays in the 20's.

I actually like getting older.  When I was a little girl, I used to play house with my siblings and relatives and always assumed the role of the oldest character as far as I remember.  I liked feeling like I was mature and grown up and did not need grown ups telling me what to do.  Well, I now know grown ups aren't always mature and often do not have it all together.  Still, I like getting old for some reason.

My step mom made Meeyeokguk (that imfamous seaweed soup we had too much of the first month after Ti's birth!  It's a birthday soup too.) and a couple of other special side dishes for my birthday.  My dad, step mom, and my grandparents came to visit us early in the morning around 7 to feed us this birthday breakfast...and of course mostly to see my two adorable little darlings.  They live about an hour drive away.  (That's far in Korea.)

Ti with my grandparents this morning

It was quite a whirlwind visit (as always).  After breakfast, they were ready to go back... and they wanted to take Ari with them for an indefinite period of time.  Ari actually wanted to go with them so Daniel and I let her go. (This is an especially hard decision for me.)  It was too quiet after they left and Daniel left for work.  After putting Ti down for his nap, I sat on the couch wondering how my girl's doing... all day, I kept praying for protection and that she would be enjoying her time there.  I called around her lunch time to let them know she probably needs to eat and go down for a nap... my grandma said she was doing fine, terrorizing my parents' room and having fun and does not miss me at all.  Of course she did not take a nap and by the time she was on her way back home in my dad's car, she was a wreck, smelling like cosmetics (from putting on my step mom's makeup), with a leaking diaper and no dinner!  I gave her a cup of smoothie I had made just before she got home expecting this would be the case.  Daniel cuddled with her and got her ready for bed while I put Ti down.  She wanted to read her usual bedtime favorite, The Berenstain Bears and the Sitter, so we did.  I tried to ask her what she did and if she had fun.  She didn't say much to my questions but while I was praying and saying thanks to God for different things of the day, she added, "and they gave me candy..."  so we thanked God for the candy too. :)


I took some more pictures of Ti during the day.

And some more... I can't help it...

 In the evening, I opened presents from Daniel's family that mother sent a few weeks ago.  I've been waiting so patiently to open these. :)  Grandma Glema and grandpa George got me a very nice skirt, a totally-me shirt from mom and Audie, and a special necklace from mom... such special gifts from far away.

me wearing the heart shaped glass locket necklace from momther

Daniel's at tutoring this evening.  I'm going to order some food...not great many options but it's my birthday and I feel like ordering in.  :)


I'm one happy thirty year old woman, mother, and a wife today!

girlie fun--looks like she has highlights :)

learning to write numbers

these dry erase cards are so much fun!

I wrote her name down and before I asked her she said, "Arielle!"

doodle fun with the dry erase card

strengthen that neck!

snack time (shrimp chips & apple slices)

daddy's home! (my sick family:()

So we have this red floor rocker that folds up.  We looked for a glider but it was a pain to find one.  So, instead, we bought this one for nursing and rocking Ti.  Well, it's pretty useless... you can so easily tip over and end up helpless on the floor!  One good thing about it is that you're closer to the heated floor.

Ari loves it when Daniel or I suddenly start dancing.  She loves to just drop whatever she was doing and join us in the crazy excitement with giggles and laughs.  This afternoon Ari and I danced in every room--we needed some exercise!  Ti watched us being wild girls lying on the couch. :)  He probably wanted to join us so badly!  Soon enough, buddy, soon enough!

it's about me today

I've been trying to listen to the book of Genesis everyday this year.  Daniel asked me yesterday if I was up to chapter 50 (that's where we're supposed to be according to the reading plan we're following) yet and my answer was yes but I don't remember much...  In as much as I love actually reading prints on paper, at this point of my life, it seems that I need a more practical way of staying in the Word with two little ones to keep me busy and interrupt me every minute of the day and night.  So I'm trying.

Genesis has always been one of my favorite books of the Bible.  The version I'm listening to is NKJ read by famous people, I guess.  I recognize Jim Caviezel's voice but that's about it.  Anyway, it's sort of refreshing to hear it read dramatically (also, I don't tune it out so quickly like some other ones.)

Today I was remembering some of the things I heard while sitting in one of Daniel's classes at Wheaton Graduate School while pregnant with Ari.

