Hello!

Well, shockingly, another week has come and gone. Can we slow it down already?! I feel like I wish December could be forever long because it is so much fun to be a missionary in NOM (Nebraska Omaha Mission) at Christmas time. Today we went on something called a "Watson Wagon" with a bunch of the sisters. Elder Watson is the director of the Trail Center, and he is like our dad here. Today we all went to the Kanesville Tabernacle to see their Gingerbread display and then went Christmas shopping. It was a great day! 

SO. The big news is that Brother Mike Hall set his baptism day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the 29th of December, so that will be pretty much the best week of my life. My best friend is getting married on Friday, Suzy's baptism is on the 22nd, then Christmas, then Mike's baptism on the 29th. Could I ask for a better Christmas???! I don't think so. I realize more and more every day that I have made the right decision being here- that I am doing the most important work that I could possibly be doing at this time in my life, and that being a mom and wife is the only thing that I will ever do in this life that is more important. I am so blessed! I gave Mike a copy of the incredible Advent calendar mom sent, and he said he does that every morning (with my mini hymn book that I let him borrow) and that he reads the Book of Mormon every night. If that isn't the best thing to hear as a missionary, I don't know what is. Oh wait, how about the other day when he listed off all of the reasons that he wants to be baptized. AH. I love him so much. I am so excited for both baptisms. All I want is a "White Christmas" haha. 

Speaking of a White Christmas....we still don't have any snow, but yesterday it was 6 degrees according to our car. I think it warmed up to a toasty 13 degrees by the afternoon. This Arizona girl will definitely be bundling up!! I got my big coat out finally and have been wearing it like my life depended on it! 

THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of the wonderful letters this week. I was so grateful to hear from Sister Wade, the Merrills, Emily Bowen, Papa, and to get that awesome package from Jen. I was so grateful for another Christmas CD, and for the chocolate covered cinnamon bears. YUM. Lindsay- your Christmas card was ADORABLE and Cole's little concerned face is so cute. I love that little guy, and can't believe how big he is already! Mom takes the cake though with an advent calendar to beat all advent calendars. I can't believe how crazy that thing is- you should go into business and sell it. I have bragged about it (I know that is un-Christlike, but seriously, it is AMAZING) to everyone that is here. I love love love it. 

So I wanted to tell you about the craziest experience that I had this week. Some people may have seen it in on the NOM Facebook page, but I will give you the background information. We were asked to switch someone shifts at the TC which means we were there all day- it makes for a long day when that happens, but we were fine to do it! So, around 2 hours into our second shift, I went downstairs to the Gingerbread display and saw another bus pull up. I kind of laughed when I saw it, because we had already had about 4 or 5 buses that day already, so it was just a "here we go again" kind of moment. I'm watching the bus pull up, and then this guy gets off that looks SO familiar. And then I watch the BYU women's volleyball team get off the bus. Anyone who knows me very well knows that the BYU athletes are like my CHILDREN, so it was the craziest surprise. I was able to take some of my girls- Ciara and Sammy, as well as Kim on a short tour through the gallery here, which was so amazing to be able to do. I will be excited to talk to Ciara on the phone in the next few weeks and months! Such a blast. It made me realize how aware Heavenly Father is of each of us- and that even though He shouldn't have to, He will always give us reminders of just how much he loves us and how aware He is of us. He always answers our prayers- most of the time in far grander ways than we could ever imagine. How lucky are we!? 

I'm so glad to hear that you have been studying Preach My Gospel for Family Home Evening. I think that book has changed my life in more ways than I could count, and that it- combined with my study of the Book of Mormon- has helped me understand what it is that my Heavenly Father sees in me, and what He has for me to do here. 

OH! Before I go- another "small world" situation (am I my mother's daughter or WHAT?) happened to me this week when I was at a member's house in our ward. Brother Wendel is the music chairperson so he was helping me practice because we sang in church this week (yes, the ward is going to get sick of me singing). I knew he was a doctor, but didn't know he was a radiologist. I knew it was a longshot, but I asked if he knew Carl and Nan Black, and of course, he does. He went when David Archuleta sang at their house! Small world. 


I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK. Thank you for all of your love and support. I'm having a great time!

Love, 
Sister Farnsworth