Week 20: We Out Here Dunkin'

Guys we seriously had the best week ever!!! So many miracles are just coming our way day after day and it was so crazy!! Mendenhall is just the place to be and I'm so blessed to be apart of the work down here!


We had a miracle lesson last monday after pday ended. But just for a little bit of background, let me tell yall about the Waldrops. The Waldrops have been worked with for the past 2 years when their mom, Sam, converted to the church. Her boys Ethan and Cameron have been interested in the church but have had their doubts and everything. When the sisters before us were telling us about them, they didn't seem to think they'd be getting baptized anytime soon. But man! We have seen MAJOR progression with these boys and I've been able to have a front row seat to the Spirit working on each of these boys testifying of truth and their readiness to be baptized. So we went over Monday with a plan to just ask them if they wanted to be baptized. Ethan and Cameron both said yes! So then we just asked what was holding them back and Cameron said "There's just so many churches how can you know which one is true. Everyone is telling you something different and I'm confused." Sounds a little bit like someone else, doesn't it? I felt prompted to read Jospeh Smith's account with him and explain how he is exactly like Joseph Smith, even in age! Man, the Spirit there was insane, and they both recognized it!! They both felt the warm feeling they get a church during their lesson! We all got on our knees after and prayed together to ask God if He wanted them to be baptized and they still felt like they didn't get a 100% answer, so we invited them to pray that night. Well, THEY WERE PUT ON DATE THE NEXT DAY!!!!!!!! November 1st both Cameron and Ethan are getting baptized!!! This will be Mendenhall's first convert baptism in 2 years...SUCH a miracle!!!!!! I normally dont really gush about anyone we teach or people from the mission, but gosh I've been gushing about the Waldrops! Sam even came up to us after we figured out a date and asked "So you're going to write about Cameron and Ethan in your email right??" Haha. They're incredible. The Lord has prepared them so much and things have been falling in place for the first!! The whole branch just cannot wait!!


Fun Stories from this week:
I had Canes for the first time in a month (:)) while on exchanges in Madison, shout out to Elder Crouch who served there. Crazy to be somewhere my brother served!


While setting up for our fall festival on Saturday, about 5 sherriff department cars and 2 fire trucks show up to the church because of a supposed gas leak! Made things pretty exciting! Also, turns out there wasnt a gas leak, so that was good to know!


I sang what I could remember of Old Town Road with a 3 and 4 year old after church on Sunday (Ethan says we are the hippest sisters they've ever had).


Okay so this story needs a little back story. For those of you who remember, back in Slidell we had a pet/returning visitor in the form of the lizard Jerry. He would run into the apartment at random times and would wait outside the door some mornings until we opened the door to run in. He's an OG, for sure. Well, turns out I just attract lizards to my living quarters because we have a friend here in Mendenhall too!! Our little green friend surprised us last night! Turns out I accidentally brought him in by bringing our mail in from the mailbox. Terry has safely been placed outside after running around our house trying to catch him for about 5 minutes. Feels like dejavu for a second. At least I'm getting better and better at catching lizards! Watch out Vegas lol.


In my reading for the Book of Mormon, I've been in Ether and Moroni, the very last 2 books. Over and over throughout these 2 books the idea of miracles not ceasing was emphasized over and over and over again. God IS a God of miracles, but He can only work them according to our faith. I've really seen that since starting my mission. Sometimes my faith is a little stronger than it is at other times, but I need to have that constant faith that the Lord will provide and support us and His work. I'm grateful to have that front row seat to the Lord's miracles, it's the biggest blessing I've ever had in my whole life and something I wouldn't trade for the world!


I love this gospel, I really love Mendenhall, I love my Heavenly Father and Savior, I LOVE THIS WORK!!! And I love yall! Have a great week everyone!

Love Sister Crouch


1. Our post Old Town Road pic! These girls are hype.
2. Had to document the Canes trip!
3. The Promised Land! ;)
4. Terry!

