The Samoan Slap Dance

English in Korea

With Elder K's encouragement I got up the nerve to ask the man across from me on the subway if I could take his picture.

Just SOME Of The Sights of Seoul

Happy Birthday Benjamin Clark Knudsen

My father prophesied Benjamin's birth. This is one of the reasons his middle name is Clark. And he looks an awfully lot like my side of the family. His always happy disposition as a child won everyone's heart and continues to win mine. I am grateful for his desire to do what is right. I am grateful for his willingness to think deeply and carefully. I am thankful for his honesty. I am grateful he is a part of me.
Happy birthday, my very youngest child!

Kim Woong Soo

Kim Woong Soo committed to baptism tonight for May 16, his birthday! Here he is with Elder Turley and Elder Matyskiel. We are thrilled and are so grateful to Heavenly Father and the spirit that was felt as we talked of important things! How it will change his life!

Seoul Mannequin Series Part III

Eating With Karla, Gigi and Kurt

Multiply

Having six children is, of course, a breeding ground for happiness, joy, pain, anxiety, love, sorrow and all the emotions tucked in between. Yet, never have I felt this kind of pain, this kind of sorrow. I feel like every cell of my body aches. I am trying to understand. These words keep coming to me: "greatly multiply thy sorrow." I quickly look it up, knowing God is taking to Eve but wanting to know the context and why this message to me. In Genesis it says: "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and they conception; in sorrow shall thou bring forth children." In the foot notes under multiply it says: HEB increase thy discomfort and thy size (i.e. in the condition and process of pregnancy). And under sorrow it refers to suffering. Having six children with nothing for the pain, I understand the discomfort and suffering part. Could this not only apply to pregnancy and belly size but also to the multiplication of generations: as our family increases in size our joy not only increases but also our discomfort, or sorrow?
Before I go to bed we call Ann, morning in Fairfax, Virginia. Her voice is bright, optimistic, happy, hopeful, in short, everything it was not the night before. She acknowledges two things: God and sleep. (I do think God is there when we sleep.) For the first time in days I go to bed content. Content that right now she is well. "I can do this," she says. I can do this. I prayed a miracle would happen. But of course, in my short sightedness I prayed for a certain miracle, a specific thing I wanted to happen so I wouldn't be in pain any more. I did always say "never the less" but it was quiet, almost like I didn't want God to hear. This morning (Fairfax, Virginia night) we hear Mary Deane laughing in the background. Ann tells us of the good 3 hour nap of Mary Deane and how she fiercely fought off the nurses, the vitals checker, the housekeeping ladies to keep her baby asleep. "I am happy," Ann says, "when she is happy." I know. I know because joy is multiplied. I know because sorrow is multiplied.
How God could watch His Only Begotten Son take on the sins of this world and not take the cup from Him is beyond my very feeble, selfish mind. Sorrow multiplied how many times? Sorrow multiplied for us. How I am humbled at the thought. But God, the great creator, loved us perfectly.
So joy and sorrow are multiplied. That is the miracle of families. Joy is multiplied with each new person added to the family circle, in-laws, grandchildren, great grandchildren and on and on. It is an eternal link of joy and sorrow.
I will be grateful for this commandment: multiply.

Just One of the Reasons I Love Korea

A new discovery! It is called cutting ginger--or in other words FRESH GINGER ALL READY TO GO!

Seoul Mannequin Series

My Guys in Seoul

My Two Computer Geniuses

Welcome to Seoul!

Yes, it is a blur! Jacob has arrived and hopefully will have a great sleep tonight so we can get started on our Seoul adventure. Pure heaven is what I call it--Jacob down the hall!