The best Christmas present ever was getting to see my family and talk to them over Skype! I even got to see a lot of my cousins and aunts and uncles and my grandma and grandpa! Oh how I love my family so much. And I received wonderful gifts in the mail which really made me happy. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family. 

Has anyone seen the movie "I Am Legend"? Basically it's about the last man on earth and when he walks the streets there are no people and the earth is completely deserted. Sometimes that is how we feel as sister missionaries serving on a university campus when everyone is gone for the holidays. Like the last people on earth. It is the coldest and darkest time of the year and we walk around for hours talking to very few people. Sometimes we'll see a family here or there eating in local restaurants and that's about it. The best part is that school doesn't start up again till the 21st of January... which is basically when the transfer is over. So I have come to grips with the fact that our numbers are the lowest I have ever seen in my mission and we are going to have to get very creative. 

We've decided that trying to do a lot of service is a good way to come in contact with people. The only people that we can serve though aren't even in our branch because the people in our branch are students who are gone. Haha, it's all very humorous really. The good thing though is that we are living with all four of us in an apartment and have a lot of fun together. Last night we made some pretty great music videos. Honestly, it's amazing how happy we are even though we aren't teaching as we wish we were. 

We also try to find the few people that are in the branch who are still in town and try to get them to meet with us so we can get to know them and teach some lessons. We've gotten some referrals from that but can't contact them till they come back into town. Hopefully things will pick up a little bit next week after New Years. 

With the end of 2013 we reflect on all the hard work our mission has put into reaching our goal of 450 baptisms for the year. We were SO CLOSE! Our mission reached 443 baptisms. Man, we were close. We did try though and I know that a lot of lives were changed. This week we will find out what our new goal is for the coming year. 

2013 was a great year for me. A lot happened and I'm really grateful for all the things I have learned and the great people I have met. This next year I am going to be 22 starting on the third of January and am excited for what 2014 holds. Time to look back on the things I've accomplished and look forward to new goals and aspirations I hope to enjoy next year. I'm so grateful for our savior Jesus Christ who allows us to change. Because of him we have the opportunity to keep going when we aren't perfect. To do better next time and strive for perfection. I know this church is true and that Christ is my savior. I love him so much and will forever rejoice in his glorious triumph over death. I love this gospel! 

"41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me;

 42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost."

Happy New Year!

Love,

Sister Collett