Merry Christmas from the MTC!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!
AHHHH I’M SO HAPPY TO EMAIL!
I don’t get to call home, there’s too many missionaries and not enough phones so don't wait around! today was so great i miss all of you so bad especially today but i have to be perfectly honest today might have to be one of the most memorable Christmas’s I’ve ever had. mostly because I’m not with you guys. (here I’m not allowed to say "guys" because we are all either elders of sisters) BUT YOU ARENT! so i can say guys guys guys ALL I WANT! HEEEEEEEEEEHE! guys.
ok well today was amazing we woke up and opened presents which was fun because we had a little charlie brown tree that is seriously 2 inches tall and we all gathered around it and opened our gifts. thank you mama for all the nice presents! Oh, and last night my district and i sat in a circle and went around and took turns reading the Polar Express (they got really into it) it made me feel a little piece of home and they all loved the bells, and Christmas hats and the twinkling Christmas tree. it was so funny, we plugged in the tree and one of the elders in my district got a string of Christmas lights and so with all of that up while we went in our classroom we would find random people just sitting in our room with the lights off looking all the twinkle lights and we'd come in like ummm can we help you and they’re like oh sorry is this your room? its just so pretty and festive. i just got my pictures developed of the day i reported of all of us and i about died. i love you all so much. okay this email is going to be all over the place I’m sorry but i have limited time so I’m just spewing out thoughts.
This morning Elder Bednar came to out sacrament meeting!!!! it was so cool he's such a powerful speaker. he talked about the "character of Christ" and i remember hearing him speaking on this topic before but it was so spiritual today that i was in tears with my companion at the end. before he closed he was telling us about selecting where the missionaries get to go on out missions and he was like you all aren’t just in this big stack in an office with someone pointing to a map and deciding where you will serve. he said they all sit down and carefully pray about each individual missionary and where they will go. it made me feel so special. i know this next year and a half are NOT about me, i am NOT serving for myself, I’m not learning Portuguese for my selfish benefit. i am solely here for the Lord. I’m learning Portuguese to bring HIS children unto Christ. because we ALL deserve this gospel. i don’t dress up anymore for myself; i don't put on makeup for myself anymore. i put it on because i am a representative of Jesus Christ and that’s what is most important. EVERYTHING we do as missionaries relates back to our purpose. to invite others to come unto Him. i was meeting with my teacher in guided study one night and she was just asking how everything was going and i said I’m tired, a little overwhelmed and a little discouraged and she said i know it’s hard I’ve been there. She asked me what helps you keep going? and i said the letters from my family and friends that encourage me to keep pressing forward. i need to stop thinking oh poor me, and like Bednar said to show 'character of Christ’. In moments where we would all turn inward (become selfish, self centered), Christ turns outward (love charity etc).
Irmã Nelson