Hey Momma!

 

Skyping was the best. You're right.  I remembered that I actually belong to a family again.  That sounds awful, but when you are on your mission, you're just a foster child for the ward you're serving.  It's nice to just be a little brother again, instead of "The Elders."  When we were talking it totally felt like I had never left.  I miss you guys a lot, and I don't realise that very often.  You don't really seem to exist in my world.  I mean I get an email every week, and I love it, but it kind of seems like I've always been on a mission and always will be.  Ask Ben if you can't figure that one out.  I'm sure he completely understands.  His letters are usually spot on.  It was so great to hear from you again though.  And it'll only be a few months before number 3 out of 4 calls happens.  How crazy is that?  I'm coming up on my year mark.  Some of me feels like I've been out forever, and some of me feels like I've only just got off the plane. 

 

This week was really good.  Wolverhampton is such a great ward.  They definitely spoiled us.  I'm going to try and get the pictures from Shepdawg, but we'll see if I get them passed on in time.  (My camera has had low batteries for a little while now.)  (I'm buying new ones today, don't worry.) Speaking of pictures though, I've made a New Year's Resolution to take at least one picture per day.  I think that'll be good, so that I'll have a bunch of pictures not only for you, but for the rest of forever when I want to remember my mission. 

 

Thanks for telling me I look good.  I'm going to keep growing my hair out.  I think I want it to be as long as it was when I was at the MTC.  I liked that length.

 

I hate my cough too.  It will never go away, because I'm just too soggy.  That's what you are in England.  Soggy.

Shepherd is his name.

 

The sun comes up about 9:30 and goes down at about 4:00. And really I'm not that bothered by the dark, I was next to nocturnal before I came on my mission, so it doesn't get to me.  It's the rain.  We wont talk about the rain. You know how I feel about it.

 

To be honest, yeah, I was definitely blessed to speak English on my mission.  I did have to learn a new language though, and you'll understand that when you come over and can't understand a word anyone says.  But I'm still pretty dang jealous of people that now know other languages.  Jake is fluent in Spanish now, and I have a bunch of friends that are fluent in a ton of other languages, even one that's fluent in Filipino sign language.  I think that's so cool.  I'm definitely going to try and learn Spanish when I get home.  We'll see though.

 

I'm going in to get your package today at the mission office, and nobody will be able to tell me what you did wrong.  Sorry.  I'm pretty sure that if you send a package that has more than $50 dollars worth of stuff in it, that's when they kill ya with tax.  I'm not sure though.  You could probably email Sister Rasmussen, she'd know a lot more than I do.

 

Mother. Stop worrying about the dang package.  We went through this on my birthday already.  I don't care when I get the package. Stop stressing about it.  Next time just send it the cheapest way you can find.  Don't spend any money you don't have to, because I really don't care when I get it.

 

You are the girliest family.  I bet Ben and Aaron were feeling that.  I did when we were skyping.  I'm going to have to come home and not shower for a few weeks and fart and burp and go fishing. 

 

I'm excited for movies.  I miss them a lot.  We weren't allowed to watch any, and that made me really sad.  I've been debating with myself for the past like six months which disney movie I was going to pick, because, up until this year, missionaries have always been allowed to watch one disney.  But this year, President decided that we weren't allowed to do that anymore.  That was hard, especially because we were at the Chaproniere's when their son skyped home and he was telling them about all the movies that he was watching that day.  Apparently their president lets them watch any animated disney movie on any p days and gave them a long list of Christmas movies that they were allowed to watch (like the Grinch and Home Alone.)  Elder C is in Manchester, and Elder Wrenger's brother is in Leeds, and the rules were the same there... Oh well.  I don't get it, but hopefully it's good for me.

 

Everyone's pregnant. (Except Ange, thank goodness.  There's a missionary out here that got written off after three months, and apparently his ex is expecting in a couple months. Ouch.)

 

Holiday boyfriend sounds nice.  I'm not quite sure why he isn't Christmas boyfriend.  Is he Jewish or something?  Can you not call it Christmas?  Haha

 

Ange is great.  I really really like her. I forgot how much. But it's a lot.

 

Boxing Day still doesn't make sense to me.  But we had a P day on it, but all the libraries and everything was closed.  Well like governmentish things were closed at least.  They have major huge boxing day sales, and everyone goes shopping.  We did too, cause no one wanted to play basketball with me.  So I was just bored all day.  But that's alright.  I think it was to train me for the years to come.  Except, I have three sisters and a mother.  Hopefully I can just pawn the after-christmas shopping off on you guys.  Be friends with whoever I marry so I can do less shopping.  You guys could all go save $209 dollars at Banana Republic together!

 

I'll take lots of pictures.  But, to be completely honest, no.  I don't love England like that.  I think I'll be somewhat happy to only come here on holidays, and stay inside when it rains.  I don't think God planned on people living here either.  I think just sheep.  Sheep like it here.  There's a reason "Our Heritage" left.

 

Go read, and let Aaron do whatever he wants.  It's going to happen either when you let him or when you're at work, so you don't have too much of a choice.

 

I love you too!

Love,

Elder Smart