From Iksan, South Korea

I have been neglectful in not posting letters from Elder Rice. However, I was very busy, weekly care packages and all. Now that the postage is rather hefty, and he instructed me to send nothing, I will post some of this comings and goings of a missionary. Plus, I will try to catch up on the ten weeks in the Missionary Training Center.

Monday, May 14, 2012

대전시 대전우체국 사서함 38호

 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Korea Daejeon Mission

Daejeon P.O. Box 38

Daejeon, Korea 300600

 

This is our address. All our mail goes to the mission home.

 

Hey family.

Its your favorite son that lives in Korea. This week has been a lot. Sister Furniss said imagine a dumptruck dumping on you: that's what this feels like. I agree haha.  Everything is so different from America. People take motorcycles on the sidewalk. The sidewalks are bigger here and people pull  their trucks on the side of the road and sell stuff out of them,  usually vegetables.  Also people just set up shop on the sidewalk with a tarp over them to sell stuff. I dont understand most of what people say. If people say something to me, I usually smile at them and look at my companion.

The area I'm in is 익산 .  In English,  it's like "eek san ya" ( I will find out the English spelling in my next letter) and my companion is lee seoung yop  (I think that means Elder Lee). He is really nice but there is the language barrier ya know, but im learning. 

So ya we are teaching 6 people. I have met 3 of them they are all awesome. I gotta be more personable though. I am quiet because I dont know what to say. ugh thats not good. but ya.

The food here is good! They really love onions here. It's in everything. Food is cheap like cha pa gae tee is 3000 won like 3 dollars for enough for 2 people. Milk is expensive though 2000ml is 3500 won ya. 

Rice here tastes so much better that cannery rice! I like it. This lady in our ward called us on Saturday as we were trying to decide what to do because our appointment fell through. She gave us food and clothes and stuff.  She was really nice. The people here are nice like in the ward (I get to meet them this Sunday) which is exciting. I didn't meet them yesterdaybecause of  stake conference. There is a man in our ward that doesn't have a job. So he is always in the church building. He reads his scriptures there and cleans it all; he even sweeps the parking lot. He is really awesome.

One family we are teaching alreay have been taught all the lessons, but the father has a word of wisdom issue so we are going to try to help them. He is Korean his wife is Philipino so they speak English to us so thats nice haha.

A couple days ago we were talking to people at the bus station and a man came up to us and talked with my companion. Then all of a sudden we were walking to the church building, and we talked to him for an hour. After this we walked him back to the train station. My companion said that he prayed that morning for messengers from God to find him and he found us. ya it was  cool and my companion was able to help him a lot. ya well this whole place is so cool. I'm learning a lot. Its a big change haha but its a good change.

I hope all is well with you and your all safe. I love you all.

The pictures I hope I explained earlier on the phone: one is of the laundy room, one is our meal outside the apartment with Pak Nam Chung. One is my bed which is like a pad on the ground ya comfy right. and some pics of  the apartments and such ya pretty cool. And the truck: thats what all trucks here look like. The sides of the bed fold down and make it a flat bed. 

Well i love you all

Love Elder Rice

Nathan's first companion, Elder Lee, as pictured on the assignment board in the  mission home. I really had a hard time figuring out what his name was...in Korean as you can see. Plus, the first week, I didn't even know what city he was in...could see it in Korean, could pronounce it, but no idea till we received the letter from President and Sister Furniss. 

Nathan's bed with the black sheets. There was a good reason: missionaries do laundry each week. One white load with shirts and undergarments, one dark load with socks...and sheets. 

Their apartment has it's own washing machine, but there are no dryers, just drying racks. 

After Sunday Stake Conference, the missionaries prepared lunch for this gentleman who wanted to know more about the church. They eat outside on the porch. 

Look at the Arizona boy using an umbrella! We usually keep ours in the front closet, and they are rarely touched. 

We are so glad Elder Rice loves the Korean food. This is Kim Bop.