Church in the Ulsan District!

Saturday evening Dad and I rode the subway to try a new little restaurant, known for their dumplings. I guess Dad asked the assistants if they knew of a place, and they came up with this place after a google search. We liked what we ate; might go again.  I thought these signs on the doors, before entering the subway, were fun to learn from.  Sunday Dad and I attended church in the Ulsan District; with Dad presiding and speaking. It was a Korea wide broadcast from Salt Lake with Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Richard Maines, Elder Steven Snow, Sister Mary Durham (of the general Primary presidency), and Elder Michael Ringwood (Asia North Area president video feed from Japan). The local stakes and districts broadcast to each of their building so the members did not have to travel far--MERS worry. The local leaders conducted and assigned music and speakers for the first 30 minutes, before the broadcast from Salt Lake began. Dad had to shorten his talk as a few previous speakers took more time. I had a missionary sitting on one side of me trying to translate he got maybe 20% of what was said. Good meeting, though.  Dad was super busy afterward with a number of interviews. The congregation ate a meal together after the meeting. Even with Dad not there they all waited for me to go through the line first, with Sister Lee and President Bae right behind me. President Bae is one of Dad’s counselors in the mission presidency. He is a doctor by profession which is helpful particularly with answering missionary questions about MERS. We have had a small number of parents contacting the mission office with their concerns. When Dad was able to eat, in the kitchen along with a few missionaries, we both went home still feeling hungry (even Dad said the food tasted fishy his comment first, to mine). So I made a nice dinner for the two of us to eat just before having staff meeting in our home around the dining room table so that I could serve up chocolate cream pie for dessert/Father’s Day! It was actually the second pie I made. The first one was another recipe the day before Dad and I ate it quick! But I did like the second pie better.  I received an email notification from the Sugar Land 2nd ward about bringing Father’s Day pies to the kitchen before church. Funny thing --I made my pies before I read that. I had forgotten about that tradition. Dad said he didn’t forget! He was dreaming of Gerry Griffins key lime pie!

This picture shows a mannequin set up near our home, right in front of the tunnel next to the church and mission home. The funny thing about mannequins are that they look real, even with moving arms. We have seen many such mannequins next to road construction sites; surprised when a few of them have turned out to be real people.

Dad and I went hiking along the trail on the mountain behind the mission home, but we went the other direction went you first get on the trail. The picture of the trees is showing the young trees being staked, interspersed amongst mature trees. We circled around a construction site and arrived at the exercise machines where there were a number of older people working out/stretching. Dad and I took turns doing the hula hoop while the other read scriptures out loud to the other. I lasted for about 28 verses (I’m glad the chapter wasn't any longer땘y arms were tired from holding them up above the hula hooping. I was thinking of Ben hiking at Philmont while Dad and I were hiking on our mountain trail.

We just got our mission car cleaned this week by the office couple-Elder Bowcutt. Here is the sign that has Dad¹s phone number on it, for when you park the car in a tight space. When Koreans park their car they are supposed to put their phone number on the dash board so that they can be contacted to move their parked car. They often times park their car knowing they will have to move it because there is such limited parking in this country. As far as I know Dad has never parked ³illegally" (according to American driving standards).

  

At a baptism, the sisters in this ward are dressed you might understand a bit of my puzzlement. A sister on the far right, in a gray plaid blouse, is the wife of the bishop. She and other sisters are dressed in pants for this baptism that was held Saturday night. The young man who performed the baptism came back from changing out of wet baptismal clothes, into a t-shirt and sweat pants. He is a recently returned missionary from the Korea Daejeon Mission. Our own missionaries said that this young man was an Awesome missionary when he served, and is fantastic as a member missionary. The culture of the Korean people is to dress more casually than what the foreigners (Americans) would wear; and also what the missionaries would wear.  The young adult woman who was baptized was wonderful. You could not tell but she has a brain tumor of some sort --inoperable. She was very serene and happy, comfortable in her association with the members of the Gumi ward.  The missionaries were great and attentive to us before and after the baptism. I appreciated all they did for us.

  

I loved how the sweet little Primary children sang with the missionaries! Get Kelly started now so she will know how to stand up there and sing in front of people, and know how to be reverent.

 I recorded a baptism that we attended today, after church, in the Sangin ward. The church buildings in the Korea Busan Mission are not uniform/church floor plans, etc. I mostly wanted to show the layout of the baptismal font in the room not situated well for maximum number of people able to see the actual baptism. It made me grateful for the set up in the Lexington building baptismal font room. The sister who was baptized today was a young woman (age 19 in Korean age is age 18 in American age) who is the friend of another young woman, who was baptized a month ago. It was so fun to watch the excitement and enthusiasm along with the innocence of these young women. Before the actual baptism the sister was asked to stand in front of everyone and introduce herself. After the baptism when everyone had just settled back into their seats this sister stood at the front of the room, ready to speak --thinking that was expected of her. It was more comical to observe a young man (around 15 years old) who was asked to give the opening prayer. He was so embarrassed, hesitant, unsure of himself, mumbling speech --just a shy boy. The ward was so supportive and welcoming to her, loving. A number of people gave her gifts and flowers and a cake right after the service. What a great feeling there was in attendance!!

This little boy was a hoot"!! I thought he was a little girl because he was dressed in pink and has longer hair, but my translator told me a little about him and his family. Children in Korea "rule the roost" along with older people. So it was normal to observe this little boy all during church and afterwards. We attended the Sangin ward today because they had a baptism schedule for after church. The ward felt great! There was a great feeling to the meeting, lots of love and unity. The missionaries look great and the members appear to get along great with them; helping them and taking care of them. Dad had me share my testimony today before he spoke in Sacrament Meeting. I had a translator help me at the beginning and then I shared the rest in Korean. It does not come easy for me (like I have to study my notecard over and over again so it¹s not like a spontaneous sharing of feelings). But I did share my feelings; which was hard because I felt the Spirit strongly during the other talks and especially as I spoke about the Book of Mormon. Great opportunity to be here today!