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!

More stuffed than a turkey!

Hey Everyone!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!! I hope you ate a lot, because let me tell you...I did! Haha I don't know how I did it, but we ate THREE full course thanksgiving dinners on Thursday. I have never eaten so much in one day in my whole life. I literally didn't eat anything the next day. Haha I don't think I will ever want to eat Thanksgiving food again. We have all these left overs in the fridge and I have no desire to eat any turkey ever again. But besides being stuffed, Thanksgiving was so fun!  It was so sweet that so many people wanted us over and wanted to celebrate with us. The kindness of others just amazes me.  It was so sweet and so fun spending the day with people I love out here. I love Thanksgiving and just having a day to be grateful for everything. I have been blessed with so much in my life and I've seen that more since coming on a mission.

But nothing else too exciting happened this week. I'm trying to think about things to write about....  Last night we got a referral for this lady who ordered a Bible. We went to try and give it to her, but she lives in a lock out building. Like ALL the buildings here are lock outs so it's super hard to see people because you have to check in with the front desk and typically the people we want to see aren't expecting us so they don't let us in...but we have gotten super good at sneaking in! Haha so bad. So we got in and tried finding her room which was hard, but we knocked on her door and she is the sweetest lady ever! She let us right in and accepted a Book of Mormon and wants to come to church. Her nephew is actually a member so it was just so cool! I'm so excited to get to keep working with her. I love meeting new people! It's the best!

In other news Kim came to church yesterday so that was awesome! We also had so many other new people at church. With the new ward boundaries we have lots of new people to work with and new members to meet. It's fun. We really spent a lot of the week just trying to get to know all the new people and new area we cover. It's been fun.

Well I'm excited for another week and I'm excited for the Christmas season! The new Christmas video is out so go check it out on Mormon.org! For the 25 days of Christmas they are doing 25 small acts of service that you can do to be more like Christ. It's cute. It's a fun time of year and King Street has their big Christmas tree up at the town square so that's been super fun! Makes contacting people easier! We offer to take your picture and then share the gospel :)

Well I love you all so much! Have a good week!

Love,
Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks dad, grandma and grandpa, and the plumb family for the cards this week!

Thanksgiving dinner with our investigator Emily and her friend Tiki!

The Owens family from Quantico in Woodbridge came and saw me! Oh I

just love his family! So sweet of them to come visit me one last time

before I go home.

Playing ping pong. We really aren't good. Haha

A family the other sisters were working with, but with the change they are now in our ward boundaries so we had a little pass off and get to know you lesson. The girls had all these dolls so we each got one that looked like us. Mine has ice skates ;)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

One Wild Week!

Hey Everyone!

Can't believe another week has gone by! This week was transfer week! But nothing changed here! So, I'm not sure what will happen to Sister West mid-transfer when I leave! Oh! I don't think I ever explained that. So due to transfers being changed from the MTC changing (that happened back in March I think?) and the fact that the transfer is after Christmas now and because I switched missions so that mixed everything up, I am going home in the middle of this transfer. I'm going home with 4 other sisters who also decided to switch so they could be home for Christmas. Lots of craziness, but there you have it! I'll be home December 16th! But what's so weird is all of us going home mid transfer aren't in trios like we thought, so who knows what will be happening with our companions! But some changes might be happening this week because on Sunday they announced all new ward boundaries for the northern Virginia area! So new wards have been created and some have been combined. Currently we don't even know what ward we are in, because our ward was split in half! We are just waiting to hear and will just stick with the area we have been working in until we hear what ward we are actually a part of. We are going to have to pass half our people either way though. Crazy things here in Virginia!

But, in other news, on Thursday I got to go to the temple again! I went with the group from DC South! We went with the group that left this transfer date (that included Sister Styler. Can't believe she is already gone!) and the group I'm going home with. It was a lot of fun! I love going to the temple! It's so beautiful and the spirit is just so strong. It felt so good to be there and I am just so grateful for temples on this earth and that there are so many! My new dream is to travel the world and see all 150 of them! That would be so cool! 

But this week was a good one. Pretty crazy with two temple trips and transfers and then new boundaries, but it's been fun. Things are going well with our people and we had some great lessons! We had a lesson in a members home and if you want to do something that will really help the missionaries, host a lesson! It makes such a difference and the spirit is so much more present. We also had a family home evening with the Dillards (recent convert family) in a member's home and that was so fun! Everyone had a good time!

Well, I love being here and am SO happy that I get to stay in Alexandria! It's so fun here! They put Christmas lights up in all the trees on King Street in old town and it looks magical now! I just love it! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Such an exciting time of year! Well I love you all and have a GREAT Thanksgiving! We already have three dinners we are going too and I'm sure more will invite us. Bring on he food! Haha pray for me ;) 

Love you!

Sister Lawson 

The zone!

The district.

He completed his mission...so we had to kill him off.  Haha.

What?!  17 months!  One more month to go!

Love this girl! Can't believe it was over a year ago that we were comps! 

Goodbye Sister Styler.  :(

It's cold here.  We are FREEZING!

Celebrating Sister West's one year mark!

Pictures don't do it justice!  King Street is so magical looking at night.

Double the mission, Double the fun!

Hey Everyone!

