Saturday, January 31, 2015

...Extra pics with Sis Lassen

Elder Wright, me, and Sis Lassen.
after cleaning Juanita's burnt house.
 
 Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ families can be together forever and make it through anything. Just like this family sign after the fire.
 
These rectangular spots on the wood is where the Book of Mormon and Juanita's Quad were during the fire. No smoke damage on them either!
 
Yay for attraction masks! Ha! We rocked them!

 ASU! Pitchfork! Baby!
 
Thanks! I get the picture!
 
ARIZONA!!!
 
My District
Elder McArthur, Elder Ysla, Me, Sister Lassen, Sister Nelson, Sister Kingsolver
Elder Jijan, and Elder Stapley
 
 
 
 

 

Thursday, January 29, 2015

....From President Winder

Dear Sister Clawson:

Congratulations on your call to serve as a Senior Companion in the Idaho Boise Mission.  Your faithfulness and contribution as a missionary has been exemplary and this calling is a further expression of the Lord's trust and confidence in you.

As a Senior Companion, you must continue to be exemplary in every area of missionary service. You must show absolute loyalty to the Lord and to your mission leaders. You must continue to keep all mission rules and encourage the same within your companionship.  It will be your responsibility, with your companion, to set and achieve realistic goals and to demonstrate effective planning and execution skills.

Senior Companions have the responsibility to "lead" their area and companionship towards excellence in all areas of missionary work.  You must love and reach out to your companion, set expectations and accountabilities, and produce results in your area that support the goals and vision of the entire mission.  You  must work and pray to have your area reach its fullest potential.  Use the scriptures and "Preach My Gospel" to improve your teaching and deepen your testimony.

May you feel the Lord blessing you in this new responsibility.

Sincerely yours,



President John Q. Winder
IDAHO BOISE MISSION

Monday, January 26, 2015

From Sis Rice

Sister Clawson is off to the Broadway area.    She will be taking her former companions place and pick up where she left off.  I am kind of hoping she is in the same area of Ericka Hale.  I used to work with her at Peasley’s .  I am hoping she is in the same area, and maybe Sister Clawson can help.  She is very frank, to the point, and well kind of bossy in a good way.  She doesn’t beat around the bush, but has a ton of tact!  Summerset ward will really miss her, but will embrace the new sister along with Sister Lassen.
 
(Does she know Ashley or what? Bossy is a good way, lol! That's my girl!!!)

...Sent from Sis Hatcher


Transfer! Boise East! Downtown Baby!


