Elections--you can count on it

Dear family,

It is election season in Korea. This means everyone has their campaign trucks and is out on the street corners blaring loud music and dancing with their paid grandmas. It's probably one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Unlike in the USA instead of just two political parties there are somewhere around 30 and so there are a lot of street corners with dancing grandmas and people shouting through megaphones, other people dressed up in funny costumes passing out cards and shaking everyone's hand.

We also have transfers today, but I am staying with one of my companions so will probably be here in Junju for a long time (at least the next 12 weeks if not longer). The other day while we were visiting a less active member I came across what is now probably one of my favorite books ever. Because this is Korea and everyone wants to learn English it was of course in English and is called "The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew it Was None of His Business". It's this little mole and if I tell you any more than that it would ruin the story. So go to your nearest library and see if you can find a copy. It's so popular here in Korea that they even have a musical about it.

Spiritual enlightenment of the week- this past week I have been rereading last October's General Conference (because we STILL haven't received the one from May here in Korea...) and I was reminded of why I love our church. We have living apostles and a living prophet to lead and guide our church, how amazing is that?

Every time I read over General Conference I am reminded of that and I find something really neat that I didn't notice before. This morning I was finishing up the General Relief Society meeting and I read a talk from Sister Barbara Thomas (Thompson? I don't know). She talks about "Minding the Gap" and although I can't remember all of the talk there is one part that just made me laugh a lot. She talked about how at one point one of her coworkers asked her how she could still be so active in a church that put so much emphasis on marriage and family when she was single. She replied that the reason was that it is true- she could be just as single and just as childless outside of the church but wouldn't have the happiness of being a member. I hope that I am never her, however, if I never get married or have children or even if I do I hope that I can continue on as faithfully and strongly as she has.

Challenge of the week: Who is someone in your life who you really admire? Why? What are you going to do to be more like that person?

Another neat thing, my P-day is being switched to Monday. That means that I will be able to email you all again in... four days. Pretty cool. So if you act quickly you can finish the challenge of the week and reply before my next email!!! How exciting is THAT?!

I love you all.

Sister Rebecca O'Bryan

An apostle of the Lord and other things

Dear family,

We got to hear from Elder Christopherson last Sunday at Stake conference. It was a pretty big deal for everyone, they prepared for months and they were just beaming when he complimented them on their food and the choir (which I was in) and everything else. I think it kind of sounded like the kind of talk you could give anywhere and it was somewhat generic, but the spirit he brought with him when he spoke was tremendous. I guess it's like the scriptures, it's not so much that you receive a new revelation every time that you read, but the spirit and peace that you get from consistently reading them can really help you through your day.

I don't have a lot of time this week, we went to the public bath house which took a little more time than we thought. However, I would recommend to anyone, I got scrubbed so clean that I literally sqeeked when I had water rubbed on me. Also it was pretty cheap ($4) unless you wanted an old grandma to rub you down and give you a massage, that cost an extra $15. I don't know why we don't have more of them in America, they are amazing, out door pools, indoor pools, hot pools, freezing cold pools, dry saunas, wet saunas, massage water pressure baths and everything. Maybe it's because everyone is naked. (No worries the women and the men are in seperate buildings).

Anyway, I love you all, think happy thoughts and scrub really well.

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

Beatboxing door knocking and family reflections

Dear Family,

After the phone call with everyone this week I thought a lot about things, family, life, Korea. The more that I am here the more I realize that I really like Korea. It is different in some ways, but in a lot of ways it has become my home. My companions and I were playing a game of "would you rather" and Sister Jung asked "Would you rather go your entire life only eating Korean food or American food?" I thought about it for a long time. If I never could eat American food it means no bread, which is a big deal because I discovered that I really love bread and that Koreans just don't know how to make it. Could I really go the rest of my life without eating bread? But then again, could I really go the rest of my life without eating kimchi or rice wrapped in kim or car-guk-su? In the end it doesn't really matter because I know that I can eat both, but it was interesting to think about.

I was also thinking a lot about family. While at district meeting the other day I was listening to one of the Elders give a training and my mind started to wonder. I love missionary work, I love missionaries and I love the Elders in my area, but sometimes they can say things that are a little inconsiderate. So while I was sitting there feeling slightly ticked off I suddenly got a thought "what if that was Jonny?" or even "What if that was Louis?" I realized that no matter what they would have said I wouldn't have cared because they are missionaries and I would be proud of all that they had to go through and their determination to be there. Suddenly every Elder in the room became my brother, not like the over arching thought of "we are all children of God" but like my actual brothers. I could see Louis slouching in the chair next to me and Jonny giving a presentation about faith in finding people and Josh flicking paper wads at his companion. And suddenly I realized that's what it's like. That's what God sees us as, his family. We are not just like little paper dolls that he plays with, but literally his children that he knows by name. It was one of those moments where the things that you testify about every day becomes real and it sinks even deeper into your heart.

