FINAL FOUR: Part 4 No Place Like Home

I have finally worked up the courage to write this final post. We arrived home the night of November 16th and have been back a month now. Our first month home has been a whirlwind of reunions and activities. Coming home for the holidays is a pretty good idea. In many ways it has made the transition easier. Yet in the back of my mind and in the pit of my stomach are tiny little reminders that a wonderful adventure has ended and we have left behind a beautiful country and many dear friends. I really do like being happy much more than sad! (Sorry for stating the obvious.) Consequently, I kept finding reasons to put off this post, but the end has come!

Here are the top ten reasons I am happy to be home (not necessarily in order of importance):
#10 So many people speak English- American style. Learning a little (chogum) Korean was fun, but I never really became conversational. I have come to realize I like to talk!
#9   We have a garbage bin... ONE!!! Everything we need to discard goes into it and a truck takes it away.  I have become much more conscious of waste and recycling after living in the land of garbage sorting and multiple bins. One of the many lessons our Korea adventure taught me.
#8  I can read all the billboards and signs. Not just sound out the symbols and try to guess what it means!  I might actually miss sounding out Korean words. It became quite a hobby.
#7 Reading the menu and having some idea what will be on my plate. Plus full glasses of water brought to your table instead of the little four ounce cups you refilled yourselves.

I did get used to the guessing game of eating at Korean restaurants now and then, but I think I like ordering in English a little better.
# 6 Seeing the wide open huge skies of Montana. You really have to see them to know what I mean. To me they are freedom, adventure, beauty, comfort and clean fresh air. Granted the fresh air often comes about 30 miles an hour.... but I even missed the wind.
#5 Running into neighbors and friends everywhere we go. It creates for me such a sense of belonging.
#4 Knowing where I am, where I am going and how to get there. We spent quite a bit of time trying to find our way during our mission. It was part of the adventure, but the familiar has it's appeal also.
#3 Driving "Princess",  my cute little Ford Escape. Well, actually just plain driving! I drove very little during our mission, and mostly on the military installations. I missed the feeling of freedom that comes from sitting in the driver's seat.
#2 My home. We have lived in this house for 35 years. We designed, built and remodeled it ourselves. It is filled with priceless memories. Memories of celebrations, new babies, sickness, struggles, growth, blessings and even miracles.
#1 My people! Especially my family. I love looking out the window and through our backyard to see the light on in my mother's living room. It warms my heart to hear little voices calling for Papa and Grandma as they come into our front door. It's such fun to come home from running errands and see one of our children's cars parked in the driveway and know they are waiting inside. Yes, I think having family close by is the number one reason I am glad to be home.

We are truly home. We have plans for working on our cabin in Lincoln and plans to travel during the coming year. We will fill our time with family, church callings and chores. There will be more adventures and much to enjoy. I really am glad to be home. I will cherish our memories of Korea and from time to time I will feel a little sad that its over. Above all I will ever be grateful for our time serving in Daegu and I will always appreciate our wonderful home in Montana.

One adventure ends, another begins!

FINAL FOUR: Part 3- The Faces I'll Miss

Faces we Love:

This post may be the most difficult of all. It’s about saying goodbye to people I have grown to love. I came to Korea intending not to become attached to the people I met.  I convinced myself I could be kind, friendly and helpful without developing emotional bonds.  I failed miserably and almost immediately. It’s a universal truth that those you serve you grow to love. End of story!

 These pictures are a small sampling of the hundreds of picture we have taken of the beautiful faces of Korea.

 Friends  
                 SOLDIERS
 missionaries

sweet children

 

 CHURCH FAMILY

 

 Korean Neighbors

 

KIND STRANGERS

   

   

 I  wish I could post a picture of each and every person that has left an impression on me during our mission.  I wish I could pack them up and bring them home with me.

That is not possible.

So  I am just grateful for pictures, modern communication and cherished memories.

