President and Sister Alexander - Love Them Already

Experience #1

This last Monday, we were able to go over to the C's for dinner for the first time since I got here.  We would go over and play around and things, but rarely is their whole family home at one time.  So we took advantage of it and Sister C made this amazing chicken Caesar salad and watermelon.  And we had homemade ice cream for dessert.  She has this amazing device thingy that you freeze the bowl for about 24 hours, put all the ingredients in it, and it sits there for about 20 minutes and just mixes it all into ice cream!!!  I want one!  It was so good!  But the best part was the message that we shared after dinner.  We were shorter on time than we had expected because Sister H also cut Sister C’s hair.  (I mentioned that she is a hair stylist... right?)  Well, anyway.  We were going to teach the Restoration, but we decided to share Mosiah 14 with them and talk about the Atonement.  It was really special to hear from some very strong and humble members how the Atonement has affected them and their lives and how much they love and honor the Savior because of his act of selflessness.  I could feel the power in the room.  What made it even better is the inspired invitation that I left with them.  I asked them to pray every single night, but for the next few nights, not to make it an ordinary prayer.  I asked them to include a thank you.  A thank you to Heavenly Father for the divine plan that He has for each and every one of us and for the Savior and the Atonement that we have been blessed with in order to return to live with him someday and be spotless in their presence.  This is something I tried one night on my mission.  I was just saying my nightly prayer, and I decided to thank him for the Atonement.  If you haven't done so yourselves, you may want to try it.  That is one of the most amazing personally spiritual experiences that I have ever had.  My whole body was just filled with gratitude, warmth, power, love, etc.  I can't even really explain it.  So each of you should definitely try it.

Experience #2

That actually leads me to another experience we had this week.  I am going a little out of order, but that is okay.  We have an investigator named N that we are working with, but last week we were having the absolute HARDEST time getting in contact with her.  Turns out that she was going through something really tough, and it didn't help that there has been some discussion about religion in her home since we have met with her and her fiancé that isn't exactly positive.  She agrees with everything we are saying, but he doesn't.  So that's been hard.  But we felt inspired to stop by one morning this week.  She let us right in and asked if we can keep meeting when her fiancé is at work.  We told her that would be great.  Just as we were about to start the next discussion, he walked in and started talking to her.  Which would have been fine, but he wouldn't stop!  It was so frustrating.  So we asked her if it would be okay if we came and got her later in the day with a member and had the lesson at their house.  She said, "We can do that??"  It was so sweet.  She really wanted to meet and was so frustrated that he wouldn't let her talk to us.  So that's what we did.  We texted the C's and set it up for later that night at their house.  We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We read 2 Nephi 31 with her and then discussed each of the five points.  The three that brought up the most discussion were repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost.  She said that she does want to repent and forget all the bad things that have happened, and that she wants to follow the example of the Savior and be baptized.  But she said she was concerned about having the gift of the Holy Ghost 24/7.  I asked her why, and she said that she is afraid that he is going to warn her of something, and she may do it and fall on her face because of it.  I was so humbled by that.  Because I have felt that.  As I'm sure we all have.  Yes - we do have him with us always.  And yes, he does warn us before we are going to make a mistake or do something we probably shouldn't.  But if we do happen to ignore the prompting, we have been given the opportunity to repent.  I told her that it happens to everyone.  And that it shouldn't necessarily be a fear, but a warning.  We reassured her that there is nothing that she couldn't repent of because our Heavenly Father is an all-loving, all-knowing, and all-forgiving Father if we just follow the steps and guidelines that he has given us to return to him.  She got really emotional.  At that point, I asked if she had prayed about the Book of Mormon and what answer she got.  Her answer was amazing.  She said that from the very moment she met us, she felt no need to pray about it.  She had prayed about it, yes.  But she got the same answer that she knew all along.  She said that when we come over, we bring a spirit with us that is noticeably different, and that part of that spirit leaves when we do.  She knew that if someone can bring that spirit, power, and peace with them, they must know the truth.  How amazing is that?  She gave me goosebumps.  All I could think is, "You're so right.  How is there even a doubt that what we share is true.  You don't only hear it, learn it, or know it, but you FEEL it."  She is amazing.  Please pray that she will be able to come to church this week.  We are going to have to move her baptism date back because she hasn't been to church yet, but that's okay.  And yes, we have a rule in our mission that they must attend church three times before they can be baptized.  So please, please pray for that.  :)

Experience #3

This week at District Meeting, it was a little bit different.  The Alexander's were coming up to Eden for interviews, so they told Elder C that the meeting was going to be slightly interrupted.  But here is how everything went down.  The Danville Elders had their interview at 9, so we asked our ride to pick us up at about 7:45 so that we could all be there about 15-30 minutes early.  Responsible of us, no?  Well, we got there about 8:30.  Perfect.  :)  We walk in, see the Eden Elders, and start talking.  Suddenly, Elder L gets a call from the zone leaders saying that the Alexander's were going to be about an hour late.  They got the destinations confused and were running really late.  But that's okay.  It wasn't going to put them that far off.  But then about 15 minutes later, the zone leaders showed up and said that the Alexander's had made it all the way to Winston-Salem before they realized that they were supposed to be in Eden in the morning and Winston in the afternoon.  So they were running really behind.  So we just visited until the Caswell Elders got there, and we started District Meeting.  About 5 minutes in, President Alexander walked in feeling simply terrible.  We all told him that it didn't matter much to us because he was still getting used to everything and none of us had any drastically important appointments to get to after the meeting.  So we went on with it and he started interviews in another room.  Elder C gave an amazing training about the Book of Mormon.  Part of it was the "flea theory."  Apparently it has been proven that if you put fleas in a jar, they are going to try to jump out.  But if the lid is there, they will only try to jump a couple of times before hitting the lid, coming back down, and getting discouraged.  After the lid has been on for a while, if you take it off, the fleas will assume they still can't get out.  So they will only jump a little below the lid.  He compared this to our investigators, as well as us.  If we try to jump for our dreams and don't get there immediately, we hit the lid, and get discouraged.  But he related how we, "the fleas", need a springboard to get out of that jar.  What do you think that springboard is?  The Book of Mormon.  Only the Book of Mormon contains the truths and evidences necessary to "spring" us out of our discouragement and help us to KEEP MOVING FORWARD!  It was great!  I am now trying to get to know the Book of Mormon better and better.  Not only for my mission, but to help myself and others when I return from my mission as well.  It is difficult, but I know that with the help of my Heavenly Father, I will definitely get there.

Experience #4

When it was my turn for interviews, I got to go in and talk to President Alexander for the first time face-to-face.  He is such a spiritual man!  He was asking me questions like, "What has the hardest thing on your mission been up to this point?", "How did you overcome that or how are you currently overcoming it?", "What have you learned most on your mission?", "What is your real purpose as a missionary?"  He is very concerned about the spirit of the law.  He wanted to know about my family, what I hope to accomplish on my mission, etc.  As we talked, he said the following things that he wanted me to let you all know.  He said:

1. "Your father sounds like an amazing man who has firmly rooted your family in the gospel."

