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.

 

 

 

 

Shopping for 한복 (Hanbok)

Over the last year I have grown to really enjoy shopping in Korean markets. It's hard to describe this unique experience. Shopping here is not like shopping anywhere else I have ever been. The markets usually include some of each of the following: tiny crowded stores packed with the specific item they sell, and large warehouse type buildings with narrow pathways leading to merchandise stacked high and also many street vendors who display their wares on tables, shelves or on the street. The markets are uniquely organized into "alleys" where you can find similar items. There are always food vendors and lots of smells, some delicious smells but also some pretty potent often fishy or garlicky smells.  I must confess I was a little overwhelmed by it at first, but with time and experience it has become a favorite.

Saturday was a favorite of favorites! We went shopping for Hanbok. That is the beautiful traditional Korean clothing I have written about in previous blog posts. I didn't think I would buy any because they can be quite expensive. But our good friends the Mendenhalls took us to a second hand clothing alley at the Gwanmun Market. Store after store had used Hanbok in various colors, styles and sizes. The cost for children's sizes ranged from 7,000 to 10,000 won ($7 to $10).
I was like a kid in a ... how about a grandma in a Hanbok store. In less than an hour I purchased a dozen sets. I was practically giddy. Fred? Not so much, but he was a good sport. He even toted the bags.
This will not be a one time experience. I am not quite through Hanbok shopping. I think I need about five more. Maybe seven. I might need to save up a few thousand won first.


I will miss Korean markets. I think American stores may seem a little boring or at least not as entertaining. Yet practically speaking, I will be happy to push a cart around Target or grab my favorites at Sam's club. I am just so happy that I still have time left to enjoy our Korea adventure, but the light of home is visible at the end of the tunnel.

Happily Ever After

Seoul Temple

The world could use a few good love stories! Today's media and entertainment industry promotes lots of "lust" stories, but few true love stories. We see so much about physical attraction. About living in the moment. About  focusing on your own desires and getting what you want immediately. These stories are so egocentric. They are centered around individual satisfaction and happiness, which in my view is the opposite of love. We have been blessed to witness the process of a true love story and it has warmed my heart.

If you have read any other posts at all you have already been introduced to our good friend Sup. We met him our first week in Daegu and have enjoyed so many wonderful experiences with him during our 13 months here. Sup is a fine young man. He is faithful to Christian values and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is also respectful to the traditions of his family. He treats his Buddhist father with honor and recognizes his father's place as leader of their family. I have so admired his ability to live true to his personal convictions and at the same time demonstrate such loyalty to family and tradition.

Several months ago Sup met a beautiful young woman. She is also a member of our church. They had a date or two. Then it became exclusive. Then they made traditional couples rings for each other. (Not engagement rings), but the courtship began. Soon they were ready for a commitment. It wasn't easy to blend family tradition with our belief about being married in the temple for time and eternity. It probably would have been so much easier just to marry without honoring tradition. In a lustful egocentric world they wouldn't have even been concerned abut marriage in the first place, let alone honoring their parents. But they have love not only for each other, but for their families and for God. So they waited. They counseled with church leaders. They counseled with their parents. They were finally able to find a way to honor both their own religious convictions and family traditions. They would marry in the temple first, then have a traditional wedding at a later date.


We were privileged to witness the beautiful bride and groom make eternal vows across a sacred alter. The room was filled with a few family members and many friends. The fathers are not members of the church and waited outside the temple to greet the new couple.  We all waited while the newly weds changed into traditional clothing (hanbok) for the pictures taken outside the Seoul temple.



After the pictures we gathered at a local restaurant for Samgyetang. A Korean soup which primarily consists of a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and vegetables in broth and ginseng. (Each person had their own whole chicken.)  It is traditionally served in the summer because they believe it replaces the nutrients lost by sweating and is very healthy.  The little reception was a joyful gathering filled with chatter and laughter, plus a few spontaneous songs performed by friends. The fathers had places of honor at the head of the table. They both spoke a few words. We couldn't understand all that was said but we could sense the happiness.

