Too Busy for Missionary Work!!

The choir number was in Korean...sightreading music and Korean lyrics at the same time as making sure your arms are changing time signatures properly is tough!! We sang Sally DeFord's "I Stand All Amazed"...I didn't pick the number, but it really helped that it was Sally DeFord, cause I just know her style pretty well. We had to forego translating the last, extra verse she wrote and just settled for re-singing the First verse as it comes in the Korean hymnal. It's hard to translate Korean and make it poetical so we took the easy route out. THe number worked out quite nicely. I really enjoyed the opportunity, and it the way it turned out was truly an answer to my prayers.

Sis. Peterson is doing well. Her Dad went up to Seoul a few months back to meet her. She still has not met her Mom, she comes down at the end of July to do that. I'm excited to have her stay with me for that time.

The week has been pretty good. It was really hard to send Sis. Cramer away :(. My greenie is all grown up (and will be senior really fast, too...lucky them--coming right as all us old missionaries are fresh dead). I really like Sis. Swenson. She talks a lot! Sometimes my little engineering self just wants to retreat to the corner and do calculus in order to find respite. For the most part she's really interesting, though. I'll have to start forcing her ot speak more Korean :).

I was in Busan for two whole days this last week, so I didn't get a whole lot done in my area. On top of that I'll be in Busna for 3 days straight for the leadership training on this new program (call "Simplified Curriculum" because it described the MTC curricuum for it that will come out next May). I feel like I won't have any time to do anything my last transfer with this leadership calling. Hopefully Heavenly Father will help me find a way to serve the Korean people and my investigators at the same time as serving my fellow missionaries. I'm really excited about the simplified curriculum, though. I really feel that it will help a lot of people become better missionaries faster. I like having a living Prophet to organize the work :).

Along with the new program there came out...DUN DUN DUN...THe District 2! Some of you who have served missions recently or who followed my blog since the MTC may remember the reality "tv show" about the District in the San Antonio Mission that camera crews followed around for forever and they show it to you in the MTC. Well, they made a new one and these missionaries are serving in San Diego...and had to learn Spanish...SPANISH....I COULD LEARN SPANISH ON THE PLANE RIDE HOME!!! This is not a comment on the difficulty level of Spanish but on the length of my flight home :) Anyway, we've watched some of it for the leadership meetings already and this stuff is top notch. It's amazing that missionary work's the same all over the world. Sure, we have challenges unique to the mssion, but it's all the same. I've learned a lot from these videos and I'm excited to apply it for this last big stretch.

I came down with a NASTY bug the other day. I was just fine, but suddenly I was FREEZING and shaking and had body aches and physically couldn't stand. I barely made it to the bus stop. and when we got home I just CRASHED. I later took my temperature and I had I fever of nearly 103. I ate medicine (do you "eat" medicine in English?) and just slept. I didn't have any other syptoms until this morning when suddenly I had a stuffy nose and slightly plugged ears. It was just weird that the first sign was jsut a paralyzing fever. Luckily the fever is goen, but I still feel a little weak. Weird.

Sis. Hadden and company have left. I feel like the walking dead---and not because of my flu-cold thing either. I'm the oldest SIster missionary by far now (people argue that Jung Min Hee is older but I remember the day she got to the MTC for crying out loud...she mighta beat me to Korea, but I'm an older missionary, dang it). It's just weird. I'm still one of the youngest sisters in the mission...a lot of "older" sisters are called to this mission for some reason. Weird. Time is fast and doesn't have any right to just whiz by like this. I'm already lying six feet under.

I wish I could help with Apricots (the eating and the canning of them). I love doing that sort of stuff with the family. Next time, I suppose. I f the weird green plums are in abundance when I get home I can make this really delicious homemade drink that Koreans make with that kind of plum called "Maysheer". You'll just have to wait to try it. I wouldn't dare describe it over the internet. You'll have to wait about 3 months after I get home to have it, though :).

This past week I couldn't get a hold of ANY of my investigators...it was really frustrating. If everyone could pray for my investigators to meet me and that I'll find more people prepared to receive the Gospel, that would be great. I really want this last transfer to go out with a bang--or at least some serious splashing in the baptismal font. I know that miracles are possible with a the prayer of faith!

Love to all. Stay cool and dry!

~R~

P.S. Good luck to Chalene and Company as you take off to new places. I'm praying for you...but I'll have to think about this praying that you house sells soon....I kinda like you having an excuse to have to move back :).