Hi everyone!
Well, it's been another great week! On New Year's Eve, we had a fun branch meeting/party that turned out great! I found out that it was the first time they have done it, but I'm sure it will happen again next year! There was karaoke, which also turned up at the Christmas party. I loved seeing the members in the ward get into the "classic" Korean music of 20-30 years ago. It was really funny! That night, Sister Jung and I went home- and you guessed it! We went to bed at 10:30 pm as usual. But the next morning, we got up early to see the sunrise from a beautiful spot with the branch and what seemed like HALF of the city of Jeju! Seeing the sunrise on January 1st is a Korean tradition. After we saw the sunrise (Kind of- it peeked through the clouds), the branch members found a quiet spot to say a prayer for the new year together. It was a wonderful experience! Later, we celebrated New Year's/ our ward mission leader's birthday with the same "family" group that was together for Christmas: us, the elders, our ward missionary Jung-ee Kim, and the mission leader Hyung-tae Moon. On Saturday, we stopped by the restaurant of Jo Soon-shim and Kim Gi-wan, a couple whose three school-aged daughters joined the church earlier this year. They are so kind! The problem is they are busy working at their restaurant everyday to make money for their family. But they love what the church has done for their daughters- I hope we can get to know them better! On Fast Sunday, we got up early again for a special Fast Sunday prayer in a quiet, wooded area with the branch president, the Jeju-do district president and wife, the mission leader, Kim Jung-ee (the branch missionary), us, and the elders. I found out they do that every Fast Sunday! I was excited about getting up early, but it was a special experience. I could feel how much the leadership of the branch cared for its members.
Today, we had an amazing P-day! We went to Sogwiepo, at the south end of the island with the elders, Lee Hyun-jung, our investigator, and her son Pak Joon-hyung(a member). We walked along the coast on a special trail with AMAZING VIEWS of the ocean. It was gorgeous! I'll definitely send you pictures. We got to explore on the rocks a little bit and had a lot of fun. We were excited to have our second Jeju-do adventure (the first being the teddy bear museum!) and enjoyed spending time with Lee Hyun-jung and Pak Joon-hyung.
It was a great week!Thank you Mom and Dad, the family, Cheryl, Grandmas and Grandpas, Brandon and Jenn, for all your Christmas greetings! I was so excited to see the Christmas cards. Everyone looks great!
I love you all so much!
Love,Alyssa