Monday, September 8, 2014

Korean Thanksgiving!

Hello!

Today is 추석 (Choo-seok) the second biggest holiday in Korea. It's vaguely similar to our Thanksgiving. It's really focused on family, especially their ancestors. Koreans culture is really cool in that they really take their ancestry seriously (which in turn, probably makes Korea the best and easiest country to do family history work). So for the holiday they usually all gather together at the grandparents home, they have traditional ceremonies in which they show their respect and devotion to their ancestors, and then I think the rest of it is just lots of food and time spent together! This is my second 추석 in Korea, but it's definitely better than last year... Last year one of the Elders dropped a ping-pong table on his toe and we spent most of the day trying to find a hospital that was open and would let him get treated. This year we also got invited to a "Korean Thanksgiving dinner" tonight, which should be fun. I'm so grateful to be here in this amazing country!!!

This past week was fairly normal without much specific to write about. So instead of a story, I figure it's been quite a while since I have sent any pictures, so I'll attach a few below.

I'm so grateful for this work and the opportunity to be a part of it! I know that God listens to prayers and He really does answer if we are willing to listen and willing to act. I know that there is real power in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that God has provided us with opportunities to partake of that power through making and keeping sacred covenants. I know that this world is full of so many good things! But only through centering our lives on the gospel and it's principles, without excuse or justification, can we find and delight in that which is best and most precious! I know that God lives and that He still speaks! And I'm so grateful that we are called and qualified to proclaim that message to the world if we can just "have desires to serve" (D&C 4:2). 

I love you all and am so grateful to learn from your great love and examples! Have a wonderful week!!

-Elder Tolman

PS: I actually don't have most of my pictures with me and I'm running low on time, but here's a picture of the Elders serving in our ward.

We actually have a mission blog at daejeonmissionary.blogspot.kr which has some good pictures and fun stories. 

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