Sweatin' in Swinton

Dear Everyone that I love!

 

Swinton is great! The Lord is showering blessings upon us and he is blessing us with a lot of sunshine! It's crazy how much you miss the sun when it rains all the time. But yes, the people of Manchester are listening to us right now, and I love it!

 

Elder Sutton is a beast. He has only been out six weeks, but he is teaching me things and he brings so much energy to the work here. He is very sincere and such a hard worker. He is very humble, as well, which I feel is one of the most important attributes to have. You need to be able to learn things from other people. Otherwise, there is no eternal progression. I am learning loads with him.

 

We had a lesson the other night with someone that just showed up at the chapel on sunday a couple of weeks ago and introduced himself and say that he wanted to be taught. His name is Paul, and he is from Sierra Leone (like Josiah), and he's fantastic. He met with missionaries about 4 years or so ago down south in London, but he wasn't sure if what they were teaching is true. But now he says he knows that this is the right path for him to take, and so we have set a baptismal date for the 21st of April! HAHA! I love being a missionary so much!

 

Something that I am very excited about is that Brother Graydon is in Swinton Ward. I don't know if you remember him, but he was one of my teachers in the MTC and he truly changed my life. He taught me so many things, so I was really excited to see him again. So amazing. His Irish accent is dead good as well.

 

Well, I love you all very much and I am so grateful for your love and support and for all that you do for me. I would not be here without you. Thank you.

 

I love you! Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Manananananchester!!!!

Hey everyone that I love!

 

I've been transferred to manchester! To Swinton! I'm really excited! My companion is from Centerville. He's way good. I don't have a ton of time today, so here's my new address:

 

Elder Ashcraft

Flat 15, Theatre House

Langworthy Road

Salford M6 7AH

England

 

I love you all so much! The church is true! Jesus Lives! I know He does!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

You, 'kay?

Dear Everyone that I love,

 

Hiya, love! It has been a great week here in Chester. Spectacular. I have been on exchange for a lot of the week, but it's been wonderful.

 

Our investigator Michael has accepted a baptismal date for the 24th of March! He is so amazing to teach! He has such a special spirit about him and he loves everything that we teach! He came to church again and loved it. He has had a bit of a rough past but has overcome many problems and trials to get to where he is today. Amazing!

 

We also had a lesson with our investigator Anne, and her daughter and daughter's boyfriend wanted to listen to what we had to say. Anne had been talking to her friend (who is less active) about the Word of Wisdom, and Anne had some questions. But her questions were motivated, as she said, by her desire to "explain to people why I am doing this." Absolutely amazing. She understood it all and accepted to live it. The kids as well said that it made sense to live that way. It was a really great lesson.

 

We also found yet another Fijian couple. Unfortunately he just left to Afghanistan yesterday, but he told us that we could still go teach his wife, so hopefully step by step we will be able to bring this family in.

 

Being a missionary is the best thing ever! I know that the work we are engaged in is not our own, but the Lords. He watches over us and helps us to be where we need to be when we need to be there. I love it so much. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He loves us all with a perfect love. 

 

I love you all as well! The Gospel is true! Live it and you'll see! Keep the Faith!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

The Church is true. It is.

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

It was a great week in Chester! I really love this area. So many good people the Lord has blessed us with. It's amazing to be a missionary at this time in the last days. The Lord's work is rolling forward, and nobody is going to stop it. It's good to be on the Lord's team, innit?

 

Our investigator Michael came to church yesterday. He has some special needs, but he loved it and the ward just embraced him and welcomed him. He is great. His understanding is really amazing. He asks questions about what he reads in the Book of Mormon so that I know he really has read. I love it! He wan'ts to be baptised as well!

 

Things in the U.K. are doing really well. Miracle after miracle after miracle.

 

I got all of your letters for my birthday. Thank you so much! They gave me a much needed boost. I wouldn't be here without all of you. YOu have helped me so much and have brought me so much happiness. Thank you for it.

 

You are all truly amazing! Please don't take the Gospel for granted. It is the most important thing that we can do. I know that Christ lives and that he loves us. He is our Saviour and Redeemer through His sacrifice, the Atonement. Use it. Please don't let the Gospel be an understudy in your life, a backup plan for when things don't go right. Let it be the lead in the show, and everything will work for your good.

