The End

Sunday, 2014/10/12 1:07AM

This weekend has been monumental. I have spent the last six weeks adjusting to life after having served a full-time proselyting mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am proud to have had this opportunity but am struggling to close this chapter. A good friend consoled me and empathizing with me in saying, “it’s as if your body is here, in Rexburg, Idaho but your heart and soul is still among the Korean people.”

I sit here in my 2012 adorable Volkswagen Jetta, emotional. The tears and inspiration have been overwhelming. Friday and Saturday I spent the days at a business conference on BYU-Idaho campus called ‘The Power to Become.’ Here, there were several amazing human beings that came to lift and inspire us through their phenomenal stories. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was a prominent part of each one of their amazing stories. It is because of Him, our Lord and Savior, that these people have changed the world. No matter the capacity of their influence, the world has been bettered. I desire to do the same.

Tonight, well- Saturday night, I went to see the newest movie in theaters. ‘Meet the Mormons’ was unbelievably executed. The six individuals that were documented with their families were nothing but fantastic, real, and passionate. My tears were uncontrollable when the last family prepared to send their oldest son on a mission. When the time finally came, they found themselves at the Salt Lake City, Utah airport. The familiar scene triggered my not-so-distant memories to come to the forefront of my mind. I was just there. Just 19 months ago my family flew to this airport together before dropping me off at the Provo, Utah MTC where my missionary life began. But that wasn’t the end of the memories, six short weekends ago, my family again found themselves waiting at this beloved airport. They waited as I de-boarded an airplane having departed from South Korea through Dallas, Texas just 23 hours prior. The welcome was sweet. But the goodbye of this young boy in the movie made it bitter. In the faces of his family, their faith and trial was apparent. As it is for me now. Every single day I miss Korea. I miss my friends, ward members, investigators, neighbors, day-to-day acquaintances, and anyone with beautiful black hair and glowing yellow skin. I have come to love Asia. I have fallen in love with the people and culture. But this is not an abstract idea only allotted to those who travel. This feeling of such a deep and unforgettable love stems from service.

Each story shared in the #p2become conference as well as the stories illustrated in the fantastic ‘Meet the Mormons’ movie all credited their faith and realization of Jesus Christ’s influence in their lives. They had all come to understand their personal responsibility to share and spread His love through service. Small, simple, or gigantic acts of service. Not every story told began with missionary service, however each and every story was influenced by it in some way. To me, this spoke volumes. There is missionary work to be done with and without a little back name tag.

My little black name tag has meant so much to me- more than my limited vocabulary can express. It is still hard to get dressed everyday having to exclude what had become my best accessory. Instead, I am left to put to work everything that the Korean people and The Lord taught me in such a short amount of time, when I was privileged to wear such an honor. His name is with me and His influence will shape me. The lives of others is proof of that truth. I am ready to discover my passion and purpose. I know that everyone plays a part in this masterpiece of the world. At times I will feel aimless but the comfort will come as I ask and pursue it. I am slowly beginning to find my part. I am discovering who I am. This chapter will inevitably close, so I will choose to close it with my  testimony.

Jesus Christ will always be our Savior, Redeemer, and beloved older brother. He provided the saving power of the Atonement. The Atonement has shaped my life and filled the deep voids of regret. I am whole so long as I apply and remember Him and what He did. God is a loving god. He gave us examples, families, and a way to live with Him again. He will never abandon us. He will always know what we need and has given us priceless gifts of prayer and the Holy Spirit. These are the gifts by which we communicate with our Maker and Eternal Father. I love Him. I am grateful for Him. Just like He created us, He has given us the same ability. Let us create and use our resources to build His kingdom. We build and love as we service and influence. It’s so amazing what we are all capable of creating!

I say all of these things and conclude my mission journal, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Adapting to being home

9/1-7

Monday was Labor Day. I spent a good portion of the day with my parents and some family friends, Cary and Barbara Jenkins. We all drove up to Sundance Resort to go mountain biking. Before my missionary service I was very much one to seek out opportunities like this, but today I struggled with possibly being the biggest wimp I've ever met. The first ride down the mountain was rough, it didn't take long for the tears to emerge from my eyes.

Adjusting from the missionary schedule and routine is harder than I thought. It's hard to explain, but I'll do my best:

The emotional rollar coast is intense. When I left Korea I was sad to leave, but excited to come home. Being home I have been at a loss of what is okay and what is not (most everything goes btw). I have been scared and stressed for a variety of reasons- one of which being on a bike with loud breaks, flying down a mountain trail that I've never been on before, and following my father who is yards ahead of me. I did my best to keep up and managed only to fall twice. All of these emotions running though my body, coupled with adrenaline and fear cause my eyes to swell and tears to fall haha. Looking back, that was a good activity to just allow me to deal with and get rid of most of the self-inflicted emotions. After lunch we went for a second run and it was much better. I actually enjoyed myself. On our way home we stopped for dinner- a traditional American hamburger on this holiday weekend. It was awesome!

For the evening, I spent time going though some of the storage that I had left behind at my parents house. I picked up my dear friend, Sister Bagley- my sixth missionary companion. She has some health problems which caused her to come home early and hopefully temporarily. Now that I understand the value of getting out of the house to deal with emotions, I decided to invite her over. While it was probably boring for her to watch me sort my things, as we sat we were all in good company and entertained by my bickering family haha.

Tuesday was a full day! My mother wanted me checked from head to toe by every doctor available. It was productive but a long day spent in doctor's office waiting rooms. My mom and I enjoyed each other's company though and were able to catch up. It was nice. To end the evening, I was asked to dinner by an old friend, Lib Montoya. It was weird not having a girl or companion around but thankfully it didn't last too long.

Wednesday was another productive day of doctor appointments- including a much needed mani-pedi. By the evening time I drove to Provo to visit an old roommate, Sarah Reid- now Sarah Christiansen, and her husband Gunner Christensen. They made a gourmet meal of waffles and strawberries as we talked about out my mission and their lives. It was a lot of fun. Again, it was weird seeing and hearing all about how people's lives have changed, including mine.

Thursday was just a day at home. My mother had to run some errands and I was asked to look after my 3 year old nephew, Issac. He is THE smartest 3 year old I have ever met. He was getting pretty rowdy so I suggested we go for a bike ride. That kept him entertained for maybe 30 minutes. Next, he wanted to sit in his wagon while I pulled him. It was fun until his series of directions got us lost haha. Maybe 75 minutes later he exclaimed that he was hot and tired, yeah tell me about it haha. We found some shade near some horses and while we rested we fed them. It was fun. Once I regained my energy and he was itching to leave, I more or less ran home so he couldn't be distracted by anymore animals or plants on our way haha.

When we got home, I handed Isaac off to his dad, Scott Homer (my older sister's new husband). To end the evening, we ate a yummy dinner made by my momma. After, we helped clean the kitchen and the rest of the house since, we were leaving for the weekend tomorrow. Also, my little sister, Danielle, came home from work to give me a professional, hour massage. It was AWESOME! She just graduated from massage therapy school and is working some pretty sweet gigs- I am so proud of her, and grateful for the family benefits hehe.

Friday we all woke up early to get on the road to St. George in preparation for our big hike in Zion's National Park tomorrow. In our car we had my parents and nephew. Isaac is currently potty training so our four hour drive turned into more like five with all the emergency stops haha. It was hilarious because he would either tell us quietly, "I have to pee pee" or scream "Ouch!! I hate when my pee pee gets long! I have to pee now!!" Haha poor kid. When we finally arrived, we dropped Isaac off at his Grandma Sherie Homer's house (per Alise's request) and then checked into our hotel.

