8/27/13

As a finding opportunity, before going in for the night, we have been playing basketball at the city basketball court. We have been playing with some Marshallese guys that are really short. So, I fill awesome playing against them hahahaha........... We did get a new investigator named Jon Songco, who is Filipino. He is a really nice guy. We have been unable to meet his wife yet but I feel that if we get the branch members involved in the teaching process that he will be baptized. 

We also spent a full day helping the Gordon elders roof  a new members house, who is moving into their branch. It was a project for sure! The base was all rotted out, but when we got done it looked pretty good. We were all exhausted due to working till 9:00 that day, nonstop. It felt great to stay busy and help someone in need!

 

 

8/23/13

When Addison and I were in Primary we got to choose a tie for our dads Father's Day one year. I found this tie and thought  it was just the coolest tie I had ever seen! Before leaving on my mission I was looking through all my Dad's ties and saw it. We were joking around about it, after my Dad had to remind me of how we gave it to him, and the next thing I know it was on my luggage as a "luggage marker." I decided to send it out of this world in peace by using it for my 6  month mark tie!!!

In the mission, every 6 months they burn an article of clothing to acknowledge there progress. He has finally reached his first 6 months. 

6 months...........................................burn a tie

1 year..........................................burn a shirt

18 months..................................burn a pair of pants

2 years..........................................burn a suit

8/19/2013

First off, sorry for the short non-eventful blog reports the last few weeks.

This week is also the same. We didn't really have any appointments that "didn't"

fall through. Our teaching pool is very small, with our only "investigator" 

being a excommunicated man named ,Uncle Larry.

Yesterday, he made it to church though, 

that was really awesome. Plus, there was a

Less Active family that showed up, which was great to

see too. The students are moving in getting ready for

college so there were a few

college students that come to church.

My companion wants the investigators to pretty much just fall into our hands,

but I know that's not really possible so we need to go out and find them.

That is something we are trying to work on,

finding those whom the lord has prepared for us!

Thanks to everyone for the letters, emails and prayers.

Everything counts and makes a difference and MAKES MY DAY!

Thanks for the support.

 

Elder Ashcroft

8/16/13

 Car at the train yard in Chardon

 A cool run down building in Crawford.

 District P-Day Mountain Biking

 Elder Camp and I

 Cool old painting on a building in Chadron.

 Scenic byway in Crawford.

 Tough truck competition at the county fair in Chadron.

Wild buffalo past Fort Robinson.

8/12/13

Part of the reason why we come on missions are to prepare us for our lives after. When we went to lunch at the Lauridsen's there little boys, Gregory and Andrew, were climbing all over me. I noticed that Bro. and Sis. Lauridsen were fine with us pLaYiNG with them. They were climbing on my bike and I was their "Dinosaur." They would sit on my feet and I would walk with them. When it was time for lunch they asked who wanted to PRAY. Andrews hand went up at the speed of light. In his prayer he said, "thank you for the fun missionary." After the PRAYER he said, "do you know who the fun missionary was in my prayer? You!" I felt awesome and like a big brother. It was really fun and gave me a taste of what fatherhood will be like. I'm grateful for this experience.

8/3/2013

This week my report is going to be different, there has been a lot of things going on but this report will be about a spiritual event that happened.

 

Friday- I heard some horrible news that made my heart drop into the very bottom of my stomach.

 

Saturday- I was thinking to myself, before going to bed, Why am I out here? I have had a friends mom die, a friend fall away from the church, I have no more friends and one of my friends had something very horrible happen to them. I don't feel as though God is even listening to my prayers, that he evens cares about m or that I am being directed by the spirit. So, why am I out here? I said this while praying, with faith, that Heavenly Father was not listening to me at all.

 

Sunday- I was thinking about the bad news that I heard on Friday and turned to a scripture. I felt the prompting that I should get up and bear my testimony but I debated saying, "I don't know how to end this with a 'testimony.'" Later, there was a break and I went to the pulpit and talked about why bad people do bad things to good people. (Alma 14:8-11) After I sat down Bro. Clark a recent convert got up and said when the first speaker got up to bear his testimony I said a prayer in my heart that someone would get up and talk about why bad people do bad things to good people. Both of our prayers were answered and it made me think to myself, "had I not have been on a mission, would anyone have got up and spoke about that and, if not, if he would have decreased in his faith due to he already questioning his faith.

 

I am glad that God 1. heard my prayer, 2. prompted me to speak, and 3. was able to use me to help someone in need.

7/29/13

This week picked up a lot more. We had 5 lessons to "less actives" and 2 lessons to "investigators." They are all questionable whether or not they are going to progress. One of them is an excommunicated that said he wants to get baptized but we also could smell alcohol on his breath. So, we aren't sure how serious that statement was. We are waiting for things to pick up. Just been having fun and working hard. I love my companion, Elder Camp.