One has to do with the Sabbath day.  I used to think that by "day of rest," it just meant disengage, empty your mind, just relax, don't work, worry, etc... because God "rested" on that day.  In class, I was shown the "why" of this command to rest... why I CAN indeed really REST and WORSHIP God.  It is because "God is in the control room."  The first six days, we are shown God's marvelous work of creation.  On the seventh day, God rests.   He has set everything in its place and now He is running it--perfectly and beautifully!  He is in total control...fully engaged.  It brought so much more meaning to me regarding Sabbath and whenever I feel overwhelmed I think about the creation account.

The other one has to do with the Tower of Babel story.  How the point/focus of the story may not be one of man's pride (trying to make a name for themselves) but one of man's distorted perception of God... in that the reason the Hebrews built the tower reaching up to heaven was because they saw their God like the pagan gods of other nations.  They thought that their God could be manipulated... that by their building the tower, God would come down to them...on their own terms.  I am so similar.  I love being shown my distorted perception of God and convicted and taught by His Spirit through God's Word.

So Ti's got whatever's going around...finally...and the four of us are all sick now.  I think Daniel and Ti are feeling the worst at this point and Ari is getting better.  I pray for strength to care for my family.

My friend Dawn's package arrived today!  Packages from the States really have been such encouragement to us here.  We are loved and thought of by our friends and family there... we are overwhelmed in a very good way...

Just some photos today

Our day...

Ari playing doctor

She got some big boogers out of Crong's nose! :P

The examining

Trying to catch a smile on camera...better than the last time!

Dinner with mommy

grocery shopping

We all got ready to go to church this morning but my grandmother called to forbid us from stepping outside (this is a very typical phone conversation with her these days).  So we obeyed.

Ari talking to great grandma

Well, not exactly...Daniel checked the weather on line and found out it was only 3 degrees out so we thought it best to stay home especially with all of us feeling under the weather with runny noses.  

At dinner time Ari said, "We're gonna go to church!"  I guess she thought we were still going...

Usually we all go grocery shopping together about once a week here.  Things come in rather small portions so we run out of things quickly.  I don't mind it because that means things are fresher.  So this is how grocery shopping's done usually--

 We all get ready--bundle up Ti and put him in the Graco car seat and put him in the foldable stroller.  Get Ari bundled up.  We get ready and we're out the door.  This process takes anywhere between half an hour to an hour.  We walk down the hill and on the main road at the bottom for about 15-20 minutes past several car washing places where you can literally get sprayed if you're not watchful, a dumpster, and numerous smokers.  We arrive at Lotte Mart where it is always CROWDED.  I'm quite good at manuevering through tight spaces so that's not a big problem.  When we're done shopping, Daniel takes Ari and boxes up all our groceries while I nurse Ti in the nursing room.  We sometimes get a fruit drink at the little stand by the boxing stand to celebrate our another chaotic but successful shopping experience.  We walk past a couple of people who try to get us to open a credit card and go downstairs where we flag down a taxi.  Ari usually has had enough by this time and gets quite irritable.  But it's only a short ride so we tolerate.  I tell the driver that he needs to make a U-turn and it's not that far.  The driver starts complaining--about how we could do this to him, etc...  and when we're on our way up the hill through super narrow side roads, he really gets on my nerves.  We give him a good tip (Koreans don't tip usually) for complaining and being so rude the whole way as we get out of the taxi!  It is a mess and a choas but we still like to do all this together because we don't go out much especially these days...

Today, for a change, I took Ari alone.  I ergo-ed her and bundled up well.  As I walked to the store carrying Ari, my bones felt like they were going to freeze!  Good thing I didn't let Ari walk.

She was a great help and it was a pleasant trip.  We even grabed a bite together at a stand there.  The taxi driver wasn't too bad either.  I told Ari what fun it was to go shopping with her and that she is such a great helper!  She soaked it all up, I think, as she smiled and let me hug her tight in the taxi.  We got home and Ari took a nap.  After that, we enjoyed such sweet strawberries...expensive but it was worth it!  We need to load up on fruits and veggies to help fight off this cold!

