Hi everyone!
Wow- this is the last week of the transfer. Time is flying by! I feel like Sister Lee and I just became companions! We really want to stay together in Daegu next transfer. A few of our investigators are really close to baptism- they are so good! One is a middle school student and the others are elementary school students. They all have family ties in the church and come to church every week with their family members (their uncles). It's amazing to see how much they learn from Primary, Young Women's, and Sunday School! Hae-meen and Meen-joon are brother and sister. The other girl is Sae-un, who I mentioned before. Hopefully I'll be writing more about them later!
On Thursday this last week Sister Lee and I had an opportunity to go to a traditional Korean music concert with another investigator. It was really cool! At first the music was hypnotic (and a teeny bit boring) and I started getting sleepy. But later on, they had some amazing dance numbers with drums and other things like that. So that helped wake me up! It was a fun cultural experience and a good way to bond with Jeen-Yoon Ohk.
Yesterday, a member asked Sister Lee and I a question that I'm still pondering about today. She asked us how she could find happiness. Where do you begin with that? We share that message every day- that we have the way to find happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ. But as we talked with this member yesterday, I realized that we are working with real people who have real lives. Missionaries come in and out, but these people continue on in their own lives. We want the changes people make in their lives to last. Everyone wants to find happiness. But it can't come through a job, through getting married, through finishing school. All these things are just markers in life. They cannot be the markers of happiness.
Receiving baptism is just part of the conversion process. After someone is baptized, they do not automatically find their purpose in life and are forever happy. Finding your purpose in God's plan takes time and effort. It requires sincere prayer, scripture study, and trying your best to become involved in the Church. When the member asked me how I found happiness before my mission, I first responded that sometimes I look back on a time period and think, "Wow. I was happy then!" But at the time, I didn't necessarily always feel spectacular. In fact, that was hardly the case. Sometimes things went wrong. I didn't always feel good. But I told the member that honestly, the times when I was the happiest were when I cared about others and tried to be their friend. I was happiest when I tried to follow the Lord. (In fact that applies now too!) We talked about that with the member for a while. Since she is going through a hard time, we talked about the true meaning of happiness.
Honestly, I don't know where I would be without the gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us hope that we can be eternally HAPPY- isn't that what everyone wants? Everyone has frailties, everyone has weaknesses. I recognized that yesterday, when someone who seemed so strong-minded quietly asked us that question. Through the gospel, we can overcome those weaknesses. The Atonement of Jesus Christ will help us to bypass all that. I know this is why we're sharing the gospel. We all need an extra boost. EVERYONE needs to know that there is someone out there who loves them, that they have a place in this life. We are all brothers and sisters. We can all help each other to find that happiness in our own lives. And if the person seeking happiness doesn't have the gospel, we can share it with them. That's why I'm here!
I'm so thankful for that experience yesterday. I hope the member can find strength from the Lord as she continues her search for happiness. I am thankful for prophets in the scriptures, for modern-day prophets, all who can help us to find our place in life. I am thankful for prayer because I know the Lord loves us and will help us when we humbly and sincerely ask Him.
Things are going well. I AM happy! Yesterday just put me in a pensive mood. But don't worry, it won't last for long. We're going to Woo Bong land today! I am way excited. It's going to be so much fun! So yes. Things are going well. I will continue trying to be a better missionary. Thinking about others is SO much better than thinking about yourself. Just don't get too worried about them!
Love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Alyssa
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Hi Mom and Dad!
It was so nice to hear from you! It sounds like you had a really exciting week. I can just imagine you, Grandma, Brooke, and Ruby. Does Grandma call Ruby "the baby"? Haha- just like the old days!
That's scary that a few missionaries got the swine flu- at the MTC? A couple of people here said they were worried about the missionaries who just came from the MTC (like me), but I clarified I was in Korea BEFORE the outbreak. That's an important distinction!
And we have gone to Parade of Homes before. Remember? With Jenn and her mom and grandma. Those homes are huge! Nothing like that in Korea!!! Everyone lives in apartments.
Speaking of Korea, my companion and I went to a shiksa yesterday at a ward member's apartment. As we chatted with her family and another random lady in the ward, random people from the ward started showing up at the front door. People were coming in with other people's kids and I was so confused- it was a continuous stream of people for 10 minutes! It turns out the shiksa included about 10-12 families from the ward. That apartment was filled to the brim! The bishop has 9 active kids- so they caused a lot of excitement when they showed up. We ate on the floor traditional style (we do that at most shiksas). The men all ate in the living room, some of the women in the master bedroom, the kids in another bedroom, and the rest of the women in the kitchen. It was really fun! It was funny to see the cultural differences too. As soon as the prayer was over, all the men rushed the food table. I laughed and told my companion about "ladies first" in America as we got in line behind them. I miss that about the MTC! The shiksa felt like a big family reunion- all the kids had a lot of fun together.
Well I have to go! We're having a shiksa today with my companion's recent convert.
Love you!
Love,
Alyssa
It was so nice to hear from you! It sounds like you had a really exciting week. I can just imagine you, Grandma, Brooke, and Ruby. Does Grandma call Ruby "the baby"? Haha- just like the old days!
That's scary that a few missionaries got the swine flu- at the MTC? A couple of people here said they were worried about the missionaries who just came from the MTC (like me), but I clarified I was in Korea BEFORE the outbreak. That's an important distinction!
And we have gone to Parade of Homes before. Remember? With Jenn and her mom and grandma. Those homes are huge! Nothing like that in Korea!!! Everyone lives in apartments.
Speaking of Korea, my companion and I went to a shiksa yesterday at a ward member's apartment. As we chatted with her family and another random lady in the ward, random people from the ward started showing up at the front door. People were coming in with other people's kids and I was so confused- it was a continuous stream of people for 10 minutes! It turns out the shiksa included about 10-12 families from the ward. That apartment was filled to the brim! The bishop has 9 active kids- so they caused a lot of excitement when they showed up. We ate on the floor traditional style (we do that at most shiksas). The men all ate in the living room, some of the women in the master bedroom, the kids in another bedroom, and the rest of the women in the kitchen. It was really fun! It was funny to see the cultural differences too. As soon as the prayer was over, all the men rushed the food table. I laughed and told my companion about "ladies first" in America as we got in line behind them. I miss that about the MTC! The shiksa felt like a big family reunion- all the kids had a lot of fun together.
Well I have to go! We're having a shiksa today with my companion's recent convert.
Love you!
Love,
Alyssa
Monday, June 1, 2009
Hey everyone!
Daegu is starting to get HOT. But not wet. Yet! There is more to come. Today my big P-day trip was going to Costco with Sister Lee to get pizza. I kid you not. Some of the elders met up to buy a bunch of junk food, but we couldn't really think of something to buy that we wouldn't regret later. (Sisters are a bit more picky about the food we keep at home!).
On Saturday, we taught Hyun-a as usual after English class. The next day, I saw her brother at church (they go to different wards)and he said they talked about faith and read scriptures together and prayed! I was so happy to hear that she is applying what we are talking about at home.
Today, something exciting happened at Costco. I ran into a French woman on the escalator! A couple was in front of us (obviously not Korean), so I said hi. They said hi back and continued talking...I realized it wasn't English...and then that it was French! So I garnered my courage and said "Parlez-vous Francais?" She was really suprised and asked if I was from Canada. (Probably because I'm obviously not French). I couldn't say much, just basically that I can't speak French well because I speak Korean all the time. But still, it was a great experience! She and the man (I think he was American) are teachers here.
It reminded me of my second week here. A foreigner sat next to me on the subway. I asked if he was American, and he said no- Spaniard. He also said he coudn't speak much English and no Korean. But he muttered something about French and I said, "Wait, I know some French!" It was really cool. I told him that I was a missionary and we talked about the Church in Korea, Spain, France, and the U.S. What are the chances?? There I was in Korea speaking French with a Spaniard. Amazing!
Anyway, I have to go! Love you all! This summer will be great!
Love,
Alyssa
Daegu is starting to get HOT. But not wet. Yet! There is more to come. Today my big P-day trip was going to Costco with Sister Lee to get pizza. I kid you not. Some of the elders met up to buy a bunch of junk food, but we couldn't really think of something to buy that we wouldn't regret later. (Sisters are a bit more picky about the food we keep at home!).
On Saturday, we taught Hyun-a as usual after English class. The next day, I saw her brother at church (they go to different wards)and he said they talked about faith and read scriptures together and prayed! I was so happy to hear that she is applying what we are talking about at home.
Today, something exciting happened at Costco. I ran into a French woman on the escalator! A couple was in front of us (obviously not Korean), so I said hi. They said hi back and continued talking...I realized it wasn't English...and then that it was French! So I garnered my courage and said "Parlez-vous Francais?" She was really suprised and asked if I was from Canada. (Probably because I'm obviously not French). I couldn't say much, just basically that I can't speak French well because I speak Korean all the time. But still, it was a great experience! She and the man (I think he was American) are teachers here.
