I’ve been a rude host- please forgive me. I’ve not properly introduced you to the Dorm Boys:

• Joseph Kim aka Eating Machine: Joseph is a Korean who is quiet, a good athlete, a diligent student and great on the clarinet. His nickname is due to his determination when he eats: he puts his head down and shovels. I have seen champion eaters in my time, and I would put him against all comers.
• Seth Shaffer aka Tarzan. Seth is an American from Michigan who has a great smile, natural athletic ability and the ability to walk on his knuckles, hence his nickname. Tarzan is, of course, the favorite movie of this dorm, and Seth has gone the furthest in his emulation.
• Joo-Young aka Tan Man. Joo-Young is a Korean who is a gifted student, a great singer and one who can enjoy sports without any gifting in it. Tan Man comes from his rather incredible tan off the break.
• Gun-Woo aka Basketball Jones. Gun -Woo (pronounced Gun-new) is a Korean who a loves junk food, sports, and the first to be aware that not all girls have cooties. He struggles with his English, but understands more than he can say. An interesting combination of kind hearted and mischievous, he tends to speak in one-word sentences. Some of the guys were giving him a hard time one day and he came to me enraged and just said `Teasing!’
• Joey Speichinger aka French Toast. Although Joseph is the eating machine, he defers to Joey on French Toast, who, even though he is the youngest and shortest, has no match when it comes to eating FT. Seth has a great smile; Joey has the ultimate smile. He is one of those kids who have to think when you ask him `Where are you from?’ because he has lived in Africa longer than he has in the US.
• Dae Han aka Mystery Man. Dae Han, another Korean, is a master politician or a master manipulator, depending on the day. Capable of going into a room where three guys are wrapped up in a blanket and yelling `I’ve got dibs on the blanket’ and somehow ending up with it. Named Mystery Man for his habit of hiding as I go to put him to bed. Convinced that Michael Jordan will be the next US president.
• Daniel Orner aka Lego Man Dan. An American who is perhaps the brightest and hardest working of all the boys, is named LMD because of his ability to tune out the entire world when working on Legos. Uncanny ability to make every conversation reflect his personal experiences: Three of the Korean guys were talking about Korea, and Dan joined in to say `I’ve never been to Korea’ and then listing all the places he has never been to.
• Manraj aka Fast Feet. An Indian, he likes to ride his bike and is an excellent math student. Known for being able to run down the stairs so rapidly that the whole house shakes.
• Alfred Aseka aka Batman. New to our dorm this term, Alfred is a Kenyan who is also a great singer, good basketball player and sharp on the computer. We have just had Alfred for a week, so we are still getting to know him.
• Jessie aka the codependent dog. Jessie use to follow JT everywhere, but because he started to bath her, she follows me everywhere, to the point where she will push the door open to lie on the floor while I am using the facility.

One room has had a nightly ritual this term:

Me: Good night. (Leave, turn off light and close door)
FIVE MINUTES LATER:
Them: Shut up! Uncle Steve will hear you!
Them2: But watch my flashlight blow up your dresser!
Them3: SHUT UP! HE’LL HEAR YOU!!
Them: WHAT?
Them2&3: SHUT UP! HE’LL HEAR YOU!!!!
Them: I’M NOT THE ONE YELLING!!!
Me: Good night. (Leave, turn off light and close door)
Repeat.

We have had two friends visit us lately, and both have made me look at life a little differently. Stacy is a young nurse who was not allowed to be a full time missionary due to health reasons; she has arthritis, asthma, and a host of other problems. But she pressed in until she was allowed to do a three-month volunteer stint.

She has gone all over Kenya, under the most grueling conditions, and been in pain often. Why would you put yourself through that? She just wants to help so much.

Another couple, Ron and Rhonda, are from a small town in Illinois. While she is a young wisp of a thing, Ron is in his 50’s, and just retired from Caterpillar. Since they have come here, they have been ill, had many of their possessions stolen, and struggled to adjust to a big city from small town Illinois. But they have the most amazing attitude regarding everything that has happened to them. Ron just couldn’t wait to start working; he just wanted to help.

I use to struggle with people like them because I was envious of them. I’ve started to understand what they mean in my life. I need people who are on the next level, to remind me to keep climbing. I use to want to be on the top, but that doesn’t matter anymore. I just want to keep climbing.

YP