Hello family! I hope everyone had a great Christmas. It was amazing getting to talk to all of you. I can't wait to see some pics.
I'm still in the hospital... still kinda sick. Really, really, really tired. It started snowing a little bit ago, but now it looks like its already stopped. I'm dreaming of a white New Years.
So, I got sick last Wednesday. Stayed in bed all day Friday. Felt good. Got back to work. Felt sick again Tuesday night. Picked up my awesome greenie Wednesday morning. It was strange being at "Trainers Training." Seeing those jet lagged faces come in the room.... Their group was about the same size as my MTC group. The entire time, Elder Mejia and I just kept whispering to each other, "This is really weird." My trainer is one of the Office Elders still, so it was cool having him there too. Now that I think of it, I didn't snag a picture!!! Shoot. I need one with him and my trainee. Anyway. I was in and out of it the whole morning, already adding to the surrealism of the whole experience of getting a greenie. There were so many people who were instrumental in making me into the missionary I've become:
Lee Ji-Min was there taking care of paper work. And then these other Elders were also training:
Lee-Jeoung Hyun, my second companion. Elder Grant, my first Zone Leader. And Elder Hafen, who is kind of like my second trainer, seeing as I spent a week total with him my first transfer. They were all there, and they just kept telling me how proud they were, seeing me train so young.
They started announcing the trainers and their greenies. My name was called third, "Reyes. Won-ju. Elder Yoo."
Everyone started laughing, I yelled "4 for 4!" Four companions, all of them Korean. Elder Yoo speaks very little English, but it will be a great blessing, I have already learned so much, being forced to speak Korean almost 24/7. His older brother was actually my AP when I first came in, so he already knows a lot of what is expected of him. We did a little street contacting role play. And then we went outside. He asked, "What are we doing now." I said, "Contacting." He asked, "to who?" "To People!" He asked, "real people?!"
I told him not to worry, "You're Korean Elder, you already know how to speak the language." He was still pretty scared, but did great.
It was a long ride back to Elder Mejia's house, where we would stay. And I felt like I was gonna pass out the entire time.We got to the house, and I just laid on the bed. And started calling all of our members. " Hello brother (so and so), sister (so, and so). We're in Seoul, but I got my new companion, he wants to say hi." I did that for a good hour and a half, while laying down, on the brink of throwing up. That night I had the chills, every inch of my body was sore.
I got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. My body was too weak to get up the ladder of the bunk bed, so I just went back to sleep on the floor.
The next morning was our Christmas Mission Conference. I was still pretty bad, and slept through most of it. I got up to watch the skits and musical numbers for the talent show. Then fell back asleep. I started shivering after the conference ended. And they decided I'd better go to the hospital.
They brought me in, took my temperature, FREAKED OUT, stuck a q-tip 4 inches up my nose to check for swine flu, got a shot to the butt, (the first of several), and then put me in my own private room. My entire zone was with me for all of this. They were amazing. This is a whole lot for a greenie to handle his second day as a missionary, but he did great. He really took care of me. The next morning, I woke up, followed the study schedule as usual, and then knocked out.
The hospital I'm in is in Elder Eisenhauer's (who I was in the MTC with) area, and he's a bit under the weather as well. So his companion took my greeine out to get some missionary work under his belt, and Elder Eisenhauer and I have gotten to spend the last few days, including Christmas and Christmas Eve, hanging out together. Which is amazing, because he's one of my best friends. I'd like to hope having him around has sped up the healing process.
I'm on an IV half the time in here. And I;ve got a big ol' TV in my room that I can't watch as a missionary. I've been catching up on General Conference talks, and worrying about my area.
I can't wait to get back out on the streets, the now very cold, below freezing streets. The work needs to continue, there are people who need to get the chance to hear about the gospel. I love you all, have a Happy New Year. I'm so grateful that I got the chance to hear your voices.
Tell Billy and Jess congrats, and that I got there package. Tell the Stake Presidency thanks for the taffy. And tell Bob Weger I got what he sent as well, and give him a big hug for me.
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