4/11/16--First Week in New York

Well I am alive and well. I have made it through my first week in the field. I have to say at first it was a little over-whelming. There was a lot to learn and such little time but what I learned was that is a feeling I will have for this entire mission especially since it will be in Spanish.

However I love it here so much. First off I have carpet, a nice apartment and no bad smells everywhere. (Compared to the MTC). Second, because I just love these people already so much.

So I have a new companion who is awesome and is amazing!! Her name is Hermana Williams. She is from Utah Oregon and Florida. She claims Florida though. She is 19 and the most amazing person ever!! I love her so much. As well she has helped me so much with getting used to the mission and life here. She has helped me with my Spanish. I am so excited for the time I will have with her.

Well conference was awesome!! I think is the first time I didn't fall asleep watching conference. I really tried doing what president Erying encouraged us to do by praying before all the talks for me, the speaker, and everyone listening. I missed a few talks but overall it really helped me stay focused on learning something and giving my love and faith to the talk. I love all of the talks but I think the one that stuck the most with me is Elder Hollands talk because he talked about not being afraid of tomorrows. My district at the CCM all looked at each other and cried because we were all afraid of the tomorrow and leaving each other. We weren't ready for the tomorrow and saying goodbye. The same goes right now. Sometimes I get afraid of tomorrow and am not prepared for what awaits me the next day you never know until it comes. I feel like now I am not as afraid of tomorrow.

Well now I am here in New York. The mission president (President Reynolds) and his wife are the cutest!! Also they are super nice!! I love them so much already!!

I am serving in a branch in Brentwood. We cover most of the area because we are looking for the Spanish speakers. We cover like three or four small towns. We have a car so that we can get to all of the areas. So far I am doing alright. I haven't done terrible bad yet. We have knocked quite of few doors and talked to quite a few people. I really need to work on Spanish. I thought it was going to be ok because I might have been able to understand them when they talk to me but hahaha nope. I don't talk that much and kinda keep quiet during lessons. Sometimes. I am getting better at saying something during the lesson.

Here is my testimony for you guys in Spanish. I will give it it first in English for you English folks. I have a simple testimony. But I am very excited to be here in New York and to serve a mission for God. I know that God sent me here to New York for a reason. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and he has a lot of love for all of the people, his children. I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God and atoned for our sins. I know that through Jesus Christ we can live with our families forever.

Mi testimonio Es..... Tengo un simple testimonio. Perro soy muy emocionada estoy en Nueve York también servicio una misión para Dios. Yo sé que Dios envió me a Nueve York por un razón. Yo sé que Dios es nuestras amoroso

Padre Celestial y él tiene muchísimo amor por todos personas, su hijos. Yo sé que Jesu Cristo es un hijo de Dios y expiada por nuestros pecados. Yo sé que por medio de Jesu Cristo nosotros podemos vivir con nuestras familias para siempre.

I miss y'all so much!!!! I hope you guys have a great week and enjoy your adventures. ¡Les quiero!


Mucho amor,

Hermana Ashford

Headed to New York

Today Kelsey left the MTC in Mexico City and flew to Atlanta and then to New York to really start her adventure as a missionary.

While in the Atlanta airport she found a guy wearing a BYU-Idaho shirt. She started talking to him and he asked if she wanted to use his phone to call home. The other missionaries were doing the same thing.

I was just boarding a plane in Salt Lake to come home. Crazy thing...in front of me in line was a man who we started talking to. His niece had just returned from the same mission, where Kelsey is headed, and a girl in the family that he home teaches just got called to the same mission. The man in front of this man turned around and told us that he was just released last July as the mission president from that mission.....no way!! Heavenly Father is amazing!! He said it was the best mission because it is so small in distance and all the missionaries see each other often and get to know each other and become great friends. I told the men that I was waiting for a call from her but I didn't think it was going to happen.

Right as I sat in my seat my phone rang. Perfect timing!! So we talking for 10 minutes while the plane was boarding. It was so fun! When the plane landed I had these pictures from the guy who let Kelsey use his phone!! THANK YOU BYU-IDAHO guy!! You made this momma so happy!!!

3/30/16--Almost Done

Well last week in the CCM. I have loved it here!! I have learned so much about myself and Spanish and the gospel and I love it!!! I have enjoyed every second of working and practicing. I love the language so much. Sometimes it is hard to speak it because I still have to translate and work the sentence out in my head. We have gotten better at speaking it. This week I am going to talk about some funny stories that keep us moving forward.

