Words from Sister Hailey Overson in the MTC (Brazil)

"Christmas Eve Partayyy!!!

OI!!! How is everyone?! I hope everybody's Christmas was wonderful:) This is just the most bestest time of year! Thank you for all the Merry Christmas wishes and love and support! This week has been so wonderful. Although Christmas was definitely not the same as at home, it was still so great. The MTC is such a great place to be and I feel so blessed to be here.

So I'll start with Christmas Eve. It wasn't super different from every other day here... classes, teaching appointments, studying. But that night, they had us watch "The Nativity." The long one that they showed in the visitor's centers a while back. It was so intense and it really put in perspective how incredible the birth of our Savior is. That night, the girls in my room had a little Christmas celebration. We all opened one present. (THANK YOU AUNT BOBPY) We ate a bunch of junk, drank hot chocolate and read a little Christmas story together. It was awesome and we've all grown so close because of this. 

Christmas was wonderful. Elder Russel M. Nelson came in the morning and addressed us. It was so powerful. I'm so grateful for a living profeta!!! He left us with blessings of strength. For choir, we sangan incredibly powerful song called "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer". Elder Nelson requested it and it was incredible! Having 500 missionaries in a choir singing that song was something I'll never forget. I got to talk to my extraordinary family. I love you guys sooo much. Gosh. I miss you and I'm so happy that I got to talk to you. We all opened presents together that morning and it was great:) Thank you sooo much to my wonderful grandparents and family. 

So on Sunday, guess who came and visited us!!!! DAVID ARCHULETA. Also Richard Elliot, the accompanist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was amazing. Our zone found out that it was Brother Archuleta first, so we sat in line for like an hour. Elder Holman is kind of obsessed with him. He smashed his head against a wall to prove it? Haha he's crazy. It was so much fun just waiting in line. Then they let four of us girls be ushers!! So we got in early! He smiled at me and said hi... I felt somewhat cool;) Richard Elliot played some amazing music on the organ for us and then David Archuleta sang a whole bunch. At the end, I shook his hand and got pretty excited about that. 

Time is flying like crazy!!! I can;t believe I've been here for 3 weeks!!! Anyway, I love you all so much. I hope you have an incredible New Year!!! And shout out to my AWESOME SISTER JOSIE. She's 9 today!!! Love you, girl!!"