Once we were settled, my good friends Chelsea and Quentin Kantaris arrived so we left to eat dinner together. It was so fun to catch up with them and my parents. They have been my good friends since high school, while they are the same they are also pretty matured and adult-like nowadays. How do people's lives continue without me? Haha is that selfish? We ate Thai food and stopped to eat custard for dessert. It was all delicious. Little by little I am adjusting to American-styled food again. Before heading back to our hotels, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up snacks for our hike- even that was fun with Chels and Quen. I have missed them. As an excuse to spend more time together we hoped into our bathing suits and went to the hot tub. Slowly I am getting back to normal with normal human situations where people are in bathing suits haha. It was pretty awkward at first, but I think I'm alright now.

Saturday was the day of our hike. The cars were packed and everyone piled in (The Sloans- James, Derek, me, Danielle, The Homers- Scott Alise, The Kantaris- Quentin, Chelsea, and Kailey McBride, and Maddy Allen). It was a fun bunch. We did the 9.5ish mile hike called 'The Subway.' It was rough but awesome! There was mostly hiking but also some swimming through freezing-cold water, and repelling down some tall cliffs. It was quite the variety! As we ventured through the park, it gave ample time to hear all about people's lives and how they've change. I had a lot of fun! By the end we had been separated based on everyone’s different paces. The end of the trail was hard to identify so Chels, Quen, and I stayed back to make sure our whole group knew where to turn off. Once we informed Derek and Kailey, the three of us were off to finish the hike. Unfortunately, we thought we found a trail up the mountain, but it turned more into our own... It was super dangerous and unfortunately there was a group of young Boy Scouts that decided to follow us up as we just about scaled the mountain... Whoops haha. It all ended well as we finished the night with pizza, more hot tubbing, and nice hot showers. It was a great day!

Sunday was a nice morning because we were all able to sleep in. Just about everyone was sore and moving in slow motion as we all got ready for church. Luckily it was fast Sunday (because we didn't have time for breakfast anyway) and church started at 11AM. It was a great testimony meeting. There was one boy in particular that touched me. He is probably a senior in high school and he recounted an experience he had this passed weekend.. Him and his little brother went elk hunting and on their way out of the canyon they got lost. Immediately he felt the pull to get him and his brother to safety before the sun completely set. This young man left his brother with their packs as he quickly climbed a mountain to see where they were. On his way back down he heard he brother crying and praying to God for help. It was a learning experience for this young man to remember that he is nothing without God and His power. Obviously they made it safely home but it made him think about his priorities. Me too, it was a good reminder to remember to ask The Lord for help before relying on my own strength and abilities. Of course He gave us our brains and abilities for a reason but more often than not, His power will be shown as we invite and welcome His help.

Coming Home

8/25-31

Kim Mi Rahn

Monday was my last PDAY in the field. Nothing big was planned since I needed to pack and clean my desk and clothes rack for the next sister coming to replace me. Even though I spent a good amount of time organizing all of my belongings nothing seemed to sink in. It just felt like another transfer. I wonder when this will feel real..

When lunch time rolled around Sister Gapinski and I met 한금아S (Sister Han), our ward member, at her home. She wanted to take us out for lunch since I was leaving. We ate 매운물내면 (spicy-water-cold-noodle soup) and it was delicious. This member had a few things to get back to, so we were in and out of the restaurant in less than 35 minutes haha. On our way home, we ran a few errands and then spent the rest of the day at home finishing things in the house. By 5:30PM we met 심하정S (Sister Shim) at her house. We helped her make french fries as we watched the beginning of '17 Miracles.' We had a good time. When her husband (이지웅B) got home, we tried to persuade the two of them come to our ward FHE. It was more of a going away party for me and 박동규E (Elder Park) so Sister Shim decided to come, her husband had a headache so he stayed back. On our way there Sister Shim told us over and over that she was shy and that she didn't want to talk to people. We assured her that it was normally just food and then we could leave. Well~ when we arrived a lot more people came than I expected and they were in the process of preparing food. Which meant that we would be playing games until it was all ready haha. Whoops! Poor Sister Shim felt so awkward but eventually things got better. Elder Park and I were called to the front before the food was served to have bishop say a lot of really nice things and especially his appreciation for the work we have done here in the 만수 (Mansu) ward. I was grateful for his words. I went back to my seat just to be called up again to have a birthday song sung to me and Elder Meeks, whose birthday was Monday and mine was Tuesday. This ward is amazing. I love them!! It was a great night. I took a few pictures and then we walked Sister Shim home. It was in fact a day well spent.

Bishop Kim Woo Shik and wife Lee Hyon Ja

Tuesday. Today is my 23rd birthday. Our district leader, Elder Park, planned for our district to meet at the Incheon Grand Park for a lunch together to celebrate mine and Elder Meek's birthday again. It was fun. Sister Gapinski bought us a 밥버거 (rice burger) which I was grateful for, because the elders ended up bringing all junk food and soda. We didn't stay long since we all had appointments soon after but it was nice to have been thought of.

Relief Society President Bah Ah Sook

Next we headed to 배애숙S (Sister Bay- our Relief Society president)'s house. We had to wait a while with her son and granddaughter until a utility man left their house. When we finally shared the message, it went really well. I was pleasantly surprised and so was Sister Bay and her son. Last minute we geared it a little more towards her son because he is a little less active despite being a returned missionary. I was pleased.

Jeong Hyah Youn

We then went to the church where we met 정혜연S (Sister Jeong), a less active member. She is the member who worked at the Any Time convenient store that Sister Bagley and I would consistently visit. Once Sister Mineer came, she had moved into her boyfriends house in the Daejeon mission boundaries so we weren't able to visit her. BUT she moved back in with her parents, above the Any Time shop! We met her last week but today she insisted that we meet at the church. It was cute to hear her say, "I haven't been there in so long, I want to visit it with you." So that is what we did. We took a quick tour first and then had a brief lesson. It went well and she is determined to start coming back. I really hope she does! She was baptized with very little knowledge of what baptism really meant. Sister Jeong really needs to start coming to church to really understand and learn what it means to be baptized into this church.

Our crazy neighbor

We had to quickly stop at the house for a few things and on our way out I saw a puzzle that I most definitely did not have room for in my luggage. I thought for a minute and decided that I wanted to give it to our crazy grandma neighbor. She is always snooping in our house when we leave the front door open for fresh air. Anyway, she lives alone so I figured I could give her something to fill her time. When we knocked on the door she was so happy to see us. I said some small things and then handed her the gift. She was so happy but had no idea what it was haha. As I looked more closely at the puzzle it mentioned that it was 500 pieces... This poor woman couldn't figure out how to take the top off... haha how she was going to grasp the concept of this giant puzzle was beyond me. I just laughed and opened it for her. With a huge smile and eyes of excitement she looked at me and said, "뭐야" or in other words, "what the heck is this" haha. Too funny grandma, too funny.

