First Transfer Almost Over

Dear Family,

Now how crazy is this? On Wednesday I've already been here for 1 transfer!! That means I only have 10 left! :'(

1. To show respect, you always use two hands when gesturing to other people. And everytime you shake someone's hand, you have to have the other hand either touching theirs, or touching your wrist or something. If not, you're being rude! Also, if you're handing something to someone you either use two hands to give it to them, or touch your arm with the other arm while you hand it to them.

2. Tons of girls (I mean really, most of them), wear contacts to make their eyes look bigger. There's no pupil.... they're just big and dark! They want to look like dolls.

I'm just going to do two! To save time and make them last longer.... Also, I just want to re-emphasize how much I loved the package!! I really have the best family in the world! I loved the letters so much. Dad, your Korean is amazing!!! I was so impressed!!! I actually had to have 권하나 translate some of it for me...

Last week after we emailed, we were going to visit a palace right by where we were at, but it was closed. So instead..... WE WENT TO A ZOO!!! Oh my gosh it was so, so, so fun!! There were elephants and lions and tigers and bears (haha) and monkeys and it was so fun! Our whole district went. That night we had a dinner with a member. She is so sweet! It was just the sisters (so 4 of us), and she made sooo much food. Oh my gosh. Hahaha I got to a point where I felt so sick, but everytime you finish off a bowl or plate, they take it from you and fill it back up!! Ahhh. Sis Seegmiller is the best and would help me out near the end. So delicious, though! Also, Mom you're the best and so on top of things! Guess what happened about 2 hours after I emailed? I got a text from a random number asking if it was Gentry. It was Nayoung!!! I'm meeting with her tomorrow!! So crazy. I can't wait to tell you about it! Thanks, Mom!

Tuesday... Apparently I've picked up my pace at the service project place because when we got there, they requested sis. S and I on one floor! (there's 3 companionships so we all go to different places) They wanted us to do this packaging thing because apparently we're the fastest at it. (yeah....) It's always fun going there. For dinner guess what we ate... BANANA PANCAKES!!! Oh so yummy!! That was really fun. Sis. S has never had them! FHE that night was so hilarious. After the message, we played this game and it was so fun.

Wednesday was our last district meeting this transfer :( So sad! Transfer calls came Saturday night and (no shock- Sis S and I aren't moving), But our district leader, Elder Savas, is! We talked about being happy and challenges and things we can have on missions. It was really good! Sis. LaBlanc and Elder Ross each gave little trainings since they go home this Wednesday! So, so, so sad. I can't remember anything else from Wednesday.. Oh ya! Before the meeting, they wanted us to eat together. You'll never guess where we ate... Costco! There's a Costco in Korea!!!! And it's in our area!!! How crazy? I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you before you sent the package.............. But everything is really, really expensive there! But we went there and ate the pizza :P

Thursday was 12 week follow-up! 12 week is a program all missionaries do the first 12 weeks of their mission to help them adjust. It's great! So, everyone I came with to Korea all met up for this little conference! It was so fun seeing all of them again! We talked a lot about street contacting and good/bad ways to do it. Basically, how to be real people and not robots. It was really helpful!!! After the conference, the most amazing thing happened!!! We got on the bus and I was trapped near the front because there were so many people. I started talking to this woman and she was so interested! She started asking all of these questions and then said "Ahh this is my stop!" And asked if she could have my number. MY NUMBER. Nobody asks that!!! Ever!! Haha we are trying so hard to find people that will give us their number. So I quickly gave it to her and she ran off! I so wish we could've got hers. THEN, I walk farther back to tell Sis. S and, well I can't get to her. A seat opens up next to me so I tell a girl standing next to me to sit down. She sits down and takes the stuff I'm holding from my hands and keeps it on her lap for me (so kind, they always do that!). I started talking with her and she said she'd heard about our church! She'd stayed in a "Mormon hotel" (so embarrassing she kept asking me what the name of it was and that it was really famous but I kept saying I'd never heard of one! Haha found out 10 minutes later she was talking about Marriott hotels...). She said that there was the Mormon bible in her room. So! I started telling her about it and she was shocked to find out that we believe in the Bible and Book of Mormon. She was so sweet and just awesome! Then she said oh this is your stop!! (I'd told her which one it was and hadn't realized where we were...) so I told her she could keep the Book of Mormon and that it was free and she couldn't believe it! Oh she has no idea how willing we are to give them away haha. I quickly gave her a card with our number and jumped off the bus! It was crazy! But wait, there's more.

