Joy to the World!

I love the Christmas season. It really is the best time to be a missionary. I'm glad that you got the Christmas cards. I sent ones out to all the addresses I had, but I don't have the address for Aunt Susan and Uncle Jason, or the address for Uncle Paul.
This week has been really good. We currently have 2 baptismal dates. Jacqueline will be getting baptized on Sunday! I am super excited. The bishop here will perform the baptism, and her son Jeyckof also chose a day to be baptized. He wants to be baptized on the 2nd of January, but he doesn't want a lot of people to be there, so he doesn't want to do it on a Sunday. Things are going great here.
Last night we had the Christmas Fireside. It was really good. It was really nice to see a lot of the people I love from the Union City ward and a few from Englewood were even there. Norbert was there, it was great to see him again. He mentioned that he reads your blog now, thank you for adding him.
The work is going forward here in WNY. This last week has been a little crazy with meetings, we had Zone meeting, Mission conference, and the Christmas Brunch at the mission home, and the fireside last night, so we didn't get a whole lot of "missionary work" done, but this week is going to be amazing. One thing that President Bahr mentioned in mission conference about getting through tough times is to remember the "Law of Compensation" the Lord compensates us for our faith in trials. I have noticed that every time we have a week jam-packed with meetings the week after is really spectacular. Such a stronger spirit after being so spiritually fed!
I hope that everything is going well at home. I'm glad to hear Ian will finally get his cast off. I hope Em had a blast on her first date. I remember that before leaving I teased her a bit, saying "Em, when I get home you will be 16! and you'll be dating boys!" She just scowled at me and said "No I won"t" But, well, I was right. I am glad to hear that it went well. I hope that school went well for Nick, good luck on those grades!
I'm glad to be a missionary here in this mission, I know that the Lord is behind this work, and I know that the church is true. I am so glad to be able to share that testimony with people every day, the more I share it the more it grows.
I love you so much, and I miss you all a ton. I hope you have a good week, I can't wait to talk to you in 12 days. I need to make the Baptismal Program for Jacqueline right now, I gotta go.
Love,
Elder Isaac Ellsworth.