December 29, 2025

From Abby - Sister Hethcote is My Boyfriend

Hey :) 

Last Email of 2025

I'll have you know that I thought about having my email title be something christmas themed and then promptly vetoed it 

The title above doesnt need explanation 

Consider it a hard launch 

Anyways

I am SO sleepy all the time guys its actually insane. 

Happy to be alive, happy to be a missionary. 

We locked in on ginger bread houses last week for allll the christmas vibes 

Elder Chapin ate his like a burger, pink sparkles and everything 

figures

Sister Rhinehart and I have combined funds on our card right now since her MSF is bugging, therefore I'm actually seemingly rich ALL the time 

that being said our money will max out at $500 so we have to spend it which we tried to do... Our plans were promptly thwarted by a nice old lady in Sister Rhinehart's ward.. Points for having a comp that lives here :)

RIP MSF 

We're just buying lunch for everyone since it needs to be spent 

Late pday night we got a call from some of the Sisters in our zone, they had an immediate need so we got to spend the night at their apartment! 

Yes we got permission 

it was the best and the floor was comf

Sister Williams and I YAPPED way too much because It felt too much like a sleepover :)

Flashback to Makenna Ortiz 

the next morning Sister Williams got to get an echocardiogram (yayyy...Def not the correct spelling) So more leaving the mission, more time with Nurse Pulley

I don't think Nurse Pulley is real

Tuesday weekly planning was buns due to sleepy sleepy efforts 

Our friend Leah had her baptismal interview the other night and I don't know what spell Elder Chapin Casted on her but she LOVES that kid. 
My favorite thing about baptism interviews is hanging out with the distric monkey 

in this case Elder Leckey

My son :)  (He was born into my zone when I was the STL) 

on Christmas eve we delivered paackages to the WHOLE entire zone.

Elder Whitton gave us cheesecake 

on like December 22nd we went to the mission office and got a "Ukranian" Book of mormon to drop off to a member who requested it! When we went to drop it off, upon further inspection, we discovered it was DEF a polish book of mormon with the wrong label. CRIM 
We had to drive all the way to the mission office to grab the right one 

here's Sister Williams ranting to Elder Morris :)

mission office flicc #2

We had christmas eve dinner with our FAV members the Halls.. the whole entire dinner I was simply dying laughing. Like smacking the table type laughter. SO fun 

at the end Sister Hall hands each of us a christmas card with a lil mischevious smile on her face and what do we find when we open them?? JUSTICE. AKA a refund for being towed. 

A whole $300 bones as brother Hall would say 

I never thought I would want Justice for christmas

ALSO we bring EVERY dilemma to the Halls. 

We wanted to have a zone lunch the next day but didn't have ANY food and didn't know how we were going to feed everyone. 
We mention this casually to the Halls and I kid you not 10 seconds later brother Hall was like "I actually got a text from one of our friends who makes empanadas, she has like 30 we can buy for you right now." 30 seconds after THAT the Halls doorbell rings and this random lil mexican lady comes in and straight up has 30 empanadas. HELLO?? 
needless to say we did feed the zone the next day and the Halls are life savers in actually every regard. 

On christmas eve we had a lesson with our sweet Leah, preparing her for her baptism and finishing up some things etc

at the end of the lesson she read outloud to us 1 Corinthians 13, the whole thing!

As she read tears slowly slipped down her cheeks and the spirit flowed from her,

in that moment sitting in front of her I heard the spirit tell me "This is the great work. This is the why." 
I can't believe i have a companion with me ALWAYS 
The spirit is the greatest gift, I hope to have greater corrospondance with him for the rest of my life. 

Christmas morning didn't feel like christmas

I got to carefully open packages that were filled with love, and in the best way got to experience christmas once again on the mission :) 

It was sweet to see my family through my lil phone together and filled with endless joy.

I got 

- a GIANT GIANT GIANT bag of Ketchup chips. 
oh how i love Ketchup chips i've gone so long without them 

Shoutout Sister Moleni who witnessed me get 14 bags of ketchup chips over the span of one transfer 

-STAR COSTUMES 
Sister Williams and I joked a little too hard at a ward party about how much we wanted star costumes and the members LISTENED. 
We ROCKED those star costumes all morning and yes even to ZDC 

-Frilly sister missionary socks 

-Fleece lined tights

-pearl necklace

-Stardew valley MERCH (thanks Gabby)

-SO much candy 

-lots more.. those are the top ones 

ZDC was powerful 

we watched the christchild and had a testimony meeting. 