Our flyer-passing outer friend

Last on the list for today was our lovely 이두례S (Momma Lee). Her husband had previously insisted on us coming for dinner for my birthday, and that day was today. Last minute Elder Meeks and Watts were invited to celebrate Elder Meeks' birthday as well. They took us to a REALLY nice restaurant and boy did I eat well! It was hard though because Momma Lee's husband was insistent on me eating as much as possible so that I could “get my fill of Korean food before I left” haha. It was delicious but rough. Nevertheless, I was so~ grateful for them treating us. It was beyond nice of them. As we left, I gave Momma Lee a picture of us in a frame. She loved it. I am really going to miss her. She drove us home and hugged us off. I am actually surprised how little I have cried these days, as I prepare to return back home. I really am sad to be leaving all of these people but I suppose the reality of these times being 'my last' just hasn't sunk in deep enough for me to react.

After we were home and had planned for the next day, Sister Shim and Brother Lee, her husband, called and requested for us to come downstairs. We met them to say goodbye. They gave me a silly gift of a random bowl and a food tray. It was weird, but that doesn’t change how much I love them. I gave Sister Shim a huge hug. Brother Lee was so dramatic when we told him it was a missionary rule that I couldn’t hug him so instead he decided to go for a close air hug. It was weird but funny. I'm going to miss being able to see them all the time. Sigh, I am grateful for technology I suppose- it will be the closest I can get once I'm back in America.

To end the day, I received a phone call from our zone leaders, 김재겸E (Elder Kim) and Elder Nemelka, they called to sing me happy birthday. It was nice of them. Then Elder Kim went on and on about how sad he was. He is sad that the mission is loosing so many awesome missionaries and he is sad because so many of his good friends are leaving. It was sweet of him to compliment me and my service; he was so grateful for all that I have done for his country and other fellow missionaries. In return I told him how great of a district leader he was (when I was a greenie), how phenomenal he was as an assistant, and now how wonderful he is as a zone leader in 인천 (Incheon). Elder Kim began to cry, it was adorable. I never thought it would be this hard to leave a group of missionaries and friends, but it is. It is especially hard knowing that we will be worlds apart once we all return to our hometowns and countries. I love Korea. I will forever miss it.

Elder Stowe

Wednesday, transfer day. It was too weird to think that my time as a full-time proselyting missionary in my assigned area of 만수 (Mansu) was over. Over! Sister Gapinski and I began to haul my luggage out of our apartment but to our surprise Sister Shim was waiting outside for us. She didn't want last night to be the last goodbye, she is so cute. She gave me another gift of a frame with pictures of her and her husband haha. I love it. As we began walking she became frustrated that the elders or ward members weren't there to helping us. Just as she said this, guess who we saw on the street? 이미영S (Sister Lee), our darling ward member whose daughter, 최재인S, I helped teach in preparation for baptism. She too was curious as to why we had not asked anyone to help us carry our things. She immediately called someone to help. It was incredible timing. 박미영S (Sister Park), the less active we have been working with, drove us to the subway station to save us a bus trip. It was so kind and Sister Shim was pleased to see people helping us. It feels good to be loved. It was an eventful way to the say goodbye to my favorite ward and area.

Once on the subway the trip was short and we were able to greet a majority of the mission at transfers at the 영등포 (YongDungPo) ward building. That is where I met up with Sister Bassett. We have served so much of our missions together! First in the MTC, then in 수원 (Suwon) as my STL (she took me on a few exchanges), and then finally in 인천 (Incheon) where I was her STL (and took her on several exchanges). It has been a blast and today we decided to visit a couple friends that live in Suwon.

Jason and Lee Uhn Song

We first went to 평택 (PyongTeak) to have lunch with a former investigator that Sister Bassett used to teach. It was fun and she was so kind to have treated us. Since PyongTeak was far, we were running out of time and I had made plans to see 서은영S (Sister Soh), a former investigator from my greenie area. We were supposed to have eaten dinner together with her husband (Jason) and son (Phillip), but we had less than an hour until Sister Bassett and I needed to be on our way to the mission home for my exit interview. We stopped in a mall to have smoothies, talk for a little, and then she took is to the proper bus stop. I was SO sad that our time was gipped but what can you do???

We got to the mission home just in time for my exit interview. That too went well. It was fun to talk all about what I have learned. I feel like I was all over the place, because I had so much to say with so little time haha. President Morrise was patient with me though and gave me some guidance on post mission life. It was a great end to our day. We finished just before 10:30PM so I didn’t have too much time to prepare for bed. When I finally was ready, a gloriously comfortable bed was waiting for me. I miss pillows and mattress pads! I slept well.

Thursday morning all of the returning missionaries had a breakfast together, prepared by Sister Morrise. It was good, but we had to eat quickly in order to get out the door to start traveling to the temple. All returning missionaries have the privilege of attending a session in the Seoul temple before concluding our missions here in Korea. It was an honor to be back and the workers were especially welcoming to us today. There is a phrase in Korean that translates to "good work" but over time it has become a way of saying goodbye to hardworking people. We received this greeting over and over as we finished the session and left. It was a great session! Oh! By the way we did it in Korean today and I was SHOCKED how much I understood. It was a good feeling knowing I really have learned more Korean than I gave myself credit for.

Sister Jo Un Bi

Because the weather was PERFECT we stuck around to take a bunch of pictures. I feel so blessed to have had such amazing weather for my last temple visit. Next we made our way back to the mission home so the rest of the sister missionaries could have their exit interviews with President Morrise. I continued to pack and reorganize my things. By 5PM everything was squared away for the morning and all of the returning missionaries (Elders Wedam, Baldwin, Bishop, 박동규E, 석찬영E, and Sisters Washburn, Saunders, Bassett, 조은비S, me) had a dinner together; again made by Sister Morrise. It was unfortunately American food, chicken pot pie to be exact. It tasted fine, but I haven't had American food like that for 18 months now and my stomach, along with many others, were not too happy. We were of course grateful, but I hardly ate.

To end the evening Sister Morrise and the sisters cleaned up dinner and then we joined the elders and president for a final testimony meeting. The spirit was powerful. I feel privileged to be going home with such a phenomenal group! It amazes me to see anyone and everyone come closer to Jesus Christ in a wide~ variety of ways. Investigators and missionaries alike, we have unbelievable experiences with prayer, scripture study, miracles, and tender mercies from God. It is unreal to think about how He does it all, but I am a witness that He does it, and He does it all for us. President Morrise concluded the meeting with a quote from a former mission companion of his, saying something along the lines of, "We came to help others become converted and to become closer with Christ but instead we are the converts." Now that we are moldable and willing, we are His work boots on the ground, and we all ran a good race.

After the meeting concluded we went out into the hallway where we sang songs from the Korean hymn book. It was a blast. When we finished there it was past our bed time. I was happy to have to rush and sleep, I was exhausted.

Friday morning was strange. All of my things were packed and all loose ends had been tied. These last few days I have been feeling kind of empty. I feel like since I have been working so hard for so long, I was confused as to why we were asked to stop. Why were we stopping!? There is still work to be done! It was weird thinking about all of the appointments going on without me and all of the missionary work in all areas where I have served continuing as if I never came or left. It was strange. But after personal study and a lot of reflection I feel like it was my time. It's time for me to trust all the experienced and even the new missionaries with all those I have come to love. Of course, I will still do my part in keeping in contact but, sigh, it's my time. I have worked hard, I am ready to be home, I am ready to start my next mission. One adorable Korean elder said, "This time was just the MTC for the rest of our lives, now let's start the real deal!" It was too cute.