We walked down and were waiting for our subway (lots of travel...) and we started talking to an elderly woman. Ok I thought she was about 55 but turns out sh'es 70. They don't age!!! Anyways, she told us about how her husband died and that she loves Christ so much and that he's basically her best friend/companion since hers is gone. She's so awesome! She started to get emotional about it and cried! We had already given out every Book of Mormon we had (we always carry 4 in our bags) and all the pamphlets except one- the plan of salvation. How perfect?! So we got on the subway and started talking with her and this woman next to me kept asking me, "What ward?  What ward?" and I was so confused. Turns out, she's a member!! What?! I've never seen one just on the street or anywhere outside of church! So she was talking to her with us! The 70 year old woman turned to me and said, "Give me a pen and pape,r" so I took out my notebook and she wrote down her # and address and said we had to come to her house & teach her and her daughter. She was so awesome!!!!!! As soon as she got off, the group of older women standing by us all turned and started asking us questions. It was just amazing!!!

Friday.... We were supposed to meet with a woman we met on the street but we called her when we got there and she said she didn't want to meet with us :/ (that happens a ton). So just talked to the people on the street! We had a dinner that night at the church with Bishop and all the missionaries. It was because Elder Ross and Sis. LaBlanc are leaving. Haha they brought a cake and had those two cut it together with one knife!! IT was hilarious. Bishop is always talking about them gettting married Haha, I think he was trying to give them an idea for the future. And just in case you're wondering, yes, we do eat cake with chopsticks. and YES! I can use them! Didn't think I'd learn so quickly, huh? Just kidding it's been 6 weeks and I'm still terrible haha. I still have a year and 3 months of practice though! We met with 강지은 after and taught a lesson. She was so awesome!! We've been trying to get her to read the BofM but she never will (she's a less-active). BUT! She said, "You know, I really need to read this book. I will start and read it every night." It was great! We said even if she just reads a little everyday it will help her so much.

Saturday- GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow it was the best thing ever!!!!!!!! We went to the stake building so there were a ton of missionaries (I think 2 zones?). Haha they had bought a ton of food from costco- muffins of course- and we sat and ate and watched and got so sick because we have not consumed anything with that much sugar in so long. The talks were amazing!!! I would write about them, but then I would never finish this. So I'll say just watch it and you'll know what I mean! Bednar's talk was super about- directed to nonmembers about why we do missionary work. Also Jorg something.... He was so blunt! It was great! Ok, all of them were amazing. It is so different watching them as a missionary!

We did that Saturday and Sunday. 강지은 even came! She only watched the last half hour Sunday because she was super late... but that's ok! We went most of the way home with her and she told us how she read 3 pages of the Book of Mormon!! So great! We got on a bus to get home and we talked to the most amazing woman!! She's probably late 20's or early 30's and lived in Australia for a year so her English is really good. She was so so sweet & pretty and asked us so many questions about why we're here and what we believe! And she so willingly gave us her number! So crazy.

Ok, I'm taking forever! Umm.. Oh ya! Yesterday I passed off lesson 3 with Eld Savas. Just one more with a district leader and I'm onto sister training leaders!! I really want to have it done by the end of this month. It will be hard though....

Anyways! Loving my life so much!!! Everything is so fun!!!!

사랑해요!

Sis. Gentry Evans

Traveling to the DMZ!

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

One Month!

Dear family,

 

How crazy is it that I've been in Korea one month?! Well, almost. This week I will be. It blows my mind! So Korea:

1. Nobody has dryers, everyone hangs their clothes up!

2. There are no 4th floors, it's just "1,2,3,F,5" because 4 is a bad number

3. People don't wear wedding rings! That one was interesting.

 

Ok so my week! Last Tuesday for FHE we played this super awesome game that is so, so fun. It is really hard to describe so remind me to tell you when we get home so I can tell you! It involves the gloves you use to wash dishes and things and slapping people with them. So funny. So you know how I said we run in the mornings? And that there are these super awesome old people that do zumba where we run to and it's the best thing of my life? Ok so, everytime we run by they always beckon us over to join them but we can't... which breaks our hearts. But! Haha now when we run by this old man always yells "It's ok! Modest dancing!" Haha it's so funny.

 

Wednesday we had district meeting which was good. Sis LaBlanc ate bundagee (a steamed silk worm thing... Mom it's what you told me not to eat, I think!), anyways she got super sick and was out all week! It pretty much destroyed her stomach. Thursday was super fun! We had a "sisters conference" that no one has done before but our sister training leadesr (Sis 권한나 and Sis LaBlanc), decided it would be fun and planned one for us! It was awesome. We did all of these fun games/examples (human chairs, 3 legged races) ((which btw Sis. Seegmiller and I dominated in ;) )) and at the end we got these awesome shirts that they had designed and had had made for us! We signed the backs of everyone's :) That night we were supposed to meet with our investigator, 방연숙, but she never showed :( We had a member there with us so we felt bad she didn't show up!

 

Friday...... Don't remember much! Except that it was weekly planning! Which takes a solid three hours! Haha. But it's great! We taught 강지은 that night and it was really fun! We were talking about Lehi's dream and staying on the path with the iron rod so we did this interactive example thing with her. We set up a pole she had to hold and then she had to get to the end while we were trying to convince her to let go. Haha we had a member with us (김요희), who took it really literally and was trying to drag her away. Haha it was kind of funny.....

 

Saturday! We had another appointment that the person cancelled right before (said she was in the hospital... but she wasnt... haha), so we were visiting people in our area that hadn't been in contact with missionaries for a while. Haha the people would open the door and as soon as they would see us would shut the door so quickly. Haha it's funny. Only happened 3 times though so wasn't even bad that day! We just leave message cards on their door. OH YA! So, we went to visit this lady that lived on the 21st floor of an apartment. She never showed and we were so close to the roof... (26 stories), so we decided we might as well go to the top. IT WAS AMAZING!!! Oh my gosh I can't describe how beautiful Seoul is! Wow. We could see so far! It was tons of tall buildings but then all around these beautiful mountains! That was awesome. After was English class. After... Our whole district except the other two sisters went to get dinner... I don't want to talk about it though... It was terrible. Well, ok my food was good! I got this soup thing that has an entire chicken in it! It's crazy. and everytime someone orders soup, it comes out So hot! 130 celcius! Anyways, that's what a few of us got. The others got 보시탄. Which I'm not saying what that is. But they made me take a bite, and it was the worst moment ever. Ok moving on!

 

Sunday was great!! Ward conference! And 방연숙 came the whole time! There were soo many people there. So, it will shock you to know I'm in the choir here (ok surprise all of the missionaries are). So we sang in sacrament and oh man... I couldn't hold it in at the end. We sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" and the last note goes super, super high. No one can hit it, but this one woman kind of screams it so loudly and it's always a struggle for us not to all laugh. Anyways, I was trying so hard not to laugh, but then the conductor started laughing so of course then I couldn't help it! Haha the looks on the faces of all the ward members. So funny. Also, for some reason I got pushed to the front and middle and for a solid while I had no idea where we were in the song so I just faked the Korean.. That worked well. (When I went to turn a page it accidentally turned two and I didn't realize it. It was great.) That was so fun/funny! After, we all ate together right there in the chapel! They quickly move all of the chairs and bring up tables. There was soo much food and it was all so amazing! Korean food is seriously the best.

