HEART AND SEOUL April 30, - May 7, 2006

HEART April 30 - May 7, 2006

Dear Family,
As you will recall, Dan & Ann delivered Jinsook to BYU a week ago and she has had her first week of schooling. We were invited tonight for dinner as guests of her parents, EunSang Lee and his wife Sister O. They picked us up at our apartment and drove us to another part of town which was new to us and about a forty-five minute drive. We took the elevator to the 23rd floor of a typical Korean apartment house where we met Jinsooks 22yr. old sister, Meensun, her younger brother a Junior in high school and her thirteen year old sister. Also living with them is Brother Lee's mother who we recognized as a regular temple attender. The apartment overlooked the city in most every direction and was a typical middle class dwelling.
We were served the Korean style dinner with the standard side dishes and the main dishes being bulgogi (Korean beef) and boiled chicken, followed by a fruit plate and ice cream bars. As if this wasn't enough, upon leaving they presented us with a potted carnation plant, two large musk melons, bag of oranges and bunch of bananas. Their hospitality was overwhelming. Sister O was concerned about her dinner to please us, but we could not get over the work she had gone through to provide such a lovely meal and her children were models of genuine politeness.
Brother Lee who is just turning fifty, is a great example of the faith that many Korean saints have. While serving as a counselor in the stake presidency with our temple recorder Brother O., he was dismissed from his employment at LG, a large appliance manufacturing company which is similar to General Electric Co. in America. At the time, he held an upper management job and had to make a decision whether or not to entertain customers by taking them golfing on Sunday as to refuse meant his job, which he ultimately did and was without work for a number of years. In early 2004 he was given a blessing by Elder Kikushi who promised him properous employment. He then did find employment and rose to the top so quickly that he is now a CEO of a company that does financial management for a number of dental clinics and similar businesses. During these troubled times, he never failed to pay his tithing or shirk his church duties. We felt the same happy optimistic spirit in their home as much as any place we have been.
We had a pleasant surprise Wednesday when Scott Hutchison, son of Scott Hutchison whose mother is Darlene Hutchison our good friend called us and joined us for lunch. He is here on an internship with a company that teaches English to foreign students and will be attending the English speaking branch with us as he did today. Scott had served his mission here and for one year was under President Sellers.

SEOUL

We have enjoyed the association with the Evergreen society and for our last time took their semi-annual excursion to the lakes district of Korea. This was a two hour trip south to central Korea where we boarded excursion boats and not only did we view beautiful sceenery but danced in the aisles to the singing of our guide. This was one of several lakes that were made thru the assistance of America who provided the funds and their beauty was a treat to all of us.
As these reservoirs filled, they had to remove the buildings/folk villages and move them to higher ground. We climbed to the top of the hills where they had moved these villages and looked down upon the beauty of these lakes.
Before returning home, we stopped at a roadside restaurant and were fed a Korean dinner but this time we were able to sit in an area that had standard size table and chairs.
Our hosts on our bus are great kerioki fans and sang and danced in the ailes all the way home and our ears were ringing well into the night. It was a most enjoyable day and we are going to miss the many friends we have in this group and the great fun we've enjoyed on their excursions.