FINAL FOUR: Part 2- The Places I Will Miss

I wonder which places in Daegu I will miss the most, once we return home. My previous missionary service taught me something about my personality. During our mission in Colorado Springs and after our return to our home in Great Falls I learned that I mostly miss the familiar places we see in our daily routine. Some common sight will pop into my mind as if with a life of its own. It might be the parking lot of  my favorite grocery store, our front porch, the homes of family or even a street I drive down every week. Seldom do I long for the centers of social life or exciting attractions. I miss the places we conduct the business of life. I think it will be the same when we return home this time. I will miss the places that tell the real story of our experience here. So here are a few… just a few… of the places I will miss.

 

For nearly 18 months we lived on the 13th floor of building 108 in Epyunhan Apata. I was surprised how quickly we adapted to apartment living. It was our substitute home and we were very comfortable here. I cooked literally hundreds of meals in our tiny kitchen. We taught lessons, played games, hosted over night guests and holiday celebrations. We also had lots of time that we just conducted routine daily business. Bills to pay, cleaning to do, television shows and phone calls from family- all the things we need to do no matter where we live. This is the entrance to our building. Approaching it meant we had arrived to our temporary home. Our Korean refuge. I won't miss hauling groceries up and garbage down 13 floors. I won't miss waiting for the elevator. Yes, there are a few things I will not miss about apartment living. But I know I will picture this entrance fondly and miss our cute Korean apartment where we made so many memories.

This is the little library where we taught English every Wednesday afternoon the last six months of our mission. We would slide open the front door and be greeted by giggles or hellos in English and Korean. The children inside had finished their day of formal schooling and were about to begin their after school study. This library is part of a government subsidized program to provide a "hagwan" experience for less advantaged children. The focus was reading in English. Fred taught the children ten years of age and older. I had the children from four to nine. Fred played games and taught grammar to the older students, who had a some skills in English. I created lessons using coloring pages, games and primary songs for my students. We fell in love with these little people and their mothers. We will miss this completely Korean experience.

This is the subway entrance to the underground mall in Bangwoldan. We spent a lot of time here shopping or just walking. Riding the subway was one of our choice adventures. You never know what you will find when you drop below the streets. You also never know what you will find when you pop back up at a random stop. This is an experience we will not be able to duplicate at home. Yes, we will miss our subway adventures.

We love to explore Daegu on foot. There is no substitute for walking along the streets and through the alleys. There is no better way to see the people and get a feel for their daily life. In Daegu it pays to look down every alley you pass. You could see be a shopping street, a traditional market or a Buddhist temple.

Here are some of the sights that will always be dear to us. Beomeo junction is one of the busiest intersections in Daegu. The traffic is much like a clumsy poorly orchestrated ballet. It is a fifteen minute walk from our apartment.

Memorial park is across the river from us. It has beautiful trees, a very Korean monument and this fun tunnel. It is also a center of celebration and activities quite often. They set off an amazing display of fireworks from here on New Year's Eve. We had a bird's eye view from our apartment.

One of my favorite routes took us through two small markets and one very large one- Chilseong. It was a long walk, probably at least ninety minutes. Much longer if I stopped to shop along the way, which I usually did. As we walked from one market to another we passed a school. The cement wall surrounding the school was decorated with replicas of children's art. I love seeing these colorful pieces of artwork created by Korean children.

Here is a vendor in a market. Probably Seomun market. But it is symbolic of the common places of Korea I will miss. There are vendors everywhere. In the traditional markets, on streets downtown, set up in apartment complexes, in little alleys- everywhere. They sell produce, clothing, fish, prepared foods, bedding, well just about everything. I think going back to shopping without street markets will be a little boring.

This is the stone path across the Sincheon river. We probably walked hundreds of miles along this river. The view was lovely and was an escape from the closed in feeling of high rise living. The exercise was good but the interaction with the Korean people was a real treat. It will be one of my favorite memories and a place I will forever miss.

Here is the Seusong Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I think of all the places I love, I will miss this the most. From the first day we walked through the doors I felt a sense of belonging and purpose. The members of the Daegu Military Branch quickly became family. We taught, learned, testified, sang, socialized and served many hours in this small Korean church. English and Hangul blended as we rubbed shoulders with the Korean members who shared this building. I will always remember the time spent here with tender feelings.  I will always be grateful.

 

 

FINAL FOUR: Part 1- The Foods I Will Miss.

