Hey mamacita!
So, first off let me say HAPPY THANKSGIVING! And I know everyone misses my cranberry sauce this year. Oh! Pants day is on Wednesday for us here. However, I am not sure what day it is in DC. I leave from the MTC at 8:30pm on December 6th to head to the Salt Lake Airport. Our flight leaves at 12:50 am on the 7th of December.... AND I get to make a phone call home from the airport! Yay! So I will call the business line sometime after 9pm and before midnight thirty. I know that is late for you mom but I'm sure you will be able to handle it! I am so excited! I love love love love love getting letters because I can read them the same day! Happiness in an envelope!
Today is a very non busy day at the MTC. Meals are longer times and we have no classes. I already had my Thanksgiving dinner and it is only 1:45pm. We get to have a residence hall picnic with our sack lunches tonight. It will be a blast. There is this wonderful hispanic sister, Sister Gallego, (I call her my little galleta (cookie)) and we organized a Thanksgiving picnic. She is wonderful! Going to North Carolina on her mission, but she will be back at BYU one day and we will be friends. I am getting a more positive opinion about BYU every time I meet someone who is here. :) Missionaries are great!
At 10am this morning the missionaries at the MTC got to be part of the Holland family! That is right Jeffrey R. Holland came to speak to us and he told us, " The Hollands are your family today." We heard some of the most amazing testimonies from 3 elders and 1 sister from the congregation. One elder from China spoke about how thankful we should be that we can preach in this country as he cannot in his. It was very touching to realize how thankful I am for a country that has such religious freedom. Then the Holland grandchildren sang! There were 13 of them! Guess who I thought of when they sang? Tallon, Cali, Braxon, Christian, Mischa, Michael, Celia, Julia, Emma, Jade, Jimmie, Kazley, and Kadence! That's right! I thought of my nieces and nephews and how wonderful all of them are. They sang that song... Whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by.... I loved it! They were soooooooo cute! Sister Holland then spoke to us. She asked if we had any idea of how much the Savior loves us? She testified that God and Jesus love us, every one! Jesus Christ is real. He is my Savior AND my brother. I loved it! And last but not least Elder Holland! He spoke of 3 things.
1- I am grateful that the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost know us individually. God knows you personally by name.
2- Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have always had compassion for the poor. Impart of your supbstance to the poor and the needy. Be compassionate and charitable. (Alma 34) Live where they live, eat what they eat, sleep where they sleep, understand them, identify with them, and most importantly love them.
3- God sent his only begotten Son to atone for the world. The Savior is the only person who will ever have to go through anything alone. Christ paid for all of our sins and everything else as well. He has felt our discouragement, our heartache, our depression, and all of our fears. He has velt every one of our tears. The reason we are serving missions is so that He doesn't have to keep going alone... He could use a little help. We are so lucky to have a loving brother who loved us so much that he was willing to take upon His shoulders the weight of the entire world. Jesus Christ is ALWAYS there for us.
This was a very spiritual day! And it has only just begun. To all of my family and friends. I love you! God be with you till we meet again.
Love,
Sister Nicole Gordon
That's great that they give the missionaries a "family" to be with.
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