코 물 (nose water)

Happy Halloween!
Its a shame that all of the good holidays are non-existant in Korea. Maybe we will indulge and buy some overpriced american candy. Maybe. Actually we are completely broke--not even joking, but don't worry about me I always eat.

My brain is fried I don't know what to write. Its getting cold here, wind. AHHH I hate the wind. The leaves are changing colors so that is pretty. Last Sunday 권 다 혜 received baptism! It was wonderful she's very sweet and I know that this ordinance is essential for all. Actually over a year ago she went to the Elders english class in Ansan and there was an Elder there named Elder Fisher who taught her class. He got transferred she stopped coming, then a couple months ago she started coming to church with her friend. We taught her, she repentented, changed things in her life and then desired to be baptized. When we were seeking someone to baptize her we thought of one of the Elders. Anyway long story short Elder Fisher the same guy who taught this girl english over a year ago got transferred back to Ansan and he baptized her--a good story (if that makes sense--I can't spell or write or think well anymore) I believe its called full circle. Very cool. Also 김 공 애 's baptism is Saturday, no time to explain how wonderful this is. Probably 13 years ago missionaries taught her initially, it just shows the power of the Spirit and how different everyone's needs are.

The other Montana missionary Elder Light is now in our zone, he went to Skyview, he really loves montana too, Forsyth is in his stake. You might know his dad.
Oh yeah funny thing. I totally ate it--fell in a subway station the other day. We were running, because we were late to an appt---happens everyday, I had just scanned my card and right infront of my was this nasty cheese esq yellow something that they sell on the street--not a clue what it really is those, right in front of me it was the classic banana peel effect. The nice thing about being a foreigner in a place where everyone looks the same is that I never get embarassed because everything I do people stare at me, so I carry on being a fool and don't care. I think that is a blessing because its easy for me to talk to people on the street because well yeah I can't explain but its good to be a 외 국 인 in Korea.

Ahh another random thing. A member gave us free dinner coupons to this place called the Viking Buffet (but say it funny like a korean) its actually like $18 USD. Yikes we took a young woman who has a really bad home life and one of her friends there last night. Maybe a little bit like L&D but bigger. No pineapple shrimp but they had fondu. Actually the students that we took with us are so fascinated by me that they only got food that I ate. hahahaaaaaaa Anyway maybe it was a have to be there type of thing. Actually the city we were in 안 산 Ansan kind of reminds me of Las Vegas, the LIGHTS!!! Igo the lights are insane, they they have cheesy hotels and things like "Viking Buffet" Anyway. Just read my journal later.

Sister 방 made me Vietnamese food last friday. Wow never thought Vietnam even had food, but its delicious. Rice paper and vegetables, pineapple and spam wrapped up and dipped in red chili pepper sauce. Wait did I just type that??? SPAM!!! yes I have eaten spam its disgusting to think about it and not tasty but whatevs Koreans like it. I like what they like.

Also if you are bored google; Big Bang K-Pop biggest thing in Korea. They made a music video in an area by a church met the elders and gave them an autograph which the elders gave to Sister Bang, she showed it to this 14 year old girl and I have never in my life she someone freak out so much. Maybe like the beatles or something. She just kept say "how how how" in korean over and over.

I am going to end this now and write a note to my baby brother Briggsy. Which I am so proud of, I know how you feel, well sort of. Trials will make you better. When I read your email I thought of 2 Nephi 31:20-21. Everybody should read that now. Okay love you all. Has anyone checked my gmail lately? you can delete junk stuff--please do but save other things. Especially if any of my friends write me forward it to me. Okay tangenting problem needs to stop. Love you all, I love being a missionary, time goes too fast. I have found this stationary in our Apartment that says Alma 60:6---my attempt to guilt trip you all.

xoxox 사 랑 해 요 !!!!!

알 스 베 리 자매
Sister Alsbury

most painful experience of my life--but not really it was fun

So its raining here in Korea. Dirty rain. We are in Songpa which is about 1hr 45 minutes from our house we went to the Mission home this morning and I did pass-off which was good. Sister 방 is rewarding my speedy progress by taking me to an International Restaurant. Oohhh International huh? Yes Outback Steakhouse--you may have heard of it. I really have learned a ton of korean. I know that Heavenly Father is helping me. I know that I am doing his work which I have been called by God's Prophet to do. Best decision I've ever made.

I Probably know more Korean than spanish now. Mac I too am grateful for 6th grade Japanese, some Koreans study Japanese and they go crazy and think I know tons of Japanese, when I just say stuff from that video haha. Korea is really beautiful though on the bus this morning there are parts that aren't city and tons of mountains, very gree the leaves are changing colors its awesome. Even in the middle of the city there are mountains and the middle-aged folk deck out in their hi-tech apparel to go and walk about these little mountains for an hour or so.

