Week #42 - June 15th, 2015

Hello (:

Sister Sughroue & Sister Johns

This week we had Sisters meeting in Richmond for all the sisters in our mission! It was a whole day  filled with trainings on how we can serve with all our Heart, Might, Mind and Strength! (D&C 4). It was a day we were able to be spiritually strengthened and edified, which is exactly what sisters need.... President Wilson totally gets it. hahah. There was lunch and a huge clothing exchange, where every one just comes with clothes they don't want and you can pick ones you like!

We found a new investigator this week, who is media head quarters referral. He is from Africa, and after going through a traumatic experience is really prepared for the gospel, and searching for something to fill his heart. It was funny to be on the other side of these referrals, because being at Temple  Square usually we are the ones taking the calls/chats sending these referrals out. But nothing beats seeing them in person!

Wednesday I went on Exchange with Sister Ketchum, my Sister Training Leader, in her area! It was fun, the sisters here are awesome and I just love learning from them! 

Sister Sughroue's Zone

I am just on top of the world! Our investigator Evelyn came to church yesterday! She came with her 2 year old little boy, who refused to to nursery but he was good in all out classes haha. He is so cute! The members in our ward are awesome, gave her a ride, made her feel so welcomed! She wants to come back too, we are just feel so blessed to be teaching with her. Sister Kellogg and I have been working on making sure everyone knows we love them and care for them, and once we started doing that with Evelyn we saw a huge difference. It's amazing how fast you can grow to love someone you just met. I love her and her little boy and my heart was full sitting by them at church on sunday. As a missionary you just love the people you teach so much you will do anything to help them receive the Gospel because you know how much it will bless their lives. President Wilson shared an insight on a scripture  at Sisters meeting that "Charity is the pure love of Christ" meaning that it is us purely loving our Savior Jesus Christ. And if we purely love him, and his atonement we will just naturally love and have that "charity" for others. I love that! It is so true! 

At church on Sunday a youth speaker didn't show up, so Bishop asked me right before to share my testimony. I ended up shedding a few tears because I just love the Woodbridge 2nd ward so much, it truly was an answer to my prayers and I only have a short time left. :( Anyways,  I shared 2 Nephi 5:27, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of

Sister Yost & Sister Sughroue

happiness." And the reason the Nephites at this time were living happily is because they built a temple and were living righteously! Its that simple, if we want to live in true and lasting happiness we just need to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and and our loving Father in Heaven is so eager to bless us and guide us along the way. I am so grateful for this Gospel and the happiness it really does bring me. The more I understand the gospel and come closer to my Savior the happier I am.   

Hope you have all have an amazing week!

Much love, 

Sister Sughroue

Week #41 - June 8th, 2015

Hello Everyone!

First off, shout out to Hailey Kofler for getting baptized! I am so happy for you and tears came to my eyes when I saw the pictures! I know this is Gods plan for you and that he loves you! The Book of Mormon and this restored gospel will bring you so much happiness in this life!  There will be a letter in the mail coming your way(:

This week everyone in this mission received Ipads at our zone meeting on tuesday except for me.... mine came in the mail from Temple Square a few days later. I am so happy i have it, its perfect for out here we show videos and pictures to people all the time. No one can really turn down a 3 minute video about Jesus Christ no matter what type of Christian you are.  We spent an hour and half at the apple store trying to fix sister kelloggs Ipad but because of all the restrictions on it by the church they couldn't do anything.... and they thought we were amish because we didn't have an iphone and can't have itunes. hahaha, i swear we are normal! hahaha We got a member to fix it super quick so all is well! 

I think the longer sister Kellogg are together the more we look alike.... people ask us all the time if we are Sisters, or twins!

We are the same height pretty much and dress the same, so i guess it works. We just say yes we are "Sisters" Sister Missionaries. lolz.  

On Saturday, We went to the historic downtown Occuquan arts and crafts festival. It was HUGE! packed, with lots of people and yummy fairfood! A member in our ward owns this historic mansion that he gives tours in. So we teamed up with the Elders and some members of our ward and set up a little tent with Book of Mormons, pamphlets and info. We street contacted and talked to a ton of people for about an hour and half.... until we got in trouble. ooops. some guy came over and told us we had to stay on the members property and couldnt even be on the sidewalk.... that was a bummer. we think the country singer right across from us called and complained because we took away from his crowd and tip jar. hahaha.

But it was fun to street contact instead of tract door to door, and we got good exposure for the church!  

Yesterday was awesome! We had some members who have been less active coming back to church, and we went to visit an investigator we had lost contact with during the week to see if she was still interested. She is!! she just had some stuff come up and was busy. But she wants to come to church! We sat on her porch and read Alma 40 with her, because she has alot of concerns about what happens after we die. She loved it, and we are meeting with her again tonight. she is so prepared for this gospel and is just confused with what to know is true. I know she will be able to find out for herself that this is true!

