Best Christmas Ever!

Hey family.

Well since it's the holidays, all the e-mail places are closing early and so I only have like 45 minutes total to read and write a response! It'll have to be short. Can't reply to most of what you wrote.

But the news about Sean getting married is AWESOME!!!! I can't believe he's taking that step!

My packages were AWESOME. I already managed to break the book light :( I had it sitting on my desk and I knocked it off on accident. It actually still works and is useable but one of the arms can pop off easily now. Don't worry about replacing it or anything. And tell Jen THANKS for the Hobbit journal! I'm putting it to good use already. Basically, I've been extremely inspired by reading everything about Wilford Woodruff (my favorite latter-day prophet) and have a strong desire to keep a record of basically EVERYTHING. SO I now have personal journals, study journals, creative journals (for songs and riffs and movie ideas), the small book of wisdom, a doctrinal book!

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE HOBBIT!!!! Only thing I don't understand is that it had more action than LotR? But in The Hobbit book there's only like 1 battle the entire book near the end. There's a couple small scuffles but no battle. Maybe Peter Jackson made those little scuffles really cool though. I hope the scenery was just as good and epic and grand as LotR!

GO DEATH STAR.  (referring to an official petition demanding that the United States government secure funds and resources and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016)  

Items from my week:

-Well I already had 3 interviews as a District Leader. To describe them would be long, but it was a cool experience. The sisters are DESTROYING US with their numbers. DESTROYING.

-We all worked on the puzzle you sent and finished it Christmas night. Very nice picture.

-For Christmas we went to a hospital (just Kronum apartment, so only 4 of us) to do cleaning for one of Elder Lebengwa's recent converts. It was probably my best Christmas ever. Before starting the service, I already was happy to be there to do the service and I wasn't homesick at all. We cleaned only one ward, the male ward. 2 young men and a few older guys were in there being treated. And there were 3 workers there at the time. We cleaned the ward and while I was cleaning the endtables near the 2 kids, I talked to each of them. They didn't speak english so I could only say a few things but I told them that Jesus would make them better and they seemed happy when I told them that. Then also the workers expressed their appreciation. I felt so good after doing that for Christmas and right after leaving I realized how perfect it is to spend Christmas as a servant of the Lord by serving others. Especially others whose Christmas is definitely not spent doing what they wish they could do, whether it be because they're sick or working. So the least we could do is spend our Christmas to help brighten up their Christmas.

-This saturday there was a a baptism for a little sister (14) of one of my roomates recent converts. I did her interview as well. I have never seen someone rejoice after coming out of the water the way she did. She doesn't speak any english, but it's okay, she didn't have any words to say! She just started jumping and laughing in that very happy almost tearful way. She clapped her hands and was so overjoyed. It was touching.

But that's about it! Basically, lessons wise, this week was the worst ever for me. It was even making me depressed. Like, monday was P-day. Tuesday was Christmas so we didn't proselyte. Wednesday was district meeting (only a few hours to proselyte). Thursday was a full proselyting day. Friday I had to do baptismal interviews (took ALL day, mostly travelling time). Saturday was the baptism and then after coming home we had to do a 3 hour weekly planning session. Sunday was church, and in the evening was the ward christmas party which the turnout for was HUGE but then the lights went out until late so everyone just left. It was extremely disappointing. We even had like 4 referrals from members who brought husbands/wives/friends. UGH. Next week will be better though. I hope.

-Love Elder Gagne