By 11AM all of the returning missionaries loaded our stuff in the mission van and then we followed President and Sister Morrise through the famous Olympic Park to our bus stop. We said our last goodbyes and loaded our heavy luggage into our "airport limousine" haha. The ride took about 2 hours and we arrived to the airport just in time to see that our flight had been delayed for a few hours. We checked our bags and ate lunch. I travelled with Sister Bassett and Sister Saunders. They are awesome! We had a blast together.

Waiting at the Incheon, Korea airport

When we FINALLY boarded our flight to Dallas, I took a couple Z-Quil pills to try and zonk out. It worked like a charm! The first 8 of 12 hours were spent in every awkward potion my body could form, sleeping haha. I woke up for dinner and second dinner, but slept like a rock. With the remaining 4 hours all of us sisters read our scriptures, socialized, and talked to the Korean family sitting next to us. Sister Saunders had the privilege of sitting next to this woman's sleeping 8 year old son. She kindly raised her armrest and let his legs sprawl across her lap. As she studied, he slept and as he slept he kicked. He kicked her tray table full of study material, he kicked her stomach, he kicked the row in front of us. It was super funny! Eventually he slept calmly and so did we. The flight was smooth and enjoyable. I was actually impressed with the Korean food that they served too! I am really going to miss homemade 김치 (kimchee) and 고추장 (red pepper paste) sauce...

By 7PM we landed in Dallas, Texas. Since we came from Korea we had to go through customs again and recheck our baggage. It went a lot smoother than I was anticipating. In no time we were on an escalator that would lead us to our terminal. To our surprise, as we approached the top of the escalator, guess who was waiting? Jay Marks! He was waiting and yelling "여보세요?" or "Hello?" haha it was too funny. Just before we reached the top he asked, “Can I hug you??” I hesitated as I thought about the missionary rules and then replied, “Um.. probably not.” Regardless of my response he immediately wrapped his arms around me for the biggest hug of my life. I love him. He welcomed all of us with “American water bottles,” as he refers to them, and a cell phone to call our families. It was so fun to see him and his wife, Stacy. We didn’t have too much time so we left as fast as we came. Once through security, the sisters and I went to the bathroom to put on make up in an attempt to look presentable after 26ish hours of traveling. As soon as we finished, it was time for us to board. 2 hours later, we landed and I was giddy.

We anxiously waited to de-board the plane. Others around us knew who we were and what we had done as full-time service missionaries so many graciously let us in front of them despite the late hour and I’m sure their excitement to see their own families. It was very kind and we appreciated it... A LOT. After a quick stop to the bathroom to brush our teeth, we made our way to baggage claim. As Sister Bassett, Sister Saunders, and I synced our steps, we were all anticipating the moment that we had only been able to dream about for the last 18 months. Our dreams were coming true in a way we never could have predicted. A large crowd walked in front of us as we began to funnel through the roped path provided by airport security. It was as if all was quiet for just a moment as we all saw necks of our anxiously awaiting families craning to see above the crowd. The silence was shattered as soon as I heard my mother yelling my name. The next thing I saw was her dodge under ropes and through the people as she quickened her pace to greet me with the biggest and warmest hugs she could muster. I was home and the tears of joy were hard to control. Next came my older sister, Alise, she swooped in just before I was able to hug my father. The hugs were quick, but oh so sincere. Most memorable of them all was the hug from my nephew, Isaac Coombs. He was being held and as I approached him he asked, "Are you AnneMarie?" in his cute, high-pitched, 3-year-old-kid voice. I smiled and said yes which was followed by a smile and wide open arms for another warm hug. I pulled him all the way over the security ropes to hold him as the hugs continued. I have never felt more welcomed or loved than in that moment. My mind was calm and yet scattered. There was so much to be said, but no words or thoughts had time to form. Simply put, I was happy to be home and relieved to be so warmly welcomed at such a delayed hour on Friday night.  It was sometime after 11pm at this point.

Together we gathered my luggage from baggage claim and walked to the parking lot. As we approached an unfamiliar car, a 2012 dark blue Jetta to be exact, I asked, “Whose car is this?” My dad just smiled and said, “Yours.” One surprise after another. It was a happy night. Upon arrival to our new house in Utah, my mother gave me a tour and finished it in my beautiful room. My mother is so talented when it comes to decorating and I am so grateful for all the preparation that my family has done just for me, they are THE best. It really was an unforgettable night.

Saturday was my first day home. I couldn't sleep so I was up early unpacking my things while my little sister Danielle, now my companion, slept. I woke her up at 6:30AM so we could exercise. She showed me a 3 mile loop that we could run. As we ran she asked a million questions about my mission. I was already out if breath because of the drastic altitude change but the constant talking didn't help either haha, I was dying. When we got back home Danielle had to shower and head to work so I found my mom so that she could be my next companion. It is weird still needing a companion but not have one assigned. I ran errands with my mom until 4PM.

By 4PM it was time for me and my family to walk to the stake center for my appointment with the stake president. My older sister, her husband and son, my older brother, and my parents accompanied me to meet President Jushau for my release. Before I was released from my full time missionary service, President Jushau pulled me into his office separately to get to know me and to ask about my mission experience. My parents moved here to Highland, Utah about a year ago, which means I was in Korea when this change happened...I had never before met President Jushau but he was nice and patience as I answered his questions. It's funny because I hardly cried as I left Korea but now being home it's like I can't stop. Every little question or comment that he asked, triggered more and more tears. In that moment I REALLY realized how much I loved and missed my mission and all the people that made it what it was. Together we went over goals of what I would do to never forget those valuable lessons that I learned and then we called my family in for the actual release. It was hard to take off my name tag... My name tag has been my best accessory and symbol of my purpose as I serve my Lord and Savior, but now it was time for me to move on and grow in other ways that The Lord has in store for me.

Sunday was a great day. In the morning before church, my parents and I were asked to attend a portion of the Stake presidency meeting. Here is where newly returned missionaries come to report. I love talking about Korea and all of the great people I was privileged to meet, and that is exactly what they asked me to do. After I spoke and bore my testimony, my parents were asked to bear their testimonies as well. I always knew they were proud of me but the spirit coupled with their words, confirmed to me how appreciative and impactful my experiences and letters home were for them. Hearing from President Jushau yesterday, from the high council today, from my parents on several occasions, and also from the feelings of the spirit, I knew that my service had been accepted.

It was the day of my homecoming talk at church and an open house that followed. Family and friends had traveled from across the country and I was so excited to tell them all about what I learned in the last 18 months. I had prepared well to be one of four speakers today but when I arrived I was informed that there would only be two speakers.. The youth speakers bailed since it was a holiday weekend! I was asked to speak for 25 minutes... 25! That's a long talk but when it came time for me to speak it went well. I felt guided by the spirit and the tears in the congregations eye's confirmed that they felt the spirit too. It was a good meeting.


Immediately after sacrament meeting, those who came to hear me speak made their way to our house for a delicious lunch made by my mother. It was a happy moment to see so many of my family members and friends gathered to welcome me home. We socialized but eventually the house cleared out and I was exhausted. In the passed couple days, I have been running on less than six hours of sleep. Jet lag is rough. Just when I thought I could relax for the evening, my phone buzzed. It was a fellow missionary whom I served with, Elder Anderson- also known as Hayden. He got home a couple months ago and knows what it's like to adjust. He more or less forced me to come out with him. We went to a game night with some of his high school friends. They were all returned missionaries so they understood my discomfort and awkwardness haha. It was a fun night. We played a game that required music lyrics and boy let me tell you, I don't remember much of what I listened to before my mission. Regardless, I enjoyed myself and especially appreciated Elder Anderson reaching out to me. When he said goodbye to me, he gave me a big hug and said, "Sister Sloan, welcome home. You were a great missionary but we are all so happy to have you home." I almost cried. It’s strange coming back to a world that continues to evolve without you. Sometimes I feel as if my missionary life is forgotten, so I appreciated the reassurance that it was very much remembered and appreciated.

