Christmas day - MTC

Dear familie, :)
Well, it's Christmas in the MTC! By the time you get this letter I would have already talked to y'all and gone to Germany, but I would love to tell y'all in this letter about Christmas. :)

First, Christmas eve: I will say I did get pretty homewick ... The whole day was the same ... class, eat, class, eat. We then had a fireside that night and the MTC presidency and their wives made it fun for us, but that's when I really got homesick. They say your Christmas in the MTC you will never forget ... I will say I hope next year's Christmas is better. Though it wasn't my best, I kept my focus on the Lord.

At the devo they started out with the 12 days of Christmas, MTC style and that had all of us standing up doing actions to the words. This is the song:

On the _____ day of Christmas the MTC gave me ...
- Twelve hours of study
- Eleven loads of laundry
- Ten more commandments
- Nine vaccinations
- Eights hours of rest
- Seven lukewarm showers
- Six-thirty wake up
- Five hours of gym
- Four chocolate milks
- Three new companions
- Two free haircuts
- a rock solid testimony

We also watched Mr. Krueger's Christmas.

I also met President Foote's nephew. He somehow recognized me from somewhere. I had no idea who he was, but he is going to Argentina.

Afterwards, my district all went back to the classroom and did Secret Santa ... There were some awesome gifts (homemade). I received from Elder Healey a paper in the shape of Texas with pictures of the district on the back. It said "The next best thing to Texas is District 19F." I also got a chocolate penguin from him. We then sang Silent Night in German. I have plenty of pictures but y'all can't see them until after I am in Germany.

On Christmas Eve night I ended up crying myself to sleeep b/c of how much I missed my family this time of year ... And wept for it ... I prayed that I might have a motherly embrace on Christmas day b/c I truly miss hugs and that warm love that only a family has. I woke up Christmas morning and was in a pretty good mood, but still wasn't thrilled about the whole MTC Christmas. I then recalled something Sister Dye told me the other day when I was going about having a worse Christmas experience ... She told me that this was her best Christmas. Sister Dye is the only member of her family and this is the most love she has ever received this time of year.

I went to breakfast and then we had a MTC Christmas talent show ... it was hilarious. From funny lyrics about the mission and MTC to more serious performances to magic tricks ... Prfesident Smith even played the harmonica. There was a guy who played the bagpipes and so much more ... it would take a whole other page to taok about the talent show b/c it was all good.

For our devotional Elder Nielsen of the Quorum of the Twelve came. He told us to never miss a chance to send a letter home ... so here is my letter. :) I was only ten feet away from him too! His wife spoke too ... I didn't know that was his 2nd wife ... His first one died. Anyways, afterwards we came back and i started doing more packing. I also saved my chocolate orange specifically for Christmas so I broke it open ... it was so yummy! Thank you.

Around 7:00 we went to the evening fireside and Elder Nielsen and his wife joined us. Two older men that have worked for the MTC for 40 years or so ... Brother Taylor and Brother Hess, performed Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". It was amazing ... I love Charles Dickens and then President Smith stood up and gave us an assignment to read Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 53; 3 Nephi 1:1-23; Luke 2; 2 Nephi 9:21-24; John 3:16-17, and then to record our feelings on the Savior. So, I challenge all y'all to do that too.

Then Elder Nielsen got up and told us Charles Dickens story with the Mormons. We went back to the residence hall at 8:30 - that makes me happy b/c I get to go to bed earlier :)

Well I will say Christmas at home with y'all are the best, but as long as I have the Savior here with me I will never be alone. I never did get the motherly embrance today, but I'll see Sister Curtis on Sunday (tomorrow) so maybe then.

I jusgt want to say I know my Savior lives and he did die for us. He was forn into this world in the most humblest circumstances and he died a King! Through him we can all return back home to our Father above. And I am grateful for that. I love y'all and wish y'all a frolich wienachten (Merry Christmas). Next letter is coming from Germany!!!
Love, Sister Anderson