I forgot about the election what is going on with that? Its nice to be so busy with other things that I don't have time to think of stuff like that.

Next Sunday we are singing in GeumJeong 1 ward( 금 정) (PS if you learned the Korean alphabet that would make me happy because romanizing is awkward sometimes) We are singing come ye children of the Lord with the Elders and this guy who just got home from New York South Mission. Should be interesting.
Oh if you ever want to stalk me via google earth you can. So doing my best to romanize...We cover the Anyang Stake. We cover Sanbon(our house) Ansan, Anyang, GeumJeong, and Guro. I don't know why I thought about that.

Best thing of the week. 김 혠 주 has a baptisimal date!!! She is wonderful we love her so much. She has changed so much since I have been here. Her husband is from Iran and he has been meeting with the elders for 1.5 years but can't be baptized until he gets his korea citizenship. They communicate via english if you were wondering. He speaks 8 languages fluently. Anyway it is the best feeling to teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are so excited for her. Actually its a miracle but I'll let you read my journal when I go home.
김 공 애 is getting baptized on the 1st we are so excited. She is truely converted. She met with the missionaries in high school and her brother got baptized went on a mission---I've probably talk about these 2 before sorry. Anyway. She saw the change in her brother, he's been a member for 12ish years and the influence he has had on her. She's amazing. Actually she's going on an adventure to Australia for a year. Can't speak english at all. She's 30. We have arranged with her to stay with some members in Sydney. She really wants to go to the BYU ELC. Hey I used to go to church there, and its famous here. Everybody wants to go there.
Sunday is Kwandaheh's baptism, (I type too slow in korean and am running out of time)
Random things:

Korea reminds me of Chile a lot. Weird but sometimes I feel like I am in Concepcion.
Sister 방 is an angel from God. I love her so so so much. What I blessing it is to have her as a companion. Her english is getting so good its amazing.
I made brownies yesterday. Yes we have an oven which is extremely rare in korea. I made them for an Elder's Birthday after our meeting but really just for Sister 방 except the Elders ate all of them like a pack of wild wolves before we got to them. Sad. Yes if anyone reads these words and feels inclined to send American Junk food we would both love you for eternity.
Yes my Korean companion doesn't like a lot of really common Korean food that I hate too, so its great to stomach some things together. There's an "American food" place I've introduced her to fajitas.
She knows tons about Montana.
I explained my middle name to her yesterday. She loves the name McDede too.
Yes I still have red hair.

Oh I almost forgot Korean culture time. So everymorning we run on this track and all the old people do Korean aerobics, which is....different. Trust me I will video it before I come home. Anyway. So Koreans love health. They are asian so yeah eastern techniques and things that Sister Alsbury calls "a little bit weird" i.e. squeezing my ears to death. Man I tangent too much. Point of this is that Koreans do this thing and when asked what the english name for it was, I responded, "I would would call it walking on rocks" So there is a course you walk on bare feet different patches of rocks from big smooth ones, log, chunks of granite, to the extremely pokey one. LIke the 2 inch gravel rocks cemented into the ground and you have to walk on them for like 10 feet. I've seen Koreans jumping up and down on them. AHHHHH!!! But we did it! I wanted to die all in the name of health, right? Don't worry will document it sometime. I think its probably more p.c. to call it pressure point therapy rather than killing yourself by walking on rocks. Well I am out of time. Once again scrambled. Love you all I really do. I love being a missionary. The church is true.

보 보 들!!

Sister Paige McDede Alsbury

I must be crazy because I am currently wearing Youth Dew perfume

안 영 하 세 요!!!
Hello all again. So good to year from everyone thanks for all the love and encouragement. Briggsy congrats on your PR, I'm sorry I missed Crosstown, When is state is it next week? I will fast for you okay?

So is transfer day, neither of us was transferred so I think we will have a great next six weeks together. I'm excited. Our 18year old investigator 권 다 헤 is a headached but hopefully will be baptized Sunday. Also 김 공 애 is going to be baptized on the 1st, shortly thereafter she is moving to Australia to learn english for a year. They have Korean wards in Sydney so we have been trying to get in contact with them. Speaking of Australia--I feel terrible for those missionaries who were stabbed, I know the Lord protects His missionaries and that things happen for a reason, but scary. Korea is safe for this many people, they can't have guns and robbery is rare. Sometimes weird people say or do things but I can take all of them--maybe I should start Taekwondo. Wait that made me think of a funny thing that happened yesterday. So we had just finished our district meeting and we are walking down the street and all of the sudden crazy loud sirens go off and people with yellow beauty pagent ribbon (tehe) jump into the street and stop all traffic and pedestrians. I'm like what the deal....So it was a war drill. Yes sometimes I forget about our neighbors to the North. Everyone was so serious it kind of freaked me out. So if there is a war I guess that we all just stand on the street corner as opposed to the duck and cover option. It lasted for 15 minutes, probably the biggest waste of time ever, at least we weren't on a bus.