2. "Your mother sounds like a very inspired person who is close to the spirit."

3. "Tell your family I say that you are an amazing missionary who has and will accomplish wonderful things."

It is not word for word what he said, but very close to it.  I just love him!  When the interview was over, and Sister H walked in, I got a chance to talk to Sister Alexander as well.  She and I are interested in all of the same things.  She is very interested in service, and 100% interested in Family History.  She said that my insights on both were inspired and she kept quoting me.  She said if I think of anything with how we can better use family history in missionary work, to let her know as soon as I can. So mom - If you have any ideas on how we can better use family history in missionary work, please email me back and I will pass everything on to Sister Alexander.  Thanks!  :)  I love them both so much and cannot wait to continue working with each of them to further the work here in this, the greatest mission in the world!

Experience #5

We had exchanges this week.  Sister S came to Danville this time.  It was so much fun and very disheartening at the same time.  We got yelled at multiple times by some less-actives, had to drop multiple people, and found no one.  But I did learn a valuable lesson about optimism from her.  She is so good at just looking at the bright side and not letting a day like that get in her way.  I just love her.  We nicknamed it "The Drop Exchange."  But we did have some highlights.  We got to go to the Caldwell's for dinner, we took lots of pictures, and we just talked about everything.  :)

Experience #6

We went over to teach Sister G again this week.  She was telling us this time about how she wants to set new goals for herself in her life and how she wants to be happy.  She was looking at her original goals for her life and was kind of sad that she hadn't obtained them, but set new ones that she can obtain.  We showed her the Mormon message, "Moments That Matter Most."  (Which happens to be my new favorite Mormon Message, by the way).  We shared with her that yes, she is more than welcome to set new goals.  But that doesn't necessarily mean that she should throw the old ones away either.  We told her that Heavenly Father wants her to be happy.  Not just settle for the best she thinks she could get.  She started crying and told us that we were right.  She wants to turn her life around and she said that she made a vow to herself and to Heavenly Father that starting on her birthday next month, she is going to come to church every Sunday.  Because that is where she remembers being the most happy in her life.  I would like to share part of her conversion story with you because it is amazing.  She said that one day, years ago, she was sitting on the couch with her newborn son, and her husband walked in and said that he was leaving her for another woman.  She was heartbroken.  She said she didn't know what she was going to do.  She remembers sitting with her son on her lap and reading the Bible just crying and crying.  She said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to lead her in the direction that she needed to go.  All of the sudden, she and her son both stopped crying and were just peaceful.  They went to bed that night, and she woke up the next morning, and got in the car.  She said she didn't know where she was headed, but she got in the car ready to go wherever she was lead.  She said her car basically drove to the church building.  She said she had driven down that road many, many times, and had never noticed the building.  She parked, walked in, and asked what she could do to join the church.  And the rest was history.  She has such a strong testimony about the gospel.  That's why we need her back.  So please pray that we will be able to get her coming back to church as well.  :)

Those were the highlights of my week.  It has been a pretty good one.  :)

Sounds like you had an amazing trip to Washington!  I am so glad!  He is going to be one amazing missionary, that's for sure!  I can relate to the "all night on the toilet" thing... trust me.  ;)  I wish I could've seen Art in the Park.  It sounds like so much fun.  Ooohh... J-Dawgs.  That sounds good!  Whatever... I don't believe the whole "if you knew me 4 years ago" thing.  I always knew he was going to go.  But I also don't doubt that he was a "rabble rouser."  But I do agree with everything you said about two Irwin's as missionaries in the south.  What are they going to do?  How will they survive???  WE ARE GOING TO BAPTIZE EVERYONE!  Mwahahaha  haha JK ;)  Yes - "Lethal that close in proximity" describes the situation perfectly!  :)

That is soooooo funny what parker said about the 2 things he knows and the one he doesn't.  We laughed really hard.  Because... true.  We were actually talking about that with the Zone Leaders and Eden Elders on Sunday.  Dear Johns and Dear Janes are a VERY real thing!  #truth

The area is going well.  We are working with our investigator, N a lot.  But past that, we are trying to find new people to teach.  We aren't progressing with that too far.  The problem is, too, our area is so large, that if we find someone, more than likely they live about 20 miles from us.  And we just don't have the time or the miles.  Because we are at a dead point with member splits too.  So we are working on elevating everything in the ward again so that we can elevate the work.  I will include more of how the work is going in a hand-written letter so that I can be more specific.  Can you email me specific questions about the work that you would like answered?  That will make it easier for me to tell you everything that I can.  :)

We went to the river walk again, took more pictures.

Then we went to O'Kelly's with Sister T and her daughter for lunch.

Then we went to the Antique store on Main Street and I had to resist buying more original Disney records.  These were slightly more expensive.  They were Cinderella, Winne the Pooh, and Mousketeers.  If you happen to want any of them, tell me and I will go get them.  But I didn't because... poor.

Then we went grocery shopping.  Then emails.

Next week we have district activity.  So we are going to have a barbecue, play board games, and just relax.  It's going to be great.  And we are going to the Caswell Elder's mansion because they have a HUGE backyard.  So we are excited.

But... challenge accepted.

President Uchtdorf has said, "Astronomers have attempted to count the number of stars in the universe.  One group of scientists estimates that the number of stars within range of our telescopes is 10 times greater than all the grains of sand on the world's beaches and deserts."

Sooooo.... I LOVE YOU TO THE POINT PAST THE POINT THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN TO THAT SAYS WE HAVE 10 TIMES GREATER THAN ALL THE GRAINS OF SAND ON THE WORLD'S BEACHES AND DESERT'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) ;) ;)  #gospel #prophets #sand #beach #trytobeatthat  ;)  Bottom Line:  I love you A LOT!

I will talk to you next week.  :)

Ash <3

With Christ Nothing is Impossible

Experience #1

This week we had a really great dinner with the C's.  She made homemade Nicaraguan burritos with all the fixings.  It was DELICIOUS!  Brother C really likes spicy food, so he bought this salsa that was so hot it made me cough.  That hasn't happened in a while.  But what was really special is the message that Sister H came up with for the dinner thought.  She found this talk by Neil F. Marriott that talked about letting our lights shine as bright as temples and what a great comparison that was.  It reminded me of this story that everyone out here mentions when talking about the temple.  Apparently, soon after the Washington D.C. Temple was built, there were a lot of complaints.  You see, that temple is similar to San Diego in that you can see the temple from the freeway.  Also considering that it is the second largest temple in the world, it was beginning to be a distraction to many drivers on the road.  In fact, it was causing man, many car accidents because of the brightness and grandeur.  So the people went to the city and ask them to demand that they turn off the lights of the temple.  So they asked around with different people, occupations, etc.  And they found that there was no way that they could turn down the lights, let alone off, because the pilots had begun using it as a landmark so they knew where they were in the darkness.  Isn't that spectacular?  We always say that we need the temple to be our beacon of light in the darkness, but who knew that some actually use that literally?  I just felt the need to share that with you because of the feeling of amazement that it gave me.  So I do hope you enjoyed that story.