This story of two young people who fell in love is about so much more than what they wanted or desired. Its about their love for each other, for their family and for their God. I wish for them a wonderful adventure together. A life filled with the choicest of blessings. I wish for them a love story that ends with.... HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

GYEONGJU

One of my favorite Korea experiences was our trip to Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient kindom of Silla (57 BC-935 AD). I am always amazed by the dates we often see as we visit historical sites. I am also fascinated by what we can learn about a people who lived so very long ago.

Meet Justin and DaNese. They are standing in front of the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia, built during the reign of Silla Queen Seondeok. Justin is one of our young soldier friends. In fact he has become like family. We were so happy that his sister came to visit him here in South Korea. It was fun getting to know her. It was even more fun listening to their family stories and good natured sibling banter. They reminded me of our own kids who love to tell stories of their childhood and to tell on each other!  Justin had already been to Gyeongju so he was our tour guide. It is an amazing place. Between the four of us we took hundreds of pictures. I will try to share a few, just a few!

The temple grounds and the royal compound had many fascinating structures. On the right is a stone ice storage made of about 1,000 stones with a mounded roof and three ventilated ducts. This is a really ancient refrigeration system!

The grassy hills on the left are actually burial mounds. They hold the remains of the royal family members of the Silla dynasty. 

This court yard is surrounded by covered walk ways. The temple is above. The pagoda on the right is one of several you pass as you walk through the beautiful grounds.

The shrine on the left is in a section of the courtyard. Some of the Koreans visiting while we were there stopped for a moment to  offer a prayer.

The picture on the right is one of many lotus ponds we saw. The lotus blossom is significant in Buddhism. 




We are so blessed to serve here and to enjoy many Korean experiences. I like to say "sometimes we are Elder and Sister Fairhurst, but sometimes we are just Fred and Susan in Korea.


 








Saeng il chuka habnida

Korean Happy birthday! 

We had another amazing Korean cultural experience last week. Our friend Sup invited us to his nephew's first birthday. They really know how to throw a first birthday celebration here. The party was held at a professional event center which focuses mostly on first birthday parties.

A display of professional pictures and a video which looped again and again was placed just outside the door of each little one year old's assigned party room. In the common area there was an amazing buffet for all the guests. The private party rooms were decorated and set up for some traditional activities. We signed in at a digital screen that took a picture of us as we signed our names. It was basically a digital birthday card/guest book that the parents would receive after the party. The food from the buffet was delicious, beautiful and apparently Korean- or at least nothing we've had at parties at home. We sat at long tables eating our food and waiting for the festivities. An unusually tall and quite boisterous Korean was our emcee. As soon as he grabbed the mike the gathering became very Las Vegas like! There was loud music and flashing lights. He told lots of jokes, well he spoke Korean so I assume he was telling jokes because everyone was laughing.


He also dragged Fred up to the front and challenged him to dance Gangnam Style. Fred is a good sport, but he performed his own version of the sprinkler dance instead. Yep it was pretty funny, but I was too stunned to think to grab the camera. Not only did his dancing talent earn him cheers and applause, but he also won a gift of a birthday mug.


Hyeon (Sup's nephew) made a grand appearance mid cheering, "oos" and" ahhs". He was wearing hanbok and riding in a mini Audi remotely controlled by his proud dad. His parents were also dressed in the traditional Korean celebratory hanbok.

One of the  first birthday traditions is called toljabee.  Here is a definition: "In this event, the child is seated before a table on which various items have been placed for the child to pick from. Traditionally, Koreans think that the first or second item picked by the child foretells his or her future. For instance, if the items picked are a book or pencil, then people think the child will be a successful scholar; if rice or money, the child will be wealthy; if thread, the child will have a long life.

The tradition may be slightly modified. At the party we attended the guests had a chance to predict the item the child would select by placing their ticket in one of several goblets, each with an image of one of the items. The child is shown a tray with the items on it. When he chooses one, a ticket is drawn from the corresponding goblet and the guest whose number is drawn receives a gift. Hyeon's parents were pretty excited when he grabbed a 50,000 won bill ($50.00) and began chewing on it!

