Week 36: Is Jesus your steering wheel or spare tire?

What a week! God is SO GOOD!!! We had the craziest, coolest, most unreal Saturday with the biggest miracle I've had my whole entire mission! It's just been the best week!

Saturday had a real rocky go. We had some solid appointments with some legit people, all of which (by 10am) had fell through. Our day was planned out around those individuals so we had no idea how to spend out time. Honestly, I was a little salty. But, all day we just prayed to be where God wanted us and prayed to be an answer to someone's prayer, and we felt prompted to go knock some doors in this apartment complex, something we normally wouldn't do...like at all. But we did! Then we tried some other people around us and eventually every second of our day led us to be at the exact right place at the perfect time. There are some miracles that Heavenly Father plans by the second, and looking back, the Spirit was guiding us all day by having us do things we normally would never do! And it all led to seeing a man walk down the stairs from his apartment while knocking a members door and saying hi.

This guy said hi back and we asked how his day was. Turns out, he had just gotten back from a funeral where he had buried his father in law. I asked if there was anything we could do for him and he just looked at us and said "yes! You go upstairs and knock on my door and talk to my wife." Uhhhhh OKAY! The spirit bore powerful testimony that our appointments and plans fell through for this moment and for this person. So we go straight upstairs and we meet his wife, who was just broken because of the loss of her dad. She looked lost and hopeless and it really broke my heart to see. She told us all about her dad, told us about the funeral, then asks "you believe he's in heaven right?" And guys. We bore testimony of eternal families, of God's love for her, how aware He is of her family, and told her that her dad is being taken care of. There's something really amazing about being a missionary. Sometimes God let's us feel the love He has for His children as we teach them and love them. That's what he did. I grabbed her hand and cried with her, but because I knew that she was going to see him again. Before we left their house she looked at us and just knew God sent us to her because He loves her, and we got to tell her we knew that God sent us to her because He knows her and loves her. 

There have been days on the mission where everything falls through and we have no idea what to do and it seems like we are just kind of there. But I have a strong testimony now that as we follow the Spirit and go with the flow of things, we really are on the Lord's errand. I know God is in the smallest details, even down to the millisecond. He is aware of His children, He is aware of you! My amazing and wonderful mom sent a quote from my friend who just got home from her mission. They said the more we serves the more we learn it is less about our abilities and more about watching the Lord work His miracles. If that's not true I dont know what is.

It's been a real good week. The Lord has taught me more about my mission this week than the past 8 months. This work is amazing and I am so blessed to be apart of this work.

I love my mission, I love this work. I love being able to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord and I'm so blessed to know who I am and where I'm going. I love God! He is so good! I encourage yall to pray and ask Heavenly Father to help you be an answer to a prayer today. Be on His errand. It's the greatest work to be apart of :) I love yall, and have a great week!

Alma 26:3

Love, Sister Crouch

1. Seriously though, how do you get the job to come up with the church signs?

2. The district with a some member who wanted a picture with some awesome missionaries haha

3. KATHY! The light of our whole LIFE in this area. Shes a recent convert we get to work with in Madison!

4. JIMMY JOHNS! First time having it in 8 months! 

5. We tried this member, but his wife wasnt home so he delivered a warm meal to us on a miserably cold, Mississippian evening. Southern hospitality is REAL!

Week 35: "Stop, drop and roll doesn't work in hell." We love Louisiana!

Hey yall! Remeber how I said I was starting to like dogs less and less in Mendenhall? I take it back! That's just because we weren't going to the animal shelter and walking dogs for 2 hours a week! Heavenly Father was too good to us this week. It has been really stressful in figuring out the missionary work in Madison with Sister Craddock and I being so new. Earlier this week was overwhelmingly so the idea kept coming into our minds to check out the animal shelter for service and Heavenly Father led us to PURE JOY!! Safe to say, God is good.

This week Sister Craddock and I got to go down to Baton Rouge for a Mission Leadership Council with all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders in the mission and it was the coolest experience! We got to go to Baton Rouge and it felt like going home! I missed seeing the Jesus Semis (pics attached). But for real, MLC was the best. It made me realize how much prayer and revelation truly goes into the mission, which may seem really obvious, but that was my first time ever seeing it! The Spirit was so strong. As we were talking about the mission and our goals and a mission, the amount of love and trust I felt from Heavenly Father and President Varner was just unreal. It was so humbling remembering how God is giving me this incredible opportunity to be apart of this great work and how great of a gift it is! It was amazing! And I got to see Sister Rowe! I just love my mission!

