Last Interviews - First Experiences

We made it through all the interviews with the missionaries this past week.  We wanted to make sure you all got a view of your favorite missionary in the Korea Seoul South Mission some time in the two posts.  We have two temporary three-somes.  They are doing amazing things and busy as can be.

President had the opportunity to interview six missionaries finishing their missions and going home next week (you'll see their pictures next week).  In those interviews he always asks what they learned or how they grew.  The first answer out of their mouths is "So much!"  These 18 or 24 month  opportunities do provide a huge education for them, so much learning and growth!

• Charity for others
• I learned God's plan and my place on his path
• the reality of Satan and the power of the Atonement to overcome him
• The truth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration and the great blessing in other's lives
• How to create working relationships with others.
• Greater commitment to the gospel
• Humility
• My own inadequacies and what I need to do to overcome them
• Patience with myself and others
• Courage to talk to anyone, share my talents with others
• Honesty, even when difficult
• Integrity, doing right even when no one is looking
• Choosing to be obedient 
• Time management
• Forgiveness of self and others
• A new language!
• All things are part of God's plan
• He trusts us if we trust him
• As I show faith in God, he recognizes it
• I can be better through the Atonement of Christ
• The Spirit teaches people truth
• How to pray with meaning and receive personal revelation
• Knowledge of who I am
• Think of others first
• God loves all his children and answers prayers
• I can change but it takes work and effort
• The Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth and is the only way back to live with God
• Importance of obedience
• I am truly a daughter of God

As you can guess, these interviews are sacred events where the Lord's love is evident and the young missionary's love of the Savior is apparent!  We are sad to see them go, but we're excited to see them take this new learning into their new lives and into the world where they will be a huge influence.

The sisters in the mission decided to have a preparation day with Sister Turner this week.  They came together in the mission home and chatted, told stories, signed each other's personal "bye-bye book" and watched a movie.  They had a great time together!

Of course they had to say hello to their loved ones:

The funnest experience of the week was the making of Kimchi!  Since we arrived 2 years ago, we have tried to adjust our schedule so we could participate in what is called Kimjang or the making of kimchi. Here is a very simple sharing of what it represents.  You can search the internet for more: Kimjang

What is true is that you can buy it easily at the store or get it from a family who makes it.  However, in the fall, when the ingredients are fresh, communities get together to make it in large quantities and donate it to the needy and to charitable organizations.  Here are a few pictures from our day with a few members of the church and a few of our missionaries.

 This is what it looks like when all the ingredients are loaded together before hand mixing!  The individual ingredients would not taste good alone, but when mixed together and added to the cabbage, it is a true treat.

 Many hands make light (messy) work!

 If you don't wear gloves, your hands are in pain for a few hours after given the oils and hot peppers.

 Always happy faces when doing this work.

 Looks like alive sea creature... Just a tasty dinner treat (or breakfast or lunch in Korea)

 One of the finished product with the participants.  Someone said this was the American kimchi.

It's always

best

 when shared!

We had to have a few video clips:

One of our former missionaries called us from her college home in Hawaii.  We had the sweet opportunity to attend her wedding about 16 months ago.  She and her sweetheart are working hard at BYU-Hawaii.  What a special treat it was to be invited to Skype with her.

The upcoming week is the crazy one.  Six missionaries departing, nine missionaries arriving and the sweet experience of welcoming them into the family.  The odds of coming to our mission are pretty low.  With between 65,000 and 70,000 missionaries world-wide and with only 72 in our mission, you win the lottery coming here!  We love the people, culture, and traditions of this great country. We thank you for your prayers and support for us and all our missionaries.  Until next time, know of our love and appreciation for all you do for us and our 'children'!

Meetings, meals, and missionary work

We had three great days of interviews and activities with the missionaries.  Hopefully, you can sense on their faces the happiness they find in being here and doing what they are doing.  We sure enjoy them!

First, our purpose for being here is to bring others to Christ through understanding the doctrine of Christ and making sacred covenants.  We had three more wonderful baptisms this week.  These missionaries are truly putting their hearts out there!

These are dedicated young people that not very long ago were pursuing more self-centered activities.  Now their time and energy is spent in bringing others to Christ.  They can also sing.  Only one sister in this choir because the other was playing the piano.

Like last week, we met in a district council and did interviews with each individual missionary and then had a meal with them.  We ended with a missionary activity on the streets.
Their favorite part is the meal, maybe.  They just enjoy being together.

 For the backdrop of our interviews this time, we used the sign out front of the restaurant in which we ate.  This is a chain favorite among missionaries because it's a buffet!

 They love working together.  We feel bad because two sisters were so anxious to go off to visit with people on the streets that they were gone when we stood to take this picture.

The next district we got a group picture at the park.  We ordered some "Mom's Touch" which is a chicken sandwich with fries and ate at the park.  It's hard to make out the detail, but we tried.  We then took pictures together.  We are using the local outdoor exercise equipment.

They always have fun while Sister Turner poses them...

 yes, she even poses me!

 They had a missionary activity with members of the local ward next to a subway station to chat with people about the wonderful Book of Mormon.  It turned out really well.  We were expecting heavy storms that night, but they didn't materialize.

 Then, the camera ran away again...

The south part of South Korea was hit hard by a typhoon , but when it started to head toward the Seoul area, it's path shifted and went south of all of us and instead of 60-70 mile an hour sustained winds and torrential rain, we had a light rain and slight breeze hit us.  We asked them to have an early curfew and hunker down.  It all ended up a very calm experience.  It lowered the temperatures.  They had a quiet day and then went back to work.  Really they were disappointed they couldn't tell everyone they had survived a typhoon. :}

We interviewed another district and had a great district council with them as well.  We had a nice meal and then together with another district did 'busking' which is singing in public.  Normally, you ask for money, but we just wanted to make people happy.  With 16 missionaries plus Sister Turner and me, we were all very busy at the local Suwon train and subway station talking to people by the bus stop.

We were all so busy talking to people that no one took a picture of those performing!  We have so much talent in this mission.  This zone is particularly loaded with singers and pianists.  The missionaries even captured us chatting with people.

 We missed one sister here because she was busy talking with a person about the possibility of learning more.  She waved us off so she could continue working!

Once again, the camera ran away...

Finally, a very nice church member gave some missionaries fresh peaches.  Just so you know, peaches are in the range of US$3 - US$5 each!  They shared two with us!  These are like gold.  We thanked the elders and asked that they thank the member.  We enjoyed them with our breakfast!

We are blessed by cooler temperatures and some additional rain this week.  We are very excited because the missionaries can be outside much more talking to the people they enjoy so much.  We will have a great mission tour with two members of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy and their wives this week.  We'll have more pictures next week.

Thanks as always for all your love and support.  We are enjoying your sons and daughters.  We try to treat and care for them like they are ours  (which they are :]!) Thank you very much!