Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Police in Korea
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I think our taxi driver sprayed hair spray as an air freshener
First item. Next week P-Day will be on Wednesday. aka I will probably email you Tuesday night MST. On thursday Elder Evans the Asia North Area President is doing a mission conference. I'm excited for it. It is going to be at the Anyang stake center so I get to go back there for a day! Happy. Sister 방 will be there too! Happy I miss her I hope she's okay.
This morning I realized that I already had a high level of hatred toward Sci-Fi fantasy computer games in my previous life that has just exploded in korea. We live right next to 2 PC 방s they creep me out to the nth degree. The street we live on is plastered with those Japanese anime looking pictures Starcraft type things ick! Someday when I get home we can all have a long talk about Russians, Motels, smoking, the trash and other exciting topics of interest. On a random note we now have a sponge bob cell phone case.
The other night Sister Newby and I wake up we sing "I am a child of God" in Korean, I say our comp prayer, we do our personal prayers and then we look at the clock 12:20 am! What the, our alarms didn't go off, maybe the spirit prompted both of us to wake up at the same time, we apparently need to pray more. Maybe some commotion was going on outside in our hood. But it was nice to go back to bed for 6 hrs.
Last sunday we went to the 만 수 Mansu ward for the 1st time. We are just going to work in 3 wards. Mansu, Bupyeong, and Kajung. Anyway I had to do my intro/testimony thing. Apparently I blew them all away. They were like "we thought you had been in Korea for a year and a half" Seriously like half the ward came up and freaked out about it. We got 2 dinner appointments from it, and a member referral. But lets be honest its just Heavenly Father helping me, its not me I promise. Good news on that note. Last week we took our Korean grammar, vocab and reading test. I got a perfect score. That doesn't happen. I was shocked. I think the Assistants we pretty blown away. Sister Newby kind of struggles with the language even though she has been a missionary for a year, and learned it before and is half korean I speak better Korean than her. Kind of stressful because there are a lot of things that I just don't understand. Diligence, obedience, and prayer. Language isn't important its the Spirit.
So this transfer in our mission Elder Forrest and Elder Wimmer--who are amazing missionaries and are going home in February are going around to each companionship in our mission and training everyone one on one. Even the sisters. Sounds kind of strange but it was amazing. Each day they are spending the day with a companionship, training and working together. They came with us last Saturday which was awesome. They really helped us refocus and continue in diligence especially in contacting. All of the sisters hate street contacting but it is my favorite I love prostelying--and good thing I can spell it in Korean not english. They taught 3 lessons with us and it was just a Spiritually full day. We taught this girl with then and we taught the 3rd lesson as we gave her a tour of the church and she now has a baptismal date it was such a cool experience--the elders are going th ave to continue teaching her because she lives in a ward we aren't working in. Afterwards I sit next to this lady on the Subway and before I could even say 2 words she grabs the Book of Mormon out of my hands and was so excited to know that there was another record that testifies of the Savior. My emails stink I can't really describe how cool this day was just know that we see Miracles of the time. I pray for you guys everyday. I'm going to try and write some letters today.
사 랑 해 요
알 스 베 리 자 매
P.S. Jill thanks for the letter and Josh I had no idea you knew Korean--shocking
From: Paige Alsbury
To: alsburys@netzero.net malsbury@msn.com coachalsbury@gmail.com mcelder@myldsmail.net jreeder3@hotmail.com
Cc:
Date:
Subject: 바 람 We call it wind....it hurts
Happy 새 해 weird 2009, I don't know about this. We didn't get to email yesterday because all the places we email were closed. News years 심 심 했어 요 pretty boring. Chinese new year--lunar new year is like the 2nd biggest holiday in korea thats at the end of the month. Oh about the wind oh baby it feels like Montana. The temperature is not a good measurement. Incheon is colder than Anyang duh we are on the Ocean. Still have yet to see the ocean but I know its 2km from our house so is Chinatown...
Yesterday I took a test--yes I really did. It was a Korean vocab, grammar translation and reading test I also had to teach one of the Assistants a lesson it was fun. Sister Newby and I took it at the same time--she had never taken it even though she's been here for a lot longer, peer pressure. Well it felt great to take a written test I love school and tests and things like that. The Assistants called last night and said they were blown away when they corrected it I didn't miss anything. I guess it was kind of a big deal, but ehh ya I'm humble. Korean is hard for sure and I study like a crazy person sometimes even in the 새 벽 but It really is heavenly father helping me I know it. Sister Newby passed too. Happy.
A couple weeks ago we saw a sign that said Welcome to Jung-gu (중 구) but we thought that it said "Welcome to the Jungle" Incheon is the jungle in many many ways. It also has done something to my ability if to properly digest food if you know what I mean. 설 사. Last sunday night we were eating at a Bishop's house and there was this side dish that was rotten fish. Sister Newby ate 2 pieces, I chose not to partake--next time though. Briggs there is something that you would die laughing at in the buses here all I can say is not jammers and the word "Celebration" interesting I will send pictures when I buy a new camera.
I think I already said this but all missionaries now have cell phones! It will make life so much easier. Briggs will be happy to know that I can text in Korean. Someday that will be a skill on my resume.
Things are good regarding the work we are so so busy and its good. Spending so much money on buses and taxis really tight on the funds which is frustrating sometimes when it comes to food. We eat tons of kimbap which is rice vegatables sometimes tuna rolled into kim--seaweed its delicious and like a 1 dollar lunch. We have about 14 people that we have been teaching lately. Almost all of them we do the english program where we teach them english for 30 minutes then teach the gospel lesson in Korean. It really is a gift from God that we can speak Korean. All koreans learn english all of their lives and they can't speak english. P.S. I hate teaching english especially grammar.
I can feel things are going to get really good Sister Newby is feeling sort of better she was in a huge slump after everything that happened. She's starting to get motivated with missionary work again I'm feeling pretty good about working with the members in Incheon and the people we are teaching.
It was pretty hard to say goodbye on Christmas but I'm so grateful for support from my familia and amigos. Time is going so fast it scares me. I have a lot I need to do this year. This transfer Elder Wimmer (a former Assistant) and Elder Forrest (my Zone Elder in Anyang) are doing special training with every companionship in the mission. They are spending a day with each companionship--even sister--potentially awkward, but I am excited to learn from them because they are great. They are coming tomorrow. It will be good. Well I'm going to stop with my crazy writing. Oh Thanks Sharon , Franzs Sister Johnson, and Vincents and Juliet for thinking of me 감 사 해 요
Kiss, nose, hug
Alsbury 자매
