Dear Family,

Hey ya how's it going!? So Christmas came early to me this year! I got 2 packages this morning from Dad! It was so great. No I didn't open any of my presents besides the one that said to open up ASAP. I loved to find my frog there. Tell dad thanks for sending him to me. I'm going to be sure to take some good pictures with him now. I have a small stuffed lion that I got from an investigator here so I take take pictures with both of them. I think dad will love them. I'm so happy with the Christmas CD as well from the NW Boys Choir. I was telling Elder Thorup about them the past couple weeks so it was great to get it. Elder Thorup loves singing.

I'm glad to here everyone is doing well. Things are going good hear. I'm working a lot harder and my focus is a lot better. Christmas season isn't bothering me anymore. Home sickness is going away. The only thing that bothers me now is trying to find people to teach which we're lacking on but things should be improving this week. Elder Thorup and I are worknig hard. Trying not to get caught up on all the recent converts that we have here but to also keep moving forward.

Well I don't have much time this week. I'm going to keep it short for you 3 so I can write dad a nice long letter. I haven't done so in a long time. So but about my week. Elder Thorup and I went down to Leeds on Tuesday and stayed till Wednesday. He had a leadership training meeting for all the district leaders, zone leaders and trainers, and President Lindley wanted to see me as well. So I got to work in Leeds during the day with some other missionaries who I used to be around when I was in Bradford, and that was great. It was nice to be in a real city again. So then at night I saw President, then went out with another mssionary to work till curfew. We did street contacting and it was a lot of fun. Street contacting in Leeds is so pretty and you meet so many different people. 4 of us missionaries got to stay in the mission home as well which was neat. Kind of odd though because President and his wife weren't there till way late. There was a sick missionary in the hospital. They have a really nice in Leeds which is a change from the small little room I got here in Billingham.


Oh it was neat because one of the missionaries that stayed at the mission home with me was Elder Hua. We were just kind of looking at each other all night like ''you look so familiar''. When we then found out that we went to BYUI at the same time, stayed in the smae complex, and took the same snowboarding class! It was really funny we were talking about it all night. I'm excited to hear from Myranada that the auditorium is going to be dedicated. That's neat. Oh by the way Myranda, so I have been exercising here a lot more and using those bands you gave me. Well I snapped one yesterday morning and it hurt. I was like ow stupid thing. Then I tried to use what was left because it was quite in half. But then 10 seconds later it broke again and snapped me. ow stupid thing! So I think I'll just have to resort to pushups and sit up for now.

Well this week was great. The ward is doing really well. Everyone is excited. We have a couple investigators who are looking really good. One who is going to quit smoking by the new year so she can get baptized that first week! We may have one this weekend as well but he needs a lot of prayers. The people that we have that are getting baptized are so great and the ward loves it. They are all really solid. Like they continue want to learn. It's something that they want to do and not just convienant or nice at the time. I thin that's what really has the ward excited.
Well I got to go but I love you all. Have a merry christmas and Myranda. Happy Birthday tomorrow. I didn't forget. how old are you again? 30? sounds about right.
Thanks family. I love you.

Elder Dudgeon