Last Full Week

8/18-24
Monday was a strange day. Our PDAY time will be saved until Thursday (our temple day) so today was the beginning of my last full week as a missionary. Try wrapping your brain around THAT idea! Time will forever be an incomprehensible concept. As 박동규E (Elder Park)'s and my time in Mansu ward winds down, it is almost an unwritten standard that we will be fed just about every meal until we leave. Today it began with a late lunch with 심하정S (Sister Shim) and 이지웅B (Brother Lee). We first taught Sister Shim how to make German pancakes and then we made some spicy chicken concoction for a late lunch and early dinner. I love hanging out with them. Time ran out for a full lesson, but we were able to talk all about families and their importance.

Our night ended at a restaurant with a less-active member and her daughter. Both mine and Elder Park's various companionships have worked with her since we arrived here in Mansu ward. She is grateful for the time we have spend with her so we had a dinner together. We ate 감자탕 (potato stew). I'll be honest in saying, I'm not totally sure why it is called "potato stew" because there are maybe three slices of a potato amongst a large amount of pork and bones. It is also spicy in a way that causes most people to have a stomach ache after eating it... We ate well, but it wasn't all that pleasant. But like our member, we were grateful.

Tuesday was a slow day. We attempted to find several former investigators but with little success. Koreans move and change their phone number so often! By 3PM we met with 조수인S (Sister Cho), a recent convert. She is Korean but studies in France (that is were she was baptized). We met to answer more of her questions about patriarchal blessings and family temple work. It was a great lesson. She is excited to visit the Seoul temple before heading back to France next week!

Once our lesson ended she walked with us for a while and helped us find for we investigator homes. As we walked, we ran into a ward member of the 연수 (YunSu) ward. He served his mission a few years back in Australia so his English is in fact a thick Auzzie accent. It cracks me up every time- always saying "cricky" or "dodgey" haha, it's too funny. We talked with him for a while and continued our searches.

By 7PM we made our way to (이두례S) Momma Lee's house for dinner. Sister Gapinski and I prepared an awesome lesson using PMG (page 168), the Bible (Luke 22:32), the Book or Mormon (Alma 6:6), and the hymnal (#138 in Korean, 'Because I Have Been Given Much'). We applauded her good example and encouraged her to fast and pray for a missionary opportunity with a close friend or family member. She promised with a smile. It was a spiritual lesson. It was a fantastic way to wrap up our evening.

Wednesday we had district meeting. It was 박동규E (Elder Park)'s and my last district meeting.. I still can't wrap my brain around that but anyway we discussed ways in which we can improve our visits and interaction with members. We had an awesome role play and then closed with a song and prayer. Elder Park did a great job. As soon as we ended, our English Class Coordinator (정예림S) came to discuss how we would go about setting up our English Speech Contest this Saturday. After the meeting, Sister Gapinski and I sat down with her for a practice lesson. We tried to apply what we had just learned in District Meeting and it went so well! Sister Jeong is already one of our best members in regards to member-missionary work, but we made goals on how we can help her further. It was so good!!

We had to stop home to drop off all of our books and on our way we passed a gazebo full of grandmas just hanging out. We bowed and said hi with a smile as we passed them. They all immediately either laughed or were in awe of our 인사... (I don't know how say that in English, maybe our 'greeting' to them?) Anyway, they told us to come back and enjoy a snack with them, so we did! We popped off our shoes and joined them in this traditional gazebo with a Korean rice snack and yogurt drink in hand haha. Most of the grandmas live in the same apartment building as us, so we see and say hi often. A few were new faces and didn't hesitate to hammer us with questions. We were able to answer them at first but then our good friends whom we have a talked to quite a few times would finish my sentences and elaborate on what we do as missionaries. It was the cutest. We are grateful for their kindness and adorable grandma-ness.^^

Thursday was temple day! I can't tell you how fast days are flying by! Today as we travelled to the temple it was an adventure in and of itself. Since this transfer is a weird transfer, we will not be meeting at the normal subway station- which means that all of the returning missionaries won't have the opportunity to hand off our luggage to the office elders before having free rein on the mission for a day. Which meant today was my chance to hand off some luggage to President and Sister Morrise. The forecast called for light rain, but instead it was a downpour of craziness! We caught a bus all the way to the temple, but on the 5ish minute walk into the temple, we (my suitcases included) got soaked. Hard life. Once in the temple though, everything was perfect! It was a phenomenal session and I learned a lot that I never recognized before! It was great.

Once we were out of the temple, missionaries stuck around for pictures and socializing. I was happy to see all of the sisters from the zone, because I had previously written them all notes so I was able to distribute them there. Next stop was Costco for lunch before heading to the 영등포 church building. I was fasting so I was bored until we went to the church building where everyone was playing basketball. It was fun just seeing all of my friends. Also as I type this I am curious as to how I have become so close to these people... We only see each other maybe once a month, and that's IF you are in the same zone. If you aren't in the same zone, it is more like every 6 months haha. Everything about missionary life is strange.

Anyway, the evening ended with a lesson with 정현지 (HyonChee) and her family. It went really well and her father is getting more and more interested. I hope they all get baptized soon. If they do, I'm coming back for their family sealing! That would be the coolest!!

Friday was busy! We ran a bunch of errands to prepare for our English contest tomorrow as we proselyted. At 2PM we had an investigator appointment with 김영희S (Sister Kim) and our awesome member, 정예림S (Sister Jeong). We talked all about our purpose in life. The spirit was so strong. She is the kind of investigator that will take a long time to digest all of the information we are teaching her but she definitely has amazing potential to be a great member of our church. We said our goodbyes and got back to talking to people on the street.

By 7PM we were with our member, 유경숙S (Sister You) for dinner. She brought pizza school and chicken haha. It was the opposite of a traditional Korean meal but it was definitely the epitome of a Korean meal nowadays haha. We had cold noodles, pickled kimchee, and radish kimchee as side dishes. So good!! After, we shared a spiritual thought and left. We love her.

Saturday morning, in attempt to get 정현지S (HyonChee) involved in the young woman activities, we went to their activity. HyonChee was too sick to come, but we stayed and made scripture cases with the youth. It was fun! Our time was cut short because our favorite cute couple wanted to take us to lunch. 심하정S (Sister Shim) and 이지웅B (Brother Lee) picked us up at the church and we went to a fusion restaurant for lunch and then a shaved ice place for dessert. We have too much fun with them. Before going our separate ways for the rest of the day, we stopped in at a sticker-picture place. Normal middle school kids and couples go to get these kinds of pictures, but we thought it would be fun. And it was!! Haha we taught them valuable words like immature, sugar momma, and sugar daddy. I swear we talked about missionary stuff too. ^^

They dropped us back at the church where we met the elders and our English class coordinator to set up. We set up, ate kimbab, had English class, and then the contest. We had a decent turn out. It was SO hard to keep from laughing at all of the Koreans doing English tongue twisters and singing pop songs. It is TOO funny. I took a few videos haha. We ate more treats to end and then cleaned up. It was a successful contest.

