Oh deer oh deer!

 Hi friends! Happy new year! I literally can't believe it is already 2025! This last year flew by so fast! I am so excited to spend almost my entire year as a missionary! No better way to spend a year! 

HIGHLIGHTS:

• NEW YEAR: The new year is so exciting! There are a lot of things I am hoping to accomplish this year as my time slowly starts ticking as a missionary. I was able to set some new year's resolutions that I am so excited about! On new year's eve we had to be in early, but before we went in, we decided to go get some food. We stopped at a cute little burger place in Mccleary and got some burgers and the yummiest ice cream! Super fun to celebrate a new year! On new year's day we had a fun mexican food brunch at the Gaskin's and had lunch at Sister Nielson's with the Spanish Group in our stake! It was super fun even though we don't speak any spanish haha. 
• NEW FRIENDS: We have seen SO MANY miracles this week and have met some amazing new friends. The new year is such a great time for missionary work because everyone is wanting a fresh start or a closer relationship with Christ at the new year! We feel so blessed to have had so many people put into our path this week. Almost all of these friends were found through knocking doors, which is crazy! So so many miracles! 
• KRISTINA: We have a member in our ward who just got home from a semester at BYU and is preparing to leave on a mission to Wichita, Kansas in February so we were able to take her out with us twice this week and she is amazing! She is so cute and we are definitely going to be friends when we get home. We talked all about Taylor Swift and Noah Kahan and it made my heart so happy! We also went to the cutest crepe place with her and it was so yummy! 
• AMELIA: We are still teaching Amelia and she loves the gospel so much! She's been reading her Book of Mormon and was so excited to tell us about it! Unfortunately she couldn't come to church so keep her in your prayers! 
• BACK IN CONTACT WITH OLD FRIENDS: This week we got back in contact with two of our old friends! We stopped by Tessa and they answered and we got to have a little doorstep lesson with her AND she came to sports night! She is awesome and wants to get baptized but her mom wants her to read the whole Book of Mormon before so pray for her! We also stopped by our friend Brad and we were able to set up recurring lessons with him! This was a major miracle because he is so so hard to contact! Yay God is good!!!! 
• DEER: To explain my title, we saw SO MANY deer this week! They just wander around the neighborhoods and it is so fun! It's always scary when we see them cause it's usually dark and they scare us so bad but it's so cool to see them so close up! 

LOWLIGHTS:

• NOT WITH COMPS FOR NEW YEAR: Unfortunately we didn't get to be together as a companionship for new year's eve or new year's day. There was a situation where we needed to go on an emergency 48 hour exchange so Sister Dolan didn't get to be with us and it was so sad! We called her because we just missed her so much! But it was still a happy new year's eve! We made sure to make it fun!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

This week I have been studying a lot about Grace. This is something I've never really understood and learning more about it has been so good! Grace is so cool! I studied a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf called "The Gift of Grace" and I invite you all to read it! It was AMAZING! He said "His grace refines us. His grace helps us become our best selves." and I LOVE this! I was able to reflect and really see how Christ has been able to refine me especially as a missionary and it is truly amazing. As we turn to Him, rely on Him, and trust in Him, He will without a doubt shape us into the best versions of ourselves. I have seen so much growth in myself so far and I can't imagine where I will be by the end of this year but I can't wait to see. I love being a missionary! 

I hope you all are doing amazing! Keep emailing me! You are all the BEST! 

-Sister Stringham