P-Day Email 8 March 2009

RoseE writes:

"Dear yorobun,

(This means 'y'all' in Korean, only without the cultural stigma so you can actually say it and it can actually be useful. Cooooooool.)

I just got your package this morning, which was pretty darn good timing on the part of everybody. Tell Bethe that I love her painting and am putting it up on the inside of my closet door so I can see it every morning. And THANK YOU FOR THE STOCKINGS! I was down to five pair, which is double-plus-un-good.

Tuesday night* went swimmingly. More or less. Gygi Chongnonim** had a rather complicated conversation with President Smith about whether he was from Provo or Bangkok ("You're from where?" "Bangkok, Thailand." "Really." "Yes, really.") and then I had a rather complicated conversation with him about whether or not I was Sister Katherine Kitterman going to Germany. (She gave the prayer last week and the paperwork hadn't been updated, so I very nearly got kicked off the stand.) But everything was settled at last. We got to hear Elder Kikutchi of the Seventy*** speak, which was very interactive and quite entertaining, and I was sitting in just the right spot to see the teleprompters. When I got up to pray, I was very nervous, but I spoke in no language but English, didn't stutter or pause, remembered to use the correct pronouns and did not have any wardrobe malfunctions of any description. So that was good. Then I got to shake hands with everybody (one of the mission presidency said I had a very nice bow; I don't know if he's an expert, but I was pleased) and then we were late for devotional review and that was my fifteen minutes of fame.

Except . . .

On Sunday, the Young Women General President, Sister Dalton#, spoke in Relief Society. She asked for any volunteers who knew the story of Ruth. Since I do know the story of Ruth, I raised my hand. She called me up to the stand, along with my 'companion' (I was sitting next to Sister Ogelvie, so I just grabbed her and dragged her with me instead of making Sisters Copeland and Linford walk over her) and several other sisters, to talk about it. As I got to the microphone, she corrected herself: "Oh, whoops! I meant Esther, not Ruth." So I shrugged and told that story instead. Then I backed away from the podium, but unfortunately didn't think to move to the side, so for the next ten minutes I was in full view of the camera, along with poor Sister O., holding perfectly still because I knew that inching sideways would be even more conspicuous. So now pretty much every sister in the MTC knows who I am. Oh, and one of Cat's friends found me in the cafeteria, now knowing what I looked like. So yes, Cat, he has fulfilled his commission. And now I'm famous.

Which is not good, because that morning was daylight savings time, which all three of us forgot about, so we rolled out of bed and went straight to breakfast without cosmetic adjustment of any kind. Whoopee.

Can somebody DearElder me Grandma Rosie's address so I can actually send her letter?

It keeps DANG SNOWING. I do not want it to be snowing anymore. I want it to be warm and pleasant and enjoyable, in a 'hey-let's-go-study-outside-in-the-sunshine' kind of way.

The new Koreans are here, but they're still in International orientation or something 'cuz they're stuck in the 'holding cell' ( a room on the third floor where they have to stay for two days for reasons known only to God and the administration). But we're all just thrilled to death to have them, except Sister Copeland, who is convinced that they, too, have smuggled in kimchi and will open it in our bedroom.

Oh, and I'm sick again. Another cold. I don't care what they say, the MTC is NOT Zion. I refuse to believe that people could get sick so much in God's holy city. Decongestants are my new best friends.

The temple cafeteria makes to-die-for ham and cheese omlets.

Elder Kerrigan eats to-die-from amounts of pepper on everything.

I don't know why Elder Gygi thinks I'm Russian. Complete mystery to me. I have not yet asked Elder Barzee if he is related to Wanda Barzee##, and I really don't think I will.

Concerning stockings: yes, tights are most certainly an option, though if there is a non-itchy kind, it would get preference. Darks and tans are what I wear most now in the stocking line of things. Knee-highs are my new best friends . . . is there such a thing as an above-the-knee-high? 'Cuz it's considered tacky to have your stocking tops show through your skirt slit. But apparently summer in Pusan is not something you face without knee-high stockings. And Winter in Pusan I do not want to think about, with four inches of snow on the ground outside.

Companions and cookies: Sis. Linford can't eat chocolate but loves peanut butter, and Sister Copeland loves all cookies but is partial to oatmeal-based ones.

Other things I need: If we can get a 4x6 of the family portrait, to put in my handy dandy little album, that would be phenominal. And, um . . . that's pretty much it. Pictures and stockings. I have very simple needs. And I'm out of e-mail time.

I love you! See you next week! Sort of

RoseE"



* RoseE was asked to give the prayer last Tuesday night at a missionary devotional.

** Elder Gygi? I'm guessing.

***Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the Quorum of the Seventy

# Sister Elaine S Dalton, president of the Young Women's organization, for girls 12-18 years of age.

## In June 2002, Wanda Ilene Barzee and her husband Brian David Mitchell kidnapped 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her home in Salt Lake City. Elizabeth was found alive 12 March 2003 in Sandy, Utah, and reunited with her family. Ms. Barzee and Mr. Mitchell are in mental institutions.