Heart and Seoul: September 7, 2014 - Clams are happy, right?

You know the term, "happy as a clam"?

Rhetorical question. Of course you do.

Well I taught that to my sweetest companion this week and we both agreed that it simply does not make sense. I don't know about you, but I have never seen a clam smile or heard a clam laugh.

But for lack of a better phrase, that is the one I have chosen to describe myself at this time, though I may be so bold as to substitute "ier than" for "y as".

My fifth transfer with my fourth companion has officially begun and I couldn't be happier. It was hard to say goodbye to all those I came to love back in 샨당 (including this cutest old lady who I grew to love at our service activity), but we ended with a bang last P-day hiking Namson tower.

And now I am pleased to introduce to you this cutest little Korean sitting next to me musing over her parents emails with a grin on her face. I wish all of you could be here in this internet cafe and have a chance to glance at her, because by golly she's adorable. She is a little over a head shorter than me, has the most contagious laugh (like when the door to a classroom is at the front and right when you walk in you yawn a big yawn, then sit down and watch each person around you duck their head and yawn too, failing to hold it in--that's me all the time. Trying to hold in my laughter but failing every time), she goes running with me in the morning, speaks Korean with me all the time, is an amazing chef (though she's too humble to admit it) and is the most diligent missionary. I'm not sure where her heart it either cause it's too big to fit in her little body.

The fact that this is my first two person home is not the only difference between this area and my last two. This area is a little city of it's own, only with way less people and more trees. Everywhere we go, travelling as those of old, always by foot, reminds me of somewhere we have travelled as a family. Over there looks like Seattle, over there like Ireland, over there looks a bit like Utah, those mountains look like Ireland, over there looks like the Shire... Alright, so I've never actually BEEN to the Shire, but I'm counting it for as many times as I have seen that movie. Not only that, but the people here are much more down to Earth. Literally, the builidings here are much shorter. :)

I've also had the chance to meet two recent converts, a less active and an investigator who I clicked with right away. My heart is already full of love for the people here and the some 15 people in our ward.

I learned something this week that I would love to share. I read a talk this week that my good friend and as of Wednesday, no longer fellow missionary, gifted me. In the talk, "The Fourth Missionary" by Lawerence E. Corbridge, he mentions our will and opened my heart to something I hadn't before realized. When we give anything to the Lord, whether we pay tithing or give of our time as a missionary, we are simply giving to Him what already belongs to Him. But when we do these things, and more, willingly, we are truly consecrating ourselves to the Lord. The only thing we can give to Him that does not already belong to Him is our will. Cool, huh?

I'm sure all you smarties and spiritual wizards out there figured this out long ago and I needn't be telling you now. I know perfectly well that this is something my sweet parents know and have lived their lives accordingly and I am so grateful for their example.

I wish you all the best this week, as always. I will be filling my last days of adolenscence with nothing but good memories and laughter, and I wish you all the same!

All my love,

Sister McCloskey

P.S. Brace yourself. Pictures are about to hit you like the plague.