Tractin' in a Winter Wonderland. Or at least for the next few hours.

Top o' the mornin' to yeh!

 

Hello everyone! It has been a crazy week, and IT SNOWED!!! Yeah, it's only about for inches or so, so nothing really compared to what you got in Utah, but hey. I'm on an Island. Yes.

 

Well, speaking of snow, and winter, and cold, it's crazy here. By Utah winter standards, the temperature isn't too bad, probably just about 0 degrees or so (in Celsius, so about 30 or so Fahrenheit), but the cold here is so different from the cold in Utah. You can just put on more clothes there, and your fine, but here, the cold is just penetrating because the air is more moist. Crazysauce. But it's good. I'm staying warm....ish.

 

We got back from Preston on Friday, but on thursday, we had Sports day, where half of the mission got together (the other half was on friday) and played sports. It was because President and Sister Bullock are American, and so are a lot of the missionaries here, and they wanted us to have a thanksgiving-esque experience. So we all got together and played football (both American and European. Yes!) and also ate Costco Pizza. hahaha yes, they do have Costco here. I know, right? But it was absolutely fabulous. So much fun. President even played with us, and he is in great shape for his age. haha he caught a pass and was running down the field, and he even started showboating a little, haha. amazing. I loved it.

 

But it is so good to be back on the Isle. I have missed this place, and I'm sad that I'll probably be transferred right after Christmas. But that's okay. I'll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord.

 

This week, I studied virtue, and I was thinking about that scripture in D&C 121, that says "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly...". I love that scripture. To garnish is to decorate or adorn, to make it look better, and unceasingly means never stopping. We should always be striving to improve, and to make our thoughts better and more virtuous. One of the ways that Satan works is that he tricks our minds. Don't let him trick yours. Trust in your heart, because Satan has no power over your heart, unless you give it to him. So Decorate your thoughts with thoughts of Christ, and of the Gospel.

 

I love you all so much! Thanks for your wonderful examples and for everything that you do for me! I love you! Keep the faith, and keep praying for me!

 

I love you!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Preaching in Preston!

Hello, ever'body!

 

Whew! It has been a crazy week! It was zone conference, so we took the ferry across to Heysham, and we've been staying with the Zone Leaders in Preston all week. It was kind of a rough ferry ride. the seas were pretty tempestuous (nice word! Oh yeah!). But it was good. The Zone Leaders here are hilarious! Elder Aaron Darrow, from Peoria, Arizona, and Elder Joel Sherrard, from Lester, England. So funny! Elder Darrow  is pretty much Sean Stringham. Pretty much the same. I love it. and Elder Sherrard is going to be famous. He has an amazing voice and it way musical, so watch for him one day. But it's been a great time.

 

haha I just remembered something funny that happened yesterday. Elder Sherrard and I tried to speak with this man, and he said, "No! I'm in love!" Pretty sure he was in love, I'm just not sure with what alcoholic beverage yet. strange man. But it's amazing. We also taught this man from China, and he didn't know who Jesus Christ is. It was quite the experience trying to teach him. He had just never been brought up to know about Christ, and so it was interesting. But It was a good learning experience for me. I'm so grateful that I know that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.

 

So I studied Charity and Love this week, and I was thinking about how Charity and unconditional love are alike. But then I started thinking of how much they are different. With unconditional love, it requires no effort. You can love someone unconditionally and not do anything about it. but as Preach My Gospel states, "Charity, like faith, leads to action." In order to have charity, you must do something about it! So really, Charity isn't unconditional love at all, but rather it is unconditional selflessness. To be charitable, you must be reaching out to others and trying to help them as best as you can. You must put them before you. That's what Christ did for us. He put us, His brothers and sisters, before Himself, paying for our sins, when He himself didn't have any of His own to pay for. But because He loves us, He was willing to carry out His task, and He succeeded. He did not fail, because, just as the scriptures, say, Charity Never Faileth.

 

I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for the love and charity that you have shown me! It means so much to me to have you all praying for me and supporting me even though I'm thousands of miles away. For that I will be forever grateful. I love you!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Missionary. Work. Word up.

Ello, all! Alright?

 

It has been a marvelous week with Elder Metsaranta! He is amazing! I love working with him! We have been working hard, and I love it! The Isle is such a blessed place. You should all come visit one day.

 

We were able to teach a lot of new people this week, some of whom are really ace, and so we're excited to continue teaching them. It's been wonderful!