Sunday was a good day. It started off well with church. Since it was my last Sunday as a missionary in Korea, our bishop asked me to speak. I shared a story from the General Conference talk, "The Witness" by Boyd K. Parker. I have been studying his talk and felt impressed to share his experience of how he received his testimony. But not just how he gained it, also how he has been able to retain it. It is a theme probably throughout the world but particularly in South Korea, Incheon Stake our church retention rate is in need of much improvement. So I wanted to do what I could to help them remember how they learned the truth and by what means they can retain it. I shared the scripture from Alma 5:45-46 where Alma explains by what means he was able to obtain his testimony. He was taught by the spirit, as was I. I closed with my witness. I felt the spirit. It was a great way to say my goodbyes to this ward that I have come to love so much.

When church ended, EVERYONE came up to me. They all assured me of the good work I have done here and how much they appreciated my testimony. I couldn't help but cry. I will miss them all so much. It was funny because ALL the women were yelling at me, "Don't cry! Really? Why are you cry?" as they wiped my tears haha. I love them!!!!

After, we ate. Then had weekly planning, that we were never able to get to on Friday or Saturday. To end the night we ate dinner with 노경아S (Sister No), her daughter 원민지S (Sister Wohn), elders Park and Stowe, and Brother Kim. It was a blast and it was DELICIOUS! Our Sunday again ended at our ward missionary coordinating meeting. I will miss 오광철B (Brother Oh). He is intense but that is exactly what this ward needs to keep the fire burning to keep missionary work moving forward.

I love Mansu Ward.
I love you all.
Thank you for all the prayers and support as I have served The Lord here in South Korea. A part of my heart will always be help by The Koreans. As I approach my last week, it is packed and I am excited. I will board a plane this Friday in Incheon and land in Salt Lake City on Friday as well. See you all so soon!!

Yours truly,
Sister Sloan
슬론자매, also known as 선우나리자매  

Our investigator is sleeping.  hehe

Stole his glasses while we chat with his wife

Herro~

How Asian is this scene?

Minus the white girls in the middle of it...

Temple day.

Blurry picture, but this is one of our investigators...maybe she is a little on the crazy side  haha 

My last Sunday.  This little girl always runs up to me, hugs my legs, and runs away.  I'll miss her.

Dinner with 노경아S, 원민지S, and 김종현B.

Eldest Sister in the Mission

8/11-17
Monday was a fun PDAY! Sister Gapinski and I were finally able to successfully plan and hold a sisters activity. All but one companionship was able to come but it was still a blast; we went to Incheon Grand Park and rented tandem bikes for an hour at a time. We didn't all ride together but came back at the end and took a few pictures. I hope they all had fun. Sister Gapinski and I sure did because our favorite investigator showed up too! 심하정 (Sister Shim) is so cute and so fun. She rode a single bike next to us and got to meet all of the sister missionaries. When we were out of time, everyone went their separate ways. Sister Shim reallllly wanted to eat at a place called Mr. Pizza so we stopped home to change and grab money. It was a delicious meal.

As we left the restaurant we had an appointment with our relief society president for a practice lesson. We casually invited Sister Shim since she had nothing else to do. We proposed that we go to our members house just for an hour or so and then have a movie night at her house. She was a tad hesitant but somehow it all went as planned.

We had a BLAST walking to our members house and the practice lesson was all about the Holy Ghost. Ironically our investigator did the most listening than the members 배애숙S (Sister Bay) and her daughter, 김보희S (Sister Kim) who were supposed to be helping us. It was pretty cool. We wrapped up and then went back to Sister Shim's house. Before the movie she let me try on her traditional Korean dress (한복). I think they are so beautiful.... on Koreans. Foreigners look so out of place when they wear them but it was on my todo list before heading back to America, to get a picture in one. It was so fun!

When the movie time finally came, we all decided on watching the full version of 'Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration.' It was so good! I have never seen that version before and it was perfect. When it ended we all talked about our favorite parts and shared experiences we have had with prayer. It was so spiritual! Before we left Sister Shim was curious and wanted to study a little more about prayer from the Book of Mormon. We gave her an assignment and left. What a day!

Tuesday was a full day... Mostly because eight hours of it was our zone conference.. Last minute President Morrise and the zone leaders decided they wanted me and Sister Gapinski to train. Sheesh! Good thing we were prepared just in case! All in all the conference went well and it was fun too. Just before ending, President Morrise called Sister Bassett, 박동규E (Elder Park), and me up to give our 마치막 말씀, or "last words" to the zone.

...I never thought the day would come that one of the oldest sisters in the entire mission would be me. It was an emotional day just thinking about how, starting now, I will have my last zone conference, last district meeting, last... everything soon. Am I ready? For my "last words" I talked about the ancient prophets and modern-day prophets, such as Joseph Smith, that gave SO much just to bring about the trustfulness and fullness of Jesus Christ's gospel. We are privileged to be declaring the same words that these prophets died protecting. I spoke about the privilege I felt as a full-time, set apart missionary. Then I began to cry as I expressed the sadness I feel about leaving our investigators and members before they have reached the goals they have set... Their journey back to the truth isn't over but my opportunity to participate first hand it coming to an end. I paused and remembered the words of a friend- a few weeks ago on email I was expressing similar feelings to my friend Dakota and she comforted me by saying, "Well Anne Marie, that's why they continue to call and send missionaries- to finish what you started." That statement was nothing less than profound to me. So I wiped my eyes and looked up at everyone to reiterate the experience. When I'm dead and gone (figuratively, of course) it is all up to them. They are here to finish what not just me, but soooo many before them have started. As I ended with my testimony, I felt prompted to advise everyone listening to never deny someone the same opportunity they have been given. I felt the spirit speaking through me. It was a powerful moment.

After I sat down, President Morrise bore his testimony and wrapped up the meeting. Before leaving the stake center I met with Sister Pratt for her to practice teaching me the third lesson for pass-off. I love her. As soon as I finished with her, Sister Gapinski and I began an exchange with 가정 (GahJeong) sisters. I went with Sister Hoffman to her area. The night consisted of proselyting and and their ward correlation meeting.

Wednesday was a full day! Sister Hoffman did a great job setting up appointments to keep us busy, she is a great missionary (she was MTC companions with Sister Bagley)! First was an appointment with their Buddhist investigator. She took us to lunch and then tried to drop us because she has no interest in the gospel. Sister Hoffman handled it so well that the investigator stayed and even received a referral from her of someone that is pretty interested in learning about our church- miracle! Next was a less-active visit/ 20 minute practice lesson. It was okay. Then we proselyted until I was time to unsplit. I was happy to be back home. Our evening was uneventful but like I said, it was good being back in 만수 (Mansu).

Thursday seemed to come so fast! We had an appointment with 김영희S (Sister Kim), our investigator and 정예림S (Sister Jeong), our member. It went well. I think we got to the bottom of Sister Kim's needs. Next time we will be talking about our purpose in life. Yahoo! I love that lesson. After the lesson we exchanged again but this time with the 부평 (BuPyong) sisters. I went with Sister Wright (my granddaughter- in missionary terms) to her area. We had dinner, met a potential investigator, and proselyted. It was a good night.

