December 25, 2011 Merry Christmas!

We were able to hear from Sister Richardson Sunday Christmas Day about 3:30pm - it was her Monday Morning!  We were able to call her back on Skype and there was a little bit of a delay but we could hear each other fine (no video).  Her nieces and nephew talked to her first and then one by one Rachel, then Jenn & Matt got to talk to her and Jon came flying home from work on a break so he could talk to her then he had to go back to work. Mom & Dad got to listen and we'd chime in every once in  awhile.  Then we got to talk to her and ask her the questions we'd been writing down.  She spoke Korean with her Companion Sister Siepel for a little so we could hear them speak.  She sounds healthy and loving it.  She doesn't feel like she has the language down, but is understanding more and she planned on going out and buying a translator so she can have a little more help.  The food is really good and she is getting used to "spicey"  One of her favorite dishes is duck with rice cakes. 

She has sent some pictures so we'll share those too.  We lost her right before the time was up and we wondered where she went - and said "well that's one way of not getting too emotional - not having to say Goodbye!"  Ended up - she could still hear us, we just couldn't hear her.. So she called back and we did have to say Goodbye - but we can't wait for Mother's Day when she can call again!  It was just great to hear her voice and she misses the nieces and nephews so much and our 7 year old Grandson J.T. stood by the table the whole time after he got to talk to her and just listened and later as he left he said "I didn't come over here to play...I came over here to talk to Nelly!"  He would throw in a comment every once in while to let her know that he was still there!  So sweet.

So later that night she was able to send her regular weekly email too, so that was fun to hear from her again that night.  She wrote "So good to call home! I was so excited last night we were talking and I remember thinking I don't want to talk I just need to go to sleep so I can wake up and call home! I hope your Christmas was fun....I played Grandpas Video in  my  mind on Christmas eve after I got my jammies and hot cocoa! :) Can't wait for next year! (Grandpa Richardson would recite the Story of Christ's birth from Luke every Christmas Eve at our house - one time we video taped it so we would have it forever!)

She said Last Tuesday was Temple day so went there in the morning and then ran to next 3 lessons right after another ....so  much food and each of them semi painful!  Wednesday we went to our zone leaders area for district meeting and we all shared our favorite Christmas Hymn or Scripture, it was really fun.  If they said a hymn we sang a verse, and our zone sounds pro choir so it was fun!  My favorite Hymn is Away in a Manger, Christmas season when is, everyone asks "what do you want this year? and I love the 3rd verse of that hymn cause it tells  us what we really want, at the end of the day that's what I ask for, just for God to be near me and all of his children, and help us get back to him.  I used to think it's kinda random verse for a Christmas hymn but it shows how Christ came to earth, and he didn't need much...he didn't even need a warm bed, a manger did just fine...and really we don't need a whole lot either..just Him.  Anyway after meetings we practiced our skit for Thursday which was the huge mission conference, each zone had a slideshow and skit to perform, ours was way fun we did impersonations of other missionaries, Sister Siepel and I had to be the old Asst. to the President so it was kinda funny, that was fun to be with everyone though and then after the conference we had p-day the rest of the day. So we went to "On the border" again - I miss my chimi's too much - need to go every couple of months.  Friday our ward had their Christmas party...it was so fun.  A lot of our English class came, it was so good.  Our dance class performed but no one knew the dance so it was a disaster!  But it was a very funny one!  Two of the ladies busted out belly dancing skirts so they were jungling away and when everyone started crashing into each other we just all laughed through it!  At one  point one of the ladies was bent down laughing and she couldn't even stand up, when we left that night it was snowing!

  It was so pretty and it actually gets warmer when it snows so I was welcoming it!

Only one lady Maria came to dance class so we had a private ballet lesson with her.  Marsha came after dance class and we all sang hymns in English.  We tried to leave after that and Maria said "are you going home now?" and we said "No we can't go home till 9" so she asked us where we were going and we told her "on the street to talk to people" She freaked out...."NO It's COLD!  It's Christmas Eve! You should have an appointment so you're not outside" "well, yeah that would be great but we don't have one".  She said "Just go home no one will know" hahah we told her "God will know!"  She said "He'll understand, it's OK..I know him!"  that was funny, so then we said "well what if someone is out there all sad and lonely and need us to talk to them?" and she screams "I"M SAD! I"M LONELY! TALK TO ME!" so she rushed us back inside haha.  it turned out so good !  She comes to all of our activities but won't really meet us for lessons so it was so good to have her by ourselves and talk and see where she is at!  She taught us traditional Korean dance and then we ordered dinner and watched Nora's Christmas with her.  At the end she said "I'm so glad I had somewhere to go tonight - I was going to go home and clean!"

Christmas Eve!

Sunday our President gave us the gift of sleep!  we got to sleep until 8!  We had a Yummy Breakfast

 Sister Siepel didn't want you to see her sleepy face.

and then off to church one hour and it was a special musical sacrament.  Then off to one lesson and off to the other concert and then after that went caroling!  There was a drunk guy that was stealing our spotlight but that's ok...he danced in front of us and tried to sing along....everyone had their gadgets out recording it and laughing away...I'm sure we are on U tube by now hahah it was good! 


 Sorry the pic of our church is blurry.







 This was just a cool picture of an area with all the kimchi pots on the roof of a house.











 This is my MTC group but missing Elder Porter.  Elder Gilis snuck in (he is our younger district and was the only Elder that came to Seoul so we adopted him into our group!

 

 

 This the Missionaries in Bong Chun - Sister Siepel and I and Elder Greer (from Gilbert!) and Elder Ean.

 Me being SICK from all the candy and snacks we received!! haha

 Pretty Sunset and buildings.













Fall was So pretty!  Had to get picture with leaves!

 This is the Big Mission Photo that was taken at the Christmas Conference - We hope you have a Merry Christmas!  Try to find Sister Richardson!  (It's not hard)

"Merry  Christmas and Have a Happy New Year as well!  LOVE YOU!!!"