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.

 

11/8/16 Flat Tire in a Trio

Well we are in a trio now!!! The exciting part is our trio member is Hermana Spencer from the CCM! It had been so much fun this past week! I am loving the trio life! So the most exciting day was Friday! It was a day of adventures! It all start with us driving to Southampton to have a lesson with a pretty golden investigador! On the way it started to sound like their was a helicopter near by and I kept looking around when I realized we may have a flat tire. So we pulled over and got to work! With the help of Hermana Johnston having watched her dad change the tires so many times we were able to change the tire in 15 minutes! We were fast! I was impressed plus it was super fun to laugh and make fun of each other as we changed the tire. 

Then we headed on our way and called the car person for the mission and he was super impressed
that we had already changed the tire. I can't believe everyone was so shocked! Then we went to Mcdonalds after our lesson for a bathroom stop and we were talking to people as we waited for each other. So we talked to one guy who is the uncle of Zach Galafimacus, some famous guy from the movie the hangover, no clue. Anyways him and a different nephew or grandson some family guy, moral of the story is they came and talked to us about catholic religion history and pagan rituals. It
was the craziest conversation I have had in a while. Well not really we get them a lot. Anyways then we drove out to East Hampton for some lessons Latter that night. However on the way the car was sounding funny like something was off or like a tire was still flat. So we kept stopping and checking the car making sure it worked fine. So we called the elders and were telling them we had some technical difficulties about our car. Then the funniest part was when we were hanging up with
them, a Zone Leader I won't mention his name, **cough**cough** Elder Hardy **cough**cough** said love ya bye as he hung up. We all looked at each other and were like did he just say love ya. It was the funniest thing! Then we went to he beach and took pictures and enjoyed the beauty of fall! Then we did have lessons that night I promise! It was the funniest day I have had in a while!

This week as much fun as it has been it has been a struggle. We still feel like we are running in circles trying to find someone to teach or trying to help the ones we want to teach and getting a hold of them! It has been a struggle! Although as I was reading over a the talk "What Lack I yet?" from October 2015 general conference by Elder Larry R Lawrence for a less active there was something that just stuck out to me and hit me hard. I want to share a portion of it.

"Let’s consider the New Testament account of the rich young ruler. He was a righteous young man who was already keeping the Ten Commandments, but he wanted to become better. His goal was eternal life.

When he met the Savior, he asked, “What lack I yet?” Jesus answered immediately, giving counsel that was intended specifically for the rich young man. “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and … come and follow me.”

The young man was stunned; he had never considered such a sacrifice. He was humble enough to ask the Lord but not faithful enough to follow the divine counsel he was given. We must be willing to act when we receive an answer."

The part about this parable and his talk that took me back was when he says "he had never considered such a sacrifice." Sometimes in life we go about doing our daily life not ether noticing the sacrifice or
noticing that we can sacrifice. As a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and as a representative of the Lord Savior Jesus Christ I want to sacrifice the things that most people
won't think to sacrifice or do want to. I want to give my mission and my life to the Savior! I love from this past general conference when president Uchtdorf said "What shall we give for so much?" We have been giving everything in our lives what can and should we give back to the Savior and our loving Heavenly Father. No sacrifice is too small or too great! I love my Savior and I am grateful he gave me so much so that I can sacrifice the things I never considered to sacrifice. I encourage each of you to find a new to sacrifice something more to the Savior! He is waiting for you with open arms! I love y'all! Have a great week!

Discouragement is of Satan

I have to say the beginning of last week we were both feeling down and out. We couldn't find people to teach and we have been working so hard to build the area. We were feeling pretty sad. Then Wednesday we were at the Martino's house for dinner with a less active and Sister Martino gave us a good pump me up talk. So Thursday we hit the ground running. We worked so hard and were more focused then ever. That night we went to bed so exhausted and so worn out! It felt good! We are super excited to continue this routine because we are staying together! We are just becoming a trio! Super excited for a threesome! 

On Saturday we went party hoping. First we helped decorate for the branch Halloween party. Then helped decorate for our less active member's granddaughter's first birthday party! Super crazy! Then we went back to the church to judge the chili cook off at the branch party! Super good! Then last night my lovely companion thought our phone needed some Chinese water torture, I mean go swimming for an hour in the rain while we were in an appointment. So yeah now we are out of a phone for a day or so. Hopefully no one will call us.

The miracle of the week well there were a couple of them. The first was Wednesday the person we had set up to have dinner with at the Martino's canceled on us. Well the less active member and Elder
Martino had the thought to go wash their car. So they both go and end up running into each other. They both had thought it was strange that they had the prompting to wash their car. In the end it was a blessing for us because then we got our pep talk from Sister Martino and free food. Plus it was felt good to testify to the less active on the blessings of doing temple work for our ancestors as I got to testify of the experience my family had when my grandpa was baptized! It was the best feeling in the whole world! Then Friday night we were out nocking in East Hampton and we meet a newly wed couple from.......San Antonio Texas!!!!!! They are super interested plus he thought it was awesome that I am from Texas. Hermana Johnston just thought it was crazy that us Texans can bond so fast! I am super excited for this couple and I hope to see them make some progress in this next transfer.

This week as I was studying I came across this scripture that is beyond true! It is in Alma 36:21. It says: "Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite

and sweet as was my joy."

I really liked it because it can be used in my context. First it can be used with the atonement which is what Alma is talking about. That with sin and errors our guilt and pain is so big it causes us to
shake and want to fall. However with the power of the Atonement we can be made strong again to with stand the world. As well we will feel a great joy then ever felt before. I know I have felt that joy this week as the times were rough yet there was still a smile and laugh as Hermana Johnston and I pushed through the week!

The other way the scripture can be taken is in our day to day life. There will be days that are crazy and busy and just plain hard. But when we taken a minute or more to simply pray or read our scriptures the blessings will come. It was fun to hear from a member how when she listened to the scriptures as she got ready the other day she saw so many more blessings that day! As well she received so much revelation on some of the things she needed to do! I know the power of just
reading is true and it can bless our lives if we just do it! So I encourage each of you to find some time each day to simply read from the scriptures and to pray.

I miss y'all and love y'all! Have a great week!

Con Amor
Hermana Ashford