Friday started with an awesome personal and companionship study! We were ready to tackle the world together haha. Instead we just decided on one family (half is active and the other half is inactive). When we arrived we realized that it was a Korean holiday.. 광복절 or Independence Day from Japan. This meant that the whole family was home plus a bunch of relatives... The son and daughter just came down and sat with us at a gazebo to talk. They opened up and especially 다운S (Dawn) was concerned about not having a lot of faith. She asked a lot about prayer and how to better study the scriptures. Boy were we ready to help! We also got onto the topic of patriarchal blessings. Her older brother just received his and is now preparing to serve a mission in New York.  Talk about acting in faith, quickly too! It was a great lesson.

As we walked away I think I counted 20 new mosquito bites... sweet. We made our way back to our companions and it happened to take forever since it was rush hour. Once we made it, Sister Gapinski and I had to quickly stop by our house before meeting at 정현지S (HyonChee)'s house. Tonight her father (정소영B) and mother (이윤자S) invited us to dinner to say goodbye and thank you to me. They are so kind!! I was nervous that they would take us somewhere crazy nice but luckily it was a Shabu Shabu buffet. It was awesome. I love that family. I almost cried when they dropped us off because the parents both got out of the car to thank me for all that I have done for their beautiful daughter. They have seen a change in her and they are grateful for the gospel in her life, and in theirs too. They are the sweetest family.

Saturday was boring. We proselyted, served our members by washing their front doors (a former elder GLUED hearts on doors -___-), had English class, and proselyted some more. That's about it.

Sunday was great. I keep having 'proud mother moments' every time HyonChee participates in church. Today she taught the young woman's lesson about the importance of the law of chastity. That little girl is quite special. I love her. The rest of church was great and members were so concerned for both me and Elder Park since we are leaving next week. Also.... leaving next week. That doesn't feel real. A few people asked me how I felt and honestly I feel the same. I still can't comprehend an end to missionary work so it can't comprehend my job here being complete. Sigh. So many people just smiled and said, "Yeah, it's time for you to get back home and find a new hobby." Haha Koreans are hilarious.

Since the weeks activities didn't permit time for weekly planning, that's what we did today. But 5PM we were back at the church where 이미영S (Sister Lee), 박미영S (Sister Park), and 김정은S (Sister Kim) cooked dinner for all the missionaries. It was like a mini FHE because we played with the kids, ate, and had fun. It was great. To end the night we had a proselyting activity with our ward mission leader and his family. I was paired with his darling wife, 이은성S (Sister Lee). She wanted to knock doors SO bad, so we did. After a bunch of failure she decided to start a new approach but asked for water. So... out of the kindness of these strangers hearts, they gave us water but guess who had to drink all of it? Me! Let's just say I couldn't wait to get back to the church to use the facilities. It was a fun night though. Sister Lee is the cutest and so happy. Once we all met back together we had a correlation meeting. It was a great way to end the week.

I love you all! Have a great week.
Sister Sloan
슬론 자매  

Exchange with Sister Hoffman

Exchange with Sister Wright

If you stay you can have a laptop

8/4-10
Monday ended up being another PDAY spend at home haha. Sister Gapinski slept most of the day and I wrote letters. By the end of the day we exchanged with the 답동 (DapDong) sisters and I brought Sister Pratt back to 만수 (Mansu) with me. She is seriously the cutest! We spent our evening with 심하정S (Sister Shim) and her husband 이지웅B (Brother Lee). The lesson didn't really go as planned... We took too long just chatting and introducing Sister Pratt instead of just jumping in to what we had prepared. But I take full responsibility for that, because I didn't do my part to invite the spirit. I am disappointed in myself. I need to set a better example for the sisters, especially on exchange. Sigh. Anyway, one funny thing that we talked about was my release date. As Sister Shim was adding it to her calendar, Brother Lee said, "No! Show her the laptop!" Haha because a while back they told me if I stayed, I could have it. I love them.

Tuesday was bizz-ee! We prepared and studies for the day and then were off. Before our appointment at 2PM we visited a few former investigators nearby. They all have moved and the people living there don't care about our message either-bummer. Our first appointment went well! Our member, 정예림S (Sister Jeong) came and our investigator, 김영희S (Sister Kim) loved her. Sister Pratt and I introduced our purpose, the Family English Program (30 minutes gospel, 30 minutes gospel), and answered all of her questions. It was great! Sister Kim was sad to hear that Sister Pratt maybe won't have another opportunity to meet her again; it was definitely a blessing that Sister Pratt was there but I hope she will love Sister Gapinski as much as she loves Sister Pratt.

Next on our schedule was to meet up with a couple of Elders. Elder Brissette and Elder Newton shorted their release just by a few weeks for school enrollment purposes, so they have to go home this week but pretty much have free range over the mission. They both served here in 만수 Mansu and were back for the day to refer some people to us. Only one lady showed up, she was quite an old grandma and as we got to talking I recognized that Sister Gapinski and I had contacted her just a few days before. She politely told us that she wasn't interested in learning about our gospel, only learning English. I tried telling these elders but they still thought there was hope haha. The kind old woman fed us dinner at a pricey Italian restaurant. We were all grateful for her generosity but I don't think we'll have a chance to meet her again in the future.

Lastly, Sister Pratt and I said our goodbyes and ended our exchange at our beloved 이경호S (Sister Lee)'s house. She is the grandma investigator that LOVES to talk and I LOVE to listen. Maybe Sister Pratt didn't understand very well but hey, let's be honest, me either haha. We read in 3 Nephi together and gave her hugs as we left. Maybe I have mentioned before but in our last appointment with Sister Lee I had an impression that I needed to remember her face. I needed to remember her face so that I could find her in the millennium to continue teaching her then. Maybe that is a strange thought but I studied her face and she rambled today. I'm not going to loose her.

The day was essentially over as we unsplit. Sister Gapinski and I basically came straight home because there wasn't time for much else.

Wednesday was another busy day. During our companionship study, the phone rang. A man that I had met on the street the day before was calling! That never happens! He was curious if we could do the Family English Program with him and of course we said we could. But because he was a man, I asked a few extra questions to help us decide which elders to refer him to.. As I did, guess what?! He shyly asked, "Can my wife join us too?" Another family!!! Sister Gapinski and I just looked at each other with wide eyes of excitement. Our prayers were being answered and new investigators were coming out of the wood works!! We made an appointment for later today and were off to district meeting.

If our happiness wasn't enough, the meeting today ended up being super great too! It nice being in a district that cares and where all of its members want to coordinate our efforts to be as effective as possible. I almost fell out of my chair a few times because of all the ideas that were coming out of the elder's mouths. FINALLY! Haha it was great and 박동규E (Elder Park) is a fantastic district leader.

We left and meet our new investigators, 박형기B (Brother Park). His wife was being a bit shy so we needed to mostly introduce the program and our purpose to them. It turns out that he met with the missionaries like ten years ago but only after maybe 2-3 meetings he moved and lost contact. Now we are back and we are going to baptize his whole family! Or at least we'll invite them haha. The lesson was great and he seems to be pretty interested!

Next up was another exchange. We met up with 계산 sister missionaries and I brought Sister Telford to 만수 (Mansu) with me. We tried to visit a few former investigators with no luck before our member appointment at 7PM. We arrived and they asked us to share the spiritual message first and then they would take us out for dinner. I was a little disappointed because I like to talk a little first and they shared a message that is more geared towards their needs but we shared one anyway. The dad was rushing us because he was starving haha. Sigh, at least dinner was delicious.

