So Friday night, we got to ride down to Baton Rouge with our open house crew and it was so much fun! We got to spend the night with our mission grandparents again and when we got to Baton Rouge and walked into the senior couple's apartment that we were staying with there were easily 24 sister missionaries and 3 senior couples jammed into that tiny little apartment. It was crazy! We all had dinner together and just caught up with all our mission friends. It's been really cool to get together with so many other missionaries these past few weeks for the temple! We eventually made it to bed by 10:30 with 6 of us in the apartment and woke up ready to hear an Apostle of the Lord speak to us. We pulled up to the stake center and there were so many missionaries! I seriously didn't even know some of them existed this mission (I am still a little green lol), I had never seen them! So it was really cool to be able to get to know some more people in the mission too. So we spent about an hour situating almost 200 missionaries for the mission picture with Elder Cook. Fun fact: this was the first time in my whole life I was ever too tall to be in the back of a picture. Guess where they put me and all the other tall sisters of the mission? Front row! Never thought I'd make it there for a group picture. Anyways, after about an hour of anticipation, our scouts looking out for Elder Cook and his crew run in and say he's there. A few minutes later the entire atmosphere into the whole room changes as Elder Cook and 2 other general authorities walk into the gym. There was an insane feeling of power in that room. Everyone in there was set apart by someone holding priesthood key and had been called of God to their calling and boy you could feel it.
So we take our picture with Elder Cook and then everyone walks to the chapel and we each get the opportunity to shake his hand and the other general authorities' hands and man! When Elder Cook looked into your eyes with a smile on his face as he shook your hand, you just felt like you've known him your whole life and you just felt so loved! It was amazing! So once we all file in (and boy we were packed into that chapel like sardines) we got to hear these servants of the Lord speak to us. Their talks were incredible and so inspired. I loved each one. But of course, Elder Cook's was just absolutely incredible. He had the most powerful witness and testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and the Spirit testified to me that he truly was an apostle of Jesus Christ, called by Him to serve His people. It was incredible to have had that experience.
But the fun didn't stop there! We drove back to our areas Saturday after our mission conference and got ready for the temple rededication. It was cool because any worthy baptized member could go to the rededication so we were able to go with our Waldrop clan! I'm not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed knowing that our boys and Sam were in an extension of the temple with us. That was the most special part of the whole thing for me. But we were able to be apart of the rededication through the broadcast and hearing Elder Cook say the dedicatory prayer was so powerful, the Spirit was insane! Our mission and more importantly the faithful members of this area are once again blessed with a dedicated temple!!! Its the biggest blessing ever. I can't even express how amazing it is to have been apart of this rededication.
Guys, I know that this is Christ true, full, restored gospel on the earth. I know Christ is our living and real Savior and redeemer of the world. I know God loves us perfectly and I know that He has blessed us with temples on the earth so we can make those sacred Covenants to go back to Him one day! I love the temple and I love this work! I love Louisiana and Mississippi and I am ecstatic about the temple rededication! I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior and I love you all and I love hearing from y'all! Have a great week!
Love, Sister Crouch
1. With all these trigger trios pictures you'd think President put us back together Haha. But I got to see my mission mamas at our Cook Conference!
2. I love Mississippi!!
3. Road tripping it to Baton Rouge
4. Flu shots
5. Okay so we taught our girls about the Restoration and asked if they'd read the Book of Mormon everyday, and they soon as they all got a copy of the Book of Mormon, they immediately got together as a group and started reading it together! Made my missionary heart oh so happy.
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