I’m still alive lol

Howdy y’all! Sorry that I haven’t written an email in literal months!! I wanted to let you all know that I am alive and well and ending my mission in 2 weeks!! I have LOVED this opportunity to be a service missionary in the Utah Layton mission and I am so so so incredibly grateful for God’s plan and all the amazing people He has led me to. 

So as for service assignments, for the past 4 months I’ve been serving at the Global Services Department for the church headquarters in Salt Lake City. I have basically been doing technical support on Gospel Library Online for members all around the world. They have also made me a gospel study leader which means that I get to teach a small group of missionaries once every other week. It has been a really cool opportunity! I have also been serving in the Bountiful temple as an ordinance worker. I have absolutely loved serving there and the spirit and peace I have felt. 

As of this past transfer, I’ve had a stake assignment in my own stake where I have been working with a service missionary companion from my district, Sister Hunter, and it has been so fun! We have been going to our service sites in the day and then going out teaching in the evenings. We have been working with members of the stake and have even taught a couple people. We already have someone on date too! Her name is Samantha and she is 10 years old and literally the most precious thing ever! I am so so so excited for her!! :) 

This transfer I have also had the opportunity to serve as a Lead Sister Training Leader over all the service missionaries in the Utah Layton mission. At first all of these new assignments that I was given this transfer were super overwhelming and I didn’t really want to do them if I’m being honest. I’m so grateful that I did them anyways and I have learned and grown so much and it is the perfect way to end my mission on such a good note!

Here are some other highlights from the past few months:

-THE Elder Holland came to our mission and spoke and it was AMAZING

-we had an annual devotional for the GSD and I got to meet Reyna Aburto and she is SO sweet!

-the old tabernacle experience came to Ogden and I got to go and it was so flippin cool

-Christmas with my family was the bestttt

-we had a mission wide Christmas party and I got to showcase my cello skills

-I have so much more time to grow and develop the musical talents that God has blessed me with and it makes me so so happy :)

-I got to celebrate New Years Eve at Boondocks fun center in Kaysville and it was so fun

-we had an all service sisters activity in the mission and someone brought Raising Canes chicken fingers and it SLAPPED SO HARD

-they decided to do away with the Spanish district they put me in and I had to go back to my original district

-I got to help Wendy Nelson (prophet’s wife) through the veil at the temple and that was really cool

-I got an AMAZING job opportunity to work on the Performing Arts team at This is the Place up in Salt Lake and I will be starting next month :)

-I’m literally writing this email at a Utah Grizzlies hockey game lol

Anyways I love and miss you all and I hope you are all doing well! I will write one last email before my release but until then, adiós!

Love,

Sister Clayton

Pictures:

1. the mission-wide devotional with Elder Holland

2. the GSD devotional with Reyna Aburto

3. me and the GSD sisters :)

4. mission Christmas party with my favs, Sis Arreaga and Sis Crowther

5. me and the fam at temple square on Christmas

6. the service sister party

7. selfie at MLC (taken by my lovely comp, Sis Hunter)

8. Spanish district farewell party :,(

9. selfie with President Johnson at the STL training meeting woooo

10. me, Sis Hunter, and Sis Law visiting one of our friends, who’s an RM

11. me and my mum :))

12. the Bountiful temple is soooo freaking GORGEOUS