"Wow!!!! crazy things are happening we are SOO busy! 15 potential investigators, 13 investigators and hundreds of less actives!!!

Its been 112 degrees, and very hot. I am so excited for my brother Eric!!! YAY he is going to love his mission!!! Also , I bet you all are excited to see my sister Amy again! :) Yay for adventures! 80% of the People in my area are black or Hispanic! It is very exciting! Sister Dixon and i are working super hard!!! we took a small break during our lunch hour to play Go fish with pass along cards! HAHA.

Its funny, the Spanish elders said that they where biking through their area (which happens to be rough), and they saw police arresting someone or just doing their thing, and the cops looked up at them and waved and shouted "Hi Elders!!!!" Its also very funny, because when the police see the elders biking home at 9:00 they will take out their intercom and say "Go home elders!!! Its almost 9:30 elders!!" And one police man even started to sing "Call to Serve" over his intercom! HA!

There is so much happening in our area. It is so humble and so ready! many of the less active members have unbaptized children, so we are teaching the children, and helping reactivate the whole family at the same time. Its hard, but worth it!

A family of 4 came to church on Sunday and told us they wanted to learn more! we can help with that! I just love being a missionary. We don't convert anyone...the Lord does! He leads and guides us everyday! It is so awesome!

Summer is hard for missionary work in someways...we are waiting for families to come back from Africa and Mexico so we can finish teaching them! :) Sister Dixon and I get along Perfectly!!! Its so wonderful, she knows how to whip out the bold sauce "Is there a reason why you haven't been able to come to church much?" :) We are just trying to help people feel the spirit more. You are so blessed as you read your scriptures, pray, and attend church. I think any religious person would agree to that! :)

If anyone is pondering Eric's safety....He will be great! HE IS AN AMAZING MISSIONARY already! Who doesn't love Eric! I LOVE HIM!!!!!!

Just remember to keep your testimony strong!!! The Family we live with has a HUGE nectarine tree ! YUMMY

Be safe and remember we grow so much through our trials! more to come next week!
Love sister Sprouse.

I LOVE MY NEW AREA!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT! Heavenly Father is So good! We live with members, and they are great! The area we serve in is very humble. My new companion is sister Dixon! She is so happy and giggly, and we get along PERFECTLY! I just am so happy! My new area is more ghetto, but its good. there are lots of families and SO MUCH POTENTIAL.

We have 12 Investigators, 2 With baptismal dates, and we are heavily working with at least 13 less active families! I tell you, sisters can get in ANYWHERE! (well mostly.....) Our area is mostly black people and Hispanic people! I got to give a Spanish man a book of Mormon and talk to him in Spanish, and bear my testimony to him! YAYY!!!!!! Each house has a different floor plan, and is unique. (my old area, every house had the same floor plan)... my area has many apartment complexes, a huge trailer park area, it has your regular looking neighborhoods, and no house is bigger then 2?3 the size of mine back home.

My area is like the old school Las Vegas, it is NEVADA! I no longer see the strip, but its okay. I love it so much where I am. Hispanic boys sell cactus's from their rundown fenced in lots (well by saying rundown, a chunk of my area is like that...just dusty, litter, falling apart...poor humble families....). Some woman in my ward , oh, we cover 2 family wards, are stuck in the 70's with poofy hair! Its awesome! The families are GREAT and the church building is right down the road from us.

We are teaching so many people. This area has been dead for a long time as the elders before us just didn't work as hard, so that sucks, but we are really working extremely hard and we work till we drop. One less active woman we went to visit lives in a trailer park area. We walked into her home and she has just been SO sad. Her husband died 4 weeks ago. She is 84 years old. When we where there for just 10 min I put my hands on my lap after throwing them up in the air and I said "Well YOU can be my grandma, because I miss mine!" She laughed and she loves us!! Just everyone is like "ooo we have sisters!!" One of our investigators is 9 years old, so just LOOK at the span of ages we are teaching! They are ALL gods children.!

