This is an email that I received from a missionary who is in the Mexico City MTC getting ready to teach the gospel in Spanish in Nashville Tennessee.

 

 

Karen!

........There is a Hermana here who I´ve had multiple opportunities to talk with since I´ve been in the CCM, and she is a total sweetheart. The other day during gym time, she wore a Southern Virginia University shirt and i felt prompted to ask if she knew Alex. She said she recognized the name, but she looked a little puzzled. So i then asked about Sydney. Her face was one of total shock, and she responded that Sydney was one of her best friends at SVU. This Hermana´s name is Chrissy Smith, and she was Sarah´s roommate at SVU. We then had the chance to talk for 20 minutes about Sydney and how many lives she had touched. Although I never had the opportunity to meet Sydney, I could feel her Spirit there with us. It was such a beautiful experience and i walked away from our discussion feeling like i had always known Sydney, that we had been friends for such a long time. I know that Sydney is in Heaven performing missionary work right now for our Savior. I know that her testimony was needed beyond the veil, and I look forward to someday meeting her. Her legacy lives on, and always will.

 

Yo se que Jesucristo vive!

 

xoxo

Hermana Stricklin

I can remember like it was yesterday when myself and Sydney grew a bond together. It was on day when Sgt. Major had us practicing late once again for drill team, I was so tired and hot I was almost willing to quit that day. Then finally we got a break, lagging almost deciding if i should just give up,I was walking past the tree by the road closest by the baseball concession stand when Sydney came along. Almost gliding the grounds she tip toed on she told me "Come on it cant be that bad Kimble, just keep pushing we're almost through" in her most convincing voice she said. Yet, I was so irritated I ignored her and didn't respond. There was a pile of freshly dropped pinecones on the ground by the tree and Sydney jumped into the pine cones and started screaming into a pinecone "Pshhhhhhh (like radio static) come in Kimble, Kimble can you hear me?". I started to brighten up and I joined her in the pile of pinecones and started yelling "Sydney! Sydney?!Come in" as she picked up one pinecone after another pretending to hear and I did the same. Man that was the first time me and Sydney had a bond. Of course though being in NJROTC for three years with her we definitely have a lot of memories together good, bad, and ugly. Even though I did quit drill our senior year, but I still stayed in ROTC class and each time she would try to encourage me to come back to drill. In addition,me and Syd took theatre arts second period with Mr.Davis and Mrs. Swartslose and she was an amazing natural talent. It would be so humble of her to help me memorize lines, do her own lines, and memorize 10 pages of drill exhibitions and drill commands. She was a strong young woman, very courageous and bold. I can talk all day on Sydney and the memories we had like the times we overnighted competitions, naval ball '11 when we went bowling after, when she asked me if I can teach her the dougie dance, graduation day when we were in the back so anxious to get it over with before we even took our places, camp when I couldn't make it up the rock wall all I could hear was Sydney's voice telling me to "Keep it movin'!",and mostly the camp Mr. Boone put together so we can all become a closer team where we got in trouble for "hazing" the freshman...we only duck taped them to the bunk beds and Sydney voluntarily duct taped herself as well! Well Mrs. Hathaway I'm so glad I had a chance to know your amazing daughter thank you she will definitely be missed. I cant be selfish she is GOD's child and it was his choice to call her home when her duties on earth have been completed and I understand she needs to begin her new mission for GOD she will be the most kind sweet angel. Much love to you and your family may GOD bless.

Monet' D. Kimble

P.S.Unfortunately, I don't have my old phone with the pictures we took at meets and the video of the "hazing" project but here are some I had put on Facebook after Naval Ball '11 and thanks to Ardawnna Green one from Dekaney meet