Happy 2008!!!!!!

Ok so after writing my letter last week I realized I totally forgot to tell you what happened Christmas eve! So you get a record of that day and New Year's eve all in one letter! Be excited......and......go!Christmas eve: Of course we had our concert and everyone loved it (regardless of no mikes), but after the VC closed and everyone was pushed out the doors, all the sisters went downstairs for another round of the concert so the sisters who were up talking to people upstairs could have the chance to hear it too. When that was finished (about 11pm) we all sat around the christus while Bro. Brewer (the most amazing man with the biggest heart ever!!! He sits in front of the VC and greets everyone as they come in. He's been doing it for 17 years), and Elder Child (the VC director, and another one of those "sweetest men alive!") told us Christmas stories. It was fun, but basically killed me. We all got home about midnight, and after planning were in bed by 12:30 (with permission of course =]. They do this every year for the sisters). When there's no way to catch up and you have to just keep going all day everyday it's really hard to keep the energy. Normal missionary work...not a problem. All day everyday. I can do it just fine. But having to be on the schedule we have at the VC and talk to hundreds of people every night and testifying that much every night is physically, mentally, and spiritually draining....but you just have to keep going.Now for New Year's eve: we were at the VC (big surprise there =]) so we got home about 11pm and sis. Baxter had gotten a package from her family in England with "Schloer" in it. It's like our martinelli's but with a different name. So we drank that and took some pics =]. You'll see those in a few months. It's was really fun =D. Then went to bed on time at 11:30 and said happy 2008 the next morning. I know, it sounds exciting. Well, in fact, it was...Festival is officially over as of Tuesday (thank goodness! I love it and miss it, but enough is enough =]). So we are back to being normal missionaries. AND!!!! Our schedule is about to change at the VC. Instead of being there 4 or sometimes 5 days a week we are only going to be there 2 maybe 3 times a week which gives us 3 or 4 full days of proselyting and more companionship studying!!!! I'm so excited! I can't wait. Derwood is gonna sparkle like it never has before =]. So many miracles are gonna happen in Jan. It'll be incredible.Tomorrow we are going to teach a part-member family (the mom is a member and the dad is not), and he's only allowed missionaries to come and talk to him about 4 times, but never agreed to have the lessons, so that's super exciting! He knows we are there to teach him (we made that pretty clear) and he's ok with it! He's being prepared slowly, but it's there. He will come to understand, and if it's with us great! if not, he'll be baptized eventually, so we just do what we can now.The mission has been an incredible experience. I just want to thank all of you for your love and support. I'm starting to learn so many things and I know myself better than I ever have before. I'm learning how to recognize the spirit and follow it, and at the same time teaching others to do the same. I'm beginning to develop godly attributes that will affect how I live the rest of my life and continue in my quest for spiritual knowledge. Having the time to focus so closely on the spirit will be a blessing to me and everyone who comes after me till the end of time, and I'm grateful to be here experiencing this right now. You are the means that brought me here to this point and I thank each and every one of you for your examples and testimonies. I love and miss you all! I hope you have an AWESOME week!

~Sister Witbeck~