Hope you all have a good week! 

Love, 

Sister Sughroue

Week #40 - June 1st, 2015

Hey Everyone! 

HUMP DAY for the Mission!

This week was awesome! The Virginia Richmond Mission is receiving Ipads tomorrow, so Friday we had a mission Wide Training in Richmond! So we drove down with the Grovers ( a Senior couple) and spent most of our day just being richly fed and blessed by the trainings of Elder Zwick of the Seventy and Elder Hemmingway the director of Proselyting for the church!  It was the same training that Elder Clarke gave us at Temple Square when we received Ipads, but I felt so blessed to hear it twice and from two different Seventies! The training focused on the spiritual aspect of using technology and how we need to sanctify our hearts and become pure to use them without problems. So true! It was really powerful and motivated me in all aspects of missionary work, not just ipads. 

Mission Wide Conference with
Sister Johns and Sister Boheme 

We found a new investigator this week! We went to his house and he is big burly guy, I was kind of intimidated, but he is soooo nice! We taught him the restoration and he accepted baptism! After the lesson he told us it makes sense why the mormon missionaries go to peoples homes, so they can learn about this! haha Yesss thats exactly right! 

Wednesday we were walking out of a dinner appointment and a older couple in a car waved to us and motioned for us to come over! They were members who use to be mission president and Wife in finland a long time ago! She then told us her Dad was Ezra Taft Benson!!!! We were blown away, we just got to talk to a prophets daughter! She was sooo nice and just had such a strong spirit about her. She said, "He is looking down on you right now and is so proud and happy!" Perfect timing that we were able to meet her!

Saturday night we had planned to tract because lots of people were home, but I had an impression that we needed to go visit a less active in our ward. She is an elderly lady who we use to visit her but she showed no interest so we backed off

Dinner With the Haights!
There daughter is serving in
SLC Temple Square!

for a few weeks. When we got to her house she was sooo happy! She said she had been wondering why we haven't come by and missed us. She went on to tell us about some struggles her family has been going through and how unhappy some of her relatives are. As she was talking to them she realized the happiest time in  her life was when she was going to church, church people are happy. haha. That She needs that back in her life! It is so true that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to true happiness!!!!

Hope you all have a good week! 

Much Love, 

Sister Sughroue

Week #39 - May 26th, 2015 Ohhhhhhh I'm 1/2 way there ohhhhhhh living on a prayer!!!!

Wait tomorrow is the 27th.... which means I have been out for 9 MONTHS!!!!!  whatttttt?!!!!! Ohhhhhhh I'm 1/2 way there ohhhhhhh living on a prayer!!!! Don't worry I am definitely not trunky, this song just is perfect for the occasion. Sister Kellogg and I actually cried the other day when we realized we only have 9 months left. Its crazy how fast time flies. I feel that I was in the MTC the other day! I know this next half is going to fly by even faster, and I am going to spend it giving all I have to the Lord. It's crazy to see how much I have grown in the past 9 months, and I hope it continues there is still so much I want to learn and become while I am in the Lords Service! 

Summer is here! Here comes the 90 degree days with 90% humidity, which means my hair will be in a bun all day and are just going to have to embrace the sweaty mess look with a bright red freckly face. hahaha eww. Hope everyone had a good Memorial day! We spent the whole day tracting due to appointments falling through but it was awesome because we found some potential people to teach and one is a family!!!! We met the Dad and he really wanted us to come back to teach his whole family so we are excited! Every one was home just hanging outside with their families so it was perfect to talk with everyone, and we get offered water and soda all the time, so we can't complain hahah.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAKAYLA!!!!!  17 is a big one, can't believe you are so old now! 

I went to the doctors this week because my throat has been super sore and swollen. I have some infection, so he gave me a antibiotic and I am feeling alot better now! yayyy! It's because Virginia has the worst allergies this time of the year and I have never had allergies, until I came here!

This week we got a call from the DC South missions YSA Sister missionaries, because their YSA area overlaps with our mission up here in the north. They had a investigator to pass off to us because he is 45 which is not YSA. So we met with them at the church and got to introduce ourselves and get to know him. He is awesome! His name is Marcelus and he is so prepared for the gospel, already been to church 2 times before meeting with missionaries (in random wards because he didn't know where to go) and has started to read the Book of Mormon! We are so excited to teach him, he just glows with this spirit and is sincerely seeking for truth! 

