가족 과괒 친구 시여,
Family and Friends Dear,
Well, I feel loved. Last P-day we got quite a bit of mail, particularly because it stacked up over the weekend with Labor Day and everything. But I'm pretty sure that anyone I've sent a letter to while I've been here I got a letter from when the mail came. Tons of mail. It took over 45 minutes to read through. Thankfully, we went early to devotional and I had some down time to read. But anyway, I've got a mountain of replies to write now, which is why I'm currently writing this on Saturday. I don't know if I'll be able to get everyone this week, but as a note, I try not to let anyone send three letters without getting a reply. (Although, with Mom and one or two others, that's not physically possible here.)
Anyway, my wake-up early down time is up, back to missionary work.
A little more time. Back to the mail. I loved the package last week. The memory card has seen some good use. I'll try to send pics Tuesday. But it was a blessing and a torment. A full box of cookes and treats the day before Fast Sunday ... it actually wasn't bad, but I was definitely happy to get to the residence that night.
By the way, the fruit snacks are great! (Mom's note - Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks from Costco - great packing material!) They received the same review from everybody here. "Best fruit snacks ever" So, if you ever feel like sending something but don't know what missionaries like, fruit snacks are awesome. No rush, though. I already feel fat. But for the next package, if you could add my chopsticks, that would be great! Again, no rush. Pictures might be nice though.
Back to life. So Fast Sunday was awesome. We only bore testimonies in English, but it was fun. It's been a while since I've born one in full English actually. I talk a lot more...
The lessons are going well. We switched investigators for one of them. Once we got 고가 혀 저ㅣ님 to pray, we stopped teaching him. Now we're on 각 혀 저ㅣ님. He's already had lessons, wants to be baptized, but has a problem with smoking. Looks like we've got our lesson plan...
Also, next week we start teaching each other as investigators. That'll be fun... Then again, at least we'll understand each other better. Koreans talk so fast! Getting there, though with 강 형 제님. I had my first heart to heart in Korean this week. Good times, and promptings are coming more now. As we were leaving, I felt like I shold tell him that God loves him. Regardless of anything we talked about.
... Back to work.
Sorry about that. Where was I?
Things ae pretty good here. Kind of getting anxious to be in the field, but everytime I talk with a native for a while I feel okay sticking around for a while longer.
It's wierd though. Next week, and by that I mean two days, the older district leaves for Korea. Translation: photo op time, and Holy cow! we need to study. Next week we'll be giving talks in Korean in Sacrament Meeting, saying the Sacrament Prayers, and answering questions about Korean. Scary... It'll be pretty quiet in the res halls, though. Mor than half of our branch will be gone.
But partially I'm excited. One step closer, you know? I need to study, so there's not much time, bt I'' try to write tonight or tomorrow.
So, anyway, that's life here. How are things back home? I hear there are a few additions as of late. Sounds pretty crazy. How are they settling in? And how is Sacramento? I hope you're all doing well. It's impossible to believe that this is the one monht mark here...
By the way, it gets loud here sometimes. Getting ready for bed with the other districts. Visitng is fun, but I had to put this off a little. It's finally quiet, and naturally my time is almost gone. I love you guys. I hope you know that. I wihs I had he luxuray of thinking of home more, but it's easier when I remember whose work I am doing. Lights out again. I'll write tomorrow, I promise.
Okay, let's get some good topic going. Fun facts about my time at the MTC. Snice coming here, I've started to not only snore but talk in my sleep. The only audible words - Korean. (As in speaking Korean) Got a kick out of that. It wouldn't surprise me though. I've had a ton of Korean dreams. The tow most prevelant ones were when I was talking to those little chibi (see Japanese art style) characters in Korean. The other was that we were in class, a couple people from home were there (That might bave been the only time I've dreamed of home here) and we were praying. When I was done, I think I wokde myselfup by saying Amen. The guys in theroom got a kick out of it though. Out of no where I say "amen," sit up, and say something to the effect of "whoa, I just said a prayer in Korean" and promptly went back to sleep. I guess I'm taking the language seriously...
More fun things: When you modify verbs, the first thing you do is get rid of the Da at the end. You've got to "Dust the Da". We loved that. Since then we've started little dust figures labled "The Da" on chalkboards. My new hobby.
We also "kick the bucket," "smash the slash," and a few others I don't remember. But it makes it a little more entertaining. This Korean culture is going to be awesome, though. Between the way they kneel and Kimchi squats, my legs are being used in all sorts of way I'm not used to.
The two handed respect thing is cool though. When they had things to each other, they offer and accept things wit both hands. (One is usually just resting under the other) Since we got here, we started doing two handed fist bumps, thumbs up, etc. Good times.
But really, I'm surprised how tight knit our branch is. There's a unifying nature of our call, and in struggling to learn a language together. It's kind of fun to see the jokes we have with the language - there are a lot of puns around here.
I love it here. It'll be sad when the Koreans and older district leve, but we'll see some of them again, and that will be awesome.
I've seen a couple familiar faces here though. Elder Spence and Elder McGee came on the 29th, so I've seen them a souple times. Not very often, since I guess the Asian branches have a different schedule, but it's fun to see people you've met before. Crazy to think that when they leave, I'll still be here. For a long while yet. But we're making the most of it. I guess I'll wrap up here.
I love you all. I'll try to send this tomorrow (It's Sunday now) before P-day, but P-day I should have picures to send. Hope you like. = )
But until then, be safe, be happy. Life is a powerful thing.
로바주 장로
Elder Robarts
(Mom - I sure didn't get that right. The translator says I wrote" Roba week Presbyterian" !!)
PS - I learned a new form that doesn't exist in English. It's called the state of being, and let's you specify between the action of sitting down and the state of sitting. Things like that. Pretty cool, huh?
PPS: This may makeit into another letter, but my companion has a brother Andrew's age who went ot Toronto Canada. How cool is that? And now we're both going to Daejeon. Crazy.
PS - I learned a new form that doesn't exist in English. It's called the state of being, and let's you specify between the action of sitting down and the state of sitting. Things like that. Pretty cool, huh?
사 랑 해 요 !
(This must be wrong, too. The translator says I typed "year with four")PPS: This may makeit into another letter, but my companion has a brother Andrew's age who went ot Toronto Canada. How cool is that? And now we're both going to Daejeon. Crazy.
