Hi Mom!
It's so great to hear from you! Sounds like you're having a great spring in Utah! I do have one request to make: Could you PLEASE send me Alyse's mission address (you can find it on Facebook, or apparently from Sister Harlan), and grandparents' addresses? I lost everyone's addresses on the plane. Sad! And WOW! The Harlans live in Alpine now? Or Highland? Or where??? When did they move to that area? That's way exciting. Alyse and I talked about living together when we get back--that'll make it easy for going home on the weekends! And you have to ask Chelsea what she did in New Mexico. Because I have no idea what there is to do there! But there was an article about it on KOREAN Airlines- so if it's a Korean destination spot, there must be something cool about it, right? I thought that was funny. So why is Casey going to be on Judge Brown? I think I know of that show- or at least one like it. Oh dear. That would be something to see! I'm glad you mentioned how to handle crises- because we run into a couple of those here in Korea! Whether it be me losing things all the time (I chain my wallet to my backpack now!), a baptismal date getting canceled/pushed back (Sae-un), or just anything else, things just don't work out perfectly. But I can accept that because that's life! We do what we can but in the end, we can't always predict the outcome. That's when the real world comes in. As long as we make the best effort we can, it will all be okay in the end. This week was interesting. As it turns out, some of our investigators from last transfer were basically just interested in meeting with foreigners who could speak to them in Konglish. Now that my senior companion is Korean and we speak full-on Korean, the interest is gone. It's sad, but now we know who is REALLY interested in the gospel, and who was just going along with it for the timebeing. One lady Sister Lee and I found dropped us before we even really began teaching. But I was thankful because she realized she had a strong English interest and that she didn't really have much interest in the gospel. Many Koreans want to learn English, so I understand how it can be hard to let that go when in front of you there is a tall white girl with WAYGOOKEEN (foreigner) stamped on her forehead. I'm glad we teach English class (once a week), so we can recommend some way for investigators to learn more English. I'm not kidding. Korean families will put their kids in English Hoghwan (academy) for 4 hours daily after school. English is that important. Americans are so lucky! Speaking of English class, I get to take charge of that now since I'm the English-speaking companion. We don't have many students right now (in the Daemyong ward my student was Sister Lee, my companion), but the new trimester is supposed to start in a week or two. The Sangin English class this week was a lot of fun. Sister Lee and I invited Hyun-ah (our investigator who went to church again this week! it's her third time to church) and her brother Daehyun (recent convert). I asked what they wanted to learn and Daehyun asked to learn about Utah. (He's going to BYU next winter). We started by talking about the seasons and what sports you can do, and then he asked about Utah's history. As I started teaching, I realized how Utah became a state is actually the history of the Church (duh), so we talked about that for a while. It was so cool! At one point I had to laugh because there I was in Korea, teaching about Utah to three Koreans who were captivated by its history. I talked about the pioneers and what they sacrificed to come to Utah- and that I have ancestors among them, so it means a lot to me. They understood that because heritage is so important to Koreans. Their country has such a long history! Not at all like America. I really felt the spirit at that class. I know the early Saints made that sacrifice so their children could grow up with the knowledge of the gospel. Now Sister Lee and I want to watch Legacy with Daehyun and Hyun-a so they can see the roots of the restored Church. I'm so grateful for that discussion. And I didn't even see it coming! I'm excited for this transfer and what new things can come. Sister Lee and I are scouting out new investigators (but aren't we always!). I love the people in the Daemyong and Sangin wards. They are so kind to us. I know the Lord is helping us every step of the way. Thank you so much for all your support!