Dearest, Darlingest Family!
SOO sorry this email is coming to y’all late. I promise I'm not dead =] BUSY with all the changes, but not dead.
Speaking of changes are y’all ready to hear about transfers!?!? Are you sitting? (Because heaven knows I needed to be sitting when I got this call....)
I GOT TRANSFERED!!!! Not only did I get transferred... I'M WHITEWASHING!! (*for those who don't understand missionary lingo, that means that two missionaries were in this area before, and BOTH of them left and two new people came in. i.e.: ME!) AND I HAVE ANOTHER KOREAN AS MY COMPANION!! Did I mention that this was a crazy week?? I thought for sure I was going to stay in 금정 but the Lord had different plans for me. So, now I am in Shin Jeong 신정 area in Shila Zone. Shin Jeong is one of top 5 biggest cities in Korea (she is in Ulsan), and we have the fabulous adventure of trying to figure our way around this place (yeah…my companion has never served here either! And especially never in such a big city!) She's awesome though, her name is 연수현 (Yeon Soo Heon) She is from Seoul, but she lived in the states for 7 years before coming back to Korea for school, so her English is fantastic. She is going to school for Theater Tech, don't worry we've already gushed about our favorite musicals! She's lots of fun and loves to laugh. We are both sacred out of our minds right now! So far we know how to get home, get to the super market and get to the church.... But luckily we are having fun with this new adventure! haha I'm excited to see the miracles that this next transfer will hold.
The last week in Guem Jeong was fantastic!! I already miss the members there with all of my heart. I was kind of sad that no body took a guess at what I would be eating... but maybe y’all figured it out and would have rather not have said. So last week, as part of the summer meals for stamina and strength I had 개고기 aka DOG!!!!!!! Yep, I ate dog. I didn't think that it would have happened sooo soon after being in the country but it did. And I ate it.
**Disclaimer: I am about to describe the meal. If you don't want to know, skip ahead... So! When we first went to the member’s house the smell was…well... interesting…I have never smelt anything like it before. If I hadn't known what we were about to eat I wouldn't have been able to describe it. But since I did know, I guess it was a bit like wet dog. Gross, I know. So, the member bought the meat and cooked it herself. They put it in a soup with some veggies and such. The meat itself was interesting. Very slimy actually and a little on the chewy side. I couldn't eat too much of the soup though, that part was just gross. And I can't even think of how to describe the flavor. The Korean Missionaries later explained that it wasn't a very good meal, and that other people and places prepare the dog so that there is no smell and it tastes a lot better. I don't know if I’ll ever get another chance to eat dog, but at least now I know I won't die from it. (though after the meal I couldn't help but say a "sorry" to Rosie, and Buddy and Coal because I ate a cousin of theirs... sorry!!)
Sunday was a tough day to say goodbye to all the members. I was able to get up in church and share my heartfelt thanks and testimony. That ward did so much for me when I was sooo new to a strange land. Because of the Geum Jeong ward I learned how to truly love Korea and it's people. They had such patience and love for me, and as we said our farewells they thanked me for my hard work, and wished that I would return soon. I hope that I may return to them someday, but it might not be in the plans. So I’ll forever hold a special place in my heart for them. And for 이에정 as my fantastic trainer. It was hard saying good-bye to her. She's actually getting a member for Seoul to be her companion for a transfer, so that'll be fun. But it was hard to realize that since she is going home in 3 transfers I wouldn't see her very often anymore, let alone ever serve with her again. She helped me begin to become the missionary Heavenly Father needs me to be. And without her help there is no way I would be able to be whitewashing right now!!!!
I'm excited for my email next week to share with y’all all the fun things that are going on and all the adventures I’ll have. I know that there will be a LOT of days when we are lost and confused, but those are also the days when we can completely rely on the Lord and have Him direct us where He needs to go. And in that case, I hope EVERYDAY this transfer is like that!!
*Also, I totally thought of Gwen this week. So because we are replacing Elders we got their old house... OH MY HEAVENS!!! GROSSS!!!!! And the worst part is that they spent $300 hiring someone to clean the junk out of the place! I guess in all the confusion of getting rid of the trash they forgot the stove... fridge...sink... cabinets... floors...The bathroom is pretty good though. Needless to say, there is a LOT of cleaning in my near future. EWWW!!! Dear Future Elders KEEP YOUR HOUSES CLEAN PLEASE!!!
Well, I’ll talk to y’all next week.
SOO sorry this email is coming to y’all late. I promise I'm not dead =] BUSY with all the changes, but not dead.
Speaking of changes are y’all ready to hear about transfers!?!? Are you sitting? (Because heaven knows I needed to be sitting when I got this call....)
I GOT TRANSFERED!!!! Not only did I get transferred... I'M WHITEWASHING!! (*for those who don't understand missionary lingo, that means that two missionaries were in this area before, and BOTH of them left and two new people came in. i.e.: ME!) AND I HAVE ANOTHER KOREAN AS MY COMPANION!! Did I mention that this was a crazy week?? I thought for sure I was going to stay in 금정 but the Lord had different plans for me. So, now I am in Shin Jeong 신정 area in Shila Zone. Shin Jeong is one of top 5 biggest cities in Korea (she is in Ulsan), and we have the fabulous adventure of trying to figure our way around this place (yeah…my companion has never served here either! And especially never in such a big city!) She's awesome though, her name is 연수현 (Yeon Soo Heon) She is from Seoul, but she lived in the states for 7 years before coming back to Korea for school, so her English is fantastic. She is going to school for Theater Tech, don't worry we've already gushed about our favorite musicals! She's lots of fun and loves to laugh. We are both sacred out of our minds right now! So far we know how to get home, get to the super market and get to the church.... But luckily we are having fun with this new adventure! haha I'm excited to see the miracles that this next transfer will hold.
The last week in Guem Jeong was fantastic!! I already miss the members there with all of my heart. I was kind of sad that no body took a guess at what I would be eating... but maybe y’all figured it out and would have rather not have said. So last week, as part of the summer meals for stamina and strength I had 개고기 aka DOG!!!!!!! Yep, I ate dog. I didn't think that it would have happened sooo soon after being in the country but it did. And I ate it.
**Disclaimer: I am about to describe the meal. If you don't want to know, skip ahead... So! When we first went to the member’s house the smell was…well... interesting…I have never smelt anything like it before. If I hadn't known what we were about to eat I wouldn't have been able to describe it. But since I did know, I guess it was a bit like wet dog. Gross, I know. So, the member bought the meat and cooked it herself. They put it in a soup with some veggies and such. The meat itself was interesting. Very slimy actually and a little on the chewy side. I couldn't eat too much of the soup though, that part was just gross. And I can't even think of how to describe the flavor. The Korean Missionaries later explained that it wasn't a very good meal, and that other people and places prepare the dog so that there is no smell and it tastes a lot better. I don't know if I’ll ever get another chance to eat dog, but at least now I know I won't die from it. (though after the meal I couldn't help but say a "sorry" to Rosie, and Buddy and Coal because I ate a cousin of theirs... sorry!!)
Sunday was a tough day to say goodbye to all the members. I was able to get up in church and share my heartfelt thanks and testimony. That ward did so much for me when I was sooo new to a strange land. Because of the Geum Jeong ward I learned how to truly love Korea and it's people. They had such patience and love for me, and as we said our farewells they thanked me for my hard work, and wished that I would return soon. I hope that I may return to them someday, but it might not be in the plans. So I’ll forever hold a special place in my heart for them. And for 이에정 as my fantastic trainer. It was hard saying good-bye to her. She's actually getting a member for Seoul to be her companion for a transfer, so that'll be fun. But it was hard to realize that since she is going home in 3 transfers I wouldn't see her very often anymore, let alone ever serve with her again. She helped me begin to become the missionary Heavenly Father needs me to be. And without her help there is no way I would be able to be whitewashing right now!!!!
I'm excited for my email next week to share with y’all all the fun things that are going on and all the adventures I’ll have. I know that there will be a LOT of days when we are lost and confused, but those are also the days when we can completely rely on the Lord and have Him direct us where He needs to go. And in that case, I hope EVERYDAY this transfer is like that!!
*Also, I totally thought of Gwen this week. So because we are replacing Elders we got their old house... OH MY HEAVENS!!! GROSSS!!!!! And the worst part is that they spent $300 hiring someone to clean the junk out of the place! I guess in all the confusion of getting rid of the trash they forgot the stove... fridge...sink... cabinets... floors...The bathroom is pretty good though. Needless to say, there is a LOT of cleaning in my near future. EWWW!!! Dear Future Elders KEEP YOUR HOUSES CLEAN PLEASE!!!
Well, I’ll talk to y’all next week.
Thanks for all the love and support and super fun emails this
week!! I love you all!!
Kiss Love Hugs!
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