Hello Everyone!

This week has been a fun one!! A lot has been happening. Because Sister Smith went home, Sister Asug and I have a new companion for the week, Sister Chu! She is SUPER cute, and it's been a lot of fun so far. She is from Taiwan. We are going to mostly be working in their area this week, because they have a lot of progressing investigators and IBD's in their area.

This Thursday we did Thanksgiving! Sister Smith was still here. There's no turkey in the Pines, unless it's really expensive, so we bought a roasted chicken instead. (; Sister Smith made mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables, and I made a pumpkin pie! It was really good! (: This next part I'm just copying from my letter to President, because I'm too lazy to write it again haha. 

One cool thing is that this family that we've been working on for a really long time came to church. Not the whole family, but a huge chunk. They have 10 kids, and they brought 6 of them. This is a really big feat, because they live in Dolores, so their pamasahe was 70 pesos just to get to the church, and 70 on the way back too. The wife normally only comes with two of the kids, but after we did a family home evening with them (it was at 4 because of the curfew, so I guess it was really a family home afternoon haha) and after that so many of them came. I was so happy to see them there. The husband didn't come yet; that's been a really hard part of the Less Actives in this area. The wifes are usually pretty willing to come back, but the husbands just won't do it. But the oldest brother came, and he hasn't come to church once since I've been in the area. So I was very happy about that. 

Oh yeah, last week, I lost about 440 photos again.. Sister Asug used my card to print photos, and the computer there had a virus so it got onto my card.. It's a bummer! But I have just kind of come to accept things like that now. I'll just keep my card tucked safely in my camera until I go home. At least I sent some cool pictures to you all before they got deleted. (; 

Okay, that's what I've got for you this week! The church is true! We just need to remember to be true to the church by not compromising our standards for anything! I know that we will be so blessed by doing so. We will have peace in our hearts and we will know that our Heavenly Father is pleased with us. 

I love you all! Have a good week! (: 

Sister Sprouse

Hello Everyone :)

So this week has been fun! Here's part of my email to president.

"Hello President! 

How are you this week? 

To be honest, this week has been the HARDEST week for me to endure to the end. This area is just a killer for me. We had a lot of people drop us, including one of our IBD's, and I have to be honest and say that there was one day that I was very close to just not going on to work and rolling up in a ball on the ground and staying there all day. 

Luckily, one of my friends had sent me a copy of the 4th missionary, that really awesome talk that teaches us not only how to serve but how to serve with the right heart. So I just got up and went out to work. Usually getting out of the house on a bad day is the only hard part and then the day gets better, but this day didn't get any better. We just got punted a ton like usual, and I still had the thought of just going home crossing my mind. But I wanted to stick it out, because I wanted to learn what Heavenly Father wants me to learn. That night, after we studied and planned, I just laid on my bed exhausted, but I pulled out my journal and wrote, "I made it through this day. I did it. I DID IT!" I had such a big feeling of relief that even though things were disappointed, I wasn't disappointed in myself. 

The next day was Sunday. I prayed REALLY hard just for at least one investigator to come to church. To be honest, I didn't even really care who. I had a few in mind that I thought might come, but I just wanted to know that Heavenly Father could help us with this small thing (if it was His will of course.) 

The next day at church, we had two ladies who we thought were less active but they actually hadn't been baptized. They are kind of old to be honest, and a little bit bonkers, but they brought their awesome friend with them who is actually quite good! We had taught her once with them but she had just sat in the back and we hadn't really noticed her. But she came! And she actually has quite a few members who are her friends and told her how nice she looked and fellowshipped her. \

At this point, I can't say if I think she'll be baptised or anything like that, but I can say that I know that Heavenly Father showed his love to one struggling missionary through her. "

Sorry I can't write anything else, but I just want to say that salvation isn't cheap. If it was, our work as missionaries would be really easy. But it's not, and that's why we have to work hard for it. But Heavenly Father helps us along the way if we trust Him. I know that's true. We can all trust Him a little bit more and look for the tiny miracles in our lives. 

I LOVE YOU ALL! I hope you have a wonderful week!

Sister Sprouse

Hello :)

Hello my dear loved ones!  I am finally attaching some photos. Of me and my anak! And mom, you can see that the kids love the stickers you sent me! (; Sorry it's been so long! 

This week was not too shabby! (: We had one rescue baptism, (his mom was less active and she returned and he was baptized) So that was fun! It was combined with Sister Smith and Chu's baptism, and President and Sister Maurer actually came! So that was awesome! Alfie is our baptism's name; he is a sweetheart. He's 13 years old, and he bore his testimony and cried. It reminded me of girl's camp. Haha. 

Thanks for praying that we will find people to teach! We've been able to teach a few new investigators who are professional; we'll see if they have promise. If not, our job as missionaries is to invite, and TRUST THE LORD. We can't make anyone say yes, and we shouldn't either. I've come to realize that certain areas are hard so that you'll come to know Him better. I feel like I should definitely use the opportunity to do so. 

The English classes were fun! Mostly kids came, but we're working on it. If anything, I've realized that I DEFINITELY want to do something with kids for a career. 

Also, Mom, I finally had the chance to look at my one memory card that wasn't stolen. I had thought it had like 400 pictures on it or something.. It actually had almost double that! My whole time back in Allen (the second time) and almost my whole time in Naval was on it. So I'll actually come out of my mission with some 1000 plus pictures! No problem!! (: Also, I've written a weekly letter every week of my mission, so I can hopefully go back and make a journal out of it for what was lost. I'm super grateful for that!! (: 

Okay, I'm sorry this has been really random. I love you! I hope everything's great back home. Keep your heads up, and trust in Him. Everything will work out (: 

Love, Sister Sprouse

---

Hello Everyone!

This week was very sad as far as work in our area goes. We were only able to work for one day! We went to Calbayog with the STL’s, which was a good exchange; it’s just that the travel takes like a full day! But it’s okay, we will hopefully get to stay in our area this week and make some progress there. Elder Santiago had the district do one hour finding in our area last Tuesday so we have a lot of referrals to contact, which is exciting. (:

I had a really cool experience yesterday with bearing my testimony. Normally I don’t like to go up and bear my testimony because I get to bear my testimony every day and so I let the members have the time. But this week, I just had a burning desire to go up! So I got up and bore my testimony about establishing the church through our personal conversion. They talked about establishing it through missionary work and turning branches into wards and then wards into stakes, so it was very fitting. I talked about how the gospel is like a recipe for our happiness. We don’t get to pick and choose which parts of a recipe we will use, and we can’t pick which parts of the gospel that we will live. If we do, of course our recipe isn’t going to taste good, and we’re not going to want to share it with our friends.  We can’t gain that desire if we haven’t received a witness and a testimony that the gospel is true. And we can’t gain that witness if we don’t live it exactly. I talked about how it’s not enough to read the scriptures every day and go to church every week if we don’t apply it. And as soon as we do so, it will be easy to establish the church because we will have that desire. I felt the words flowing out of me from the Holy Ghost. For the first time since I left Cebuano I felt like I didn’t have to worry about the language, and I know that wasn’t from me. As I was speaking, I saw all the members nodding in agreement and I know the Spirit touched their hearts. One lady came and thanked me for my testimony. Most importantly, the Spirit touched MY heart. I love the Spirit, and I have learned just how vital it is. Also, I have gained a lot of optimism about trusting Heavenly Father that if I do my part in my personal conversion, the rest doesn’t matter because I’ve done my part.

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

Sister Sprouse

Hello my beloved family and friends!

Hello! I'm sorry I'm sorry, this is not going to be a long email,
because I got on earlier and waited for about 2 hours and 15 minutes
and it never loaded, and now I'm very tired haha. But some news: Jamie
I sent your transferly letter today.
We're going to be teaching English lessons as a finding activity! I'm
excited; I've never done that before! I hope it's not going to be too
hard for me to teach my native language.
Remember how I said that the language in Allen was ridiculous? My
companion is from Bikol, which is also the language that they speak a
little in Allen. So now we talk to eachother in Bikol sometimes. It's
pretty fun! I knew there was a reason I was assigned in Allen(;.

Like I said, this isn't going to be very long. But I want to include
something from the letter I wrote the mission president earlier about
my scripture study so that it's not just an altogether awful email.

"I've really enjoyed my personal studies this week. I am in the last
chapters of Alma. I've tried to do what you said and ponder about why
these things were chosen to be included in the Book of Mormon. I
thought about how there was a lot of scripture that Mormon chose not
to include in the abridgment, and so the parts that he chose to
include are very very important, even if we are sometimes shortsighted
and don't understand why.  Even the part where Moroni mistakenly
chastises Pahoran is important. Even though Pahoran wasn't guilty of
the things that he was accused of, we often are very guilty of
expecting Heavenly Father to do everything without us ever lifting a
finger.  |The council Moroni gives is one that is very important to us
and will bless us a lot if we apply it to our lives. Heavenly Father
wants to help us and He will, but a big part of that help has already
been given to us in the form of technology, medicine, priesthood
holders who are ready to give us a blessing if asked, etc. For
missionaries, maybe we are guilty of wanting a better area and more
progress without ever using Preach my Gospel or other tools that we
have been given.
Later, Pahoran showed great humility when he received Moroni's
epistle. Pahoran had been struggling quite a bit himself with all the
rebellion in the government. He had to flee from those who were
against the liberty of the country, and right in the middle of all his
struggles he gets this mail from Moroni. He might have been glad and
expecting encouragement or just some good news to lift his spirits,
but instead he was chastised and told to repent. I know what I would
do in a situation like that, and it's not pretty.But Pahoran showed a
perfect example of humility when he replied and told Moroni that he
was not angry, but actually joyful for the greatness of Moroni's
heart. He then calmly told him about the situation and expressed his
regret that he was not able to help.
I've learned that there are two kinds of learning in the Book of
Mormon (probably more than two, but these are the two I've noticed):
From what the prophets say and what they do. What they say is sound
doctrine that we need for our salvation, but what they do is also
important. Their actions are examples of them applying what they have
preached. The Book of Mormon doesn't always say what they do and their
reaction, but their following actions tell us a lot about their faith
and what they did to be more like our Savior. As I watch for their
Christlike attributes, I am inspired to do the same in my life and my
special circumstances."

I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON!
That's all for now family! I love you!
P.s I love spicy foods now! Sister Asug has showed me the joy of sile peppers!(: