In Which, With One Thing And Another, Seven Days Pass

RoseE writes:

"Dear Mom and Dad,

It looks like you had tang soo yook. I love tang soo yook. That stuff is dang tasty. And yeah, most soups in Korea are served Still Boiling, and they continue to boil for several minutes after they're served. Koreans can eat 'em straight like that. I can't.

Sounds like Bethe had a hard week of it. No fun. Fortunately, the week in question is over, or nearly over. I'm struggling to get going on regular exercise, too . . . it's been harder with the weather too cold for me to go and jog outside. But I received dying Sis. Matthews's hand weights today as an inheritance, so hopefully those will be useful in getting me up and moving again.

Piping workshop sounds like a blast--give Cat W. a hug for me, tell her thank you for the family newsletter, and tell her I'm writing her next week--ran out of time today.

Sis. Pak is doing a bit better. She's up and about. Elders Murray and Hamilton are both dealing with illness of some kind, too, but so far I've been spared anything more than general grogginess that comes from it just being cold and dark. And that's winter. What'd'you want. I'm from Minnesota. Winter doesn't last forever. Seems like it, mid-January, but not a January yet has failed to end so I'm confident this one will come 'round, too.

It's been a good week, mission-wise. We met twice with Un Jeong, our member family's daughter's friend with the less-than-parental dad. I don't think I've ever met someone accept what we're teaching so readily and joyfully. The onnly religion she's had in her life has been from her grandmother, who is Buddhist. Un Jeong thinks that Buddha is scary. She said that she likes 'our God' (she used the inclusive 'our' form, like 'the God that we all have, that we share together) more because he's nicer and he loves her. She'd never prayed before this week. Our last lesson, all we'd planned to talk about was faith, but baptism got mentioned in passing and she jumped on it. "Can I get baptized? When?" And she's excited about being part of the Young Women's organization, about learning from the scriptures, and about feeling the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. She's an amazing girl.

What else happened this week . . . well, Sis. Pak and I did a Costco run (freaking cold outside Costco) to get stuff for tacos, 'cuz we're doing an activity tomorrow with our various junior-high-aged investigators, less-actives, new members and pretty much anybody else who wants to come. Tacos and movie. Just to get all these kids to kind of meet each other. Many of them aren't coming to church because they don't know anybody there. Finding taco seasoning has been an adventure, but Sister Abbott (branch president's wife) is being a dear and finding some for us. Should be fun.

Last night Sisters Matthews and Musser slept over (in our tiny apartment not fit for four; six was an adventure) and we just had a dratted blast. Then in the morning we went and had breakfast at Tollets', so Sis. Matthews could say a proper goodbye. The rest of the day M&M went visiting people, but I met up with Sister Jennings and the two of us FINALLY went to Seomun market and just had a good long shop. It was great fun. Sis. Jennings is very knowledgeable about fabric and sewing and also market shopping, but doesn't speak Korean. I also don't speak Korean, but I feel much more competent when my Korean companion isn't around--people talk to me, not my comp, and they talk slower and more simply and I tend to understand fairly well. That's a good feeling, right there. So we found a great deal on just what I needed, an O Dong for my hanbok to lengthen it enought for it to fit me.

aaaaah crap they just turned the lights off.

I love you

RoseE"