We asked Sup about the cost of such an event. He said it cost his brother about $1,000 (American). His brother and sister-in-law had saved for nearly the whole year for this celebration. Why? Why would they spend so much money on an event their child will only remember through pictures? To some of us it may seem extravagant. It may seem like the money could be better spent on necessities. As I learned the history upon which this tradition is based, I understood much more.

Here's a brief explanation:  "Long ago in Korea, childhood diseases were common and the survival rate for children was very low. To protect their children, parents refrained from taking the baby outdoors until the 100th day after his or her birth. It is not until baek-il (100 day)that the baby was introduced to neighbors, friends and relatives. One of the baek-il’s  special events is the parents providing rice cakes, called baekseolgi, to at least 100 people. They believe this event helps to protect the child’s life. They also pray for the child’s continued good health. A child’s first birthday party, or tol, is a big celebration."

What would it have been like to fear taking your children out for the first hundred days? To be so unsure of your child's survival that you would not show them to friends and family. Then to celebrate the 100th day only to hope and pray they would survive the first year. We are so blessed today. We assume our children will live to adulthood. We do not expect to lose them in infancy. We show them off as soon as possible. In the unexpected event that a child dies before the age of one, families mourn and grieve together. But it seldom changes the expectation that future babies will survive.

So I say celebrate! Indulge in some extravagance if you want to. We all need to remember the precious gift of life and never take it for granted.

Twelve down and six to go!

Our FHE group exiting our apartment
 in our elevator. A little like keystone
cops in a phone booth!

June 10th marked one year of our eighteen month mission. In most ways that fact is very hard to believe, but then again some days still seem more like a week than 24 short hours. We continue to enjoy our Korea mission as we share our home, our time and our beliefs with those we meet. We are blessed to participate in  cultural traditions and see historic sites rich with meaning. Other times we are amused by the differences between what we see in Daegu  and our life in Montana!. We have come to say often "That is so Korea".  Before I continue I need to offer a disclaimer. We mean no disrespect by that term. We have grown to love and respect the Korean people. Many of the things that amuse us are the result translations. We just appreciate the Korean's efforts to cater to English speaking foreigners. Finding humor in the differences goes both ways. I am sure they often think "That is so America". So I hope you enjoy some pictures and descriptions of a few things that make us say....

that is Just So Korea!

Our small congregation gathered for a "Memorial Day Extravaganza". It started with a morning hike up Apsan. As you may know from previous posts, this is one of my favorite places in Daegu.   This time we went a little different direction and were able see some Buddhist temple structures. The mountain was
 so beautiful and peaceful.

Here's a little treat I bought for Fred at a walk up snack shop on the narrow street behind our apartment. The drink size cup is filled about half full with Pepsi. Then the smaller cup fits into the top half of the drink cup just above the Pepsi. The smaller cup has a little round hole used to put the straw through. Then sweet & slightly spicy Korean chicken chunks are placed inside the cup. Ingenious and quite delicious all for 1,000 won. McKorea nuggets!


When you make a doctor's appointment here it is almost always at a hospital. Very few doctors have private offices elsewhere, but there are a few exceptions. Fred thought this doctor's office was the perfect combination... skin and stones! With his recurring minor skin cancers and kidney stones it certainly would be convenient. You also see quite a few plastic surgeon offices as you walk through town.



 I don't think Korean people in general are squeamish about much. If so it's not over the same things that make me squirm.  I am amused by the signs designed to draw people  into restaurants. I kind of get those with cartoon animals and  pictures of cooked meats. After all we do the same at home  What I don't get is the pictures of real animals they use to entice you to come in so you can eat them in their butchered form. Not cartoonish or even very appealing in any way. Pictures of mangy, dirty looking animals in living form do not make me hungry for pork, or beef or fish. For that matter it doesn't work for octopus or eel ether. But then again short of starvation, nothing would probably make those appealing to me!

