Sister Sallstrom: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Dear family,

What a week it has been! So many things are happening and there's not much time to write... I'll try to be brief. Today we got an email from President Jenkins and he told us that Elder Holland is coming to our mission on January 11th!!!! How awesome is that??? He'll be speaking to the Scottsdale mission and the Gilbert mission along with us (so I might get to see one of my best friends, Mollie Smith!!!)

Also, this week we had our mission temple excursion on Wednesday and half our mission (like 100 of us) were in the temple at the same time. Being in the celestial room together was amazing!!! I got to see my two MTC companions, Sister Willahan and Sister Dunn. We had a reunion and talked about how the MTC seems like a dream. Right after the temple we had a mission Christmas party!!! We had a really good steak dinner, did a service project, and listened to awesome singers (Freddy Ashby and Craig Bodden). It was awesome!!! I also got to meet Sister Hadlow's sister (Jakelle's mom... I don't remember her last name) because she and her husband were a part of the service project we did. It was so fun!!! We had the best food and it was so special to be there as a mission family.

Also, we had some miracles this week!!! At the lights, one night, we had 3 minutes left in our shift so we decided we wanted to talk to one more person. An older couple came walking by so we started talking to them... we asked if we could sing Silent Night to them and they let us and after that we asked if the missionaries could visit them to help them learn more and the wife excitedly said yes! It's like she was just waiting for us to! It was awesome!!! Things like that happen all the time!! We also get to meet people from all over the world... we met some from the Philippines, Mexico, Canada, Columbia, and a few other places. It's also really cool to talk to some members who aren't active. We had a very special conversation with a lady named Susan who hasn't been to church in a long time, but she wants to be more active. The Spirit was so strong and she said that she needed to talk to us that night. It's so amazing to see these miracles every night at the lights!!! I'm so grateful to be able to host there. It's the first year that missionaries have been able to do it. It has also helped me to overcome my shyness because we literally talk with everyone... I've probably talked to over a hundred people in the past week. It's awesome!! Our experience also reminds me of what Mr. Smith, my choir teacher told us once, that we will never understand how much our singing will mean to the people listening. I know that music touches hearts and helps people feel the Spirit.

I have never had all my weaknesses come out at once like they are right now! I feel like a really fat person with bulges and rolls of fat and every time I try to tuck one in another one comes out. I think it's because of how Sister White's personality and mine don't harmonize all the time. I'm working so hard and praying so hard that I'll be able to rely on the Lord to improve. We are working so hard together and trying to be exactly obedient!!!

We have had so many miracles this week!!! We had 4 investigators at church and 6 at a ward Christmas party. Hopefully there will be a few baptisms in the next month or so... I wish I had more time to write about our amazing investigators. I love you all!!!! Thanks for all your love!!!! Remember Christ even more this Christmas season!! :)

Love, Sister Sallstrom