WOW! SIX WEEKS IN KOREA -BLACK AND WHITE - AND....LOTS OF COLOR!

LOOK at these beautiful flowers!!  They are everywhere we go and so beautiful!  They came on right after the cherry blossoms fell off and I've been told when they go away we will see roses everywhere!  Flowers make my heart sing!

I realized today - we have been in Korea for six weeks!  It has flown by - we have kept very busy! It has slowed a little bit and we are taking a moment to focus in on what meets our missionary purpose - and maybe what doesn't quite as well - you can be as busy as you could possibly want, but we have learned we better pace ourselves or we may burn out all too soon!  It is an awesome feeling to  be set apart as a missionary - I believe we are being given extra strength and also being helped with missing our family and friends! Technology is great as we are able to communicate and know that all is well at home. 

This week, however, I told Elder Lowe I was worried about what might happen next with our family.  Since we have been out, my nephew was thrown from a motorcycle 100 feet and injured, my niece had a brain tumor removed, my grandson was in a car accident and my granddaughter broke her foot - As I thought about all these events I was reminded by a dear friend here in the branch what the blessings were for our family - each one of these situations could have been far worse and she told me "See how the Lord is protecting your family as you serve Him". I felt humbled by that comment and decided I better get back to work and let the Lord do the protecting - I can pray for them and put their names in the temple halfway around the world from them - and I CAN BE THE LORD'S HANDS! 

We have had some tender experiences - at times, I wonder if we are meeting our purpose and doing all we can - but when we take a minute to serve as a volunteer on the base or go and visit a family in the branch or work with the young missionaries or enjoy time with our newfound single and unaccompanied friends here - I realize our lives are being blessed in ways we could never have imagined!  When you are serving the Lord - somehow,  He always rewards you with way more than what you put into.  This week we visited a family and they, like all of us have some hard trials with their children - we had such a spirit filled visit - they blessed our lives and we feel like we were able to bless theirs and let them know that we are all imperfect people trying to Come unto Christ and feel of His Joy.

I've been thinking of Moses 1:39 where it says: "For behold this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal live of man."  It is glorious to help others.

Well 

On the 24th of April I began my time as "Grandma Osan" at the library on base.  I will go each Thursday and sing and dance and read stories with the preshoolers and toddlers - it's a hoot!  This week the fire truck came and Sparky was with them.  The intent was they would get to go and see the truck and take a picture around the truck - well just as we were driving onto the base, a downpour came out of no where - the temperatures here are similar to those in Utah and Idaho but the moisture content is much higher and when I say downpour  - it's not like anything you will see at home - but the sweet thing was as soon as it was time to start the rain stilled for a minute and they were able to get their pictures and then come in and have the firemen read to them.  Next week is about Mother's Day - I think we will enjoy this part of our mission- it's only an hour out of our day - but we are having an opportunity to meet and be supportive of many of the young mommies on base.  Our job is to support the whole military - not just the members of our faith- so this has been very rewarding!

April was the month of the military child and we were able to help with the event at the school yard with the Red Cross - another chance to get to know and help the families of the community. There are some delightful people here with some very fascinating stories.

We also completed our certification to help with the USO - we have not been able to work in a time yet but we look forward to serving there a day a week helping to encourage and uplift our military personel

Aside from helping the military, we also are called upon to help the junior missionaries with their access to the base and needs they may have.  This week, our Sisters needed their foreign cards stamped and our Elders needed access to the base. So after our district meeting, we took them to lunch (We enjoy doing that because they know where the good spots are and how to order and they are great company!)

So we divided and conquered, I took the Sisters and Elder Lowe took the Elders then I rode the bus (MY FIRST TIME ALONE) to the base and eventually found Elder Lowe - he had left his phone in the car, so needless to say after many calls and calling the elders, I got a lot of steps in before I found them!

Each Monday night we hold a Family Home Evening with the singles, YSA, Missionaries, and unaccompanied military members. We hold a lesson time and then an activity of sorts and then we have treats of some sort - this has been a very rewarding experience! At times, we have five different languages there. We try to get the quotes and scriptures in all the languages so each member can feel valued!  We have English, Korean, Sinhayla, Arabic, and Spanish!  Pretty Cool!  Last Monday, I made some salsa and queso to celebrate CInco de Mayo! Needless to say, I find myself in the kitchen in any spare minute I might have!  It's not required, but I know food brings people and it makes them feel a little extra loved! We are doing things with this group on Wednesday and Friday nights as well.  On Wednesday we call it "Come Follow Conference" and we ask the participants to bring a conference talk that speaks to one of the principles in the Come Follow Me lesson for the week.  On Fridays- we gather at the chapel on the base and have a game night.  On the first Friday of the month we take them to the bowling alley.  We are loving the relationships we are building with our friends! We have a friend of another faith who has been joining us for the past three weeks - kind of fun to see love in action! 

May is definetly FLOWER MONTH!  These flowers are everywhere I look - I think they are azaleas!  They are amazing!  Everything is greening up and it's very beautiful. We have discovered a hill with many trails and exercise equipment of sorts that we have enjoyed walking through - it's nice to have a little spot to get out of the high rises everywhere - even though the high rises encircle the trails it's very beautiful.  The other day Elder Lowe was doing a pull up on one of the bars and a Korean gentleman had been there before him - He approaced us and wanted to know how old Elder Lowe was, it's a common question here in Korea - and they wear their age proudly!  He had been doing several pull ups before Randy, and he told us he was 85!  Pretty amazing!  He told us we should come out every day where the air was better and enjoy and we would be in good shape as well!  We need to take that to heart because the gym in our apartment complex doesn't open until 9 am and we are usually out the door to the base by then and when we come home we crash into bed!

WE DISCOVERED BINGZU!!

It has to be the best dessert I have ever had!  There are a lot of treats here that melt in your mouth, but this was so good!  It wasn't heavy!  It's like shaved ice, but better! I think it's coconut milk frozen and shaved. I have no idea what the cream looking stuff on top is just that it is amazing! and of course, the strawberries were delicious!  Worth a trip to Korea just to try the Bingzu!

Elder Lowe all dressed and ready to do his first Newcomers Briefing for the Newcomers. He did a great job! He will be doing this every 2nd and 4th Wednesday for the Red Cross - it's fun and it gives us a chance to meet the new people coming to Osan

Every Tuesday morning we go to District meeting with the young missionaries.  It's usually held right near our apartment but a week or so ago it was held at Camp Humphreys, about 40 minutes or so from us.  Well, there's a Texas Roadhouse on Camp Humphreys so we splurged and went for lunch afterwards.  Camp Humphreys is the largest overseas military  facility and it was pretty cool!  They had the largest commisary and Base Exchange I had ever been in!  Bath and Body works had it's own store there as well - I think we will be making a few trips over there!  Plus, the army spreads things out so there is open space there!

It's nice to get some American food at times - but it's much more expensive than eating the local cuisine!

This is a picture of a couple of our unaccompianed airmen coming to FHE - as you can see- it's a small electric scooter but they still made the effort to come!  We love our goup!  They are dedicated and great friends. The guy in the blue shirt is our Elders Quorum first counselor and by default is our Branch Mission leader - he has left his wife and kids home while he serves his country!  He has helped us with the public transportation to the temple!  So great to help each other!

This is another one of our airman's cars - he has loaded the jr missionaries in to give them a ride back to their apartment!  We do enjoy all being together on family nights - as we are all away from our families!

Did you ever think you would see such a variety of pringles - and yes one of those flavors is Oreos!

Tony's frosted flakes has made it all the way to Korea - we we these everywhere!  There are a lot of similar items but the flavors vary a little from what you would expect!

I couldn't resist snapping a picture of these darling children!  I love the Korean kids - they are so chill and cute! I think this was a daycare out for a walk in our complex because there were two other ladies with four or five kids in their sunbonnets out for a stroll. The Koreans really value their children! There are speed bumps all over around all the schools - Last Monday was a National Childrens Day - it was a holiday.  And today is Parents Day - it's fun to see there reverence for families!

The above three pictures were taken on Easter Sunday!  We had a lovely dinner with our friends and the missionaries - I love Easter - so it was nice to be able to have a special meal with these folks!

I have to close with gratitude for my sense of smell - it was so fun the last week or so of April to walk out of our apartment and smell these lilacs! The bushes were small but they smelled so awesome!  I have so much more to journal about and blog about - but I think I better make this the end for now!

Happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful ladies out there!