Week 19: Happy Fall Y'all

I'm seriously just loving Mississippi! I really wasn't sure if I'd be saying that my first few days here, but this place is really starting to feel like home. Someone we visited this week asked if we were liking Mendenhall and of course we both said yes and her response was "Really?! Seemed like all the other ones couldn't wait to get out of here!" It made me think about how much you really come to love a place when you just serve the people and get into the work. It's a really tiny and really interesting place but Mendenhall just has something special about it! It's even starting to feel like Fall here! It dropped from the 90s last week to the 80s and eventually it was all the way down to 54°! So happy fall from Mississippi!

We had a pretty mellow week this week. Saturday was so much fun, though! We were able to go to this Pumpkin in the Park activity that the city put on for all the kids in the community! We went and thought it'd be a good opportunity to meet some people in the area, and turns out a few kids who we are teaching were there! It was so much fun! It was 50 degrees out and we were painting pumpkins with all the kids we are teaching and it actually felt like fall! It was so much fun! Mendenhall is such a cute town, I've never been anywhere that does things like that in the community. We even met the "Queen" of Mendenhall there! This town is just full of hoots. 

Sister Glenn and I had an incredible miracle happen with prayer. So someone we were teaching was in the hospital and she needed a miracle for her family to happen. She turned to us for help and we had no clue how to help, but we knew Heavenly Father knew and was capable of helping. So Sister Glenn got on our knees right then and there and I think I said the most sincere, faithful, pleading prayer in my whole life. I told Heavenly Father that we knew He was a God of Miracles and that He is able to work them according to our faith. We just asked for a miracle according to our faith and the Spirit that filled the room was almost indescribable. It was so thick, it almost felt like I was in the temple. We knew that she was going to be taken care of, that Heavenly Father was watching out for her and that He loved her. It was the most powerful experience I have ever had with prayer and it was such a miracle, knowing without a doubt that she was going to be taken care of. Specific prayers really do get specific answers and we saw that this week. 

Mormon 9:27 really stood out to me this week. Theres a phrase in the very middle of the verse that says "...doubt not, but be believing..." and that hit me really hard. I have a solid testimony of this gospel, but I can doubt and lack faith in certain areas of life, especially in myself. I've been struggling with feelings of adequacy lately (like I'm sure every missionary does) but this scripture pricked my heart, for lack of a better phrase. God trusts me, He trusts each one of you. We may doubt ourselves, but He never does and never will. Doubt not but be believing in yourself, in Him, in Christ and everything will work out. I love the Book of Mormon so much, I'd be so lost with out it! 

I love this gospel, my Savior, my Father in Heaven, this weather (!!!),  and you all! Thanks for all the prayers and all the support!

Love, Sister Crouch

1. The Florence District!! They're the best, love our district 

2. My artist friend Jameson showing off his pumpkin from Saturday

3. Comps that do face masks together stay together lol

4. Its FALL!

5. Our cute lil town

6. A really cool Mississippi sunset

Week 18: Apparently 2 Isn't Multiplying

Wow, where do I even begin with this week?! We had Zone Conference on Friday, General Conference this weekend, miracles just about every day! This week was just another evidence to me that the Lord is in on this work. Man, I love being a missionary! We have slowly been getting to know members in the area and they're starting to get to know us too and I think we really starting to feel at home here in Mendenhall!


This week, we visited a lot of members, trying to spread the word about the open house! We stopped by this old couple's house (they're probably in their 80s) and gosh they're a hoot. Miss Ernestine and her husband Garrell love having the missionaries over for visits so we have been stopping by once a week! This time we had such a deep discussion about the Spirit World and some questions Garrell had asked. It was super deep doctrine and I seriously had no idea how to answer his question (but thanks President Oaks;), then suddenly his wife Ernestine takes this huge, deep breath sounding like shes about to say something wildly profound and goes, "So did you two leave boyfriends back at home?" And it took me sooooo off guard I started dying laughing!! Sister Glenn and I were just laughing the whole time while over. Last week I had told Miss Ernestine that I could be a missionary forever, and this week she said "I know you want to always be a missionary, but the Lord gave us 2 commandments. Love Him and multiply and replenish the earth. Now 2 is not multiplying. You need 3 or more children to multiply." General Conference clarified what the real two great commandments are, but Sister Glenn and I couldn't help but CRACK UP at her "advice" for us in the coming years. Southern ladies are just hilarious, especially when they get themselves on the topic of marriage and families.


