Hope you had a great Christmas!

Dear Family,

Thank you so much!!! :)? seriously... that you value my words so much... it gives me so much strength and confidence in myself. thank you for wanting to write it down and keep it. I wish I could write down and read everything you guys said to me. I feel..... ah... i just cant explain what its like to be valued so much? I would ask why but i know why, its cuz you LOVE me. Just like Heavenly Father loves us? He's given us that gift so we can know what its like to give that love to others... i literally can't think about you guys without almost crying because.. honestly... I don't deserve it, and it makes it that much more sweet... I'm so blessed. And when we are blessed, we must give back!! And i feel like im not giving enough all the time... but then when I read the words you wrote in this email... I realized. Wow, im all the way over here!? i gave up my whole life, im with so many ppl ive NEVER met or known, just trying every day to serve God. Wow, we are ALL doing so much better than we think :) 

Christmas sounds amazing! I totally knew u guys were gonna have lobster a and steak for christmas eve... tell brad im so flippin jealous. i miss THAT so much hahaha :)
in the pictures i saw, bryce looks like a BEAST! man, i so miss him... i wish i could be there to see him grow... i love him so much its not even funny. 

So glad you went to saras farewell!! thank you! glad you got to see the rowes! :) :) she is gonna be great! she is a rock!! cant believe she is leaving so soon! and brooke has been through so much i cant believe she is still going a mission! shes incredible!! ha wow, same mission as marie! thats nuts! :) SO COOL! how is marie doing? 

The pants are PERFECT! I LOOOOOOOOOVE them. seriously, ive been wanting brown pants! and they are perfect! i have these SWEET! brown shoes that langi gave me, ha. so i only wear them on special occasions:) and ya im wearing the green sweater right now, its perfect! :) u did good mom!! im so good! i have the freaking best family ever! just like in my setting apart blessing the love of my family will get me through the hard times of my mission. You guys are the flippin best! we are becoming a family of ZION! :) 

YES! all sisters!! :) (In his district) we all get a long great, they are all awesome obedient missionaries, and the sister training leaders are in my district, so ya... its really actually nerve racking to do district meeting ha. But its going well. Its great.  

New years i think we are going to Bro. Lewis's :) btw his daughter Jessica is bringing a package home for you guys! ha, its just all my letters that i kept, and some book of mormons in other languages, and then theres some other stuff and , a note to you and a letter for dad and then a letter for the graves :) 

Facebook? we have an hour each day to get on :) and the goal is too friend all our members friends and ppl we meet and to send em messages and clips and stuff that will teach them the principles. Its so flippin cool!! :) we are just beginning. Early next year we will be getting tablets, so like... by my b day i think :) 

I really think I could stay another transfer, it would be a shock, but not a surprise ya know? so its like... 60/40 if i go or not :) crazy... jan 18th we will see :) 

okay!!!! :) the moment we've all been waiting for when i try to type EVERYTHING I REMMEBER FROM THE WEEK!:) SO MOM IS PROUD OF ME :) hahah

so last p day, we had christmas conference at fort de soto beach in st. Pete :)! it was way fun, These two hawaiian Elders sang, and holy crap it sounded so flippin good, Presidnt Cuisick found out that I sang in church and he asked me to sing, well i had nothing prepared, so i grabbed my toko Elder Langi and we sang im trying to be like jesus and it kinda sucked but its okay cuz ppl love us hahahah jk. But we had a ugly sweater contest and we would stand up in front of all the missionaries and they would cheer for who they want, well... elder shupe and I got first and second and another sister from our district got third. When I stood up, i took the candy canes that were stuck in the little stockings (idk if you saw the sweater sister ball made me) but I threw them out to ppl, kinda bribed them haha. it was awesome!! :) we won and got 15$ gift cards to Chipotle... ya it was freaking awesome... 

got to meet a bunch of new missionaries, and man, it was so cool. I met another sister from Springville! Hannah packard? the basketball girl! her older sister is in the mission! way cool!

Tuesday was christmas EVE! The hawkins took us out to outback! It was so flippin good, we got ribs! oh! and earlier that day Sis ball had us over with one of her old friends who is a psychologist, has a Ph.D and he hypnotized Elder Shupe into liking vegtables! :) it was way cool! ha. anyway after we went to dinner we took some pictures with em, they have an awesome family, im gonna get them and then send em to you guys! then we went to the Lewis' and ate more and watched mr. Crugers christmas:) it was actually really good! and Dana and Madison showed up and we talked about the birth of christ, and Bro Lewis bore his testimony and asked elder Shupe and I to speak and we expressed our gratitude to them and shared testimony, such a powerful night. SOOOO grateful, and If you were praying that I would feel your love during this time of year, well your prayers were answered! 

Christmas morning we had district meeting! and i didnt know what to do, i wanted everyone to feel the love and spirit of christmas... but still feel missionary spirit. So we talked a litttle about our families and christmas at home and then we shared good experiences, and then I read them all the story of the three trees ;) they... LOVED!! it . they want a copy of it :) and after we talked , and the spirit was so strong, and it just went perfectly! well then we tried to get on base...lost my wallet, and then like 2 hours later, we got on cuz sis. belisle picked us up and got us on... well she fed us and then we skyped... awesome... played some fun games :) called... headbands? and another... called 5 seconds i think :) way fun. Then to the Giboneys and we made homemade candy! her parents are from sacramento! Lincoln Loomis area :) they are so funny! it was such a good day. WE GOT SO MUCH GOODIES.

Thursday was our adjust CLEAN day... and i realized i really... lost my wallet... and i said like a billion prayers... well that day kinda sucked so we'll go to friday...

friday! we got on the computer... and i had a message on facebook from a lady in our apt complex saying " I found your wallet what # are you ill give it to you?" 

WE JUST ABOUT FREAKED OUT! so the lord answers our prayers! it was a miracle... that night we played basketball with the elders quorum and their friends trying to get some others there to meet and start teaching. its been a great finding tool in the past. 

Saturday we went to the Giboneys again and had some bomb food and actually got a LESSON in, w bro giboney! jsut a mormon message... but man, he is such a stud! he will come eventually! :) 

then sunday!.... ahhh i needed sunday... I needed the sacrament... it was a rough week minus christmas, all our ppl left or just werent responding... and I was just struggling with confidence... WELL! kenny!!! came to church!! he jsut SHOWED UP! looking GREAT! he is the friend of bro Freestone and man... it was so awesome! 

AND this random guy was coming home from a trip and literally just walked in and sat down! his name is billy and he is really intersted... we are so excited to teach him! President Cusick spoke and it was so good! missionary work is literally HUGE RIGHT NOW! so grateful to be a missionary now! 

sorry i forgot something hilarious that happened...we were riding out bikes... finding... and we stopped a light to decide where to go, and we hear behind us...

"Jehovah witness! (in this FLAMING VOICE!) hey!... SMILE! ( and he pulls out his camera and takes a couple pictures! well we were like... sweet! and we smiled and I was like "Hey we are actually mormons!" and the guy puts his hands up and goes "praise him..." and i was like no MORMONS! and he goes "praise him" again, and they drive off... it was hilarious :) hahaha

Anyway... I love you guys it was such a good week... I learned so much this week... but most of all... I learned it doesnt have to be some amazing break through and this huge change... it is simply the fact that we are ALL trying to make it... we are all the same, we are all accepted into the arms of christ, all we have to do is decide to get back on the path... and he will help :) I know my redeemer lives. And i know i am called of GOD :) 

Elder Nelson

Be not afraid; Only believe