 

I love you all so much!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

Killer Wales

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

Wow. This week was most definitely one of the craziest and most miraculous that I've had. So here's the rundown:

 

On monday, Elder Rapata and I travelled down to Gaerwen, which is on the Isle of Anglessey in Wales. Because it's so far away, we both went there to go on exchange with the Elders. It was great. Really pretty country down there. And it's proper Welsh. We spent Monday evening and Tuesday there, and then on Wednesday morning, we travelled even deeper into Wales to Porthmadog. Now that is Wales. There were many people there who English was their second language, Welsh being the first. Their Welsh was better than their English. Crazy. I thought Gaerwen was way Welsh. Amazing. Such a neat language. It doesn't look like it would make any sense, thought. Too many consonants.

 

Anyway, Porthmadog is a branch and there hasn't been any missionaries there for about 6 years, and this is the first transfer that they have opened it up in that time. We were all very excited to see that. I have never seen members who love missionaries more than the Porthmadog members. they are willing to do anything to keep the missionaries in the branch. It was humbling to see the joy on their faces when we knocked on their doors. Incredible. Plus, it's absolutely gorgeous down there. Wales is a very mystically beautiful place.

 

We got back to Chester on Thursday. It was nice to be back in our own area again. On friday, we were street contacting by an army base, and we met a man named Louie whose wife is a less active member. They are from St. Vincent, and island in the caribbean. He invited us to his home and we taught him. He is so great! We've taught him again since then and he is reading the Book of Mormon! It's amazing!

 

As soon as we got out of that lesson, we spoke to the first person that we saw, a man talking on his mobile phone. He just brushed us off, but after he walked about 100 yards, he turned around, hung up the phone, and called us over to him. His name is Mate (pronounced "Mahtay") and he is from Fiji! (Elder Rapata was thrilled to meet another Islander) Turns out he has been having weird dreams that have made him think about God more. He figured that us walkinglking about Jesus was a sign from God for him to listen to us. Absolutely amazing how the Lord works, innit? I love it!

 

Yesterday, we taught a man named Michael for the 2nd time. He has some special needs and lives in an assisted living place. But his understanding and retention of what we taught is amazing! Usually they don't let us go into his house, but there was a South African woman there who was a Christian, so she let us come in. I love it! Sometimes the Lord's prepared people are not the ones that we expect. Michael has such a tender spirit, it's amazing to be with him.

 

God is so great. It truly is amazing and humbling to be a part of this work. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the power and truth that it brings to our lives. It's fantastic!

 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week and that you all are safe! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith! I love it!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft

CHESTER YES

Hey Everyone that I love!

 

We had a great week this week, culminating with 3 investigators at church, including Anne! She is so great, and her daughters are thinking about starting to come as well. But the best part is that her husband says that he will support her in whatever choice she makes. He calls us "her boyfriends," so that's a bit dodgy, but hey, you know what they, flirt to convert. Just kidding.

 

Well, I love you so much, and I am so grateful for all of you. Keep the Faith!

 

Love,Elder Ashcraft

Knee Fights and Lame Nights

Dear Everyone that I love!

 

We know have a Lamanite and a Nephite serving here in Chester. Elder Rapata is part maori, who are believed to be descendants of Hagoth in the Book of Mormon, and Elder Matute is from honduras. So Life is great and the Book of Mormon is true as well, especially here in Chester. But also especially everywhere else.

 

Well, things here are going really great here! I love Chester so much. There are some wonderful people here. Last Sunday, we went up to the Mission home for a fireside where a bunch of recent converts were asked to bear their testimonies. We took Bianca because we thought that she would benefit from it. She liked it. It was a wonderful experience. The Spirit was so strong there.

 

 A lot of testimonies were shared, but my favourite part came when I saw a familiar face get up to speak. It was Josiah, from Newcastle! He had been asked to speak that night and I didn't know that, but it was so great to see him and to hear him testify of the things that he knew to be true. He is so great. I am so grateful that the Lord was merciful enough on me to let me participate in teaching him. This is God's work and He wants us to  help His children come to know Him. It is a wonderful thing to be a part of this great and marvelous work.

 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week! Keep up the good work and Keep the Faith! Ta ra!

 

Love,

Elder Ashcraft