Conference October 13, 2014

This has been a great week! Probably one of the best parts of the this week is that 이준영 (Jun-Young Lee) is progressing really well. He is scheduled to be baptized this upcoming weekend and it looks like everything will work out really well. He's really taken it seriously and realizes that this decision will really affect the rest of his life as he seeks to be a better person and follow Christ. Yesterday we had a lesson with him and we've pretty much finished teaching all the lessons, so we were just reviewing conference and the last preparations for his baptism. Up until that point, he had always expressed a desire to be baptized, but still didn't quite feel confident that he would be ready by next weekend. But as we talked about what he's learned, how he's felt, and his desires for the future, he began to gain a little more confidence. Toward the end of the lesson, we reviewed that baptismal interview questions one more time. He looked at the questions for a little bit, was quiet for a few seconds, and then simply said, "I am a prepared person." We all broke into smiles and assured him that he was definitely right. We always ask to find those who are "prepared," but this is the first time I've seen anyone give themselves that same label. It was a great lesson and he is just a miracle. And to think that it would have been soo easy not to stop and talk to him on the street! God really is guiding our efforts and expects us to act. When we do so He can bless us with far more than our personal efforts can ever afford.

I also LOVED conference! I'm so grateful for living prophets on the earth today! I confess that most of my life, although I have really enjoyed conference, I've had a little bit of a hard time staying completely alert and attentive the whole time for conference, but this time I was surprised by the miracle that it was so easy to be completely awake and attentive. It was almost as though there was a little extra sense of urgency and hastening. We truly each have an essential role in the work of salvation. One of my favorite talks was "Is it I?" from President Uchtdorf in the Priesthood session. It's so easy to try to shrug off responsibility onto other people or things when life gets rough. But when we decided to look inward and always seek to improve ourselves first before blaming others, we have can do so much more good and so much more fully fulfill our divine potential! I love, respect, and sustain those beloved men and women who give so much in the service of us all!!

I am also so grateful for all of you who also give so much to all those around you! I always feel privileged to be one small part of each one of your circles of loving influence. I love you all and hope you have a splendid week!

-Love, Elder Tolman

Illuminate!!

Wow! Another busy week! This was a pretty packed with meeting and such so we definitely didn't have any time to be bored. I feel like I had a lot of good learning opportunities this week, some fun and some not as fun. I'm so grateful for the opportunities I have to learn and for the chance God gives each of us every day to change! We are so blessed!

We saw some pretty cool miracles this week. We often talk about how the spirit can "bring all things to our remembrance," but I feel like sometimes God works in the opposite way with me... We had a meeting in Gwangju this week and we were about to head home for the night but we realized at the last moment we had forgot our luggage in the church! So we rushed back to the church, but everyone had left and we didn't have a key... We called a set of Elders that had been there not too long ago and they agreed to come back and open the church. We were just waiting in front of the church, feeling pretty silly, when all of a sudden one of our old investigators from about a year ago walked past us totally unexpectedly! We were able to talk with him for a minuter of two until the other Elders came. They were also to talk for a second and swap numbers before we all hurried back home to make it in time. But WOW, what are the chances!! There were some other similar experiences where we could tell that God really was very involved. Oddly enough I feel like a majority of them seemed to be more like things were held from my remembrance rather than brought to it... But if that's the way God will do His work through me, then so be it!! ^^

I've studied and thought about light a little bit recently and one of my new favorite goals is to "Illuminate myself and my surroundings with His light and love." I truly believe that we each have such incredible potential to do good and to influence others for the better and there is maybe no better analogy to capture that concept than that of light. Almost everywhere we go we see the contrast between light and dark. We've all seen (literally) bright sunny days and we've all been seen total darkness, but usually experience a mixture somewhere in between. I think that the same is also spiritually true. We have all experienced some amount of the spectrum of light in our lives. We know people living lives beaming with light and others living lives seemingly completely devoid of it. 

When the gospel was restored, Joseph said he "saw a pillar of light ... above the brightness of the sun," and I think that even more than just literally seeing that pillar of light, from that time on the world was once again filled with a fullness of Christ's light through His restored gospel. And we have the opportunity to live it, love it, and especially to share it! We are so blessed to be able to "illuminate" our lives and our families with His love and His light, casting out the darkness of doubt, fear, and despair. We also have the opportunity and responsibility to "illuminate" all those around us in everything we do. It's so fun to share the light of Christ! I'm so grateful for that opportunity as a missionary and I'm grateful that the ability to illuminate isn't limited to full-time missionaries! I'm so grateful for the light of Christ. I know He is our Savior and that He lives!

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful bright week!!

-Love, Elder Tolman

This week was another busy week! I'm doing really well. The weather here is starting to cool down a bit and I love it! My favorite is running in the slightly brisk weather in the early mornings. Life is good. 

Yesterday we attended a cool fireside and for part of the program, one of the sisters in the ward played a traditional Korean song using a traditional Korean instrument called a 가야금 (Gayageum). It's a 12 stringed instrument similar to a harp or guitar. Probably the two main differences are that they play it while sitting on the ground with the instrument across their lap and there are notches holding the strings in the middle so that they can pluck the strings on one half and then move the strings up and down on the other half to get the cool Asian-sounding vibrato type sound. It's too hard to explain in words and that probably didn't make much sense, but it's was a really cool cultural experience. 

This week Jun-Young Lee came out to church again for the second time and he's progressing pretty well! We're still hoping he will be able to get baptized about mid-October probably a week or two after conference!

I think one of my favorite things as a missionary is scripture study. President Shin has really placed a lot of emphasis on making sure that we have quality studies in the morning and I'm beginning to understand more and more why that is the case. The scriptures truly are the word of God and they are the gateway to revelation! I think they also are such important tools in helping us to more fully enjoy the promised blessing of having His spirit to be with us always as we are worthy and keep our covenants. I definitely know that God speaks today through living prophets and apostles (who will be speaking to us soon!!! Woo hoo!) but that He also speaks to us personally, and I think most often than not, He does so through our persistent, daily "intercession with heaven" through the scriptures. 

I know this is Christ's true restored church with restored priesthood keys holding the fullness of His restored Gospel!! We are so blessed to be a part of the work of sharing that message with the world!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!

-Elder Tolman

Miracles in the work Sept. 14, 2014

We were definitely blessed to see the hand of the Lord this week. But before that, I feel like I've been slacking in fun/culture stories, so here's some fun things about Korea. Last week we had a big holiday that people call the "Korean Thanksgiving" and Mom asked me to explain a little bit more.

I've actually only been to one of these "holiday meals," so I don't can't really make any generalizations, but here are just a few general things I know… As for the food, I think it's pretty similar to their other meals, just bigger. Our Thanksgiving is all about the meal, but their holiday is more focused on the family and their ancestors, where the meal is just an inevitable plus. They do, however, have some traditional puffed rice snacks and some rice cake dessert they eat every year. The rest of the food would probably consist of rice, some sort of meat (in our case "bulgogi"), and lots of side dishes (obviously with kimchi included ^^). We almost always sit on the floor to eat, especially if it's a big meal. Korean's homes are rarely big enough for a big dining table, so when lots of people come to eat they all have little tables with collapsible legs that we sit around on the floor. The standard Korean silverware is chopsticks and a spoon, both of which they use quite a bit. One of the interesting differences between Korean and Americans meals is that the concept of dessert is definitely not the same. Korean "dessert" is almost always puffed rice, rice cake, or fresh fruit, none of which are really sweetened much. I have to admit that Korean's definitely have the healthy diet thing down a lot better than Americans. 

As for the miracles this week, the first once has to do with our recent convert, Yoon-Hyun Kim. He's been really busy lately and struggling a bit and we had a hard time contacting him for a week or so, but this week one of the most sad but amazing miracles of my mission occurred. We've been praying for him to have more time to meet and come to church and I'm afraid that maybe we prayed too hard because he recently found out that he injured his foot from the consistent work and stress and can't really walk much for the next 6 months. His job included a lot of driving and they said that driving is also no good, so for the next 6 months or so he will just be studying. He called us on Saturday and and said that he doesn't have much else better to do, so he wants us to come almost every day. He also made it out to church on Sunday for the first time in a couple weeks, which was amazing. I definitely hope that his foot heals quickly, but we will also do our best to utilize the miracle of him having time.

The second miracles is about 이준영 (Jun-Young Lee), our new investigator. He's about 26 years old and lives here in Daejeon alone. We met him on the street on Thursday and had our first lesson on Saturday. He is so prepared. He readily desires to have a religion in his life and is willing to do what he needs to learn and progress. We gave him a baptismal date for mid-October and he accepted it really well. I'm really excited to keep meeting and helping him progress.

I know that this is God's work whether we are a part of it as a full-time missionary or not! I know that He loves and know each of us! I know that every sacrifice we make to serve God and follow Him is completely worth it!! 

I love and look up to each one of you! Thank you! Have a wonderful week!

-Elder Tolman

Elders serving in our ward Sept. 7, 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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to Mom, re: challenging week Sept. 1, 2014

Dear Mom,

Thanks for you letter! I am so happy to hear that you are feeling a bit better. It sounds like you've had quite the healing process! I'm definitely glad that you seem to be feeling a little better today!! You definitely are loved and I'm so grateful that you've been able to receive all the help that you need. This morning, President Shin mentioned about how our families truly are blessed as we serve and I am grateful to have seen the same thing. God definitely is watching out for us. 

I can imagine how frustrating it must be for you to be "sitting around" all day. You have always been such a great example of being diligent and utilizing your time meaningfully. As I see so many people who just don't have that attitude or habit, I am grateful I had the opportunity to learn from your great example. 

I have begun to think that P-day here in the office is more like "mother appreciation day." There are usually so many things we want/need to do, so little time to do them, and usually our schedule is the sum of what everyone else wants to get done especially if it involves a car... And then before you know it, POOF the day is over! Sometimes it's frustrating, but most of the time I just laugh and think "Wow, my Mom sure was amazing to do this for 10 people for the last few decades." Thanks for begin amazing. I love you.

I hope you continue to recover quickly! Have a wonderful week! 

Love, Elder Tolman