 

Four weeks from today we will wake up in our home in Montana. That is unbelievable to me. We are in the midst of “last times” and tearful goodbyes. It can be hard, but it is an inevitable part of full time missionary service. I am over whelmed with a sense of gratitude. This mission has been a choice and life changing experience for me. I still have “pinch me moments”. My friend Susan Bryson told me that soon Korea will be a dream I dreamed one night. It is already starting to feel like that. So amazing! I really truly lived in Daegu South Korea. I really truly met wonderful people, saw amazing sights and ate Korean food regularly. On the other hand, my excitement over returning to family, friends, home and country is growing daily. I just cannot express my happiness, my pure joy! Life is so very good. The time has come to complete this blog. I plan to create four final posts.This is the first.

THE FOOD I WILL MISS

Good memories are often tied to special foods. We celebrate with birthday cake, Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas candy, and so many more delicious traditional foods. Certain foods can remind us of cherished loved ones and choice experiences in our lives. Food seems to be an important element of every culture. Here are some of the foods that will forever remind me of South Korea and the experiences we will cherish

 

Here's an interesting but unexpected fact- we have a Costco here in Daegu. Although you will never find it unless you ask how to get to the "Cose tuh coe uh". I have two favorites from our Costco visits. First, the delicious bulgogi wrap. East meets west with delicious marinated beef wrapped in tasty pastry dough. The second favorite isn't anything I would ever eat, but it is a memory that endears the Korean people to me. They make their own side dish from the condiments. A huge plate full of diced onions, ketchup and mustard-stirred and eaten with a fork or chopsticks!

Zone conferences are a big part of mission life. Zone conference food is also a big part of mission life. I don't know what I expected, but I was thrilled when we were served traditional Korean food at our very first zone conference. It didn't occur to me that it is just standard church food here. I have loved being served some of my favorites by sweet Korean sisters. A typical zone conference lunch included bulgogi, rice and kimchi plus a variety of extras..


 Samgyetang -yum. We were only able to enjoy this very special dish one time, after our friend Sup's temple wedding in Seoul. A serving of this traditional summer soup includes a small chicken stuffed with rice, dates and ginseng, sitting in delicious broth. Koreans believe it provides extra nutrition during the summer when people sweat due to the heat and need additional energy. 

Korea has some amazing buffets. This one was at an event center where we attended a first birthday celebration. We also enjoyed Ashley's restaurant on the top floor of the Donga Mart Department store. It claimed to be an American food buffet, but it was nothing like Golden Corral.

My absolute favorite aspect of Korean cuisine is banchan- or side dishes. Most meals are served with several side dishes. They are communal and everyone shares, just grabbing what you want. Directly from the dish to your chop sticks to your mouth! I didn't like that part much at first, but I got used to it. The little dishes are filled with different kimchis, pickled radishes, dried fish, black beans, greens and other things. As you empty the bowls they just bring more. I could make a whole meal of banchan.

I will miss the challenge of eating with chopsticks. There are some foods that just don't seem the same when eaten with a fork. Fortunately I have purchased and shipped home a lifetime supply of chop sticks. So when I get homesick for Korea I will grab a set and eat my macaroni and cheese with my Korean chopsticks.

I will miss the fresh produce we purchased from the street vendors and markets. Here you purchase produce in its season. During the fall you find apples and Asian pears. Daegu is known for its apples- sweet, crisp and so delicious. In the spring you can buy sweet little strawberries. In the summer, I loved to purchase their tiny yellow melons and their uniquely Asian watermelons. Mushrooms and greens seem to be available year round. Garlic is sold in huge quantities all the time. I will not miss garlic!

I have learned to make a couple Korean dishes. It may be a challenge to find the ingredients, but I will try. So come on over for some japchae or kimbap. Share a little taste of Korea with me!

