The Sport of Laundry Watching    

MTC - Week 8

Terve! HYVA JOULU!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 

Christmas truly is the best time of the year! I love it so much that yes, I will be singing with just two other people in front of thousands of missionaries tonight. But it's just one line of a song, so I'll be ok! Our angel choir has grown to 16 but we are divided into 6 singing groups. It sounds pretty cool and our costumes are way fun, so really all is well, no bumbling angels today! Well, I guess the performance is in a few hours, I hope there won't be any bumbling going on.

We are all moved into our new house! It's pretty great because the beds and closets are close enough that it's like we have a two-floor apartment! The ground floor, and the level made by each top bunk and closet tops. There isn't really room for a soccer game, but if we had a mini chess board there's room enough for that. Maybe even a full-size chessboard if we go on the second floor! Even though it's crowded, I'm really going to miss it because my roommates are just the best. Really it's amazing to look back on everything we learned together, and how much we've laughed together. My MTC stay has just been wonderful, everybody should go on missions so they can come feel the spirit of the MTC!

Ok, so the subject of my email refers to an intense yet delicate art, and it only occurs once a year. The one time this phenomenon happens is the day before Christmas (today) because if your P-day is on Christmas (like ours is) you go do all of your P-day things the day before, but every missionary that has P-day on that day still has their P-day. (On other holidays you're just supposed to get up super early, like we did on Thanksgiving.) So double missionaries! We got to the laundry room at the beginning thankfully, and then watched the peaceful battle ensue. You'd see missionaries lapping the machines, taking mental notes of which had the fewest minutes left. Some missionaries starting countdowns much like one does on New Years Eve. Others camped out with study materials and snacks. Some tried forming alliances "I'll rotate your laundry if you let me use your washer next!" Really, missionaries were getting super creative! The most awesome thing though, was that people weren't getting mad. You go anywhere else with lines, with not enough of what is needed, and with people on a strict schedule and I'll bet fights would break out. There's no way a bunch of teenagers could be so peaceful if they weren't spending their time trying to come closer to Christ. The whole situation should have driven people crazy, but it didn't. That peace is really what I love about this gospel. Even when you know things are not the best, you can find peace. Even if what you need peace in is as silly as laundry, the Lord is willing to help.

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!!! And one of my favorite Christmas scriptures is Luke 2:10-11 "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." What is the first thing the angel says? Fear not. Why not? Because Christ the Lord is here. We need not fear when we have Christ. I realized the other that the scriptures tell us to "fear not" quite a few times in connection with Christ. That is just as true today as it was then. I am so grateful for my Savior, and that during this time much of the world is celebrating Him. I don't want to think where I would be without Him. I know He came to this earth, He suffered for our sins, He died, and then He lived again. He did all of this for us, because of His love. I love my Savior, and I hope you all take the time to think about Him this wonderful Christmas day!

Last note: I have travel plans! I fly out Monday!!!! Suomi here I come! that means I probably won't be able to write or email until two Mondays from now. But I can always still receive mail... :)

Love you all so much!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

-Sisar Mendenhall