Christmas Letter!

Hey family!! :D

Since we can't call home today they are letting us email :) which is a huge blessing, I'm so grateful I get to email you today! It's so slow trying to type this :P the email keeps pausing. Every computer is being used to email families haha.  

Thanks so much everyone for all of your Christmas wishes and gifts :) They were all perfect! The picture from Lauren is amazing :) and really lifts my spirits! Thank you for the pajama pants haha, it was a nice reminder of Christmas Eve's in the past :) Thank you for remembering that and sending that to me :) 

Yesterday we had a Christmas Eve Devotional and they retold the birth of our Savior and acted it out, just like the family tradition! It was a nice reminder and I feel like I remembered every Christmas Eve that night :) We sang some fun Christmas songs and after the devotional  we watched 'A Christmas Carol' haha. It was an old version  that was super creepy and cheesy, but still was a nice story. When they kissed everyone was flipping out haha in all kinds of different ways, like covering their eyes and cheering and laughing haha. Then later in the movie when she "dismissed" him, everyone was screaming "dear john!!" haha.  Missionaries turn into weirdos when "normal" things happen in our unnatural current lives in the MTC :) 

I saw Jake!! (his cousin) which I'm sure you know haha, he was going to the house after.  It was a good Christmas present!! You should send him over more often ;) it was a lot of fun to talk for a bit :) 

So we heard from our branch presidency that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was coming here today, BUT I guess the meant they were coming through the TV haha. They sing amazing and powerfully though :) 

This morning was the strangest Christmas morning I've ever had haha, SO different from every other one I've had! so strange, but such a great experience.  I have felt everyones prayers... so deeply. I'm so blessed and grateful to have you, My amazing family :) and wonderful supporters. I love every single one of you! I miss you as well, thank you for your love and care, prayers and letters.  You're in my thoughts and prayers as well! You better be having the most feliz navidad ever!! :) 

Today I didn't pass the sacrament, however I did prepare it, and stood by as a reserve. It was actually a huge project and scary old MTC workers were stressed over it haha. But it worked out great and what better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior on Christmas than by renewing our covenants to always remember Him :) I thought that was special. Oh yeah we had a guest! Elder Bednar came and spoke, and holy cow... what a great talk! He really touched me in some places but also motivated me in others.  I think he's trying to compete with Elder Holland when it comes to boldness :) hahaha.  He is a great speaker and a great person.  Something specific he said that hit me pretty hard was that he can't be a member of the quorum of the twelve, he can't be an apostle.  But with the Lord, he can.  It reminds me of my plaque scripture :) 

Well I have to go now, I love you all so much! Feliz navidad family :) I hope you are all well and thank you once again for everything you do  Please forgive me for not being the best brother or son or boyfriend or friend. I'm growing, and I recognize my faults.  And I know I will never be "the best" or perfect, but it gives me motivation and hope to try. Quick story, I was reading about the 2000 stripling warriors when I first got to the MTC, and I was overcome when they spoke about their mothers, and everything they said about them. They had such strong faith and love for what their mothers said.  I know that without my mom I would be lost, and that I owe so much of me to her.  So 'Merry Christmas, Mom', I love you :) I even bought a "stripling warriors, mama's boys" shirt at the store here haha because I'm a hardcore mama's boy :) Ok this time I'm saying goodbye for sure haha, I love you all, and I pray for you individually every day. Thanks for all you do :) You'll hear from me soon, Tuesday actually :) MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!