It's going to be another hot day

Dear family,

It was another good week in Korea. In the World Cup we lost against Argentina, but if we can beat Nigeria then we will still advance to the next bracket. Plus, Argentina is predicted to win the entire thing, so I guess it was somewhat expected.

Interesting story of the week:

We have been meeting with a lady and her two children for the past couple of months. When we met her she was introduced to us through a member in one of our wards and thought she was a less active who just happened to attend another church. So since then we asked her if we could teach her and her kids. Then randomly we found out last week that she was never actually baptized and the first time that she had met the member who introduced her was when we all met together for the first time. It made me laugh a lot. What a trooper, here we were teaching her like she was just a less active and yet she really had no idea, but let us keep coming over anyway. She probably just figured that we were two foreigners and so forgave our misunderstanding. It's good though because her children are really progressing, reading for the Book of Mormon story book and praying about our message.

Also, last week while we were walking an older man came up to us and starting talking in fluent English. He looked older (mid 80s?), kind of grubby and was pulling a large trash cart (you don't really see those in America, but image Fiddler on the Roof style cart and now imagine it filled with trash). Apparently he had been baptized in the 1970s and had since stopped coming to church, but he was really nice and was a teacher for 25 years. (In Korea that's pretty much the most prestigious thing you can do, like being a doctor in America). Currently he teaches English and German conversation classes and said that he cleans on the side for pocket money and to help some Phillipine family (I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean). So we got all of his information and gave it to our Elders so that they can find him. I guess it just goes to show that you can never judge a book by its cover.

This week's challenge: Tell me about a time in your life when have had a "never judge a book by its cover" experience.

Love you all, (watch the world cup)

--
Sister O'Bryan
Daejeon PO Box 38
Daejeon-si
Chungcheong bukdo 300-600
South Korea

Families are forever: that's a really long time

Dear family,

For those of you who have been living under a rock or in a country where people don't care that much (America) the past week and the upcoming ones are something we like to call the World Cup. How do I know since I do not own a computer, television, or radio? Because I have eyes and ears in my head. Last Saturday Greece placed Korea and it was amazing. I was coming home after an appointment and was reminded because everyone had glowing red devil headbands and red t-shirts and every parking lot turned into a tailgate party with fireworks and huge trucks with TV screens on them while people gathered around. Then while we were in our apartment preparing for bed we could feel the excitement and every time that Korea made a goal there was a loud thunder-like cheer from every apartment and every parking lot in Korea. It made me want to be a soccer fan.

Today was moving day. Unfortunately the lease was up on our amazing apartment (known through out the mission as the "mansion" and so we had to move to a not as nice place. I know that you probably don't really care about the details of it, but it was interesting-- so I included pictures. We lived on the 17th floor so they took this huge ladder attached to a truck and then shoved everything in a basket and put it on this lift. I love Koreans--- sometimes they are just ingenious. Sometimes it is just funny.

This weeks thought is again from Elder Ballard, but from his most recent talk at General Conference. (Random fact: he once went on a really long car ride with Dad and gave him advice for his computer company.)

" I hope you are listening and see a pattern and hear a steady, consistent message that in these last days it is essential even critical that parents and children listen to and learn from one another. These are not just ethereal concepts about which I have been speaking. They are the essence, the center, of God's plan for our eternal happiness and peace."

I thought about that a lot-- the importance of learning from parents and children. I see this a lot because as a missionary you see a LOT of people (especially when you have to talk to 140 new people every week). I thought of one family who we have been working with lately. The mother is from the Philippines and while there even served a mission, her family was one of the first families that were church members on her island. However, since being in Korea she has become less active because her husband doesn't always let her go to church. I guess the way he does things is that when he is home his entire family has to be home as well so she can't leave the house after about 8pm and on Sundays if he doesn't wake up then he doesn't always let her go to church. Since we have been working with them we have gotten him to be more lenient and so now she comes even if he doesn't. He is also a member and a few weeks ago baptized his daughter.

I thought about how the father has changed because of the love he has for his children and I thought a lot about how Mama and Daddy have had a huge influence on me. My companion and I were talking about this the other day and she said that once she had graduated from college she asked her mom what her biggest concern was when she was going through High School. Her mother replied that her biggest fear was that one of her kids would get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. My companion thought that was weird because the only thing she remembered her mom emphasizing was money, her mother had never really mentioned anything that would have made her not get pregnant. It's interesting how the things we think we are emphasizing and that are important don't always come across that way. So question of the week:

• What have you learned from your parents?
• What have you learned from you children (where that applies)?
• What do you hope they have learned from you?

Sister O'Bryan

Daejeon PO Box 38

Daejeon-si

Chungcheong bukdo 300-600

South Korea

Weathering It

Dear family,

The weather is nice and the old people are out. In the park next to our library there is a flock of old people relaxing and enjoy the wonderful weather. In Korea there are not many nursing homes, actually I have never seen one or heard of someone who lived in one. However there are LOTS of old people. They usually roam the streets or when it is nice outside they conglamurate in areas like parks and play Chinese checkers or just sit on the benches and gossip. It is amazing. I have never seen so many people over the age of 70 all in one area. They are probably more full of life than I am and even though they are completely bent over with age and osteoporosis don't be fooled, it still hurts when they "pat" your back and tell you that you are pretty.

I'm glad that the weather finally warmed up and decided to behave itself, however it also means that summer is coming. I have heard a lot about it from various people and have received many warnings about how I need to "prepare myself". The humidity is suppossedly horrid and chances are I will want to die, my laundry will never dry and if I don't leave the windows open on my apartment then everything will grow mold and smell horrible. However, until then I am not worried. It's really nice when we walk around finding people's houses and new investigators so for now I am enjoying it.

Last week we had a ward cooking battle in Junju ward. It was a lot of work and preparation, but it ended up being a lot of fun. Everyone put a lot of thought and effort into it and so we ate delicious food and played lots of fun games, like pie eating, eating onion rings off a string, egg passing relays and competitive bobbing for apples. Here's a secret of life, if you want to get a Korean really involved in an activity make it competitive, they will do anything to win.

Something I have been thinking about lately:

"The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God.14 It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel."

-Neil A. Andersen Oct 2009

This week one of the less actives that we were working with finally came out to church with her two young sons. I was ecstatic. It is hard to come back out when it has been so long and you feel like no one knows you and that they are all judging you. I am so glad that I have never gone less active because dang it's hard to come back. The most dissapointing thing though was when we were talking to a member, in hopes that they would befriend her because their children are similar age and all that she said was they she didn't really like her and they had known each other when they were younger. It was surprising to me. I was reminded of the story of the prodigal son, the father who welcomes his son back with open arms and the brother who stands seething outside. God is willing to forgive us and others and let us progress and grow, so why can't we?

Challenge of the week: Forgive.

I love you all.

--
Sister O'Bryan
Daejeon PO Box 38
Daejeon-si
Chungcheong bukdo 300-600
South Korea

Because what we are on the outside will get old in this lifetime, but what we are like on the inside will never get old. Just wiser and better, if we do it right.

Mama