baby jesus ×1000

 Wow! What a weekkkk! This might have been one of my favorite weeks of my whole mission and I am SO excited to tell you all about it! 

HIGHLIGHTS:

• FESTIVAL OF NATIVITIES: This week was FULL of the festival of nativities! We were there just about every day helping and let me tell ya, I LOVED IT! I wish I lived here because I would love love love to have this be one of my yearly Christmas traditions! The church was completely decorated and full of over a thousand nativities. There was live music the 3 days it was open and we had over 2300 people come over the 3 days! HOW COOL IS THAT?! We even got asked to be part of the live nativity which was definitely a memorable experience haha! I have so many fun pictures and it was one of my favorite events of my entire mission. I feel so so blessed that I got to be in Longview for this! God is good! Our pday was also changed to today because we were at the church from 9-3 yesterday helping with take-down. It is incredible how much effort is put into this event!
• FLOODS: All week this week we are on flood watch and yesterday the rain hit so hard. The entire church parking lot was full of a few inches of water and even though it was really annoying it made for some fun adventures haha! 
• EXCHANGES: We had 3 back-to-back exchanges this week which was actual insanity but so much fun! I got to exchange with Sister Patrick who came out with me and who I just adore. We had a BLAST together! I also spent an evening with Sister Talbot and we Christmas carolled on someone's porch which was hilarious! And I spent a night with Hermana Jorgensen and we got to talk dance all night which made my heart so happy. I really feel like I get to serve in the best mission with the best missionaries and I feel so lucky!
• KEVIN: We had a super cool miracle this week! The work here has honestly been a little bit slow. We have been really busy and haven't gotten much time to find and when we do have time, it is mostly a lot of rejection. But we have been praying and praying for a miracle! We got a media referral this week so we hop right on it and text him immediately and never get a response. Later in the day we call him and have a 15 MINUTE LESSON! Like what???? So cool! He has had a lot of hard things in his life and has decided to find out who his higher power is and make steps to connect with that higher power! He is so cool and we are excited to help him! Unfortunately he didn't show up to our lesson last night so pray for him!

LOWLIGHTS:

• DEPARTING TESTIMONY: I had to share my departing testimony on our mission wide zoom call Sunday night and it was so sad. I can't believe my mission is ending! Bearing my testimony really made it feel real and I have been trying to soak up every single minute of these last few days! 

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

In district council today an elder shared a scripture that I love so much! It's in Moroni chapter 7 and it says: 

29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

As a missionary I have developed a huge testimony of miracles. There are miracles EVERYWHERE if we simply open our eyes. It is so powerful to me that God doesn't leave us alone, He is in our lives every single day. I invite you all to reflect on the miracles in your life and look for the every day miracles that I know are there! 

I love you all! See you next week!

-Sister Stringham