CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! 🎄🎅🏼🎄

🎶🎶Feliz Navidad! Feliz Navidad! Feliz Navidad próspero año y felicidad! 🎶🎶 I want to wish you a Merry Christmas! I want to wish you a merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart! 🎶🎶

Well Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone had a great week! My week was crazy busy and full of many things to do and running everywhere and trying to throw a little missionary work in with it! I have to say this week was low on the missionary work part because so many people were getting ready for Christmas that they didn't have time to meet with us. As well my wonderful companion plays the cello so we had to drive around town for her to practice with a couple of people for our mission Christmas devotional. The only highlight from Monday to Thursday was on Wednesday I went to an ear doctor so she could try and attempt to get the ear wax out of my ear. Let us just
say that after two there is still more work to be done to get it out of my ear.... fun stuff..... We as well had lunch at a member's house and I love eating of the Latino food so much!

Now on to some of the fun stuff! So Friday we had our mission Christmas party/devotional. The morning we got there early so that Hermana Voss could practice her song with her accompanist. The morning we had skits from each of the zones. Let us just say that they were all stupidly funny and most were parody's. Sometimes I question why we put Elders in charge of activities such as the skits. Or other things. Los elderes.... Then we had a very good lunch that was made by some of the senior couples here on the mission. Oh was the food was so good! It felt like we were at home again! Then the afternoon was the devotional part. We heard from many different special musical numbers and testimonies. I loved listening to the music and enjoying the the speakers. It was fun Sister Reynolds read us a cute Christmas story about an orphan and oranges. It is called "The Christmas Orange." It was the cutest story ever! As well President gave a great talk on faith and remembering Christ in this time of year. Then he introduced us to our new goals and new vision for this year! I have to tell you I am super excited to be a missionary in the New York New York South mission! I am so excited for this new year and time to put one foot in front of the other to help me keep moving forward. Then we picked up our Christmas packages and cards. Super cool we got a Christmas card from the first presidency!

Saturday Christmas Eve! It was a simple day. We tried to go to IHOP because that is my family's tradition to do on Christmas Eve. However IHOP was crazy busy so we just we to KFC. Then we had many lessons. Quite a few that fell through so we ended up just looking people up. Then we asked the elders to come out caroling with us however all the houses we went to we just stood out of it singing at the door because no one was home so no one answered. Awkward moment for all of us...Then that night Hermana Voss and I did like a two man show and acted out the nativity scene. It was fun! Then we opened our Christmas Eve presents. Then I took pictures for my ten month mark! Ten months! Wow they go by so fast! Ten months from now I will have been home for two months. That is crazy!

Sunday was a great day! We had church for only one hour then rushed home to finish making cookies. Then went to our branch president's house to have a very good lunch! Oh my goodness I think I walked out of that house like 20 pounds heavier. Then we went to the church to Skype home! Oh my goodness it was so good to talk to my family! Especially to share my testimony, and that is exactly what I am going to do for you!

I want to bear you my testimony that I know that our Savior came into this world in a humble birth. I know that he established a church well he was here on the earth then when it was lost our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ loves us enough to give us his full gospel again here on the earth. I know that through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ we can find a relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ. I have come to know my Savior on a more personal level then I have ever had before! I love my Savior and I know he is there me every step of the way. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Mineola!!!

Well I am in Mineola! I am way closer to the city than I was before and I hope this is as close as I get! Hahaha...whatever God wants to have happen! So last week was kind of crazy! Monday we spent the day running. In circles trying to get everything done in time! We had a lesson with the Lucerio family and basically cried because they were so sad to see us leave. Plus sweet little Emili got all of us presents. It was so sweet! I love Emili! Then we had dinner at the Alamia's house with them and the Sullivan's and all of the missionaries. It was a ton of fun and a great way to end my service in

Hampton Bays!

Tuesday was overly stressful between packing, trying to make both Hermana Johnston'a and my stuff all fit in the car and driving to the mission office! Then getting there and waiting to find out where and with who! Once we found out I am with Hermana Voss who is Hermana Gourley's trainee! She is super awesome and I love her so much already! We are in Mineloa which is part city part island! We do have a car which is great! I am already falling in love with this area while still missing both my other areas! I am grateful for this chance to serve here! The other fun part is Elder Brown is my district leader!! He was my district leader in the MTC and I get him again! It is so fun always be
in the same zone or district with someone from my MTC district!

