Dear family and everyone else,
Christmas has come, and now it has gone again until next year; however, next year will be extra special, because this time, I will be able to celebrate it with all my family. It was fun skyping, and having dinner with the Renshaw's last night. I want to apologize now! We had to leave early this morning to go E-mail at 10:00 so I forgot the camera again. There are a ton of pictures this week. Maybe I can bring my camera again later on today after we shop and clean our apartment, along with playing games at the church. I guess I will have to see soon. I got a ton of presents this year. I did get a suit this year. A really nice and fancy inside too. I want to thank you, and all my family that have supported me on my mission. Soon, I will be able to hug, shake hands, and catch up with you all again. When I got on the computer, I noticed on my portal that "My Plan" is already available for me to use and start doing. I have been very excited to do this. Most missionaries, maybe 90%, don't like doing it for some reason. Yes, it's long. Believe me. I sent home 2 missionaries, besides my trainer, since he left before this launched. It takes a long time for sure to complete. I noticed in myself that I like the word plan more than goal. Goals sound hard, but plans sound fun. I just have to trick my mind in thinking plan so it sounds like a fun activity to do. No work should ever be drudgery. That is why I stay enthused about the work I do even though I am coming to a close on my mission.
The Mission Devotional was fun. We were able to take a mission picture to send to the brethren in Salt Lake City. Soon I will get a copy and send it all to you. I'm excited to see that picture. I bet it looks just as good, if not better than last year's picture. The food was also good. We had huge cinnamon rolls, and colored popcorn that Elder Guernsey made and brought. Christmas morning, I also ate the Trifle that I decided to make at the Zone Leaders apartment. It was overall really good and fun to layer and make. I have a ton of left overs, so I will be eating this stuff throughout this week and New Year's. The Palmer's also gave us a little booklet of pictures that the mission went through this year. I wasn't in it though, but it was short and condensed, and incomplete.
We taught James for the last time this week. He wasn't ready to change and repent either. He created the analogy that he's too old and has already found his "Highway 99" to heaven. We must remember that we should not be stagnant in our progress in the Lord. Even on a highway. we have choices to make. We can change lanes, get ahead of someone, stay behind, or take exits to other freeways or to different roads. The Lord's road is small, not widely known as an interstate that we all often know. We must study our spiritual road maps, course corrections, and pray that we know the best route to take to get home in Heaven. We have spiritual Liahona's/G.P.S.'s at our ready, known as scriptures, that give us our road map. Our road should also be solid instead of broken, weak, and fragmented. As Helaman 5:12 states: "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." I know that if we are rooted deep within the rock of Christ, church wide revelation, and personal revelation, we will know what to do in the long run to make the trip to the end. That's about it. Love you all.
Sincerely,
Elder White
Christmas Pajamas!
Christmas breakfast with Elder Sitani and Elder Booth
Christmas dinner with the Renshaws
Christmas dinner with the Renshaws
Christmas stuff!