Baptism is better than Thanksgiving

Dear Mom, Dad, Eric, Belle, and Coffee (still don't know this little guy yet),

My head is spinning a little bit from that email. At the same time, I feel like it makes me happy. You all are night and day more trunky than I am. It's crazy. Some missionaries go home wanting to go home. I am not one of those missionaries. Thanksgiving wasn't appealing last year and it still isn't this year. Christmas gave me small pangs last year, but hearing about trees and movies doesn't make me want to go home. I would love to share these experiences with my beloved family of course, but an actual desire to leave here is nonexistent. I just love being a missionary. I could serve in the church for the rest of my life. I want to, but it's all up to what the Lord wants, not what I want.

I love that my parents and brother are active members in the gospel. This gospel means everything to me. I love it more than anything. I can't even describe the gratitude and love for it that are in my heart. I knew little to nothing about the gospel before my mission. My testimony was barely existent. I now understand the basic principles of the gospel relatively deeply. Enough so that I can't tear my testimony from my body if I tried. The gospel is what I want and what I need which is the best combination ever. My nature has changed. I wake up at 5:55a.m. every morning because I actually want to. My nature has changed. I work hard and study hard to know the Gospel. My nature has changed. I ride my bike fast and can honestly say that I know what I believe. I love being obedient. I love being well behaved. I don't want to pretend to be edgy or cool or whatever I'm not. I want to be what the Lord wants. 

I can't even imagine coming back and being thrust into such a crazy whirlwind though. A wedding reception, a football game, Disneyland, Christmas, speaking in church, etc. It's going to be a rush, but I'm hoping it doesn't rock me at all. It likely won't. I'm overly fretting I know, but I just don't want to leave these people I love so very, very, much. The thought of leaving kills me.

I'm happy that Thanksgiving went well. My companion and I ate Turkey Rice for both lunch and dinner to commemorate Thanksgiving, but aside from that, this holiday goes relatively uncelebrated in Taiwan. Sometimes the church will have an activity, but there wasn't much of one here in this branch. I don't think to highly of this holiday. I put all of my eggs into the Christmas basket. I can't believe that you got an Albertson's Turkey though. Where did you find Albertson's in Utah? I thought that they all pulled out. It sounds great either way though. I'm sure it was delicious. Cut off tiny pieces of tasteless turkey and put it on some white rice and that's what I ate for two meals that day. Yummy!

Keep me posted on all of the Christmas festivities. I love this blessed time of year. I invite you all to read the story of Christ's birth and perhaps parts of His ministry in the New Testament this year. I've been reading it recently and it's ever so lovely. The Savior is so good. I can't wait to celebrate these wonderful days with you. Are you going to have a mini-Christmas on the 24th and 25th or are you literally moving the entire ordeal to the 27th and 28th? Whatever you decide to do sounds great to me! You all are so great and wonderful for thinking of me. I love you all so very, very, much.

I'm sprinting. I'm not going to slow. I've exhausted myself, but there is more left. I love you all so much. 

- Elder Woolsey