Monday, June 30, 2014

I'm Staying!!!!!


 So this area will be my 6 months area! Its crazy to think that at the end of this transfer on August 12 I will have been gone for 6 months!!!! It's gone by so fast already! By the end of this transfer these are our goals: our new investigator Logan, who knows a ton about the church already, will be a new member of the Cloverdale ward and Karri and Dustin will be married and on their way to baptism! I'm super stoked about this transfer!
  This week was great we had a lot of progress with our investigators and less active members! There seems to be weeks where there is a ton to share and then weeks where I have no idea what to share! hahahaha
  So on Sunday we were in primary and Sister Archuleta asked if we could go home to cut her hair real quick so we did and I came back with bangs! yes I know I said I would never get them but I kinda like them then later that night she convinced me to cut all my hair shorter! There is a pic, don't worry! I love being a missionary, I really do! I get the privilege to watch people grow in the church and in their faith! I love you all!

  I love ducks! the Elders live with this family!
 
 Sister Archuletta did such a great job with my hair!!!!
 
This lady in our ward has a child who has a big sensory disorder and so she made him a ball pit and we loved it too!!! hahaha
 
 I met tony stark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


This is sister smith and me we were in the MTC together! We are both going to get a hat like these some day!!! And go to a horse derby!
 
<3 Sister Ashley Clawson

Monday, June 23, 2014

Such a busy week!

This week had been great! Full of success and progression and learning!
  So on Monday we went to the BSU campus with a girl we live with to play racketball. It was a blast! I didn't want to wear the goggles they gave me but I am glad I did or else I would have walked out with a black eye! hahah I got hit in the face with the ball, my nose went numb! haha Me and Sister Archuleta want to go to BSU for college only for the rec center! hahaha It was legit!  A couple In our ward lent us their bikes for the next 2 weeks! The seats are sooo nice! hahaha It's an important thing for sure! So we decided that we would ride the green belt here that is basically like the bike trails we have next to the  canals but its a river and its green and pretty! haha So the poor Elders rode their bikes for an hour hahaha they are really good sports!  I really want to get a  bike when I get home and ride everywhere as long as the seat is nice! haha
  So we were in our area which is about 1.5 miles away from where we lived and Sister Arculeta wanted to go get the bikes so we walked there for some reason haha and we got caught in the rain. Stinken June and it rains randomly and goes for a good 20 mins under a tree haha.
  Super awesome experience as we were riding, this guy passed us going to other way and he said. "I did this every day for 2 years, Keep going!!!!" Things and experiences like this help us get through the day and get us excited about missionary work again. When you do the same thing every day it gets kinda tedious. So whenever you see missionaries say hi, honk, wave, whatever you feel like doing. It will help them more than you think it will!!!
  What is super funny about us riding bikes now is that we get along better! hahaha I don't know why but it does so we park the car more now and bike. Not that we don't get along but you know when your with the same person for 24/7 feelings start going  haha
  For relief society this week there was the cutest activity! They passed out brown paper bags to everyone and had them bring some things that are their favorite things. Once they share these things about themselves they picked a name and that person got their bag and kept going. It was a really good way to get to know each other better and the ladies grew so much closer to each other.
  So our investigator Dustin, he was the one that wanted all this proof and had all these questions for us to answer on a piece of paper, which we had thrown away.  He asked about them if we had found the answers and we said no, and he said they  didn't matter anymore!!!! The greatest words I have EVER heard!!! Him and Karrie are sooo ready to be baptized! Karrie asked if she could pay tithing although technically she isn't a member! We are hoping and praying that they will be married in August and baptized too! She wants the bishop to marry them and we have some people in mind who can decorate and take pictures and the whole deal! I love how united this ward is! It's  so great!
  SO we had met this great guy, Cody, a couple of weeks ago and went back this week to see how he was doing. We talked for almost 2 hours! He wants to learn more and come to church next Sunday! I am so excited for him! He is 22 and he has a 3 year old son but lives with his fiancĂ©e...some how we always meet this challenge hahaha but the Lord does work miracles! For sure! We also met this super sweet lady, Devon, and her family and were able to share the first part of the Plan of Salvation with her and her cute little daughter and we had such a great time! She said we can come over whenever we wanted She's super strong Catholic which is great! She had great insight and thoughts about what we were teaching her. We asked her what she thought our purpose on this earth was and she wasn't really sure except that we should love everyone! Like Christ did! I love that! and it is sooo true!!!
  There are a lot of potential investigators and investigators in this area now thanks to tracting! hahaha We visited with Ken and Lisa and we always leave people with a word of prayer and so we went to pray so we folded our arms and they are Catholic so Ken asked us if we were praying genie style! hahaha so we ended up holding hands which was totally fine with us! :)
  This week we went on exchanged with the Sister Training Leaders Sister Edstrom came to my area and it was a blast!! We saw a ton of people! We cleaned out this lady in the ward's garage and man do I love organizing other peoples stuff hahaha you can ask ma I don't do it much to my own stuff hehehe but for others I would do it all day every day! One of the ladies we see that doesn't come to church very often finally prayed while we were there it was great and so powerful! It was really nice to see how someone else taught. It gave me ideas of how to change my way of teaching to better help the people I see and visit!
 It's crazy how many people get baptized and are members for years but don't really know anything about the church. Its kinda sad to know how much they are missing. We taught Josh and his parents this week the plan of salvation and they didn't know much about it and we invited them to come to church! Originally it was just Josh coming and on Sunday morning his mom texted us and told us that Josh didn't need a ride because she was going to bring him!!!! They arrived and she told us she drug along her husband too!!!! It was so nice to see them all there! and when they were blessing the Sacrament the dad was saying it right along! I love seeing people progress in life and in the Gospel! Josh has a baptism date for July 12!
 Our ward mission leader's son is serving in Mesa AZ and he told us that our missions aren't going to be huge baptizing missions but they will be for helping the less active and inactive members of the church develop testimonies and help them get closer to Christ and make those promises and Covenants with our Heavenly Father! I know that is so true! and I can't wait to help others strengthen their testimonies while mine in turn grows stronger right along side theirs!
 Boise is such a cute city! They had a wing festival in a park where they have contests for who can cook the best wings and they set up booths and you don't have to pay but a donation is nice to give and they gave free wings out to whomever wanted them! It was a really great community thing! Just thought I would share that its something that I really appreciate about Boise Idaho! Boise Idaho is a VERY well kept secret that's for sure! haha
  I love you all and love hearing from you! I want ya'll to know that I KNOW that this church is true! How could it not be!? We have a prophet President Thomas Monson who leads and guides our church today just like in the time of old in the Bible! I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God! If you haven't read it, read it! I promise it WILL change your life! I hope every one has a great week!