Sunday in the morning, because it was Easter, we watched a broadcast from Provo and had a devotional by Elder Ballard. He talked on the Savior and His role in our lives. Then, in the afternoon, we watched a prerecorded devotional from Provo from a couple years ago by Elder Scott. Now the funny part is his opening remarks were, "I think I died and went to Heaven". For those of you who may not know, he passed away at the end of last year. Now when he made this comment we didn't know if we should laugh or not. Finally one person laughed and then we all did. It was such an ironic comment and funny it was great. Then he went on to give a fantastic talk about the power of prayer.

Monday this week we went outside to work on some Spanish, We like to go outside to practice grammar stuff because we get sick of the classroom. Anyways, one of the Elders was trying to talk to bird. Then our teacher looked at him and told in Spanish that the bird doesn't speak English it is a Mexican bird. It was so funny!! We laughed for a good five minutes about it. He then tried yelling at it in Spanish.

My last funny story for the day has to do with me. So every Tuesday is devotional night. They try to get the people who are leaving the next week to lead the music, play the piano, or say a prayer. I offered to lead the music, something I am good at, right. Well, the closing song was "Onward Christian Soldiers" in Spanish. We started the song going well. We hit the chorus and the Latinos took off singing so fast!! It was crazy!! Like they were going too fast not holding out any of the longer notes. The pianist and I tried to slow them down but no one was listening or watching. It was so bad!! I was so embarrassed. Afterwards of the people in the CCM presidency came up to us and said that was crazy and that we did a great job. Then my district leader said jokingly that I was a disgrace and a dishonor to the district!! It was so funny!! I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard!! Anyways my companion said it was the funniest thing that happened this past 6 weeks because I didn't know what to do and everyone was singing to fast in a language I am still learning. Anyways, it was an adventure I will never forget!!

I hope you all have a good week and enjoy my funny moments!! I love you all!!


Love
Hermana Ashford

3/21/16--Bitter Sweet Week

Well, I will start with the bitter news. Our entire zone, other than us, left this week. And, we won't be getting any new American Missionaries here until after our group leaves. It has been so quiet and lonely around this place. It is really sad. Also, there is no one in our building. So, when we go to do stuff, it is like with no one. At least this week we are combining with another zone for sacrament because we are going to get a special broadcast from Provo. I am guessing it is for Easter. I hope an apostle will talk to us. Then, next week is General Conference, so no church. SO at least we don't have to do church alone.

Now for the sweet news!!!! AN APOSTLE CAME!!!!! Elder Quentin L. Cook and his wife came and talked to us!! I can't say I have ever sat so close to an apostle before. Plus, my district and I sang in the choir for him. We sang the EFY medley for him in Spanish. It was super cool. Then he wanted to shake all of our hands. I shook the hand of an apostle!! And, that hand has touched the hand of the prophet!! We all felt like fan girls after that. We were all like "we aren't washing our hand ever again". Not true. We had to wash them later but it was still the coolest feeling in the world. I know he is called of God and so am I. I was called here to do a work and wonder. I so grateful for the chance to serve the Lord.

Here are some pictures of my zone and district.

I love each and every one of you!! Have a great week!!

Love
Hermana Ashford

Giant Book of Mormon Sign

St. Patrick's Day

Our Zone

Yum!!!

3/16/16--Week Three

My companion and Me at the Temple

Wow we are already on to week three!! Kinda of crazy!! I feel like I have only been gone a week because it is going so fast. Yet, I have done so much I feel like I have been gone for like 3 months. The whole thing is throwing me off. Plus English is getting harder every day! But my Spanish is getting better. I can get through practice lessons without notes and pausing every five seconds to think of words.

Anyways, this past week has been pretty amazing!! Thursday afternoon was the best day of the week!!! They brought real people in for us to teach. We had one non-member, one less-active member, and one member. We loved teaching by the spirit and having to go off faith to teach what these people needed to know. Then that night everything changed for my district. My companion and I were doing some study together. We read a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants. Then we started talking. I was asking questions that I didn't know why I was asking. As well I don't remember half of what I said. All I know was my companion started to tell me how she was struggling. I remembered Michael telling how he had gotten a blessing when he was having a hard time. I looked at her and told her that she needed to ask the Elders in our district and ask for a blessing. We went back and forth for like 10 min because she had told herself she was strong and didn't need a blessing. I knew from the spirit she needed one. Finally I got her to ask the Elders. I had invited them to come out with us from the classroom and made her ask. It was the first time in her life she had asked for a priesthood blessing. It was the most amazing experience to watch these two elders give her a blessing for their first time. As well, another hermana in my district ended up getting one because she realized she needed one. My companion told me she didn't know if the blessing would help and was going off my faith which was a 100 % OK with me. Needless to say all of us saw many blessings that night!!

