Day in the Life [생활에 있는 일]: 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