Experience #2

We were also able to have a lesson with our investigator, N, this week.  She is so excited and anxious to learn more and to expand her knowledge.  She said something that really struck me as amazing.  She said that after we left her home from teaching the restoration, something happened that really made her want to do her own research about the church.  That concerned us as she was telling us, because as we all know, there are some very horrible and very false things about the church on the Internet.  So we brought that up with her.  She said she did come across those things, but she chose not to read them because she has no interest in negativity.  We were overjoyed!  She said when she was doing her research, she was really impressed by three things.  -Our Church Services, -Our Service Involvement, and -Our Missionary Work.  We were so happy!  We talked some more about the Book of Mormon, paid clergy, service, love, etc.  We basically taught 1/2 of the lessons in 1 lesson.  But yes, we are still going to go over everything.  She is just amazing.

Experience #3

We also had District Meeting this week.  I really like how Elder C does his District Meetings.  We had a training on how our investigators would thank us when we get to the next life and how they are going to be so grateful that we were there to help them and to save them when they were "the lost sheep of Christ's fold."  It almost brought me to tears.  Let alone Elder C, he was almost sobbing as well.  Then we had a "Book of Mormon Counseling Circle."  We basically all got in a circle, (there is 10 of us in our district), and we shared things we have learned from the Book of Mormon, study helps, etc.  Little did I know that we aren't supposed to be using the institute manuals for further understanding.  I shared that as one of my tips, not knowing that President C told the mission a few months ago not to use them while on our missions, whoops.  Guess that's what happens when you are exiled to the top of the mission in Pilot Mtn.  News must not travel that far... ;)  But that's alright.  You live and you learn.  Looks like I'll just have to read them when I get home.  Then we had Role Plays.  But you see, Elder C doesn't like regular Role Plays.  So for this District Meeting, we were paired up with someone else in the district and we had 60 seconds to list all the things we are grateful for.  I think the top score was somewhere around 80.  But his point to doing this exercise was that if we were given 60 seconds to think of all the things were weren't grateful for, it would be a lot harder and we probably wouldn't be able to accomplish nearly as much.  That was influential and something to really think about.  Because it's so true.  We need not focus on the things that we don't appreciate, but rather focus on the blessings that Heavenly Father has given us.

Experience #4

We went over to see two members of the ward, B and A.  They are SOOO funny.  They had us laughing for a long time.  In fact, it took me a few minutes to get serious enough to share our message with them.  They are the best.  I have never seen B smile so much.  But she was happy and giddy that whole night.  They made us cookies and everything.  But I have mentioned before I think that A sometimes gets sick.  Well, she and her mother are both working on getting to the temple before the end of the summer/year.  They are so excited.  When we brought it up for the message that night, they were just beaming.  We asked what we could do to help them get there, and they said they couldn't think of anything.  But they are so excited.  We gave them little tidbits of hints and tips that we had that helped us when we were preparing to enter the temple.  And we were able to bear our testimonies about temples and temple work.  It was such a special occasion.  I can't wait to hear about it when they get to go.  We shared the Ensign article for this month about temples and preparation for those of you who are wondering.  It is such a good article to read.  :)

Experience #5

We went over to teach N again later in the week to teach the Plan of Salvation.  She just absorbed everything.  She realized at the end of the lesson that her beliefs and our beliefs are practically the same.  There are just a few minor differences.  Her fiance was there the whole time and kept giving us pretty funny looks or just laughing at what we said.  It was disheartening at first, but N told us just to ignore him and keep going.  We had many spiritual discussions during that lesson.  Including, but not limited to, the Holy Ghost and how we can feel it, Adam and Eve's story as a blessing, and the Three Kingdoms of Glory.  She really liked that Heavenly Father has given us a way to return home.  Which I just have to completely agree with.  There is no way on earth that our loving Heavenly Father is not a God of second chances.  HE GIVES US SO MANY!  The spirit world, yes.  But even here, we mentioned that there is not an act or a mistake that we can not repent of in this life.  She loved that!  On a slight side note: We can see really great things happening with their family and the gospel.  In fact, we were able to get N's daughter N to church yesterday, and we didn't even know her name yet.  N couldn't come because she got food poisoning, but N loved it.  Even though her fiance isn't thrilled about it quite yet, we still see so much promise from them.

Experience #6

We were also able to go see Sister G this week.  We read the talk, "Latter-Day Saints Keep On Trying", with her.  That talk is AMAZING!  Not only did it give her the strength that she needs, but it was inspiring for me as well.  There have been times, not only on my mission, that I have truly felt like giving up.  But that talk perfectly describes how we need to look toward the Savior for hope and "Keep Moving Forward."  Yes, that was Walt Disney's favorite quote.  Just had to throw that out there.  ;)  But the line out of the whole talk that stands out most to me is, "God cares more about who we are and who we are becoming, than who we once were."  It is so inspiring and really testifies of the Atonement to me.  He doesn't care what we have done in the past or how we have felt.  If we repent of those things, they are promised to be wiped clean and we are given a fresh start.  If y'all haven't read it yet, read it.  It is so great!  It will change your perspective on things really quickly.  :)

Apart from that, we are just trying to find, find, find.  We know that Heavenly Father has elect sons and daughters in this area that we are meant to find.  And we will find them.  I have so much faith since I have reset my vision of what I am capable of and what this companionship is capable of.  :)

I can't wait to hear all about Parker's farewell.  I am so excited for him to join me in the South!  What are they going to do?  Two Irwin Missionaries within a few states of each other?  CHAOS!  ;)

I am sad to hear about Uncle Arden.  He was getting old though.  And now he is in a much happier place with people who love him there as well.  :)  I didn't know he served in WW1.  That is so interesting!

Looks like when I get home, I'll have to get my ankle all fixed up so I can jump on the marathon bandwagon.  I have always wanted to run one, but I have never gotten the chance, or been in shape enough, to actually do it.  ;)

I am so glad to hear that everyone is doing well.  Tell me where you go camping.  I want to see pictures too.  Sister H and I both really like camping, so that is one of the things I want to do after I return.

I had the same thought today.  Where DID the summer go?  I can't believe it's already august.  That means I have almost been out 10 months.  It doesn't seem real.  I am savoring every moment.  I can't even express to you how influential this mission has been on me and will be for the rest of my life.  I have learned way more than I ever would have on my own.

The work is going well.  I have a lot of hope and faith in N and her daughter N.  They are both so open to learning and they love what we have shared and the spirit they feel.  We are working hard on planting seeds and harvesting them soon after.  We are literally talking to and inviting everyone that we can.  

