"Fra-gee-lay"

Hello my dear beautiful family,

First, let me apologize for not sending out a mass email on Monday. We had transfers last week and the assistants decided not to let us use the Internet until Thursday, which was kind of a bummer. But don't feel too bad for me because right now I'm writing to you all from the mission home where Hermana Bloomfield (we didn't have transfers--begged president to let us stay together and he buckled :)) and I spent the night so that we could be here for p-day to help Sister Ward decorate for Christmas. Yes, it does pay to be the closest sisters to the mission home. However, I almost didn't sleep last night because I was so excited about having AC, a comforter and a hot shower to look forward to in the morning. Sister Ward also had us do a P90X workout with her this morning and it was intense. I'll be feeling that one in the legs tomorrow! Right now I can hear Sister Ward listening to some MoTab Christmas music while she's sorting out various boxes of decorations she discovered. We helped set up the fake Christmas tree and I can tell you all that I felt a slight pang in my little corazon when I thought about the REAL pinion pine that would be spending Christmas without me this year at home. Ah well...it's just one Christmas!

Last night I got to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, which I'm assuming that many of you didn't see because of the Taylor family Christmas party (though I'm guessing only Mom and Dad were around for that one...). I quite enjoyed that and it's the closest I'll come to a MoTab Christmas concert this year, so I lived it up. I still can't get over the fact that you're all wading around in snow while we're just getting into "springtime" here. Odd.

Teaching-wise, I don't have too much to report. The Aguirre family whom we love so much didn't come to church yesterday which just about broke our hearts, but we're still trying to see what we can do with them. Hermana Bloomfield and I, being former soccer players, played against Camilo and his boys with Monica last week and I was surprised at how much I missed soccer! And it was pretty cool beating a professional soccer player :) (that's right--we won!)
We love them so much. They're just having a hard time letting go of the Catholic traditions...keep praying for them.

We did have an amazing testimony meeting yesterday with our ward. I think about 90% of the congregation was in tears. I try not to miss you all too much here (thankfully the work keeps me plenty busy and I don't have to ever worry about that) but every once in a while you all come flooding to the mind like some giant tidal wave I've been repressing and the tears start to trickle a little. I think that's what happened yesterday when one of our cute families in the ward all got up and bore their testimonies together (that's what people do here). The oldest boy who is about 13 starting talking about how grateful he was for his family to up there all together and he started choking up. That's when the tears hit everyone, I think. Hermana Bloomfield and I were no exception. So anyway...I guess I love you all :). I'm not pining for home or anything, don't worry, but I do miss ya. Thanks for the prayers. Do some fun Christmas stuff and send me some pictures.

Les quiero mucho,

Hna. Brewster