Every Wednesday night, we go to the church for our youth activity with everyone in the Branch. 2 girls who aren't quite members yet go every week with their mom who's a member and poor Sister Glenn got a new nickname from those girls. So these kids never can remember our names, so they decided to give us names they think work better. So this girl Renasha comes up to me and says "So you're going to be...Sister Funny! And you are...(looking at Sister Glenn) Sister Serious!!" It took me so off guard I started dying at that too! Sister Glenn wasnt too fond of that name (I wonder why lol), so they changed it to Sister Happy instead. We have such a fun relationship with all the kids and youth in the ward because of Wednesday night's and it's just so much fun to serve them! Even if they think we can be pretty serious!


We had some miracles this week too. The Lord directs His servants and He leads and guides the missionaries too. We decided to tract a trailer park in town (I swear trailer parks are basically holy and sacred ground with all the miracles that go on in them) and we prayed to be guided to those ready for the gospel. Sister Glenn and I felt we should start at this on trailer on one side and no one answered. So we went next door and guys the 2ND DOOR IN we met a young woman who needed the gospel and let us in right away to hear about it. It was such a tender mercy and it just was another example of how involved the Lord is in the little details of our lives.


This weekend was just so full of the Spirit between zone and general conference. I seriously can't pick out a favorite talk or quote from either conference if you made me, but I felt the Spirit so strong that whole weekend. Saturday night, I just had an overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude to God for my mission and for the Restoration of this gospel all day long. I felt joy listening to the Prophet and Apostles. I just couldn't even handle all the incredible feelings I had that when Sister Glenn and I got back into the car to drive home, I just was overcome with emotions and started to just cry. I just told Sister Glenn how much I love my mission, how much it's already changed me and how I just can't even begin to thank my Father in Heaven for it. Guys, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are REAL. They are real Beings who love us so much our mortal minds can't even BEGIN to comprehend. If there's one thing I know, it's that Christ and His Atonement are real and accessible to all of God's children who let Him in. I just want all of you and everyone I ever meet to know that I know who I am, I know my Savior and Heavenly Father love us and have a plan for us and that was just reiterated to me throughout the whole weekend. I loved the theme of JOY throughout conference. Christ really does bring joy. I feel it everyday and I know every one of you can too if you focus on Him.


I love this gospel!!! I love President Nelson and all the Apostles and leaders who lead and guide the Church. I love Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father more than I can express. I love my mission and I love this work. I love y'all, and I hope everyone has a blessed week!!


Love Sister Crouch


Sorry if yall got my email twice last week! My email has been glitchy lately!



1. In honor of all the mosquito bites I have gotten on my legs this week.
2. More country side!
3. My play dough "gifts" from our wednesday night activity
4. Zone Conference!
5. Country Roads by John Denver.

Week 17: Just Out Here in the Boonies

Hey y'all! I hope everyone's week was just dandy! This week was another crazy busy one for us here in Mendenhall (mostly the boonies and sticks of Mendenhall).We were  Bible-Bashed twice (but we didn't bash back with them though, don't worry!), we saw so many miracles with the temple open house, and have pretty much just been going all over Simpson County trying to meet everyone! We have been all over this country side. It's been crazy but soooo good. My country accent is getting too good...someone visiting the branch this week asked if I was from the South during our Wednesday night activity. I guess I just pick up on a really strong accent when I'm around enough Mississipeans  Whoops.

So I feel like I'm officially a missionary in the South after this week because back to back days someone tried bash us with the Bible. But honestly, it was such a testimony building experience because I realized these people who have been studying their Bibles all their lives just are missing something, the whole truth isn't there. They didn't understand some doctrinal principles that are taught in the Bible but clarified in the Book of Mormon and it made me so grateful for the fulness of the gospel that I have through the Book of Mormon! Sister Glenn and I just couldn't be shook by these people, as hard as they tried. So even though it wasnt very fun having someone try to bash us, we both realized how solid our testimonies in the Book of Mormon were. If you dont read it, do it!!