Sharing Our Adventure

We left for this mission from our home in Montana nearly seventeen months ago. At that time we assumed none of our family would be able to visit us. All of our children are in the busiest time of life. With families, jobs, church callings and homes to attend to. Flying to Korea did not seem feasible. That fact made leaving more difficult than when we left for our first mission in Colorado. It also made home sickness an occasional issue during our service here. That all changed when several weeks ago we received the word that two of our girls were coming to share our Korea adventure. That news came at the perfect time. The end of our mission was in view and our thoughts were beginning to turn toward home. From the moment we found out we began planning. We started making a list of places we wanted to take them on the white board in our office. Not a single day passed that one or both of us would not make a comment that began with "When the girls come..." or "The girls would love...". In reality they would have had to stay for a month to do everything we listed on the board. So we packed as much as we could into the eight days they were with us. It was simply wonderful. Sharing something you love with someone you love makes it so much sweeter. They were the perfect guests. Both Kelli and Heidi were enchanted with Korea. They never seemed to tire of learning new things about this beautiful country, the culture or the people. We so loved having them here. Our boys at home had their hands full with four children each and gained a renewed appreciation of the day to day demands on mothers. We are grateful to them for holding down the fort while their wives were gone and also for all they do every day for their families.

When you think about it, sharing something we love is the very reason we are here. All that applies to our girls' visit to Korea applies to missionary work. As we think of those with whom we wish to share the gospel, we often think about how they would love a specific principle of the gospel or what doctrine we will share with them. It really makes our view of our Heavenly Home much clearer. Sharing what blesses our lives with others makes it all the sweeter!

Kelli and Heidi's Korea Adventure

Chilseoung Shi Jang-(traditional market). Home of toy alley, dog alley, and as you can see.... pig alley. This is definitely not Albertson's meat department!



The girls loved the Korean children. We saw these cute girls in their school uniforms when we were shopping in Banwoldang- downtown Daegu. We gave the girls some candy after we took the picture. The little girl holding the sandwich offered it to Fred in return. So sweet! Of course he did not take her lunch!





This picture was taken when we hiked up Apsan. The kids were on a field trip and seemed very happy to take a picture with the "Megooks". South Korea is a very mountainous country and Koreans love to hike. Apsan is at the edge of Daegu. It has beautiful trees, groomed trails, streams, Buddhist temples and a cable car. It's one of our favorite places.

This picture was taken at Jeonju, a historic area about three hours from Daegu. We saw a palace, an ancient village, parades and so much more. The girls were very good sports about trying all kinds of Korean foods. This is a traditional Korean barbecue of Ttoekgolbi. It is a style of preparing  beef which is then barbequed at the table. The meal includes lots of banchan (side dishes) and  cold buckwheat soup. During their stay they also tried kimchi, kimbap, bulgogi, bibimbap and lots of other unique Korean cuisine.

I think we will need to find a Korean restaurant within driving distance when we return!  

 

 This huge gong is part of a memorial to the debt reduction movement. The citizens of Korea did not want their government to be indebted to Japan so they started a grass roots movement to pay it off. They were successful in their effort. It is an inspiring story.  The park is in the center of downtown Daegu. It has a beautiful peaceful walkway canopied by trees.

 This platform is high in Apsan park. It allows a panoramic view of Daegu. Which is a city with approximately three million people and all the high rises it takes to house them!. That is pretty mind boggling for people from Great Falls Montana- population of about 58,000 and an obvious shortage of high rises!

The girls found some treasures at Gwanmun Shi Jang- another traditional market. Even though we picked the one day a month this market closes, we were able to find a few shops open. Heidi and Kelli are modeling their cute Korean style jackets purchased for about 15,000...won that is! (about $15)

One last picture! Our girls.... the international stars! This was one of many random but fun experiences we enjoyed during their visit. Fred was tired of all the shopping- traditional markets or otherwise. So he dropped us off at Seomun Shi Jang with our wallets full of won and subway passes to get home. Shortly after we got to the market a Korean news reporter asked if he could film us while we shopped. He was doing a piece on foreign visitors and the markets. The two man crew followed us for about 45 minutes until we firmly but politely excused ourselves. It was crazy and fun. It aired on KBS channel 1 that Thursday. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we were in Jeonju and did not see it. It has to be one of the most fun and typically random Korean experiences of their trip.

We will have stories to tell and memories to share forever.

