Happy Hallowe'en!!

Hello everybody!

 

Well, the first thing I have to say is EVELYN'S GETTING BAPTISED!!! She accepted a date a few days ago and she is getting baptised on Friday! So thank you all for the prayers and please keep praying for her!

 

It's been a great week. President Kopischke, the Europe area president came and did a mission tour. He is incredible. I learned loads form him. I absolutely loved hearing him speak. He is so spiritually sound and just so good! I loved it.

 

One thing he said that has really stuck with me is the Circle of faith. In Alma 32:27-28, it talks about what we need to do to exercise fatih and then in turn what the Lord does to show his power and increase our faith. We must have the Desire, and then we need to give place in our hearts and not cast out the seed. That is our part. Then the Lord causes the swelling motions and the enlarging of our souls and then our faith increases! It's amazing! I love the gospel so much! It's so true!

 

I've learned so much on my mission, and I really do know that the church is true, and that Jesus is the Christ! I know He lives!

 

Thank you all for everything and I hope you have a great week! Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Nuke Hassle

Hello everyone!

 

It was a great week here, ending with Roy's baptism! He is so funny. He felt like he would be too indecent just in the white clothes, so he wanted to wear a bathrobe as well. We were able to talk him out of that, though. It was a really good service. Elder Merl (the missionary that was here before me) travelled back from his area in Manchester and baptised him. Side note, his companion, Elder Holman, and I are singing a musical number on thursday, for when President Kopischke (area president) comes to visit the mission. I hope it's good.

 

Things are going great here in Newcastle. Elder Jones is great and we get along really well. I love serving with him. The ward is fantastic as well. I really love it. We have been trying really hard to strengthen our relationship with the members, and so we've been making a lot of brownies during our lunch breaks. It's amazing, missionary work. But it's more amazing when you work together with the members.

 

Well, I hope that all is well back in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Things in England are really amazing. The field is white, and we are called to harvest! I love the Gospel! The Church IS TRUE!!! I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Proper English

Hello Everyone!

 

This week was a great week. Newcastle is really good! We are teaching some high quality people, including Roy, a 77 yr old man who is getting baptised on Saturday. Please pray for him! He is quite stubborn and very english, but he's great and we're excited for him.

 

We're also teaching a Filipino lady, Evelyn, and her family. But her daughter is giving her a little bit of grief. so Please pray for them as well.

 

Being a missionary is so amazing, and sorry i don't have very much time this week, but I want you all to know that this church is true and that the principles of the Gospel form the one and only true path to success and happiness.

 

I love you so much! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Wet work

Hey Everyone!

 

Newcastle is great! I really love it here! It has been quite rainy a lot, but it's grand. The Ward here is really good and supportive. There is one brother, Brother Cork, he's 87 and he is just the definition of classy gentleman. I love English people so much!

 

It is strange to not hear scousers, though. I've been around them for so long, I forgot that people didn't all talk like that. But it's great. They call me duck, down here. "Alright, duck?" That how they say, "How are you, pal?" It's kinda weird, but I love it.

 

Elder Jones is great. We get along really well because he was my district leader when I was serving in Moreton. He's a great missionary and I've learned a lot from him. Even if he did go to Highland.

 

Well, I'm out of time, but I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for you and for all that you do for me! The Church is true! Jesus Lives! I know He does! I pray for you all and I love you! Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Not old palace, but...

NEWCASTLE!!

 

Hello everyone from the land of Newcastle-under-Lyme! I have been transferred from the blessed land of Scousers and Beatles to blessed land of...Newcastle. I don't really know anything about Newcastle yet, except that some peopl call you "Duck." Yup. Like the bird. Good times.

 

I am now serving with Elder Jones, a fantastic missionary from Salt Lake City itself! He went to Highland High and his house is like five minutes away from ours. Small world. Never met him before the mission. So it's a big world and a small world.

 

I was definitely sad to leave Liverpool. I learned a lot there about life, people, the gospel, missionary work, and myself. I will never forget my time there nor the people that I came in contact. I am so grateful for the time I had to serve them and serve with them. God Bless Liverpool. Ask me about Liverpool someday, and I will tell you everything.

 

I am excited for the change though. Transfers is a time to re-evaluate yourself and make the necessary changes. It is good and I am excited to get to work.

 

I hope that you all enjoyed conference. I loved it so much! We got to watch every session except the last one, so we were proper blessed. The opportunity to listen to the living prophet is something that we must not take for granted. It is an amazing blessing and I hope you all love it!

 

My new address is:

 

Elder Taylor Ashcraft

Flat 8, Northcote Court

Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 1HY

England

 

I love you all so much! Thank you for everything that you have done for me! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Liverpool is the Pool of Life

Hey everyone!

For some strange reason it is a ridiculously beautiful day today. I like it. You forget how much the sun means to you until you have to go without it forever. 

Well, things are going great here in the Pool of Life. We found some new people to teach and they are great! Yogesh and Priyanka Sherma! They are a young couple from India! They are so great and they are excited to be baptised! They came to church yesterday and they really loved it. I'm so excited to continue working with them. 

We saw a lot of miracles and we had a great round of trainings this week about working with members. The mission is undergoing some big changes, and the work is moving forward. I'm really excited.

I'm also way excited for General conference! It's going to be so amazing! I love it so much, and I am grateful for the opportunity we have to be able to listen to the words of a living prophet to help us get through the trials that we face. I know that as we listen to those words we are able to better understand God's plan for us! I love it so much! Please listen to the words that they share!

I love you all so much! Have a great week! Keep the Faith!

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Blessed Liverpool

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for your prayers this week! Michaela was baptised and everything went really well. She was confirmed on Sunday and I know that it was all because of the prayers that were offered in her behalf, so thank you again, very much. 

I love serving here so much. The Lord has been so merciful to us and has blessed us with so many miracles and people to teach. It is such an amazing time to be a missionary out here in the Lord's vineyard. It is the most incredible thing to be able to watch  people's lives transform and turn to the Saviour Jesus Christ. I love the Lord and His work, and I know that I am right in the thick of it!

Elder Aulenbach is great. He has such polished skills for having been out for such a short time. He is a powerful missionary and I am grateful for him.

Well, I love you all so much! Thanks for everything that you do and that you are! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith!

Love,

Elder Ashcraft