It reminded me of my second week here. A foreigner sat next to me on the subway. I asked if he was American, and he said no- Spaniard. He also said he coudn't speak much English and no Korean. But he muttered something about French and I said, "Wait, I know some French!" It was really cool. I told him that I was a missionary and we talked about the Church in Korea, Spain, France, and the U.S. What are the chances?? There I was in Korea speaking French with a Spaniard. Amazing!
Anyway, I have to go! Love you all! This summer will be great!
Love,
Alyssa
Monday, May 25, 2009
Hi Mom and Dad!
I love hearing from you! I am sending you a letter today with a few pictures. Let's see when you get it! Sounds like things are going well in Utah. It's starting to get really hot in Daegu, which means there are worse things to come (Daegu is the hottest city in Korea, and it's only May!) We did have a couple of days (a week apart) when it just poured rain all day. The weather was cool, but I think it was just setting us up for a lot of heat!
Mom, your family picture sounds like fun, and I'll try to have someone take a picture of me, but do you have to photoshop me in? I've never been a fan of the missionary photoshopped pictures. No matter what you do, it's not going to look right! I think it's okay for Christmas pictures, but are you planning to hang it over the fireplace? I was planning on sending you a CD anyway, so I'll put it on there.
It sounds like Chris had a great soccer season and Dad is having fun with his baseball team. You better save Casey's court appearance for me! Haha...that's funny.
Things are going well here. I can't believe another week went by! This transfer is going by really fast. My goal is to speak more Korean with my companion because (1) well, she's...Korean, (2) I'm IN Korea, and (3) That's what I'm called to do! It's not that I haven't been speaking Korean, it's just that Sister Lee speaks pretty good English so it's easy to lapse into English. Konglish is kind of fun, unfortunately, but I'm going to push the Korean. It's fun to learn new words and see it on a sign or hear it the same day. It makes me more motivated to learn other things! Especially so I can participate more in conversations and teaching people.
Yesterday Sister Lee and I had an interesing experience while kaka-hoho-ing. (That means tracting door-to-door.) A lot of times, people don't even open their front doors. They just yell who's there and open the door if they know you or want to hear what you have to say. So, we have to make the gospel sound as interesting as possible in 5 seconds. Ha! At one door, an artsy guy opened the door, listened to my companion's intro, then shut it. I wasn't surprised, and was turning around to leave, but my companion said he wanted to talk to us more. I was so surprised! I found out after our brief conversation with him that he told Sister Lee that he wanted to come to our church. He had researched the Mormon church online and was surprised to find out that we had churches in Daegu! We gave him a Book of Mormon and pamphlet about the Restoration. We were so happy! That almost never happens!
That reminded me that you never know who will be interested in the gospel. This guy seemed a little intimidating, but he had a sincere desire to know more about our message. I'm so grateful we went kaka-hoho-ing at his building. Who knows if anyone would have found him otherwise?
I love this gospel and find the strength to share it with others as I study it everyday. I am so thankful for experiences that make us excited about missionary work. After we met that man, my companion and I were so happy and talked to every person we ran into after that! (after we left the building). I know through focusing on others we can truly serve the Lord and find the happiness we seek. I am definitely learning that as I've been here! Life is not perfect, but we can make the most out of it anyway.
Well I love you all! I have to go!
Love,
Alyssa
I love hearing from you! I am sending you a letter today with a few pictures. Let's see when you get it! Sounds like things are going well in Utah. It's starting to get really hot in Daegu, which means there are worse things to come (Daegu is the hottest city in Korea, and it's only May!) We did have a couple of days (a week apart) when it just poured rain all day. The weather was cool, but I think it was just setting us up for a lot of heat!
Mom, your family picture sounds like fun, and I'll try to have someone take a picture of me, but do you have to photoshop me in? I've never been a fan of the missionary photoshopped pictures. No matter what you do, it's not going to look right! I think it's okay for Christmas pictures, but are you planning to hang it over the fireplace? I was planning on sending you a CD anyway, so I'll put it on there.
It sounds like Chris had a great soccer season and Dad is having fun with his baseball team. You better save Casey's court appearance for me! Haha...that's funny.
Things are going well here. I can't believe another week went by! This transfer is going by really fast. My goal is to speak more Korean with my companion because (1) well, she's...Korean, (2) I'm IN Korea, and (3) That's what I'm called to do! It's not that I haven't been speaking Korean, it's just that Sister Lee speaks pretty good English so it's easy to lapse into English. Konglish is kind of fun, unfortunately, but I'm going to push the Korean. It's fun to learn new words and see it on a sign or hear it the same day. It makes me more motivated to learn other things! Especially so I can participate more in conversations and teaching people.