Well, as a mission, we are studying Christlike attributes, a different one each week until Christmas. This week's attribut was hope. And I would just love to share something I learned.

 

As I studied hope this week, I came across a scripture that I thought applied wonderfully in Hebrews chapter 6. It says that hope is the anchor of our souls. On a ship, the anchor is lowered so that the ship does not drift away in the waves and become lost from its original mooring. It is used to keep the ship in the right place, where it belongs, and where it won't be damaged by the rocks that are hidden in the water. In that same way, hope in Christ is what keeps us in the right place. It keeps us from being swept away by the tides of the world and dashed on the rocky shore, and keeps us from drifting away from safety, which is Jesus Christ and His gospel. Without hope in Christ, we are soon to be lost and wandering at sea, with no real chance of finding our destination. Hope is such a vital attribute that we need to have. I know it sounds obvious, but truly, without hope, we are hopeless.

 

I love you all so much, and thanks for everything! I know God lives and He loves you and me and everyone, and He wants us to be happy! So BE HAPPY! The Gospel will help you to be happy. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

 

I love you!

 

love,

Elder Ashcraft

I'm Finnished!

'Ello, all!

 

It's been a crazy past few days, but it's been great!

 

Transfers were this week, and sadly, Elder Cunningham has been transferred off of the Isle. but in his place is none other than......Elder Metsaranta, from Finland! hahaha he is amazing and hilarious. And he also has a pretty sweeeeeeeeeet accent. By the way, finnish is a crazy language. So crazy it's not even funny. Well, it is a little bit funny but it's mostly AWESOME! But I love him, he is great. This is going to be a good transfer.

 

Well, Guy Fawkes day was on friday. I know right? It's a celebration of the capture of Guy Fawkes, who was some man that tried to blow up the parliament building, but they caught him instead. Every has a big bonfire and lights of fireworks and stuff. We weren't allowed to go out proselyting, but we were able to go to a ward party at the Clagues. They are great people and they do a lot for us. They had a huuuuuuuge bonfire and a lot of food and fireworks, and it was really good.

 

Well, I'm running out of time, but I'll write more on monday! I love you all and thanks for everything! Keep the Faith, and God Bless!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Hop tu Naa!!!

Hello All!!!

 

I hope that you had a wonderful week full of adventures and mythical creatures! Or at least a lot of candy. Or at least mythical creatures.

 

Anywho, this week was awright. Talked to a lot of funny people. We were on the street speaking to God's children and we tried talking to this one man and he said, "No, sorry, I just got out of prison." Hadn't heard that one before. But whatever. I think he was telling the truth, haha, which is the funniest part about it. Let's see, we spoke with a Catholic Man who doesn't believe in God, an Irish Jehovah's Witness (they are everywhere over here!! It's ridiculous!), and may others, some of whom were interested and some were not. One man had "written a prophecy" about the world, he was pretty great. But the work here is going pretty well. I love it here, it's way beautiful.

 

Well, Halloween, or Hop Tu Naa as the Manx call it (pronounced hop too nay) was fairly uneventful. We weren't allowed to do any proselyting after 5 pm, so we had tea with the Sayles, who were just baptised and then went home for the rest of the night. Kinda lame. But at least we got to go to bed earlier than usual.

 

So here for Hop Tu Naa, they carve Turnips instead of Pumpkins and instead of saying trick or treat, they have this song that they sing and some litte dance that they do. and some people give out money instead of candy. crazysauce, but it's good.

 

Well so we live in an apartment in this member's home, sister Joan Radcliffe. she is hilarious! she is so funny. She gives us food a lot, which is great, and she tells us cool places to go see on P Days. haha plus she has two artificial hips, so her hips, they do lie. haha sorry that wasn't funny. But she is hilarious. You'll have to meet her one day.

 

But life on the Isle is amazing. I'm eating way too many sweets, though. There's a sister in the ward, Sister Christian who brings us a bag of food every Sunday and there's like pretty much a huge Hoho in it as well as some little pies. Fatty. wow. but anyways, things here are going swimmingly.

 

Well, My time is drawing short, and so in closing, I just want to let each and everyone of you know much I love you and how grateful I am for your examples, love, kindness, support, friendship, and prayers. I can feel them helping me and keeping me going. The Church is so true! And Christ truly lives and loves each of us and it is only through Him that we can be saved. But keep the faith, Don't go astray, and remember, Above all the clouds, the sky is still blue! I love you!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft