Pumpkin

OK, I know it doesn't really rhyme (pumpkin is ho bach, pronounced like the composer), but whatever... Happy Halloween!

Things look different here

Labor all your days

Unloosed tongue

We're everywhere!

P-Day is a special day

Seriously. There are a bunch of old ladies who still do their laundry down in the river. It's kind of cool. Sis. Bae said that they used to do it a lot more when she was a kid. Most families have washing machines now, of course, but there are still those traditionalists, I guess!

Getting those primary skills

Success!

Limited resources

Meeting the bishop, sort of...

Happy Hangul Day!

Did you know that today is a national holiday? It's Hangul Day, the holiday that celebrates the creation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong! Isn't that AWESOME?! They're having a speech competition at the high school, but I don't know what else they do to celebrate.

I'm just getting to know my new area and I love Sis. Bae, my new companion! She's showing me everything and we're meeting all kinds of people! I know it's all brand new, but I'm LOVING IT!

My first companion!

Woo hoo! I got my trainer, my first companion! Her name is Sis. Bae Eun-shil, and she's from Seoul. She had never met PSY. And that's OK (but I was curious, you know?).

The mission president said that she didn't speak much English, but she seems to do OK so far.

There's so much to say but so little time! Conference was amazing and wonderful and really weird to hear in a different language. But it was still way cool! Can you believe how many missionaries there are? More than 80,000!? And that's just one year after the age change!

I am SO loving Korea! More so, I think, because I spent so long traveling to get here!

More later! Sugohaseyo!*

*That means "work hard" and the missionaries here say it  a lot.

Conference

Conference iso so awesome! I can't wait! And after the Conference sessions, the new elders and sisters will meet our companions and go home with them!

Welcome to the Land of the Morning Calm!

It took SO long to get here! I was incredibly glad to be able to shower and get into clean clothes. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to wear that outfit again!

So many things have happened! I hear that the joint North/South factory is opening again, Dennis Rodman is going BACK to North Korea, and the North has started up a nuclear plant again. I guess I’m going to miss out on a lot of the news things while I’m a missionary. But I got to see a LOT of CNN in a lot of airports! Enough to last me through my entire mission, I’m sure!

I was saddened to hear that there were a bunch of missionaries who died – a couple in a car crash and some other accidents. I’m so sorry for them and their families! But I’m sure Heavenly Father has a reason for whatever happened.

Anyway, I am so, so, so VERY stoked to be in Korea at last! I guess I just missed Korean Thanksgiving (they do it early like the Canadians, I guess). But I'm sure we'll have another one in November.

I am BEYOND excited to get my new assignment! I’ll get my very own companion and start doing the missionary thing! I’ll get my assignment tomorrow! I. CAN'T. WAIT!

Something's familiar here...