This is my island, in the sun, Oi, Oi!

Hello Everybody!

 

Well, It has been a crazy past few days. So on Sunday, I got a call from President, he told me what my new assignment was. I will no longer be serving in Darwen & Blackburn :( sad. I am going to miss that place and those people. But I have been assigned to serve ON THE ISLE OF MAN!!!!!! YEAH BOY!!!!! So needless to say it's been a crazy past couple of days, yesterday in particular.

 

So I woke up yesterday, and got ready for transfers. We caught a 9:40 train to Blackburn, then a train to Preston, then got on a coach in Preston and drove to Wythenshawe, where they do transfers. It was good to be with so many missionaries in the same place. There's a special spirit when missionaries gather. So yeah. We all greeted the new missionaries (one of which Elder Readhead is training), and then I loaded my stuff on another coach to Liverpool. Then we drove to Liverpool and met some of the Elders in the Zone, and the Zone Leaders (they are money). My companion, Elder Cunningham from Phoenix, AZ, was still on the Isle. President decided that his old companion would come over alone, and so that means that I would go over alone. Yeah. By myself. On a ferry. So I was with the Zone Leaders for a while, because the Ferry didn't leave until 7:30 pm. So they dropped me off at the ferry and I set off by myself. No companion. It's weird being alone.

 

So yeah. Well, turns out that it's a 3 HOUR ferry ride, so I didn't get there until 10:30. And that's all that I was told. they didn't say if Elder Cunningham would be waiting there or anything. He spent the day with Elder & Sister Allen, a missionary couple here on the Isle. So I got off of the ferry, got my luggage, and then followed the group of peeps who had gotten off of the ferry. We ended up at a car park (that's a parking lot) and lots of them got taxis and drove home. But no Elder Cunningham. So I waited. Still nothing. I didn't have a phone or anything, so I thought maybe they were waiting for me somewhere. So I saw a Vauxhall Meriva (the kind of car that the missionaries drive, and so I thought maybe it was them. so I went to it, but no one was in. But then Elder Cunningham and Elder Allen drove past and picked me up, so all is well :)

 

But the Isle of Man is beautiful! And turns out, it's a different country than England. I thought it was the same, but it ain't. They even have their own language: Manx. But no one speaks it really anymore. Crazysauce. But yes. It is great here. Elder Cunningham is sweet. I'm excited for this transfer. Oh yeah. President Pretty much told me that I'll be here for two transfers and then I'll move. But yeah, it is absolutely breathtaking here. But I don't know my exact mailing address yet, so I'll send it on Monday.

 

Well, I love you all, and I want you to know that I am safe, and that I am well! Thank you for your prayers and your love and support! It means the world to me! I love you!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

It's raining really hard outside and I didn't bring my brolly to the library. Aw, peas.

Dearest everyone I love. (If unloved by me, stop reading now. Just kidding. I love everyone. mostly.)

 

This week was a pretty good'un. We were blessed to find 9 new investigators, which is an incredible amount! We saw a lot of miracles as well, as we were finding them.

 

There's this woman, Linda, who we found while tracting and she let us in and we taught her! she accepted a baptismal date for October 9th, so hopefully I don't get transferred so that I can witness her enter the Fold of God. But she is very excited and is even telling her friends about it! She came to church yesterday, which she loved, and so it's awesome. Her parents are divorced, Jehovah's witnesses in Australia that are re-married to Australians. Yeah, I know, right? But she is great!

 

We also teach this man named Joe Szabo (sweet sidenote: szabo means tailor in hungarian. tailor is mostly like Taylor. therefore, Szabo = Taylor......ish. Yes please.) He makes a lot of things (i.e. guns, tables, walking sticks, you name it, he's made it.) He used to be a welder, but lost his job and now just sits at home and then goes archery shooting on sundays. He is 60 years old and looks like he's maybe 40. crazy. But he has a ton of deep questions about the plan of Happiness and such, so we'll do our best to get him.

 

One crazy thing I've noticed is that over here, every once in a while, i meet someone who loves my accent! weird! but oddly enough, they are usually men. explain that one to me. wait, no don't. but anyways, it's nice to be appreciated in a hostile foreign land, that's what i'm trying to say.

 

I love this work! It's amazing to see how people can change, and I absolutely love it!

 

But thank you all for everything you do! For your love, kindness and prayers! Keep the faith, and don't die while I'm gone!

 

Looooooove!

Elder Ashcraft

Bible Speak. O Yes.

O ye fair ones! How art thou?

 

My time draweth short, but nevertheless I will convey the yearnings of my soul unto you, my beloved brethren and sisters.