--
<3 Sister Ashley Clawson
 
 We got caught in the rain thank goodness for this tree.
 
So this is my "grandma" let me explain She trained Sister Del Nero who trained me so grandma! hahaha Sister Edstrom the one I did splits with she leaves in 6 weeks!

Saturday, June 21, 2014

....More Pics from Ashley!!!

...We received another package from Ashley with a boat load a pictures! Here they are!!!
 
 
This is the Capital Building.
 
 The House of Representatives
Watch out World (Idaho)
Sister Clawson is in the Big Chair! Ha!
 
 We had such a grand adventure at the Capital!
 
 One of our investigators, Josh, has a snake. We LOVE it!
 
 
 Sister Archuleta's first time tying a quilt! She did really good. I learned a new knot called the "Mormon" knot, funny the new things you learn! :)
 
Sister Archuleta is my follow-up trainer so in mission talk she is my step-mom but I like her the most so she is my mission "mom" Ha!
 
A lot of fun! Ha!
I do love our Elders &think they are FANTASTIC!
 
 
I had fun playing with chalk!
 
So a brother in our ward had a sweet sister who was in town from Gilbert. We had talked about AZ and the dedication, etc....
She took a package home for me and chatted with my mom for a bit.
 
She asked my mom what my favorite dessert was - so she told her and passed that info on to her Brother. When they had us over for dinner they said dessert would be a surprise for me.
 
 They had me close my eyes and said it was from my mom! The biggest cream puff EVER! Loved it!  Wasn't as good as Ma's of course but I loved it none the less.
 
Felt so much closer to Ma!
LOVE YOU MA!
 
 My whole MTC district reunited at Zone Conference
Cabrera, Facer, Smith, Me, McChesney
 
 This is at Graffiti Alley, Sis Smith is kissing a baby unicorn, I don't understand. Ha!
 
 These are wooden sunglasses, the new "thing" here in Idaho. The store is called Proof And I found ones I like but they're way too much. Ha!! I'm Cheap! :) Thanks Dad <3
 
 I have SO much fun taking pictures!
 
 We heart attacked Kari, our investigator's door!
 
 My 2nd district for the last time
Stark, McChesney, Anderson, Me , Archuleta, Madrid
 
Yes, us missionaries are so mature! Ha! <3
Stark and Archuleta
 
Elder Stark's last good bye. He is the only one leaving the area. He has been here 6 months, his whole mission so far! Crazy! We will miss him.
 
 Hiking Table Rock! We are almost to the top! There were exhausted!
Smith, Archuleta, Manes
Elders told me it was my turn to Rock climb. Elder Gunnel likes stealing the spotlight, good thing I like sharing :)
 
There are caves at the top of Table Rock. Me and the Elders climbed in it. I took pics! Love these men!
Stapley, Madrid, Hughes, Gunnel, Thatcher, Scott. They are such SWEETHEARTS   <3
 
WOOT! We made it to the top!
 
Elder Stapley & me at the top. He's from Mesa!
 
I LOVE this chick! (Sister Smith)
 
Our zone. I'll try to get a better one where Elder Anderson isn't sneezing! Ha!
 
 The Elders gave us their suits to have Bro Matson dry clean them. We had too much fun! I fit Elder Madrid's & Elder Anderson's suit swallowed Sis Archuleta whole! Ha!
 
 The Anderson Family!
 
 This is my little BFF Hunter! I LOVE this kid. He is the SWEETEST! I want my sons to be like him some day!
 
 We had the best week EVER! We went over our goals big time. The Lord helps those who help! We were blessed!
 
 Me & Sister Archie in the car.
 
 Cute little strawberries grow here!
YUM!
 
 He He He
Love you Ma!
 
 After we got caught in the rain pulling Kari's weeds :) So much fun! Can I just say  RAIN ROCKS!

 
 Love my new hat! Since I burn so easily Pres. said I could wear it for doing service! :) Happy Days!
 

 Me & Sis Hughes during exchanges. She was my STL (Sister Training Leader)
 
 Where did my body go?
 
 This machine can spell my name! It's a reading robot!
 
Me & Sister Smith built an ark. At the Discovery Center :)
 
 We walked ALL day! Don't know how them Elders do it!
 
This is Rita, a less active member who is a practicing Buddhist. WE helped weed her yard, We are eating a chive :)
I ate a purple flower! He He!
 
 My attempt at curling my hair with a straightener.
 
These  cuties ar the Martinez kids! LOVE 'EM
 
 What can I say? I was bored :)
You gotta love me!
 
Cute little Bicandy girl! Her voice sounds like a mouse!