El fin

Hey Everyone!

I know I said last week was my last email, but too much happened! I have to have one final one :) my last few days were some of the craziest ones!

In my last email I had said that Kim might be getting baptized the next day....well that happened!! What a crazy crazy time! So Tuesday night we went and got her so that she could have her baptismal interview. That was a crazy situation in itself. The place she is living at didn't want her to leave so it was hard to convince them, but we did. We got her to her interview and she passed!! Yay! We then had to plan the whole baptism in less than 24 hours. It was stressful, but in the best kind of way :). On Wednesday we did more stuff for the baptism and we had to fill the font. Then Kim was baptized! It was a great baptism too. Ward members came and Kim was SO happy after she was baptized. She was just smiling and hugging people and seemed really happy.

So that was the coolest miracle ever! Can't believe she was baptized! Such a fun way to end. Other fun news Caroline is getting baptized Christmas Eve so I will be skyping in for that! Love that girl :) I also had my last district meeting this week. They let me be the district leader for the day and so that was fun. I did everything. I gave one last training and it was actually based off of the first training that I had ever given. It was on the Christlike attributes. On my mission I've learned a lot about Christlike attributes and it's been cool because in Preach My Gospel there are 9 Christlike attributes and I had 9 companions and so each companion has taught me a different one. I'm grateful for all of them and love them so much!

Then on Thursday I had my departing interview :( I stayed with the other sisters going home (there are 5 of us total) and we went to work at the temple visitor center! We got to be visitor center sisters for the night! We got new companions for the night to help us out and just got to talk to anyone who came to see the temple lights. It was fun. The only bummer part was it was SO cold that night! It was in the 20s and in Virginia that feels like -10. The humidity kills you! Because it was so cold not very many people came. When I went with Emily and Sia the place was packed. But that night we had more sisters than people.  I got to say the opening prayer in front of everyone for the show though. That was cool! They do little concerts each night and I was asked to pray. I was making jokes how my whole mission lead up to say that one prayer :).  Also fun story! I saw my friend Elder Evan Stolk at the temple! He is in the Washington DC north mission and happened to be there with an investigator so it was fun seeing him.

After being at the temple we all went to a hotel to spend the night and me and the other sisters talked about our missions. It was a fun night, but a sad night. In the morning we met with the two elders also going home and went to the mission home for a little testimony meeting and then president took two of the sisters to the airport because their flights were so much earlier. The rest of us got to go to the air and space museum right next to the airport! That was cool. They had SO many planes and spaceships and it was cool to see. After that we all then went to the airport. We got there around 1:00 and I hung out with the other sisters as long as I could, but I had the latest flight so I watched them leave on by one. My flight left at 7:00.

Then more craziness happened! I came home in a BLIZZARD!!! It was insane! But the plane landed safely and my brothers and parents were there. It was so good to see them all! Because of the blizzard it took us forever to get home and we got home around 1:00 a.m. I was released the next day and gave my homecoming talk yesterday and had a little open house.

So there you have it. This is probably my longest email and it hasn't even been a week. Haha It was just such a crazy busy one! Lots happened. It's fun to be back and I love being with my family, but it is a bit weird. I truly loved my mission and had the best time of my life. I am just so grateful that I served a mission. I can't say it enough. It's the best thing you can do in your life. Even when things are hard, it's worth every minute. I love you all and all you missionaries keep killing it! See the miracles and make every moment count! I'm praying for all of you! Love you!!

For the last time... Sister Lawson signing out!

Sister Bray made me a tombstone cake for my last day.

Kim's baptism!

My district sending me away.

Temple lights!

Partying in the hotel.

My group I went home with from when we went to the temple.

18 months baby!

On the plane coming home.

2 missions, 6 areas, 9 companions, 13 transfers, 18 months, and 549 days later.....

Hey Everyone!

Wow. Just wow. I can't believe it. How has this day come? I just don't understand. This is it y'all. This is the end. My last email. I have thought so much about what I want to write in this final email and I still have no idea. So here it goes. Let's just start with what has happened this week.

It was another crazy one! We got to go to the temple visitor center again to see the lights with our investigator Sia and her kids. That was so fun. I love seeing the temple and it's so cool with the lights! I'm so happy that I got to go up again and look at it all. Sia loved it! She was so interested in temples and loved that her family can be together forever. She said she is going to go back up with her husband to show him. It was just so cool. I love the knowledge that because of the temple my family will be together forever. What a blessing.

This week we also got to help out with the Alive feed the hungry event. I'm so happy that I got to be apart of that again. This one was especially special because it's the last one before Christmas so we were handing out toys as well. The excitement on the kids faces was just so fun to see! Such a fun time of year.

On Sunday all the missionaries in the area sang in a choir for the stake Christmas music fireside. It was so good. We all sang Joy to the World and it was powerful to have so many missionaries singing. All the other music numbers were so good as well. So many musically talented people.

Then yesterday (why I'm emailing today) we had a half mission conference where Elder Bennett from the 70 came and talked with us. It was so cool hearing from a general authority. It was a great meeting. He talked all about obedience and how being obedient to the commandments is the most important thing. How it's the first law of heaven. He also taught us how we are here to do ALL we can to help the people we teach. That we need to help them on their journey. It was super good to hear. I wish that I had learned all this earlier. Haha but it can be applied in my life as well.

