January 4, 2026

From Abby - My love is Deep My Love is Wiiide

Hi 
HAPPY 2026!!!
My blackout year is officially complete which is absolutely INSANEEEE 

What a wild week it's been 

This is me writing on January 12th...

This email covers December 29th 2025- January 4th 2026

I haven't sent an email since last year... Hah.. 

Last pday (dec 29)
we played games as a distric.. Whipped out spoons which is a classic 

we also played Uno 

it got violent 

Orem Bench District:

Having Elder Chapin back in my district one whole year later is actually so weird.. He hasn't changed a bit 
one joke that me and my companions snagged from him is where you say a long drawn out higher pitched "Yeahhh" followed by ANY comment that gases yourself up. for example
"Yeahh I've dabbled in freestyle rap" or
"Yeahh people notice my style" or
"Yeahh you might call me a master texter" 

It can literally be ANYTHING and we do it all the time now. 

Tuesday morning we were tracting and at one silly moment we were LAUGHING at the stanky lag (of course) Sister Williams  was breaking it DOWN and we got to witness her do a wild rendition of a skipping and the stank at the same time?
Yes I took a video. 

45 seconds after we got dignified and looked at who we were going to see this short older fellow jaunts over to us and exclaimed "Sisters!" He asked who we were visiting, and how he could help.. (Shoutout suncrest stake member involvment) 

Sister Williams asked "Did you see me dance.." He smiled and said "Yes :)" 
GIRL 
It was a lesson in dignity, but hey it was pretty funny. 

We had a lesson with our friend Leah on family history.. First of all the family history consultant was a BEAST, after shaking our hands he lead us down to his basement where he casted his laptop into the bigscreen as we tried to sign Leah into family search, and get her some temple names.. 
Due to probably the adversary it was weirdly impossible to get into her account.

Leah said during the lesson "Can we go to the temple tonight? How late do they go?" and also said "I'm ready for the endowment." Oh Leah. Sacred recent convert I LOVE her. 

On New Years Eve we had a spontaneous morning devotional with THE Fouseyni Traure
I was asked to conduct the music so I was of  course sitting gingerly up at the stand.. When he walked in and up the stairs with president I heard pres say "Let me introduce you to Sister Smith" Fous walks up and INVELOPES me into his massive hand. I thought I was going to get lost in that handshake fr
President and Fous sat in front of the mission and did a Q&A session. 
The biggest takeaway I had was that conversion doesnt come from persuasion, argument, theological insight, or scholarly acedemics 
But simply conversion by the spirit. 

When people feel that peace, and joy (Or in Fous's Case the absense of it) our soul longs for that spiritual connection, and ultimately it's what binds us to stay commited and join ourselves with Christ 

Fous was Muslim before his conversion to the church, and he said about his own religion:
"It has so much goodness, but it stops short at the fulness."

Us!

New Years Eve Eve

similar to last year the whole mission bundled into a chapel to watch a movie (Staying in from drunk drivers etc)

We watch the new angel studios movie David

it for sure is angled toward a younger audience but I think the next best audience is a bunch of movie deprived missionaries. 

Yes we were swooning when David transitioned to her older self 

Sister Williams and I were giggling the ENTIRE time. 

something Sister Williams and I do OFTEN now is we'll see something SO random and just whisper to the other person "You Fr" 
and everytime its somehow diabolically funny... Yes we did that multiple times watching David, and yes it was funny every time 

New Years day we picked up a Hatian creole Book of Mormon for our new friend Francz (Bless Elder Morris for unocking the mission office since it was closed)
BURNED our mouth on a bussin new years lunch that one of our fav members made

then in the afternoon we did JUNGLE EXCHANGES
I was with Sister Secrist in her area and I manipulated her in going to see Louise :)))
Louise's birthday was this week on January 2nd (she's 82!) So it was a treat to see her, give her a big hug, and chastize her for not meeting with missionaries 

We also got to bike through the rain together through my old stake.. Where'd all the time go fr 

We went out for Chubby's after and halfway through dinner I get a call from Madi Ellis?? I pick up and hear Danielle's voice (Sister Orton) FIRST thing I said "Is Sarah there." The response "Maybe!" 
My TRAINER Sarah Heaton was in Utah because of her WEDDING. Yes she's married now. 

One year ago we were literally still companions and SHE was about to come serve in the Suncrest stake. WILD. 

I got to give all three of them big hugs and witness Madi get mad at Sister Hethchote for "Being my boyfriend" 

Lol 

That night we were out with a Young Woman (Annie) tracting, and out of no where we run into this teenage couple who are like "Hey do you know who's dog this is?" 
We look kdown to see this big friendly black lab with sheepish eyes just hanging around

we had no clue who's dog it was but we agreed to watch over it while we tracted on that street 
we probably knocked three different doors with this Dog and with each one she tried to enter the home XD Tracting technique? Maybe

Eventually we went to our recent converts family to talk to the returning mom about how to annotate! (She asked us if we could help her) and when they saw the dog they welcomed him in with open arms, gave him food, water, and a crate for the night! 
We later learned the dogs name is Ziggy and simply got spooked from some new years fireworks 

We went to the temple with our Sweet Leah 

January 2nd was the first day of the year the temple was open so it was PACKED. We waited 45 minutes to be baptized, but hey. The work is Hastening 

We had MLC and superday back to back (Crim) 

Being an STL has probably been one of the greatest joys of my mission. Not in the sense of "yeah life's pretty good with a status" (Since that's not a thing) 
But more that it gives me an opportunity to turn out. I love counciling with my fellow MLC about how to better lift, love, serve, train, build trust with, and inspire our stewardship. 

