Weekly Letter September 21, 2014

I get lots of questions about Korea, so I thought that today I'd finally share on of my short essays on Korea: "Reflections on Rampant Grandmas."
     One of the largest differences I've observed in Korea (compared to back home in the States) is the apparent lack of control over their senior citizens. I have, as of yet, neither seen nor heard hide or hair of a nursing home, or any sort of retirement facility. The phrase "retirement" seems to only refer to the old men who hang out all day, drinking and playing chess. I'm not sure exactly what happens to the feeble and infirm.(1)
     It's not as obvious among the men as among the fairer sex. This is likely because old men are more likely to chill with each other and drink in the shade, than anything else. The grandmas, on the other hand...
     They're everywhere! Some run streetside shops that are often just vegetables over a blanket, while the vast majority collect trash in massive rickshaws. Becuase Koreans sort their trash, it's extremely easy to find the things that the city dump will pay for, by the kilo. I'm not sure where they get them, but it seems every grandma in Korea is equipped with a basic rickshaw/cart.(2) Personally, I'm unable to think of a more common sight in Korean than a hunched over grandma, pulling a cart full of trash.
     Don't misunderstand -- these grandmas aren't the enslaved, mistreated, victims-of-society-who-need-a-social-crusader type of hard workers. They love what they do! They may be one of the happiest groups in Korea.(3) They seem to have a special pride in their work, and a unique bond with each other. Nobody pities them, and they wouldn't take pity if offered it. They're a special group, and everybody gives them the respect they deserve.
     Of course, there's a few crazy ones, as there's bound to be when working with so many old folks. They're in a one-of-a-kind position because of their age. Since most of Korea's culture is based off of Confucian teachings, those older than you are automatically venerated and respected. In the case of senile grandma's, this shifts into a humerous tolerance of their shenanigans. For the most part though, this aged strata of Korea's society is remarkably sound.
     It always comes back to the fact that they are literally everywhere. If they all united, they could likely conquer the country, if they so desired. Never in my life did I think that I would se so many toothless, wrinkled, white-haired grandmas hobbling around everywhere.(4)
     When it comes to grandmas, they're even more numerous than the churches(6) -- and that's saying something!

1. Grandmas in Korea, though small, seem to be incredibly fit. I assume there's some sort of Darwinian "survival of the fittest" that roots out the weaker ones. It's my honest opinion that a typical American (or British, or any other highly developed country) grandma could not survive as a cardboard collecting grannie in Korea.
2. The rickshaw/carts used by the old women are remarkably uniform in style. It's this essayist's opinion that either a) rickshaws are distributed by the government, in support of the grandmas, or b) a long time ago, there was a seller of carts well-beloved by the grandmas. His carts became extremely popular, and though he passed away decades ago, his carts are passed down from grandma to grandma, having become legendary for their durability.
3. For some reason, Koreans seem to forget how to smile once they enter puberty. It isn't until they become extremely aged that society's effects wear off, and they regain the ability to enjoy daily life.
4. To overcome the infirmities of age, grandmas in Korea have developed a highly-effective, extremely disconcerting bow-legged style of running (theories suggest that it may have use in frightening predators) to complement their steady hobbling. I've personally witnessed the bow-legged run, and words cannot describe it. It is unforgettable.
5. This essayist cannot think of a single moment since he's come to Korea where he couldn't see, at the very least, 2 churches. An upper-limit, from a street-view, would probably be about 10. (The karaoke bars of Korea are even more numerous, with dozens on a single street).

Something fun is that I've adopted Skyler and Tyson Hull's snap/fist-bump (I think that's where it's from...), and I'm using it as my "thing." People love it! Our ward mission leader started giving fist bumps to everybody a couple of weeks ago, but know he gives the snap bump! He's adopting my style! I thought that was hilarious.
 I was studying in 3 Nephi this week, and read a scripture that's always impressed itself on my mind. I was feeling downhearted about somebody, and was considering whether all my efforts had had any effect on them, and if I should give up. Then, I read this verse, and it reminded me what my purpose is.

32 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal‍ them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.

 Unto such ye shall continue to minister. "Don't give up. Don't stop trying. You don't know what kind of effect you might have. You don't know whether or not they'll return, and you'll have been the one who saved them. You don't know when they'll be healed. You don't know; so don't stop until that day." There is nobody I'm willing to give up on, nobody who's so far gone that they're not worth the effort. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you've done, you can repent. You can come unto Christ, and be healed. That is one of the most magnificent promises in all of the scriptures. "I will heal you." Surely, anything would be worth that magnificent promise.

As we keep meeting with members, I realize more and more that one of my talents is confidence in speaking. I may not always know the words to use, but I'll certainly go for it anyways. That helps me a lot when meeting with members. I'm definitely social; I love speaking in Korean, especially now that I know enough to joke around with members and make witty remarks. I also love using the Korean expressions! I love those a lot. They're usually a bit goofy, but really funny.

Church keeps getting better! The more I focus, the more I'm able to understand, and I'm loving it! I really am starting to understand the speakers. We go to the Aaronic Priesthood meetings, and yesterday was a real fun lesson about being self-sustaining, language, etc. It's funny how similar the lessons are, whether they be in Korea or America. One of the teachers (we have about 6 young men) compared me to Sam Hammington, a really famous foreigner in Korea. He's a fat Australian, who has flawless Korean and is actually a Korean citizen now. He's similar to Robert Holley, the returned missionary who's a huge tv star here. Sam Hammington's also a really famous tv star, which I think is a cool comparison, except he's huge! It didn't sting too badly though, especially since his mom told me the week before that my face looked slim. It's funny, but on the one hand you get fat comments, then on the other hand you get, "Wow, you're really losing weight!" Not sure which is better. ;)

 Sorry this week's letter is so short; I don't know where all the time went. It was a more laid back week this week, since a lot of our appointments rescheduled for next week. Hopefully those appointments stick!

Faithfully,

Elder Austin Lynn