Dear MOM and DAD,
I LOVE our family soooo much! It was the best getting to talk to everyone! And guess what I didn't cry when I got off, I went and helped Sister Vance finish getting ready for dinner. I was a little worried that I didn't cry but as I was thinking about it and I came to the conclusion that, I didn't cry or get homesick because in a way I'm always "homesick" meaning I love and will always want home but since being on my mission I've learned (for the most part) to put that aside and focus on the task at hand, and because of that practice I did good on Sunday.
On Christmas Eve we ate with the Senior Couple Missionaries in one of our wards, the Phippins, they were really sweet to feed us and that morning we had a Prep meeting where some of the Sisters preformed cultural dances. We have a lot of diversity at the VC so it was fun to watch.
The pictures are Elder and Sister White (the VC director) and me, Sister Holliday and me, Sister Parker (she came out with me), Sister Holliday, and me. And the luminaries were from Christmas Eve, the whole neighborhood puts them out and lights them, we drove around a couple minutes and saw them all before we came home.
This year didn't really feel much like Christmas, for several reasons: no snow, no family, no traditions, and as missionaries we do missionary work all the time and we were at the VC so it was like another day... except on Christmas Day we got 80 Top Boxes (people who accept to have the missionaries to their home), 40 was a record high two days before.... and we got 80! I couldn't think of a better birthday present for Christ. =D
We had our second lesson with Misty this week. It was really good, she doesn't have a lot of religious background other than what people have told her about their religion, so it's fun to see when things click for her. We asked if she had prayed to know if the Book of Mormon and Church were true she said she had and felt like she had received half an answer but because she had only really half prayed about it... which is really good she recognizes that if she wants a full answer she need to pray sincerely. She said she would this week. We have a lesson with her tomorrow, so we'll she how she did.
Kayla had a rough week... her less-active boy-friend, who is in jail broke up with her and that just threw everything off, but in the long run it's good because now she has to decide why she's doing it, if it was for him or for her. I think she'll be okay but it will take some work on her part. She could use some extra prayers right now.
One cool thing the spirit taught me this week was that he talks to me a lot more than I thought. For the longest time I wasn't sure how the Holy Ghost communicated with me and just in the last few weeks I've realized that the little random, good thoughts I have are him telling me something and since I've started giving him credit I'm seeing more and more of the Holy Ghost in my life. I bet he's glad I figured that out... it just took me 24 years! Haha
Which makes me even more grateful I was raised in a home where that was just natural everyday stuff. I think part of the reason it took me so long was because I had always had it, not that I'm anything special but I was taught and raised in a loving, Christ centered home! Thank you mom and dad, you're the best parents I could have!
Oh and let the Mace's know I will be at the VC both nights from 6 to 10. And did you get my priority envelope with your Christmas present in it? That's it for now. Thank everyone who sent me a Christmas card I was really grateful for them thinking of me!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!
Miss you Much, Love you More
3 Nephi13:34
Love Sister Anderson
