Zone Training, Contemporary History Museum

This week was President Sonksen's birthday.  The Cannons invited us to go to dinner on the army base.  The Nielsons came as well.  Sadly, Sister Sonksen did not have her ID card with her, so we'll have to try another time.  The rest of us enjoyed some time together though.

We are looking at a map of various attractions around Seoul.  We have to plan another outing.

Tuesday was MLC, so the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders were in the office for training.  The next day was Zone Training.  We went out to Wondang and went to the Seoul North zone training.

These young missionaries did a great job with the training.

Afterwards, the sisters asked if I could stay for a lesson.  They're teaching some young girls and needed an adult member to be with them.

Then we went to the sister's apartment in Geumchon because they needed a few repairs done.

We will probably have to go back though, now that we know what is needed.

There's a great walking mall heading back to the depot.

Since we were in the area, we decided to stop at Costco on our way home.

Guess what day it was?  The second Wednesday.  What's up with that??  You have to read the fine print!  So on Friday afternoon we tried again with better results.

Costco is even marked on the subway exit.

This is the price we pay to get to Costco.  Something like 200 steps, then around the corner and across the street!  At least the gravity is helping us when we come down. (I am not complaining, just sayin')

This is the Costco food court worker whose main job is to keep the onion dispenser filled!  It keeps her busy!  That is a lot of onions!  I saw her give a big scoop to a man who was holding out his plate for it.

Alan broke a filling and got to go to the dentist this week too.  But no puppet shows!  But next time he'll get a crown.

When we were out on Saturday, we were just in time for the changing of the guard.

It was cold and windy, but at least we had sunshine.

This is the countdown for the winter olympics next year.  Our release date is one week ahead of the date, so it's good for us too.  The American flag was flying too.  There was a banner here the other day to welcome General Mattis who visited Korea recently.

The police buses were all around City Hall.  Getting ready for the Saturday protests.

Lots of food vendors getting set up too.

Then we went to the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History.  It mostly deals with post WWII then through the Korean War and how the country was able to go from war and poverty to much success.  With political upheavals and other problems through the years.

This is an old Japanese mail box left from pre-liberation days.  They were actually made in Korea and they painted over the Japanese symbol for mail.

This is a depiction of the division at the 38th parallel at the end of WWII.  Just five years later, North Korea invaded the South.

This is a model of a US ship The Meredith that was able to bring 14,000 people evacuating from North Korea.  It's interesting to learn how America affected Korean history.

These taxis were built using leftover jeep parts from the Korean War.  The body is made of oil drums that have been hammered out.  From 1955.

This three-wheeled Kia truck is from 1969.

Samsung VCR

The first Korean vehicle export.  Hyundai Pony 1982

They've come a long way from exporting silk and toys to electronics and automobiles.

There's a nice view of the palace from here.  The mission office is behind the palace.  Our apartment building is just beyond the view at the left.

We had our branch conference today so we had visitors from our district presidency.  We were reminded and encouraged to strengthen our own testimonies and to reach out to others.

Transfer Week

Monday morning we went to visit an apartment of some sisters that needed some help.  This is what we saw when we came out of the subway.  It gave us a chance to practice our sidewalk skating!

Monday night we went to the embassy housing with the Cannons to have a New Year's dinner with the unaccompanied soldiers.  A couple from our branch came too (the Anderson's).  Sister Anderson is Korean so she helped explain about the food and customs.

It did warm up some as the week progressed and getting around became easier.

The new missionaries arrived Tuesday evening.  They come from Utah, Maryland, California, Korea (two from the same ward!) and Japan (!)  We also had a sister return to the mission after having to go home for a while.

The next morning, they had some training, met their companions, and were off to begin their missions. 

But that means we also had to send some missionaries home.  Since the flights were late in the day, some of the missionaries were able to do a few things in the city.

Alan took his favorite young office elder (The Inspector) to check on an apartment.  The upstairs neighbors of the elders apartment has sprung a leak, so those elders have moved into the basement of the mission home and are doing their studying at the office.  They were looking to see if they could find a suitable apartment for them to move to, or if it is better to wait until the repairs can be made.

As we left the office on Friday afternoon, we noticed that there is still some police presence in our neighborhood whenever the protesters show up.  The police had them surrounded to keep a close watch on them.

We could hear another rally on Saturday night again.  But at least they don't break windows and start fires.

On Saturday, we went to get our hair cuts.  We were so good, that we decided we deserved a treat.

