Christmas E-mail

Ciao Tutti!!!! Buon Natale!!!! (note, I know my spelling is no good, Italian is messing with my english brain, sorry:))

Well this has been a lovely week! I finally feel at home here, mostly because I put up a bunch of pictures of you all around my room and hung up christmas decorations (thanks Rosie for the lights, they are perfect:)!) Also, I am so excited for the gifts that you have so kindly sent to me:) You all are the best!

So I have decided to tell you a little something about my daily activities, fun huh! Well we get up and head to the classroom, or dungeon of learning, and study the scriptures(I love doing this, I never realized how wonderful the book of mormon is! It seems like every chapter has great insight on developing faith or another christ like attribute). Then we go to the cafeteria, or processed food cafe, and eat, then we go back to the DOL then back to the PFC then back to the DOL then back to the PFC then we head over to the gym, or hamster wheel, (I think I have run around that building a million times by now:)) then back to the DOL then back to the HW, but now it is set up for a devotional! then back to the residency, or house of sleep:) I really do love the MTC, no worries! I am learning so much. The only sad thing is that we do not get to see the sky since the little vias between the buildings are covered, so if you thought I was white before you should see me now(Olga remember how you thought I was wearing white tights once, but I wasn't, that is how my legs look now:))

So on Sunday something happened that got me thinking about Pres. Hinckley's quote, "Forget yourself and go to work." On Sunday morning I was actually doing my hair, instead of leaving it crazy curly. Well I was so enthralled with how I looked and trying to get my hair looking nice that by the time I left the residency to go to our daily activities I did not even notice that I forgot to put my tag on (the one that says Sorella Comollo chiesa di Gesu' Cristo dei santi degli ultimi giorni). This simple act of forgetting to put on my tag, Christ's name, over my heart in the morning got me thinking about if I am doing that spiritually. Am I following my baptisimal covenant and taking our savior's name upon me, remembering to put him over and in my heart everyday, or am I too worried about how I look or what I am going to say or whatever and not allowing him to lead my path? From that time I have been really working on forgetting myself and going to work. It really has made a difference, my morning prayers are more sincere, I feel like I am retaining my italian and gospel knowledge and I getting less discouraged. Putting Christ in my heart first and foremost is making all the difference.

In the devotional on Sunday there was a talk given about feelings, it was incredible! It seems like in this world we live in today disregards feelings, it has to be physically or scientifically proven in order to have merit, well this is not so with the things of God. I have a great example to illistrate this through the christmas story; When Lehi tells his family about the dream he saw Nephi desires to know the interpretation of the dream, specifically what is the significance of the tree. So the Angel says ok Nephi I will show you! So he shows him the chirstmas story, he shows him Jerusalam and the Mother Mary and the sweetest face of the most gentle of Babies, the Baby Jesus. The Angel then asks him, do you know what the tree means now. Nephi says yes. If I had not heard this story before I would be thinking, what? Angel you did not even tell him what it means you just showed him a nice scene. Well think about it this way, if you were to see that angelic baby face of Jesus what would you feel?

would you not feel, THE LOVE OF GOD! The love of God is exactly what the tree in Lehi's dream symbolizes. Is that not just beauiful, Human emotions or feelings are magnified and grow deeper as we follow the spirit!

I just thought I would share those things I learned with you:)

I love you all so much! Thanks for all of your support, your letters, and your prayers! I know that this gospel is true, I know it because I can feel a change, a happiness with in me when I follow the commandments and learn more about our savior!

I wish you the Merriest Christmas, for there is nothing better than the celebration of our Savior!

Love you tons!

Love,

Sorella Comollo!