So sorry I didn't email yesterday! But I switched my Pday to today so that I could go to the temple! I went up with Sister Bray, Styler, and West! So many of my companions :) and the best thing ever was We got to meet up with the missionaries from Richmond! The group I came out with went for their going home trip so I got to see them all! We knew they were going today, but weren't sure what time so we showed up and I thought we had missed them. I was so sad. I wanted to cry right there. But then we walked up the stairs and there they were! It was the happiest moment ever!  It was just so great to see them all! I love all those sisters! I got to sit right by Sister Prach and that was so fun. So many of my friends were there. It was great! Oh I was just so happy. I'm still just so happy that it all worked out. It was just such a fun reunion and what better place than in the temple! Unfortunately they went somewhere else and our ride was waiting outside so we didn't get to take any pictures, but it was so fun seeing them all! I have really missed them. What a great group of missionaries. So cool that I got to serve in two missions though because now I get to have double the friends! On Thursday I get to go to the temple again with my group from DC south! I'm so excited! I'm going home with another great group of missionaries here so that will be a fun time as well!

So that was the best part of my week. Haha but this week was really great! We have had some really good lessons this week. We saw Emily quite a bit and she is doing really well. She really wants to come to church, but she is still on bed rest. Hopefully she will get better soon though and can come. We also officially passed Caroline to the singles ward and she is doing amazing! She told us all about church and how much she loved it! I'm so excited for her. She should be getting baptized in the next two weeks :) We met a new family this week that I'm excited about and are just meeting lots of great people! Lots of work is happening here! Love that city life.

So crazy story. the other night we went to check on a referral and they didn't answer. It was cold out so we got in the car to see where we wanted to go next. Well, as we were in the car all of a sudden we saw a fire outside. We thought maybe someone was having a fire pit party so we went to check it out. We walked over and it wasn't a fire pit, it was a pile of leaves in someone's yard and it was on fire! We ran and did what missionaries do best and knocked on the neighbors doors. They came out and we helped put out the fire. They were so grateful and the older lady kept saying how god sent her two angels to protect her house. What's really cool is the lady's granddaughter is super interested in religion and actually called us the next day saying she wanted to meet up! So we are going to see her tomorrow. It was just such a crazy time because we didn't plan on being there that night, but god knew we needed to be there to warn that family. I'm just so grateful everyone was ok and it didn't burn anything down.

But it was a good week overall. I just can't believe that I had my temple trip though. That was always so far away in the future and something you do when you go home, but here I am. Just mind blowing. I've been doing this program called 'my plan' where you make goals for when you go home so you don't just waste time again. Haha but it's really got me thinking about all the good that I can do at home. I love Virginia and it's going to be so hard to leave next month, but that doesn't mean it's the end. There's always more work to do :) tonight we find out about transfers and I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'm excited for my last little adventure! Bring it on! :) I love you all soooo much! Have a wonderful miracle filled week! I know I will ;) Love you!!

Love,

Sister Lawson

P.S. Thanks Dad and Grandma and Grandpa for the letters this week!

A member ordered us Chinese food and so we had a Chinese Thanksgiving!
Haha there was SO much food for just the two of us!

We met this guy out on King Street. He made this crazy instrument and it's basically guitar and base strings on a board that he hits with mallets. It sounded super cool. He was good at playing it.

These are all sisters from the DC south mission that happened to be up there at the same time as us. We ran into them as we were leaving.

I'm going to Uganda!

Hey Everyone!

What a great week! Last Monday was so fun! To celebrate Halloween the whole zone got together and we played games and then watched the movie "17 Miracles." The zone leaders had brought all the couches and chairs from around the church into the gym and then we watched it. Such a sad movie. It's about the pioneers and their trek out west. Let me just say I could NOT be a pioneer! It was so sad to see what they went through, but I'm grateful for them and their faith.

Ok now I just want to talk about my favorite person in the world: Caroline. She is the one from Uganda we met street contacting. Well, we saw her almost everyday this week and she is progressing like crazy! She is the sweetest person I have ever met! We went to the
temple visitor center with her and she LOVED it! She loved that families can be together forever and she told us that when she gets married in the temple we are invited :) oh I just love her! We got to take Caroline into the lobby of the temple and there is a painting of a girl praying and she was looking at it and then turned to us and said "I feel her spirit. I feel so warm here." It was just so amazing! Caroline is seriously the best! She even came to church yesterday! But the saddest news in the world is we will be passing her to the YSA ward. :( so depressed. We told her about the YSA ward and she was so excited about it. Then we told her that she would have to meet with other missionaries and she got so sad and wants to stay with us, but we all know that it would be better for her to go to a singles ward and make friends. She told us she doesn't know anyone here and has no one to be friends with so it will be better for her. Makes me so sad to say bye for now though. Luckily we can still be her friends and I told her I will visit Uganda with her sometime :)

Today we actually got to go to DC with Caroline! Yay! We went to the African art Smithsonian and searched the whole place for art from Uganda. Haha after searching forever we found a pot from there :) it was fun. We also went to the Washington monument and just walked around DC. It's always a fun time just being in the city. I love it!

But this week has been really good and we have had lots of good lessons with people.  We had members come out this week which was so fun! I love when members come out and just spend a few hours with us. I'm so very grateful for their help.  Also good news Kim is back living with Connie! We lost contact with her for a few days and that was sad, but then she called us up and she is back :) yay! We are finding new people and just trying to get people progressing. I'm so grateful to be here and to just be a missionary! Nothing is better! Love you all! Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Lawson

P.S. Thank you to the Tenney family for the letter! Loved it! Can't believe how big you've all gotten!

Playing cards on Halloween before the movie!

Movie party.

The zone.

Temple

DC

Heart attack for days!

I love fall!

Meet me by the fountain to hear the first discussion.