December 26, 2016 -- Christmass!!!

Today I feel happy, tired, happy, sick, and did I mention happy. Tired form Christmas day yesterday. Sick because I have a sore throat and happy because I got to Skype my family yesterday. 

Christmas was amazing yesterday. I know it's not good to say but growing up I wouldn't enjoy having Christmas on Sunday because that meant going to church and delaying the normal Christmas activities. Little did I know that it's one of the best ways to celebrate Christmas. It's truly Christ that we should remember on Christmas -- his birth, his atonement, and many of the other things that he did for us. Remembering this and living the principles he taught brings so much more peace than any gift or material possession the world has to offer. Elder Crandall and I enjoyed singing in the church choir. Marie and her fam even made it to church. Afterward Elder Crandall and I went to the Rodriguez's to skype and call our families. Elder Crandall went first and I built some legos with Jared. That really made it feel like Christmas. I was a huge lego lover as a kid if you can't tell. After that came the most exciting part of the day.... SKYPING THE FAM!!!! It was so great to talk to all of them and hear their voices as well as seeing them. I felt like I was coming off of a Joy high when I was done. Next was dinner at the Cutler's. Sister Cutler's cooking didn't fail us yet again. After that we went caroling with the rest of the missionaries and some ward members. That was pretty much the night and it was one well spent if you ask me.

One other crazy thing this week happened at our Christmas conference this past Tuesday.  I ran into Journey Hagberg. We went to Jr. High School together in Orem. She was at the Christmas conference with the sister missionaries from Watertown. I was tripping out so I went and talked with her about why she was in New York. She said that her sister called and asked if she would drop everything to move to New York to help her out so that's what she did. In the process, she friended the sisters in Watertown and now is preparing to serve a mission. It really is a small world. You never know who you are going to run into from your past. 

Anyway I have to get going but the sky is blue, the Church is true, and life is good.

 

Elder Carlile

 

An Old Friend