Persimmons in our bags and a pear in my hat -- December 14, 2014

A beautiful if somewhat gray day to all. <3 It was snowing again heavily this morning, but, as per the usual, stopped quickly to make way for the "devil wind," by Elder Killpack's appellation. Daniel emailed today with some questions as to Korea's climate, the answers to which I might as well paste below. In short, the climate isn't wildly different from what I experienced growing up in the states:

[The climate is similar in some ways to Utah with intensely hot summers and bitterly cold winters. The summers are very humid, but the winter is a bit drier. The hardest part of the winter doesn't come with the snow, which isn't overly heavy in Seoul, but the bitter wind that blows off the mountains (the same wind that sweeps across Russia and Eastern Asia). Fall and spring are temperate (everybody's favorite seasons).

Seoul is surrounded by mountains, which was good when it was an ancient city for defense, but less so now. Development naturally follows the paths that the mountains allow, and further development is going either upwards in apartment buildings, or outwards, past the mountains, in Kyeong-gi Do (the area around Seoul).

Seoul has many parks and open spaces, and the people seem to use them much, much more than Americans. Many elderly people walk, exercise, or hike every day, or at least on the weekends. because it is such a big emphasis, especially among the older generation, the demographic near the mountains at least in Northeastern Seoul seems to be a bit older. So, although the mountains naturally impede development, they also make the neighboring areas desirable places to live because of their proximity to places of recreation.]

We meet everyday people in their 70s and 80s going to or coming from their daily hike, rain, snow, or what have you. Many start at 5 or 5:30 in the morning.

We had some fun experiences this week, only a small part of which, of course, I can begin to get across. We went to visit a less active member last preparation day because he is a barber, and what we didn't know is that he is also a talker. We had at most an hour because we had to head up early to Yangju, up North, to do a baptismal interview, and after an hour of chatter while Elder Killpack was getting his haircut, we tried to leave, but stayed another 40 minutes sharing a 5 minute message and eating never ending rounds of squid and leek pancake and trying to stomach mushroom tea, which tasted like a bitter swamp. 딸라서, I'll be dropping by another barber shop today.

This photos of Korean squid pancakes (Buchimgae, 부침개) 

is from an online blog, which says they are very popular 

on a rainy day among Koreans. "The other day 

my husband told me he wished it rained all the time 

so that he can eat this Buchimgae all the time."

One of the American sisters in our zone's grandfather lives in our area (he's Korean), and we taught him together this past week. He put out heaps of fruit and waited until we ate it all (we had to hide some persimmons in our bags and a pear in my hat), and after we were stuffed from that and fish spam and noodles and rice and kimchi, he ordered more noodles and tangsuyuk for all of us. It was extremely painful, praying to be able to finish noodles. Elder Killpack got up in the middle and just went to stand in the bathroom to try to get stretched out. Anyway, it went well, and he came to church on Sunday, along with four other people with a baptismal date and a couple others, so that was exciting! A pretty crazy Sunday, but that's what we like. We hope to be able to continue meeting him- he's one of those that goes hiking every morning at 5.

We have a Christmas conference tomorrow as a zone, for which we're excited. It is such a pleasure to be working as a missionary at this time. I felt more than I ever have before angels walking alongside this week.

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.

Wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days."

Miss you all, but enjoy this time and happy holidays full of laughter and life and light. We're doing all we can to give our heart and a willing mind.

Lots of love,

Elder South