Thursday we continued to stay busy. We taught 김영희S (Sister Kim) again. Unfortunately she missed Sister Pratt and wasn't a huge fan of Sister Telford. Oh well, our member, 김미란S (Sister Kim) came and we taught anyway. We taught her all about the restoration but she wasn't all that accepting of it. Something was a little off today and I still don't know what that was... However, I do know that we all did our part in inviting the spirit, shared scriptures, and personal experiences. Maybe next week will go better.

When the appointment ended we went to 신세계, a big shopping center, where we were supposed to be having a district activity. Of course the elders were late which left us waiting with huge posters for maybe 30 minutes. Thankfully people stopped to talk to us but still it wasn't all that productive. Once the activity began, everyone was given a sign and we began to promote that we were having an English contest. We had tongue twisters and the lyrics for the 'Frozen' movie for people to sing. It was funny. I was in charge of passing out flyers and bringing people over to participate. It was fun. By 6PM we wrapped up and Sister Gapinski showed up with 김예영S (Sister Kim- Sister Telford's companion) for us to swap back.

By 7PM Sister Gapinski and I were with 이두례S (Momma Lee) eating dinner. Just as we began to eat, her nonmember husband came home! I have only met him a couple of times but he joined us for dinner and we were able to have a nice conversation. He was sad to hear about me leaving soon so we arranged for us to have another dinner appointment on my birthday with whatever food I wanted haha. He is too kind. Sister Gapinski and I tried to make him laugh and his wall fell pretty quickly. We know that Momma Lee struggles with the fact that she comes to church alone and her husband is never around so we tried to keep his attention so maybe he would stay with her when we left. It failed but anyway we had fun. Since he left to play golf, she still came with us to teach our recent convert, 정현지S (HyonChee).

Once we arrived, HyonChee's little sister and father wanted to join us! Score! We scheduled to talk about the steps of Jesus Christ's gospel but we were a little sidetrack as we followed up about following the word of wisdom. HyonChee's face flushed as she fought back to what she drank just before we came over, iced tea. Let's be honest, it's not the end of the world if you drink it but we have been taught not to do so. She has faith that God gave that commandment in wisdom but sometimes she forgets when her mom serves her meals. Poor girl felt so bad and her dad scolded her. We taught about faith, repentance, and the covenants at baptisms and the renewal as we partake of the sacrament. It was a perfect lesson. When it came time for the closing prayer, we asked HyonChee to choose who should say it. She of course picked on her little sister but her little sister was not enthused by the idea. Instead of acknowledging that her sister was taking to her she was playing dead on the floor... She is 12. Anyway, after some back and forth with her father, Momma Lee said, "Whoever prayers receives blessings!" HyonChee immediately folded her arms and started praying haha. It was UH- dorable. She even repented for drinking iced tea right then and there. She is probably the best human I have ever met. I love her.

Friday was HOT!! The sun was blazing the humidity didn't do us any favors. We started our day with 김보희S (Sister Kim). She is probably one of our favorite ward members and today we went over for a practice lesson. Lately we have been focusing on answering questions of the soul with the Book of Mormon so we asked her to think of one and we would try to answer it. She has been watching the news lately and is pretty distraught about the war in Israel. She knows that God has a plan for his children but it sad to see and hear about innocent men, woman, and children dying. We did our best and it was a super spiritual lesson! She was grateful and so were we.

Next, we made our way to a park were we planned to have a sisters zone activity next week. It is a park called 소래습지생태공원 and it is a wetland-fish town place. It's pretty cool! The government rents free bikes too but when we checked, but apparently they are close on Mondays. LAME! We walked about the park and talked to people as we tried to find other solutions for the sisters activity that we had already scheduled haha. Before we left the area we visited a few former investigators with no success yet. It was a little ways from our house so by the time we got home, the rest of the day was spent doing weekly planning. It was a super productive meeting! I made a goal to leave this area with 10 investigators before I left and we are well on our way!! :)

Saturday for lunch we had an appointment with a less-active member, 박미영S (Sister Park). We were just expecting to meet her at her house but when we arrived she quickly shooed us into her car. She took us to a SUPER expensive restaurant! Sister Gapinski and I felt bad pretty much the whole time but we showed her our gratitude. We could definitely tell that she was not at a happy point in her life. Her little six year old daughter is off the wall crazy and Sister Park just has to chase her around to keep her in line. We weren't of much help but we tried to share a spiritual thought to help her. From her initial reaction, we don't know how much good we did... Before dropping us at home she made is stop by Baskin Robins for dessert. Again, we were grateful but we would have preferred to help her feel the spirit- in both restaurants that was next to impossible with all of the chaos going on. The rest of he day was finding former investigators and English was somewhere in there too. Nothing too noteworthy happened.

Sunday was an interesting day. Church was good! I was actually pretty proud of myself because I understood the whole lesson taught in relief society. Maybe it's lame that I am far from fluent in Korean but at least I can say that I'm getting there. Plus gospel vocabulary is where I've set my priorities, so church is my gauge of how far I've come. Oh! Also during sacrament meeting I sat next to HyonChee and as the sacrament was being passed she leaned over and whispered, "Sloan, I repented everyday about drinking iced tea and I'm about to repent again." *as she pointed to the sacrament. It was probably the cutest things she could have ever done. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to teach her. She is my favorite!

After church we had our normal meal- YUM! A member made spaghetti but can I just tell you what makes spaghetti UH-MAZING? 고추장 sauce. I'm sorry mom, I know you have a great spaghetti sauce but get ready for a little competition hehe.

Once we were happily full and the church was clean, Sister Gapinski and I set out to proselyte at 인천대공원 (Incheon Big Park). It was Sunny when we left but not long after we arrived it began to sprinkle. The sprinkle quickly turned into full on rain so we ducked under a gazebo to wait out the rain. It proved to be productive because we weren't the only fools without umbrellas. We had a couple of great conversations and the decided to tough out the rain when it turned back into a misty sprinkle. Maybe 20 minutes later it felt like a hurricane was coming through. We began to run as we desperately looked for shelter. We joined a swarm of grandmas in another gazebo where they welcomed us with towels to dry off. We were so grateful for them. Again, we decided to wait it out but time was not in side... Our options were running out so this time we decided to take a run for the bus stop. In short, we were SOAKED! By the time we got home we had time to rinse off all the mud, change, and head to the church for our missionary coordination meeting.

Upon our arrival, we looked pathetic to say the least. Our hair was soaked and our bodies shivering. Our ward mission leader brought his wife today and she was SO concerned for us haha. She demanded us to go home, take medicine, and sleep for the rest of the night. We smiled and says we would do what we could. The meeting was productive and the rest of the evening was too. We ate dinner and did call backs until bed. The weather is bazaar nowadays but hey, I'm grateful for the opportunity to wear a sweatshirt tonight. Oh how I've missed the comfort of a soft sweatshirt.

I love you all! Have a great week!
Sister Sloan
슬론 자매

Exchange with Sister Telford - this is at our English contest district meeting.  Isn't YoonGyong cute?

Nom~

I've never classified my hair as 'curly' before...but Korea has changed things.

We are bored as...

Thanks Darrin~

Just putting my laundry away.  Have I ever told you how much we miss dryers that make our laundry fluffy?  Well, my towel is stiff and is still holding the shape of the rack it dried on.

This is a cicada...they come every summer and are solo loud!

Pouring rain!!! Bad day not to bring an umbrella...