It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

It's snowing! Who knew I would ever be so excited about snow. Well, it's actually cold but I think I am loving the snow because I have no need to drive in it. Ha ha. And it brings the Christmas spirit. Yesterday is the first day it actually felt like Christmas time. Since I was here before Halloween it hasn't felt much like Christmas. Wasn't the Christmas devotional fantastic? I love hearing from our Prophet. We are so blessed! This last week FLEW by! I can't believe it's Monday again. If my whole mission goes this fast it will be done before I know it. It was a really good week. Sister Lant, the General Primary President came and spoke on Tuesday and it was great. We got a new district on Wednesday and they seem pretty good. There were two new Hermanas in the group. They both have pretty rough family situations and it just makes me so grateful for the supportive family and friends that I have. So Wednesday we got called down to the health center (by "we" I mean my district). It turns out that there was another major outbreak of the swine flu here at the MTC. It hit 40 people in two days. So we all got the H1N1 vaccine.... how exciting. I hope everyone is staying healthy there! It seems that everyone at the MTC is sick. When we are all gathered together for devotional you hear someone cough every three seconds... it's gross. My teacher, Hno Hubers, grandpa died this week so he was really sad all week but he also felt at peace. I love how much the gospel can help us in times like those! What a great gift we have to know that we can be with our families forever! I had another physical therapy appt on Thursday. The physical therapist (who is neighbors with Nathan Melton by the way) wanted me to recheck with the doctor here and have my leg checked out. The doctor here didn't even look at it but is sending me to some Doctor in Orem to get all the fluid out of it. So I have that doctors appt tomorrow. It has been going down a lot the last couple days so maybe he won't have to do anything, I heard they have to stick a big needle in the get all the nasty fluid out. I guess we'll see! Darn trashketball! So we heard a rumor about Tiger Woods... I don't know if it is true, rumors run like wildfire here at the MTC. Everyone is dying for outside information. Ha ha. I get my travel plans this Friday! I am so excited. A lot of people have been writing me about Christmas packages so just as a general statement (I mean, whoever wants to can totally send me a package ;) Please send them to my New York address. It should be on my blog too. It will be easier for me to get them and not worry about the weight of my bags on the airplane. Some have asked what I want. The things I need are WARM CLOTHES! I am already freezing here in Utah and I can't even imagine what New York will be like. Sweaters and cardigans would be great. And stamps are always fantastic! Thanks for those of you who asked. (Wow, I hope that didn't sound rude like I expect anything, writing in here is just a lot easier than writing a bunch of letters because I can't e-mail everyone! Sorry!) I can't begin to express how grateful I am for the love I have felt from all my family and friends. I feel SO loved! I love the Christmas season and the joy that it brings. It breaks my heart to know I won't be with my family. They are what make Christmas perfect for me. I am grateful for the chance to try to make someone else have a fantastic Christmas! I bore my testimony in Sacrament meeting yesterday in Spanish. I was so nervous but it turned out ok. I think I can do this Spanish thing! Keep writing if you can. This free dear elder situation is only gonna last two more weeks :) Love you all! Have a fantastic week!
Love, Hermana Passantino
PS: I love when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang "Unto Us A Child Is Born!" It was amazing and it reminded me of my mom :)
PPS: My first companion (Sister Sanders that went to the Peru MTC) went home on a medical release. I don't know what is going on but please please keep her in your prayers!
PPPS: My major study topic this week is Faith!