Cool story folks. We had a really cool miracle! We were trying someone in an apartment complex Saturday and we just prayed before we went in that we'd be able to find unplanned opportunities to talk to people and find those interested in the gospel. We close our prayer, open our eyes and the car next to us has someone right outside working on the car! So we talk to him and he tells us "hey my moms a church lady! You should go to her door, she loves talking Jesus." I mean who can pass up that opportunity?! So we head up and they let us right in and we have an incredible lesson the Book of Mormon and the spirit was so strong! I felt God's awareness of them and love for them and I just see so much potential in them! It was a huge blessing!

It's been a rough week trying to know where to even begin to know where to start with our area, but God is providing! He is blessing us so much everyday and it's only through Him that this work is possible! We taught a lesson on the Atonement this week and I found a picture called "Not my will; but Thine be done" by Walter Rane and it is so powerful. I think it captures the emotions Christ may have had as He prepared to take on the world, literally. Upon His shoulders. Take the pains and sorrows of the world and the sins and it's only because of that event that I'm able to do anything in the work. Jesus Christ is my strength, my joy and my salvation! I'm blessed to have that knowledge and I just love Heavenly Father for sending Him to earth for me and you. It's the best.

I love this work and I love yall! This week marks 8 months as a missionary and it's the best thing ever! I love it! Love yall!

Love, Sister Crouch

1. Best way to get attacked by a dog haha

2. All the STLs in the mission at MLC!

3. All the mission leaders at MLC

4&5. That. That is my mission. I love Louisiana!

6. Sister Rowe!

7. Sister Craddock!

8. I told you the gas stations were posh

9. "Not My will; but Thine be done." By Walter Rane 

Week 34: "Hey, you're Elder Crouch's sister, right?!"

Week one on Madison is in the books! Man, Madison is so bonkers. The amount of fancy gas stations that exist within the city limits blows my mind. I never thought a gas station could be posh until I got to Madison. But, really, the craziest thing about Madison is how many people asked if I was Elder Crouch's sister! Everyone remembers my brother which was really weird/crazy. It has made for a really fun joke, for me at least! Whenever someone asked what I was doing in Madison, I just replied "What can I say, Heavenly Father saved the best Crouch for last!" (Sorry Jerrod, totally joking!) So yes, Madison is lit, fancy, a party and sooooo much fun! I love it!!

Wednesday was such an insane blur. Sister Johnson and I drove to McComb to pick up our new comps, I picked up Sister Craddock and we headed up to Madison! Sister Craddock is so awesome! I came out with her and we are both STLs for the Jackson zone! It's been so much fun being her companion, especially here! So we got here in Madison and we had dinner appointments lined up for almost every night (a complete novelty), sooo many people the other sisters were teaching, and so many things to do. Safe to say, it was extremely overwhelming! But, it was also an exciting challenge, figuring everything out! So we got to know the people we were teaching through notes the other sisters left then visited the Alhaltehs! They're members in our ward who are amazing! They took good care of Elder Crouch and I have a feeling they'll take good care of us too! Then we went to a dinner appointment followed by these AMAZING members taking us to Sam's to buy us groceries!!!!! Like boxes and boxes of groceries! It was insane!!! It was the kindest thing anyone has done for me on the mission. These people are so amazing! So safe to say it was a great first day!!!

The rest of the week has been so very eventful but so amazing! But, even with all the incredible tender mercies from the people and the Lord, it's been a tougher week than usual. It's been overwhelming, I've had trials and insecurities, if felt inadequate and I've just been in a funk, I guess? But every day we have been here, the Lord has put miracles in our path, has led us to someone who needs us, and has led us to someone we need! He has a plan for me and for all of us and I've felt that this week. Mormon 5:23 has been on my mind all week! "Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?" We truly are in God's hands and that's not too shabby of a place to be! 

Madison is awesome, the people are so fun. God is taking care of us in every way. Jesus Christ is strengthening us through all things and all trials. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and when we read it every day it changes our lives! I love this gospel and I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! Love yall!!

Love, Sister Crouch

1. My last pic with the Waldrop clan

2. Sister johnson has this thing where she has to take a heel clicking picture with all her companions, so here's our attempt!

3. Sister Alhalteh and Sister Craddock!

4 Florence district heel click attempt  

5. Sister Johnson!!

Week 33: She Audi. RIP Mendenhall, Hello Madison!