Then later we remembered that it's a bad idea to eat fried foods.

We saw this group of drummers too.  This man was a high contender for my "Favorite Korean of the Week" award.  Also in the running were the guys who washed and cut my hair.  And the cute little boy who was sitting on his daddy's lap to get his hair cut.  (I wanted to take a picture of him so much.)  But I think the winner has to be the man who came to fix our water heater.  He wasn't that cute, but it is so nice to have hot water again!

Our meetings were good at church today.  Our sister from the Dominican Republic has to have surgery to replace three discs in her back.  She shared about how she is feeling about it.  She said "Am I frightened about this?  No!  I know I am a daughter of God and that he will take care of me.  I don't know why I have to go through this, but maybe it's so I can share the gospel with the doctors and nurses.  Because that's what I'm going to do!"

You have to admire that kind of faith and courage!

Seollal Conference

This week we had two mission conferences.  Half of the missionaries came Friday and the other half on Saturday.  The solar new year holidays are celebrated here.  We noticed a big difference in the traffic with so many people out of the city to visit with family in other places.

One of our APs explained about the culture surrounding this holiday.  A big emphasis is placed on remembering your ancestors.  The Korean people have suffered under foreign occupation, war, and economic collapse.  Now the country is very wealthy, but they remember those who endured the earlier difficulties.

Sister Cannon talked to the missionaries about keeping themselves healthy and their apartments clean and in good repair.

The missionaries who have achieved their goals in learning the language were recognized.  And some special awards were given too.  We had a "Megaphone" award for some missionaries with loud voices, a "Better Late Than Never" award for a missionary whose arrival was delayed a transfer, plus an extra day, a "Twins" award for missionaries that have a twin sibling.  My DH was mentioned as a "Mr. Fix it Award" winner.  The "Uninvited Guests" Award went to one of the apartments that has had a bad case of roach infestation.  (We hit them hard last week, so hopefully, they'll get cleanest apartment next time.)  One of my favorites was "The Shortest Letter to the President" Award.  "Hi President, I'm fine.  Have a good day!"  And Sister Sonksen won the "Selfie Queen" award because she loves to take photos with the missionaries!  All in good fun!

Two of our elders shared their amazing talents.

It was amazing!

We had jump rope contests.  They really had fun with this!  One group of four sisters was able to count to 106 jumps!

Played a traditional Korean game

The senior sisters helped with some mending for the missionaries.

Kimchee rice for lunch, then back for the afternoon session.

In October, there was a special mission reunion in SLC for all the mission presidents of the Korean missions from when the first Korean mission was opened.  The history of the early members was remembered.  Two of the members of "The Piano Guys" served their missions in Korea, so they did some music for the reunion.  We got this from a you tube video of the event.

Then we watched the missionary broadcast from SLC.  It was a meeting of the Missionary Executive Committee with three of the apostles and other church leaders.  Part of it was regarding the change in the missionaries' schedules.  This makes it easier to adapt their daily routine according to their individual needs and the culture where they are serving.  They are able to get out of their apartments earlier in the day now.  And they will have fewer key indicators to report.

This Saturday night is the first in a long time that we did not see or hear any protesters.  Well, we did see one guy with a sign.  Apparently they decided to celebrate the new year too.

In our Sunday meetings today we had a group discussion about the Asia North Area's plan and goals for the coming year.  I love the vision statement:

"Because we want to live with Heavenly Father again, we Love, Elevate, Simplify, Strive, Strengthen, Invite, and Find Joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ." 

Strive - to find names of our ancestors and perform their ordinances in the temple

Strengthen - our conversion by reading the Book of Mormon

Simplify and elevate - Sabbath day worship

Invite - others to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ

Love - others by ministering to them one by one

Here is a scripture from Romans 13 that I enjoyed today about something I had not thought of before.  The "Armour of Light".  What a great concept with all the contention in the world, we can have, and be, and share the light.

11- 14  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put  ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

January 22, 2017

Monday evening we were invited to a branch member's home for dinner and FHE.  Two of the other senior couples and another family from the branch came too.  The other family has lived in Seoul for over 20 years!  Their children have been raised here.  It was fun to see the teen-age children with their friends, just like they were back in the US.  They had the day off school for MLK day.

We had another temple day on Tuesday.  Here's some of the missionaries that were there.

Dear Sister Park left us to go to the MTC in Provo on Tuesday.  She has been in Seoul for a couple of months waiting to get a visa for the US.  She has been assigned to the Visitor's Center in Laie Hawaii.  We'll have to go visit her there!

