Meli Keuliseumaseu!!

Happy Christmas Eve from the MTC!! Thank you, thank you for all the letters, emails and Christmas cards this week! Missionaries LOVE mail and it is so amazing to hear from all my favorite people on my favorite holiday. Christmas is finally here!! The MTC Presidency has been very secretive about our plans for tomorrow...but I have been told it will be incredible enough to make you all wish you were here. Stay tuned for the exciting email next week! Since every second of the day tomorrow is planned out from 7am to 9:30pm, we are celebrating as a district today on our free day. LOTS of chocolate, toffee, fudge, wreaths, cookies, candy, chips, salsa, guac, Christmas stories, lights, music...All of the above!! So excited. Also on the plan for today is our attempt to carol to the Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Cantonese missionaries in (very slow) Korean. It's funny because the word for "Glory" is "영광" (Yeong kwan). SO instead of the beautiful "gloria" chorus part in the song "Angels we have heard on high," it's more like "yeo......ng, kwan." That "K" comes in and throws off the whole melody. Hahah we all just sing it deep/off key and try not to laugh. But really it's not about how we sing, but the love and Christmas spirit behind it, right? Mom we just need those bells we (try to) play every year and we're set!

Family!! I can't believe you are in Utah...so close, yet so far :/ Promise me you will go to Cupbop before you leave and get Korean BBQ and take a picture! We haven't had much snow these past few weeks and even though I am ALWAYS freezing, I was praying it would snow so you would be able to ski! Lucky you. It's blizzarding down here. I'm surviving. Merry Christmas!!

So this week we studied more Korean grammar forms and are really trying to be better at "SYL"ing (speaking language at ALL times). My companion and I made a goal to English fast for at least one meal every day. It has been so helpful in practicing and honestly realizing how much we still need to learn. Yeah, we're pretty quiet during those meals...veryyy far to go, but progress! It's so weird/exciting/terrifying to think I will be in Korea in 31/2 weeks. I love what you said in your Dear Elder this week mom about just looking up and focusing on the Savior. You reminded me not to look side to side and compare myself to others, not to look back and not to look too far forward at how far I have to go in the future. Remember to look up at the Savior who will always lift and guide.

We had a really good devotional this Tuesday by Elder Brent H. Nielsen of the Seventy and his wife. She told a story about when they were doing service in the Philippines. I don't remember exactly but basically as they were cleaning up, a Filipino boy came and took the ladder from her. Instead of saying, "I got it," or "I can take this for you..." he said "I will be the one." She told us that because of that statement she searched the scriptures for all the "I will" statements from the Savior. He promises, "I will make weak things become strong unto you," "Open your mouths and I will fill them," "I will lead you....enlighten you," "I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my spirit shall be in your hearts, and mind angels round about you to bear you up" (favorite scripture). And then in 3rd Nephi, the faithful people who believed that Christ would come are told they will be put to death if the sign is not shown. Christ says, "Life up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand and on this night shall the sign be given and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I WILL fulfill all that has been spoken by my prophets." The nephites must have been terrified, yet they had so much faith and to them Christ comforted and promised to come and be the one. No matter what our worries, discouragements, pains, loneliness (homesickness, feelings of inadequacy, doubts, fear) may be, Christ was born on earth, set an example for us, suffered and died for us so that He could personally "Be the one" for each one of us. All we have to do is remember Him, look to Him, come unto Him and we will feel His strength and love. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! Jesus loves you! I love you! Family I can't wait to call you tomorrow!!! Chincha Kidayduemnida (really excited!) 

살 앙합니다 (Saranhamnida - love you!)

Davis Chamae

Christmas Tree filled with Special Ornaments

So excited to receive my first Christmas card and 

our annual family calendar! 설앙합니다

Toffee, fudge, korean Raman and chopsticks 

(Elders made us leave the wreaths in the room)

My favorite things: Pita pit and Harry Potter

MTC entertainment - favorite Christmas song!
David Archuleta - The Prayer