Back in Nam. I mean, Man. Ho Chi Minh. Sorry. I'm weird.

Ello, all!

 

How goes life in the blessed land of the states? Well, I presume. Good. Glad that that's settled.

 

Wellllllll, for starters, we have a baptism scheduled for this weekend! Jeanine Sayle and her daughter Hannah. They are wonderful! Their family is so close and remarkable! They remind me a lot of our family, only about half the size and Manx (well, the husband, Keith, is Manx. Jeanine is Irish.) Anyway, so Keith an Jeanine have 3 kids. Henry, who's 14, Hannah, 11, and Jenna, 7. They are such a joy to be around and there is so much love in their home. I love it. But yes. Hopefully we can get Henry soon as well. Their kids are so down to earth it's amazing to see people like that in this world. I'm so excited!

 

The work here is going amazingly! the ward is really good and I'm finally starting to click with them, because we took a week break in liverpool pretty much.

 

Anyways, I'm running out of time, but know that I love you all and that I am praying for you, so don't be afraid of anything! God is with us!

Thanks for everything that you have done for me! I love you!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

 

Ps sorry this is so short, but I love you more than an email's length can tell you. Wow. that was pretty good. maybe a song. no. not a song. sorry. Bye.

Live, from Liverpool

Dear Everyone that I love,

 

This has been a crazy week! We caught the ferry on wednesday to come to zone conference, and the seas were rough! You would think it was 9th grade Guys and Dolls at Evergreen how much people were rocking the boat! (hahahahahaha that was way funny, at least for me. But really though.

 

Zone conf. was moneysauce. So great. President Bullock is pretty much an Apostle. He talked about the Dead Sea Scrolls, which pretty much (really though) prove that the Book of Mormon is true. There is so much evidence and it is statiscally impossible that it is coincidence. But even with that proof, you need a spiritual witness to know that the Book of Mormon is true. Laman and Lemuel saw angels, but they still fell away. Proof could never take the place of the Testimony of the Spirit.

 

But we worked in Liverpool and Crosby and St. Helens this week, so pretty much it's been like a week long exchange. oh yeah, there was this one man I spoke with, and he said, "I'll listen to you if you can catch me." he was on a run, and so I totally ran with him and stayed with him stride for stride. In a suit. talking the whole time about the gospel. I love it. He didn't listen though. But it's been way fun. We've been staying with the Zone Leaders, Elder Oliver Kersey (originally from England but lives in Utah) and Elder Benton Sturt (went to Cottonwood High). They are awesome and hilarious, and wonderful missionaries. It has been such a good week. But I do miss the Isle. So it will be good to get back.

 

Ah, I love all of you so so sososososo much! without you, I definitely wouldn't be where I am or who I am. You are all a part of me and I will be forever grateful for your love, friendship, and support. I love you all so much!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Manliness

Party People!

 

Hey y'all! The Isle is AMAZING!! I absolutely love it here! It's incredibly beautiful, lush, quiet, people are nice, and the work is trucking right along!

 

So, the isle only has about 70,000 peeps on it, and it's about 30 miles long and 13 miles wide-ish. roughly 220 square miles. So it ain't that big. But it's way awesome.

This morning we went and looked at a castle near where we live, which was way awesome. So cool. Also, I live maybe 45 seconds from the beach. Yeah, that's walking. pretty awesome, I'd say. too bad I'm a missionary and can't really enjoy the beach fully. but I'll come back someday with my wife or summat and visit. hahaha I love being a missionary! It's amazing.

 

Conference was incredible, wasn't it?! on your mission, conference is even more awesome because, well, it just is. Go on  a mission and you'll see.

 

My companion is great. he kinda looks like a blonde Christopher Reeve, yeah the old superman. He's from Arizona, and he went to Byu before he came out. I love him, he's great.

Well, the Library is about to close, and so I'm tryin my best to write fast, but whatever. It really is incredible here and I am so blessed to be serving here at this time. The work is going so well!

 

Sorry if this is short or lame. But what can you do. So am I. hahaha. short and lame.

 

My new address is:

 

Elder Ashcraft

Ground Floor Flat, Ribblesdale

Shore Road

Castletown

Isle of Man IM9 1BF

 

I love you all and thanks for everything!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

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