squirrel fest🐿🌰

 Heyyyy! How's it going? This week was so so good! I can't believe how fast time is flying right now! I wish I could make it slow down! 

HIGHLIGHTS:

• SQUIRREL FEST: Okay so every year in Longview, there's this big event called the Squirrel Fest. Basically there's a bunch of vendors and a band and the big squirrel mascot who wanders around. We got to go during our lunch hour with a member and it was so much fun! We got lunch and wandered around the little booths and got squirrel fest shirts, it was great.
• TRISTAN: Miracles are happening with our friend Tristan. She is on date right now and is so so excited! In one of our lessons this week, she said "can we just time travel to August 30th already?" She also came to church and her mom brought her which is the biggest miracle! Her mom hasn't been to church in years and this week was her first time back! Tristan also passed her baptismal interview so she's all ready to go! We are so excited for her! 
• RAY: Ray is so amazing. He has been so prepared by the Lord. We had a lesson about baptism this week and sent him the video of Christ being baptized. After he watched it, he texted us and said that he really wants to get baptized! He also really wants to be baptized before one of us gets transferred so we are working with him to make that happen. He unfortunately works every Sunday but he is working with his boss to get time off so he can come to church. Keep him in your prayers!!!
• CHURCH: Church this week was SO GOOD! We had 5 friends who were able to attend/watch church and it was such a miracle! Julio and Felecia came and it was such a turning point for them! We also had Tristan there, and Joanna and Kandace both got to watch online! 
• NEW APARTMENT: We got to move into our new apartment this week and it is so nice! It's a cute little cottage behind a member's house and I'm just so obsessed with it. It's much cleaner and safer than our last apartment and we are so grateful! The zone leaders moved into our last apartment and it's so funny to hear about their experiences haha! 
• JAIME DOLAN: My past companion Sister Jaime Dolan came to visit the mission this week and took Sister Sanders and I to lunch. It was really fun to talk about her life and all our memories together in Elma.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

I'm in the middle of the war chapters in the Book of Mormon right now which is rough haha. But I was reading in Alma 56 this week and loved part of verse 46. It says "our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth". This is something that I really see in missionary work, God is ALWAYS with us. He is truly in every detail of everything we do. I know that He is with each of you too! Watch for Him and I promise you will see Him! 

Love you all so much and I miss you all! Have an amazing week! 

-Sister Stringham