The Year is Well Started

We hope you  had a great New Year celebration.  There is a Korean saying "To start is to be half finished".  That is a scary thing for us because at the half way mark of 2019 we will be flying back to the States.  We don't like the year to be 'half finished" already!

We learned in December, and it has now been announced, that our mission boundaries will be adjusted at the time of our departure.  Two of the zones and stakes in our mission will be moved to the Seoul Mission and three stakes and the attached zones in the Daejeon Mission will be moved to our mission.  Over the next six months we will be preparing missionaries to be joined with President and Sister Taylor in the Seoul Mission and preparing to receive missionaries from Daejeon for the new mission president in Seoul South Mission. 

Since Christmas we have been busy doing interviews and attending District Councils across the mission.  We do love these activities.  Because our next zone conferences will be pushed back a little to be on the Lunar New Year, we will quickly turn around after transfers this next week and start interviews again.  We've asked them all to consider important personal goals to accomplish by about the 4th of February.  It will be good to follow up on those goals.

We normally conduct the interviews with the office staff (office elders, Assistants, Office Couple) last, but felt we'd move them up a bit and do two districts together.  Because of fewer days to conduct interviews due to Christmas, we combined these two districts together and didn't do lunch or District Council.  We'll do that during interviews next transfer.

Supply Manager (he received a gift at Christmas calling him the Manager of the Universe), and the Mission Recorder.  Wow do they do good things to keep the mission running!

 The Assistants to the President do so much for both the logistical and the spiritual needs of the mission.  While doing so much training at every meeting, they hold and conducting exchanges with zone leaders, and are still able to keep a productive area equal to any set of missionaries!

 President Turner at one time felt like the 'big guy' of the mission, but these elders coming seem to get taller and taller! 

 This wonderful couple goes home next month.  They do so much to make sure your missionaries live in clean, well functioning apartments.  They hold the missionaries accountable through their inspections.  At the same time they help those the missionaries are teaching or those who are recent converts begin thinking about Family History and preparing to attend the temple.

This wonderful couple really keep the mission functioning.  The rest of us would be lost without the financial care of the mission and all the records we have to keep.  Though they speak no Korean, they function at an exceptional capacity.

 Someone got new gloves for Christmas and is quite happy!

 The missionaries in the Incheon District were so kind as to purchase this elder a birthday cake to celebrate during our District Council.  This was after they ate the Mission's unofficial meal of NaeNae Chicken!

They could still get serious and have a good meeting.  It was fun to be with and share the day with them.

We had another full day in Shinpung with this District.  Lunch was the first Penini sandwich we've had in Korea!

 We then met with the Icheon/Bundang District in the little town of Icheon.  It's considered country, but there are still over a million people who live in the area.  This area covers about 30-40 percent of our mission.  Very country!

 Lunch here was another missionary favorite: Pizza School.  For roughly $7 a missionary can have their own pizza. You have to like sweet potatoes and corn on your pizzas, but it fits well in the missionary budget.  They sang a fun song to their district leader which we recorded, but it was too big to fit on the blog...

The final district for Yeongdeungpo and Bucheon shared a wonderful meal of the Military Stew we've discussed before.  We ate at one of our favorite places near the building at Yeongdeungpo.  We seldom need to have a meal later in the day because we feel filled up well into the evening...

A thoughtful mother of one of the missionaries sent a box full of neck gators for all our missionaries.  The winter was so cold last year, those who remember that were especially excited to get these.  We have to wonder if they all know how to wear them correctly!!!

 After we passed them out, we asked missionaries to take pictures in their district councils and send them to us.  These are the ones we've received so far.  Undirected and unaware of what others have done, it is clear they all are cut from a similar mold...Some seem more 'into it' than others!

Occasionally, a parent will want to do something special for their missionary and fun things show up at the mission home.  A daughter getting flowers from mom and dad!  They even sent extras for us!

Of course, we remember our purpose for coming here.  Some of those who find joy and peace in the gospel of Jesus Christ are not of Korea, but are here working or might even be refugees or students.  The message is for all of God's children whether they live in their home town or somewhere far away!

One of the things we encourage our missionaries to do at the end of each day is to contemplate the things they accomplished during the day and begin making personal plans for what they need to accomplish the next day.  We call this reflection time.  Most missionaries set an alarm or hold time at 9:50 -10:00 PM.  They can consider all they have done during the day.  One group of missionaries living in the same house share with each other the miracles of the day and the things that brought them joy.  With the colder weather, they fill the bathtub and soak their feet.  Great for sharing and for bonding!  We approve.

Well, another group comes in this week and another group departs having completed the mission they have been called to serve.  Many tears and happy times in the week ahead.  We look forward to sharing.  Thank you for all you do and for the many prayers sent heavenward on behalf of the missionaries and for us and our family back home.  We can feel the sustaining influence in our lives.