 

After Sis. Seegmiller and I walked around talking to people and we talked to this one woman that was just... crazy. We kept seeing her for awhile so then I turned and just said hello to her and she Freaked out! She just kept yelling at us "So beautiful! So beautiful!" She was super nice, but everytime we tried to talk to her she would just back away saying we were bewitching her with our charm... Then she asked if we'd had plastic surgery (that's a big thing) and we said no and she couldn't believe it. She called me Sleeping Beauty and Sis. Seegmiller Wonder Woman. Haha. Then she said "No! You're Sleeping Beauty and a mermaid!" So in case you didn't know, I'm a mermaid. Haha, that was so funny. When we walked away she yelled (literally screamed after us) I LOVE YOU!  In Korean and then English. Which is totally out of their culture! Then she said she would call us. I'm afraid she will be the one person that calls us.

 

That night we were invited to a 식사! (meal thing) It was a little ways from us (just over an hour), and when we got there we realized there was a miscommunication. We thought it was just supposed to be the 4 sisters in our district, but the elders were supposed to come, too! So we waited for them to come.... Anyways the food was so good, but there was so much! It was crazy. And in this culture it's really rude if you don't eat all that they give you. So oh man, we were just getting sick eating this. There was this bowl of a brown spicy paste in front of me and I thought I had to eat it, so I was eating so much of it and getting so sick. Then at the end I realized that there was only one on the table and that it was for everyone and we didn't even need to add it! Haha! The sisters couldn't believe I had eaten so much of it. Good thing to know for the future.... When we left it was raining a ton!!!! Ah so beautiful! Haha I walked on the bus to get home and slipped like crazy and fell straight to the ground. A girl was on the phone and laughed for a solid 5 minutes. She told her friend on the phone what happened so it was great hearing someone retell what happened 30 seconds later.... haha I don't think she knew I could understand her.

 

It's been raining all day today!!!! It's a downpour!!! We just got done doing service because tomorrow is our p-day! You will never guess what we're doing. Never! We are..... GOING TO THE DMZ!!!!!!! My whole district!!!!! I'm so excited!!!! It's because Elder Ross and Sister LaBlanc go home this transfer :'( So we got permission for all of us to go! I'm so lucky because they've gone their whole missions and haven't gone and I've only been here a month and get to go! I'M SO EXCITED!!!

 

Well, Hope all is well at home!!!! Lots of love!!!

사랑해요!
Sis. Gentry Evans

First Day in Korea

Third Week!

Hello!!

So, been another great great week :)

1. Whenever they eat fruit/vegetables, they always peel the skin. They don't even eat the skin on grapes! They just take a little bite off the end and suck out the middle.

2. You know how we have salt/pepper shakers on tables? They have little containers with shrimp in them!! How awesome?! And not just the tail's like what we normally eat, it's the whole shrimp. They are really tasty though! They're a "natural" way to salt food I guess because of the salt from the ocean. So smart!

3. When people sneeze, you don't say anything (not bless you or anything)

Ok so! Going from memory here... Tuesday I got to go to the Seoul temple!! It was so so beautiful!! It's funny because the temples are all similar, you know, but this one had such an Asian feel. Haha it was perfect! This is the last transfer for two people in my zone (actually both are in my district), Elder Ross and Sister LaBlanc, so they gave their "last words". It was... so sad :( But motivating!) They just talked about how much they love Korea and that they're excited to go home but just heartbroken to leave Korea. They both have learned so much it seems. (Sis. LaBlanc lives in my apartment-she is awesome!! She's from Vegas so close-ish!) Oh my gosh after the temple... We went to this place called Ashley's for lunch with our zone. (There's about 36 people in my zone I think?) It's an "American" style restaurant and oh my gosh, SO GOOD! It was a buffet and I'll just say we got our money's worth... hehe. Then we went to 동대문 after which is like a big shopping area. We went to this place where it was just a ton of shops and thousands of ties! Oh my gosh you can't imagine! I took some pics I can hopefully send if I have time! Elder Ross bought, guess how many ties? 103. Yep. They're super super cheap and really nice (Rylan, dances? Just kidding I don't think I could get one to you in time...)