We are teaching a family from Angola Africa! They are SO awesome, and they will be baptized sometime this September when they get back from a family trip to Africa. They are so nice and their testimonies are so strong! its a mother, and father, and son family . We also had a fellow-shipper come with us, Brother O, and he is so tall, and also from Angola. After the lesson they made us Funji! (fooonggge) Its an African meal and it was SO GOOD! We where also fed by a Filipino family! Look at ALL these neat culture experiences!

One of our investigators is selling all she has just to stay afloat. She has rummage sales each weekend. We went to help her clean up after her rummage sale because she was just so tired. I asked her if she had eaten anything today, and she told us just some lettuce her neighbor gave her! Yikes! So Afterward I asked her if there was a Pizza Hut around and she said YES! And I gave her a $20 gift certificate to Pizza Hut (given to me from my dad). She whipped her hands in the air and said "OHHH I GET TO EAT DINNER TODAY!"

Well more to come. love you all! my comp time is up!!! Today we went hiking at mount Charleston! we hiked up a glacier!!! AHH to tell more next Monday!

Sister Jenna Julianne Sprouse!

"So I am getting transferred! Sent to a new area! Sisters just got placed there last transfer, and now I will be the Senior Companion to Sister Dixon (she has been out for 2 or 3 transfers, I have been out for 4). I am going to the Lone Mountain Zone. Its just 10 min north of where I live now. THANK GOODNESS. I did NOT want to leave Las Vegas!!! :( Its so sad, but way super exciting! My suitcases are packed, my transfer journal has been signed, my tears have been shed, and Waymond (our 69 yr old black investigator) is baking me a Farewell Cake! :) Could it not be better??

I love serving the Lord SO MUCH, I am filled with so much peace as I press forward with Faith.
Thaddeus (our 20 yr old black investigator) has taken out ALL of his piercings and is making GREAT progress!!! The Lord is working on him so much! He has been preaching to the people on the bus stop! He rocks! He even gave me his favorite hat haha! He wants to be baptized one day....James (from Greece), is a body builder, ski shop owner, and got Baptized on Saturday (was awesome!!!)....and we are still trying to meet with all 40 individuals on our visit list! Its just crazy, crazy awesome!!!!!!! AHHH :)

I've taught over 230 official lessons over the past 6 months! Have taught 5 individuals who have been baptized, and we continue to work SO HARD. These past 2 transfers I have given it my every drop of sweat. I have had the best times of my life. It has been so hard to say goodbyes. My favorite memory is Debbie's Baptism. Saying a prayer of comfort before she was baptized , with her in a little room off to the side....walking with her to the font..... watching her be baptized and praise God...and then after she had changed, we went into the blue bathroom and standing behind her, I braiding her long, dark, wet hair as she looked into the mirror and smiled. I loved that precious moment. Can't you just picture it?? Sister Clevenger was to my left side and we all just looked into the mirror and we where just rejoicing! we where so happy! "You did it Debbe!" We said...then walking out with her, and then singing "abide with me, tis even tide," with a beautiful rendition. Perfect moments.... Her baptism was one of the top 3 most spiritual moments of my life.

I had no idea so many people would be sad to see me leave. I love them all so much, and I knew that they loved me. But when I told our recent convert friend, Kathy, That i was being transferred she basically almost cried. Then we told Jamie, who is coming back to church with her children, just looked at me and with the saddest eyes said "you're leaving me?" I told her after I had photographed her family in the park. :) She came in to church a few minutes late, and sat in the back. I just had to sit by HER on my last Sunday at Canyon gate. We walked over there, and she smiled so big and whispered, "I was trying to see if there was enough room by you." I had NO idea she even cared that much about us. Just proves to show EVERYONE needs a smile and a friend.

