Week 81 - THE GRAND FINALE













HELLO friends and family!!!!

I woke up awhile before the alarm this morning and was just laying in bed FREAKING OUT that this is my last week!!!! Ahh I can't believe that this amazing experience really is wrapping up.

This week has been full of magical adventures!!! Here are the highlights:

-Had a little sisters Christmas party with Sister Fisher
-Flew to SAINT LUCIA!! We got to go have exchanges with two sets of sisters there, and it was so cool to discover a new island! We were picked up by the Boggs, a really awesome couple, and then I worked with Sister Auria for the day. We spent the whole day in the same area working with a member named Sister Joseph, and we talked to a lot of friends they have there! 
In Saint Lucia they speak creole, but they call it patois. But it was so cool to hear Creole again!! It was like music to my ears :)
-The next day we headed to the north of the island, and I spent the day with Sister Bokai!! We contacted a mall for the first time in my mission, and it was actually a blast. We taught one of the shop owners a little message about the Restoration!
-When we got back to Barbados, we hit the ground running and talking to as many people as we could! Man I'm gonna miss that :(
-On Saturday, we got turned into PRINCESSES!!! Sister Pennell and I got asked to be the MAIN CHARACTERS in a little play, which was a spin-off of Frozen. I got to be Else and it was SO fun. We were pretty nervous but we survived it and had lots of fun!! 
-In church on Sunday I got to share a little 10 minute testimony with the members. Knowing it was my last Sunday here as a missionary was the strangest feeling ever. I'm so grateful for getting to serve here <3

All in all, I'm feeling a bit like a bundle of excitement, sadness, and nerves about going home! But most of full, I am insanely full of gratitude. I can't thank my Heavenly Father enough for trusting me to serve in this wonderful part of His vineyard. I've made lifelong friends with islanders, grown to love each of my companions and the other missionaries, fallen in love with the ocean and palm trees.... man, Heavenly Father is so good. So, so thankful. 

I have an unshakable testimony that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is FULLY upon the earth and that He is intricately involved in our lives.

I love you!! Thank you for all the support over these 18 months, I'm grateful for YOU ALL and excited to see you here soon!! 

Sending you chill, warm island vibes for the last time......
🌅🌺🌴🕶
LOVE LOVE LOVE,
Sister Gardner

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