Well folks, this has been an crazy week! We have had so many little tender mercies, we went on exchanges, and I found out IM LEAVING!!! We got transfer calls Saturday and I'm headed to Madison, MS (a suburb of Jackson). I'm so sad to leave Mendenhall, but I'm so excited! I'll finally be in an area with a Raising Canes AND a Target! Prayers do get answered guys! But not only am I getting transferred to Madison, but I also found out I'm going to be a Sister Training Leader (STL) for the next few transfers. I'm so excited but also really really nervous! This transfer is going to be so crazy and full of new experiences! 

This week has been so jam packed with miracles! We went on exchanges with some other sisters in the zone and I literally learned sooooo much! It was so awesome to be able to just soak up all the different teaching styles and all the different gospel perspectives that these sisters had and it taught me SO MUCH! We had the classic exchange miracle where we were finally able to contact someone after months of nothing! That was awesome! We had some amazing spirit led lessons and it just made me rededicate myself to the work.

So Madison, MS is actually where my brother Elder Crouch served 4 years ago. I was honestly shocked to find out I'll be serving the same area as him! My Mission President completely forgot that he served there. This call was 100% by the Lord. And honestly, its brought some insecurities out that I didn't even know I had! But as I've truly reflected on this new area, I truly know God is in the details, and for some reason He needs this Crouch to go there too! God is in every. Single. Detail. Of the missionary work and I've seen His hand in this transfer too! I cant wait to see what this next transfer has instore! 

So Come Follow Me has been so revelatory for me! I decided to change how I study the Book of Mormon for Come Follow Me and read it with the intent to apply it to myself and write personal principles in the margins. Well, its changed my perspective on gospel study! This week was a little hard in all honesty and the reason? Music! If you know me, you know how important music is to me, how much I love it and how its such a huge part of my life. Well, we just got updated music standards from President Varner and that meant I had to give up songs that I absolutely LOVE to be obedient. And that was hard to do! To put music on the altar like that was really tough. Well, I was studying the Come Follow Me lesson this past week in 1 Nephi 9 and gosh, it's such a good chapter. The Lord commands Nephi to keep the record of Nephi's family, even though Nephi knows Lehi is doing the same thing! But, even though Nephi didn't know the wise purpose that God did (aka the lost 116 pages of the manuscript) he obeyed. The Spirit gave me a principle to write down. This thought came to me. Even though I dont always know they "why" to a rule or commandment, the Lord expects me to follow and obey because He knows the "why". I feel like I really just ask myself why I cant listen to a song that makes me happy or do this or do that, but really, the Lord is just asking us to trust that He knows better than we do. 

I've loved Mendenhall more that I can even express! Its definitely a sacred place to me, and I've been so blessed to serve here and serve the AMAZING people here! I love this gospel, I love Jesus Christ and i love that God trusts me enough to share it with His children. God is too good! I love yall so very much and I love the people of Mississippi! Talk to yall next week!

Love, Sister Crouch 

1. Miss Ernestine, Garrel and Arthur. They're the best!

2. Mendenhall holds my heart

3. Kings Cake!!! Mardi Gras is coming folks

4. Finally had an amazing burger for the first time in 7 months

5. Exchanges!

6. The Florence LITstrict! 

7. Our girl Lana wanted to try and heel click with us! (And yes I know I didn't heel click, I messed up ) 

Week 32: Surviving the Elements in the Good ol' South

Well friends, I survived a tornado! Safe to say I'm getting the full experience down here in the South. First Hurricane Barry and now a tornado...kind of. Saturday morning we were getting ready for our day per usual and my phone kept giving me tornado watch alerts. A watch means it can happen, its might happen but it's not for sure. A warning means it's coming something's been sighted by radar or in the air. Well, I'm still getting ready and all the sudden I get a tornado warning alert and a minute later we hear the tornado sirens! Sam calls us and tells us that we need to get in the hallway with our mattresses because a tornado was headed our way! Well, we get under the mattresses, and a minute goes by, then 2, then 10 and no tornado. The weather got super crazy but the tornado ended up going past us and not landing anywhere by us! But, I can say I lived through tornado sirens! 

We had a miracle weekend! We had 4 nonmembers at church yesterday and we found 3 new people to teach! It was so awesome! Theres a family we have been teaching and we were getting ready to start a lesson and they stop us before we start because their dad Cornelius invited his mom to join us and learn about the gospel! It was so awesome. All their kids wanted their own copies of The Book of Mormon and a pamphlet and they are loving what they're learning! It's been so awesome to see so many people in this area progressing! Sister Johnson and I are definitely being so blessed. The Lord really does consecrate our efforts!