I am grateful for the power of the priesthood and worthy young men to be able to help her! I love the gospel and my Savior!! I am so grateful to be out serving a mission!!

Wearing my Texas jewelry!!

We bought matching shirts!! (And CTR rings)

My District at the Temple

Mexico City Temple

3/9/16--Segunda Semana

Week two!! I am feeling so good about life! It feels like yesterday I was just emailing y'all! Time is flying by! I love the MTC so much and I am learning so much and it is so much fun!! This week, like last week, was spent a lot inside a class being taught in Español.

My fun story for the week...we were doing an activity on stress and so our teacher took all our name tags and threw them on the ground. All of us had a mini heart attack cause it felt like she was throwing our callings on the ground like they were nothing. But then she had us chase for them and find each others like some kind of race thing. Anyways, she was showing us the importance of exercise. Which I have to say is like one of my favorite parts of my day.

Although my favorite day of the week is Sunday and Pday. Sunday is so awesome. We have relief society first, which is kind of weird, but awesome at the same time. All the American hermanas meet together and the class is taught by the CCM president's wives. Then we have Sunday school as a district. My district just talks about the topic and what we all know about the topic. Both of those are in English!!! Then we have sacrament meeting but it is in Spanish. We have to prepare a talk every week because you don't know who is speaking until they announce right then at the beginning. Kinda nerve wracking. But everything is in Spanish. This past week, because it was fast Sunday, all the missionaries had to get up and give their testimony in Spanish. It is so cool that in the moments I feel the spirit the most my Spanish is the best! I know the Holy Ghost is helping the learn the language. Anyways, after church we have a class by the MTC presidency. Then a devotional that is one from a past Provo MTC devotional. Then at the end of the day we have video time. They show a slide show of all the elders and hermanas who are leaving that week. Then they show other church videos. I have to say I love those videos. The spirit is so strong in them it is a little over whelming.

I have to say the biggest thing I have learned this week is listening to the Holy Ghost. I was reading in Preach My Gospel and it said that when someone else is talking we need to not think about our response but wait until have they are done talking to listen to the words the Holy Ghost will put in your heart to respond to them. I have been trying to do that all week and it has made a huge difference in my life especially as a missionary. I encourage y'all to really take the time to listen to what the Holy Ghost has to say because I know it will help you so much in your life. I am grateful for each and everyone of you! You are a blessing in my life! I love the Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father!

Love
Hermana Ashford

Kelsey and her companion Hermana Gourley

District at the Temple

Hermana Ashford

3/2/16--Week One

So I have two things to apoligize about first. First ignore my English grammar, learning Spanish has made me forget a little English so it may sound a little weird. Two, the key board is in Spanish so sometimes I hit the wrong button. Anyway my week has been great!! I love it here in Mexico and I love the CCM. I feel like I am learning and growing so much. My district is amazing we all get along great! My companion´s name is Hermana Gourley and she is from the valley in Utah. We get along great!

This week has been full of relying on the spirit and lots of studying. Most of our day is spent studying more Spanish than the gospel. We can only talk in spanglish so we can pick up the language faster. We started teaching an "investigator" aka our teacher lessons in Spanish. The first time I went in I was so nervous but it has gotten a lot better over the past couple of days. Also, the other most spiritual experience I had was when we had a devotional yesterday and then afterwards they gave us time to talk as a district about the devotional. I felt I should share a personal story that realated to the topic. Once we got home one of the Hermana´s in my district came up to me in tears showing so much gratitude for the story because she needed to hear the story because she is going through something similar. I love how much the spirit is here and helping us to guide us to what we need to say as well as with learning the language. I absolutly love it here!! I love the Lord with all my heart and I know this gospel is true!

We have the chance to go to the Mexico temple today and I am super excited! I can´t wait to be in the temple again! Also, the small sad news I have is one of my teachers is moving to Canada next week with his family so yesterday was his last day. Also everything is in Spanish so church, lessons, and everything are in Spanish. We are basically learning Spanish in Spanish which is hard to do.

Anyways, I hope you all have a great week!! I miss you all a ton and I hope everything is going great!!

Love

Hermana Ashford