Hello!! First email from Korea!
So this last week was good. It's really good to be back in Korea. I've definitely realized how much more I need to learn to be able to communicate well. Whenever I talk to anyone I can barely understand anything they say. It's really hard for me to communicate with native Koreans. It's definitely a lot different than talking to people at the MTC in Korean. But I have faith that I can learn this language. I can't even imagine how the other new missionaries must feel right now
after their first week in a completely foreign country.
The first night we went to the mission home and pretty much just went to bed. By the time we were in bed it was like 1 in the morning. We woke up the next morning at 6 and got ready and had breakfast with the mission president and his wife. Then we had interviews and went over to the church to have our first meeting. They talked to us about our mission and our standards of excellence and stuff then we got to go meet our trainers.
My companion is Elder Lee. He's from Jeongdo which is in the Daejeon mission. He is really good at speaking English, which is good since we would have a hard time speaking if we wasn't. We get along really well though.
I'm in the Anyang ward. There are a lot of members and the ward is really strong. When I got up to introduce myself during sacrament meeting and told them that I had lived in Daejeon when I was little they all were pretty excited. Some of the members came up to me after and said that they knew my dad. I'm pretty sure that some of them will email you, Dad. Just so you know. Anyway, the ward is amazing and I really am glad to be in the ward here.
This last week we did a lot of contacting, which I'm not very good at. Ha. It's so fun though. So many people reject us every day. Some people say some rude stuff about our religion too. Since I can't communicate very well I just try to get people's attention since I'm a foreigner and then I say a few things and let my companion talk to them once I'm lost. Whenever college or High School students walk by I just start speaking English till they look and then speak some Korean. Then we start talking about the church. It's hilarious. I'm trying not to get discouraged with the language 'cause I know that I will learn it. But still it's frustrating when everyone around you is talking and you can't understand what they are saying.
On Sunday Bishop Cho and his wife came to the Anyang ward. It was so good to see them since it's been so long. They took really good care of me. After church they took my companion and I out to eat at a pretty expensive restaurant in Anyang. Then they gave us tons of food and cookies from Paris Baggette which is also expensive. It was frustrating that I couldn't communicate better with them. They seriously are the nicest people I have ever met and I am so grateful
that I got to see them and spend time with them.
Well, I don't have too much time left. Also, I'm sorry I didn't send any pictures. We came to the library and I forgot my camera. I'll send lots of pictures next week though! I love you all! Thanks for the prayers and support. I don't have much time this week so I can't email everyone that I want to. Hopefully next week I can send individual emails to everyone. I'm sorry!
Love,
Elder Rife
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