spring showers🌧🌸

 Hello hello what is up everyone? This week was SO GOOD! Super rainy and wet but what can you do, it's Washington! I hope all is well wherever you are! I would love to hear from you so please write me! 

HIGHLIGHTS:

• TAMMY: We met the most amazing and prepared friend of my whole mission this week. Thursday morning we got a referral from someone who requested a missionary visit. We didn't think much of it because normally referrals are someone who filled it out on accident. We sent them an intro text saying we would call in a couple minutes to introduce ourselves and she actually replied! We called her and she explained to us that she had a son getting baptized into our church this weekend and her sister just joined our church and she said they are both so happy. She wanted to know if the church was for her. We set up a lesson for later that evening. We went over and it was the best lesson I've had since I've been in Washington! We taught her the Restoration and she loved it! We asked her if she would want to get baptized and with no hesitation, she said yes! And then started getting emotional and got the goosebumps, it was amazing! She asked us about resources for her to keep learning on her own because Monday was too far away. We showed her the gospel library app and has been listening to conference talks all weekend. We are SO EXCITED to keep meeting with her! 
• WILL: Will is so awesome. We taught him the word of wisdom this week and he really struggled with the idea of it, but as we talked more, he said he would be willing to try. He said he will stop drinking coffee only if I stop popping my knuckles haha. So we made a deal and it's been really hard but it's okay! He's doing great! 
• EXCHANGES: This week we went on 2 exchanges! On Tuesday I spent the day in Elma with Sister Adams and it was her birthday! We worked so hard and met some really cool new people! We also got Subway because it's a tradition for her to go on her birthday and it's one of the 3 commercial restaurants in Elma. On Friday I got to spend the day with Hermana Mattson in Elma! Both of these sisters are AMAZING! They're both in their 4th transfer and I learned so much from them! They're so diligent and love being missionaries! I love them! 
• MEMBERS: We made an effort this week to stop by some members we didn't know as well and it was the best thing ever! We have so many good members here! Our ward is HUGE! We average about 250 people at church each week and they are all just amazing! It was very cool to get to know more members. No matter who they were, they ALL were so missionary minded and wanted to help so much in the work! 

LOWLIGHTS:

• BUSIEST 3 HOURS OF MY LIFE: Tuesday night was the craziest night of my life. From 7pm-10pm, we had stake correlation, MLC follow up, and district leader calls. So we spent the whole night in meetings. I have never been so mentally drained haha. 
• SKETCHY TRACTING: This week we had an experience where we both felt really icky after a contact. We talked to this man and he watched us walk away from his house and then watched us out the window as we walked to the next house. We were a little freaked out but figured it would be okay and we would just keep knocking. Next door, this guy opens the door and just stares. Literally doesn't say anything, just stares. So we left and immediately felt like we needed to leave. It made us realize how special the gift of the Holy Ghost is and how we wouldn't be able to do missionary work without it! 

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

This week I was studying in Alma and I loved this verse. It's Alma 13:23 and it says "And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard." This verse made me think about how simple the gospel truly is! God wants us to understand what we need to do, He doesn't want us confused, so He gives us the simplest gospel to get us back to Him. He loves us so much! As we live the gospel, we will see SO many blessings in our lives and those blessings will extend to eternity! 

Love you all loads, but Christ loves you more! Have a great week! 

-Sister Stringham