19 Aug - 25 Aug

We took this week to prepare for Elder Soares visit.  The President had us clean the mission office, just in case.

Lots of garbage!  (Not the peanuts)

 The Office elders and APs had to go over and help clean the chapel.  I helped the President prepare a short introduction, to make sure his English was correct.

So we took the subway to the stop closest to the Stake Center and had to walk for about 15 minutes.  Of course it was hot, but we made it.

It's neat to be with all of the missionaries in one spot and of course, the expectations were very high.  Everyone was excited.

Elder and Sister Vinson (member of the Seventies Presidency we also met him in Ghana when he was in the Area Presidency there.  He even remembered us) accompanied Elder Soares and his wife.  Also attending was President and Sister Choi (Area President) and President and Sister Budge (2nd Counselor)
It was a great meeting.  Elder Soares talked about his conversion and how he felt the spirit from two young men.  He told the missionaries that they need to continually feed their testimonies and their faith.  He also told them to work hard and be happy. And remember that we are here to change people's lives

So here he is shaking all the missionaries hands.

This is all of the missionaries getting situated to take a picture.

Sister Kim trying to organize the choir and everyone else.

Elder Soares speaking to the missionaries.

Love you and miss you all.

12 Aug - 18 Aug

Okay, this was a boring week?!?!   We did send two missionaries home on Tuesday.  They both needed to get home for school.

Elders Braathen and Clayton

  Also, we sent a Korean Sister home early.  She was very depressed and told her companion that she was packing her clothes for her to send home after she was gone.  Her companion called Sister Hunter and asked her to come over.  Problem was that Sister and Elder Hunter were out of the city and still had about 90 minutes to get home.  So Wayne and I went and met them at the church.  All I could do was just keep talking to her and trying to make her laugh.  She was not very responsive.  When Sister Hunter arrived they took her to the hospital and stayed with her all night long.  Her mother finally showed up about 6:30 in the morning and she took her home - screaming and crying all the way to the car.  Sister Hunter said it was a sad sight to see.  I believe Korea has the second highest suicide rate in the world for young adults.  She was a beautiful young lady.  We hope all goes well for her.

So, I just had to show you what a lot of the people carry with them outside when it is so hot.  They use them all the time.  And the women walk with open umbrellas, too.

Elder Soares will be coming to Busan this Saturday.  We will hold a special meeting with him at 10:00 am.  We are excited.  He will also be meeting with the Young Single Adults.  

The elders decided to clean out a closet.  Wow, the junk and garbage they collect.

So, that's it for this week.

Love you and miss you all.

5 Aug - 11 Aug

I know all I talk about is the heat, but it is deathly!  We walked to church on Sunday and I was carrying Wayne's suit coat (he was carrying other things) and when we got to church, I took his coat off my arm and the place that was touching my skin was all wet.  I mean you could see the sweat. 

On Tuesday we held the Busan Zone Conference.  President Jeong talked about the Holy Ghost and compared it to a GPS and how it directs you.  But only if you use ir right!  It was very good. 

Had to get a picture of Elder Hunzeker.  He is so cute!

The sisters are always reading or studying.

Elder VanWart and Sister Park Senah sang a duet.

Sister Kim Eunji played the flute and Elder Kim Geonil played the piano.

Our missionaries are very talented.

There were two more Zone Conferences - one in Ulsan and one in Changwon.  But we did not go.  Too busy at the office.

But on Sunday, we went to Changju, because our missionary choir sang at a fireside.  The church building we went to was 4 stories and it was beautiful. 

This was on the top floor.

 The chapel was full and they did a wonderful job of singing, speaking and video presentations.  They bought little plastic pieces (reminded me of tiddly-winks).  During one on the speaking parts, the missionaries challenged everyone there to be a missionary, too.  They gave them some suggestions and everyone who would promise to do it was to stand up.  Everyone stood up.  Then they gave them the tiddly-wink and told them to wear it everyday in their shoe to help remind them of their promise.  Everyone laughed, but we saw quite a few put them in their shoe.

So here are some pictures:

Sister Mun Saehee(in red) was signing a song.

Sisters Park Senah and Kim Eunji played the Violin and Viola.  Sister Kim Seri played the piano.  She is a very accomplished pianist.

Elders VanWart and Weech sang a duet.

Elder Evaga bore his testimony.

Sister Park Senah and Elder Sperry sang a duet.

Singing Called To Serve.

This was part of the video presentation.  Elder Kim Teayoun was speaking about missionary work.

Then they called up all the young men and women to sing the song 

Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman

It was a three hour drive there and back.  We didn't get home until 10:15 pm

Long day!!

That's it for this week.  Love you and miss you all.

29 Jul - 4 Aug

It was a beautiful week this week.  Very hot and humid, but we survived.

So the temperature outside in like 82 - 86 every day, but feels like 98 - 106! 

English class was awesome!  We played Balderdash for the game and everyone loved it.  I made up all of the definitions, because I knew they would struggle with them, but they had fun.

On Friday, the President invited us to the Daegu Zone Conference.  We each had to give a little bit about what we do and what the missionaries need to do also.  It was a two hour drive and we stayed in Zone Conference for about an hour.  Then we were dismissed.  Here is the church and our beautiful sign.

Its even in English!

So we decided to do some site seeing.  We found the third largest Buddha Temple in Korea.  It was beautiful.  Of course we had to walk up a huge mountain and so many steps!!!!  We were all sweating profusely by the time we got to the top!

This was the entrance.  Sister Hunter and me.

The sign below explains the figure above.

There was a little creek all up the road to the temple and people were sitting in it and just sitting by it.  I'm sure it was very refreshing for them.

Here is the name of the temple and history.

Here's some of the steps we climbed.

We had to sit down after climbing 10 steps!  Boy are we old!

Then we get almost to the top and we see this sign.  Could have gone up in an elevator.

More steps?!?!

This is the Buddha.

The next few pictures are of the courtyard.  Beautiful carvings.

We were allowed to go into the inner sanctuary where all of the scrolls and artwork is displayed.  We snapped this picture and got yelled at.  No pictures were allowed.  It was gorgeous inside.  

Wayne with the year of the "pig".  Get it?

Actual place of worship.  This is where they kneel and sing.

Looking back at the mountains 

If you can see the little piles of rocks that people have stacked - they are where the people have come to hope their dreams and wishes come true.

We were going to climb these to see another smaller temple, but just couldn't do it.

This is a smaller prayer temple.  They have many of them throughout the forest.

We had a baptism on Sunday.  Brother Bae Jimin.

Elders Seung and Clark were the missionaries that taught him.

That's it for this week.

We love you and miss you all.