Translation of Korean to English is quite a challenge. The differences in sentence structure, conjugation and general grammar make direct translation sometimes awkward and often humorous. This sign outlining rules of the park is just one of many examples. I find a few of its warnings very entertaining.
--Disorderly acts, such as shouting and singing noisily with drunkenness in the park, act of drinking, playing "flower cards" on the street. etc.
--Act of neglecting to collect the droppings of pet animal accompanied.
--Act of making others feel hatred, such as noise and bad smell. (This one pretty much eliminates all teenagers from hanging out in the part)

These examples are just a small sampling of the sights and experience that delight and entertain us. We love it when we carefully and very slowly sound out the words on a Korean sign only to discover it's "Konglish"- Korean versions of American words such as tomato, computer, or taxi. We smile at the older ladies pushing the baby strollers filled with fuzzy white dogs they are "taking for a walk". We are touched at the random gifts we receive from strangers ... a few small melons, a handful of nasty ginseng candy, a homemade bath scrubber. So check the blog out again in the future, because "much more come will"!

Our Hagwon Experience

As missionaries our first purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ. This is an important and meaningful assignment which we attempt to accomplish in a variety of ways. This is an assignment we first accepted upon baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints. We each made a promise to stand as a witness and to strive to follow Him. We have attempted to honor this promise throughout our lives. It is not just a hat we wear, but part of everything we do. It's the way we live. Like many of our Christian brothers and sisters, it is who we are not just something we say. Even though we are often busy with the busy-ness of life, we try to stay centered through study, worship, obedience, and charity. Life during a full time mission is still life in this world. As a senior couple we have more flexibility and less demands than the young missionaries. Our mission life is closer to our "civilian" life than is theirs. Yet it is very much a time of our life which has been "set apart" to focus on serving our Lord by serving others. We invite many people into our home. We share simple messages of inspiration and hope. We try to provide fun and fellowship. We hope they feel His love for them as we show them kindness and concern. We invite them to learn more about our church. Then regardless of their answer we continue to demonstrate our love and concern. It's real and it's sincere. It is not conditional, just as His love is not conditional.

We also try very hard to follow Him, as we promised to do.  I say try because we often fall short, but we just keep trying. We bear his name on our missionary name tags, so we try to represent Him well. We hope to be the good neighbor, the kind stranger, the true friend! We seek opportunities to serve others and those opportunities are not hard to find.


One of our favorite forms of service is our volunteer work at a Korean 학원. 
This is a Hagwon, the name for a private institute, academy or cram school prevalent in South Korea. Here education is of utmost importance. The children have long school days followed by participation in after school educational programs provided through the Hagwon system. They receive help with their required school work and prepare for  participation in many other kinds of lessons.

Once a week we have the privilege of helping in a small library, a reading Hagwon. Our assignment is to help the students learn some conversational English. There are eight students between four and fifteen years of age. The kids are divided into  two classes. We partner with a set of young missionaries. I teach the younger kids and Fred teaches the older. We try to use games, pictures and even primary songs. The kids are smart and so very cute. We hope they will learn something during their time with us. We hope they will have a favorable impression of Americans and missionaries. We hope they feel they are loved and valued, by us and by Him!

December 20, 2014
NOTE: I want to update and clarify this post. During our time volunteering at the library we became close to the director- who uses the name Jennifer when speaking to Americans. She spoke minimal English, but the young missionaries often translated and we were able to learn much about her and the library. So for the sake of accuracy, I would like to correct some information in this post.  This library is not technically a Hagwan. They are private academies run as businesses and are often quite costly for the parents. The Korean government wanted to provide the advantage of additional education to less privileged children so they subsidized these little libraries. Jennifer started hers because she wanted her own children and others to develop a love of reading and to learn English. She did so without the approval of family and friends who thought she should focus on making money. Jennifer was able to attract more students and receive more subsidy because we are native English speakers and also each have a four year college degree. She constantly expressed her gratitude. Knowing those facts made our service more meaningful to us. It's been two months since we taught our last lesson there. I miss those sweet children and am so grateful for this choice opportunity.