Today we went to do the river walk in Downtown Danville, then we went out with Sister T and her daughter and did ALL THE THINGS, haha  We went to lunch, Hobby Lobby, Sally's and Walmart, and now we are going to the C so we can have dinner with them and Sister H can cut Sister C's hair.  Did I mention she is a hair stylist?  Did I also mention that it is really tempting to have her dye my hair?  But then I would lose the pretty natural color and length that I have worked so hard for.  So no.  haha

But I think that's all for this week.  I will talk to y'all next Monday.  I love you to the moon and back!

Ash :) <3

My Companion is From Where?????!!!!

Hi you guys!  How has your week been?  Mine has been CRAZY!  Here's why!

Experience #1

Well we spent a total of probably three days packing up all of Sister T's stuff.  (There was A LOT of it)!  But Tuesday morning, we finally got the bags zipped, the car cleaned, the house cleaned, and we were ready for the 3, (but our member made it 2), hour drive to Charlotte for transfers.  Well, our ride showed up and his back seat was slid up too far, and we couldn't fit in.  After about 10 minutes of all of us trying to pull it back, they had to pack it up and take it to the upholstery shop about 15 minutes away so they could fix it.  Half an hour later, we started packing up the car and were on our way.  But our member wanted to stop for drinks.  I figured, we were already late at this point anyway, so why not?  So we stopped for drinks and had a really fun trip down to Charlotte.  We managed to somehow walk into transfers 2 minutes before it started.  We still don't know how we did that considering we were over an hour behind when we left.  But it was a really great transfer meeting.  All of the testimonies from the departing missionaries were fantastic.  Two of them happened to be past Sister Training Leaders of mine, so it was good to hear from them.  Sister Craven gave an amazing talk on the Allegory of the Olive Tree and related it to missionary work.  President Craven gave one last talk on how inspired mission presidents are and how wonderful it will be to have President and Sister Alexander here starting this week.  (In fact, I just sent my weekly email to President Alexander for the first time).  Then we did the actual companion transfer.  I said goodbye to Sister T, who is now serving in, North Carolina.  And I said hello to Sister H, who came to Danville from Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  What's really funny is I was trying to think of how I could remember her last name.  All I could think of was that I had a friend in high school named Jake with the same last name.  Well, after transfers concluded, we were talking.  She asked where I was from, I told her, and she replied, "I knew I had seen you around High School."  Of course, that made me stop dead in my tracks.  I looked at her confused and said, "What?"  She told me that she thought I graduated with her older brother... wait for it... JAKE!  Small world, right?  I couldn't believe it.  So Sister H is the younger sister of my friend Jake Hoffman.  She is from Mapleton, Utah, and we did indeed go to high school together.  I couldn't believe it.  We had about the same friend groups too.  Both good and bad.  I am so excited for the rest of the transfer with her!  :) :) :)

Experience #2

This week we were also able to do more family history with L and D in preparation for them to attend the temple this week.  Mom - the information you helped me find was really helpful.  We ended up sending D with 4 names and L with 3.  I would have sent them with more, but I wanted to make absolutely sure that the information we were putting in for these people was correct and that we weren't just cutting to the chase too quickly.  But L got so excited.  Some of the information we found about her grandparents, she didn't even know.  She knew them by their nicknames.  I was able to show her the full names of her grandparents and how many kids her grandfather had total between 3 wives.  She was floored.  She was practically vibrating in her seat, she was so excited.  I wish that I could have been there in the temple with them, but we are going to ask them how it went tonight.  Bishop E said they really enjoyed themselves and are already looking forward to the next time that they can bring family names.  I know that the family names we helped them bring made their first experience at the temple even more important and personal to them.  It made it into a special day that neither of them will ever forget.  I was even able to bear my testimony about family history to Sister H while we were preparing the last little bit of it.  Yes, I started crying.  This work means more to me than I ever even thought was possible.  And it amazes me how long these people wait for their work to be done and how willing they are to help you find what you need in order to do the work for them.  It's unparalleled.

Experience #3

We got to see the less-active that I think I have told you about previous to this.  Did I tell you about A?  Well, she is an amazing daughter of our Heavenly Father that constantly struggles with a disease that makes it hard for her to swallow, eat or drink, or breathe really.  But the optimism and spirit that she has with her is something like I have never seen.  And she is actually at the best point health wise that she has been in months.  So we shared the Courage video with her and talked about how much bravery and faith she has in our Heavenly Father.  She graduated college with a teaching degree, and since she hasn't been feeling great, she has not been able to teach in the past few years.  But she was really excited because she was going to get to go to church for the first time in quite some time.  We encouraged her and told her that we would come say hi when we saw her there.  And for the next few days after we saw her, I had been praying that nothing would go wrong and that she would really be able to come.  Heavenly Father came through once again.  He blessed her with so much health that not only did she come to church, but she was saying hi to everyone and you could just see the happiness radiating from her face.  She is one of the best examples I have had on my mission so far.  I only hope to have so much optimism, happiness, and pure love of Christ as this woman has.

Experience #4

We had District Meeting this last week and for those of you who haven't caught on yet, THE NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE MISSION IS OFFICIALLY BACK ON FACEBOOK.  The rules remain the same.  No one can post on my wall, I can't talk to you over facebook, I can't look at your profiles, etc.  But I am so thrilled to have this blessing back to move forward in the work.  Having it gone really made me realize how great of a proselyting tool it is that we are so blessed to have.  Going on a slight rant if I may, Heavenly Father really knows what he is doing at what time he does it.  I know, I know.  We grow up hearing that He has his timing and He knows what is best.  But really, it's true.  The technology that He has provided for not only missionaries, but for us as members too.  If there is one thing I have learned from all the trainings that we have had to do in preparation to get it back, it is that we can always be sharing the gospel through the tools that Heavenly Father has given us.  I know that I will definitely be implementing this when I get home off of my mission.  Simply sharing a picture, talk, quote or video that we think could "brighten someone's day" could have positive eternal consequences that we may never even see the result of.  I have worked with one person who told me that because of something that was posted by one of the missionaries, he took a look at his life, and decided to be rid all of the things that he didn't like or appreciate and come to church to fix all that had gone wrong in his life.  We have no idea the influence we have.  That is all.  :)

Experience #5

We had a really spiritually uplifting lesson with a less-active in the ward named Sister G.  We showed her the Reclaimed video and discussed with her what could be stopping her from coming to church every week.  We all came to the conclusion that Satan really doesn't want her there.  We helped her realize that everything bad that happens to prevent her from coming to church is simply the adversary messing with her and telling her that her efforts aren't good enough.  We gave her a talk to read about hushing our fears that Elder Bednar gave in the last conference and invited her to church.  I have not felt the spirit so powerfully in a lesson in quite some time.  She even thanked us for being so "in her face."  But I know that it wasn't so much us that were powerfully teaching, but the spirit teaching her through us.  It was such a powerful manifestation to me that it really isn't us teaching, but the spirit.  We are simply Heavenly Father's hands here on the earth that he works with in order to bless the lives of those we work with.  That's what our purpose is as missionaries, and as people.  On a slight side note, we were with a member the other night who was going to come with us to a lesson.  On the way to the investigator's house, she saw a mother with a toddler holding many grocery bags, walking down the street.  The member pulled over and simply offered a ride.  The woman declined the offer, but it made a lasting impression on me.  That was such a Christ like action.  Especially this day in time.  It made me realize that there are even little things that I can be doing to be more Christ like.

