a novel

Dear family-

Mom asked me to tell her everything..."Tell me about everything. The people, the sights, your feelings, your new companion, the Korean language, the food. I want to hear it all!"

So here it goes!

it is so strange to sit here and email you while I can hear movies on the computer next to me and all these high school age boys are in here playing video games. and yelling. Shouldn't they be in school? maybe it is there lunch time? Sister Goines and I always laugh...in here doing our missionary email.

Speaking of Sister Goines...she is SO awesome. I feel like she was sent here to train me! I am amazed at her faith. She just wants to set all the goals! and reach them! we are talking to so many people. Still no investigators, but I am loving it here. 평택 ward is awesome. they feed us so good. plus I have about 12 pounds of kimchi in the fridge. good thing we both love it! everyday we eat our meals on the floor. today's lunch is a pretty good example...rice, kim (the seaweed stuff), mandu (like potstickers), and kimchi. because it is getting really cold, we usually fry our kimchi or make this kind of soup stuff. and lots of veggies...they are so cheap! mushrooms or pumkin-zuchinni things or cucumbers. and Koreans always have fruit for dessert. after lunch and dinner. so we have lots of bananas or oranges or apples. I love that.

and yes, it is cold here! I can only imagine how Rossy is feeling because I am freezing! yesterday it was raining. and I was wearing little black flats. and my feet were so wet. good thing for my Korean coat! and tights...I go through like a pair a week. seriously. we layer on every morning...tights. skirt. shirt. button down. cardigan. inside coat liner (with fur^^), outside shell thing. scarf. I maybe will die in the winter?

one thing that I love about Koreans is how they take care of us. Two little foreigners! just for example...I was waiting at a bus stop and asked this girl if it went to the high school by the apartments we were looking for. she said yes. and she was riding the same bus! so we talked to her, introduced the Book of Mormon. She wouldn't take it, but was really nice! so as we are riding the bus, we are looking for the apartments and almost missed our stop! but she gets up from her seat, taps me on the shoulder and says "this is your stop!" ah. thank you! that also happened while I was on exchanges with Sister Ward in 신갈. I am so grateful for these sweet sisters that I get to serve with! It is weird to be the one conducting exchanges rather than just going on them. I am so blessed to get to learn from so many sisters as their STL though! and, a little miracle for me on that exchange, I talked to their bishop for like 20 minutes! in Korean! of course, it was still a challenge and I didn't really understand some, but it was an awesome moment.

another time...also on the bus...I asked the bus driver if 반지 apartments was in his route. He said yes. But, the stop is the name of this high school. so we didn't know to get off. so he waits. and we still don't get off. so he says "this is the stop." and points out the apartments. thanks for really nice bus drivers out here!

because we travel ALL the time. seriously lots. subway and bus and once in a while taxi. and our lovely members drive us a lot. We had dinner as the Relief Society president's house. and they gave me a teapot. Koreans are the most giving people. she is a returned missionary also and so helpful. with less actives and she is helping us try to have the Relief Society act on Elder Ballard's talk...that if we each would pray and have one person to refer to the missionaries by Christmas, millions of people would be touched. and what a Christmas gift to Christ. We gave out Mormon.org cards on Sunday for them to give to friends and family. Next week we will give out a quote. because working through the members is the best way!  speaking of that talk, HOW is that going for EACH OF YOU? right? because you are the awesome family that you are, I'm sure you already are praying for a missionary opportunity. I know that Heavenly Father will help you. for this is His work.

Yesterday in our English Branch, Brother Moffet gave such a great talk on gratitude. He mentioned that "gratitude isn't the light at the end of the path, it is realizing that there is sunlight all along the path. LOTS of it!" and there is! I loved that. finding sunlight everyday. even in the winter.

so, the Korean people? I love them.

the sights? beautiful and new.

my feelings? I am so blessed and grateful and love the feeling of being a missionary.

my companion? awesome.

the language? difficult...but it is a gift everytime I experience the gift of tongues.

the food? delicious!

anyone coming into the Seoul South mission, get ready! we work hard. we love people. and it is the best thing ever. Best mission in the world! (we think so ^^)

I love you all. eat lots of turkey and stuffing. and PIE! all the missionaries in our mission are having thanksgiving with families from the base, so it will be YUM!

I know our Savior lives. He loves us. We have the most precious gift in the world. and we have to share it.

xoxo, Sister Bassett