Merry Christmas!!!

Hey Mom!! 

Merry Christmas to you too! I'm so excited for Friday. We talked with the family that is having us over and we are going to go over there at 3:00 on Friday! So that would be 12:00 for you guys. And it will  have to be Skype because they don't have any apple products! ( I know I couldn't believe it). They have our home phone number, so they might give you a call some time to try and get the accounts together! I don't have their Skype information, so we might have to call you later in the week to get it all figured out. But as for right now, be ready for a call at 12:00 on Christmas! 

And I wish I could talk to Jordan too! He hasn't written me back in a while... haha! I may just have to write him again. 

I'm glad you got the picture with Santa! That was at the Ward Christmas Party. The party was packed! I have never seen so many people at a Ward Party! It was pretty fun, and we had a less-active member and an investigator come! They had a really good time. 

I did get the Christmas packages and I put them under our lamp which I'm calling our makeshift tree. Can't wait to open them! Also, I am sending my iPod home today hopefully! 

I can't believe Zach and Skyla have been married for a year already! That is so awesome. And Lilo is just the best. What is Harrison and Jenni's address? 

I hope the Christmas program went really well. I know it did. Our ward had a Christmas program also! There's this guy that is really big into music. He plays the French horn in the Air Force band. He put this program together with some narration and congregational hymns, and the ward choir sang. I sight read one of the pieces because I hadn't sung it before, but I think it went alright! I was also singing tenor... haha!

Our mission Christmas Conference was also on Friday and it was super fun! It's always fun to see the missionaries from all around that you haven't seen for a couple weeks. We got together and we watched "A Muppet Christmas Carol". That was really fun, and then after that we had a really good lunch. Then we moved to the chapel for our Christmas program. I sang "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and I got a lot of compliments afterward. President and Sister Baker really liked it! But I was so grateful for Elder Weber because he learned how to play it and he did such a good job. I couldn't have done it without him. And I want to thank you Mom for all the times that you have played for me when I've sang. I didn't realize how lucky I was to have such a great piano player for my Mom! It's a lot harder to find piano players out here. 

This past week was pretty good. We met with a lot of less active members, but none of them came to church even though they said they would. It made me really sad. This one family that we have been teaching, the Hughes, are super cool. They are really friendly and love having us over, but they have missed the past two Sundays that they said they would be there! We stopped by yesterday and talked and they said that they really want to come so they will try again next week. We also have an appointment with them on Wednesday so we are really working for it! We also met with our Investigator, Ted, who is married to a member. He is really cool and he really wants to know for himself that what we teach is true. He has been reading the Book of Mormon, but wouldn't commit to a baptismal date quite yet. I hope he will this week though! We are going to keep on trying with him. 

I can't believe the weather has been so crazy over there! I heard from a couple people over here that it has been really rainy and flooding back home. The weather over here just doesn't make any sense. It was mid 60's the beginning of last week, then it was pouring rain on Thursday, then Friday through Sunday it was dry but it was freezing outside! Like mid 30's. And then today it's back up into the 60's. Virginia weather just makes no sense! Apparently it's supposed to be mid 60's and sunny on Christmas Day! That's not supposed to happen haha! 

I feel really bad for Mr. Day though. I hope he's doing okay! 

It sounds like everything went really well for you all this week! Elder Hailstone and I have been getting along pretty well. He really likes to talk... and I don't like to all the time... but other than that it's great! We are both trying our best to figure things out while we're here. It has definitely made me work a little harder. 

My ponderizing scripture this week is in honor of Christmas. It is 3 Nephi 1:13 "Lift up your head, and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets."  I love how the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ's birth. The Nephites really had an amazing Christmas miracle and I hope I can see a Christmas miracle this week. The Church is true. A Savior was born for us and He knows and loves us so much. 

Can't wait to talk to you Friday!!! I love you so much. Have a great week and Merry Christmas!

Love you so much. Your son,

Elder Collier