The work is going well.  We have gotten a couple of media referrals today and all of them from the past 5 years reset this last week, so we have 28 people that we can potentially contact.  So we are excited.  As for the baptism on the 11th, we are going to have to move it back a little bit.  But that's okay.  So we are trying to work through those things with her.  But we know that Heavenly Father will help us along the way with those things.  And we are trying hard to find new people to teach as well.

I will let you know how the temple went from Sister G’s perspective next week.  We haven't had a minute to talk about it with her quite yet.  But she said briefly that it was really good during sacrament meeting yesterday.  So I will see how it went and I will let you know where we need to go with genealogy next.

President Alexander and his wife get here tomorrow.  They start meeting everybody on Wednesday.  I am excited to meet them and tell you all about them.  So expect that next week.  It should be really great!  It will be weird in some ways and amazing in others.  So I am looking forward to the new adventures.

Today for P-Day, we went to the mall, got groceries, we are emailing, then we are going to go finish the knives and play ultimate frisbee at the C's.  It should be really fun.  Most of the C's are going to be there because they all have work off today.  :) :) :)

I can't believe I am that far either.  It has gone by so quickly.  Realizing that I only have 9 months left makes me want to work that much harder though.  We only get this short amount of time to bring people to Christ with the level of power and authority that missionaries have.  So I am going to abuse that amount of time I have left and do all that I can to make the most of it.  But I am really happy with the progress and accomplishments I have made this far.  I have no regrets from my mission.  And I am absolutely loving every second of it.

I think that is about all for this week.  I will try to get more funny and spiritual moments to email next week, but you know, transfer week is transfer week.

I love you all so much!  I can't even express it!  I will talk to you all really soon!  Loves and Hugs from NC and VA!

Ash :)

I am Directionally  Handicapped You Want To Make Something Of It - And Yes I Am Aware There Is A Red Line Under

Directionally !!!

Experience #1

We were blessed with the opportunity this week to come out teaching with Bishop E.  We were actually supposed to take him to a lesson with a member who wants his records removed.  But he either wasn't home, or wouldn't answer the door.  So we decided to take him to a member of the ward who was actually the bishop of the Danville Ward some years ago.  It was such a powerful lesson.  You see, Bishop G doesn't have the best memory.  But we went to visit him and talked about the story of the brother of Jared in the Book of Mormon and tied it in with faith and humility.  Bishop E was able to bear powerful testimony of this experience and it made all the difference.  We bore our testimonies, Bishop G complimented Bishop E on his knowledge of the scriptures, and we left.  But what was so amazing, is that Bishop G came up to us at church today and thanked us for coming over and meeting with him the other day.  HE REMEMBERED!!!  I couldn't believe it!  Heavenly Father works in miraculous ways!  I'm telling you!!! :)

Experience #2

We went to Eden for District Meeting on Wednesday.  When our member pulled up, we saw the zone leaders' car and immediately thought, "Uh oh.  This will be interesting."  BUT ELDER C ROCKED IT!!!  We had a great training on protecting our investigators from the things of this world, then we looked at the agenda.  I saw each of the companionships, and a room of the church.  Sister T and I were by the family history center.  We found out that the role plays for district meeting that day were going to be a mock church tour.  It was the best.  When we walked into the family history center, we just jumped right in.  We didn't falter.  We taught what family history is, why we do it, and even tied it into the plan of salvation.  The spirit that was felt in that room was remarkable.  I couldn't have dreamed of it going any better than it did!  We also got one of the easiest in my opinion.  The other rooms were: the baptismal font, the primary room, the gym, and the chapel.  It was really fun!  Oh, and for those who don't know, a church tour is when you take your investigators around the church and explain what each of the rooms is used for so that they will feel more comfortable coming to church.  They're great!

Experience #3

We had an amazing lesson with one of our investigators, S this week.  We went over and felt inspired to talk about the Book of Mormon with her before we go on with the rest of the lessons.  We showed her the Mormon Message, A Book of Mormon Story.  It was so inspired.  When she finished watching the video, she looked at us and just smiled.  She said, "That's it.  That's exactly how I feel about the Book of Mormon.  I do not have all the answers, but I know that I will soon."  We continued talking about the importance of it and what blessings she would see come from reading it and she slightly changed the subject.  She said, "You know?  I don't know what it is, but I just feel comfortable around the two of you.  And I don't even know you!  It's weird.  When you come over, I just can't wipe this stupid grin off my face."  And I just smiled.  This woman looks familiar to both of us and I looked familiar to her when we all first met.  If we were to guess, we might have known her before this life.  But we never know.  All we know is that we are here, at this time, to help her.  So me, being the occasional blonde that I am, replied, "You know, usually when people tell us that, I like to tell them that is the spirit touching their hearts."  We couldn't stop laughing after the appointment.  Seriously!  Who says it like that.  Sister T just looked at me as though she was saying, "Humble yourself, woman!  Humble yourself!"  I couldn't help but laugh.  Sometimes I just have to accept the fact that people may need to hear things a little differently.  And if not, that is still the story I am going with!  ;)

Experience #4

We also had the amazing opportunity to have dinner with the C's this week.  They are amazing.  Sister C's grandma is from Nicaragua, so most of her family is as well.  But they both actually grew up in Vernal.  Anyway, we went over to their house for dinner and she was actually at work later than she had planned, so she gave the recipe to Brother C and he made these amazing Nicaraguan tacos.  They were just a pan fried tortilla with shredded chicken, homemade salsa, and some herbs from their garden.  They also made this Spanish rice, but I couldn't have it because it had bell peppers in it.  Oh well.  We got talking and the subject of family history came up again.  They are so interested in family history that it blows me away.  So after dinner, we showed them the newer Mormon Message about family history that the church came out with.  They really enjoyed the video and it actually made Brother C remember this book that his grandmother had made.  He went to go get it so we could look at it.  She had made a book full of all of the ward members in the ward she was in, in Vernal.  It had pictures, stories, callings, testimonies, experiences, etc.  It was amazing.  And what was really neat is, Brother C's Grandmother's Bishop, was Sister C's Grandfather.  Isn't that neat how inter-connected everything is?  It amazed me!  Then we got a tour of their wonderful new house that they are working on renovating.  It is such a gorgeous home, but it is going to take a while to remodel with how busy they are.  But she told us her plans for each room and it is going to be GORGEOUS when it is complete.  We offered to help when they need it.  She said she would try to have us help if she could, but some of the paint they have to scrape off in order to repaint, has lead in it.  So we shall see.  But it really made my interior designer come out in me.  It was pretty funny.