The rest of the week was trying to get to know people and seeing where people are at and getting to know members. We as well had a branch Christmas party on Saturday! I got two branch Christmas Parties which was so much fun! Then this week Hermana Voss got a cello to practice in performing in the mission Christmas party on Friday so we offered to play in sacrament! So we performed at church. She one cello me on the piano! It was fun! Then that night the branch president, his wife,
another member, the elders, and us went caroling to some of the less actives! The miracle part was 4 out of 5 of the less actives were at home! So we got to sing and talk to all of them! It was great!

As well another excited thing that happened is it snowed! We had some good snow on the ground Saturday morning. However sadly it all melted by Sunday. So now it is just cold again and we bundle up a lot! I have been learning how to embrace the cold! It is a little hard to do that! I wish it was warm again every now and then!

Well for this beautiful Holiday season, I wan to share my thoughts and testimony on the Church's Christmas initiative for this season! The two scriptures the video uses are first John 8:12; "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

And Matt 5:14; "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."

I am so excited that Christmas is this week! One because he presents my mom sent I have been eyeing them for the past of couple weeks and two because we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! My mission has helped me create such a love and relationship with My Savior Jesus Christ! I love Him and I know He lives! I know Him and I know He loves me and each and everyone of you! I would invite you to find your relationship with Him! I love y'all have a great week!

12/12/16--Projectile Earwax

Well my last week in Hampton Bays! I am will transferred tomorrow! I am so sad to be leaving the Hamptons but I am excited for the new adventure that awaits tomorrow! The most exciting thing that happened this week was the earache in my right ear that I had all week! We finally went to the doctors last Wednesday and he just said I had too much earwax in my ear! He tried flushing it out but it didn't work so he said to get earwax removal drops from Rite Aid to help soften up the earwax. So for Wednesday to Saturday I put these drops in my ears that felt like pop rocks in my ears! It tickled and was awful! I hated it!!! The other frustrating part was I couldn't hear anything out of ether of my ears so I spent all those days saying what? What did you say? My companions wanted to hit me! They got just as annoyed as I did. 

I was very excited to go back to the doctors on Saturday to get rid of all the earwax. So he started with the right ear because that was the one that hurt the most. He couldn't get much out of it so he moved on to the other ear. After a couple of squirts I felt my ear pop and it hurt so bad! Then I heard the doctor say wow that is a lot of wax and both of my companions go cool let me see! You can tell we don't get that much excitement in the mission! The earwax shot all over the doctor and my ear! My companions thought it was the coolest thing ever, I was in pain, and the doctor was regretting wearing long sleeves that day. However we couldn't get the wax out of the ear that hurts so hopefully someday this week I will be able to hear out of both ears.

I wanted to share a quote from the talk "The Challenge to Become" by Elder Dallin H Oaks from the October 2000 General Conference. He said, "It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something."

This past week in Sunday School as well throughout the week as a companionship we have been counting our many blessings for the things the Lord has given us. I know if it wasn't for this gospel and the mission I would never have meet Hermana Johnston and Hermana Spencer and my life would have been completely different. As well without my Savior I would not be me! I know this gospel is a gospel of becoming. Becoming more like our Savior and our Heavenly Father, becoming the person God has in store for us, becoming perfect, and so forth. I love this gospel and the chance I have to come to know my Savior! I know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago so that he could come into the world to save us all from Satan's power! I love this time of year to give back for all that we have been given! What have you been given? More importantly what will you be giving for the rest of your life for all that God has given? I love yall and have a great week! Let you know where I will be next week!

Con Amor
Hermana Ashford

12/5/16--Crazy Busy, Crazy Successful

Well just like the title says this week has been crazy busy. We hardly stopped moving the entire week! We went from one thing to he next and had so many lessons! We had 21 lessons which is the most I
have done in my mission so far! Plus all these people are willing to meet with us again and we will make so much progress with them! I am so excited! This is awesome! I am excited to see how this next week will go! Anyways I don't even know where to begin! So first Monday we had a dinner with our five star chief and some of our members and his Italian friends hat are staying with him. Oh yeah this member Marco is from Italy. Anyways he lesson was crazy because I would say part of it in Spanish so the couple of Spanish members could understand then Hermana Johnston would translate it into English for the English people. Then Marco would translate into Italian for his friends. I mean it was crazy having three languages and so much translation. It was super cool! Plus the food was amazing! Oh we got feed well that night! Five star chief cooking from Italy! I was in Heaven!