On Friday this week there was a baptism in our Zone and we made it a goal to bring an investigator to come, we

invited everyone but no one could come. It was 2 hours before it started, we were tracting and sister Kellogg and I felt impressed to ask Sarah a 10 year old recent convert if she wanted to come and bring her friends that we do FHE with every monday night! After running back and forth in the neighborhood getting permission from parents and getting a member to take them, we made it!!! She brought 2 of her friends who are also 10, they loved it! Right after the baptism they said, "when can we get baptized? Can we now?" hahaha we told to talk with their parents! They said the felt happy and that was definitely the spirit these little 10 year old girls were feeling. We hope to visit with their families this week to share with them more about the gospel and see what happens from there! 

On Sunday we went over to the Haights for dinner! Their Daughter sister Haight serves at Temple Square and I love her so much! They are in our stake and it was funny to be in the home of another missionary I serve with lol. 

That pretty much sums up my week here in Woodbridge! Loving it out here! The Lord blesses us everyday with oppurtunities to share and strengthen our testimonies! I know he is so aware of all of his children and we go out everyday to find them and share with them his love. 

Have a good week! 

Love you all lots!

Sister Sughroue

Week #38 - May 18th, 2015

Sister Sughroue hiking in the forest in Virginia

It's a dream come true!!! Sister Kellogg and I are staying together here in the Woodbridge 2nd ward!!! I was praying that I would get to stay if this is where the Lord needed me and YES it is! There was like a 90% chance that I would have left because most Temple Square sisters serve in 2 areas, but I am glad I get to stay here to continue to help the ward and our investigators! Transfer calls were on Saturday and everytime the phone went off I got scared. It was about 9:30 at night and we thought we were safe, and we were right! At church the next day President and Sister Wilson spoke in our ward and the members were thanking them for letting us stay ahahah! 

District Meeting with decorations for
Mormon Prom, Virginia Style!

On Wednesday we had our last District meeting and I gave a training on finding new investigators. It was weird because I am use to talking to only Sisters and this time I was training all Elders..... haha. I was so grateful I got to prepare for it because I learned so much. Sister Kellogg and I made it a goal we would talk to EVERYONE.  This week we found 4 new solid investigators and a good amount of potentials. We are building our teaching pool because some of the people we were teaching stopped progressing. On Saturday we had no appointments....so we knew that meant a full day of tracting.... wasn't super thrilled, but sister Kellogg and I spent 3 hours tracting a whole neighborhood of town homes where we saw little miracles! 2 new investigators from there! And about half way through it we were dying from the humidity and heat and an icecream truck comes on the block... Sister Kellogg had never had it from an icecream truck before so of course we had to get some! Tender Mercies from the Lord! (: hahaha

Ice Cream Truck TENDER MERCY!

 

This week I started the Book of Mormon again. I am hoping to finish it in about 2 months! I can't even remember how many times I have read 1 Nephi but it is amazing how I learn something new everytime. I love how committed Lehi was to the Lord. He took his family and was asked to leave everything behind. But he trusted the Lord. It made me reflect on how I can become committed like Lehi in all that I do, on my mission now but in life always. Following the Lord and being willing to do whatever he asks no matter how Hard it may be, because he has so much in store for us. 1 Nephi 2:20 " And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands." 

Love you all and have a great week (:

Sister Sughroue

Week #37 - May 11th, 2015

I feel like I just saw you the other day.... o wait I did! Skyping for Mothers Day yesterday was so awesome!

It was great to see all your faces(: Happy Mothers Day to the best Mom out there! Love you so much and words can't desctribe how grateful I am for you. I wouldn't be out here serving the Lord if it wasn't for you!   I really don't know what to write about it because we just talked yesterday but I'll come up with some things....

This is most likely my last week here in WoodBridge, we will get transfer calls this Saturday so I will probably leave for this next transfer. Even though I really want to stay with Sister Kellogg and in our Area! I love my companion, the ward and our investigators so much! But where ever the Lord needs me I will go (: 

We had an amazing lesson with Deandre this week, he was starting to have second thoughts about meeting with us but we called him and asked him to write down all his questions. We met at the church and he came with 4 pieces of paper filled with soul searching questions. They were deep. We spent the lesson going through and answering them, we basically taught the plan of salvation from doing it. The spirit was so strong and we were on fire....I just wanted him to keep asking questions

because it was definitely the spirit answering them through us and he felt that. That lesson was changing for all of us, my testimony was strengthened and he left with greater faith and a desire to know for himself despite all the opposition he may face from people around. He came to church yesterday, best feeling as a missionary!!!!!! He liked it, even though I was worried because it was so loud with screaming kids.... after he said he might bring his kids next week probably because they aren't any louder then the ones already there hahaha. We knew he felt the spirit and he is excited for our appointment this week! 

