Week #35 - April 27th, 2015

Hello (:

I have only been in Virginia for less than 2 weeks and it feels like I have been here for months!

Sister Sughroue has been out 8 months already!

No sense of direction!

Sister Kellogg and I had a successful/adventurous week. We ate Lasangna 3 nights in a row... that's enough for the rest of my mission. So we can start with the adventure part. On Wednesday our Sister Training Leaders wanted to go out to lunch at Noodles and Company to discuss our transfer goals with us. So we plugged it into our GPS and the nearest one was 30+ min away, we were confused so we texted them the address to verify and they said that was right!! We are both new in the area so we just went with. So as we started driving we realized it was way our of area and we felt that we should keep turning back, but since our leaders said it was right we figured they knew what they were talking about so we kept going. We pulled over called them again to see if it was right and they said yessss.... so we finally pulled in to the noodles and company  and they sent us a text that said, "STOP thats out of the mission"! I looked at Sister Kellogg and didnt know if I should laugh or be worried hahaha. We got in the car and had a 40 min drive back to noodles and company in woodbridge. We just had a little road trip and couldn't help but laugh that 2 blondes would do that..... we had no idea we were out of our mission. Good thing we can repent. 

We had another lesson with Jonelle, and was able to teach the restoration, we have to give him the CD's to listen to the Book of Mormon because he can't read. We know he ca still gain a testimony of it that way.

Are we lost?

Teaching him just makes us smile because he has strong faith and always has new jokes to tell us. We already told him all the jokes we know, so if you have any please email them to me because we need some for next time we see him! We worked hard this week to contact potentials, referrals and visit less actives in the ward so we were pretty busy. We have found some awesome new people to teach through doing that and have seen growth in our investigators! We lost contact with John all week and were worried but he came to stake conference on Sunday and really liked it!

After Stake conference on sunday we had a lesson with Deandre. We found him on tuesday. We went to this sketchier part of town to contact a referral, that wasnt home. But we met him out side playing with his kids! I started to talk with him about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bless his family and he just opened up about how he has been on the verge of losing all faith but wants to meet with us. So we had a lesson with him on Sunday after stake conference! It went great, the spirit was there and he totally felt it. He read Moroni's promise in the Book of Mormon, and said,"Challenge accepted"!!! Sweet! We are meeting with him again this week. The member we brought with us to this lesson was pretty intense , and even cussed at one point.... which was awkward... but we brought the spirit back, so its all good. 

Sister Sughroue Tracting!

Every week as usual we go to the Elderly home to sing hymns and do chair exercises. It has turned into a great missionary opportunity because the nurses ask us questions and this week they sung with us! We taught them some of our hymns and they taught us their upbeat gospel songs, which I love!!!!! It was fun we got all the old folks to clap their hands and sing too! Music can change hearts and is so powerful!

Serving a mission you work with and get to see a huge variety of people who come from less fortunate circumstances. It makes me so grateful for my life. Growing up in the gospel, with an amazing family, clean and safe home with food always there. I wish I could give the same to all the people I meet, my heart breaks but I know that the first step is them accepting the gospel and their lives will change and be blessed. 

Much love,

Sister Sughroue

Week #34 - April 20th, 2015

Hello!!!!! 

I am in the Richmond Virginia Mission!!! My new Companion is Sister Kellogg from Clovis California, she is American lol.

Sister Kellogg and Sister Sughroue
(She was just Sister Skagg's companion!)

And 5'11!!!!! Finally someone taller than me!!!! hahaha When I saw her I just freaked out because I knew we would get along great! She went to BYU I for a year before her mission too and we entered the MTC the same day so basically we just are the best of friends. She is an amazing missionary and is exactly obedient and driven to get the work done! So this Transfer is going to be awesome!  We are Serving up here in the Woodbridge 2nd ward only 2 hrs south of D.C.. I replaced Sister Skaggs!. Everything is super Greeeeennnn.

Virginia is so green!

I have no sense of direction anyways and the millions of trees hiding everything makes it so much worse hahah... luckily my companion drives  we have a silver Chevy Cruz, wooohoooo! We have one set of Elders and Sisters in our Ward sooo lots of work to be done! Our apartment is super nice and I love the people.... so life is  real goooood. O and the best part is the members are super stoked on helping with missionary work and love to feed us, so we get dinner almost everynight at 5. Yayyyy. Don't worry we have a Gym to work out in the morning tooo. hahaha

So in the past week alot has happened, so I'll just give a brief run down of all the exciting stuff!

We are trying to build our teaching pool, so working on finding lots of new prepared souls! We have been busy during the week working with lots of Less actives and       recent converts as well. 

Sister Sughroue & Sister Skagg's
In the Atlanta Airport

Yep! It was a blizzard!

