Thanks for questions, it really helps email :)
Sister T___ is great :) She's from New Zealand.
Next
ten days....good question. We're trying to do a Family Home Evening
with President and Sister P___ and their family and the H___ family and probably saying good bye
to a lot of people - it's a really fantastic branch and I feel really
blessed to have gotten to know so many great people and examples here.
About
the general transition, I'm feeling excited and 억찌로 (if you think of
taking Nellie for a walk, and she wants to sniff and you pull, she takes
very "억찌로" steps. That kind of meaning.), and slightly nervous, and
entirely non-chalant (it's just another week, with it's own challenges
and excitements, maybe just a different flavor)....so all of the above.
I'll cherish the people I've met, a deeper understanding of the gospel,
especially the Restoration, and being involved with everything. I'll
miss kimchi, and the grandmas, who all say the same thing when they see
you, and being able to testify and learn so often.
I'm
excited to be home, where I feel like I know what's going on and how to
do a good job. I'm looking forward to school, and terrified of dating
(you'd be surprised how often people bring that up when you're hitting
your missionary tag expiration date).
The hike was fun! Not
as many people came as we were hoping, but it was pretty good - though
note to you all, if you would like a nice, relaxing hike, don't put a
bunch of soldiers in charge of leading you through a mountain (also, the
"switchback" method has not been applied in the Korean mountains. Just
saying :)) but it was really quite fun, we hit a couple peaks, and it
was beautiful :)
See you relatively soon!
P.S.
Today was a thinking day during the first hour of
stud;, there were a lot of great things to mull over from church and
such yesterday. But just a couple of thoughts I felt like sharing -
A
brother talked about overcoming an addiction, mentioning that the 12
step program helped him to know that it is only through Christ that he
could overcome it, that it benefits anyone as well, that we all have
attachments to Babylon, and it also helps us to understand each other,
to have compassion for when someone is going through the process of
repentance, as opposed to a culture of perfection - I just was thinking
today about how Christ, our Savior, was perfect, but also a man of
sorrows, well aquainted with grief, so that He may know how to succor us
according to our infirmities (Isaiah53; Alma7:11-12) And as we strive to
become more like him, we must learn that compassion - it makes us people who are willing to follow His example. I'm not sure if that idea completely came across, but think on it :)
All
that and just that I'm very grateful, grateful for these opportunities
to testify alongside the Spirit, to know that Heavenly Father knows me,
and you and our brothers and sisters, and he knows what we need and he
sends that person to give you the words you need to hear, or whatever
else it may be. I'm grateful for my Savior, for the Father's plan, for
repentance, and that all will be made right through the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. I'm grateful to be able to continue serving and being a
missionary in a different capacity at home.
See you all soon, and love you lots~~~
Sister Thomas the elder
