Can I just begin by saying that it was AMAZING being able to talk to all of you! It just filled my heart with happiness and joy! It was great seeing you, or in the cases of Carisa, Scott, Lanae, and Owen, hearing you. I am SO grateful for that opportunity!
I hope your Christmas was wonderful and that talking to Dallin was Super Enjoyable.
It's so weird to think that the youngest in the family is now a teenager! 4 teenagers and 2 children in their 20's. Whew.
You know, I'm just glad that it doesn't really matter how old I get, you and dad will always be... Mom and Dad!
At first I thought that I would have nothing to write in this letter home, after all, I talked to you Yesterday... But then I realized... I nearly always have things to say.
Here is what has happened in more specific terms since our last e-mail. Most excitingly...
Wednesday the 18th of December we went to the Temple with Nana to do baptisms for the dead. Nana was baptized and confirmed for his Father, his Grandpa, his Cousin, and then I was baptized for his Grandma and Sister Richins was confirmed for her. It was the most amazing experience. I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to go and do that. The elders were there as well, and Elder Oberender was able to baptize Nana for the aforementioned people. It was A LOT of work to get to the Temple, and I cannot tell you how many things went wrong and how close it came to not happening (and how many times it came that close) but we made it. And it was... so worth it. We went to the temple in Denmark (which is actually closer than the one in Stockholm... at least for where I am in Sweden...)
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| Syster Kjanela Fawcett wth Nana and Syster Richins |
And I was just so grateful to be there. To be able to feel the spirit of the Temple, to be able... to be able to be in the House of the Lord. It is such a beautiful place to go, a beautiful place to be. So I've now been to Denmark. Exciting right!
But, again, it was just so WONDERFUL, completely wonderful to be there for such a sacred experience. God loves all of His children, he wants to bless all of them, and we can be tools in his hands to bless both those here on earth and those who have passed on without the opportunity to know.
Like I said, just wonderful.
That day was also our last day with Elder Oberender since he was transferred, in return we received into our area an Elder Martinsson. I don't really have much more to say on that other than it's really fun getting to know so many different people.
About two days after that... we had ZONE CONFERENCE! What fun right!
Well, yes, it really was. It was a Christmas Zone Conference so Sister Newell read us a Christmas Story, I don't remember what it was called but it was about a sad carpenter who found joy through the service of a young boy and his mother who asked him to create a nativity set for them. It was good. And reminded me that I just love those small Christmas Stories. I hope you guys read the one about the Oranges and the Orphanage. That one has always been one of my favorites.
But anyways, the Zone Conference was quite enjoyable. It's such fun to get to see so many people. I saw quite a few of the missionaries from my MTC group. Which is always fun! And then Sister Richins and I might have gotten lost trying to find the bus that would take us to the train that would eventually get us to Kristianstad. I hate getting lost... it stresses me out a little bit... except... except for the fact that it happens ALL the time... Eventually I'll just be used to getting lost. (It's a good thing that I'm always being found, or at least I somehow find my way...) Maybe then it won't be as stressful. Ha. But, somehow, through a good deal of help from our Heavenly Father, we got to the right train at the right time. We're really qute a lucky and loved bunch to have a Heavenly Father who's willing to help us with such simple things.
Kay... so then, the Christmas Season was upon us. (I didn't email you on Monday because this week was a little weird and our P-Day wasn't on Monday but rather... Today... and I won't have P-Day next Monday but rather the Thursday after New Years... and then life will return to normal and I'll have P-Day on Monday again.)
Sunday night the Strandberg's invited us over for dinner. They were so sweet and made Turkey, because they'd heard that that was a fairly traditional American Christmas Dinner. Isn't that so kind? It was all delicious and fun, we also got to read together from Luke 2. I've read that Chapter A LOT this year. It sort of reminded me of being in the Saviour of the World Pageant, the wonderful opportunity of constantly hearing those words 'Fear Not, for I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.'
Isn't that just BEAUTIFUL! So very very beautiful. What greater and more glorious news could we have received. I really do want to sing Glory!
I also want to participate in the Saviour of the World pageant again.