I had a real cool experience yesterday. We were trying a former investigator and they were running out the door but before they left they asked if we had a message to share. Well we always have a message to share so we told her yes! I pull put my Book of Mormon and start flipping through and Mosiah 2:41 really stood out to me, but I pushed it aside. I kept thinking this lady probably tries to keep the commandments and I kept flipping, but I just figured what the heck. I'll share it. So I read that scripture and she asks why I shared that. Mosiah 2:41 talks about the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God and I told her it had been on my mind and how the commandments and God are the only way we will find true happiness. Turns out she had been thinking that same thought all week! The Lord is in the details!! If we listen, He makes us the instrument He needs us to be.

I was listening to a talk this week and something they said that stood out to me was "The commandments gave me a great life." I've been thinking about that a lot. The commandments have truly given me a great life and I am happier when I keep them. God is so good. I am so blessed by Him, He seems to always bless us more than we deserve. He always gives us way more than we put in. I think that's pretty darn awesome. I love Heavenly Father! I invite all y'all to see how you can follow a commandment more faithfully and see the blessings and happiness God will bring you! 

I love this gospel! I love Heavenly Father so very much and I love Jesus Christ more than I can express. I love my mission, I love the people here and I love the South (even with the tornados!) Love y'all, have a blessed week!

Love, Sister Crouch

Week 31: Squirrels are food, not friends.

Whoever said squirrels are cute and aren't scary are SO WRONG! They've never had a terrified squirrel run right for them! It's quite the adrenaline rush. So our friend Brandi in the branch has a hair salon and we asked if we could do some service for her at the shop. She said yes, so we went by friday to pick up the key to her shop so we can sweep and mop Saturday and she tells is theres a squirrel in her shop that loves the Christmas tree right by the front door! So of course me being me tells Brandi that not only will we sweep and mop but we'll attempt to help catch the squirrel...so much for that haha. Saturday comes around and we head the the shop. I unlock the door and step in and all the sudden I see the Christmas tree rattling. I immediately think "oh shoot." And all the sudden this wide-eyed little fur ball jumps out of the tree and on the wall!! Sister Johnson gets in and the squirrel is climbing behind the door, then gets on top of the door, THEN FALLS, and runs RIGHT FOR US! So we did the only sensible thing! We screamed! Screams of absolute terror! Well, we didn't see the squirrel after that, he sprinted to the cabinet and we never saw him again. But! We did get a text from Brandi yesterday saying we may be having squirrel for dinner! Sounds like someone finally caught him. welcome to the South!

This week was just amazing. We played Kickball on Wednesday for pday with the Waldrops and some other members of the branch and boy! It got intense. Let's just say all the adults (Including us missionaries) were pretty sore from the game...worth it! It was a lot of fun! But the most incredible thing happened after kickball.

Most of you know Will. He's been home this whole week before he goes back to the rig today, so you already know where we were each night this week! The progress Will has made has been incredible. Wednesday after kickball, we went over to finish off pday and have a lesson. We read Alma 36 with Will and man. I wish yall could've been there. The Spirit that filled that room was undeniable. It was a burning in my chest. As we testified of Jesus Christ and the Atonement He made, as I told Will how his boys came to trust God and Jesus Christ by being baptized, and as I expressed the love I have for him but more importantly the love God has for him, the Spirit just radiated. We went over last night and the same thing. We addressed his concerns, and as we testified, I had a burning in my chest. The Holy Ghost was testifying of the truthfulness of our words! And Will recognized it! He knew the gospel was true! He felt the Spirit bear witness of the truthfulness of the gospel! When I say that was the best night of my mission, I'm not just saying that. This week I've realized how much I love the Waldrop clan, including Will! All I want for them is the most joy our Heavenly Father has to offer them, and I know its through this gospel. My desire for Will to be baptized comes from my love for him and his family. Hes not a baptisimal statistic, not a name I get to write in my PMG, but a person I love and God loves. That's changed everything for me. I love this gospel! Will's really close friends! 

