Only when you work for the Church does your company Christmas party go like this:
-Delicious luncheon in the Relief Society Room of the JSMB--starts out with a prayer, of course
-Move into the Chapel where we have a musical number
-Listen to a message from the Presiding Bishopric--they're the CEO's of the company
-Sing two hymns
-Message from CCRI President Mark Gibbons
That was what I did yesterday. The luncheon had assigned seating, so I sat next to Steve Romney--one of the bigwigs  at CCRI. Come to find out, he was mission president in Chile. So I got to chat with him and ask him some questions. So great :) He told me some helpful things:
-When learning Spanish, don't rely on my companion when I don't know how to say something. He said, "Slaughter the language. Just do it, because the people you are teaching will repeat back to you the right way to say it."
-Carry a vocabulary notebook around with me. Write down unknown words or phrases, look them up, and then use them 5 times that day with my companion
-Pres Romney told me that he placed North Americans with Latino companions because that was where the most learning could occur. North Americans could teach the Latinos leadership skills and qualities. Latinos teach North Americans humility. He told me to ask myself, "How can I bless this person's life?"
Anyway, it was cool to sit next to him and be able to talk to someone with a mission president's perspective who had also served in South America.

Aaanywho, for Family Home Evening the other night, Dad, Tim, and I played mini billiards with the billiards table Tim had made in 8th grade wood shop.


Good times.
Other than that, this next 5 weeks will be pretty amazing. Here's what I have to look forward to:
☼Wales Study Abroad Reunion Friday
☼Receiving my endowment Saturday morning
☼First Presidency Christmas Devotional Sunday evening
☼Deseret Management Corporation Christmas Party with Dad next Tuesday
☼Last day of work next Wednesday
☼Special Stake Conference with Elder Oaks on the 12th
☼Peter coming December 21st--having the family together at Xmas for the first time in 5 years
☼Christmas parties with the Maxwell and Bradshaw sides of the family
☼Speaking in Sacrament Meeting the 26th
☼Being set apart and taking off to the MTC January 5th
Lots and lots to do before then...