Tuesday it started to rain like non stop all day long from Tuesday to Wednesday we didn't have more than a 2 min break on rain! So we mainly went from appointment to appointment and did look ups trying to find people. We meet a less active named Deb and she is super cool and still has a strong testimony so we are excited to help her move forward. Wednesday we had district meeting and more rain so we looked people up and shared the Christmas video to anyone and everyone! Then Thursday we had to do deep cleaning of our apartment and then had a lesson with an investigator named Juana! Oh my goodness she is amazing! She so wants to know more about God and come to the right church! Our lesson with her went amazing! We are super excited! Then later  that day the English Elders and my companions and I set up the Christmas tree at  the church. We had a blast and had so much fun just talking and helping set up the tree. I am so excited for Christmas to come!

Oh and Thursday we had deep cleaning. Well let's just say that Hermana Johnston accidentally dropped part of the vacuum into her dumpster. The funny part was when she came running into the apartment yelling "Sisters I am in pickle!!!!" So she went climbing. The best part was the dumpster truck drove by! No worries we got the vacuum piece!
 

Friday we spent in the city because we had to go there for an appointment. So while one of my companions was at the appointment me and the other one walked around the mall and got Chick-Fil-La because there is only three in the entire mission and we don't have one of them in our area. Then we tried out being a city missionary for a couple hours. Let's just say that didn't go so well. We spent like 10-15 min just trying to talk with one person we walked around the entire mall twice and still hadn't hardly talked to anyone and stood in the subway just staring at the wall for like 5 min and then left because we didn't talk to anyway. Finally we talked to someone and got into the swing of it and I hope to never be a city missionary because I don't know if I could do it. Then we looked over some of the stufffor lighting the world. I hope everyone is doing your mini services this season! I know this is the perfect way to share the gospel by just doing small service.

Then comes my most exciting story! So Saturday we were out knocking in East Hampton. We knocked into his guy who let us into to his front covered patio. We shared the Christmas video and started talking. First off he was saying how Mormons are strange and how he could never be a Mormon. Then we went into talking about the restoration and the story of Joseph Smith. He listened with open eyes. Then we explained how he was reading from the Bible a second time because he didn't understand it the first time. So we explained a little about the book of Mormon and the purpose of it. Then he lite up and told us about how the other night he had been seating in the patio praying to know which church to go to. When his phone popped up with something that he wanted to show us. So he got his phone and showed it to Hermana Spencer and her face lit up. Hen Hermana Johnston saw it and her face lite up. Now I am confused and want to know so badly! He finally passes me the phone and it is a quote form D Todd Christofferson. For those of you who don't know who that is that is an apostle. So we explained who he is and how he is the apostle for the church. This man began to weep and cry in pure happiness and desire to follow God. It was a true testimony builder.

I know that God sends us to the people are prepared and ready to listen to the gospel. I know that this gospel is for everyone. I know that the church is true and the Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I encourage everyone to share your knowledge and belief in God. I love y'all!

11/28/16--Thanksgiving Week

Wow this week has been crazy! It was super weird first off to have my family in my mission for most of the week! However I am so glad they had a good week! So if you didn't know my high school band got to march in the Macy's 90th Thanksgivings Ngo day parade! I am so proud of them and they did great! 

So to start off the week was a little slow because most of our members and investigators were getting ready for thanksgiving so they didn't want us over. We did get to help a couple of families and people get their thanksgiving feast ready! The fun part on Wednesday was were getting our cards ready for the Christmas initiative and the Tuba kids came in and helped us! It was super cute and they kept talking about God and how much the church has truly changed their lives. I know the gospel changes lives from 8 to 188 I know it can help you with your problems!

Then Thursday the funniest day of the week well pretty much! First we had a zone activity where we went to Riverhead chapel to play games and hang out. The first thing I did was sneak into the clerk's office with Hermana Spencer to watch a little of the Macy's Parade! I got to see the Hendrickson Band as hey marched across. I would be lying if I said I didn't cry! I was super proud of them and all the hard work they put in to doing such a wonderful job! Everyone looked amazing!

Then we went outside to join everyone else! Hermana Spencer, Hermana Johnston and I didn't feel like playing soccer so we played pass the volleyball and pass the football! Dad you would be so proud of me I am getting better at throwing a football! Then we talked and ate food with the zone once they were done playing soccer and football! Afterwards we went to the Wallace's house for dinner! They had made so much food! She even made my mom's recipe of jello pretzel salad! It
was super sweet! I was so happy to be in a good home! All the missionaries were there from my district and we enjoyed a good dinner! It was fun at my table was the English elder's, my trio, Greg (a
member), and Mary (a granddaughter of Sister Wallace). We laughed and had so much fun! 

