Kurt here. I don't post very often since Beth does such a great job at it. But I wanted to make an exception in the case because I just posted an update about the software that I am developing for a large Christian maternity clinic here in the Philippines.
Check it out on my website at kurtsymanzik.org. It has been about 9 months in development and it is about ready to be born ... ironic.
A Bible Dedication happened today.
For a language group I can not freely talk about.
Just know that after years and years of work by translators and language assistants, a large group of people here on Mindanao have been blessed with the Bible in their language.
What a blessing to be with other believers from every tribe and tongue.
Revelation 7:9 - 17
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude
that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes
and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and
before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches
in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice,
"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!"
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?"
I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are
the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
We started this missionary journey in 2006 with the plan of doing the traditional four years on field, one year off for each term. But we are coming up to our 8th year on field with no furlough yet.
Why?
We took in orphan boys. We don't regret that. James and Jerard have been such blessings to us, and though Jerard is now in Heaven with Jesus, not a day goes by I don't think of him.
And as much as we enjoy being on the mission field, to be honest, after almost eight years on the field, we are tired. Kurt and I are probably in psychological terms burned out. We keep on getting up, doing our work, enjoying our kids but that spark of zeal has died to a low ember.
James' adoption took much longer than we'd thought it would. And now we are working on getting his passport, visa and immigration. Another process taking longer than we'd been told. We are praying all this is done before June of 2015 so we can return as a family to the USA.
So, please keep us in prayer.
Our school, being an international school, has various holidays it observes, some Korean, some Filipino, some American, etc.
Students will be off on September 8th to celebrate Chuseok - the Korean Thanksgiving.
Chuseok (추석) is one of the biggest and most important holidays in Korea. Family members from near and far come together to share food and stories and to give thanks to their ancestors for an abundant harvest. In 2014, Chuseok Day falls on September 8, but the holiday is observed for a total of three days (September 7-9). Fortunately, this year's Chuseok holiday period makes for a 5-day weekend since Wednesday, September 10 was also designated a day off during this national holiday period. Many Koreans will visit their family homes to spend quality time together, and the holidays provide a good opportunity to enjoy traditional cultural experiences throughout Korea. (from http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=811650)
It looks like they have some great food they serve on this holiday. I think we may try to make some or at least purchase some pre-made!
Our friend, Faith (her English name), recently came over one Saturday morning to teach Mikayla, my friend Rachel, and I how to make KimBop.
We started our morning out with a visit to a Korean market to pick up pickled radish, also known as pickled daikon radish (also called danmuji or takuan), bamboo rice roller, seaweed sheets, ham, cucumbers, carrots, sesame oil, Korean salt.
While the kids played (Rachel's three, Faith's two, and my James),
we thinly sliced carrots and sauteed them, thinly sliced cucumbers and soaked them in a mixture of vinegar and sugar and salt, heated up thinly sliced ham, and fried beaten eggs.
I had already cooked the rice (3 cups regular white rice and 1 cup sticky rice).
We then started putting the rolls together. It was a fun, yummy morning! 
Below is a recipe for Gimbap (Kimbap) from the website
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-gimbap-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-185502
How To Make Gimbap
Makes about 40 pieces
What You Need
Ingredients
3 cups warm, cooked short-grain white rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
5 sheets roasted seaweed (also called gim, nori, or laver)
4 to 6 fillings of your choice
Toasted sesame oil
Fillings shown here:
5 pencil-size strips pickled daikon radish (also called danmuji or takuan)
1 carrot, julienned and sautéed in sesame oil until crisp-tender
4 cups spinach, blanched, squeezed, and seasoned with sesame and salt
2-egg omelet with sesame oil and salt, cut into pencil-size strips
Other ideas for fillings:
Fresh cucumber, bell pepper, or avocado slices
Julienned and sautéed burdock root
Sautéed shiitake or portobello mushrooms
Kimchi and other pickled vegetables
Baked or fried tofu
Cooked meat such as beef, ham, imitation crab, or fish cake
Equipment
Bamboo rolling mat
Small bowl of warm water
Clean cloth or paper towel
Pastry brush (optional)
Cutting board and sharp chef's knife
Instructions
1. Season the rice. In a small bowl, stir the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves. Pour it over the warm rice along with 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds and gently but thoroughly mix together. Let cool.
2. Organize your workspace. Arrange your ingredients and tools so that everything will be close at hand when needed. Place the bamboo rolling mat on a flat surface with the long side nearest you (the bamboo sticks should be horizontal). Lay out the seaweed sheets, a plate or tray with fillings, and a small bowl of warm water. Also designate a place to put your finished rolls.
3. Position the seaweed on top of the bamboo mat. With dry hands, place one sheet of seaweed on the bamboo rolling mat with the shiny side down and the long side nearest you.
4. Spread a layer of rice on top of the seaweed. Lightly moisten your hands with water and evenly spread one-fifth of the rice (about 2/3 cup) on the lower two-thirds of the seaweed, leaving the top third of the seaweed empty. If the rice sticks to your fingers as you work, lightly dip them in water (avoid using too much water as it can make the seaweed soggy).
5. Arrange the fillings on top of the rice. About an inch up from the bottom of the rice, arrange the fillings in neat, horizontal rows.
6. Begin rolling. Beginning on the side nearest you, roll the bamboo mat up and over the fillings. Use firm but gentle pressure to hold the ingredients in place.
7. Continue rolling. As you're rolling forward, pull the mat up and out so it doesn't get caught in the roll. Keep rolling and releasing the mat until you form a compact cylinder.
8. Seal and season the roll. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edge of the seaweed to seal the roll. Wrap the entire bamboo mat around the roll and give it a firm but gentle squeeze. Using your hands or a pastry brush, lightly coat the outside of the roll with sesame oil to give it shine and prevent it from drying out. Set it aside.
9. Cut into bite-size pieces. Begin cutting when all the rolls are complete. Using a towel or pastry brush, coat the blade of the knife with a thin layer of sesame oil. Slice the roll into bite-size pieces, periodically wiping the blade and re-applying sesame oil to prevent sticking.
10. Garnish with sesame seeds (optional). Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the cut rolls.
11. Serve. Serve gimbap at room temperature. Best eaten the same day.