That night we had FHE at the church and it was fun, after, we played "Do you love you neighbor?" Wednesday... Just talked to people on the streets and went to houses of less actives. Thursday we had the service project! Don't worry, I'm catching up to the workers speed (haha... but seriously). It's so fun working there! After, Sis. Seegmiller and I met with this really old woman, 김명숙. She... basically just kept telling us she's in a lot of pain and wants to die. She's funny, though! We would say, "To start, can we pray?" or something and she would say, "Yes! And pray for me to die!" And then laugh about it. When we were going to leave, another older woman came in with a plate of food for her and then 김명숙 made us stay and eat it with her. Haha we were walking out and kept saying, "Oh no. It's fine!" But she just kept yelling at us in an angry/loving way to eat. She would take our little poker things, get food and give it back to us till we ate it. I had no idea what I was eating... There was also corn on the cob and I thought oh! Sweet I know what this will taste like! Nope. You have never quite tasted corn like this... I can't really describe it! Haha but still good.

Friday... yes... So! Elder Ross hits his actually two year mark of his mission on Wednesday so to celebrate, my district went to.. dun dun dun dun...... OUTBACK! I'm not kidding!! There is one here! Let's just say... It's a bit expensive... But totally worth it! For the 10 of us in my district it was only $270, that's not bad.. right? Just kidding it's terrible. Elder Murdock & Ross ordered fries for an appetizer and they were $20! Haha oh my gosh! I got an awesome burger. Yess :) so delicious! So that was super fun! But oh ya!!! Guess what?? While we were at Outback, of all people, guess who they played. The played Ingrid Michaelson!! I'm serious!! I didn't think I would hear much American music here, but Ingrid Michaelson?! That was crazy. It hurt me trying not to sing along haha. They also played one of Sis LaBlanc's favorite songs and she was dying haha. After, Sis. Seegmiller and I had weekly planning which takes a solid 3 hours. Then we taught 강지은! It was fun. She's awesome!

Saturday, PASS OFF DAY. So we have this "language progression program" which is a tad bit stressful but super helpful in trying to pick up the language as fast as possible. So I did my first pass-off with my district leader (Elder Savas) and taught him the 1st lesson. It went better than I thought! I mean, I'm not understanding a ton, but I am understanding some :) After was English class, always fun. After this lady, she is so so kind!, came up and told me I was so nice and helpful in her learning English and some other things. I think her name is 김유진, but I'm not totally sure!

Yesterday, Sunday, was interesting. My first week here, I talked to a lady on the street and yesterday she came to church! The ward was so awesome and talked with her a ton. Right after church, they turned all the chairs, brought out tables and we had a 식사! A lunch thing. I guess they do it every week! It was sooo delicious. Also, there was a lady there we talked to and her husband was the first bishop in Korea! She was so cool!! I honesty thought she was 50 or so and afterwards, Sis. Seegmiller and I figured it out that she couldn't be under 73. So ya that was crazy! They were actually mission presidents in the Seoul West mission in 1982-83!! 김휘나 was her name, I believe. He has already passed away. Dad, have you heard of them?

After, we walked around to talk to them. That was... good most of the time except for two things. We were talking to this one girl and she seemed interested. She was really sweet, but she was with her friend who mostly seemed annoyed. She took a BofM and then they walked away. After a little ways, the friend took the Bof M out of her hand, looked back at us, and slammed it on the ground. Ah! My heart! That was terrible to watch and I just didn't understand why she would do that... But I'll probably be seeing that a lot. After 5 minutes later, we were walking across a street & talking to a lady and someone else ran up and told her that we were a cult and then just kept staring at us saying we were a cult over and over. That was fun... Everything else was fine though! After we had another 식사 meal so it made up for it :) It was just the missionaries and the bishop & family at the church and ohh it was so good! The food here is seriously the best. That was fun!

 

Pretty much my week! We just found out that my foreigner's card picture didn't work so we have to go there tomorrow again to get it! Ah! Now we know to get there and hour before it opens to get in line, though!

I love you so much and hope everything is well at home!!!