Then we went to Channing Kasallis' house for our second dinner. We helped her cook a little bit and then enjoyed the food! It was awesome she had invited two investigator families over for dinner. So it was fun to see member's, investigators, and missionaries all working together to show love and support to each other! Oh and not to mention Thanksgiving day was Hermana Spencer's and mine nine month of half way mark! I can't believe I have been here in the Lord's service for nine months! I have loved every minute and I am so excited for another nine months here in New York!

The other exciting part of the week was the Christmas Initiative that came out from the church! I hope everyone goes to Mormon.org to see the video! It is awesome! As well go share the video on Facebook! The fun part is that there is 25 days of service going on with it! I encourage everyone to go take a look at that! So this whole weekend we have been sharing that video with everyone and anyone! Then as well this past weekend we had a baptism for a less active and her older sister. So it is the Lucerio family and we have been teaching the mom Hermana Lucerio and her 8 year old daughter Emili. They had been less active for a couple of years now. Then the Elders were teaching the older daughter Fernanda and her husband Christian. So yesterday Emili and Fernanda were baptized! It was so amazing to see them enter the waters and begin their journey back together as sisters! Then hopefully later this month Christian will be baptized!

My scripture goes with my tender mercy story for the week! It is in Mosiah 2:22:

"And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you."

So this past Saturday I forgot to fill up the car with gas so when Sunday rolled around I was under a quarter of a tank and had a lot of places to go. I was a nervous wreck on the inside! I prayed so hard all day long that wouldn't run out of gas so I wouldn't have to get some on the sabbath. I know because I wanted to keep the Sabbath day Holy so he helped us so that we would run out of gas. I know this is little and may not mean much to you but it meant everything to me. I know the Lord wants to help us and we can be blessed as we choice to follow his commandments.

I will be sending Christmas cards out this week please email me your address if you would like to get a card! I love y'all! Have a great week!

Con Amor
Hermana Ashford

Snow 11/21/16

Well what a week. Like all last week was super great and warm and enjoyable!! Plus this past week has been super crazy! First the rest of Monday we had a lesson with a preacher. It was nice to have a civil conversation about religion and to see what each other believed. The only hard part was the wife told us we were believing in a filthy lie while pointing at the Book of Mormon. It hurt so hard because I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is true and it can change lives! Then we went to the Sullivan's house to make ourselves feel better after being so brought down. Then we had a good laugh and talked about her son in Utah preparing for the Winter Olympics.

Tuesday we spent the night at Channing talking about her mission and just talking life through. Wednesday was exchanges which was super fun as normal! The funniest part was we do a new thing where we pray before we knock on every door so we were getting ready to pray and Sister Fitt was like whose turn is it. So I was thinking about it while she started to pray and right after she had started to pray I yelled no! Hermana Spencer and Sister Fitt were like way to go interpreting her prayer! We laughed so hard! Then Thursday was zone training which was super good! We meet a less active's husband and we asked when we could come back and he said how about never with a smile. We just kind of laughed and were like what? The funny part was Hermana Johnston ripped her skirt which was actually one of the ones I gave to her! It was super funny! 

Then on Saturday we learned about tickets and raked leaves. Then Sunday night while we were knocking doors it started to snow! It was no fun hardly at all. I was so cold for a whole hour! My fingers about fell off! Then this morning we went and took Christmas pictures in the cold!

I want to share a feasting scripture as we come to the biggest feast of all year! Especially as a missionary where you get like three thanksgiving dinners. The scripture is in 2 Nephi 9:50-51:

"Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One
of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness."

So I must say that there are many things in this world that make me happy and that I enjoy however there is only one thing that brings the most joy in all the world. That joy comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ by feasting on he words of Christ through the Book of Mormon. I know the Book of Mormon is true and is part of the path back to our Heavenly Father.

I hope everyone has seen my companion's and mine posting of gratitude for the past couple of days! I would encourage each of you to post what you are grateful for each day this week!

As well I will be sending our Christmas cards next week! If you would like to receive one pleas email me back your address so I can get you on the list! I love y'all! Have a great week!

11/14/16 Fall in in the air!

Well this week we have spent so much time at meetings I don't know how to be a missionary anymore. Anyways the funniest thing this week was we raked the leaves for the Martinos and then jumped into them this morning! It was a blast! I think this week will be more full of pictures than of words! We had mega zone meeting last week where we saw the Christmas initiative for this year! I am super excited! We spent most of the week trying to come up with ideas on how to spread this
message! So yeah super fun week!

So this week I would just like to share a picture message.