Pre MLC^

RIGHT after MLC we joined our zone for superday.

-Late for vehichle inspections 

-Sister Brown joined us for Chipotle 

-Elder Drysdale and Elder Pavlou are SO good at bringing the spirit into their real plays.. We were practicing door contacts and Elder Drysdale said something like 
"I promise you Jesus Christ is the healer. He will bring you peace that rescues you" so good.

-Had a mini yelling match (not actually) With Sister Hethcote about some logistics that needed to get worked through (No one else I'd rather have a yelling match with, I love her... It also wasn't actually a yelling match don't fret. 

EXCHANGES WITH SISTER HUTCHINSON 
I just love Sister Hutchinson. This is our fourth transfer serving with each other!
-She let me borrow her shampoo and conditioner... and I borrowed Sister Whittlers peanut butter and mini bagels 

-I studied Alma 37 that morning and OH how I love Alma 37
"By small and simple things"
"His course is one eternal round"
"Teach them to never be weary of good works"
"Let all thy doings be unto the Lord"
"If we will look, we may live forever"

-Ham sandwiches for lunch and dinner 

-afternoon pros BeReal :)

-We had a lesson with one of their friends named Albino: AKA my very first time being bashed on my mission 

We met up at a park and sat with him on a cold metal picnic table..With a sweet smile Albino places his massive bible on the table in front of him and opens it up to a little sheet with a long list of points. Immediately, I was like "Bruh"

I felt like I was entering into a boss battle.

Over the next two hours any glimmer of hope for Albino was simple dashed.
A plethora of topics, scriptures, explanations, and opinions were expounded on-and with each passing minute the conversation became more frantic, diluted, and void of the spirit. The cherry on top was Albino's clawing attempt to slander, disprove, and disrespect the Book of Mormon.. Essentially calling us, and Joseph Smith delusional frauds, OH what joy! 

The Fellowship brother Parks was an ABSOLUTE beast. He looked like a ginger version of the guy who knows a lot about star trek on Daddy Daycare - he served in the bible belt and was a kind defender of the Gospel.

We concluded the lesson probably an hour and a half AFTER I lost hope :) 
Pray for Albino fr 

Trish had joined the lesson half way through (Because we were supposed to go out with her but got a little preoccupied with Albino) She brought the spirit back and after we went out with her!
Everyone in the city center stake knows Trish. She goes out with missionaries multiple times a week and gives each of them Jesus Keychains! She GAVE me one.
I am an honorary Jesus Keychain holder because I keep seeing Trish on exchanges XD I LOVE HER. 

At the end of the night we met with someone for the first time named Kirk! 
We found him and put him on date for baptism THAT night. 
Yes we skipped for joy after we came out of the lesson :) 

On Sunday Sister Rhinehart had a faint/paralysis moment so we were able to sit with her and love on her (Rubbing and moving her limbs trying to promote circulation, talking through the frustration of it etc) 

We met with our stake president sunday night, he asked me to speak in stake conference.. Then we called our friend Francz who came to church for the FIRST time on sunday 
he told us that church made him Happy in the most joyous voice 

Then he told us that Ketly (Another Hatian woman in the ward) had a book for him.. So we called Ketly who told us to come over and pick up her QUAD that she wanted to give to him?? 
We sat on her couch and watched her pull out YEARS of papers, bookmarks, tithing slips, etc. 

so that she could give her hard copy quad to him. 

We invited our stake president to drop it off with us, he agreed and when we got there he was already at the door yapping with Francz .

GOATED stake president. 

^That was a wild explanation but its fine 

Mt Zion by Josiah Queen is probably my FAVORITE song in the whole world

Everyime Sister Williams and I are in the car we blast it two or three times for sure... 

Too much to say

Love you guys :)

Stay tuned for Email 2 

P.S.

Terrifying/normal quotes from this week :)

December 30th 

"HOLY SAM BUTT ITS COLD"

-Sister Williams after morning door contact 

"Im done with all this seed planting, 200 years ago the lord said to HARVEST. Grab your sickle and lets GO"

-William Bretey 

December 31st 2025 

"To gather or contract into wrinkles or FOLDS?!? That is UGLY. Dont like that."

-Sister Williams 

"All my homies hate Dipsy"

-Sister Williams 

January 1st 2026 

"You can't be procreate like a christian and not be active" 

-Sister Rhinehart 

January 2nd 2026

"HEY youre dropping crumbs in my Jandels bruh-"

-Sister Hethcote 

"Symmetry is terrifying"

-Sister Rhinehart