Best. Christmas. Ever.

Hello my loved ones!!

Okay so this week I had the Best. Christmas. Ever...so memorable and so fun!! The best Christmas/Birthday present I received was being able to talk to my family!! I love and miss you all so much you don't even know!! It was so good to see your beautiful faces :) 

Well this last week was pretty great. We had our Christmas conference on Christmas Eve and we watched Ephriams Rescue.  And I just love that movie!! Mostly because I swear I felt the spirit all throughout the entire movie. I love how it demonstrates what a worthy and humble priesthood holder can do. It inspired me to think about what the early saints of the church gave up, and sacrificed for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because they knew for themselves that it is true. I pondered upon that and then thought, "if they were willing to sacrifice everything for the gospel, then I should be willing to do the same." I learned an important lesson just from watching that movie. Then after the movie we had an awesome talent show. We sang as a district and that was fun. Then after that we got all of our Christmas gifts and left as soon as we could. 

But a Christmas miracle happened along the way after the conference. The vehicle coordinator told us to go get some oil to put in our car. So we stopped at a auto shop got some oil and the people who were helping us asked us who we were. So we started talking to them about who we are and what we do. We talked to all of them and quickly gave them each a pass along card and invited them to go and watch the video and then we left because we had to get to Bishops house for dinner. Well after dinner with Bishop and few other families we left and got a call from one of the men telling us that he watched the video and that he wanted to learn more!! We are teaching him this Friday and we are so excited!!

Then Christmas morning we got up and exercised then we opened presents and after doing that we studied and then we made some cookies to pass out throughout the day and I used the wrapping paper from the Christmas gifts that I got to wrap up some copies of The Book of Mormon to pass out to people. But when we left the apartment there was seriously no one outside....and those who we did occasionally find outside were Jewish and said they weren't interested...but that's okay! Because it was still the best Christmas ever!! Then we had dinner with our Relief Society President and her sweet family and then I got to Skype with my own family!! It was seriously the best Christmas ever!! Because I am a missionary. That's why! We had a good two days following Christmas and the best news...WE ARE HAVING A BAPTISM THIS WEEKEND!! We are so excited!  I will tell you more about Sister Baker soon. But I'm runni out of time...

And quickly I just wanted to share something from my studies this week that I loved...it is from this months ensign and it is an article by Elder Christofferson called Be At Peace. And in it he says this...

"With all of that to come, though, I think it’s appropriate this time of year to just think about that baby in the manger. Don’t be too overwhelmed or occupied with what is to come; just think about that little baby. Take a quiet, peaceful moment to ponder the beginning of His life--the culmination of heavenly prophecy but the earthly beginning for Him. Take time to relax, be at peace, and see this little child in your mind. Do not be too concerned or overwhelmed with what is coming in His life or in yours. Instead, take a peaceful moment to contemplate perhaps the most serene moment in the history of the world--when all of heaven rejoiced with the message “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14)."

And I loved that. When I read it I felt as though Heavenly Father was telling me to just think about the Savior just focus on Him and not to worry about EVERYTHING that would be placed on His shoulders when he grew up. I thought about Mary too. When Elder Christofferson says the just think about the baby in the manger to me he is saying just enjoy the moment. Right here and right now. Enjoy where you are at. And how far you have come. I find that I myself often worry about the future. And I think about Mary that if she had only completely understood the magnitude of everything that her baby boy was going to have to do, she probably would worry about the future. As a mother would. But in Luke 2:19 it says that she "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." I believe that she just thought about her little baby in that manger and just enjoyed the miracle of his birth and the privilege she had to be the mother of the Son of God. I think that that is something we can all apply to our lives in some way or another. I love this gospel more than anything and I know that it is true, and that Jesus Christ has come. That He lives. And that He is coming again. 

Love you!! Talk to you next year

~Sister Amy Callaway~

Sister Asi and I because she goes home next week :( and pictures on Christmas Day! Also our Christmas tree that sister Lefevres mom sent us! :)