Sunday, October 5, 2014

Korea is So Beautiful!

Hello family!!

THANK YOU FOR THAT AMAZING PACKAGE. IT IS THE BEST!!! You've done wayyy too much!! I'll get back to this in a minute :)

1. When eating a meal, they never drink anything! Even if you're at a restaurant they don't give you a drink unless you ask for it. And at someone's house? Never. And their food is quite spicy... so I'm always dying! Haha.
 
2. They don't have paper towels! You know how in Monk all he uses are wipes? Haha! That is kind of how it is here! People either carry wipes or... nothing. At tables, they don't have napkins... and you know how sometimes I can be a bit messy... it's a struggle. In houses, they sometimes have toilet paper rolls out but that is it!
 
3. Most cars here are really tinted, as in they are completely black and you can't see in at all. I'm guessing they don't have a law against that.

Ok, today might be a struggle. I am currently typing on an Ipad but... it won't turn sideways!! Haha.  It's taken quite awhile just to write what I have... anyways This past week has been so fun! I wish I could paint a picture for you of what Korea is like, but I just can't. It is seriously the most beautiful place ever!!!!!!! I can't wait to come back here with you!! Which we have to do. I just want to show you everything :) So cancel all vacation plans for the next 5 years and save/plan for this!!!

Monday there was a leadership training so the sister training leaders and zone leaders went to it. And I live with the sister training leaders... so that night they brought back the package! All packages go to President's house. So no, Dad, I didn't have to carry the package at all! Haha! I felt so bad for them though! IT WAS THE BEST, THOUGH!!! It was so thoughtful! It was so kind of you to include those ingredients to make the cookies! We already made some!! Everyone loves them :) and I loved the magazine Dad! I showed everyone the pictures :) I loved the letters, too. They were so encouraging. The socks/shoes things are awsome!! I wear them all around the house everyday!! So thank you thank you!! It was really way too much!!

The next morning (Tuesday), I saw my whole district on the subway and this elder said, "Wow, yesterday was really tough". I asked why and he said, "It was so weird! I had to carry this massive box that was so heavy for so long! I kept wondering what could've been in it and why someone that's only been here a month would need it!" Haha. So funny!
 
My district (there's 10 of us), went to the DMZ!!! It was so fun and incredible!! You have to take this really cool train to get there. At the last stop, these soldiers/guards have to get on for the rest of the way. Them we got to the DMZ! There's different things you can do there, but we took a bus up closer to the border and when into a building and watched a video on the war and relations with North Korea. It was fascinating. Then! We got to go in and walk in the 3rd tunnel! Which is one tunnel (in case you don't know...), of 4 big ones that the North Koreans were digging underground that all lead to Seoul so they could attack them. There are tons of tunnels, but there are 4 that are known as the biggest, I guess. So we got to walk down in them! It was sooo steep. It was really hard not to just run down! And by run, I basically mean fall. I think the hole was 5 1/2-6 feet by 4 1/2-5 feet. So really small! Especially because we had to wear these helmets. Haha! The elders had to bend over so much because they kept hitting their heads on the ceiling. It levels out and you get to a point where they've made a cement wall up that isn't really thick. There's a hole though, so you can see in! I think we were only 200-250 meters from the North Korean border!! Crazy!!! Then we took a bus to a lookout place where you can see the big city right on the other side of the border.... That is a fake city to make them look prosperous... So that was interesting. This massive city that no one lives in! After the DMZ, (our pday was awesome!!), we went to a Japanese prison on our way back that had been turned into a museum. Wow... so crazy. It was a prison the Japanese had created for Koreans that were fighting for liberty. Basically a terrible place they tortured people in to crush the Korean spirit. So educational and horrible.

But our pday was so fun!! Our district is so fun to be with! Wednesday, we had a combined zone conference. SO fun!! The 2 sister training leaders amd 2 zone leaders teach in it. It was sad because it's both Elder Ross and Sis LaBanc's last one!! They leave this transfer which ends one week from Wednesday :( so sad!! They're awesome.

Thursday.... we took the spot of the other sisters to do service because they had an appointment and couldn't go. It was fun! As always. Also! It rained like CRAZY that day!! And we were walking all around the city looking for addresses to visit people and we were just soaked! Haha it was so fun!! Rain is the best.

Friday we met with a recent convert named 최승임 and her son (he's about 11). It was awesome!! We taught about Patriarchal blessings and she really wants to get one. She is so so sweet and just ready to take in everything! We also taught 강기은 that night. (Yay two lessons in one day!!) It was fun, read from the Liahona about service amd watched a Mormon message. She is so cute. Also, she was on time!! Which never happens!! It was so awesome because we could get through our whole lesson!

Saturday.... oh ya! We changed it up-- we run and then every other day do Insanity in the mornings. It's so fun!! And Saturday after Insanity... I made pancakes!!!!!!!!! They were awesome!! Ok, they really didn't taste that great but for not having pancakes for months they were delicious :) We taught 진형숙 that afternoon and it was great! She was baptized just in May. Her husband came in for the last half of the lesson and we taught about conference and how to prepare for it and how important it is. She's awesome!! After we had English class. Always fun :) After for the 30 min. gospel part, Elder Savas and Armstrong taught and did a cool activity. They bought choco pies (ya Dad, the ones we had at our house!! Funny because I didn't like them before I left because I thought they weren't sweet at all and now I think they are so sweet.)  Elder Savas would go to each person and ask if they wanted one and if they said yes, Elder Armstrong had to do 5 push-ups before they could get it. Even if they said no, Elder Armstrong still had to do them. By the end he collapsed because he was so tired! It was sad... but he kept trying! It was an example of Christ's atonment. Super cool!! Then we talked to people on the street. We met this awesome woman that said she couldn't believe she hadn't met or seen us before and really wants to meet with us. So cool! :)

Sunday was fast Sunday! It's so awesome. I haven't been sick once since I've gotten here on Fast Sunday! Sis LaBlanc and Elder Ross gave their "last words" :( so sad!! After church... pass off! Ahh I was so nervous. I didn't think Eld Savas (district leader) would pass me... Actually I was really sure he wouldn't haha. But! I taught it and he said I did well! Mostly just him being nice. but I passed!! I was so nervous for it so I was so relieved when it was over. We talked to people on the street for the rest of the time! This past week we talked to 145 people on the street! (That doesn't just mean saying hi, but talking to them and sharing at least a brief message with them) Awesome!

I'm writing this on an Ipad because this morning (for the 4th week in a row and finally the last!) we went to the foreigners place to get my card. And I got it! So I'm official! Saw a lot of my old district there so that was fun :) we just went to a place in this area to email since we're over an hour away from where we live. (Dad we're in 신당). Kind of like the capital of Seoul!

So my week was a blast!! Loving everything over here!! Love all of you with all my heart!!
Sis. Gentry Evans

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