Thirty Years Ago

In the spring of 1994 I opened an envelope which contained a call to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, assigned to the Korea, Seoul West Mission. I left for the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on I think June 30 (maybe the 29th?), then boarded a plane for Korea on August 30th of the same year. I returned on December 30 of 1995. That mission was quite an experience. I loved it, I struggled so hard, sometimes I think I did some good and sometimes I think I was just a big dork who missed the point of a mission. I'm sure it was both and everything in between as well. 

Oh my gosh. I was so young. And had so much hair. (One second, I need to go cry. Be right back.)

Okay, moving on. Several months ago I started hearing about a mission reunion happening in July. Honestly, I was really nervous to go. I kind of felt like maybe I didn't actually have real close friends from mission. I was definitely feeling more focused on the "I think I might have been an idiot for my whole mission" side of things. I almost didn't go. 

OH MY GOSH I'M SO GLAD I WENT.

The reunion consisted of a whole weekend of events, and I was able to attend three things. 

On Friday night, there was a casual dinner at a Red Robin restaurant. Then on Saturday morning we reserved a whole bunch of seats for a session at the Draper temple. Finally on Saturday evening there was a Korean dinner and program at a stake center in Riverton. There were the fewest people at the Friday night restaurant. At first I was just kind of glomming on to a couple of elders I knew a little bit but not super well. Such nice guys. Funny, both named Elder Richards. One really short, one really tall. Great guys. And then two absolutely wonderful sisters arrived - Sister Bissey and Sister Brown. They actually were companions at the time I arrived in Korea and I spent my first day and night in the mission with them. They just made me feel taken care of. So great to see them! But best of all was towards the end of the evening, probably my best friend from the mission arrived. I honestly didn't expect to see him - I thought he lived in Arizona. His name is Elder Sanders, and we were in the same district in Incheon for a long time. He's just a dear dear friend. We were pretty close when we both got home but of course life happens and we hadn't been in touch for years and years. And the reunion was so sweet. He's just a brother of my heart. 

The next morning was the temple session, and I was able to reconnect with a different group. I was just glowing inside. Elder Little, Sister Backman, and more. 

I had to skip out on lunch at the park that afternoon because of the play at Hale Center Theater, but that night was the Korean dinner. I saw so many more people I was excited to reconnect with. The best was my big buddy Elder Brock from Florida. How cool that he came! He used to call me biscuit. Probably not appropriate for missionaries. But it was never meant in any way but dearest affectionate friends who were getting through missions together. I had been on a zoom call with him a couple of years before and there was no chance to connect because it was a big group. I was nervous he wasn't going to be that happy to see me. But the reunion was joyous, and the first thing he said was, "Biscuit!!!!" I'm grinning right now just thinking about it. I got to meet his wife too, who is just a total sweetheart.

I felt so comforted, like actually I hadn't been just a dork out there. I am so grateful I got to serve that mission. Would I do a better job today than I had when I was 21? Of course. But this reunion helped me feel better about the ways I wasn't perfect and better about the time I spent. That love we all felt was so real. I'm so glad I didn't chicken out.

Elders Mazcheck and Sanders, Korean Sign Language speakers

Elders Brock (Biscuit!) and Acton

My mission president, President Neilsen

Sister Bissey

Elders Little and Richards

Looking for the Bright Side

July. Seems like it has to happen every year. And we do our best to make the most of it. I'm sure it's no secret that July (and let's face it, August too,) are just not my favorite times of the year. I get very grumpy and feel claustrophobic in the heat. I just do not love it. 

I have been trying to remind myself that there are things about July that I actually love. These things occur mostly in the early mornings and the late evenings, but here are some things I love about July.

Fresh tomatoes.

Birds singing early in the morning. 

Flowers on our porch. 

Breathing in the warm summer air late in the evening.

Lying in a hammock. 

Crickets.

Watermelon.

Flip Flops. (Actually I get sick of those and long for my socks and shoes, but it's great at first.)

See, there are good things about summer. I just have to really focus on them and even then I sometimes lose my mind from being too hot and sweaty. 

Some July highlights:

Independence Day. It started out the way we like it - up Millcreek Canyon, with a fire in the pit, biscuits in the dutch oven, and gravy on the stove. We were missing one very important element, and that was our Romney. She had to be at work instead of with us! She spent the day slaving over sandwiches at Great Harvest Bakery. She's a hard worker, that Romney Ann. Weirdly, none of us had the slightest desire to watch fireworks. We went for an evening swim with the Moores and then retreated indoors. Well, Romney didn't. She went to see fireworks. 

Oh! We had a visitor! This little guy came to hang out in our yard all day on the 4th. We think it's a Western Screech Owl. He let us get so close! He did give me a couple of warning clacks with his beak when I got within about 10 feet, but he stuck around for quite some time. I sure hope he was interested in mice and not our chickens. He was quite small, and our chickens weren't nervous at all with him around. So I vote mice. 

Other July events - 

We celebrated the International Day of Play at the hospital. Here I am at one of the play tables with two of my officemates. Actually, former officemates. But that's a different story. 

We had some fun projects get finished up - Emma took an old satchel bag, removed a patch that was on the front of the pocket, and created her own design to embroider on it. This is the Place really got under her skin, I guess! Cute bag.

And I finished her gardenia quilt! Don't look too closely at it - it has a lot of flaws. But I love the design and it's so fun to have it on Emma's bed.

The last Saturday in July was an absolute marathon for me. It involved a 30 year reunion for my mission in South Korea, with events in the morning and evening, and in between Troy and I went to Hale Center Theater to see the son of our dear friends the Tates star as Ren McCormack in Footloose. He was absolutely fantastic. We had such a good time seeing him in the show then going out to lunch with this incredible group of friends.