Hurrah from South Carolina

Wow I am finally here! P day got moved from Wednesdays to Mondays so sorry it took so long to write. I've almost officially been out for a month. It feels like a year. President and Sister Holm are awesome! They are fantastic. Very nice. They have a handbook we got in addition to the mission one that clarifies rules and has a ton of great tips to be effective! We also got a cool coin they made that we get to keep, unless we come home early, as a reminder of why we're here and to help us remember we can make it. I'll take a picture of it for you. We also have "Standing Quotes" that we recite every morning and in every meeting. They're cool. I put one of em at the bottom of this email, The Standard of Truth. They are awesome. Sister Holm gave me a journal to write in cause it's a rule apparently to write every night. I'm keeping it nice and detailed with all those emotions you were talking about.  The first few days here I hated it. Still don't quite love it but I'm getting there.

The first morning we were here President Holm took us to the forest a little ways away. While we were there, in our own "sacred grove" we sang Hymn #26 and pondered for a while. When we were done, each on our own in silence after thinking, we walked out of the forest through a trail they marked. When we came out, guess where we were. The Columbia Temple! It's so beautiful! We got to go in and talk to the President for a while, and he was awesome. It was a sweet experience!

Ok so I am in Greenville Zone. I'm in a city called Anderson. My companion is Elder Greear (Greer but it's spelled weird) and we have 4 people on date for baptism this month. C and M just got married the Saturday before I came, and they are on date for the 22nd. They have 3 kids, I think ages 2 1/2ish, 1ish and newborn the Tuesday before their wedding. They are awesome.  There is a family who's 8 year old daughter is getting baptized the 15th. Their names are R and J, and their daughter is B.  B is ready and excited to take a dip in the holy water, but her parents aren't. They want to, but first J and R need to quit smoking (we got her a quit smoking kit with a bunch of cinnamon stuff in it) and R needs to get a divorce and marry J. He's been separated for a long time, but never did the divorce papers. Wow! The last person on date is named M. A., whom I haven't met yet. We were also visiting a man, but his family is way messed up and the bishop (Bishop Park, who is awesome) asked us to not teach him anymore. We need to let things blow over with a troubled family situation first, as well as he feels we are in danger (drugs are involved somehow...). This is the first time the bishop has ever asked missionaries to stop visiting, but I agree with him on all counts. I felt weird being there.

The ward is way awesome, and there are a lot of faithful members. 215 members to be exact! A lot of inactives we get to visit as well. 2 of em are so funny. Sisters named Renee and Wanita (I don't know about spelling, but they say em ren-A and wan-E-der HAHAHA (AND those are their middle names, too! we don't know their first!)). They came to conference on Sunday and it was cool. They're in their 60s I think, Way old looking from smoking, and Renee has no breasts from some surgery and Wanita is probably gonna die soon. She's on oxygen and doing horrible. It's sad, but they're awesome and I love em!

Well I'm writing everything down in my journal that I remember, and everything here I can, but I'll send you the journal when it's full to fill in the gaps.

I can't write letters anymore but on P day, so I'll try and send out what I can today.

Yes I would love letters!!!!!! Send them to the mission home address (the Irmo one) and they forward it to me. I'm not sure about packages, but I think they're forwarded too. Either way I'm headed to Irmo December 21 for transfers anyway.

I had a horrible last few days being sick. I think it's my gall bladder acting up. I called Sister Holm, who is in charge of medical, and she had me call Dr. Liljinquist, who then called you guys yesterday at home. He left a message and wants you to call him back.

I think I covered all your questions. But we have 2 years so I'm sure at some point I'll get them all! :/

I'm taking lots of pictures (lots for me anyway, since I started from 0 :p) to try and get everything for you!

I want you to know that I was terribly home sick, and still am, on top of actual sick. It's horrible. Especially after watching conference. It reminded me a lot of home yknow. Half the ward members I've met lived in Utah at one point, too. That helps and doesn't at the same time yknow? I also got excited and longing when they announced the old Tabernacle was being rebuilt into the new Provo Temple. But I know that I can't come home.

 "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, [I may want to go home,] but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." ~Joseph Smith, Jr. 

So I'll be here, no matter how hard it gets, cause I'm a finisher. I love tough things. I am first to do tough things. I do tough things first. I'm a finisher. And I know dad'll kill me if I came home early :p

Well, I think that's all for now. Please write me letters, it will help a lot!

Hurrah for Israel,

Elder Seaver