December 27 Email

December 27, 2011

Hey guys! It’s the second email of the week!

How's it going? Glad to hear Christmas and all went swimmingly. As you know, my Christmas went well too. After I wrote you guys that e-mail we went and ate a sack- dinner. We then went to what I thought was going to be "Sissel: Live and Sisseling at the MTC". Alas, to my sorrow, it was a pre-recorded show that we just watched in the gym. After I stopped tearing down the Christmas decorations in the pure anger of not seeing Sissel, throwing Christmas trees in the audience, and screaming "I hate Christmas!" I finally settled down and enjoyed the show. It really was very nice.

After that, Stephen B. Allen, the director of the missionary department, gave a really, really, really great talk that made me think. His theme was, "missions are hard but they are worth it".  It was really funny and it was very nice. After his talk we watched a movie Bro. Allen actually produced. It's a little number we all know, "Mr. Kruger’s Christmas”.  I'm pretty sure he played it just so I could cry during the part when Mr. Kruger talks to Jesus (just like I've done at that scene ever since I was 6).  Alas, we didn’t get to see any of the bloopers and outtakes from that movie.

It was a very nice Christmas. Thank you for those sweet testimonies you guys sent me, they really touched my heart and bore a strong spirit. I will talk about those and more about my Christmas in the letter I'll write after this. In other news, I'm moving on up. Tomorrow I'm hosting! You know, bringing in the young ‘uns. It'll be great!  My host wasn’t that great so I want to make sure these new elders get the good treatment. I'll try not to scare them by telling them that at the MTC you have to dance the Charleston for your food.

Thanks for the packages and letters this Christmas and a special shout out to goes to Austin and Ethan, Brian and Carly, Mark and Edna (and their fam) and Zack Hulsey. Thanks for the letters. Seriously, you guys are the best! Thank you, thank you!

It's been a great week! I've been getting along really well with my companions and we just learned the last thing we need for our MTC Spanish stuff:  Past subjunctives. I can't begin to tell you how insane those are but I'm not worried about it. I'm just pumped to get to Argentina! We had a sub from Salta who was telling us everything about it and it's pretty much the best place in the world.

Thanks familia for the pizza and the presents and all. I loved the Lego missionary, it's the best. Sorry if I just talked about Christmas in this letter, it was really all we did this week but boy was it a good week. I love you guys. Thanks so much for everything, really: Your letters, testimonies and everything just makes my day. I'm running out of time on the computer so I’ll go write you guys a letter. The church is true, I love you guys. It's all good

Con amor,

Russ

Nice tuke, Russ