MTC - Semana Cinco, Dec. 22, 2009

Hola!

Well, it has been another week. I can't believe it is Christmas in four days. Thanks so much for sending me those presents! It is really nice having something to look forward to. Other than that it doesn't really feel like Christmas. Well, it does, but it just feels really different. i know that this is a Christmas i will remember for the rest of my life though, because the spirit really is so strong and I am so focused on Christ and the true meaning of Christmas.

Mom- I still need the information for when i recieved my second MMR shot, you should be able to get the info from Hillcrest. If you can get that to me soon that would be great.

Dad- I got your e-mail through this and also the dearelders you sent me. Thank you so much, it really meant a lot for me to hear from you. :)

Mom, I also got the dearelders you sent me. I don't have much time to respond to what you wrote me in them though because I got them late this afternoon, but I will be able to write letters on Christmas and I will write you more then.

This week has been pretty crazy- two people from our district left. One Hermana left because she has been dealing with depression and basically realized that she just really didn't want to be here, and an elder left to clear up some things so he can come back and be worthy to serve later. Our district now only has eight people in it, and I am now in a tri-panionship with hermana hoof and hermana stout. It has been pretty good, it is just challenging getting three people all on the same page in everything we do.

This wednesday we taught our first complete lesson in spanish, and the rest of the time here is supposed to be completely in spanish. It actually went pretty well. Our companionship has had a goal to teach one lesson a day, and on Saturday we actually taught four lessons, all in spanish, so we have been really busy and it has felt really rewarding because we can definitely see ourselves growing and improving with our spanish and with our ability as teachers.

This past Sunday I sang Breath of Heaven in Relief Society. It was an incredible experience- It was in the big devotional place and in front of all of the sisters- which was around five hundred people. It was especially exciting though because sister Uchtdorf was our Relief Society special guest speaker. I got to meet her before the meeting- she came over and shook my hand. She was a really awesome lady. She is so smart, and she was a business executive and all of this stuff, so she is also a very strong woman. She taught us about how we need to follow the saviours example and have a balanced personality by developing ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. I sang before the lesson and I felt like it went really well. I have been having a ton of sisters coming up and complimenting me. It has actually been a really good way to make a lot of new friends with a bunch of different sisters.

One of my favorite things about singing Breath of Heaven was just that it is such a powerful song, and really does have the ability to touch people and bring them closer to the savior. I am really excited that i will be able to use my singing to help fulfil my purpose as a missionary and bring people to Christ. Later Sunday afternoon I was on my temple walk with my destrict and a girl came up to me and said thank you for my musical number, and that it had really touched her. I talked to her for a minute and found out she was going to Paris, and then i realized towards the end of our conversation that it was Elizabeth Smart. It is so incredible to me that she is so put together and strong depite all of the things she had to go through in her life. I remember hearing about when she was abducted and being in Bryce Canyon and praying for her. I didn't say anything to her about recognizing her though, because I am sure she hates being treated differently by everyone. Thinking about her though and what she went through really shows you that the Saviour's atonement is real, and that he can heal us, no matter what we go through and what we face in our lives.

In the fireside on Sunday Brother Allen, the managing director of the missionary department, talked to us about how being on a mission during Christmas is like giving a gift to the Saviour, and if we want it to be a good gift we need to give our whole heart, might, mind, and soul. I like the thought of giving the saviour a gift during Christmas. It makes me think of the times where we had Christmas service weeks and it brought is closer as a family and closer to the true meaning of Christmas. I have a chance to feel that full force here and give everything I can, but you can find ways to give a gift to the Saviour too. He loves us so much and did so much for us, and all he asks is that we love him and we love our neighbors. I have loved learning more about him and getting excited to share his gospel with the people of Los Angeles. I hope that you are remembering what is important this Christmas, and that there is more love than ever at home, even though I can't be there. I know that the Saviour and Heavenly Father have so much love for us. Thank you for your love and support for me.

Remember this this Christmas ""Ïts not how many of our own prayers that get answered that matters, it is the number of prayers we anwser for others."" sister uchtdorf. I love you!

- Hermana Dansie