Saying Baybay to Albuerra

Hello!

This last week has been crazy! There has been lots of crime in Albuerra, and it's not safe for sisters anymore, so we picked up our belongings, left our beautiful, progressing area, and left for Baybay, a city that's just about 45 minutes away. Elders will come in on September 11. 

BUT before that, great things happened! Brother Dino got his cenomar! Which you all don't know what that means, but it was the only thing that he needed to be able to be baptized, and is usually a HUGE obstacle for the baptismal candidates. He's hopefully going to be baptized Sept 6, and we get to come to the baptism!! Also, Nelson did a turn around! He's coming to seminary now too! 

Here in Baybay there is a Muslim church that has mass. Loudly. Every morning. At 4:30 a.m. I'm investing in ear plugs! Haha. This area is a little bit slow, but I'm excited to get working and change that. We're the 1st sisters to serve in Baybay since the storm! 

Also, one sister has a sister who is serving at Temple Square right now!! I want to visit her when I get home!! 

I'm sorry this is so short, but I've kind of run out of time! I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week! 

Love, Sister Sprouse

Nindot Kaayu .......

So I just glanced over at my companion's screen and she's writing the mission president. She wrote: How's mission life is threatening you?" I'm trying really hard not to laugh right now. I know I should probably tell her but it might be weird that I'm looking at her screen... Anyways. 

This week was AWESOME! Yesterday we had 11 investigators come to church! There's this family that is SO ridiculously golden but the wife had a c section, but she's finally better and she showed up with her family and their baby! So nindot. And this family that we barely contacted but hadn't even gotten to teach also came to church. The husband afterward was like "everything we talked about in church was so cool! Do you have any books I could have to read?"  It was a great day. Lloyd moved to Ormoc but he showed up at the Church there and he's in the STL's area, so they called and assured me that he was there (I was really sad because I thought he was lost in the wilderness) and that they'd teach the new member lessons to him.

We helped garden this week! It's a lot different than gardening here because we just go to the rain forest and chop things with machete's haha.

Besides that,there's not a whole lot that's new. Nelson doesn't want to be baptized anymore :( once Lloyd left he took a turn for the worse. Just praying for revelation on how to help him. But I trust Heavenly Father that if it's his time, he'll be baptized. And if not, it's better that he doesn't if he's not ready!

Love you all! If you know Sister Ruppe, email her and tell her Happy Birthday!

Sister Sprouse

The weeks go by faster and faster!

Hello everyone! I can't believe I'm already writing you again! Where is my life going?

This week has been kind of interesting. I've learned so much during my mission about how important keeping the mission rules is, ESPECIALLY the small ones like the morning schedule and waiting to write people until Pday. We had a problem with that in our companionship and I was shocked to see a lot of tolerance and even stubbornness in breaking the small rules, even after the rules were made known. It caused quite a problem but then I decided to pray to Heavenly Father for help in what I should say and do to help the problem. We opened our daily planning with a song and a prayer, and I found the words that I needed to say and the questions that I needed to ask being put into my mouth. It really built my testimony that if we rely in Heavenly Father, He will help us, even if it just means being tactful and solving a problem in an effective manner. Since then, obedience has really improved in our companionship, and we have better been able to accomplish the work.

We have two girls who have been going to church, and want to be baptized. The only problem is that their parents are inactive and have been for about 10 or so years. I want them to be able to be baptized, but I know that the bigger picture is that this gospel is for families. So we are praying for their parents hearts to be softened. The mother seems to be almost there, but the father has a long way to go. So everyone's prayers for the Mistola family would be much appreciated!!

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Vea from the MTC. You might remember that she's the Tongan who loved chocolate and hated exercise haha. I had so much fun! She's so cute! She still loves chocolate but she's changed a lot! It was really cool to see someone who began this journey with me and all the progress that she's made with the help of Heavenly Father.

Also, I still talk in my sleep in Visaya! I wonder if it will be like that for the rest of my life. My subconscious is a Philipina! Also, my companion hit her 1/2 way point this week! I remember when I did that! It feels like yesterday! My mission is going by in the blink of an eye!

Okay that's all I love you all so much!!

Love, Sister Sprouse

Oh, also, Lloyd blessed the sacrament yesterday. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard (: