Letter to Mom:

 

Wow! That is a lot of incredible news! It is wonderful to hear about all the great things you experiencing and enjoying! I will definitely look forward to seeing Scarlett on Mother's Day in a month! I hope you will be able to figure it all out with Cameron and I both trying to call into so many different places. I don't have any details about how that will work, but I will let you know when I do.

 

As for Mokpo, it is definitely a big city compared to Orem and maybe our standard, but you could consider it either a small big city or a big small city. It is a lot more empty compared to some of the other big cities like Gwangju, Daejeon, or Suwon. But yeah, it's fun. I don't really know a lot of the history of Mokpo as a mission area, but I don't know of it being closed and reopened recently... As for the e-mail thing, I'm pretty sure that was just a mistake because we have talked about it in district meetings and such and it's ok for everyone. And you can buy peanut butter in Korea, but it is just really expensive and probably a bit harder to find. I would definitely choose creamy over crunchy.

 

For our meals, we mostly eat them at our apartment and eat out every once in a while, but we haven't really had very many meal appointments. I've only eaten at a member's house once or twice so far. It's more just if they want to have us over, they offer, I think. I don't know if there is any set program of the ward feeding the missionaries. But it's not too bad. We get by just fine. It is a bit difficult not having access to a lot of the same things I am used to for making meals in America though, so I'm going to have to learn more and more how to eat the "Korean way" (which definitely isn't necessarily a bad thing).

 

I am happy to hear about the garden and the yard! You put a lot of effort into all of that and it's so fun that you are finally seeing the fruits of you labors! Maybe missionary work is a lot the same way. Sometimes we have to get through the cold of winter until we finally see growth in the spring.

 

I will talk about the rest of what's been going on in my letter to everyone, but thank you so much for your love, Mom, and for all the love that I know you send me from the rest of the family through your letters and prayers. I definitely appreciate and am so grateful to have such an amazing family!!

 

I love you!

 

Love, Elder Tolman