 



So Many Gifts

I love to receive gifts. Big, small, old new, handmade… it just doesn’t matter.  The message that comes with a gift is so much more than the value of the item. Gifts can communicate many things. They can represent the effort of a friend to celebrate your joy. They can communicate love and concern. They say happy birthday, I am so glad you were born.   Or they might congratulate you for reaching a challenging goal. Gifts welcome sweet new babies, new neighbors and new homes.  My very favorite gifts are the “just because” gifts.  Those given “because this reminded me of you”. Or “because I thought you would like this”. Or the little tokens that remind you of a shared experience.  

Yes I love to receive gifts, but I love to give them even more. I love to give them for all the reasons above. Mostly I love to give them because it’s so much fun to think a tiny little token might brighten someone’s day.

We have received a few gifts since we have been here.  Most were unexpected and some even random. I will cherish these gifts as a reminder of a choice experience.

The greatest gifts we have received here cannot be boxed up and shipped home or packed in our suitcases. The best gifts will be the memories of a beautiful place with a unique culture.  The most cherished gifts will be the delightful people we have met and the friends we have made. The most inspiring gifts will always be the ever present sense of God’s love for all of his children. We will always remember his tender mercies to us as we have strived to serve him during this mission.  Some gifts will help us to remember this mission. We will remember the mission itself as a precious gift that has changed us forever.

김밥 ... KIMBAP

We have tried some interesting food since we have lived here. That is definitely a high point of this adventure. I have identified a few favorites that I intend to make when we go home. Well, I guess I will qualify that statement. I will make a version of my favorites depending on whether I can find the exact ingredient or need to use an acceptable substitute. One common food we avoided for almost our first year here is kimbap. Sometimes the kim (seaweed) smells very fishy and I think that may be the reason we were reluctant. Then a few months ago a friend brought some to our home. Yum! We loved it. Now it is one of our "go to"  Korean dishes. 

Kinbap is a seaweed rice roll. It is a distinctly Koren dish which has evolved from Sushi. Kimbap is very popular here. It is often the feature food of a picnic or the side to other Korean meals. It's inexpensive, an average cost of 2,000 won ($2) per full roll. Many small restaurants near us specialize in kimbap. They remind me of "Subway" sandwich places at home. The ingredients are arranged in a production line and you can pick the fillings you would like.

Kimbap is made with a variety of fillings.
For example:
-strips of pickled daikon radish
-carrot, julienned 
-spinach
-2-egg omelet  cut into pencil-size strips
-cucumber sticks
-avocado slices
 -burdock root
-fish cake
-tuna
This week I learned to make kimbap. It's actually more of an assembly process with a little  cooking. It was pretty easy and lots of fun and so delicious!  This is one of the favorites I plan to make at home.

So... you all have an open invitation. Korean kimbap (Montana style) at the Fairhursts- in a few months!

 

Our Mission Traditions

We have about four months left of our amazing Korea adventure. This is no surprise. We were called to serve for 18 months, a fact of which I have never lost sight. Occasionally I have a sense that time has almost stood still and home is but a sweet memory or a distant promise. Those times have been few and far between for quite a while now. More often than that, I have a sense that time is simply evaporating, one week flowing into the next. I have now begun the countdown. It happened our first mission also. This is not intentional and actually just seems to happen spontaneously. Here's an example.

 In our religion one Sunday a month is designated as "Fast Sunday". This typically happens the first Sunday of each month, with just a few exceptions. Those who are able to do so, go without food or drink for approximately 24 hours, missing two meals. During our fast we pray for guidance, express gratitude and seek inspiration. We donate the estimated cost (or more) of the two meals we miss to the church welfare fund which offers assistance to those in need. It's an uplifting and strengthening experience. Sometimes I am amazed by how quickly the time passes between fast Sundays, meaning how quickly a month passes. I had that thought last Sunday. It was quickly followed by another thought. We have only three or at the most four fast Sundays left in this mission. That's what I mean by counting down. We have only three transfers left, only one District Conference left, one more trip to Seoul.... see how it goes. It amazes me. Before I know it I will find myself identifying all the "lasts". It's all part of mission life. The hellos and goodbyes of temporary assignments.

