Bye Bye Aquia...:'(

December 17, 2018

Bye Bye Aquia...:'(

Hello Hello Hello!!!

It has been another incredible week here in Virginia! This week has been full of service, teaching, finding and saying goodbye! Tomorrow is transfers and sadly I will be leaving Aquia!😢 It feels like leaving home all over again. I've grown to love the people here so so much, they have truly become my family! Yesterday they had me bear my testimony in Sacrament meeting. As I was looking out in the congregation I was just filled with so much gratitude that I have had the opportunity to serve in this ward for the last 4.5 months! I was keeping in the tears pretty well until I looked down and saw my cute little friend Kennedy Player balling her eyes out!! I'm going to miss this ward like crazy!! I've met some of the most Christlike people here and they have changed my life! Leaving is going to be so hard but I'm so excited for a new adventure!!❤

SERVE

This week Sister Church and I had the opportunity to do some awesome service! There is a place called "Serve" here in Stafford that we volunteered at. Every Christmas they collect tons of toys from the community to give to families that don't have enough money to give their kids a Christmas. Our job while we were there was to help each family pick out a toy for each child in their family. It was so much fun! The joy that was in the faces of each family we helped was amazing! After they got a toy for each child in their family we also gave them a huge box of food so they could have a Christmas dinner! It was such a great experience and really helped me feel more of the Christmas spirit!!

WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

We had our ward Christmas party this week! It was so fun!! The theme was "For unto us a Son is given...what gift will you bring". We had a short program in the chapel before we ate a bunch of yummy food. As we had people bear testimony and talk about gifts they can give the Savior this Christmas it really made me ponder. The Lord had given us EVERYTHING! All he asks of us is that we do our best, love Him, love others, repent, forgive, and follow the path He has shown us. As I was thinking about all the gifts the Lord has given me I really began to think about what gifts I can give the Savior this year!❤

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT

This week I did a training about Miracles in District Council! I really loved giving a training on this topic! I learned a lot while preparing for it and found a lot of cool insights! At the end of my training I had everyone read the scriptures: Mormon 9:21, Acts 10:20, Ether 3:19 and Acts 11:12. The common theme in these scriptures is that they all say "nothing doubting" or "doubting nothing". I thought that phrase was really profound and really related to seeing miracles! As we put our full faith in the Lord and EXPECT to see miracles everyday, then we will see the miracles! But we don't have room to have doubt. Doubt is the opposite of faith. The Lord has a perfect plan and as we trust Him with "nothing doubting" we will see incredible miracles come into our lives!

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the Christmas season! I love you all so much and I'm so grateful for each of you!! Next time I email y'all I'll be in a new area!! Have a great week!!

❤Sister Stringham❤