Well we had a few miracles with the temple open house! For those of you who don't know, the Baton Rouge temple was rebuilt these past few years and they are having an open house at the end of October IN MY MISSION!!! I seriously lucked out so much by being able to be apart of the open house! But we, as missionaries, were given 250 invitations to give out to the people in our area. A pretty hefty responsibility for someone in a populated area, pretty overwhelming for us in this tiny area. But we have been diligent and we have seen miracles from it. There was this couple in their 80s that are members and I was honestly nervous to invite them because I wasnt sure if they'd want to drive that far, if they'd be able to stand that long. Basically, I had little faith and I'll admit it. But I prayed to have an opportunity to invite them come up and THE LORD PLOPPED AN OPPORTUNITY IN OUR LAP!! It was so cool to just have that little reassurance that He is with us in this work. So they're coming to the open house now! That's just one miracle, but we have seen so many! I'm so blessed to be able to see them and have my faith grow even more!

I came across a really amazing scripture in one of my studies this week that I wanted to share with yall. In Alma 36:22 Alma says "Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea and my soul did long to be there." I feel a lot like Alma sometimes! My soul really does long to be with God again one day. This scripture is from the chapter where Alma is becoming converted to the Lord and when I read that I realized conversion all comes down to desire. Where do we desire to be? Is it with God? Do we desire to grow closer with our Savior and repent? If we do, that's when conversion really starts! I know, like Alma, my soul longs to be with my Heavenly Parents again and with my Savior. That desire has changed me these past 4 months on my mission. It's so cool to see. I just really relate to that scripture. 

I love this gospel so much and I love being able to teach it every day! I love my Savior and my Father in Heaven and I love being apart of this work. I hope everyone has a good week and I love you all!

Sister Crouch

1&2. Country roads in the boonies of Mendenhall

3. Sister Glenn and I at transfers last week. We just got this picture!

4. Read the Book of Mormon!! Its the best!

Week 16: Culture Shock Round 2

Hey y'all! Hope everyone had a good week! This week for us has been so crazy! I thought I had a huge culture shock going to Louisiana, but MAN. Mississippi gave me an even bigger one. It's like it's own little nation of crazy, country, hillbilly everything (at least in my area). Its pretty awesome, honestly haha. Everyone here has that super thick country accent and I am slightly embarrassed to report that I have unintentionally picked up on it when in a conversation with someone who has that thick accent. Its kind of funny because I don't even realize I do it until I hear sister Glenn giggle a little bit haha. Oh well. Give me 14 more months and I'll be talking like a native!

So this week has been kind of a blur. I picked up Sister Glenn on Wednesday! She's so cute and has that greenie fire burning bright, so she is down to work way hard! Every comp's dream! Shes from all over the place and she speaks Spanish and Portuguese which is really nice because there are a ton of Spanish speakers in the area. Training has been so humbling and stressful, but it's been fun to just take our enthusiasm for the work to the Branch President and see what we can do to help the branch. Going to him got us good though because we got roped into speaking our first week in the branch! But, if that's how we can help the branch then speaking isn't too bad!  But it's been a week of miracles, doubling into this area. It's been amazing to see.

So first miracle. It was day one out here in Mendenhall. I was pretty stressed with how we were going to fill our time, honestly, because I had no idea what to do. We were just about to start to plan out our week when Sister Cothern, the branch president's wife, texted and invited us to come over and talk about everyone in our area. So we went over and she filled us in on the branch, what the missionaries were up to last transfer and it helped SO MUCH! It was a total answer to my prayers. Then we get home and a member calls us and asks to take us out to dinner after planning! Her kids are investigating so it was perfect to be able to meet them and get to know them! It was such a miracle, the Lord was just putting everyone we needed to meet with in our path and was just answering our prayers so immediately. It was such an amazing blessing for this stressed out missionary! 

Second miracle. We stopped by this members trailer and no one answered. I had this distinct feeling that we should tract the trailer park it was in. I asked Sister Glenn if she was down to knock some doors and we did! The FIRST door, a guy answered and we talked with him a bit and then he asked what we were doing out in the hot sun. Funny he should ask! We shared a message about the Book of Mormon and a little about the Restoration and he seemed so pumped to read it! After we talked with him, I felt like we were good, we didn't need to tract any other doors and Sister Glenn had that same feeling and we called it good! That was another tender mercy, because it's really hard to find people to teach over here in small town MS. So the Lord is definitely helping us with this work down here!!!

