Sendai Japan Mission 2011-2014: Mission Presidents Seminar in Korea

November 14-18, 2011 we flew to Seoul, Korea to meet with the Area Presidency and their wives with the other Mission Presidents and wives in the North Asia Area. We spent a wonderful 5 days with these friends that we have come to love and appreciate so much.

With the Mechams (Micronesia Guam Mission) on the day we arrived. We went for a long walk through this beautiful park across from our hotel that was full of autumn leaves.

Someone with a lot of time on their hands gathered up all the colorful leaves on the sidewalks, divided them into colors and made these beautiful hearts along the sidewalk. I was amazed no one even tried to destroy this artwork.

Rich colored red leaves.

Mr. Handsome!

Overlooking the big, beautiful city of Seoul.

The first night was dinner and Family Home Evening. We sat at the table with the Area President and his wife as well as the Evans (Sapporo) and the Gilberts (Korea Busan).

Weeks before the conference, we were asked to send a family picture to the Area Office. This is me telling about our children and grandchildren.

Pres. Zinke (Kobe)

Sis Mecham (Micronesia Guam)

Pres. & Sis Gilbert (Korea Busan)

Janna Zinke (Kobe)

Lisa Evans (Sapporo)

Pres. Evans (Sapporo)

The activity for FHE was a craft-gluing paper onto a Korean box and decorating it. It was a lovely box but because we were all novices, I'm sure the lady in charge of the project wondered why were were destroying her project so badly. Especially the men in the group were like fish out of water but were good sports about it. We laughed and were amazed at the end of the week when we received our box back after it had been decopaged (sp) how good it looked. I think that sweet lady remade them all for us so the end product was lovely.

Still doing the craft.

Shopping on a street we were taken to by bus as a group. There was plenty to buy and the prices were very cheap.

Pres. & Sis Zinke (Kobe)

The second night we ate dinner in the hotel. This was a beautiful Ice Sculpture made for us.

Pres and Sister Gilbert (Korea Busan)

Pres & Sis Evans (Sapporo)

Pres & Sis Margetts (Fukuoka)

Pres & Sis Zinke (Kobe)

Pres & Sis Furniss (Korea Daejeon)

Pres & Sis Rasmussen (Sendai)

Pres & Sis Albrecht (Tokyo)

Pres & Sis Lee (Seoul, Korea)

Pres & Sis Baird (Nagoya)

Pres & Sis Mecham (Micronesia Guam)

Visiting during the evening

This night we were taken to the Korea House where we were fed a traditional Korean meal before the entertainment of Korean dancing. You can see all the dishes on the table before the meal even started. More and more small dishes of food were brought to each individual all through the night. I'd hate to be the dishwasher in the kitchen this night.

After the show of dancing, Gary and I had our picture taken with some of the dancers who came out to the lobby to greet us.

We had our meetings in the basement of the Area Office in Seoul which is a lovely facility.

The wives of the Area Presidency prepared sessions just for the wives. They went over-board on the beautiful displays, table, and materials they shared. I love those ladies!!

Area office support staff: Elder & Sis Watabe

Elder & Sis Donahoe (Medical Dr)

Elder and Sis. Gibson (Mental health Dr.)

Elder & Sis Rich

Entering the Seoul Temple grounds
More pictures of each couple taken on the Seoul Temple Grounds before we we able to do a session in the Temple. The Temple was closed to other patrons because our group filled the session. The Temple is beautiful and we had a wonderful experience.