God Jul!!!

hej hej familj!!! Jag älska ni så mycket!! Jag hoppas ni har en bra jul!!! :)

Last week was our last time going to the temple while at the MTC, it's closed this week for Christmas and next week for cleaning (which we get to help with!) so we did a session and hung out in the celestial room for a while and it was so great to be there! 

Also on wednesday night we got to help with People & Your Purpose (that first class the new missionaries have.  I loved it SO much when I did it!) We basically went in and got to know the person and then turned them over to the new missionaries to teach! 

On thursday we had TRC over skype.  Basically we taught this swedish guy and it was rough because:

1) you can't even understand english over skype. 

2) he spoke REALLY fast. 

3) he had this crazy accent on all his r's and a's

4) we weren't really prepared to teach him

But it went okay. At least now we know kind of what to expect when we get to sweden. 

I think it's funny. In swedish I can talk all about celestial marriage, the first vision, overcoming drug addiction or explain the atonement, but I can't order a sandwich from a restaurant. Such is life. I guess at least I've got the important stuff down!

Also on thursday us sisters decided to pull a prank on our teacher and during one of our 3 minute breaks we traded clothes and then went back to class like nothing happened.  It was seriously so funny! He started teaching the lesson and then he was like "....Wait. Didn't you have a different skirt on earlier?" It was so great xD

On friday it was B. Whitworth and B. Marchant's last day with us. They're both traveling for Christmas and they won't be back before we report. I seriously almost fell apart. After spending so much time with them every day we became the best of friends. I'm gonna miss them lots!! \

Our undersökare Haydar is getting baptized! Mark is baptized! and Nilla will be baptized on January 1st! We are so excited for them! The difference from when we first started teaching them and now is incredible! 

We also taught Mick again. This lesson was so under-planned we thought we were just going to bomb the whole thing.  So we said a prayer to help us teach with the spirit and follow its promptings before we went in.  That lesson went better than we could have ever thought.  We covered SO MANY topics that we wouldn't have gotten to had we planned it all out like usual. We got to the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, social conversion, the law of chastity, etc.  I was able to bear my testimony on Joseph Smith and after that Mick FINALLY got it! It was like we turned on a light. I don't think he's going to have a problem with going to church anymore.

I GOT YOUR PACKAGE WITH ALL THE CEREAL AND CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS AND ORANGES. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Since our teachers left, one of the Norsk teachers has been giving us a few lessons and she knows Justin! So dear Elder Brink, Sister Landry says hi!

Yesterday we had class with a different swedish teacher (B. Sagers; he also knows justin. They went to AF high together) and that was good.  Sister Adamson and Sister Giles had an audition for the christmas talent show so they went and did that while I stayed in class to work on my svenska. I'm going to be in the choir for christmas and we're singing this beautiful song called Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer.  YOU NEED TO FIND IT. It's amazing! They'll be broadcasting the devotional to other MTC's around the world so that's pretty exciting!  Rumor has it one of the members of the first presidency is coming for our christmas devotional so everybody is pretty stoked for that! 

I've been thinking about missionary work and how this is my life now and holy cow it's exhausting but it's the best.  It sucks waking up at 6:30 am and not being able to dance or listen to music but being here at the MTC and having the privilege to wear the name of the Savior over my heart all day everyday is the greatest thing ever. I get to spend the next 17 months of my life caring for other people, I get to take myself out of the equation and help others find what they're missing in their lives. I get a front row seat to miraculous changes of heart and I get to teach people in a foreign language.  I'm not in anyway serving this mission for myself, but I have personally received so many blessings it's almost like I'm getting the bulk of the benefit.  

With Christmas tomorrow (I can't wait to call you!) we've got a full schedule.  Don't forget why we even have christmas in the first place. It can get lost among the boxes and paper and ribbons.  The greatest gift we can give someone is the gift of the gospel.  Serve someone this week.  Share your testimony even if you don't know what you're going to say. Tell your family you love them and give of yourself.  I can't wait to get to sweden to share the message of the savior with everyone I can talk to! 

Have a great Christmas everyone!!! I love you all SO MUCH and I pray for you everyday (like 30 times everyday #missionariesprayalot) Can't wait to hear from you all again :)

Mycket kärlek och gladje,

Syster Janessa Brink