Experience #5

We were able to go do service for a member in the ward this week, Brother and Sister T.  We got there, and on the porch I saw scrapers, sandpaper, and paint sticks.  So we walked in and she came out with us to get to work.  Our project for the day was to chip all the loose paint off of the porch and sand down all the hard edges so they could prime and repaint the porch.  Theirs is another house with quite a few projects they are working on.  Difference being, she has kids.  So we were able to help her in a major way that day.  We spent two hours in the broiling, humid sun, chipping away paint, sanding it down, and then we went in to have lunch.  We are hopefully going to get to come help her paint it sometime this week.  I made this an experience though because I got a real taste of humidity last week while we were doing it.  I was literally wiping pools of sweat off of my face.  It was ridiculous.  I have just given up on most makeup for the summer because it just melts off of my face.  I still do a couple of things, don't worry.  But not most things.  They don't stick.  And to make this day even better, we got home from doing service and had the bright idea to bike to our next appointment.  Luckily, the person lived right across the street from the elders and they happened to be home for lunch for a little bit.  So they kept our water bottles in their freezer to keep them cold.  It was funny though.  Elder B answered their door and all he said was, "Wow!  You two look a little warm!"  I just laughed because we looked so pathetic it wasn't even funny.  And the mosquitoes have been eating me alive, so his next comment was, "Ahhh.  You're allergic to them to?"  While he looked down at my legs.  I just nodded because you see, these are not just regular bites.  No!  These are full on WELTS!  Pictures attached!  It is ridiculous!  But hey, physical proof that I am doing my job right, huh?  ;)  At least now I know why the members all say June and July are the worst times to come back and visit.  :)

Experience #6

I made this next one an experience because it is amazing to me how quickly the Holy Ghost can change someone's heart.  We were teaching the Word of Wisdom lesson to our investigator, J the other day.  She was rather upset by the fact that we can't drink coffee or tea.  So I asked her if this commandment is something she could see herself complying with.  She said she didn't think so.  She saw no harm in it.  So we continued to talk about Joseph Smith, the revelation of the commandment and the importance of it.  By the end of it, she said she would think about it.  But Sister T was inspired to ask her if she would try living the Word of Wisdom for only one week.  Just to see how it would go.  She said that she would do that and let us know how she felt about it.  She then expressed some concerns or things that she had been going through and I brought up the strength that both members and non members can get from receiving a priesthood blessing.  So tonight we are going over with the C's to teach more about the priesthood and give her a blessing.  She is amazing.  Despite the things she is going through and the opinions of her family, she is willing to stand strong because she knows that this church and this gospel is what she needs right now in her life.  :)

Experience #7

Last night, we were able to have dinner with a newly-married couple in the ward, the C's.  We had an amazing dinner.  It was almost like an omelet with spinach, cheese, eggs, two different kinds of meats, etc., and tater tots.  Simplistic and sooooo good.  But the amazing thing was the message that we shared after dinner.  I felt inspired to show them the Mormon Message "Voice of the Spirit."   I love experiences like this.  I can really feel that even after my mission, this couple and I will be great friends because of the love and the bonds that are being built because of my mission.  I love them.

Experience #8

This one is shorter.  We walked out of our house one night this week after dinner and saw that it was pretty cloudy outside.  Sister T asked if we should just drive, but because we didn't have many miles I said, "No.  Let's walk.  If it starts raining, we will just turn around and come back."  Silly me.  Playing with the odds.  Well, we got what was coming to us.  We didn't even get 20 feet around the corner before we could hear it coming.  We looked over to the trees to our right and saw a WALL of rain headed straight for us.  And believe me when I say that we got DUMPED ON!  We were DRENCHED!  And we were wet the rest of the night!  But hey, it makes for a fun story... right?  ;)

We did get transfer news on Saturday.  I will be staying in Danville, VA.  Sister T is being transferred as well as Elder S and a few other elders in our district.  But I will be staying here.  Same address and everything.  So you can send the package whenever you would like to. :)  I haven't gotten news on whether or not I am training yet, but I will know for sure by tomorrow.  I take it though, that if they haven't told me by now, I am probably not training this transfer.  But we are getting a new mission president next week.  This is the last week with the Craven's.  That is going to be weird.  But a good weird.  We are all excited for the transition.  Well, maybe not ALL of us.  But I am, so you know.  ;)

I am still enjoying the district/zone.  We had a district activity planned last week, but it fell through.  So we all came to the church after getting snow cones and played basketball and "never have I ever."  It was really fun. 

I will let you know about the genealogy in another email.  :)

I will let you know how President Craven's last transfer meeting goes, how my new companion is, who she is, and how I am next week.  I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM TAKING OVER AN AREA!  I AM DIRECTIONALLY HANDICAPPED!  HOW AM I GOING TO DO IT!?  Hopefully I will be able to get our GPS working soon so that I won't be lost all of next transfer.  

I love you guys to NC and back!

Ash :)

HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!  :D

I Almost Killed Nemo

Ashley's Monday Letter June 15 2015

 

 

Experience #1

On Tuesday, we were able to go to an appointment with the relief society president, Sister C.  We taught the restoration.  It was a really smooth lesson that was going really well.  But that isn't so much why I made this one of my highlight experiences.  I made it a highlight experience because Sister C was able to bear an amazing testimony about the Book of Mormon and the Bible working hand in hand.  She shared that she hadn't grown up a member of the church, and when she was 14, she was given a Book of Mormon by her best friend.  She realizes now that it was because her best friend really cared for her.  As she started reading the Book of Mormon, something clicked with her.  In the south, it is common knowledge that the Bible is true and is the word of God.  But she said that it made total and complete sense that the Book of Mormon went right along with it.  She said this because it truly is Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  Not only does it work hand in hand with the Bible, but it is a complete second witness of the truth.  She shared the verse that says something like unto, "By the mouths of two or three witnesses, thou shalt know the truth."  How amazing is that?  I guess I had known that all along, obviously.  But when she connected the two of them to that verse, something sparked my interest.  Heavenly Father really has given us the Book of Mormon and the Bible to bear truth and witness to each other.  I just thought I'd share that because it's something that struck me as very powerful.

