ARRIVAL - Letter 1 from Letters From the Land of the Morning Calm

ARRIVAL

안녕하세요 Family and Friends,

Well, we made it!  We traveled very comfortably (thanks friends). We are here in The Land of the Morning Calm.  Yay!  There are Korean people everywhere:) The first two things that happened after we landed were: One, we walked into a wall of humidity (97% to be exact) which made my already bad case of bed-head worse and made sweat run down Dad's narrow little forehead; and Two, after eight months of studying, I couldn't for the life of me figure out which language they were speaking.  However, I was determined not to be disheartened. We love it here, and we love the Korean people.   The humidity is actually nice.  Bye Bye chapstick! 

Getting out of the airport was no easy task.  Tons of red tape and Covid shenanigans. When we were going through customs, I had a tickle in my throat and coughed. I then felt myself glancing around furtively feeling like I'd done something illegal, the fear of execution looming over me. 

Brother Park from the Church Area Office met us and was so nice.  He helped us find our van, and saw us off for the last leg of our journey.  We were told that the van ride would be five or six hours to Busan.  Dad was well behaved, as usual, but I felt despair (and anarchy) sweeping through the darkest recesses of my soul.  Fussy?  Perhaps,.... but no way out but through. :)  It ended up being a little over four hours, and we were starting to see double by the time we arrived at the mission home around 10:00pm.  The total travel time was 24 hours from departure.  We couldn't fly or take the bullet train from the Incheon airport to Busan because our quarantine started the minute we got off the plane.  

The four Office Elders (all masked),  President Jeong, and Sister Kim met us as we pulled in to the mission home parking lot.  It was so fun to see them standing there and waiting by the gate.  Touched our hearts. The four masked men were jolly and carried all six pieces of luggage up to our room.  They are our besties.  President Jeong was nice, and brief, for which we were grateful.  I'm sure he was ready to get home after our 31 days of tardiness.

The mission home is serene and nice.  We actually love it.  It's  just the right size although it does have a set of stairs that remind me of Mt. Everest, with a beautiful picture of the Savior (see pic) at the top which gives one reason to hope.  (There is a metaphor here, Peeps, reach for it.) 

As they were showing us around, we were eyeing the bed longingly. Little did we know of the misfortune that awaited us.  I refer to our bed as The Brick, and  Dad calls it our Slab of Granite.  Both descriptions work.  We have laughed again and again.  The bed is brand new, so there's that:).  We will get used to it I am sure but in the meantime.... hmmmm.:)  Each night we are at war with it, and so far... it is winning. 

In desperation, I rummaged through a storage closet and found a bedraggled, lumpy, body pillow about the length of Dad's leg.  It looked like it could offer some relief. I tried to balance my ever so slight self on it which was fun and unsuccessful. Thank heavens I have my minky (thanks friends).  One cannot be minklyless while sleeping on a brick.  As soon as we are out of our veritable house arrest, we will get a mattress topper at Costco, and everything will be fine! We love Costco. 

Alas, we have a piano, and I almost cried.  So, we will have music to accompany our fatigue. We are very comfortable in every other way, and it's an amazing place to be.  The mission home is cozy, well stocked, quiet, peaceful, and well built with beautiful wood floors. It also has beautiful artwork with a guestbook (thanks friends).  

Every bathroom has a bidet, and they remind me of Grandma Myrlene telling me one zillion times that I really needed to get a Bidoo.  Remember that day, Alex?  So that is what we call them.  We have Mt. Everest and Bidoos.

Adam, it has a table that seats twelve.  You'd be impressed.  It's what we need at home. All of you, run to Mama to see it. 

Speaking of house arrest, the Koreans are highly evolved and are tracking us daily.  We had to download the app that gives them access to our every move.  This is serious business people!  We feel somewhat like criminals, and we take our temps twice a day and report back to headquarters, wherever they may be.  It is like they are lurking behind our bushes stalking us.  Kind of like being in a spy novel, but it's actually real life.  It's awesome and impressive. 

And to top it all off, I've been given two blissful weeks of quarantine in one small house with one big man.  It is what dreams are made of, and I get him all to myself for once.  I'm pleased as punch.  No complaining here. I know I'll look back at lockdown fondly.  Basically, what I'm saying is that it is like we are on our second honeymoon, okay? :)  

Our nerves are settling down from our long months of preparation, and quarantine is nothing short of a gift.  Plus, I can wear Grandma's mumus in peace.  

The Assistants are omnipresent and always so helpful.  They are at our beck and call.  Today, they went out foraging for food for the shut-ins.  We are dependent on their tender care.  Having personal assistants do our bidding and actually love doing it is what I've always wanted.  Who wouldn't? 

They took us to our Covid test earlier in the week.  It reminded me of Prison Break.  The fugitives being set free and seeing the light of day.  This was our third Covid test.  Gosh.  They did the nose and the throat to my dismay.  It hit the gag reflex which was super fun.  I kept saying 아쁘 which means, "It hurts."  No mercy was granted. The sweet young nurse looked pained but kept going. We used to think our noses were our own business, but it is not meant to be.  

We are eating Kimchi.  We have a special Kimchi fridge.  We are going to be in probiotic heaven.  They have apples here that are gigantic, the mother of all apples.  I said to Dad, "Holy apple."  The food is delicious and plentiful.  Dangerous stuff.  I don't necessarily want to come home as Two Ton Tess.  It may just have to be though. 

Dad looks at me with pity as I eat dinner with chopsticks.  He says, "You poor thing."  I say, "That was hurtful."  We have established that I'm the Senior companion, and he is the Junior companion.  There was simply no other choice.  It was a no-brainer:)

Elder 윤, our Assistant, was in Paul Hess' mission.  Fun connection.  He speaks English well and is saving our bacon.  Elder Jung is his companion.  They are adorable.  Whenever I bust out some Korean, they laugh and are pleased and give me way more credit than I deserve.  I don't know why they think it's so funny, but I have given them my best work.  I am learning the most popular phrases that young people like. They just giggle. I say, "대반" which means "awesome", and it gets them every time. They say my pronunciation is good.  I showed them how I could tell time in Korean, and the friendship was cemented.  I love being me. 

So who knew?  Your very own father speaks Korean.  It's true.  He has been holding out on us, but now the cat is out of the bag.  He opens his mouth, and sometimes the gibberish just spews forth.  It's shocking.  If the Holy Ghost speaks to us from the pulpit of memory, then that is what is happening with Davey K.  

We bore our testimonies in Korean in a Zoom call with the missionaries.  It was our first meeting last Sunday evening, and we were nervous. The missionaries were so kind in welcoming us and sharing their love.  Midway through the meeting, two of the sisters sang for us, and it was a beautiful rendition of "There is Peace in Christ."  The harmony was amazing, and in a cappella, and really touched our hearts. We had another meeting that day via Zoom.  Elder Budge, who is in the Area Presidency, has been mountain biking with Dad, in Draper. He mentioned his big powerful legs.  I died.  Those beefsteaks are burning a thousand calories as we speak.

We miss you, Beloveds.  Remember that you're the Terrific Twelve. Kiss our little treasures for us.  Explain that Mimi and Papa are coming back.  You're not really orphans. You're okay. You're loved and adored. Keep tending each other.  You're doing so well, and we could tell from the pictures at the cabin and from California that we are working ourselves out of a job.    

We love it here.  It is beautiful and so are the Korean people.  We realize that this is a marvelous and a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we are very grateful.  We feel at peace in our beautiful mission home.

Here's my parting thought.  This is my new fave.  Exodus 14:14.  God told the Israelites, as they were leaving Egypt, to stand still, and He would fight their battles for them.  Sometimes we can't do anything else but stand still.  We are so small.  We are dependent on His help.  This is what He has done for us to enable us to get here.  You're all a part of that miracle.  So many have done so much for us.  We acknowledge it. We acknowledge your help.  We love and appreciate you so much.  Thank you friends and family for your support.  

He has fought our battles for us, and He is fighting yours for you too.  Just notice, and you'll see.  It's just a matter of attention.  

So there's our tale.  Stay tuned.

사랑합니다

Mom and Dad 

(David and Heidi)

(See pic 7.  My heart!)

(Also, don't forget to click on the link at the bottom.  You're in for a treat. This is a birthday song to Dad.)

 Love you President Killpack ‐ Made with Clipcha...