I bore my testimony to the 150+ young single adults, and also to my family ward. When I bore my testimony to my family ward, it was also one of the top 3 most spiritual experiences of my life. I cannot even recount it, the spirit was running so powerfully through me, I felt as if I where an angel. But I'm not an angel...the spirit is so Holy, and I know every word was coming from God. It was electrifying. I had been praying that my testimony would be powerful and with love. It was. I looked out over the crowd, and you all know how special it is, looking up to the missionaries in your ward... you love them! I have SO many sister missionaries that changed me and I still LOVE them! Well I am just realizing just how much they love us! Its so incredible. I could see all the mothers who are so close to me, crying as I bore my testimony. I shared with them that it IS our purpose to come here and accept Jesus Christ. That if we do not, we are not fulfilling our life. I shared how great the opportunity it is for us to go through trials, and put our faith and trust in God. I was just balling when I said this, and when i told them they where a child of God. I told them God is perfect. He is 100% everything. I raised my hand and put it on one level and I slowly raised the other hand to match the first, as I said we become perfecting in Christ through Having Faith in Jesus Christ, Repenting, Being Baptized, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End. It was such a beautiful moment. I love expressing my testimony with excitement, energy, boldness, and love. It was definitely bold, and beautiful. I am sad I don't remember what I said, but it definitely wasn't me, even though I believed every word! :) : ) It was me! It was my testimony! WE MUST give our lives to Christ!!! Every day. "If miracles have ceased, then faith also hath ceased."

We have seen so many miracles come into so many peoples lives. Debbie was without a job, and now she has 2. A family in our ward has been struggling with many things, and the Father decided to pay his tithing (after being less active for months!! years??!) and he has a job and his wife has a new job also!!! AHH its so amazing.

I just have so many blessings. Missions are so hard core, and so hard. But they must be served. They are the most beautiful things on earth. I am so happy I have made the decision to serve God! It has put the rest of my eternal life in line..... I AM GOING TO SERVE GOD TO THE DAY I DIE. I know life is hard. I have seen Satan literally attacking those we teach, those we see on the street. NOW is the time to be bold and share our testimonies! IF WE DONT, THEN WHO ELSE WILL???? Satan is real and must be contained . The battle of righteousness is real. The fight for Christ is happening. Be bold, be loving, and please I beg of you, do your missionary work. Picture what it would be like to NOT have faith, to NOT have hope. Have you ever felt hopeless? wouldn't you do ANYTHING to have hope in your life? Do you know how to pray? That alone will change someones life...prayer.... You have to share your testimony. You Have to be the hands of Christ. I promise you, you will never regret giving your life to Christ. The path is hard, the journey may seem long, but in the end, our every trial will be worth it. We cannot see Heaven. We cannot recall what it feels like to be in God's presence, but I do know that one day we will look into the eyes of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We will see their eyes, we must be able to see the beauty in them! We must be able to feel joy, and not feel ashamed. Just focus on having an eternal perspective, for life! Ask yourself "Does it have eternal Value?"
It is hard opening your mouth and asking a friend to come to church with you.... but JUST DO IT! Couples here go to strip clubs for dates. There are countless runaways, prostitutes just longing for rescue. How can you not see your blessings and count them? YOU MUST be brave and bold. God has instilled within each of us a spirit to unite us to Christ! Find that spirit, believe in who you are, and be a friend to everyone around you. Do you know what will save you when you are down and sad? Christ like People!

Be bold, be believing, and be ever changing to become better. Do not be too hard on yourself if you truly feel you are giving it your all. But if you are giving it your all, make sure you yoke yourselves with Christ. Only that way your burden will be made easy. ONLY through Christ will we gain eternal life. I see so much sadness, so much disgust. There is a world of people caught in a hopeless state. Let us reach out to everyone and bring them to the feet of Jesus.
I boldly testify of the Second coming of Christ. I boldly testify that the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the Lords church restored to the earth with his priesthood power. If you want to learn more about Jesus Christ, and watch movies, and learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ, ask one if it's followers or go to www.mormon.org

We where able to Teach a Recent Convert, Bianca. She is amazing and has had such a hard life. our lesson was perfect. We had the best member there to support her, testimonies where shared, comfort given....doctrine taught, personal experiences given. It was just so amazing. I tell you, teaching is the best experience in life! The spirit gives you each word to say, when you are in tune with it, and it is amazing. I look forward to hearing about Eric's miracles. He is amazing. He is such a happy individual and will bring so much peace and happiness and hope into the lives of whom he teaches.

