Life is good...

Ahh, we found a palace to email. By palace I mean a big fancy hotel with fancy chairs and a quiet corner. It's quite nice.

Well, as per tradition, the one time we'd predetermined to spend more time emailing I forgot my notebook, so it'll be random. I always have so many thoughts for you all week and then it will all disappear once the moniter is in view.

I saw the solar eclipse on Wednesday, that was pretty cool. Despite my rough explanation of solar eclipseness and once in a lifetime opportunityness (who knows the word for Solar eclipse or projection in Korean?) my companion was still at a loss as to why I kept running up the 3 flights of stairs from the 12th floor to the 15th floor to watch from the roof. I couldn't get my hands on a solar lens so I made a projection through a cereal box. I showed my companion the shape of the dot and explained it was an image of the sun with the moon cutting the corner out. She looked at me like I was crazy and told me that it was just the shape of the hole in the box. So I proceeded to poke three more dots in the box to show her that all of the dots were identical in shape. Still no dice. She claimed it was the shape of the pin I used to poke the hole. She didn't believe me until we had gone inside for 25 minutes and came back and of course, a bigger chunk of the circle was gone. We came back and forth several times and caught it at each stage. It was neat.

What made the whole experience even more fun was that we were baking a cake for a less active who just tunred 8. Now, in Korea people don't bake. They just don't do it. Cake is like donuts here. Everyone likes it. Everyone eats it, but no one in their right mind makes it themselves. Cake is just something you buy. So, I was in charge of cake-baking. Okay, Benjamin is a more efficient helper than my companion when it comes to baking. I had to show her how to beat eggs. Not to mention I had to bake it in the rice cooker pan because no one in their right mind would buy cake pans. It was just a special morning---she thought I was crazy---but what's new.

To put the icing on the cake (the pun is always intended) our trips up to the roof got a little tiring and just when I gave in and decided to use the elevator instead the elevator was taken out of commission for maintainence. Really. Then we needed eggs for the cake and we had to hike down the 12 flights of stairs, buy the eggs and hike back up. Murphy's really good.

Speaking of Murphy elevator stories---I'm in a bit of a conundrum. When we knock doors, by tradition we always ride the elevator to the top floor and knock our way down. Naturally the "golden" investigators always live on the first floor, right? That's just the way it works. So my question is this---if the golden investigators always live on the first floor why is it that the great members who do the most missionary work always live on the TOP floor---and usually in a building that doesn't have an elevator. How does that logically work out?

Anyway, I'm at a loss of what to say. I feel Scott's pain at home teaching. I've pulled some teeth and people are starting to move on with visiting teaching in Gimhae--hopefully I can get it going in Gupo. Then again, transfers are next week and who knows where I'll be. Ahh, my life. It really does do great things for people. I see more and more the power behind the home and visiting teaching programs. Not to mention it makes my job easier because I can focus more on proselyting and less on reactivation. Never underestimate the difference your hour of time can make. Members are amazing. When we all work together the work gets done and we have a little (or a lot of) fun in the process.

Karina, I'm jealous of your Wicked tickets(mom told me about them)---you saw the original cast? When, how and where? Was it a reunion performance? Gah, I'm turning green with envy. You know, it's not easy being green. Okay--I'm done.

Okay, my mind is blank. Sorry I don't have more stories.

We had several less actives and a few perpetual investigators (we call them english investigators---they continue with the lessons and they come to english class---but they don't really make changes or come to church) come to Church on Sunday---it was delightful. It's so good to see people opening their hearts and schedules to the Gospel. Ahh, what a great work.

I won't bore you any longer, and Sis, Hadden wants to email, I'm sure. I love you all and pray for you constantly. Thanks for the prayers, letters and support!

Your favorite Korean Mission!

~R~