Feliz Navidad!

So I love Christmas! Yep, it's true! I love the spirit of Christmas through the Christmas songs, Christmas movies, Christmas lights, and ... presents! I still remember the joy I had during Christmas when I got my first Barbie (which was a boy Barbie with a monkey!), my cutesy purple bike, even a trip to Disneyland! I know that loving presents makes me a bad person and furthermore a bad missionary but it's the truth. And this year I received the best Christmas present ever! Are you ready...I finally got my flight plans to Argentina. Yep! That's right! I'm on my way! On Jan. 4, I will be boarding a plan to fly to Argentina, with a layover in Fort Worth, Texas. (Shout out to Al! And Chase who can't read this...) Anyways, I'm pretty dang stoked! Don't get me wrong, I love the MTC but everything has its expiration date and I think the MTC is starting to smell a little sour...Anyways, enough about my sinning ways of loving Christmas presents... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas without me. I have had an exciting week leading up to Christmas. Here's a quick summary for y'all.

"Week Review of Christmas in the MTC" by Hna. Ellsworth
1. Sunday Fireside with MTC Director Bro. Allen, Talk entitled: "Happiness in commercial form." Okay, the talk wasn't really entitled that except by me. Basically the fireside was us watching an hour of those cheesy Mormon commercials and then somehow relating them to our missions. Some of them were kind of a stretch, but it was one of the funnest Sunday firesides ever.
2. Tuesday Devotional with Elder Andersen, Talk entitled "Looking back and Looking Forward." I was very excited to hear from another apostle but I think my favorite part of the fireside was when his grandkids got up and sang "Picture a Christmas." It made me think of the good times and the Nativity Pageant. It was a tear jerker.
3. Christmas Even Devotional with the MTC Presidency and their wives, Talks entitled "Gifts of Hearts, Music, Service, Eternal Life, and Jesus Christ." We had a whole two hour program full of talks, musical numbers, testimonies, and good stuff.
4. Christmas Morning Devotional with Elder Perry, Talk about the Story of Christmas. I love Elder Perry! He brought his family along and they all read the different Christmas stories. It was a great way to celebrate Christmas morning.
5. Christmas Evening Devotional with ???. Okay, so I realize it hasn't happened yet but we're all anticipating who is coming. I have heard a lot of rumors and have ever started a couple myself. My favorite being that the prophet is coming with Donnie and Marie Osmond being the musical number. Some people will believe anything.

Anyways, it really has been a wonderful Christmas. I love seeing the true meaning of Christmas around. I spent my Christmas Even dinner at a table filled with Spanish speakers and I couldn't understand a single word but I absolutely loved it. Every time someone else would join the table, we would all stand up, yell "Feliz Navidad," and hit our glasses together. It was one of the coolest things ever. I wanted to be with my family but then I realized I was with my family. We are all brothers and sisters of our Heavenly Father. We had elders and sisters from Guatemala, Peru, El Salvador, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and of course the United States; and even though I couldn't understand everything, we still felt like a family. And just seeing the examples of the Christmas spirit around me has made me so happy today. I admit I was feeling a bit home sick this morning, but then an Hermana from Spain came up and gave me a hug and wished me a Merry Christmas. I sit with this girl at meals but we can't hardly understand each other. It was just so sweet and I could feel her Christmas spirit. It's just contagious! So I hope you all are feeling it too and just know that I love you! Merry Christmas!!

Hna. Ellsworth