On Wednesday Sister Kim and I woke up at around 4 because the trax left at 5:30 for the airport, but it was blizzarding outside of course the morning we had to walk there. We left SLC at 7 had a layover in Atlanta (Where I got to see Sister Skaggs!!!! as we traded places!) Then we landed in Richmond around 4. President Wilson and Sister Wilson picked us up, and took us out to eat. They are the nicest. He told us his goal for us to baptize, have fun and be happy! Sounds good to me! He interviewed us at the mission home and then assigned us to our area. We then got in the car and a Senior Couple drove us to our areas. Finally got to woodbridge after 9pm and met Sister Kellogg! 

Thursday we had District Meeting, but this time there were Elders there..... weird... coming from 200 sisters. lol. Then we weekly planned and I got up to date on our investigators, the Ward and our area! I found out that this mission is a TRACTING mission..... that is how we find! I actually like it.... it can be awkward but also really fun. It is different then approaching some one on Temple Square because I can't ask where are you from? Can we help you? or would you like a tour? hahaha but I am getting use to it!

Friday We found 2 new investigators from tracting! Jonelle and Nayshawn! Jonelle is 16 and has severe health issues. He is pretty much blind. They were outside of their house, we had a great conversation with them and they shared Christ has blessed there life. Prayed right there and invited them to be baptized. Jonelle almost cried, he said he has wanted too his whole life but has never had the chance! We plan to meet with them this week again. 

Love how everything
is so green!

Saturday we had a lesson with John, he is 22 years old. Sister Kellogg and Skaggs found him last week and this was our first solid lesson with him. We taught the restoration and it was awesome, he is so prepared and just soaks everything in. He wants to be baptized so we will be putting him on date this week! 

Our cute apartment!

Sunday- 3 hours of church in a family ward felt so Goood!!!! Our ward is great, very diverse and I cant wait to get to know everyone. John came for his second time and loved it! After church Every sunday we go to an assisted living facility to sing hymns to a group. They are all very old with dimentia but love our voices!!!! We sing then share why love that hymn and they love it, their eyes just light up and the spirit is strong, they even sing along sometimes, not the right words but they sing hahaha. We help them on Friday for 2 hours with their chair exercises too.

As soon as I got To Vriginia, met my companion and started the work everything felt so right. I know this is where the Lord needs me now. It hasnt even been a week and we have seen more progress within the area and our investigators!

Anyone who has served
a mission will find this
funny! I am going to miss
Sister Polanco! She was
so much fun!

Love you all!!!

Sister Sughroue

New Address incase you wanted to write me letters! 

15125 Beacon Ridge Drive. apt#111

Woodbridge, VA 22191

Week #33 - April 10th, 2015

Hello (:

Conference Weekend April 2015

I have to start with the most exciting news of coarse! I am going outbound to the Richmond Virginia mission! I will be gone for 3 months and get back in July! I found out on Monday, they put it in a new envelope so its like a brand new mission call... it was weird doing it all over again lol.  I am so excited to serve the people, get to know them and work with ward members! I was kind of praying for the East Coast because I have never been there and I heard it is so gorgeous! I know I

Conference April 2015

am sent there for a reason and I can't wait! Its also funny how I am replacing Sister Skaggs.... we now have the exact same mission call. haha. I leave on Wednesday and won't have a p day next week, so the next time I email will be on the 19th!

How did everyone enjoy General Conference and Easter?! It was great here! Packed with visitors from all over the world, I just loved talking to them and hearing their personal stories. Of course I ran into a bunch of people I knew from home and school too.  There is such a strong spirit when thousands of members gather together seeking for guidance and truth from our living prophet! We saw how many people came with open hearts sincerely wanting to know more and their prayers were answered. The past week we were inviting all our investigators and everyone to watch conference and come prepared with questions, we prayed for them and that they would be able to feel the spirit and recognize those answers!

Waiting to go into the Saturday Morning
session of Conference!

Mauri stopped by on her way home from BYU-I

We got to attend the Saturday morning session! We were sitting pretty close to the front on the left side, blessed to be a missionary in SLC (: I enjoyed all the talks and just was so happy we were able to go to the first session to start the weekend off great. When Elder Clayton got up and started to speak on how we must "Choose to Believe" I instantly thought of one of our investigators. I was praying in my heart that she was watching it at home. I texted her right after he finished speaking and she said, "Yep. That last guy should give the rest of the talks" hahaha she went on to say how she was bored and about to stop watching but her attention was caught by Elder Claytons talk, and that he answered all the questions she had written down at the beginning of the week. His talk helped

Mateas stopped by to say hi!
Friend from BYU-I

her realize that she shouldn't give up, even though finding her faith and making changes is hard. We have been teaching her for almost 5 months... her faith has increased slowly but so much. His talk helped her and reminded me that we should never stop seeking after the Light of Christ. And that we can say that we want to believe..... but we must act upon it. It is a choice, not something we just sit and wait for. After we continue to act upon it we will be reassured and feel the love of our Savior! When she told me how much his talk effected her I could not stop smiling! Miracle! It truly shows that God speaks to us and answers our prayers through his servants and other people. These men we heard speak in Conference last week are truly called of God. I know Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet, I am grateful for his love for all of us and the revelation he receives. I know Jesus Christ lives and this is his Church and he directs it. He is always by our side and when we follow his light we can be the happiest and find eternal life! 

I saw Taylor Ann right after
I opened my new mission call!

We have been busy giving lots of spanish tours and teaching over the phone this week! Tuesday we spent 4 hours in the morning deep cleaning our apartment.... it smells so much better now. hahaha. shout out to Mauri just saw her right before I wrote this email! hahah Love her! 

Sister Sughroue & Sister Polanco

Funny story this week Sister Polanco  said, "That guy has a big Egg, I mean Eggo" I looked at her and could not stop laughing and she was trying to say "Ego"...... never a dull moment with her. I am going to miss her so much, she has truly helped me laugh at everything and find joy in every moment of the day. Cant wait to visit all my companions from all around the world after the mission! 

Next time I talk to you I will be in Virginia!!!!! Yayyyyy! (:

President and Sister Poulsen

Love you all so much,

Sister Sughroue

CHECK OUT OUR MISSION BLOG AT 

slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.com

Week #32 - April 3rd, 2015

Beautiful Sister Missionaries from
Temple Square share the message of Easter

The square is getting really busy now with conference coming up! We went up to the U and had our zone activity! Which was a blast.  We were able to attend the General Womens meeting on Saturday and it was amazing, all focused on the family and celebrated the Family proclamation of 20 years. On sunday after music and the spoken word i ran into the whole Jacobsen Crew! Got to say bye to Jacquelyn one more time before she heads out to serve the Lord in Australia! 

Sister Sughroue & Temple Square
Sister Missionaries

This week we got a new investigator, Mary from Hungry on mormon.org chat. She is 20 years old and is so special. She came on excited to tell us she has friends in the branch where she is from and she has talked to missionaries before. After chatting we asked if we could give her a call the next morning and she said Yes! The next morning we are on Splits with a girl named Lissa who is 18 and preparing to serve her mission, she is family friends with one of the senior couples and wanted to come out with the Temple Square Sisters. So Lissa called Mary with us and we had an amazing lesson. She goes to church every week, knows this is the true church, but is just stuck when it comes to baptism. She told us she really wants to gain a stronger testimony before she gets baptized. We explained that our testimonies are constantly growing and after she is baptized it will grow even more. We helped her feel more comfortable about being baptized, and invited her to pray about a date and to talk with the elders about it this weekend! Lissa was such a natural teacher and it was so amazing to hear her bear her testimony as we taught. It made me think of my first day and how scared I was, but she wasn't at all!

Sister Sughroue & Mary Jimenez
from Temecula
(Makayla's 3rd Grade Teacher!)

The Marshall's from Temecula
stopped by to say hi!

This morning we called Fred! He lives in California and is from the phillipines. He is the happiest most energetic person haha. I love talking to him but it is usually really hard to have him focus on the lesson, but today we had a miracle. Last time we invited him to be baptized and he said maybe. This time when we called him I could just notice there was something different about him, the spirit was definitely there. We asked him at the beginning of the week to write down questions that he had, so he started to ask us his questions but they all linked to baptism in a way. So he began to see the importance of it. We talked about why Jesus Christ was baptized and how we need to follow his example. He kept saying, "I feel Good, I really like that". It was the Spirit touching his heart. I invited him to be baptized again, and he said Yes. He wants this. He is excited to to talk with the Elders tomorrow  about a date and tell them while they watch conference! 

President Poznanski
& Sister Sughroue
(Tyler's 1st Mission President)

Thursday morning in Relief Society we had General Conference Training to focus on uplifting all those that we meet, and focusing on The ONE in the midst of thousands that will be here. It was great! I get to attend the Saturday morning session then on after the Sunday p.m. session I am announcing! 

Sister Sughroue & Sister Polanco
at General Women's Meeting

How awesome to have Conference and Easter in the same weekend! I am so excited for all our investigators to watch conference, feel the spirit, and hear the words of our beloved Prophet! The words of these inspired men and women bring us closer to Christ. With Easter the church launched a new video called "Because He Lives"! It is on lds.org so share it with all. I know Christ lives. And because He Lives, we can have happiness, eternal life, the ability to change, hope, comfort, and so much more. Because He Lives I am on a mission to help my brothers and sisters find him and experience his unmatchless love.  

I hope you all enjoy this weekend! You will be spiritually enriched! Can't wait to hear about your favorite talks! 

Love you all! HAPPY EASTER<3

-Sister Sughroue

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