The One When She went Skinny-Dipping with a bunch of Old Ladies at a Public Bathhouse

Hey y'all!!

Yes. you read that right. I did indeed spend the morning at a public bathhouse with a bunch of nakey old ladies. But please let me explain...Haaha.

Bathing together is totally okay here in Korea...? Actually, I knew that at some point during my mission I would have to go the bathhouse. It's just part of the Korea experience. Last night during daily planning Sister Jung and I were talking about what we should do on our last P-Day together and we joked about going to the bathhouse (missionaries are allowed to go on P-day mornings between 6 and 7). I was like "heck no." Just so everyone knows, I am the kind of person who feels violated walking from the shower to my room to get my towel when there's not even anyone home. But our shower randomly started to flood and we don't have anything to fix it, so we really did have to go...and I am scarred for life. But it was actually kind of fun...if you can use the word 'fun' to describe it? Haha. Basically after you pay and you go into this big locker room and everyone just starts strippin down to their b-day suit without any warning. Haha. It took me like five minutes to get undressed. Haha. Sister Jung was cracking up. Koreans have gone to the bathhouse since they were little, so it's no biggie to them. Anyway... After that there are different baths that you chill in with a bunch of old ladies. So yeah, this morning I basically went hot tubbing with a bunch of naked 60- and 70-year-old old ladies. Haha. But when else in your life can you say that? You've gotta love Korea! After bathing, we were getting dressed and right as I was thinking "I never want to see another naked lady ever, EVER again" about 7 buck-naked old ladies ran by. It was like the part in Mulan where Mulan has to bathe with all of the dudes except (thankfully) it was just old ladies.

Well, that was an experience. 

Anyway. Now that we have discussed Sister Johns's mental scarring, let's talk about missionary work!

This week was great! We couldn't meet with Kim Hyunji and set a baptismal date because she had to work, but she is really progressing. We are going to set a baptismal date this Friday. She is also going to a YSA camp this weekend with the members, which will be so great! I am so excited for her. She is the cutest and so prepared for this message. Please keep praying for her. Coming to church is hard for her with her work/university schedule.

Han Mihyung is also doing great. We met with her and Hong Yeji on Thursday and she taught us the traditional method of making and serving Korean tea (lol...good luck teaching the Word of Wisdom, right?!). It was super beautiful and it actually gave us a great opportunity to teach the W.o.W. They actually understood it a lot better than I thought they would! Before we left, Han Mihyung asked us about faith, so we shared Alma 32:21 and she asked to have a Book of Mormon so she could read it on her own and figure out for herself if it's true! Thatta girl!! I love her to death. She is the best I know that when she gets her answer about this message, she will stick it out and endure to the end because she really wants to know for herself if our message is true. She is so amazing and she treats me like I am her daughter. Please keep praying for her. Especially that she will get an answer on her own about the Book of Mormon.

On Saturday we met with Hong Yeji again. We got special permission to go to Masan to meet with her because she wanted to show us her house. We went out to Italian food that actually tasted like Italian food! It was so fun. We talked about books and music and art and life and it was so fun. Hong Yeji really is a kindred spirit! As we were talking, I expressed to Hong Yeji that I am a little nervous about pursuing Art History because getting a good job at a museum is really, really hard. Then she gave me the best advice ever. She told me about how when she was my age, she really wanted to study English/literature and become a librarian at the national library in Seoul, but everyone told her that if she did she wouldn't make any money. So she chose to study accounting instead. She got her degree and now she is an accountant/banker and she makes plenty of money, but she is so unhappy and regrets her choice she made when she was 20 every single day when she goes to work. Next year she is going back to school to get an English/literature degree and do what she wants to do so she can finally be happy and content with life. She told me to stick with what I love, work hard, and trust God because He will help me every step of the way (funny how our investigator taught me a lesson!). When I was set apart as a missionary, I was blessed to be able to have a confirmation about what I should study and I really think that was it. After that I shared 2 Timothy 1:7 with Hong Yeji because I felt impressed to share it with her during personal study (I am reading the New Testament start to finish right now. It's the best, ya'll should too, just sayin). She really loved it and it really was just what she needed. I shared my testimony and then she really opened up to me about where her faith is right now. In her darling Konglish she told me the story of a little boy who lived at the time of Jesus. When Christ was in prison prior to His crucifixion, the little boy saw Him and felt sad and confused because the man was wearing a funny thorn crown. When he saw that Jesus was only wearing a thin cloth, he felt bad and brought Him a blanket and some bread. Jesus and the little boy talked and became best friends. Hong Yeji said that she feels like the little boy because Jesus is her best friend. Throughout her life her relationship with Jesus is like the seasons. When she was young it was always summer. They walked closely on the road of life. But as time went on and she grew up and became busy sometimes it would become summer or fall. But right now she feels like it is winter because she is so lonely because she is 30 and unmarried, her friends have moved on, and she hates her job. She said she still loves Jesus, but she can't understand why her life has turned out the way it has. I felt so sad when she told me this. I told Hong Yeji that we may feel like it's winter, but it's always summer for Jesus and he is always ready to walk closely with us on the road of life when we are ready to come back on the path with him. I shared Alma 7:11-12 and she really loved it. The spirit was so strong. Then Hong Yeji opened up about how she has had really bad luck with relationships. She told us about how the man she loved cheated on her and married the other woman. Forgiving him was so hard, but she did and now she really hopes he's happy. Hong Yeji has the most beautiful heart in the world. I don't know if I could forgive someone the way she did. After that we talked about our dream guys (lol), about how looks aren't important, and Hong Yeji really comforted me about not being there for Kayleigh's wedding. I told her that I have faith that she will marry someone really wonderful (and there is actually an amazing and cute guy in the Jinhe ward who is in the exact same boat as Hong Yeji...just sayin). It was the best night. We laughed and cried and talked together and comforted each other because right now, the lives we're living aren't easy. I am going to be so sad if I leave Jinhae after this transfer. But Hong Yeji and I have decided to stay in touch no matter what. She also said that if I get transferred to somewhere close by, she will come visit one P-day. Please pray for her. She is the most wonderful, beautiful person and I feel that she is the reason why I was called on my mission to Korea. 

This week was so great. I love y'all so much! Have a wonderful week! Write me if you get time and I'll do my best to write you too!

사랑해요!!

"I you love"

Sister Johns 

We made "chocolate-white chocolate" cookies (they are made of salt, pepper, mushrooms--the 'white chocolate'--, vinegar, tomato juice, etc) and gave them to the Elders...it was so funny. We are just a little evil 

Han Mihyung teaching us how to do traditional Korean tea

Group jundo in the rain (Elder Roper and Elder Wienken went on emergency exchanges together for a day and they're in their first and second transfer...lol. I have no idea how they survived). 

My lovely friend, Hong Yeji

So cute: Hong Yeji ordered me bread-bowl pasta because Koreans think that all Americans love bread. :) I could only eat like 1/4 of it because it was so much food! Haha.