Love,

Sis. Gentry Evans :)

Week 2

Hello!!

Everything is just the greatest! I'm going to try and do 3 random facts about Korea to open up :)

1. Korean people hate the sun; they avoid it at ALL costs! If there's a huge sidewalk, people will all be in a line next to the wall to be in what little shade there is.

2. Old people can push you (if you say hello and they don't want to talk to you), and it's totally fine in their culture! Just because the harmonies (old people), are super respected so they can do whatever they want.

3. You don't tip in restaurants and delivery to your home is always free!

Alright! I don't have my journal again... but I'm going to try and remember what I've done! Today I had to get my foreigner's card and we were there from 9 this morning till after 2... Took forever! It was funny everyone from my district from the MTC was there except 2 people. Little reunion! But I have it so all is good :)

I don't remember what I told you last week, but there are 4 of us in my apartment.- Sis. Seegmiller & I, and Sis. LaBlanc & Sis. 권한나. The other 2 sisters are awesome!! They are the sister training leaders for my zone. Last Monday, we basically spent the whole night deep cleaning our apartment. Because of 추석 (the big holiday), no one was outside so we cleaned! It was actually super nice to have everything really clean :) We also spent most of Tuesday finishing.... Then, Tuesday was our p-day. We went to the church and met the elders there and played that card game Bang for a while, so fun! Hehe I never died. We all got Pizza School :) Then we had FHE! It's on Tuesday so if families want to come they can. It was also really fun! We played a name game at the end.

Wednesday I went on an exchange with Sis. 권한나 and it was really fun! We taught a woman that night English for 30 minutes and then about the gospel for 30 minutes. She was soo sweet!! My district also street boarded that night and that was so fun! (By the way there are 5 companionships in my disctrict, 3 elder and 2 sister)

Thursday we got to do a service project! We went to this factory place where mentally handicapped people can work. We worked with them packaging rubberbands and going to be honest here.... They were all faster than me! I'm not kidding! The saddest part is I was actually trying to keep up with them! Oh it was embarrassing. No worries, after a few weeks of practice I'm sure I'll be able to keep up ;)

Friday was good....... Don't remember much... Oh ya! We met with 강지은. She's an inactive member but has been meeting with us quite a bit!  Her English is super good so she always runs up and talks to them and asks if they're German because she is obsessed with Germans. Mom, she said she was going to friend request me on facebook, so if you see that you can accept her! She's super nice.

Saturday we taught an English class! It was so fun and I met a lot of people! Luckily I taught the advanced group so they all knew English really well :) There was this man there (he was really nice!), but we were talking about where we are from and I said I was from Arizona. He asked me if I was from Arizona why was I so white...... ;( Haha I told him I spent two months inside of a building learning Korean!

That night we had Stake Conference! We had to go somewhere else for it because the area is so big for the stake. Elder Koichi Aoyagi and his wife from the 70 spoke. It was terrible... I didn't even realize he was speaking in Japanese and not Korean for awhile. The Korean is coming GREAT! Haha just kidding, it really is! :) One day I will be able to tell the two apart! Haha

The next day (Sunday), was Stake Conference continued. We taught after and then just spent the whole evening pretty much just out talking to people! It was great :):) I have never walked so much! Ever! But it's great! I hit my yo at night and pass out within a minute. Not that that is much different from home... But it's nice being so tired at night that I fall asleep so fast.

Oh ya! Wednesday we went to THE BEST place EVER to eat!! It's called a 샤브샤브 (Shaba shaba) and basically you get all the meat and veggies you want and cook them in a bowl in front of you at your table. And it's unlimited! Oh it was the best. It's funny because at home where we would just have beef and steak and whatever meat, they have shrimp, fish, squid, octopus and that kind of meat! And when I say those animals, I mean the whole fish and whole octopus just in a pile. But they are suprisingly not bad :) The food here really is the best!! I love it.

Well, I don't remember much else! Glad to hear things are going well at home :) Love all of you!! Until next week :)

Love,

Sis. Gentry Evans