5/19/14

This week we had Zone Conference on Tuesday we woke up at 4:00 and were on the rode by 5:00 and we didn't get back until 12:00 that made for a long day, but it was good i was able to receive alot of personal revelation which was awesome! President and Sister Anderson taught together about Eternal Marriage it was really great because this is something that my mind has been thinking alot about lately and i was able to have many questions answered! 

At church we had a Hispanic man come all because someone invited him. His name is Manuel Cabrera, we are going to set something up this week to start teaching him. The members have been doing a lot of member missionary work lately. We have a few potential investigators, which is really awesome and sorely needed!

On Monday night, at 2:00 am I heard a few people next door screaming and yelling at each other because i couldn't sleep anyways. After awhile of this yelling I heard them making threats at each other. I called the police and they things were taken care of. I learned a valuable lesson last night. The lesson that I learned was that when our families are centered around Jesus Christ and we follow the teachings of the prophets our homes are filled with love peace joy happiness and comfort. Unlike the contention hatred yelling and screaming that was heard from the room next door. If they believed in the prophet they would not have drank their alcohol. By not drinking they would have not had the argument that they had which is what brought in the spirit of contention and hatred. As I look at the home that I grew up in I am grateful because we were following Jesus Christ and his prophets I was able to feel loved and safe at home.

If you know of someone that could benefit from this please share it with them. That they might be able to receive the same blessings of love and comfort, peace, joy and happiness in their homes as many of the Latter Day Saint homes have! The only way nonmembers can have love, joy, peace and happiness in their homes is by keeping the commandments, which comes from Jesus Christ and his Prophets. The way for them to receive this is by us as members of Jesus Christ church to open our mouths with love and share why they enjoy this gospel, share the blessings they have seen with love. Invite them to church read The Book of Mormon and listen to message of The Restoration from the Missionaries.

I know that if each member will invite others who are struggling to listen to the missionaries the members doing the inviting and the nonmember hearing the message both will receive blessing to help them in there times of need in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Elder Ashcroft

5/5/14

This week was pretty crazy!

• We taught Kaleb and Claira about the Word of Wisdom,
• Went over the Baptismal interview questions with Gary.
• We set priorities with Rebecca to help her know where to focus her attention on. This way she can start to receive the blessings that our Heavenly Father has in store for her by keeping the Commandments. 
• To someone else that we are helping to gain a stronger testimony. We talked about how the Savior wants to forgive us after we repent. (In the lesson she opened up and I was able to share with her, through my experience, how I know our Heavenly Father loves us. It was a great lesson and I hope she will be open to doing the things that the spirit directs. That she may be able to feel loved by our Heavenly Father again!)

As for the rest of the week we were moving out of the NASTY basement into our NEW apartment. We are living in the most expensive apartment in the mission. It is really nice for a change. 

Sunday, for Stake Conference Elder's Hillier and Bowen of the Seventy were there to split the stake. There is now the Minot and Bismark stakes. he conference was held in the Municipal Auditorium because there were so members there. It was an amazing experience to see the stake split as a historic event! 

 

***In my future blogs I am going to be doing a weekly scripture. If I get enough comments or emails responding about how they feel or what they think about the scripture then I will continue to do it. I think I will be starting next week.***

 

Love Elder Ashcroft

 

 

We were able to take to Elder Ashcroft on Sunday, with it being Mother's Day and all. Best time spent as a family by far. Thankful for the technology we have but even more thankful for the old school speaker phone. Our Skype went down 10 minutes into the call. We spent some time trying to get things working but in all decided to resort to the phone. It was almost better this way no other distractions just talking. Although, in the short time we were able to see him, it was good seeing that he is eating well. The voice and spunky personality was all we needed. Sitting on the couch as a family, listening to Andy talk our ears off about absolutely nothing and no one else getting a word in edge wise was priceless. We are excited, as is he, for the next 9 months as he works with these families and calls on Christmas, for the last time, and comes home 2 months later. Thanks to all the support in Andy's behalf and to the member families that have taken him in.

Love The Ashcrofts

4/21/14 & 4/28/14

Sorry everybody who has been keeping up on my blog for the missed report last week. It was one hectic p-day! But here is a quick update!

 

Gary has been taught all of the commandments lessons and now ready for baptism! He is taking baptism very serious and wants to meet with the Branch President before to make sure that he is completely worthy/ready to be baptized.

 

We had a lesson with the Howells on Joseph Smith. We showed him were he can get the true information rather than false doctrine.

