Monday, January 6, 2014

It's Always a Great Day When You're Serving the Lord!

Happy New Year! Woo hoo! I finally turned 21 this week! In Korea, they begin their life at 1 year old and then everybody changes age at the same time on January 1st (with a couple other complicated rules based on the Lunar calendar) So I am officially 21 years old in Korea. Kinda fun.

We had some interesting experiences this week.

We thought we'd try a new finding idea by going to the hospital! We asked one of the front desk nurses if there is anyone who might be alone that we could keep company. She said it was ok and pointed us to a wing of the floor, so we looked around for a few minutes with little luck. We were about to leave when my companion said "Wait, we need to talk to that guy," referring to an old man we had just passed. So we did and he mentioned something about President Kimball and wanted to go sit down and talk!! That was when the hospital security guard came and told us we needed to leave because there were probably people who didn't want us around. We tried to explain that the little old man actually wanted to talk with us, but we couldn't really argue, so we followed him as he escorted us out of the hospital. It broke our hearts as we saw how disappointed the man was when we were told we had to leave. I don't know exactly why we needed to talk to him, but I trust and pray that God  will take care of everything.

Also, on Fast Sundays, the ward brings food to put in our missionary basket, for which we are always so grateful. We had a decent sized box to take home, so we decided to take a taxi which is only a couple dollars more expensive than taking the bus. We tried to talk with the taxi driver but with little success, so when we arrived we got out of the taxi and just headed up to our apartment. After a few seconds, I realized that we have forgotten all the food in the trunk of the taxi!! We ran back out the road, but he had already taken off and was long gone. We waited on the side of the road hoping and praying he might turn around and come back, but after a minute or two, we realized it was pretty hopeless. He had no number, we had no number, and there was really no option of contact. We felt so bad for the other Elders in our room who would now be without the donated food as well and felt bad for just mindlessly wasting our members' sacrifice. We headed up to our room and started studies when we got a call to the room.... It was the security man at the front office saying we had some stuff to pick up at the front office! The taxi driver remember, turned back, brought us the box of food, and the front office knew we were the only Americans in the building, so they knew exactly where to call. It was such a simple thing, but we were so grateful for the miraculous display of God's love for His missionaries. 

However small and simple, I know that God really does reach out and touch our lives so often. I know that He perfectly loves and knows His beloved children and is always seeking for our happiness and eventually our salvation. I know that regardless of our struggles, our questions, our trials, or our mistakes, nothing can mar or take away the fact that we are children of God. I know that through this restored Gospel we can learn how important that relationship truly is and can come to obtain the eternal blessings God is already so eager to pour out upon us according to our obedience and our faith. I know that we have a Savior and that He atoned for each one of us personally. I love this gospel and I'm so grateful to be able to share it with others!! 

I love you all!! Never forget the ever important line "I Am a Child of God!!"

Have a wonderful week and a wonderful new year!!

Love, Elder Tolman

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