Dear Family,
1. Have I talked about food trash? If not... so they recycle everything here! Hard plastics, soft plastics, certain paper, thick paper, everything! So there's not actually just a "trashcan" to put things in. Such as food... So after every meal, you take all your leftovers and put them in a bag and pack it in and put it in the freezer. So you always have frozen leftover food smashed in a bag! It's also to help with the smell, I guess? At first I thought it was strange but it just seems so normal I almost forgot about it!
So there's a lot I'm going to forget... But oh ya!! The temperature definitely dropped!!! IT SNOWED!!! Only a little bit, and I didn't get to see it because we went inside right before it happened I guess, but Sis. Kwon and Pope saw it!! Isn't that crazy?? Winter coats have been on all week. And don't worry Mom!!! Mine is so, so warm!! I'm not cold at all :)
Tuesday we did the service project.... walking back, our investigator that had dropped off the face of the earth called us!!! 유옥렬!!! (you-ong-reor) She didn't want to meet with us and we didn't really know why she called... but she did!! So that was great!! Had FHE that night and I don't remember what happened... Sorry, I left my journal!!
Wednesday had District meeting that was great!! And after we were so excited because we were supposed to meet with 이예린 (ee-yea-reen) (the one that cancelled last Friday). So we left and were on our way when she called us and cancelled.... Ah!! So bummed. We walked back and were deciding what to do and decided to 전도 (street contact). We turn, start walking and see an elderly woman walking up the hill towards us carrying a bag so we went over and asked if she needed help. Here's the thing, we ask everyone that and they NEVER say yes. But she just said, "Ya, that would be nice!!!!" How cool!?! So I took the bag from her and we start walking with her to her apartment. We go in this apartment and the craziest thing happened. So, rewind to two weeks ago Sunday. We were just going door-to-door asking if anyone wanted to hear our message and usually they never come to the door, just yell from inside. But, this one woman opened the door and said she didn't have time but took a BofM and gave us her number!!! Which is so crazy because that never happens!!! Anyways, back to this Harmony. So, she goes in the same apartment, and to the same door!! We both recognized it immediately!! We helped her in and her grandson or son-in-law or something was home. So cool!!! So that little miracle made the rest of street contacting for the next 3 1/2 hours or so, so fun! Also, it was a bit windy this day. Actually it was crazy!! We were walking and hair was blowing everywhere and all the signs and everything were just blowing over!! Reminded me of Flagstaff.
Thursday..... PASS OFF DAY. First, we went to drop off cookies at a less active's house. She's 17 and the only member in her family. We have gone over 3 times and she's never home and her family always just yells at us. Haha! We'll be back soon! They love us, I'm sure. Anyways, Thursday was this dreaded test that all Koreans have to take at the end of their high school year. It's like the ACT kind of, but a million times worse. It's an accumulation of everything since their first day of school! And your score on this test pretty much determines the rest of your life. Really, I've talked to other missionaries who had investigators that said they couldn't meet anymore because they needed to prepare for this test.... which would be over a year away. It's so intense! So, she was taking it that day and we were dropping off cookies and a card for her. We were expecting the usual, but instead this time the mom opened the door... and let us talk... we just gave the cookies and she said ok. Thanks. I'll give them to her! ... what?! So cool!!! So that happened. And then we just street contacted until the dreaded moment... AP pass off......
It was at the stake Center building in 동대문. It was so rough! It's just one-on-one and I was with the Korean AP, Elder 정. So nervous! Did all the memorization pass off stuff (scriptures in Korean, D&C 4, and stuff like that. Then vocab for all 5 lessons. Doesn't do all, just randomly choses them. Ok my first word he said I just sat there. Hmmm... hmmm.... Oh dear. I don't think I've ever heard this word. Nope.. Nope.... He just says "Sister!!! You HAVE to know this word!!" Me: nope nope... I don't think I've ever heard it. Can you use it in a sentence? Haha! Oh man, this is terrible. I sit there for a little, then all of a sudden... "To be important!! It's to be important!!" Are you serious. A word I say a hundred times a day!!! This is going to be rough. Haha. But believe it or not I got through the vocab part!! I could miss a total of 10 and I think I missed 7. Yay!! Then he had me do, "How to begin teaching," 3 times. I feel like I forgot all my Korean!!!! But, somehow I passed. SO I'M DONE WITH AP PASS OFF. Honestly, it's such a relief!! It is a good program though. It really makes you try to progress in Korean as quickly as possible. The only think I have left is the written test. It's translating and writing and vocab and stuff I guess. I'm doing that tomorrow!
Friday was weekly planning! Then we met with 김명옥!! (kim-meong-oak), the harmony!!! My favorite. She was so fun!! Love visiting her. And she only talked about dying at the beginning!! Then she wanted to learn how to properly close a prayer (in the name of Jesus Christ, amen) so we spent about 20 minutes working on that. Wrote it huge on a piece of paper so she could see, then said it over and over and over. I don't think she'll remember... but it was so fun! Then visited a less active that's never actually been home. we were standing in front of her apart door, about to leave, and she comes out of the elevator!! So cool we got to meet her! She doesn't have any interest, but we got to talk to her so that was great!! We were supposed to meet with 깅지은 (cong-jee-en) but she just never showed up or answered our calls :/
Saturday!! We actually went and heart-attacked 깅지은 because we're not really sure what's going on with her. Her Mom hates the church so we were guessing maybe it's something to do with that and also she's really stressed about her English class. Then we taught English class and after...... 탁구 대회!!! PING PONG TOURNAMENT!! So fun. A huge ward activity. We had teams and there was a winner and they got all these prizes. So.. it's kind of a stereotype that Asians are good at ping pong.... but I'm telling you!!! It's really true!!! Holy cow they're amazing!!! It's because they play it at school. But it was so fun!
Sunday was great! About 10 min before church started, the young women's leader texted us and asked if we could teach Young Women's because she couldn't be there. Ah!!! Luckily it was fine! Sis. Kwon and Pope stayed to help (especially since Sis. Kwon actually speaks Korean...)
After church, we visited a less-active in the prettiest area ever!! She was home and actually came out to talk with us for a while!! She's so sweet!! Gave us dried persimmons :) We street contacted most of the day.
And today!! I kept forgetting to tell you. But, we have a mission-wide goal of talking to 140 people each week on the street (that means at least sharing a little about our church and giving them our number or something) so we try to reach that goal each week. But about 3 weeks ago, we talked to 202 people during the week!! Isn't that awesome?? Ya, we were excited.
Love you so much!!
Sis. Evans
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