Welcome to the Year of the Horse!

Dinner at the bishop's house -- more on that later. For now, Happy New Year! Again!

새해 복 많이 받으세요, part 2

Welcome to 설날 (Seollal)! There’s a traditional game that they play in Korea every New Year. It’s called yut nori, or sometimes just yut. You have four little guys that you move around a game board and try to get them home, and you move them by throwing Korean dice. The dice aren’t the cubes with spots on them like we’re used to. They’re sticks, round on one side and flat on the other.

The game board is a square with six spaces to a side, and there are diagonal spaces, too, that you can use for a short cut. The object is to get all four of your guys home. It reminds me of Aggravation!, and old game we used to play at my Grandma’s house.

To play the game you throw four of the sticks, and how you move depends on how many of them land round side down (or flat side up). For example, if two of them land flat side up, you get to move two spaces. If only one lands flat side up, you get to move one space. If all four of them land flat side up, it’s called a yut, and you get to roll again. If all four of them land round side up, you get to move five spaces and go again, too!

We played the game at a ward family night, and it was a BLAST! Probably because I WON!!!  Who rocks the house!?

OK, maybe they let me win, ‘cause I’m a missionary, but still…

Another game they play, but I haven't seen it, is a thing kind of like a teeter totter. It's called neolttwigi. Only on this one, you stand on it, and the other person jumps on and tries to get you high up in the air. It looks a little scary, but fun!

The other New Year’s tradition is sebae. Kids dress in their hanboks and do a deep, honorific bow to their parents, who then give them money or candy or fruit. Actually, the kids sebae to as many people as they can – it’s a little like honorific trick or treating! A lot of times the treats are in these fancy bags that are really, really cool.

There’s also a traditional food called dduk (sounds like Donald). It’s a rice cake and it’s actually pretty good! There’s always a big meal somewhere – we’re going to the bishop’s house – and then people walk around the city wearing their traditional clothes. A couple of the elders and sisters also have hanboks, so we’re going to go walk around and maybe do some contacting. It’s going to be super cool! Chemi issayeo!

Not your normal missionary attire

Yes, it felt a little weird to go out in my hanbok rather than my normal missionary gear, and the name tag DID look a little funny. But it was cool!

Fair trade

After I bought the hanbok, I had a really strong impression that I should give the Hanbok Lady a copy of the Book of Mormon. She was so polite and honored to accept it -- she even used to formal form to say thank you! It was kind of a cool experience to have the spirit be so strong while we were shopping, but, hey! Why not?!

I can't wait to wear my hanbok to the New Year celebrations! And I hope she reads the Book of Mormon! I'll make sure we come back here to follow up!

Clothes make the woman

Oh! My! Gosh! I thought I felt pretty when I wore my prom dress back in high school, but that's NOTHING compared to how AMAZING it felt to be dressed in a hanbok! It's so silky, so crisp, so mind blowingly INCREDIBLE. I DID feel like a princess! And I guess according to the Plan of Salvation, I am one, so that makes it even more AWESOME!

A Christ-centered, global faith

I came across this video that I thought was really cool. Enjoy and share!

Notes on noses

Koreans always say that American noses are huge! While it's true that in general American noses are bigger than Korean noses, I personally don't think mine is that big! The hanbok lady thought she was really funny! Once we got past the language barrier, things got better. I'll tell you more about that later.

Speaking of noses, did you know that it's in really bad form to steal a kid's nose in Korea? You know that game where you pinch a kid's nose with your index and middle finger, and then stick your thumb between them and say, "I've got your nose!" Apparently that's a huge insult here, kind of like flipping the bird (can I say that? Sorry!).

I think we should be accepting of all noses, no matter what size or shape they are.

That reminds me of  a scripture we read the other day in the Old Testament. The Children of Israel were whining because they were getting tired of manna, so the Lord said he'd send them quail for like a month, "until it come out at your nostrils"! Eww!

Anyway, the Church is true!

The language barrier, eh?

What I think is really funny about this? I was speaking Korean the whole time! Thank goodness I knew that grandma is from Canada (go, Raymond!) and I know where to add the "eh."

A-shopping we will go!

Shopping time!

With the holidays coming up, I really want to get a hanbok! Sis. Clabby says that everyone -- especially the kids and the young ladies -- wear their hanboks and go about town on Korean New Year. That would be so awesome!

We're keeping busy and working hard. I live it and I love it!

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

Happy New Year! What it says at the top is "please receive New Years blessings!" and you say it seh he bok mani pad uh sey yo!

Here's a holiday card* I got from one of our investigators!

New Year in Korea is INCREDIBLE! They get to celebrate it TWICE!!! First they have the regular New Year on January 1 like everyone else, but later they also have the Korean New Year, and it's a three-day celebration. Sis. Clabby says that it's like everything closes down and everyone goes to their ancestral home and all the girls wear their hanboks and it's a big celebration!

Our night was pretty quiet last night, but we could hear people in the neighborhood celebrating and making noise, almost like home. I can't wait for the BIG celebration!

I may see if we can go shopping and get a hanbok for me. I think that would be soooo AMAZING!

Anyway, New Year's blessings to you!

*It's a Christmas, New Year and Korean New Year card all in one. The picture is some of the things they do at New Years (except for the picture on the bottom left...hey do that all the time).

Love and testimony to all!