Then last night we were teaching a girl. Her name is Han Jung Yun and she is brilliant. She is 12 years old, but doesn't go to any afterschool program and yet she wins awards all the time and is almost fluent at English. So while we were teaching we pulled out the "Family: A Proclamation" and started discussing how the gospel helps our families. The first question we asked her was "How important is family?" She sat and thought about it for a minute. Then she responded "It's like air. You have to have air to breath and to survive. That is how important family is." Then her mom told us about how last summer when the daughter went to Canada to learn English the mother didn't eat kimchi for two months. Because the daughter couldn't eat kimchi the mother decided to commiserate with her by not eating any herself. If you understood how important kimchi is to a Korean you would be really touched. Koreans eat kimchi with every meal. Kimchi is as or more important than rice. As an American I'm not sure if you understand that statement, but just imagine how much you drink water, or how often you brush your teeth and then imagine stopping for two months.

Other things:

• I am going to a cooking hog-won today. Hog-wons are like the staple of Korean education, EVERY child goes to at least two or three, they are like after school programs (ballet, basketball, art, piano, accordian), but then imagine that with the intensity of army boot camp from the time you are 6 and you have Korean education. Our bishop's wife runs a cooking hog-won and so I get to go today
• I am going to see if I can't get some plastic surgery. Korea is known for it's plastic surgery which is amazing cheap and wonderful because everyone does it. My companion is getting a mole removed so I am going to see if I can't get a couple freckles taken off or this weird chicken pox scar filled in. Nothing too dramatic, no worries. We'll see....

Challenge of the week, reread The Family Proclamation and try something new with your own family.

Also, where is Roman? Is he still alive?
--
Sister O'Bryan
Daejeon PO Box 38
Daejeon-si
Chungcheong bukdo 300-600
South Korea

Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible- and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.

-Elder Uchtdorf

Mother's Day and other things

Dear Family,

This week I have been thinking a lot about prayer. We have two investigators who have finally started to progress, this means that they are reading the Book of Mormon assignments that we leave them and they are actually interested when we start out lessons and ask questions that you can tell are really from their hearts. Also at the end of the lessons this week we asked if they would pray and they did. It was the first time for both of them, one of them is a lady who says she has been Catholic for years, but yet this was really the first time that she prayed. The other is a little girl who has no religion and so she really didn't know much about it except from the times we have prayed with her before. There is something really neat about being with someone the first time they pray, I always feel so privelaged, it is like they are opening up this communication with their father in heaven who has been wanting to talk to them for so long and I get to be there when it happens. I love it.

I have also been thinking about the Mother's Day call that is coming up in a few days. I talked to mom this morning and she said that on Mother's Day she will try to have people at her house and call from there at about 6pm MST which will be Monday morning for me. As not everyone can come to Mama's house I thought that maybe the rest of the crew could try to do a conference call a little bit earlier, maybe like half an hour before, which would be 5:30PM MST. Any earlier than that and my companion will be talking to her family. If that doesn't work... well.. I'm not really sure. I just know that last time the huge conference call had some issues so I thought with fewer people it might be a little more successful and I would just try to have two calls.

Also, in preparation, if you could find your favorite scripture or a recent testimony building experience to share, that would be great. I love to hear your voices and your questions, but

I only get to hear from you twice a year so I'd like to make the most of it, if you know what I mean.

The first picture I attached is from a birthday party I attended. It was so intense. This little girl was turning one and that is one of the biggest birthdays in Korea so they had a HUGE birthday party. The second is a picture of some of the things we ate. I am always amazed because just when I think I have eaten everything there is some other animal or vegetable that I am served.

The third picture is me at a Buddhist temple jumping off the steps. They had HUGE Buddhas there and other things and then off across this gully was where all the monks live. I thought it was funny because there was this big gate that said "Temple Square training center" and it made me laugh a lot.