We also went back to the temple on Thursday.  The missionaries from Vladivostok came to Seoul to renew their visas.  It was fun to visit with them.  They were surprised that I could read their name tags and say Здравствуйте to them!  One of the sisters said her grandparents had served in Almaty Kazakhstan in the early days.  

They were very happy to get to come to Seoul.  Usually some of the Vladivostok missionaries travel on a bus to Mongolia for visas, but since the roads can be dangerous this time of the year, they all were able to come to Seoul.  Sister Nielson had prepared dinner for them and we were happy to help set up and serve them.  They enjoyed trying some traditional Korean foods.  They were asking what everything was, and we knew the names of some of the dishes.  The bulgogi was a hit.  We did have some kimchi and myeolchi bokkeum left over.  They were all good sports.  We also got to attend an English session with them.

This is the myeolchi bokkeum.  It looks harmless enough until you notice that it has eyeballs!  It is actually dried baby anchovies.  One of the elders actually said he loved it!  

We had our first real snow storm this weekend.  We stayed home on Saturday and watched some of the news from the US about the inauguration of our new President.  We are thankful for our country and hopeful for peace.  It was great to see the Tabernacle Choir, The Piano Guys and Elder Christofferson offered a prayer at the National Cathedral.  God Bless America!

The sidewalks were a little bit slippery today, so we rode the subway more and walked less.  My shoes failed the slippery test, but nobody got hurt!

January 15, 2017; Traditional Korean Market

After staff meeting on Monday, we went with some of the other senior couples from both Seoul missions to a traditional Korean market.  The vendors rotate locations every day.  If the date ends in a 4 or a 9, it will be in this location.  Elder and Sister Gray are about to complete their missions and return to Washington, so we wanted to take advantage of Sister Gray's expertise.  She is a native and is able to help us understand what everything is.

We found most of the usual things that are at most markets, but also a few things we had not seen.  We did find some beets and also some cilantro so we could make salsa!

This machine is roasting peanuts.

Besides the fish, shrimp, squid, vegetables and odd things, they also have goats, rabbits and dogs for sale.  (These are not sold as pets.  But for food.  Don't know if it tastes like chicken!)  I'm not that hungry.  Ever.  They didn't want us to take a photo of the dogs up close, so we moved back a bit.

Some people noticed that we were Americans and tried out their English on us.  Some other people just thought we were blocking their stalls and wanted us to move away so they could sell their fish or whatever!

It was pretty fun, but when it started to get cold, we decided to head back home.

The weather here has been pretty nice.  It may feel cold when we first head out the door, but by the time we get half way to the office, we're starting to feel warm.  We had a tiny bit of snow one day, but it didn't last long.

We were able to spend Tuesday at the temple with the missionaries.  It had been a while, so it was nice to be back there again.  They tell us that there are 20 missionaries coming this week from Vladivostok to renew their visas!

We had some excellent speakers at church this morning.  Two of the missionaries spoke about feeling the Savior's love.  One told about a tender mercy when he was new to Korea and it was summer.  He was feeling a bit discouraged, but a lady they met on the street bought them a cold drink and he felt like we can feel kindness from others if we look for it.  Likewise, we can show kindness to others as well.

The other elder is from Hong Kong.  He talked about charity.  It is the pure love of Christ and if we try to be like Him, we will have love for all those around us.

That made me think about the people we come in contact with.  Sometimes there are so many people all hurrying to go their own way that it's easy to just feel like a fish in a big pond with no connections to anyone else.  I've been trying to look for ways to connect with someone every day with at least a "Hello" or a smile.  We saw some teen age kids waiting at a stop light.  They looked at us, like, "You're not from around here are you?"  But when we said Hello! to them (in Korean, no less), they answered back with a smile.  It's just a little thing, but it is something.

A young sister talked about following Christ's example.  She used Elder Holland's talk about after Christ was resurrected, he found Peter had gone back to fishing again.  He asked Peter if he loved him and reminded him to "Feed His Sheep."  She had been raised with her brothers by her father who had been in the military.  She said she did a lot of push ups while growing up.  But after she had been through the military herself, she came to understand her father better. 

We had to say good bye to two of our sweet sisters from the Philippines.  They have been working in Korea while their husbands are at home in the Philippines with their families.  We will miss them!

*Grandma Bragging Alert*

Some of our granddaughters have sent photos with their new Korean dresses.

Amber loves her pink dress.

Karli and Kanela look beautiful!