Last week I wrote about how out of tune I felt. I felt like I wasn't receiving any revelation, like the Heavens were closed to me. I had no idea what people needed, what I needed! But let me tell you, Heavenly Father is always talking to us. I've realized that this week. Ether 12:6 says we recieve no witness until after the trial of our faith. Well, I had that trial of faith for sure last week and God answerd me! He answers you! God is a god of light, of truth, of knowledge. He doesn't leave us confused, He doesn't leave us lost. Sometimes He'll let us struggle a little, but that doesn't mean He abandons us. He answers our prayers, He walks with us, He helps us in every aspect. Heavenly Father loves us, He loves YOU! 

This week marked 7 months on my mission. It's going ridiculously fast. It's been so hard. But seeing people come to know the truthfulness of this gospel is so worth it. I love this work, I love this gospel. I love Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father with my whole soul. I love yall!!

Love, Sister Crouch

1&2. Kickball!!!!

3. Please enjoy the video of our squirrel encounter. 

Week 30: Hermana Crouch takes on a Dog

The South is slowly making me hate all four-legged critters. Even dogs. Slowly but surely, my love for dogs (other than my own pups) is being driven into the ground. How sad is that?! But hear me out...we almost got attacked by a dog the other day! Thankfully we weren't bit, but we were darn close! It's actually kind of a funny story.

So Sister Johnson and I have branched out. We've been trying to find new people to teach in our good ol small town of Mendenhall and to do that, we've been walking around the neighborhood, talking to people in the streets and faith knocking. Faith knocking is just walking down a street and knocking any door that sticks out to us and seeing what happens. Well, we were walking down a street and all the sudden theres 2 real angry dogs in front of us. They weren't too happy we were so close to their house. So I pulled out my pepper spray just in case and just was holding it in my hand. We didn't feel like getting attacked so we walk around the corner to walk away (they were at a corner house) and guess who came back? But this time they were actually trying to bite and getting super close. Welp, sister Johnson took a huge L. As we're trying not to get bit, this dog gets real close to her and she just EATS IT! She falls flat! And I realized how terrible of a companion I am because I LAUGHED! This dog was bow about 1 foot away from her and I had my pepper spray unlocked and a second before I was going to spray, their owner calls them off! MIRACLES! But yeah it was rough haha. Thankfully their neighbor saw the whole thing and they told us to come in and share our message. MORE MIRACLES. It was just crazy! Safe to say, my love for dogs is just going away real fast.

We've had lots of miracles this week and the Lord has been involved in the details! One miracle happed last night! As most of you know, sister Glenn was the Spanish speaker of the companionship. And before that, it was Sister Strobelt. I picked up on a few things here and there, but I definitely couldn't truly speak it. Well, yesterday one of the Spanish investigators from forever ago calls us! I thought it was someone else and then he asks (in spanish) if we're missionaries and my heart drops because I dont know Spanish! Well, somehow I picked up on just enough to have the Lord make up the difference and I was able to have a full on (choppy and slow) conversation with him. He even wants to meet with us! Not sure if I'll be able to do that, but I'm an English speaking missionary who know knows that the Gift of Tongues is LEGIT. The Lord takes care of His people!

This week has been hard in all honesty. I've had a hard time feeling like the heavens have been open to me. I've had a hard time recognizing and receiving revelation from God. And I need it so much! It's made me a little discouraged honestly. Missionary work is hard. It stretches you spiritually and mentally and emotionally. There are trials all the time, external or internal. People reject you, people are stubborn, people know the truth but wont act on it. It can suck sometimes. But I shared this scripture with someone this week and its been what's given me strength this week. 3 Nephi 27:14 says "And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father..." Christ is the reason missionary work isnt impossible! He's the reason life with hope IS possible! Hes able to lift us when we fall or when we're down because men lifted Him. Because our sins and sorrows lifted Him upon the cross and He willing partook of the bitter cup. I'm so grateful He did. Without Him, life wouldn't be full of joy, even with all my trials. He's the gift that never stops giving.

I love this gospel so much. I love my Savior Jesus Christ more than I can even express. I am grateful that because of Him we get new chances, 2nd and 3rd and infinite chances! What a beautiful thing to celebrate right after His birth! The gospel is true! I love yall and I pray all yall find the hope and joy of life through Christ. Happy New Year! 

Love,

Sister Crouch

1. Our cute friend Marley let us see her horse Ginger! I'm officially getting a horse when I get home

2. Sister Johnson and I won blankets Christmas day when we played dirty Santa at a member's house! Didn't know that was a game, but at least we wont something good!

3. New Years Eve with some of our favorite members!

4. You know, just getting soaked out here in Mississippi

5. The Fam.

6. No one I'd rather kick off this new year with