"Congratulations on your recent conception"- Hna. Hoskins

Familia!

I love you. Getting to talk to you on Christmas was the best Christmas Present ever. I hope not knowing when I was going to call didn't make things too stressful for you. Next time, I think I'll call that morning and let you know when I'm going to call later, since that's apparently totally legit. Transfer News: I'm staying! I get to stay here in BearCreek, probably for two more transfers, I'd guess... But little Hermana Russon is leaving, she's going to go to LittleYork to be companions with my old companion Hermana Bastian. I'm sad that we only got one transfer together, but I'm really looking forward to this next experience. I don't know who my companion is yet, because I'm going to be training one of the new sisters coming in on Wednesday. And President doesn't assign our trainers and trainees until after he's met them all/prayed about it. So, next week I'll be able to tell you about my new companion. I'm way excited to train, I think it's going to be a blast. So far, I've been very blessed with amazing companions. So, we'll see how this goes. My MTC companion Hermana Gurney is also going to train. She gets to White-wash train in her baby-area—meaning the area she served in when she first got to the mission—Westgreens, I'm so jealous! I'd love to whitewash City View, but they've only got Elders serving in that ward now... They took the sisters out shortly after I moved to CrossTimbers last summer, so I probably won't get the chance, but I can imagine she's as excited right now as I would be if I got to go open up the City View sisters area. Elder Herrman is also training, so when we all get together to meet our Greenies, it's going to be a bit of an MTC district reunion. Very fitting, I think.

The subject line is what Hermana Hoskins said when she found out I was going to train.

Christmas sounds like it was really wonderful! I had a great Christmas here. One of the happiest and most meaningful of my life. I didn't get homesick at all actually, I looked forward to getting to talk to you all on the phone and after I hung up, I was a little sad for a split second. But then I saw that dad had hung up at exactly 59 minutes and 59 seconds and that made me laugh. Hurray for exact obedience! And I remembered that next time I talk to you isn't really all that far away. This was the long stretch of months and it's ya llevar acabo-ed. How's that for horrible Spanglish?

We had a wonderful dinner with Ashley and her mother. I got to hear funny/terrifying “Drill Sergent Stories” from her days in the army.

Getting to play with the family is so priceless though. I'm really looking forward to getting to see you all for Christmas next year and spend it as a family. But no... I actually didn't get legitimately homesick, just a touch nostalgic, we'll say. Our Christmas P-day was wonderful. I already told you a little bit about that. I'm not sure when Hermana Thomas is going back, but I'm sure she'll be fine. She's got a large chunk of good saints praying for her and she's a strong/righteous person, so whatever happens, she'll be fine, and hopefully she'll be back out here with us in just a short while. When I described to Ashley how I'd been trying to at least cry silently during President's prayer (and then failed miserably) she said that was exactly what happened to her when she started coming back to church and working through the repentance process. Every Sunday in church as they passed the sacrament and she couldn't take it she would try to at least sob quietly, but it never worked and people always stared. But the experience helped her gain and more profound appreciation for her baptismal covenants, and now that she can take the sacrament again, she doesn't take it for granted.

I loved Jensen's description of the movie Avatar as “Ferngully on Steroids”. I think I'll have to see that one when I get back. And Ferngully. I don't remember much about that old movie, except that I liked it a lot as a kid until I was old enough to start getting annoyed with the unintelligent, irrational conclusions reached by some of our adorable environmentalist brethren and then it just made me exasperated.

And Sherlock Holmes sounds pretty slick. Holidays and movies always go together... I was so happy when the Zone Leaders told us we could watch the Peanuts Christmas special. I loved my presents from all of you and I especially loved getting those letters from you folks. I think that was the best gift I got to unwrap. I'm happy, I'm healthy more or less and I'm so excited to be out here doing the Lord's work! I love you all like crazy! MWAH.

Hermana Lillywhite