I've been thinking about the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ a lot this week. I feel like a lot of times we just think of the cleansing power of the Atonement (which is still so important!) but I was listening to a devotional by Eldet Bednar and it was all on the enabling power of Christ's Atonement, and it just stuck with me this week. I've needed a lot of strength this week to overcome my weaknesses and to get back into the grind of missionary work and it's been tough training, figuring out the area, going all over trying to meet with people, and I have seen Christ helping me along the way! It reminds me of 3 Nephi 9:14 where Christ is saying "...Behold my arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive..." Christ is reaching  out to me and to yall, anxious to help us along in this crazy life! What a blessing to have felt that and seen that this week. 

I miss the bayou a ton, but I am really starting to love the country! I love this gospel and I am so lucky to be able to share it as a missionary. I love this work, I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and I love you all!!

Have a great week everyone!

Love Sister Crouch

Also, here's my new address! 

707 North West St

Mendenhall, MS 39144

New house

Downtown Mendenhall

1. Elder Sterling, a friend from BYU! He's also visa waiting to go to Brazil like Sister Glenn!

2. From the bayou to the countryside 

3. First picture with my little trainee🤩

4. Last district outing in Slidell

5. Last pic with Sister Strobelt

6. Dora!!!

Week 15: RIP Slidell, Hello Mendenhall!

We got some transfer news this Sunday and boy, was I shook! Turns out WE ARE BOTH LEAVING SLIDELL!!!! How crazy is that?!  Sister Strobelt is going to Baton Rouge and is going to be training another new missionary! I'm real excited for her, but so sad we aren't going to be together another transfer! But I got the news that I'm going to be going to Mendenhall, MS, a tiny little town 50 or so miles south of Jackson. I'll be working in a branch, which will be different, for sure, but I'm excited for the change. Also found out that I'm training a new missionary too! I'm so stoked, so nervous, and so ready to head out to MS now that I know! Its been extremely humbling knowing that the Lord and President have enough faith in me to train, because man I feel so inadequate! Guess it'll just be an adventure for Sister Glenn (my little greenie) and I! We pick up our new comps tomorrow and we are so excited!!

So since we were all anticipating transfer calls, this week turned into another week for goodbyes! So this weekend was packed with goodbyes and all that fun stuff. But  we also did some exchanges with the Sisters in Bogalusa, LA and it was really fun! I always love doing exchanges because it seriously helps me so much. You learn from every sister you are with and I could use all the learning I can get to be better and grow! That's honestly one of the best parts of the whole mission, learning and growing and becoming better! So I'm really glad that exchanges got to help me with some of that this week! I'm getting more and more confident as a missionary each day and especially each exchange!

I really don't have to words to express what Slidell has meant to me these past 3 months. We have been going around and saying goodbye to everyone, and it just hits you how much this place feels like home! Everyone here just takes you in like family and it's the most loving place I think I have ever been. I'm really so sad to leave the people here. But I am also really excited to switch it up for a few transfers and train! I actually really like change, so it'll be really interesting to see what little ol Mendenhall has in store for me! 

We had weekly Book of Mormon studies here in Slidell with a recent convert, Susan and it was always a hoot and a half! It was so fun reading the Book of Mormon with some of our friends in the ward! This past week, we read one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 27: 14. Christ is speaking to the Nephites about how He was crucified for us and lifted on the cross. He says "...that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father..." and MAN! That verse just hits me every time! Christ was crucified and suffered in the garden so we could be lifted up! I read that, and I guess I just pictured our Savior and our Heavenly Father literally picking us up when we fall. When we fall because of trials, hard times, sin, loss, pain or anything. That brings so much peace to me, knowing that Christ is lifting me up each time I fall down.

I love Jesus Christ soooo much! I love His gospel, I love the Book of Mormon, and I love knowing He is there to support and pick us up at any and all times! I love Slidell with all my heart! And I love all of you! Thanks for all the love and support yall send, it means the world!

