ELDER BEDNAR!!!!! :D!

We had SUCH  a great week this week! We were able to visit alot of people in the ward! We got to watch the ground breaking dedication for the Meridian Idaho temple! it was beautiful! Elder Perry got called away to family business so Elder Bednar came in his stead. Elder Bednar is my FAVORITE Apostle, I know we should not have favorites and all but oh well hahahhaa So Stake Conference was amazing we had great talks and guess who was there....yes Elder Bednar! I got to shake his hand 2 times and we took a picture with him as a group of missionaries! He explained so much during his talks! One thing that he wanted us to really realize is that the Lord hastens His work not us, our job is to keep up with him! I have learned so much from him and I don't have enough time to share it all! I will write it down this week and send it next Monday with ya'll! I love you all so much and I know that this is the true church! The only way anyone can know such a thing is to pray about it and ask to know if this is the fullness of Jesus Christs Gospel back on the earth today and the Holly Ghost will witness to you the truth of all things! I love ya'll so much and I know that as we heed the prompting Heavenly Father gives us through the Holly Ghost that our lives will be better and we will feel his love more often in our lives! Enjoy the picture of my district with Elder Bednar!

 Oh, one more thing. One of the kids I taught in the Summerwind ward when I was in a trio got baptized! I couldn't be there but im so proud of Elijah

 

<3 Sister Ashley Clawson

 

 

 

Summerset Ward!

Today at 1:25 PM

      So this week has been great! I LOVE my new companion we are like twins separated at birth! It's great! We were able to see a lot of less active members that Sister Delahoyde hasn't even met! What a tender mercy from the Lord! Lacy is one that we had a FANTASTIC lesson with! She is such a sweet lady who hasn't been to church in years and she has 3 kids all over 9 years old. She was married to a returned missionary who had left her for another woman. While she was going through this loss some people were just not very nice to her, which drove her away from the church. But while we were talking about having your feet and testimony planted on firmly on the Gospel of Jesus Christ she started crying a bit and you can definately tell that she still has a testimony. But she's still letting that hurt blind her from the happiness that she could have. She definitely still has a testimony about the church and I feel like it's her time to start coming back! We also met with Ursula. She had her records removed after her husband had died from brain cancer but her daughter just got baptized and she wants to come back but she is just now grieving for her husband after 7 years of not accepting it and just moving on. I am super excited to get to know these two ladies and help them regain their faith and trust in the Lord!               

       We have a lot of work to do here in the Summerset ward. There are about 6 investigators. Allison just turned 9 and she's super excited about getting baptized. Her mom comes to church when Allison wants to so she is kinda less active and get this - her name is Ashley! hahahaha  We were teaching Allison about the importance of going to church and you could tell that Ashley wanted to come back to the church completely and be forgiven of her sins through the sacrament. Kiki is another girl who is 9 and she's interesting. She thinks she is a cat so we ask her a question and she meows........but we got her to talk this time which apparently hasn't happened much since they have been teaching her. 

     the Zetler family is super cool! They both have a past that they have  to overcome immensely and both are converts and are planning on getting sealed in January! They are a great family who have great faith even though their upbringing wasn't the best! It just proves that ANYONE can change! So if you are afraid or you just don't think they would ever be interested in the church just go for it! And let your light shine so the world can see it!

   We have a family who said they were interested in learning more but neither of us have met them so we went over and introduced ourselves and are going to call them in a bit actually and see when it would be a good time to stop by. Their last name is Weaver so keep them in your prayers! I love being a missionary!

  So tender mercy for me - we were walking and contacting less active members and we see two guys sitting in a garage and it turns out to be Brother Martinez from the Cloverdale ward! So I run over, and I did leave my companion, shame on me, and said hi and asked him how everything was. He was doing a tile job.  I miss that family already and can't wait to go to their sealing!

   So I have realized over the last 6 months that I am very spoiled! When it comes to Hispanic food that is! There are no good Hispanic restaurants or anything here! hahaha Another of our investigators makes AMAZING home made tortillas! Delish!!! She is super sweet but her husband doesn't believe in God..its really sad.

    So we do alot of service in this ward! We helped and super nice girl (who actually played basketball at MCC for awhile) move into her house and we are going to help her paint and hopefully be able to teach her. If not we can just be friends that help her out when she needs help. We did a really big service project that lasted from 8am to 4pm.  We weeded a huge garden. I'll have to say I'm glad to live in AZ where we dont have so many weeds!, We helped dig a trench to put wires in, then bury it back up! I have a ton more blisters again..hahaha it was really good tho. Then the same family, which they aren't in our ward anymore, took us out to dinner and if you ever get the chance to come up to Boise, go to Goodwoods! Delicious! Joe the investigator didn't come with us which was sad. He has some issues with the church and things he doesn't understand that hopefully we can clear up but he's a great guy!

   So there is this guy named Bob who would come to the Cloverdale ward but was in another ward but because he is sick he can't wake up early enough to go at 9 so he came to my old ward at 1. Well he sent me this email this week. 

 

   "Hi Ashley, how are you doing on this rainy evening??? I just wanted to drop you a note saying hi, and by writing you this is the only way I know to put you into my contact list.

             I went to the Dr. yesterday and got another bone marrow biopsy. {as fun as it sounds} they found some bad stuff in the sample that may put my transplant on hold indefinitely. I will tell you more about it if it is confirmed to be correct.

           Ashley, I sincerely wanted to thank you for sitting with me and answering my questions. you have clarified more to me concerning my newfound path with the L.D.S. than anyone else, and for that I am grateful.

                 I hope your transition to your new ward is a smooth and pleasant one, I know that I for one will miss your presence. I hope that in the future you will be able to sit down and talk to me in more detail concerning the church. be it  at the library somewhere, at your ward, an ice cream shop or even here using  this venue to discuss the many subjects concerning the church.