 

The people of this nation do harden their hearts against us, and do speak ill things to us and all manner of persecutions do they perform toward us. But notwithstanding their hard hearts, I am constrained by the Spirit that I should tell them of the things of the Lord, and of His Gospel and the marvelous wonders He has worked among the children of men. For behold, the time is at hand where they must make the decision to choose liberty and eternal life, or to choose captivity and death. For the Lord will not compel any man to accept His word, but it is given unto men that they may choose for themselves, whether they choose good or whether they choose evil.

 

For behold, it came to pass in the seven days since my last epistle, we have encountered much tribulation in our labors in the Land of Eng. That wicked one doth put it into the hearts of men that they shall not listen to the message that we bear. Nevertheless, my brethren and I do continue to labor diligently in behalf of our brethren in this land, for we know that the Spirit of the Lord is with us, and is leading us to those whom the Lord hast prepared to enter His fold, and we know that the Lord will show unto us success because of our many labors and trials and persecutions in this land.

 

And I say unto you that this work is great, even the greatest work of all. For I know that the Lord's hand is manifest in this work unto the children of men who hearken unto us. Yea many mighty miracles we have seen and wrought in this land because of the Spirit of the Lord which is with us, which is our guide. Behold, hearken unto the words of the ancient prophets. Heed their counsel and study their teachings, for we know that they truly testify of Christ the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and we have seen, yea, even in this distant land that through the power of God these words can heal and strengthen even the most infirm and frail of God's Children.

 

And now, by brothers and sisters, I close mine Epistle. I am Elder Ashcraft, a servant of the Lord, in whom my soul delighteth. I love you, and your families, and your wives, and your children.

Brethren, adieu.

Crazy Week

Hmmmm....suddenly the library just started smelling like chocolate cake. I'm so confused, but I don't want it to stop. Awwwwwww. I want some cake. Also, there is someone outside who is doing a less-than amazing impression of Jonny Cash. Huh. Go figure.

 

Weeeeeeeeellllllll, it truly has been an insane week. Elder Readhead had to go to Manchester for a 3 day leadership training that was going on, and so I was put in a threesome with Elder Stubbs from Australia, and Elder Diatel from Germany. It was pretty sweet. We were able to find 4 new investigators, two of which accepted a baptismal date, and also we talked to a bunch of people. It was sweet.

Then, when Elder Readhead came back, we found three more new investigators, and 2 of them accepted a baptismal date as well! Awesomesauce. I love missionary work so much! I hope that these wonderful children of God that we have found can progress and make their way to the Light Side.

 

hahaha we talked to this one girl, she was probably 16 or so, and we were testifying that God lives and that he loves her. But she just said, "How do you KNOW? Think about that." Then, she just turned, stuck her nose in the air and SKIPPED away. That's right. Skipped. Not walked, waddled, ran, or rolled. Skipped. I laughed so hard, it was incredible.

 

There was also this other man that said that we weren't Christian, and I always get a little upset when that happens, because His name is on my badge. Anyway, this man said that in the Bible, it says that the Mormons are incorrect. Yeah, right, sir. We figured out that he was talking about the verse where it says "you cannot serve God and Mammon." He then explained to us that Mammon was the Mormon God and that is why we aren't Christian. Elder Readhead and I were just laughing at him (in a loving way, but laughing nonetheless) as we tried to explain to him that his explanations were inexplicably wrong. We are MOST DEFINITELY Christian, even though many half-drunken ignoramuses seem to think otherwise.

 

But I know that truly, without Jesus Christ, there is no way that this work could progress, there is no way that we would be here, and there is no way that we would ever be able to achieve salvation. There is no other way nor means, but Jesus Christ. I love Him, and He loves me. As a representative of Jesus Christ, I declare to you all that I KNOW that Jesus Christ lives, and that through the Atonement of Him we can be cleansed, comforted, and healed. I KNOW that He loves us, and that He wants us to be happy. He has promised us that if we follow Him, we will be happy. So why not do it? Sometimes when I talk to be people, I tell them that God has a plan for them to be happy. The overwhelming majority of people usually say, "I'm not interested." Those poor unfortunate brethren and sisters. If only they knew what the Gospel could bring them, they would beg us to share it with them. But they don't even need to beg. We share it freely, and with everyone. So at this time, I invite all of you who are happy to stay happy. And I invite all of you who are not, to join me in my happiness. I truly am the happiest that I have ever been, and it is only because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Come and be happy with Him and with me! You will never regret this happiness.

 

I love you all, as does He, more than you will ever know or comprehend. Thank you so much for your love, and your wonderful examples to me. I have no doubt that I would not be as happy as I am now without your influence, love, and support. I love you so much!

 

Love,

Elder Taylor Blain Ashcraft