 

Experience #2

On Friday we had zone meeting in Greensboro.  It was a wonderful meeting where we learned A LOT!  I would say probably the best part of that meeting was a training that the Zone Leaders gave on being "Fishers of Men."  They started the training by handing out little green cards that had a room number and a name on them.  Side Note: Of course the Disney Freak would be handed the card that says "Nemo" on it.  ;)  We were instructed to go "find our investigators."  So each companionship headed off.  We got to room 108 to find Nemo.  I walked in, saw a styrofoam cup in the corner that said "Nemo" on the front.  So I lifted it up, and all of the sudden, this clear cup underneath tipped over and water spilled EVERYWHERE!  Of course I screamed because I had no idea what to expect when I lifted up that cup with the added terror of the poor little goldfish that was in the cup that was now flopping all over the table.  Sister T then came running in and started screaming as well.  I'm not going to lie, we were probably one heck of a sight to see.  She yelled, "Sister Irwin, what do we do?"  I was scrambling to figure something out so we wouldn't be known as the zone fish murderers.  So I grabbed the clear cup and scooped up poor little Nemo.  I then handed it to her because she was closer to the door.  She looked at me with a confused look and said, "What do I do with it?!"  I said, "Get it some water!!!"  So she ran to the drinking fountain to get pour Nemo some water.  After that, he was fine.  But to be honest, I thought the cold water was going to shock his little system.  But we got him safely back to the gym.  Some of the other fishies names were Ursula, Dory, Shelly, Finnigan, and Marlin.  Those are the ones I remember at least.  It was an amazing training on how we have to find the "elect" people that Heavenly Father places in our paths every day.  That had to be probably one of two trainings that I have REALLY enjoyed on my mission so far.  After zone meeting, we took the car to get oil changed in Geeensboro.  We were there for about 3 hours because there was an unexpected recall on the Jetta.  But in the meantime, we got to talk to an Atheist named "Bob" and a baptism named “Joe”.  Easy enough to say that neither of them were really interested.  But it was fun seeing other people's points of view and opinions about religion.  And hey, we planted a seed, right?  President Craven told us that statistically, people are contacted about 7 times by the church in some way before they join.  And I get to help with that!  How lucky am I?!  And then we topped the night off with Panera for dinner and Coldstone for dessert.  So overall, a very, very good day!

 

Experience #3

WE GOT TO SEE D GET BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!!!  Sister T was freaking out all week that we weren't going to get everything done for the baptism or everything taught.  But we ended up doing it.  We had roughly 1 1/2 weeks to get nine lessons taught.  But we met with him almost every night in order to do it!  We came in at about 3:30 to set up for the baptism.  (I know... 4:00 baptism.  Weird.  Right?)  Anyway, we set up all the tables, chairs, and refreshments, then everyone started showing up.  We had a turnout of 30-40 people there.  It was great.  We had an amazing talk on baptism by the second counselor in the bishopric, Brother H.  Then we moved into the young women's room where the baptismal font is.  (It is kind of a small building).  Sister T and I went into the side where you walk into the font so we could see better.  It was D’s baptism day, but one of the Elder's investigators, C, was also baptized that day.  C went first and was baptized by Brother C.  It was amazing.  Brother C is like a father to C.  So it was a really sweet moment.  Then it was D's turn.  He asked Brother C's son, A, who just got married, to baptize him.  They got in, A said the baptism prayer, and baptized him.  When he came up out of the water, he had the biggest smile on his face and he just looked at A, said thank you ever so quietly, and gave him a big hug.  Then they all went to change as everyone else moved back into the chapel.  Of course, when I have my hand in things, they don't always go as planned, right?  Well we had planned on having 2 or 3 members bear their testimony while they were changing.  But after the three members we had asked to bear theirs were finished, none of them were through changing yet.  So the ward mission leader was all over it and opened it up to everyone else in attendance.  Well, after 45 minutes to an hour, they finally started coming back in.  But was everyone who wanted to finished bearing their testimonies...?  NO!  Finally the ward mission leader for up and said we had to move on.  Poor Brother C walked up to bear his though, and got cut off and was not able to do so.  But we had fast Sunday the next day.  Don't worry.  He got up then.  But then we heard a talk on the Holy Ghost given by a young woman in the ward.  Then Brother M, the Bishop's first counselor, gave a welcome to the ward and we closed.  Then everyone gathered in the gym for some refreshments.  It was wonderful.  Except that everything that was brought was chalked full of sugar.  There wasn't one healthy thing on that table.  But that's alright.  We stayed after to help clean up, and then went about our business.  It is just so amazing what missionaries get to participate in.  I was there to teach and bring into Heavenly Father's Kingdom, one of his righteous sons.  I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I have to give that hope and that knowledge to others while I am here.

 

Experience #4

There is a member of the ward that we were able to help out last week.  Now, this is a strong, active member of the ward who usually keeps composure and doesn't let anyone know what is bothering her.  But this week, like we all do, she was having a really tough week.  A couple of times, we were able to come help her out by just talking with her, sharing scriptures, and showing a Mormon message.  By doing so, we have gained such a strong relationship with her.  I think the most remarkable thing was, that she wants us to meet her non-member husband.  Now, you see, this doesn't happen often.  He has his opinions about the church and its members.  Which is fine.  Everyone has their free agency.  But it is kind of a big deal that she wants us to meet him.  We are really excited.  And it just proves to me, yet again, that by strengthening the ward and developing relationships with the members, you see untold blessings that otherwise, you may not have found.

 

Experience #5

On Tuesday of this week, we went on exchange with the Sister Training Leaders.  I went to Guildford with Sister S, and Sister T stayed in Danville with Sister D.  It was an amazing exchange.  I got to meet so many different kinds of people.  The elect, the not, atheists, new yorkers, etc.  It was very interesting to say the least.  Sister S is the sweetest though.  She went to Payson High and graduated the same year I did.  It was just good to have someone I could laugh and be serious with at the same time on exchange.  But overall, it went really well.  I don't know specifically what to say about it, so if you have specific questions about it, let me know.

 

Experience #6

We had a REALLY fun district meeting this week with Elder C as our new district leader.  He did a training on the "spirit animals of finding."  One was an owl - "Owl you know if you never try?"  Which meant to talk to everyone.  Two was a lion - "Quit Lion to yourself."  Which meant to be yourself all day, every day.  Three was a bear - "Bear your testimony often."  Which meant to always share your testimony, obviously.  Four was a gopher - "Gopher it."  Which meant to go for it and find the elect.

Then we went in the gym in Caswell for role plays.  We each got a role, (woman who just broke up with her boyfriend, false prophet, homeless man, and one person was the elect), then we spread out and one companionship left the gym while we were setting up and we all had a race to see which companionship could find the elect the fastest.  It was really fun.  We came in THIRD with a time of 2:30.  Apparently we can find the elect really fast when we are timed... haha  BEST DISTRICT IN THE MISSION!  I know I have said it before, but it is always true!

