Elder Scott Snell:

Dec 28, 2008
It is the New Year now and I think that was the first one I haven't stayed up until midnight since I was like 4. Anyway so i have some news i am now 22 years old. Yup that is right, in Korea they say you are 1 as soon as you are born and then when the new year comes you are automatically two. So even if you were born on Dec 31 at 11:59 pm when that new year comes you are already two. Kind of weird and ridiculous to think about eh. Nothing to exciting has happened for the new year yet because they celebrate it according to the lunar calendar. They use the normal one but their three day holiday isn't till the lunar new years. I have a bit of a confession to make, the Korean food and candy I send you guys really isn't their best stuff. Not by any means is it their worst either but its not their best. The pepper paste is used a lot. All of their food is usually spicy. It took a little to get use to but now its pretty good. The worms in the can, some people like them some people don't. The only thing that I haven't tasted before I sent it to you is the kimchee chocolate. I wanted to try that though I just didn't have the money to buy another.

It is the new transfer this week. I have the same everything again. Area Comp and all of the stuff. This will make it number three that me and my Korean comp are together. That is a long time to be with the same person in such a small house. Its a good thing we don't spend to much time inside eh? So I see a lot of patience being needed these next six weeks. He is a good companion and there are definitely pluses to having him. We are working on the other stuff. Can't believe its already been a year. Love you, Elder Snell

I am glad you guys got my package. Did you guys like the kimchee chocolate? And the worms and pepper paste? What about the masks and the giant wiener head? This week was good, just the same missionary work again. We are coming to the end of another transfer and it looks like my comp is probably leaving. We got cell phones this last week so that was pretty cool. They are the slide type not the flip phone but they are better then nothing. I thought maybe I would be able to get use to a phone again and not come home too weird but its the Junior companions responsibility to carry the phone. Oh well, one less thing I have to worry about. We sent Elder Jensen on his way back to America this morning so that officially makes me the oldest Missionary on the Island. We went to an appointment with an old grandams and she tried to feed us rotten oranges. I felt really bad but I just couldn't bring myself to eat them. We ended up telling her that we were full and if she would put them in a bag we would eat them later. I love you all and miss you. Elder Snell

Jan 11, 2009
The first week of the new transfer is over and I haven't killed my companion yet. We are actually doing pretty good. There are definitely those times where you can tell we are getting on each others nerves but three transfers together will so do that to you.
The weather is finally starting to get cold on this little paradise Island of mine. It snowed pretty good the other day and was really quite cold, but in my little town it didn't stay too long. I swear every where else on the island but my area has snow. Its really quite nice.

Oh, this week I forgot to tell you I ate probably the freshest sea food I have ever eaten in my life. We went to this restaurant with a member and our investigator's mom to eat some sea food. Well, they cook it on a range right in front of you. They put the soup down and it was still moving! All of the clam ouster mussel thingys were squirmy and the octopus was still moving, it was quit disturbing. I looked at my comp and asked him are we going to eat that, and he just says yup. They all soon stopped moving and they chopped up the octopus and we ate it. It was pretty good actually, it was really spicy but good. I was glad I got to experience it once. I have had a lot of those experiences on my mission with weird foods it seems.
Nothing else to exciting except for that fact that I hit an all time low with my English this week, I lost in Scrabble to six other Koreans. I came in dead last. Most of them were under the age of 15 too. It was pathetic but we have a rematch scheduled for tonight. I have been studying. They are all going down, I am showing no mercy this time.
In my area there is a lot of special people you know and there is this one that really likes the missionaries well just foreigners and since most missionaries are foreigners he in turn likes us. Well he follows us around every time we see him and he just randomly will show up at our window and just watch us some days. It was really pretty creepy in the beginning but I have gotten use to it. Its not so weird to me now but honestly he just watches us. If it was anyone else it would be a peeping Tom. He is harmless and funny so sometimes we talk to him while he is just sitting there, I will give him some candy, show him pictures of foreigners, its really pretty funny. I have been in this area now for over three months and he still can't remember my name, its a little disappointing. I love you all and i miss you, thanks for all of the support you give me. Love, Elder Snell


Jan 18, 2009
I was coming back from splits with Elder Wells and we were walking back to my house to meet our companions when I turned around and noticed we had a little friend. A little white dog started to follow us, he kept following us back to the house and we were waiting for our comps to get back. We were sitting on the steps (cause the weather has really warmed up lately), the dog started chasing Elder Well's feet, it was quite funny. Our companions came and the dog continued to follow us but then we lost it and thought it was gone for good. We dropped the other missionaries off at the bus terminal and went to an appointment and did some other stuff. We come back to the house to eat and guess who is sitting waiting for us patiently? The dog, all excited when we came back. My companion was pretty funny cause he got really annoyed. The dog kept following us and protecting us from everyone on the street by barking at them. He was pretty proud of himself. We finally ditched him by going in the front door of the post office and out the back. We didn't see him after that but my companion no longer wants a dog.
It was really cold but then it really has warmed up lately. Yesterday it came time for church to start and the only people at the building were the missionaries. The Branch President and his family showed up about 15 minutes late and then some more people came but not to many.

I made some mashed potatoes last night out of these small sorry excuse for a potato that Koreans have. It was all right, my companion is getting bored with me lately I am thinking. He has been calling his little Korean friend in the city next to us quite a bit lately. We will probably have to have a talk this week. We still have four weeks left together. Keep me in your prayers. Elder Snell