I wanted to cry when I bore my testimony only thinking about the fact that I actually won't be around missionaries for the rest of my life. I'm grateful for each of their testimonies:

Missionaries who are heartbroken, and who show up each day with a joyful countenance and optomistic attitude. 
I think my biggest goal in life is to be someone who is larger than life, and filled with love no matter the circumstance. 

we had the BEST christmas dinner. 
one of our high councilors and his wife (the McCleskeys) had us over for dinner! 
First of all their childrens names are my whole life, Olive, Everest, and Peter?? AH.
They fed us Navajo taco's (scones with chillie or honey butter) 
we had a POWERFUL conversation that literally changed my life

We started by talking about their love story which eventually shifted to how they endure well with faith. Sister McCleskey bore her testimony on refinement (Choosing God when everything says not to) and said 
"The Gospel isn't here to make life easy, or to make us happy. Its here to give us purpose."
When she said it I knew it was true. 
we also talked a lot about Motherhood and what that has meant for her, our thoughts on it etc. At the end of the night she was sitting on the floor with her kids, the picture of motherhood; tired but oh so happy. She looked up at us and said with the most sincerity and intention "Sisters, I need you to know this one thing; The world will try to convince you that motherhood isn't enough, and that families are an accessory to other things. Its Simply not true. Anything anti-family, is anti-Christ." 

WHAT 

something I already knew inside but it was ENFORCED by Sister McCleskey. So cool. 
When we drove away the little kids ran after us waving and yelling goodbye. SO cute. 

life and light and Joy. 

Morning sports:

Firday night we were skipping down the street and I had the thought "No way you've been galovanting about utah as a sister missionary for FIFTEEN MONTHS" 
then Sister Rhinehart BIFFED it. 
Observe:

Friday night I laughed the most I've EVER laughed in my whole life I swear. 
Sister Williams convinced me to try to do an airplane where i lay belly down on her extended legs and it was simply criminal. 
I actually can't tell you how much I love her. 

I did succesfully fly I'll have you know. 

This whole week we've just been existing in christmas chaos and its a bit crim but hey

Saturday was LEAHS BAPTISM 
It was beautiful 

the WML didn't show up until 5 minutes AFTER with all the programs, the translation devices didn't turn out, and the font was slightly draining the WHOLE service. 
But it was so good and oh so beautiful. 
Elder Temple (one of our spanish Elders) gave Leahs written testimony in spanish after she did and it was simply the most precious and special ever. 

I also got to sing for Leahs baptism which was sweet. terrifying but sweet. 

Baptisms are my FAVORITE.

Missionary lineup ^

Sister Williams died on sunday (Sicky)

AKA aquired a service missionary so that we could grind 

I love Sister Rhinehart 

I hope I can keep her next transfer 

the chances are slim and therefore heartbreaking. 

Thats it thats all 

Godspeed 

-Sister Smith 

P.S.

Eggregious unfunny quotes that ended up in my notes.. mostly of sister Rhinehart 

December 23rd 2025

"Like gotta respect "the drip"-AKA-Don't Contact, but-" 

-Sister Rhinehart 

"If I didnt respect the privacy of all dogs I would take a photo.. I just dont like photographing toes."

-Sister Rhinehart on Sister Williams toe sock 

December 24th 2025

"The only aesthetic I wore to school was overdressed"

-Sister Rhinehart 

"Totes Doc"

-Sister Melanie Hall 

December 25th 2025

"Sir speaksalot" 

-Sister Rhinehart about herself 

December 26th 2025

"Green lights are a God Wink.. what would I do without them? Probably cry and be even more late to everything."

-Sister Williams driving home 

December 27th 2025

"If I get married on March 4th, I think the groom will be Sister Hethcote." 

-Sister Rhinehart on Marching band day 

"If you do that, I'll roll in my grave.. actually- I'll roll in your grave" 

-Sister Rhinehart since I'm dying first

"I am not a spec of dust, I am but a crumb" 

-Sister Rhinehart