Love Sister Crouch

1. Our girl Dede!!! Gonna miss her

2. One of the hardest goodbyes... Mr.Jefferson has stolen our hearts 

3. Hian wanted to do a silly face haha. That's my attempt lol

4. Another one of the hardest goodbyes... we really love Mr. Comfy

5. Home away from home with the Kirby family 

6. Exchanges!

7. Lunch with my District

Lots of Goodbyes

Week 14: Some Tastes of the South

This week was a pretty interesting one. I realized just how much I loved the South these past few days! The people are amazing, the food is amazing and it's just the most fun place to be! But seriously so many interesting things happened this weekend.

So there's this Baptist minister that we "teach" (more like visit and serve her if she ever needs help) and earlier this week, she invited us to a birthday party in memory of her mom who passed a few years ago because her mom's birthday was this past Sunday. So she called us the day before and asked if we could come over and help clean for the party, so we went over and vacuumed, swept and mopped the place for her and asked about the party and what she has planned. She told us that she was cooking SOOOO MANY SOUTHERN DELICACIES!! That woman probably spent like 10 hours cooking for that party. She talked about how they were going to read a scripture, sing some songs from church, then they asked Sister Strobelt to say the prayer to open up the party! So safe to say we were pretty excited to get to the party the next day! 

So we show up to the party on Saturday and the whole house smells INCREDIBLE. She had made gumbo (first time trying that), sweet potato pie, potato salad, mac and cheese, fried chicken, dirty Southern rice, and literally every other Southern dish you can think of! I was sooooo excited to try everything! So people start to show up and we are visiting with people from her church, telling them what we do and talking about being missionaries, then the singing group of the church shows up and the real fun starts. Sister Strobelt and I realized as we were looking around that we were the only White people there lol. But once everyone got there, someone from the church pulls out the Bible and starts reading a passage and it was just kind of fun to see how they worshipped. They worship in such a fun, energetic way! As they were reading, you would just hear "Yes, praise! Amen! Thank you Jesus! Hallelujah!" And the farther along she got in the passage, the louder the house got! They really love their Bible passages! Then, when the passage was done, the singing group got up and started singing their church worship songs and everyone was clapping along and singing along and Sister Strobelt and I had so much fun clapping along with them and enjoying the music! I swear, you would've thought the entire group got together to practice singing those songs because the whole house knew exactly when to come in on certain parts, it felt like a Disney Channel musical where everyone just knows when to come in! But after the song, Sister Strobelt got up to say the prayer, and we all got up and were holding hands and she starts the prayer and as she starts up, the whole circle gets loud again with all the "Thank you Lord! Yes, Amen! Thank you Jesus! Hallelujah! Praise!" And it just gets louder and louder until everyone's yelling praises and finally yelling Amen!! It was a so great to be apart of and pretty awesome to get a little taste of how real Baptists in the South worship and a huge taste of those Louisiana Cajun classics!

Alma 55:31 was a pretty cool verse I read this week. I find it pretty hard to learn lessons from all those war chapters at the end of Alma, but I got something awesome out of them this time! The Nephites are at war with the Lamanites, fighting for their liberties, for their families and religious freedom and all that good righteous stuff. Throughout the years, the Nephites had this bad habit of forgetting God as soon as they started prospering and falling into pride. So the Lamanites are trying to attack the Nephites or poison them secretly and in verse 31, it says "But behold, the Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God in this time of affliction. They could not be taken in their snares..." I think that's so awesome because it shows that they're starting to learn their lessons and that's what this life is for. It's to learn how we can improve and become more meek and humble and more like Christ. We all have pride cycles in our lives, but we learn from mistakes and we choose to remember our Father in Heaven and we'll be safe from those snares of life and of pride. Hopefully that makes sense?

But I love the South!! I love the people here, I love being a missionary, I love my Heavenly Father and Savior. I know They're real! I love this work and I love y'all! Have a good week everyone!

Sister Crouch

1&2. The birthday party!

3. I got the best comp ever! Ft our snowcones.

4. Met an RM from our mission! She was visiting her old areas and she also served in Slidell!