Home for the Holidays

I sure do love getting to spend a little over a month back at home in good ol' WV. I've been keeping pretty busy ever since I got home.I've also gotten to spend a lot of time cooking, cleaning, and wrapping. Just trying to help my poor mother out as much as I can.  I've gotten a lot of opportunity to share the gospel and to get in the service mood. (Something I am really grateful for - especially at this wonderful time of the year). I got to give a talk in Sacrament and teach the lesson in YW on my first Sunday back to church at home. I wanted to share a little bit of that talk now, even though it's a little late:

"I have to admit that my family is no exception to the stereotypical busy Christmas season. We do the shopping, the trees, the lights, leave cookies out for Santa, buy matching pajamas, siblings all sleep in the same room Christmas Eve, and we can’t forget the annual picture at the top of the stairs before opening gifts – it’s such a fun time. It is at this most busy time, in between the gift giving and parties that we need to make a special effort to remember and commemorate the real reason for the season.

The Christmas season is a time to celebrate the priceless gift of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His birth, which we commemorate during this season, is more than the symbol of a holiday. He is the Son of God, the Redeemer of all mankind, the King of kings, the Prince of Peace, and our joy and salvation. Without the Savior coming into the world, the Plan of Salvation would have been void and we would never be able to return into the presence of our Heavenly Father or be able to be with our families after this life. Mortal life would be the end of any happiness, for we would be unworthy to enter into any level of Heaven. Thankfully, our Savior loved us enough to live a perfect life and later to go through all of the pains and suffering that anyone in the on earth would ever feel so that we can, through our Savior, be worthy to enter back into the presence of God. This Christmas season will have a greater meaning as we seek to follow His example and live His teachings."

I got to attend the Temple on the 22nd and received my endowments! One step closer to being able to go out and serve the Lord for the next year and 1/2. I can't believe that in less than a month, I will be in the MTC. It's going by so fast! 

Christmas was amazing! I got a lot of the stuff that I needed for the mission including my new luggage, books, a camera, and all of that good stuff! Thanks Mom and Dad! :)

 The next month will be a busy one for me. I've got some major skirt shopping and Preach My Gospel reading to do. I'll make sure to keep you all posted.

My Missionary

I got my package from Landon at the beginning of the week, but he told me that I wasn't allowed to open it until Christmas Eve. Although it was hard to wait, it was so worth it. Let me just brag a little about what he got me. This beautiful hat and scarf, earrings, a bracelet, and a tape! Otherwise, I got to SKYPE HIM TODAY!!!!! (Which happened to be my favorite Christmas present of all time!) It was just for a few minutes, but it was so amazing. Nothing has changed, really. We picked up right where we left off. We laughed and cried and all that jazz.

He is doing so incredibly well. He loves the work and the Italian people. Him and his companion seem to have people come and find them, something that is super rare with him being in a European country. I couldn't be more proud of him and all of the hard work that he is doing. I love him to pieces, I really do.

 

Exciting News!!!!!!!!

While being interviewed by my Bishop and Stake President yesterday to get my Temple recommend, I asked about the possibility of going out on my mission a little early so that I would be back in time to start that fall semester (I would have barely missed it by 3 weeks). Also, I would be sitting around at home doing nothing for 3 months. Don't get me wrong, I'd be more than happy to get to spend so much time with my family, but I would be missing out on a lot of school time. So, the Stake President said he thought that he could help me out. He said he would make a few phone calls and get back to me within the week. He called me this morning and my MTC entrance date has been moved forward to January 23, 2013. I am so excited. This is actually when I had hoped that I would leave! 

Life

How's it going with me? Honestly, It's been a rough past few weeks. There has been a lot of drama going on in my life, but I guess that happens to everyone every once in a while. My wonderful puppy even got hit by a car over the break..it was hard. However, thanks to my wonderful mother and friends back home, I have been able to get through it all. I also had a wonderful opportunity over Thanksgiving break to spend a lot of time with my mom, some of my aunt's and uncles, and even got to go visit Landon's family.   

My mom and I were driving pretty close to where they lived and I thought it would be great if I could see their family and if they got to meet my mom. So, on our way to Boise to visit my family, we stopped through to see him wonderful family. I was afraid at first that maybe it would be awkward for me to be there without him, but boy was I wrong! It felt just like my second home - exactly how it did when I would go there to see Landon. Landon's dad, whom usually doesn't have a whole lot to say to me, talked to me for over an hour about my mission because I am going to his mission - SUCCESS!!!! We have a bonding point now! I had such a great time getting to catch up on all of the stories that I've missed since I was there about 7 months ago. I felt a little nostalgic though, not going to lie. I even cried when it came time to leave. I am really going to miss the feeling of being so close to him as well as being around his amazing family.

(note to missionary girlfriends: if you are feeling distant from your missionary, visiting his family is a wonderful way to feel suddenly much closer. Landon was pretty thrilled with it too)

After all of that fun times, my mom and I also got to visit with a bunch of different missionaries that had served in our ward back home as well as some old family friends. I even got to meet my cousins who I had never gotten to meet before.

How's it going in Piacenza?

 Landon is doing so incredibly well. He is just completely engulfed in the work.

His letters and even my newest tape haven't really given me anything that I can share, no good stories or anything. I would share some more pictures, but I haven't even gotten many of those in a while. So, you'll just have to trust me when I say that they are working hard and loving every minute of it. He gets along really well with his current companion and they are having such wonderful success. He says that people seem to be coming to find them so much that they barely have to go out looking. I love hearing how his testimony grows each and every week. 

What's next for me?

Well, I don't have much time left before the mission now. Next week is final's week, so I'm trying to get myself ready for all of that. Otherwise, I'm just doing a lot of packing and saying goodbyes. I won't get to see a lot of my friends for a very long time. I have also been working hard to get myself spiritually prepared to serve the Lord full time. This is such an incredible opportunity that I know I can't take for granted. I feel so blessed for this opportunity to share something that is so extremely important to me with so many people. I am going to have a greater opportunity to tell the world about Heavenly Father's love for His children and His wonderful plan of salvation. I can share with so many that families really can be together forever. I can give them the answers to life's hardest question of where we come from, why we are on the earth, and where we are going. I love this gospel. I love my Savior. 

Suggestions for the Holiday Season 

More than usual, the holiday season is a time to show the love we have for the Savior and for those around us. While it can be so easy to get caught up in the gift-giving aspects of Christmas, try to do something to bring the focus back to what is truly important. This is a time to remember and celebrate the Savior of the world's birth. With all the hustle and bustle of the season, make sure to make a little time to REMEMBER the greatest gift we have been given - Heavenly Father's own Son come to pay for our sins and all of the pains we will endure during this life. And, more importantly, take the time to share this gift with others.

Well, that's it for now! Write again soon!