Yesterday Sister Lee and I had an interesing experience while kaka-hoho-ing. (That means tracting door-to-door.) A lot of times, people don't even open their front doors. They just yell who's there and open the door if they know you or want to hear what you have to say. So, we have to make the gospel sound as interesting as possible in 5 seconds. Ha! At one door, an artsy guy opened the door, listened to my companion's intro, then shut it. I wasn't surprised, and was turning around to leave, but my companion said he wanted to talk to us more. I was so surprised! I found out after our brief conversation with him that he told Sister Lee that he wanted to come to our church. He had researched the Mormon church online and was surprised to find out that we had churches in Daegu! We gave him a Book of Mormon and pamphlet about the Restoration. We were so happy! That almost never happens!
That reminded me that you never know who will be interested in the gospel. This guy seemed a little intimidating, but he had a sincere desire to know more about our message. I'm so grateful we went kaka-hoho-ing at his building. Who knows if anyone would have found him otherwise?
I love this gospel and find the strength to share it with others as I study it everyday. I am so thankful for experiences that make us excited about missionary work. After we met that man, my companion and I were so happy and talked to every person we ran into after that! (after we left the building). I know through focusing on others we can truly serve the Lord and find the happiness we seek. I am definitely learning that as I've been here! Life is not perfect, but we can make the most out of it anyway.
Well I love you all! I have to go!
Love,
Alyssa
Monday, May 18, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Dear Mom and Dad,
Sorry this has to be super short but I get to call tomorrow! HAPPY MOTHER's DAY MOM!!!!Today has been a BIG day. It was my first transfer day! My trainer, Sister Jensen, is going home, so we got to move her stuff to Busan. It was so much fun to see all the missionaries at the Bu! (that's Korean church slang for the mission house). I've been on splits in Busan and Ulsan, so I had already met several other sisters and a few elders. And I got to see people from my dongie (people that came to Korea same time). Everyone had a good time catching up and eating at Outback together. I met a lot of people I'd only heard stories about and seen in pictures. The sad part was saying goodbye to Sis. Jensen. I can't believe this day came so soon! She is going back to Hawaii- (yeah, all the members, investigators, and missionaries are jealous :) She taught me a lot. I'll really miss her. My new companion is Sister Lee (Young-Bin is her first name). We are already housemates, so we were way excited to serve together! Sister Matthews will be serving with another Sister Lee (I went on splits with her once in Ulsan). I'm excited about this transfer. And...I'm the only American now! In other news, Sae-un, our 11 year old investigator, will get baptized this Saturday! She was supposed to get baptized this past Saturday but her grandmother said she needed more time (she lives with her Catholic grandmother). But I think the ward mission leader talked to her LDS family members and straightened it out. Sae-un is very excited. It'll be amazing!
Well I have to go! Love you!
Sorry this has to be super short but I get to call tomorrow! HAPPY MOTHER's DAY MOM!!!!Today has been a BIG day. It was my first transfer day! My trainer, Sister Jensen, is going home, so we got to move her stuff to Busan. It was so much fun to see all the missionaries at the Bu! (that's Korean church slang for the mission house). I've been on splits in Busan and Ulsan, so I had already met several other sisters and a few elders. And I got to see people from my dongie (people that came to Korea same time). Everyone had a good time catching up and eating at Outback together. I met a lot of people I'd only heard stories about and seen in pictures. The sad part was saying goodbye to Sis. Jensen. I can't believe this day came so soon! She is going back to Hawaii- (yeah, all the members, investigators, and missionaries are jealous :) She taught me a lot. I'll really miss her. My new companion is Sister Lee (Young-Bin is her first name). We are already housemates, so we were way excited to serve together! Sister Matthews will be serving with another Sister Lee (I went on splits with her once in Ulsan). I'm excited about this transfer. And...I'm the only American now! In other news, Sae-un, our 11 year old investigator, will get baptized this Saturday! She was supposed to get baptized this past Saturday but her grandmother said she needed more time (she lives with her Catholic grandmother). But I think the ward mission leader talked to her LDS family members and straightened it out. Sae-un is very excited. It'll be amazing!
Well I have to go! Love you!
Hi Mom!
It sounds like the family is having a lot of fun at home. I can't believe you and Dad got pedicures together! That's so cute!