                Until the next time I hope you take care and be healthy and happy!!!

                                                                                                      Bob

 Just a great experience I wanted to share with ya'll!!!

      We get alot of questions about why we do things as Mormons and what the reason behind things are. Sister Hinckley says it the best "First I obey, then I understand." I love how simple and strong her faith is! I love you all and I know that this church has the fullness of Jesus Christ's Gospel back on the earth today as it was when he was here himself! Faith is so important, if you think about it. Jesus Christ was all the proof anyone needed and yet the people still crucified Him. Faith is the only way to know the truth about anything. I hope ya'll have a great week! Love you tons! Can't wait to hear from ya'll!!!!!

<3 Sister Ashley Clawson!

 

 

pictures!

 

 

me and Sister Delahoyde!

Transfers!!!

So funny thing Sister Archuleta just pointed out to me that I have been spelling transfer wrong this whole 6 months! hahaha So I am now with Sister Delahoyde! She is super cute and we are soooo alike! It's going to be a great transfer! We are both looking to change things around here in Boise West in the Summerset ward and just rock it! She is from Wyoming and she's been out one transfer longer then me so it will be fun to work together and get this ward missionary-minded so the work can progress faster!

   Remember that service project I had told ya'll about? Well we finished it up by putting rock where the bark had once been. So Sister Smith and I shoveled the rock into wheel barrows and the elders pushed those heavy things and then Sister Archuleta and Sister Manis spread the rocks out. We did this for about 4 hours straight! My hands had soo many blisters on them! I got one not to pop and it eventually went down and I've been peeling the ones that had already popped off yesterday. It was a really good work out, lets say that. hahaha My back hurt so much but the look on the manager's face when we finished was all worth it! I love helping people out so much! She invited us to their national night out where me and Sister Smith did face painting. Those who know me really well know that I am NOT an artist by any means! hahaha But it was a blast!

   So funny story I now live with the Cloverdale (my last area) their ward mission leader's mother-in-law! It is great! So I get to see the Andrews every once in a while now! So that's awesome!

   We were doing companionship study today and I realized everything I'm going through here on the mission is so I can fix my downfalls. Let it be people or feelings. I can see those same temptations here and it's easier for me now to ignore them and to learn how to control myself.  I love being on a mission! I have grown myself soo much already but the great part is that I have seen so many other people grow as the Lord was guiding me through the Holy Ghost about what to say. I love this Gospel and know that it has been Restored completely and fully today! I love you all and do miss you! I would say I'll write more next week but  I feel like I say that a lot but then never do hehehehe but that's me! I love ya'll so much and my Savior! Be safe and have a great week!

--

<3 Sister Ashley Clawson

 

Pictures!

 

 Face painting!  Thank goodness for the stencils we used!

 

This family has a recording studio In their basement he is an professional opera singer or was ahaha he gave us one of his CDs and he signed it we embarrassed him sooo much! hahaha

 

 I think I'll send you another package of pictures its easier for me that way :)

 

 

 

 My zone together for the last time!

 

 

Us doing the service project I think ill send you another package of pictures its easier forme that way :)

Coincidences are God's ways of remaining anonymous!

 First off I want to share an experience I JUST had! Seriously like 10 mins ago! So this super sweet guy is sitting next to me and we started to talk to this guy because of Elder Benjamin Cluff's wierd camel shirt he sent me a picture of. He taps me again and asks if the LDS church accepted anyone! So I said yes and I asked him if he was interested in having missionaries over to teach him!
He explained that his family was LDS and they were very hypocritical and used the church so he didn't want to be apart of anything like that. That turned him away from the church. He has been baptised in another religion and he said it was great but the fellowshipping wasn't there and something was missing! I'm just only a tad excited! hahah So he gave me his address and number and told me to have some missionaries call him so he can explain his situation and set up a time to take the lessons! What miracles! There is nothing better than being a missionary and helping people come closer to God, our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ!

SO for the Meridian temple ground breaking, each ward is allowed to let 4 people from the ward go to the actual sight. Everyone else gets to watch it on TV at the stake centers. We have Bro and Sister Martinez going and it's going to be soooo good for them! She  has been through the temple before and he hasn't. We have been working with their family to  get them active in the church again and now they are primary teachers and are preparing to be sealed in the temple for time and eternity! This will be a very special experience for them! Sister Anderson and her son Tommy who got out of  prison a couple months ago and is taking the sacrament again and has his first calling as the ward correstor! Me and Sister Archuleta were so suprised and proud of him when we heard his name and when we saw him take the sacrament again for the frist time in a LONG time! Sister Anderson came up to me after sacrament and gave me a big hug and we both started crying. She told me "You will NEVER know just how much you have helped Tommy! He loved hearing you share messages and bear your testimony!" This meant sooo much to me! So many missionaries are focused on how many people they baptised, for me it's more of how many people I can help on their path back to Heavenly Father! These 2 families mean so much to me and my tetimony has grown sooo much because of them and seing them change and their testimonies grow! I absolutely LOVE this work and this ward that I'm serving in!

    Logan, our recent convert, received the Aronic Priesthood on Sunday and invited us to come participate in this special moment in his life! I absolutely love this kid! I call him kid even tho he is bigger than me. hehehe He has such a strong testimony and NOTHING, not even his parents are going to get in the way from him progressing and learning more about Jesus Christ and the Plan that his Father in Heaven has for him! He leaves tommorow to go back to school in Le Grand, Oregon. we are going to miss him that is for sure! He even asked us if we could go with him to recieve his patriarchal blessing! What a sweetie!

I love you all and I know that if we follow the prophets and the Holly Ghost we will be just fine! :D! My little wisdom for the day! 

--

<3 Sister Ashley Clawson