 

Experience #7

This week I fell off my bike.  So I feel pretty beat up, but I wasn't hurt too bad.  We were biking uphill to go to a less-actives' house.  All of the sudden my shoe got stuck under my pedal and within about 2 seconds, I was skidding across the road.  I think I gave Sister T a heart attack.  Pretty much all I knew was that I was laying on hot gravel and my back hurt.  So I knew I wasn't getting up by myself.  Then I saw her come over, get the bike from on top of me, and throw it to the side.  All the while hoping that there is not a car coming.  So she helped me from the middle of the road to the curb, then she freaked out because I was still in the sun so she made me get up again and move to the shade.  We found out that all that was bleeding was my elbow.  So we washed it off, got some band-aids on it, and got up..  I thought I landed on my tailbone, but I feel like it would be hurting a lot worse if it were that, so probably something close to it.  But I'm okay.  There was then a lady who came out of her house and said, "I saw everything out of my front door.  Are you okay?"  Great.  In the south, you are always on public display.  Because if they aren't at the door, they are at the window.  haha  It started to hurt pretty bad on Saturday and Sunday, so the elders gave me a healing blessing and I am doing much better.  But, again, if you have any more questions, let me know.

 

 

In Response to your questions:

The ward is great!
The bishop is fantastic!

District and Zone are the best in the mission!  We are the party zone!  Of course we are the best!

We don't switch presidents until July 1st.  But it is getting really close!

I think Millionaire Row is probably in someone else's area.  We have never heard of it.

I have helped in D's baptism so far, and we have a woman named J who set a date for July 11.  We are really excited about it.

 

I think that was about it.  I am so glad that you all enjoyed the temple celebration!  I am also glad that you got to perform.  I was worried.  I enjoyed all the stories and pictures.  (And the family pictures from this week, mom).  I love you all sooooo much.  If you need anything else from me, let me know in the next couple of days, so I can respond next week.  And I will for sure let you know about transfer news because we are getting it on Saturday.

 

Love and Hugs from NC and VA!

Ash :) <3

Pictures Pictures Pictures

Sorry No Letter This Week - The Email Service Crashed ....  But ....

No Walking or Biking Riding Today - Our District Leaders are Great !!

P-Day - And I Look Like an Alien From Outer Space

We Are In A Local Diner At The End Of P-Day

My First Baptism In Danville - And He Is Awesome !!!

The District Had A Few Baptisms This Week !

This Is How We Get Around When Our Car Breaks Down

I AM REALLY GOING TO MISS PRESIDENT AND SISTER CRAVEN

My week was soooo much better than the last couple!  I think I am finally getting the hang of Danville!  Let's start with some experiences... Shall we?  So since P-Day was Tuesday, we'll start from there.

Experience #1

We had Zone Conference this last week.  It was so good!  President and Sister Craven each did about 3 trainings.  Many of which were relating to missionary conduct and being obedient.  We did a "Ho-Hum" training by Sister Craven which I will have to show you sometime.  It is basically pointing out things that people do in their talks at church and elsewhere that we really just don't even notice.  But it's pretty funny now when I see those things.  I think my favorite training though, was one Sister Craven did about having our visions grow bigger.  She told a story of a woman who was out on a lake fishing.  All day long she would have her line in the water, but catch no fish.  To her dismay, she looked to her right and saw a man catching many, many fish.  She noticed that the man would keep the small fish he caught, but let all the big fish go.  In her frustration she yelled to him, "Why are you letting all the big fish go?"  The man simply smiled and held up his small frying pan.  She related that to missionary work.  Many times, we will work with those who are "easier," but will eventually fall away.  We need to focus our efforts on the bigger picture and hold up our large frying pans.  It was pretty funny.  I also got asked to sing in the musical number again.  It wouldn't have been so bad, but we didn't have sufficient time to practice and Sister D and I had to start the song with soprano and I think we both came in flat because of the accompaniment.  But it's okay.  We got it back.  :)

Experience #2

On Friday night, we were invited to attend a wedding reception of two of the members in the ward.  It was so sweet.  Her family aren't members of the church, so the initial reason we were going was to be able to talk to them about the day.  But it turns out that her family is Italian and doesn't really approve of her marrying a Mormon.  Her immediate family showed up to everything - that was really cool, but she didn't have any extended family there.  So we ended up being there to help set up, support, and help things run smoothly.  They had a little ring ceremony at the reception because her parents couldn't go into the temple.  They are the cutest and their family is one of the families that I have become closest to so far.  It was well worth it.  Except, they kept playing some of my favorite love songs on the stereo system.  Haha  But I really enjoyed it.

Experience #3

On Saturday, we had just enough miles to go contact a referral we got from church headquarters who wanted a bible.  We had to travel about 20-30 minutes to get to her house, only to find out that it was a trailer park with no lot number.  After we had knocked on about four trailers, we were about to give up.  But as we were walking toward the car, I kept getting a stronger and stronger impression to say a prayer so that we could find her.  So I stopped Sister T and we said a prayer right by our car.  I told Heavenly Father that something felt as though we were supposed to contact this woman, but we needed his help.  As we closed the prayer and looked around, we both felt like we needed to go down another row of houses and ask someone for help.  As we drove down the next row, there was a man standing outside his house looking rather bored and confused.  I rolled down the window and asked if he knew of the woman we were looking for.  He said he did.  We had been looking down the middle row of trailers, but he said that she lived down the first row of trailers.  So we thanked him and wished him a good day and headed that way.  Not only did we find it, but she was home, let us in, and started talking to us.  She said that she had received our phone calls, but wouldn't call us back because she was not feeling well.  We set up a time to come back, but she continued to mention that she swears she has seen me before.  Considering that I have only been in Danville for 2 1/2 weeks, we were pretty sure that I may have known her before this life.  (If you know what I mean).  ;)  I know that it was inspired to go that day and to take all the steps that we did in order to contact this woman.  Sister T even admitted that she was ready to give up and go home at that point.  But I kept getting a little voice in my head that said, "Don't give up.  Try a little harder."  It was simply amazing!

So, I can't remember right now if I mentioned it above... but we have a BAPTISM THIS SATURDAY!  We weren't sure if he was completely ready, but we did an "understanding lesson" where we challenged him to really read the Book of Mormon and to pray about his baptism date.  When we went back, he said that once he started reading, he couldn't stop!  He read 16 chapters in one day! And he really felt like this should be his baptism date!  So we are having to meet with him every single day in order to make it happen!  But we are going to make it happen!  I will let you know on Monday how it goes!  But he is really excited, and we are really excited!

Also, I didn't mention it above, but President and Sister Craven did a THROW DOWN on the fact that they aren't going to be here anymore.  They told us that the principles and doctrines taught are going to stay the same, but the mechanics of it all ARE GOING TO CHANGE.  They talked about how we are not allowed to quote them or say, "President and Sister Craven did it this way..." I personally, am excited for the change, but I am really sad to see the Craven's go.  They have done so much for this mission and no one that served under them will ever forget them!  :)

As for the answers to your questions:

I am not getting as much time as we had planned to email today because we are going to finish making knives at that member's house tonight.  But I will be sure to answer them in a separate email along with any questions I may have.

I love you to Heaven and back!  Hugs and Kisses from NC!

ASH