I already asked Elder Asay if he is related to our Asays, but he said no. And I don't think he's related to Sister Asay...who I've seen pictures of, but haven't met. So this week was exciting. It went by so fast! On Monday night we had a shiksa with the stake president's family. He just got called as an area seventy! We had Stake Conference on Saturday and Sunday and got a new stake presidency. A younger man in the Daemyong ward was called as stake president! Everyone was surprised, but the members seemed excited. They all really like him. Elder Evans (an area seventy) and our mission president (Jennings) spoke. Pres. Jennings's Korean is amazing! Elder Evans talked about spending wisely especially with the current economic situation. It's crazy how the crisis which started in American in September has had a huge effect worldwide...that continues on even months later. Sometimes I wish I knew more of what is going on, but I know that would just take my concentration away from missionary work! I would like to hear more about this swine disease, though. We heard that 100 people died in Mexico.. .that's scary..
On Tuesday we had zone conference. I had to give an intro talk. I started out in Korean, but spoke in Korean and English for the rest. But it was great because the other new missionaries had to start out in Korean too! (No problem for Sister Jung!) After zone conference I went on my first split to Ulsan. I spent Wednesday with Sister Lee, (the first whole day with a Korean companion). It was hard to understand each other (each other's Korean, each other's English), but it was a really good experience. Half the sisters are foreign, half are Korean, so I'll definitely have a Korean companion at least once. So that was good prep! We met with a 19 year old Filipino girl who got married to an older Korean man. She doesn't know Korean- she and her husband communicate in English (but he knows very little). Sister Lee and I taught her Korean (I use "I" lightly). It was fun to see how we could make it work- especially when we were writing out pronunciations! Sister Lee would say the word, ask me how I would write the pronunciation, and our student and I would write it together. And let me tell you, romanizing Korean (English letters) is not easy! This week was not terribly lucky. I managed to erase all the pictures on my camera. Ay-yi-yi! Don't mess with camera options, that's all I can say. So I will get pictures to you eventually, but I have to wait until I can get them from my companion! Oh and today I went hiking! It was fun. And interesting. I'll have to write more about it next time.
Love you all!
Dad, I don't know anything about Gumi but I'll ask around about it.
I love you!
Alyssa
It sounds like the family is having a lot of fun at home. I can't believe you and Dad got pedicures together! That's so cute!
I already asked Elder Asay if he is related to our Asays, but he said no. And I don't think he's related to Sister Asay...who I've seen pictures of, but haven't met. So this week was exciting. It went by so fast! On Monday night we had a shiksa with the stake president's family. He just got called as an area seventy! We had Stake Conference on Saturday and Sunday and got a new stake presidency. A younger man in the Daemyong ward was called as stake president! Everyone was surprised, but the members seemed excited. They all really like him. Elder Evans (an area seventy) and our mission president (Jennings) spoke. Pres. Jennings's Korean is amazing! Elder Evans talked about spending wisely especially with the current economic situation. It's crazy how the crisis which started in American in September has had a huge effect worldwide...that continues on even months later. Sometimes I wish I knew more of what is going on, but I know that would just take my concentration away from missionary work! I would like to hear more about this swine disease, though. We heard that 100 people died in Mexico.. .that's scary..
On Tuesday we had zone conference. I had to give an intro talk. I started out in Korean, but spoke in Korean and English for the rest. But it was great because the other new missionaries had to start out in Korean too! (No problem for Sister Jung!) After zone conference I went on my first split to Ulsan. I spent Wednesday with Sister Lee, (the first whole day with a Korean companion). It was hard to understand each other (each other's Korean, each other's English), but it was a really good experience. Half the sisters are foreign, half are Korean, so I'll definitely have a Korean companion at least once. So that was good prep! We met with a 19 year old Filipino girl who got married to an older Korean man. She doesn't know Korean- she and her husband communicate in English (but he knows very little). Sister Lee and I taught her Korean (I use "I" lightly). It was fun to see how we could make it work- especially when we were writing out pronunciations! Sister Lee would say the word, ask me how I would write the pronunciation, and our student and I would write it together. And let me tell you, romanizing Korean (English letters) is not easy! This week was not terribly lucky. I managed to erase all the pictures on my camera. Ay-yi-yi! Don't mess with camera options, that's all I can say. So I will get pictures to you eventually, but I have to wait until I can get them from my companion! Oh and today I went hiking! It was fun. And interesting. I'll have to write more about it next time.
Love you all!
Dad, I don't know anything about Gumi but I'll ask around about it.
I love you!
Alyssa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
