February 3, 2014

"Perfect Brightness of Hope"

Hello! I hope you all are doing well! Sister Tritt and I have had a pretty eventful week! We finally got snow! We were excited, but really sad because that means it's cold and slippery. Therefore, we have had our fair share of slipping on the ice. Just in case you were wondering, ice is slippery ALL THE TIME. 

Last week I went on exchanges! Sister Judd came and worked with me in my ward. We got lots of lessons and were on foot all day. Which may not be a big deal to any other missionary, but I have been spoiled my whole mission with a full-time car and I miss it. And it was snowing... and we had no appointments. But I got to meet a lot of new people and get to know my area better.

Wednesday was so much fun! We got 6 inches of snow overnight! We got a text from our mission president during studies telling us that it was a snow day and to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. So, we had SNOW DAY! It was awesome. Its like getting permission to go back to bed. Sister Tritt and I hung out all day and slept and ate junk food. Kinda like being in college. :) That night we had dinner with the Babcock family! They have a son serving a mission in Arizona and he served in my home ward! My family loved Elder Babcock!  It was so much fun to talk to them and get to know them. :) They're way nice!

This weekend was stake conference and it was all about missionary work! We loved it, of course. At the Saturday night session, they had a youth choir and there weren't very many youth in the choir. SO, they enlisted the missionaries! It was really cool to be able to sing with the youth in our stake! And I got to see Ashlyn Martin! She was my mini missionary while I was in Mica Peak with Sister Harper! She's great. 

I think that's all the super cool stuff that happened. It snowed again last night and we got another 3 inches. And we have the car today. Hopefully I don't crash. 

I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission and become close with so many people. I love the experiences I've had that have made me grow into the person that Heavenly Father needs me to be. I know that the atonement is real and that I can always use it to be forgiven or to overcome weaknesses that I have.

I love all of you and I'm so grateful for all you've done for me. I'm so blessed to have such great family and friends back home looking out for me. :)

And, shoutout this week to my Nana! Happy birthday! I love you and thank you for everything you've done for me and my family since I've left. I'll be home soon. 

All my love,

Sister Gardanier

                                 Burning her "9 month tie"!