Missionary work provides so many spiritual experiences and eternal friends. One of our recent converts (and my good friend) wrote to me in my journal. "I am seriously so sad you are leaving. Meeting you was definitely one of the best things that has ever happened to me. You have such an amazing spirit. I love hearing your testimony. You have no idea how much of an impact your happiness makes on everyone around you. Even though you are getting transferred we are still going to see each other a million times. When you get home we are going to talk every day. Our friendship is never ending! I love you for forever! You definitely have to call me and update me all the time, plus we must have more random lunch dates. Love, Kathy." Aw she is soo wonderful. I tell you the Spirit is just so amazing, and our Heavenly Father deserves ALL the credit! We are NOTHING, without him! :) Another woman in the ward has adopted me has her new daughter, and one of my best friends out here is Sister Rumel (in her 60s-70s) and she was our last visit yesterday night. My beautiful friend (who eats like I do!) said "Gosh, just what I'm trying to say is, I love you. I will miss you. You are my bud." And she wrote that we are friends just reuniting in this life! I am just so honored to have so many new friends, and the point in sharing with you these things is, not to make myself look good (because I have to change so much), but please just be a friend to EVERYONE around you. Everyone needs a smile and a friend! Only when you are following God will you find and make your new best friends!

Also, most importantly, I have to share with you about how awesome my companion is, Sister Clevenger. She is basically a family member, just born into a different family. She has helped me grown so much this past transfer! she is so amazing. She is so bold, and her faith is so strong. I love her so much and I am so glad that our friendship has grown into a life long fling! We have had the most spiritual experiences of our lives this transfer. We have, TOGETHER, worked our hardest and have given this area our absolute all! We both desire to become better each day, and we are so excited to keep working harder, to raise our goals, and to achieve more for the Lord! It has been AMAZING being her companion. She turns 22 in 2 weeks! I love my new best friend, and am so thankful for her. It has been a fun companionship! We beat each other up , and give each other sass. I will miss her. "

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

UG! I only have 1 year left! soon I will only have 10 months left, 6 ....... :( :( :( :( :( :( nooooo!!!!!!!!!!

I love everyone out here! how can I go back!??? this is my home! this is where I sweat with exhaustion, this is where I cry and have been held by angels, this is where God has set me free, this is where my testimony has become so unshaken, this is where my heart lies. In this land, I have felt a glimpse of full joy, i have made new eternal friends. I have brought my lost family to the feet of Jesus. I have help uplift the feeble knee, the worried heart, the lost spirit. I have poured out my testimony to the souls we teach!

I am soo excited for Eric! He has no idea what awaits him! .. I didn't!!!!! It is SO Wonderful being a missionary! SO BEAUTIFUL. Its such an honor. HE IS GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE MISSIONARY! The Lord needs those who are willing to work! and boy, if you let him know that, he will put you to hard core work! hehe!

I just have to bear you my testimony. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the fullness of Christ's gospel! It is the Church Christ established when He was alive on the earth. This gospel changes you and makes you want to become better! I can already SEE a difference in Thaddeus..... From the first time we saw him and he yelled out to us, "HEY!! Are you guys the Mormons??" To him bearing his testimony to US just yesterday. He is SO awesome! He was SOO excited when we came to visit and teach him this past week! He kept standing up and saying "this is what I'm talking about!" He is sticking up for Mormons left and right to those who oppose him attending our church. He just pats his chest with his hands and he says "I feel it, I feel it. I want to do better. I know I can do better. I want to learn the Bible, I want to be on the right path! I feel it!" He said to us "I know you guys are gonna be mad at me..but...I got another piercing!" BUT he knows Satan tempts him, and he is trying to stop. Even if its, passing up the joint at the next party. "Step by step" (his words), he is changing and "will change , that maybe one day he can be baptized." The last day we met with him he said, "Ya know I was going to get another tattoo today, but then I remembered our lesson, and I couldn't do it."

