Hello to my wonderful family and fantastic friends,
Hello world. It is another beautiful fall day in Korea and
it's pretty nice to finally learn what fall feels like. Being a Mesa, Az, boy
my whole life I have come to realize as I've talked with other missionaries
that this whole "getting cold" thing is actually the norm in America.
They looked at me funny when I said I wear shorts at Christmas....but hey,
that's life.
The work in Cheonan (천안), as I said before, continues. As in all
things there is opposition and our baptismal ready investigator list has gone
from five to three and that really kind of hurts the heart, but is okay. My homeboy
전진영
is going to some crazy study academy in Seoul and will be there for a full
year. There is hardly and breaks and very little contact. I guess it's supposed
to really well prepare him for college or something. I'm just sad. We're doing
what we can to refer him to other Elders but he is set on just resuming in
twelve months. Our other friend 김현일 is really busy with tests right now and
we haven't met for a few weeks so we had to drop the date though we haven't
dropped him. All will be well. All will be well. I feel like the whole
"missionary" life is undoubtedly the hands down, very, number one
thing I've ever done and I thank God every day for this blessed
opportunity...but it's hard! Life is hard! We all have challenges and things
that are less-favorite (or not liked at all) and we have to do things that are
uncomfortable. I am quickly adapting to the fact that as a missionary I get to
live without a comfort zone. My bubble of what I feel comfortable doing is
either popping or just growing so fast and big that I don't really see the
edges. Probably the latter..And I think it's a good thing. Sure, life is hard,
but to steal a line from my pal Sherrie Dew: "If life were easy then it
wouldn't be hard." Difficulty or being uncomfortable are what make us grow.
It's like stretches or sprints. They are painful or tiring or not
"fun", but you become stronger, faster, and limberer (that last one
is really fun to say:) (sidenote: I've been doing a lot of stretching and now
can sit cross legged! Nice! I still have some work to do until I sit like an
Asian, but I am proud of my progress:) We've got to endure and get to that next
level. But remember: "Life isn't meant to be endured; it's meant to be
enjoyed". So smile because smiling makes you look happy which makes you
feel happy, which makes you happy. (transitive property of smiling) Also read Alma 31:38 Christ takes care of all
the hard times. :)
I apologize for the short entry but time is short and alas
(earwax...#albus), I must go.
My prayers are forever with you.
Onward and Upward
Elder Tucker