At dinner time, Daniel was holding Ti while we were all eating.  His arms got tired so he put him down on the floor by his feet.  When Ari realized Ti was out of sight she looked and looked around and asked us where he was.  When she realized he was on the floor, she got so worried and wanted us to pick him right up!  It was such a protective older sister moment!

I wish today won't end and Monday would never come!  Daniel's gone till 7:30 on Mondays. :(

To end with a couple of funny quotes of the day...

Daniel - It smells like popcorn in here!

Me - It's Ti. (Time to change his diaper!)

Ari was whining quite a bit this morning so Daniel said to her, "If you keep whinning, I'll lock you in a wine celler.  You can whine there all day!"

Fireplace

So we have a fireplace now.  I'm sitting by it as I type.  I hear the crackles and popping.  It's great!  If only I could really feel the warmth and smell the wood burning...  Daniel got it for me.  It'd be nice if we could watch a movie at the same time. :P

Ti's two month old as of yesterday.  He weighs 5.4 kg and is 65 cm long.  That would be almost 12 pounds and 25.6 inches.  I always worry that he's not eating enough or gaining weight fast enough... Daniel reminds me that I was like that with Ari too and that I would worry about something else if not this.  I think he's right but I can't help it!  Here's the little guy at two month old:

two month old Ti

Transition from one to two kids has been challenging.  I'm sure it's challenging for many different reasons for different moms but for me the worst time is when I feel like Ari or Ti feels left out... it really is hard to give full attention to one without feeling guilty about the other.  It's slowly getting easier as I learn to intentionally divide my time and energy evenly... but I'm an idealist so I rarely feel like I do a good job and often feel too exhausted.  Hopefully one day I'll become a natural. :)  Also, I look forward to the the days when they will need and want each other more than their mom or dad!  Then maybe I'll want another baby to hold...but for now my hands are really full and it is hard to imagine having any more.  But then I still am an idealist and my ideal is to have another boy and another girl. :P

reading before bed

Visitors and the rest

Ti took a super long nap this morning from 9 to almost 1!  His tummy troubles seem to get the worst during the wee hours of the morning so his sleep during those hours loses it's restorative quality, constantly grunting and trying to pass gas--that is my mommy guess.  Anyway, so he must've really needed this long sleep this morning.  He was cooing and all smiles when he was awake--the sweetest thing!

So while he napped, Ari and I stayed in her tiny room reading together, being goofy, and then eventually doing our own things.  Ari loves to play baby with her green dinosaur named, "Crong."  He's a character from her favorite Korean TV show called, "Pororo."  We own a DVD in English and she loves to watch and talk about all the characters all the time.  It seems that it really has become  her world since her birthday.  She does with him what I do with Ti--nursing, wrapping, changing diapers, even spit-ups.  I love that she has a great imagination and that she can entertain herself so much more now.

Daniel came home early today because the school he goes to in the afternoon was still on break.  He let me nap with Ari while he spent some alone time with Ti.  We woke up to be so pleasantly surprised by two visitors!  Our friends from Moody who have been in Korea similar situation as us--Youngjin & Justin!  They're expecting their first baby in May and may go back to Chicago area either before us or around the same time.  It is so so refreshing to have friends over...especially since it's so rare here for us.  We'll see them Sunday at church!

Ari showing off her batting skills

Daniel is at his tutoring job tonight.  Tonight was the second time I had Ari go to bed by herself.  When Daniel's home he usually stays with her until she falls asleep but I find that sometimes impossible with Ti especially if he's crying and does not want to nurse.  I like lying down with her in her room in the dark at her bed time--it's such a peaceful time--usually.  Tonight Daniel read with her before leaving.  I brushed her teeth, gave her her water cup, hugged and kissed her good night and left.  She seems to know what to expect.  She went to sleep quietly...my sweet angel.

Both kids are in bed now and I'm alone.  Once again, I have not set foot outside once today... still in my P.J.s and my mommy pony tail (always think of Tamara with this one).  I'm a slob.  At least I'm not covered with leaking breast milk or spit up anymore.  Daniel's off tomorrow but he seems to have gotten what Ari has now so we'll probably stay home and get some rest.  Ti's due for another round of immunizations tomorrow so I'll be taking him back to that public health place in the morning.  Happy two month old tomorrow, my baby boy!