HELLO! HEAVENLY FATHER IS AMAZING! It is all his timing!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH
From lesson to lesson...can you not SEE and FEEL how my joy is full? People are accepting Christ, and witnessing that, we feel a portion of God's holy spirit! in abundance! I know that when you put your FULL faith in God, he WILL deliver you. I see His children putting their faith in him, and I see miracles DAILY. Daily people! This is the BEST NEWS EVER! See how close you get to God and Jesus Christ by serving a mission? You get to feel a little of how Christ felt!!!! ;) Our God is a God of miracles!!!!!!!!

We come closer to understanding our savior BY experiencing trials. We put our faith him him, and that is how we feel the prints of his nails... by believing him, and putting our faith and trust in him, and then seeing the miracle. "Having Faith in God, is having faith in his timing." -Gordon B. Hinkley. Keep trusting God and keep going!!!!

I love my beautiful family ward! They are amazing! each woman...i love them all! I got to be the last one to bear my testimony on Sunday, and as I looked over the great crowd, I simply and boldly told them "you are Zion! I look out at you and I see heaven! You are Zion because you have true faith. you sacrifice everything for the lord. There's no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father would sacrifice his son for you. You are so righteous and he longs to bless you! I promise you, that if you keep putting your faith and trust in him, and as you sacrifice everything you've got to building his kingdom, he will take you and shape you and mold you and your life into something more beautiful you could ever imagine." One sister came up to me after and Said "thank you for your testimony! 'We are Zion'...that's fantastic!!!' Its so nice....one of the other mothers who is struggling a lot with things, came up to me and said crying "I wish I could have just half your perkiness!" I said smiling "you can!!!!!!!" :) I just love bearing my testimony and always being happy! I love it! Even with all the trials (you guys get the real scoop lol) , I still just try to be HAPPY!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! I LOVE BEING HAPPY!!!!!!!! :) :) :) Smiling makes a HUGE effect on everyone else around you! I honestly have no Idea if I was this happy before my mission. Probably not..... I AM HAPPY AND JOYFULL!!!!!!!!! and Love to express it! I love my family ward.

Our Heavenly Father is AMAZING! His plan for us is so grand!!!!! This earthly life is just a fragment of our eternal perspective..... I showed Thaddeus 2 weeks ago a pen (a Property Loss Management Pen) , which is all white, except for a black 1 cm space, 1 in down from one end. I said, pointing to that 1 in space. "this is our premortal existence." and then pointing to the small black area "this is our earthly life...." and pointing to the huge white space "this is our eternal existence!!!" He told me this past week..."ever since you told me about the pen and our eternal experience, its helped me to think." ..... I can tell you that our every action matters. If we are not building up the kingdom of God, what are we building?

Last week, we where rushing off to our next appointment. I was driving, had just pulled up to a HUGE intersection, waiting to turn right! There where cars everywhere, tall buildings, the wind was blowing, people running illegally across the street, it was just a busy typical Las Vegas intersection with everyone on the move. And then, I saw this little girl with pig tails who looked like Rosie.. She was walking across the street with her dad right in front of us. I just stared at her, looking through my white sun glasses. I actually wasn't smiling, just was watching her walk past us, my hands where on the wheel, and then just as she was walking out of the bottom right hand corner of EVERYTHING going on at the intersection, this little girl turned and looked at me, smiled, and picked up her hand and waved at me!!!! She waved at me!!!!! Out of all that was going on and moving through my head, that little angel waved at me. I call that a tender mercy! I was soo happy! She didn't even know who I was! She waved her little 7 year old white hand at me. Awww!!!!!!

anyways, today we went Hiking today at Red Rock! Red Rock is actually one of the top 5 hiking destinations of all the United States! :) It was awesome! We hiked Ice Box Canyon...for the last part of the bouldering, I took off my shoes!!! It was so fun (and hard) climbing up and across the steep slopes! It was awesome being barefoot! Gripping the cool rock,.... you can never take your shoes off here lol. NO GRASS! :(

Its funny, everyone has rummage sales out here! I know! Rummage sales!

Well, Got to go! I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep being amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! be the hands of Christ! "

Love!