But back to Luke 2. I read that alot this year, with different investigators, members, and personally. (I also read the beginning of Helaman 14 and the beginning of 3 Nephi 1 alot, they are also wonderful!) But, it just resonated with me that... We have a Saviour. We are so blessed, so very very blessed. 'Come Deliver Us...' He came, and he has prepared a way for us to be delivered.
And this Christmas, it was really just so much fun. We went to the Björn Eriksson family for Christmas. And they were just so welcoming and just really let us be a part of everything that they did. There are so many fun little Swedish traditions. (And Family traditions...) There was 'Tompten' (Santa Claus) Who brought gifts for the Children... and the Sister Missionaries. (Isn't that so sweet of them?) And then there was food, and Kalle Anka, (Donald Duck, a television program that EVERYONE in Sweden watches on Christmas Eve from 3-4.) (It had Donald Duck in it, but it also had short clips from other Disney films like Cinderella) (And it was all in Swedish, and yes, that's a sort of 'no-duh' thought, because, hey, I'm in Sweden, but it was just super fun to hear the Cinderella song (you know 'Cinderella, Cinderella, night and day it's Cinderella...' in Swedish! Her name is, if I recall correctly, don't quote me on this, Askungen... Not as pretty as Cinderella, but then I wouldn't want either to be my name! I quite like Kjanela) but anyways, it was in Swedish and it was fun!) It was just so wonderful, to be invited in and involved. There was singing of Hymns and reading of Luke 2. There was that rice pudding with the almond. (No, I didn't find the Almond, that would have been super fun though) and there was laughter and happiness.
Then Yesterday we went to Marie's... And I got to talk to all of you! (Which was really the greatest Christmas Present I received!) I Love You All SO much! We also had dinner, of fish and soup, and we talked, we watched Anastasia (with permission of course) and we just... were so blessed to be in Marie and her Childrens' wonderful presences. (Isam was with us to, while I was at Marie's it was his Skype that Syster Richins and I used... It was complicated and what not, but that was just what worked best...). And really... This has just been a wonderful wonderful Christmas. I definitely missed all of my family. Definitely. But, I'm where I'm supposed to be. That's what's important, right?
Thank you for caring about me. For loving me. For supporting me. For everything!
OH! And we had the winter solstice right? Right... So that means from now on each day is going to have a little more sun! I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. I am so EXCITED! It's a little depressing when it's four o' clock and it looks like 9 or 10. But I should just be grateful I'm not up further north where it's dark ALL THE TIME! (They have like 4 hours of light a day. 10-2 Eek!) But anyways, more light is heading my way!
Also heading my way is the year 2014! (That's headed your way too!) Can you believe it, another year has come and (nearly) gone, another year is coming. It's super exciting. And sometimes I just want to say... 'Wait, what?' I'm alive, and experiencing the pains and joys of life? Days and moments are passing and I'm growing and changing? For me... It's all a little surreal. Life is so... strange. Enjoybale, difficult, worthwhile, yes. But also strange. But, then... I feel like most everything can be a little like that. Sometimes I think it's just fun to... think.
But since I won't be emailing before New Years... Happy New Years!
(I forgot to ask, did you do, or will you be doing, a puzzle this year?)
Well, I honestly think that's it for this week's email...
Again, I hope that you had a Wonderful Christmas!
Oh, and as for Taft, I just remembered that I was going to mention this. I'm so happy to hear that you're doing your best to magnify your calling. And more, I'm so grateful that you're reaching out. And that you're not letting a few rejections get you down. You might not see it now, but your actions are making a difference. Just let them know that they are wanted. That they are cared about.
But that really is all for today. Closing comments...
1. Happy New Years!
2. Thank you So much for sending along Dallin's letters! It's... SO exciting getting to read those!
3. Any fun New Year Resolutions for the family?
4. Something in Dallin's letter sparked a question, are we going to be increasing our SM challenges to include the new Scripture Mastery that just came out?
5. I love you!
Love,
Kjanela
Normal is only a cycle on a Washing Machine.
TIme is swift, it passes by, opportunities are born and die, still you wait, and will not try. A bird with wings that dares not fly.
(We are not aware of the heights we can soar to, the oceans we can cross, or the sights we can see if we are not willing to try and fly. Let us each dare to fly.)
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