Well, it still honestly hasn't hit me that this is it. It's not even real. I just feel like transfers are coming up. I can't imagine my life not as a missionary. I forgot what it was like. Haha I have a crazy couple of days ahead of me though. There is a possibility that Kim is getting baptized tomorrow! It's still up in the air, but it could happen. On Thursday I have my interview with president and then that night I'm going with the sisters I'm going home with to work at the temple visitor center! We will be at the temple lights trying to contact people and talking to everyone there. I'm super excited to be a temple visitor sister. Haha just another mission to be apart of ;) then Friday I fly on home. What a crazy week!

I just want everyone to know how much I have LOVED my mission!!! This has been the best experience of my life. I am so grateful for this time to serve. To give 18 months to the Lord. I have seen God's hand in all things and have felt of his love. I know God is aware of each one of us and all we have to do is turn to him in prayer. He will help us through everything. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he lives and that because he lives, we all will live again and can be with those we love forever. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I know you will come closer to God and become more Christlike by reading from it. I know because I've done it. As I've read from it everyday my life has changed. I'm so much happier and I worry so much less. I'm more at peace. I love this gospel and what it has done for me and the happiness it's brought me. I love my mission and to be able to tell others of the joy I have received. I have loved giving my all to God's work. I love my family and am so excited to see them, but that doesn't make leaving any easier. I love Virginia and the people here and all that has happened to me. I wish I could stay, but my time is done and it's time for me to apply all that I have learned and to be the person God wants me to be. I'm just so grateful for the time I've had here. I can't say it enough. It hasn't always been easy, but it HAS been worth it. I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I love you all and will see lots of you on Friday! Have a good couple of days!

Love,
Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks dad for all the Christmas cards from years past! It's been so fun seeing all those! Also thanks to grandma and grandpa for the card.

P.P.S.  A special thank you to everyone who has sent me stuff on my mission! I've been so blessed to have received so much love from you all over the last 18 months! Thanks for all the support!

P.P.P.S. For those of you who are still missionaries I still want to hear from you and I still want to get your weekly emails!!!!  My new email is abbylawson917@gmail.com please make sure to make that change! Love you all! Enjoy EVERY moment of you mission!!!

The cute Sunbeams found a way to serve during the 25 days of service in December 

by giving us a gift basket. What cuties.

Time really has gone by....

We got SOAKED!!!!! The rainy winter season is here!

District Taco. Only the best :)

Temple visitor's center with Sia and her family!

You know that great little inspirational movie "Remember the Titans"? 

Well, that took place here. In good old Alexandria. We went to the school it took place. :)

The "Alive" service event!

Going out with a bang!

Hey Everyone!

Wow. What a week. So much happened I don't even know where to start! I had my last exchange this week! Crazy. It was a really good one. I was with Sister Forbes who came over from the Richmond mission with me so that was super fun! We did some contacting at this park right next to the airport and it was so cool because the planes were taking off right above you! They were so close! It was a bit scary actually. Haha it was fun contacting there, but so hard because the planes would be so loud so we would have to stop talking and wait for them to pass overhead and then could continue talking. It was a cool park.

This week was also the ward Christmas party! I love ward parties as a missionary! It's the only parties we can go to. ;) But this year they did a Christmas brunch which was fun! It was fun just being with the ward and seeing santa of course!

Highlight of this week was we went to see the temple lights with Emily!! It was amazing! So pretty!!! I could look at those lights all day! Last time I saw them was when I was 4, so I am so happy I got the experience of seeing it this winter! I would hang out there all day. :) it was a fun night. They had a whole room with nativities from all around the world and it was so cool! I loved seeing how the different cultures depicted Christ's birth. I could look at those for hours. As I travel to see all the different temples around the world I'm going to get nativities from each place :) future world traveler right here :)

Then yesterday we had a crazy Sunday! We had so many different people come to church! Ahh it was stressful in the best kind of way! We had no idea so many people were coming! We had a member go pick up Kim and when they went to get her there was a man sitting outside and he asked if he could come to church too. The member said sure and brought him. He is so cool too! He went up and bore his testimony in front of everyone. Haha he wants to start meeting with us and wants to come to church every week. Such a miracle! Then Emily came with her friend so that was a fun surprise! They both really enjoyed it. And then a family that came over from the boundary change that the other sisters were teaching came to church as well! It was just so many people! We have never seen our Sunday school class so filled! It was the best!

Then today we went to DC and went ice skating!!! What a dream! Skating outside right by The nation's capital! It was so fun. We meet up with some of the other sisters so it was just a party. I can't wait to be back on the ice in MY skates! I've missed them so much! It will be good to get back into it. We also went and saw the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They were both so faded, but were cool to see. Makes me proud to be an American! Today was my last trip into DC, but I will be back to visit and see more! It's been a fun couple of trips!

So that was my crazy week. Lots of other exciting things happened, but no time to write it all. We found some other new investigators and were crazy busy with lessons. It was a great week! I LOVE being a missionary!! I love you all! Have a good week!

Love,
Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks Dad for the Christmas cards from years past. Haha

Ice skating in D.C.!

Metro riding to downtown DC.

There were so many nativities. Can't send all the pics I took, but this was my favorite one. 

Just so different and so cool. Giraffes instead of camels. I love it!

Us with Emily!

Exchanges!

The Dillard family. Such a great family! They were just baptized a few months ago, 

but actually just moved into the other ward. :( I love them!

SANTA!!!!  I know him!