During our nearly fourteen months here, we have  built a few of our own traditions and expanded on a few that already existed. Even though I have mentioned them previously, I want to dedicate this post to our mission traditions while I still have plenty of time to enjoy them- before I begin to innumerate the lasts!

SUSEONG DISTRICT MEETINGS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has missions throughout most of the world. They are well organized and fall under a chain of leadership and support that ultimately goes all the way to Salt Lake City and the First Presidency and Apostles of the church. Each mission is divided into several geographic areas designated as zones which are made up of smaller geographic areas called districts. During district meetings we receive information sent to us from our mission president. We also have language training, hear motivational messages and practice teaching.

We enjoy these meetings and love spending time with the young missionaries. We have added the tradition of having the last District meeting of each six week transfer cycle at our apartment. We love to provide a homemade American meal for them. At the end of the normal agenda, they put a chart on our white board. They each guess where each person will be assigned for the upcoming transfer. Will they stay? Then  place an "S" in their square. Will they go? Then guess where they are going. If it's the end of their mission guess the date they will be married. It's all for just fun and the guesses can be quite entertaining.  

TRANSFER BREAKFAST Transfers occur on Mondays, every six weeks. All missionaries who are being reassigned go to the mission office in Busan to connect with their new companion, and receive some training. Then they report to their new area. Moving to a new area is exciting and also a little stressful or challenging.  One of the traditions we inherited is "Transfer Breakfast". It happens the first Monday after transfers. This gives the missionaries new to our area a chance to meet everyone.
It also gives all the missionaries a chance to reconnect with each other. It's really lots of fun. Although this tradition had been established by previous senior missionaries we had to make a change immediately. The number of missionaries in our zone jumped from less than twenty
to nearly forty right as we arrived. So it was not possible for us to hold it in the apartment as was done previously. Now we tote the grills, ingredients, plates.... well we tote everything to our church

building and hold it there. Fred's pancakes are a huge hit, promoting big smiles and sometimes even a tear of joy. The missionaries sure can eat. The typical transfer breakfast includes 120 pancakes and 160 sausages. On special occasions we add some extras, such as muffins or fruit. Such a simple gesture means so much to our young missionaries who are sacrificing to serve others while living far from home and family. American breakfast is hard to come by.

FAMILY HOME EVENING (FHE) 
FHE is a common practice among members of our church. It was implemented decades ago to encourage families to stay close and parents to teach their children important gospel principles. The church dedicates Monday nights for this purpose and plans no church sponsored activities or meetings. FHE usually includes a short lesson, an activity and refreshments. We hold FHE here to provide a place for the single and unaccompanied soldiers to gather. We patterned it after the typical family meetings at home. We provide a meal and a short gospel message. Then we play family favorite games such as UNO. The pattern is pretty consistent but attendance is another thing. We have had as few as two and as many as fifteen. It's hard to predict and consequently a bit difficult to plan the meal. Somehow it always works out. We have soldiers, English teachers, Korean singles, members of our church who need  a place to go, missionaries and their investigators (those learning about the church). It is common to hear Korean being spoken in one corner and English in another. I love this tradition. I really feel like we are providing a safe and friendly environment- good fellowship!

SUNDAY SUPPER
When we first came we had a goal of inviting every family in the  branch to our apartment for a meal. We started within a week of our arrival with a Fourth of July celebration. Over time that changed. We decided it was more important to provide a meal and a home for those whose family was not here. So we began focusing on single and unaccompanied soldiers. Little by little others began to attend. Now we just open our home to anyone who wants to come for a meal after church. I fill a couple of crock pots and maybe add some extra sides. We may have five or twenty. We never know. It can be noisy and a little chaotic, but no one seems to mind. I love the smiles and friendly chatter. We started as strangers but have become family

 

 

FOOD!!!!  You may have noticed that the traditions I have written of all include food. I teasingly say we were called to feed his sheep- literally. The food draws people. It provides a purpose to gather, but the real nourishment comes from being with people who care about you. The real attraction is spending time with others who share good values. We really do have many duties that do not involve food. We teach and help others in a variety of ways. But this post is about traditions and don't most of our traditions include food? We are grateful for the blessings we receive from our Heavenly Father and the sweet opportunity to share His gifts with others.