Kaleb and Claira are on to the commandments lessons now. They are doing great and I think they are getting more excited each day.

This week we started moving out of our apartment. In the process I noticed that my elbow was hurting pretty bad. The next day it was really red and I was feeling sick. As the days go on it seems to be getting even more red. We are thinking that it might have been a bite. The Dr. wanted to monitor if it spreads and further.

 

sUrPrIsEd

Monday we had the opportunity to hear from a member family that has taken a liking to Elder Ashcroft. He was at there home at the time and she sent a few pictures of him. The top picture is of her daughter and  the bottom one must be of her son. It wouldn't be Andy if he didn't try betting up some innocent kid. To our understanding the family's Grandfather grew up in Hurricane.

 

 Alex Woodbury

wrestling around



4/14/14

Happy 4/14/14 everybody!!! 

This week we had a pretty cool experience with the priesthood. Brother Pinto asked us for a blessing about a boil that was causing him discomfort. He told us later, he was able to sleep through the night and that next morning the boil was gone. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to preform a blessing and then to hear what came from that blessing. I am so grateful to be a priesthood holder and cant wait until I can bless the members of my family! 

 

On Monday, we were able to teach a 10 year old boy, Kaleb. He told his mom one night that he is ready to get baptized. She got ahold of us so that he can start taking the lessons. The plan is that him and his sister Claira can get baptized together. She is going to be turning 8 on the 26th.

 

On Tuesday, we had a lesson with Gary about the Word of Wisdom. We invited him to live it but he told us he already had been working on that. When we gave him a pamphlet to read it talked about that. He went and got medication right away to help with his problem. He is willing to change anything to follow our savior Jesus Christ, which is so awesome to be able to see the change that is happening in his life. I can't wait to be able to see him go through the temple when he gets married to his wife for eternity.

 

On Thursday, we had a lesson with Rebecca and Dustin about CPR (church, prayer and scripture reading) and how it will feed our Spirits. I promised them that if they would just do these 3 things they would be able to see special blessings the lord has in store for them. 

 

On Friday, we had ZTM in Minot. That took up pretty much our entire day, 5 hours of driving!!!....Yeah we are pretty much tired of sittin' on our hinnies.

At church this Sunday, we were able to get 5 Less Actives to come to church, 2 Investigators and 2 soon to be Investigators.

 It was really great to see that some of our hard work paid off! 

 Elder Wilkinson

Williston District Transfer 1

4/7/2014

Monday

We helped an investigator of ours move out of his apartment. It kinda stinks that he is moving. He is a really great guy that could really use the gospel in his life right now.

Wednesday

Gary taught "US" The Gospel of Jesus Christ. He did a really great job! He even used scriptures that we use as missionaries to teach. It was really awesome!

Friday

We taught Tithing and Fast Offerings to Gary. He is growing so much and absorbing everything that we teach him like a sponge. We are running out of information to through at him. 

Side Note:

One day I was thinking about how we could get the members to be better "Member Missionaries." I received revelation that we need to make a flyer and ask them what "they" would be willing to do to help, rather than us inviting them to do things. We have already started to see success. The members have handed out copies of the Book of Mormon. They have even invited Less Active/Non Members to church and other activities. The work is starting to take off, which is really good, and really needed here in the branch.

3/31/14

Wednesday we had our first lesson with Gary Hoffman. He accepted the baptismal challenge with a goal to be baptized on May 3rd. He was truly prepared and guided by the hand of the Lord.

Thursday we taught the Howells Family about the Restoration. They are members but are still pretty new to the gospel so they requested the lessons again. Their son Christopher has a hard time learning so we had to break it down really simply for him to understand.

Friday we had our second lesson with Gary. This lesson was on the Plan of Salvation. We asked him if he had done the commitments we had given him and he said he had. Then we asked if had prayed to know if he should be baptized and he said he did...and Then we asked was your prayer answered, and he said, "I believe it was." At lunch on Sunday he said that he loves the feeling he has been getting from the church even for the four weeks that he has been coming. 

 

 

Sunday on the way to church Elder Walker and I were talking about how when Gary will be going through the temple we will be off our missions and be able to go through with him. I am really excited for that day to come! Rebecca made it to church today even though she was super sick. She decided that she was going to follow through with her word and come to church even if she was sick so she could receive the blessings.

 

Overall a pretty good week. Thanks to everyone for all the support.

 

Love Elder Ashcroft