President & Sister Wilson

Friday we went to Zone Conference with 3 zones in Fredricksburg about 40 min south. It was an answer to all my prayers. The trainings were so inspired and I left motivated to work harder and give my all to God! It was just so spiritually uplifting! Saturday I wen on a mini exchange with my Sister Training Leader Sister Johns. We went Tracting and found a new investigator named nancy who is 70 yrs old.... she didnt want to talk with us at first at all but after being persistent she agreed to have us come back to study the Book of Mormon! 

Its starting to get hot and humid here! Tracting in 85 degrees with 60% humidity feels like your breathing in water sometimes hahah. Our area is mostly comprised of Town homes and apartment complexes... I have never seen so many town homes in my life... its a more humble area, the people are so baptist and so nice. hahaha. The traffic is crazy because of everyone commutes to DC for work! We have fun tracting and talking to all sorts of people. 

Today we are having Zone Pday and going to play UMPA which is a mix of basketball, football and rugby! So much fun! Then we are going to have FHE at the Bringhursts home with all the non member kids on the block, its always fun we play then have a lesson! They all look forward to it everyweek! 

O and shout out to Jacquelyn at her farewell this weekend!!! Love you lots, you will do great! Practice the Aussie accent!

Talk to you all next week! Love you all!!!!

Sister Sughroue <3

Week #36 - May 4th, 2015

Pants on the ground... yup!

Hello(:

Potomac River

Potomac River

I am sure you all wondering about the subject line to this email.... don't worry I will explain later. It's getting really warm and humid here. And I think the heat is getting to everyone, we had a really interesting and memorable week. Last Pday we went to the beach of the Potamic River to sight see, then we made cookies to take to the less actives and members in our ward. On Tuesday we went tracting in this neighborhood of town homes and saw a bunch of black guys smoking weed at

Baking Cookies

the end so we decided to leave, as we were walking back to our car one of them yelled out, "You Mormon?" Sister Kellogg and I looked at each other and responded, "yea" kind of scared... hahaha and hesitantly started walking over to them. They started to ask a bunch of anti questions and all sorts of crazy. But we stood our ground and by the time we were done they were humbled.... they basically told us the restoration made perfect sense. Tevin was one of them who began to ask super sincere questions and ended up giving us his number for a return appointment. "Talent" is a aspiring rapper apparently and asked me on a date to "Chik-Fi- La" and was pretty bummed when he found out Sister Kellogg would have to come too. Don't worry we stood him up. hahahaha , but anyways we had a lesson with Tevin this week and he brought his friend Patricia! They both come from religious backgrounds and are in their early 20's,... and their fathers are pastors. It was an awesome lesson, the spirit was so strong and they left with a huge desire to read the Book of Mormon and want to continue to learn. They are 2 of our new investigators we found this week (: 

On Wednesday morning we helped a member clean her friends house who had passed away and left behind a husband

Sister Pinnock & Sister Sughroue
Were in the same
English Class at BYU-I

and 2 kids. It has been a while and we were grateful for the oppurtunity to serve this family. It was heavy duty cleaning because she was a hoader, yes like the tv show Hoarders. We are going back to help some more, as there is lots to be done.

A Member's house

Now for the explanation of the subject line.That afternoon we went over to visit a member in our ward who is mentally ill and Bi-polar. Because of her ups and downs we only visit once in a while for spiritual upliftment....She is a kind of bigger with facial hair and has been in and out of the hospital lately. We were knocking on the door  and no one was home, so we were about to write a note to leave and she came around the corner very upset. She seemed disturbed and gave us forceful hugs and told us to come inside and she would explain. We walk in and she locks the door and begins to yell about the church, bishop, and all sorts of stuff. We just were standing in her entry way and she sat in her recliner chair continuing to go on about all sorts of crazy. Then she randomly stood up and TOOK HER PANTS COMPLETELY OFF... and started walking towards Sister Kellogg, trying to hug her!!!!! We were freaking out.... the spirit was obviously gone and we were disgusted. She was asking Sister Kellogg to comfort her and I immediately said "WE NEED TO GO NOW"... then she

Zone Meeting of Sisters

started to come towards me.... AHHHHHHH I unlocked the door and as fast as I could,  we sprinted to the car and were dying laughing, shaking and almost crying hahahahah. We couldn't believe that it happened and just drove straight to the church and called the bishop and relief society president. So now no missionaries are allowed over there, and we are scarred for life. hahaha. Every time we even think of it we start laughing uncontrollably.... Sister Kellogg likes to sing the song

Making homemade pizzas

"Pants on the Ground" now. lols. It was actually really terrifying but nothing bad happened and we are okay so the best thing to do is laugh! Didn't know my outbound experience would be so eventful hahaha.  

Anyways I can't wait to skype home on Sunday for Mothers Day!!!! Yayyyyyy! Finally get to see your face<3

Hope you all got a good laugh! 

Much Love, 

Sister Sughroue