Another thing I love about Korea-- the random holidays and festivals. Yesterday was children's day so school was out and one of the wards I serve in went on a picnic in the mountains. So of course we went with them. The mountains in Korea are just as beautiful as the ones in Utah, just with more ancient ruins scattered about, and it was a lot of fun to picnic Korean style and play kick ball and what not. Koreans are really competitive-- always, so it was a really intense game of kick ball with the bishop egging everyone on and lots of yelling and running, things you usually don't do much of as a missionary.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods, the church is true, God loves you, I love you.
--
Sister O'Bryan
Daejeon PO Box 38
Daejeon-si
Chungcheong bukdo 300-600
South Korea

Short message of the week

Family,

Sorry for the short email, but I love you all and this week was really good. I got to go to a baby's first birthday which was... extravagant and we heard some really inspirational messages at zone conference. I really have no time, but here is a thought to think about this week:

D&C 128:22

Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward, and not backward. Courage, brethren, and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing!
--
Sister O'Bryan
Daejeon PO Box 38
Daejeon-si
Chungcheong bukdo 300-600
South Korea

Week 2 in Jungju

Dear family,

Jungju is good and I love my two companions. Sister Copeland is from Georgia and used to be a college radio DJ as well as a social marketer, neat, huh? Sister Jung is from Incheon and has only been a member for a year, she doesn't know a lot about the church, but she knows it is true and has the kind of fire testimony that is contagious.

The church for one of our wards is absolutely humungous. 4 stories. You have to use an elevator to get from the chapel to your Sunday School class, we also get to hear from Elder Christopherson in a couple weeks as he is coming to our Stake Conference. I am not certain why he is coming, our Stake Presidency isn't changing, but I get to sing in the choir and he will speak in English, so I am pretty excited.
This past week I got to have acupuncture! Well, kind of. Sister Copeland had an aching back so while we were at a member's house she mentioned it. They quickly pulled out this needle, grabbed her hand and stabbed her pinky. It's supposed to get out all of the bad blood so they squeezed and out came the blood like a water gun. They were going to do it to all of her fingers, but she only let them do a few. Then the member took these band aids with small needles attached and stuck them in between her fingers. After watching her I should have known better than to reveal my health ailments, but I casually mentioned a cold sore on my lips and also got the needle band aids stuck in my palm. Before I thought accupuncture sounded kind of neat, but now I am more of the opinion that it is just painful. Plus I still have the cold sore....

This past week I have been reading Heleman 5. "Why has it taken me an entire week to read one chapter?" you may be wondering. Have you ever read that chapter? It is so craze! Not only is it packed with spiritual wisdom, Nephi advising his sons and admonishing them to trust in God, but also the most amazing thing happens in this chapter. Here they are, two missionaries just like me, except they are baptizing thousands, and then they get thrown in prison. Not just like taken to prison, but an entire army has to come to get them. Then while they are in prison there is this amazing heavenly visit with fire and angels and mists of darkness. Before my mission I probably just would have skimmed over this chapter, but now I read and I wonder... can that happen to me?

I'm not so certain I want to be thrown into jail, that's a little intense, but I do like the part where the less active Nephite informs all of the other Lamanites how to get out of the mist. A lot of the work in Jungju is to less actives. There are a LOT of less active members in Korea and so we spent a lot of time visiting them and loving them and encouraging them to re-activation. Sometimes we don't always see the fruits of our labors. You can't count baptisms or member lessons, and sometimes they still don't come out to church so it's not an immediate result effort. Instead you just have to hope that one day the messages and love that you share will sink into their hearts and while they are out there in the midsts of darkness that come with worldly pursuits that they will remember how they can get out. They will remember what they felt and they will return. And they will. I have faith.

Wishing you all well.

Challenge of the week-- do your visiting/home teaching. Set a goal. Do it so other people don't have to do it for you.

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

News from 전주

Dear family,

With the begginning of a new transfer I am in a new city, Junju! I have two new companions and I have a feeling this will be another great transfer.

Miracle of the week: David. I told you a little about him last week, but we met with him again and he is the definition of golden. He came to General Conference and liked the morning session so much he decided to stay for the afternoon session as well. When President Monson spoke he looked at me and said that it was a prophet of God and that he was really powerful. It's true! And afterwards we were able to teach him the first lesson. Then last night, as the last chance I was able to meet with him, we taught him again. He is so pure and he knows what we teach is true because it is all centered around Christ and he loves Christ. We asked him to talk a little about what he feels about God and Christ and he bore one of the strongest testimonies I have ever heard in my life. When he was at General Conference one of the quorum of the seventies was also at our ward and when he shook his hand he said "this is good. You have such strong faith. One day you will be a very strong leader of the church in Kenya". People are out there, people are waiting for the truth, people want to hear it and we can help them.

He reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures:

2 Nephi25: 26

And we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins.

This week's challenge, talk a little bit more of Christ. There is power in your testimonies of Christ because it is truth. Christ lived for us. Christ died for us. He did this because he loves us and I know that is true.

I love you all. I included pictures, one of David, one of my old district, one of some sisters which has my new companions in it, but they aren't standing next to me so I will send a better picture next week.
--
Sister O'Bryan
Daejeon PO Box 38
Daejeon-si
Chungcheong bukdo 300-600
South Korea

"For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been bor of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God."
-Alma 36:26