Oh Jill muchas gracias for the letters. Sister 방 , loved it. She had to look up a couple words but she understood. It was awesome we got mail before conference so she was so excited to get it really I thank you. For her language study time she is working on a letter for you, she's so sweet. If anyone has the inclination she's also really interested in CTR rings--english ones. They don't exist in Korea, that would be a sweet christmas present. English but not the green finger turning ones. No pressure though. Actually something good came out of my camera dying in the MTC (PS send Mac a camera asap--they are super important) (PSS thanks for the new camera, also thanks to Eric or whoever else helped with that) So I had an extra memory card from that camera 2gb and Sister 방 has an olympus so it uses that card and my new one uses the SD card. Yesterday her card ran out of space and it is really small memory and its the same one from her sister's mission. So I'm glad I saved that extra memory card, I gave it to her--she deserves it for training me, basically it just feels good to serve others is what I'm saying. Today we are just doing email for p-day so we can help our recent convert move, I know that God blesses us when we are obedient and serve others, even if it means now p-day.

Korean culture moment. Some people have these fancy toilet seats with these buttons on the side, I never understood because they are regular flushing. However, I now know. Toilet seat warmers!!! Yes, I was a little surprised, very unecessary but fun. Ahhh koreans.

Today I unzipped that bag of clothes that I vacuumed with all of my winter clothes it it. (no worries its still warm here) Anyone I pulled out a shirt and it had cat hair on it. Probably the first time I haven't been disgusted by cat hair in my life. Hope the kitties are good. I have seen maybe 2 cats, couple dogs, but they are always tiny dogs, and every time I see a dog I think of people eating dog. Oh on the subject of food. Our investigator fed me this week. More like shoved food in my mouth. Koreans are little but can pack it and I think she thought--wait not a clue what she thought but she was frantically wrapping rice and kimchi in seaweed and shoving it in my face. I wanted to say "calm down everybody" but they wouldn't understand. Actually we went to Papa Johns yesterday to celebrate my pass-of, way to expensive but tasted just like the US.

Still on the topic of food. Korean Buffets--oh boy. So we were in this weird area by the 아 산 church and my comp says lets go here to this buffet it was only 4 bucks, just regular korean food. I wasn't really hungry but then I see this sign---something about 2,000 원 and leftover food. So I ask my companion what it was. Ya you have to pay $2 more if you don't eat all of the food on your plate. They hate leftovers here. I look at my plate, I'm full, its full. I only had 2,000 원 great so I did it I ate it all and kept my money but felt sick afterwards.

But the real higlight of the week was General Conference. The elders and I watched it in english (on DVDs) in a room. I made brownies and the Elders just about died they were absolutely obsessed, I only at one. Brownies & cookies don't exist here. But the food wasn't the best thing. I love conference so much. It went by too fast. Mac I too loved Elder Wirthlin's talk, I liked the Brazilians' talks too--reminded me of Mac. I can't wait to get the Liahona and read them, it was just a boost that I needed. The Korean general authority Elder Choi is in our stake so he was there too, he never talks to me in english so I always fumble, but the koreans are really proud of him because he knows the prophet and apostles.

The Elders had a baptism after conference on Sunday so we were waiting and I was showing the elders my family pictures (btw I need one with all 6 of us in it) Anyway Elder Hymas says "oh you are Mac Alsbury's sister" Jordan Hymas from your freshman ward, I talk to him all the time, small world huh. He said you and Jared were awesome and asked how you were. So he lived above you and below you lived Elder Forrest--he was friends with the kid on your floor that played BYU volleyball, he was only there for fall semester but he is certain he has seen you before. BYU and mission world small world. I can't believe they are your age. I'm glad I can't be a zone leader. Be a good boy. I'm being a good girl. I know that every mission is hard in different ways. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and that I am supposed to be in Korea. I thought about where I was exactly a year ago--I remember a really trying time that helped me to be where I am right now. So I'm grateful for that trial. no time.
사 랑 해 요 !!!

Sister Paige Alsbury

Fw: October 2--1 month in Korea already!