Hello Family!
I loved your email! Sounds like there are a lot of exciting things happening. Kaitie going to Crete?!?!?! Are you crazy?! That's so lucky. Greece is fabulous. I haven't been to Crete, but want to so I'm very jealous. There's an old ancient palace on Crete, I can't remember the name of it right now, but it's where the Greek myth of the minotaur and the labyrinth originated from. Look it up! You'll have to visit it. The palace is still in pretty amazing condition considering its age. Cool Buggy! You are stepping out of your box! And I wish I could see Pait's "honk" haha. That sounds so cute. Miss you guys!
Mom! Thanks so much for the Christmas package! I got it on Friday. We loved it. The snow man is hanging on our window in our classroom and we named him Ghiaccio (Frost in italian). He's great. And the tree is on our desk, we had hot chocolate on Monday night and still have lots left, and the ornaments that everyone signed are hanging above my bed. I'll send you pictures sometime in the next couple of weeks. You're pretty popular around here, mother. :) And thanks to all of my family who have sent DearElders and letters and stuff. I love them. I'm beginning to think, however, that all of my friends (except Sam) have forgotten about me already or have died... haha. Just sayin'... (COUGH, nudge... ;))
This week has been pretty good. Pretty hard, but good. I've had a few moments of discouragement here and there, mostly with our atheist investigator. But I'm really glad I get this experience now before I get to Italy and have to figure it out for the first time in a real life situation. It's funny how you really begin to love these people and get so sad when they won't pray or even acknowledge that there is a God, because you know it's true but you don't know how to convey that to them. Especially in Italian. But we're learning! And our teachers are very encouraging and uplifting, and always have good bits of advice. I'm really understanding and realizing the importance of this work every day. I understand missionary work in a total new light and have a whole new respect for those that have served missions. It is HARD! But so important. And I feel blessed to be a part of it. I know that with help from my Heavenly Father, I can handle anything that's thrown my way.
I'm really getting into the Christmas spirit! They have lights all over the main quad at night, and we're now singing Christmas hymns all the time. I LOVE italian hymns. They're pretty different from the english versions. Our favorite italian hymn is an italian one that isn't in the english hymnbook. HA! We're special. We sing it every day pretty much. I'll sing it for you some day. It is so different being here for Christmas. But I love it. It's nice to be taken away from the commercialization that Christmas seems to have become and to really focus on why we even have Christmas in the first place. We have Christmas to celebrate one of the most important events in the history of the world! The birth of Jesus Christ! Without this event, Christ could not have atoned for our sins! Which is ESSENTIAL for us to return to the presence of our Father in heaven. We got to watch the Christmas Devotional on Sunday. I absolutely loved it. I love the leaders of our church. I especially loved when Thomas S. Monson said "Let us not spend Christmas, but keep it in our hearts and in our minds." I hope everyone will remember what Christmas is really about this season. I hope I can always remember in the future. Oh and did you love the video they showed of the Christmas story?! Those are filmed in Utah. And they have more! We can watch them on LDS.org when we have some free time. More are coming soon about the life of Christ and I'm real excited. Watch them! They're beautiful.
This last week I've been really missing music. Especially loud music. One day while we were in the computer lab doing our language study on the Language learning software, a russian elder showed me how to listen to music on LDS.org while I do it. It's been fabulous. There are only about 4 songs on there that I can stand, but I love it. haha. The MoTab has never sounded so great to me! :)
Our district is so awesome. Our two Anziani have been called as the new Zone Leaders so they keep busy with that call and Anziano Thomas is double-dutying with being a district leader too. They're awesome. One of my favorite times of the week is when we go back to our class room after the Tuesday devotional and talk about what was said. I learn so much from the comments of those in my district and it brings us closer each week. I love it! Last night our Branch President and his wife sat in with us and we enjoyed hearing what they thought about the devotional too. Last night Steven R. Snow of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke with his wife. Is that the Snow from our ward's dad? I wasn't sure. But it was great.
I'm just about out of time. I love you family! Merry Christmas season! And Col! Happy birthday today! I hope you party it up!
Love you!!! The church is true!!!
Sorella Kell :)
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