We had a really great last week together as a companionship with Sister Lassen! We started it off by going ice skating with the Zone again AND Sister Lassen didn't fall at all this time! She got some pointers from an ice skaters in our ward. The secret is to grab your knees when you feel like you are going to fall! SO with that advice it went from 13 falls to 0! Whoot Whoot! We had lunch at this great place called Zuppas! It's new here and originated in Utah its delicious! We had dinner with the cutest Indian family! She is from India and moved to the states when she was 6 and has 4 of the cutest kids and is expecting now too!!! One of her daughters loves to sit by me and come talk to me at church! She is only 5! Then we had FHE with the Longhurst's, who are awesome as well! We had a really fun night!
  Tuesday we took care of the 3 baptismal forms and took them into the mission office so they could send all the info to Salt Lake and get their membership numbers ready! Got to say bye to quite a few of people. So I have to admit I was really scared to let Allison get baptized because there was a chance she would become inactive because of her family. But Ashley really has a desire to go to the temple and get her fiancĂ©e there with her! I pray that he will accept visits from the Sisters and get baptized soon! That night we were suppose to go over to start the new member lessons with Hunter but we ended up just talking to Sister Barnes about the most weird stuff!!! hahaha If I've ever had a strange conversation with you times that by 10 and you'll get our conversation! hahaha
   Wednesday we got Henry all ready for his baptismal interview and set that all up. He is such a hoot!!! Just because I got called to Boise, Idaho doesn't mean I won't eat exotic weird food! hahha The Minors took us to this Ethiopian restaurant to eat. We got to eat with our fingers! We were so excited at first, then started eating it and half way through we looked at each other and we both instantly knew that neither one of our stomachs actually liked it....but then we couldn't pass up getting some Freddys custard after! hahaha So yes! I am so happy to be in Idaho where I don't have to feel the way I did after eating that food 24/7! hahaha We went to New Beginnings, which was a blast! Their invitations were plane tickets to Celestial Skies! When we got their they stamped our hands and let us on board to the Relief Society model "airplane"! It was super cute! All the leaders were dressed up like a stewardess! I didn't get a picture! They even brought pretzels and water bottles down the row to the "passengers"! After that we saw Lacie and she agreed to go to the YSA ward when her kids were at their dads. She is only 29 for crying out loud! hahaha
    Thursday, we did our last weekly planning/ popcorn time! Juanita called us to come help her pack some things up in her car to take to storage. we were already to leave and Sister Hatcher pulls up and we fill up her van. Sister Hatcher always saves the day! While we were organizing the storage unit a little more we set up a time to get a ton of missionaries and move the rest of the boxed up stuff to the storage unit with Sister Hatchers help! I just really wanted to get her stuff out of there before I left so they could start working on the house sooner and she can be back in sooner too! We had dinner with the Minors and they took us to Chile's and then she gave both me and Sister Lassen a quilt that she had made for us! She is so talented and super sweet!!!
      Friday sooooo many missionaries showed up to help move stuff and we got it all over there with 3 loads! She has this huge Storage Unit and its packed to the roof of the 2 story unit! We kinda overwhelmed her with all those missionaries but it will be less overwhelming for her now that she has all that out of the way to pack the rest and take it over herself. It was a really productive day!
   Saturday morning we were graced by an Apostle of the Lord, Elder Russel M Nelson! We took a big group picture with him then got to shake his hand! Elder Martino of the 2nd Quorum of the 70 and Elder Alder, our Area of the 70 came as well to talk to us missionaries! So we were able to be together in the chapel with our whole mission, which never really happens! It was great to be all together even though I really don't know half of them! hahaha  Ive decided in order to be an Apostle you have to have soft hands! hahaha. He taught us soo much! One thing I really liked was when he translated the word repentance into the Greek meaning. meta no eo is repentance in Greek. meta means to change. No eo  can mean nous which means mind, gnos meaning knowledge pneuma meaning spiri and pneo meaning breath. So in all the word repentance in Greek means to change your mind knowledge spirit and breath! How cool! I have learned on my mission that repentance is to change and become more like our Savior by asking Heavenly Father to help us with our weaknesses. They all talked about the Gathering of Israel, which we are a big part of! Elder Nelson also told us that we are apostles! lower case a. in greek that can be broken down to apo meaning away setline meaning this place. So us as missionaries, we go away from our homes as apostles that share the Gospel, to help others come unto Christ. One thing that Sister Nelson told us that really hit me and and helped my testimony grow is that when we were in the pre mortal life I knew that I would be sent to Boise, Idaho to serve my mission! I loved that and the Spirit testified to me that it was true! Someone didn't just throw a dart and say she should go here but Heavenly Father needed and put me here on purpose! Later that night we took Lacie to a YSA fireside that Elder Nelson was also speaking at and introduced her to the sisters, then left!
    Church was awesome today!!! Hunter passed the sacrament for the first time! He did so well then he told his mom that it was great!!!! So exciting!!!! He rushed over to me afterward and gave me a handshake and said bye! Such a sweet boy! Henry's baptism was great! He was a hoot!!! He came up out of the water and asked if that was it and then that he had water up his nose! He told me he was going to miss me and that he loves stretch, that's me! Even though I am a pain in his butt! hahahaha That's me :D!
  So I have been transferred to downtown Boise. Boise East to be exact! I am with Sister Schulte who was Sister Delahoydes trainee! This is going to be a blast! I am going to learn so much from her she has only been out for 3 months but is on fire and such a great missionary! AND her Sister is serving in the Mesa mission so keep an eye and ear out for her! I love this work and the Gospel of Jesus Christ soooo much!!!! I only have 73 pages of the Old Testament left and definitely have a stronger love of the Book of Mormon now because of that!!!!! hahahaha I love you all soo much and wish the best for you and wish that you could all experience at least 1/16th of the love and growth I have experienced in your own lives!
 
<3 Sister Ashley Clawson
p.s. turns out I can't send pictures when my camera is dead....whoda thunk!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Three new Members and Two New Deacons!

 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

...The Spjute family

I love getting pics for members of the ward Ashley is serving with! This is the Spjute family!!!
 


Monday, January 12, 2015

11 months!!!!!

I have no IDEA where that one snuck up from! You seriously blink and it's gone!
     This week was another slow one lessons wise. We taught Henry twice this week about the Restoration, Plan of Salvation and The Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is ready for his baptism on the 25th! We are all super excited for him! He is one investigator that has asked soo many good questions! I think he has been my favorite to teach! We were talking about the Holy Ghost and we were explaining how one would feel the promptings and guidance from the Holy Ghost. He started to think and got real quiet and told us that when he thought about getting baptized that he had this really good calm warm feeling in his heart and because he wasn't use to it, he would shove it away and that when he wasn't thinking about baptism. He didn't feel anything, kinda empty inside! I LOVE how the Holy Ghost works and testifies to people even if they don't know it that the Gospel is true! I love it when you know people are taking things seriously because they ask questions till they understand. Henry said the closing prayer. At first, he said he didn't know how to so we told him how to start it and end it then we just bowed our heads and were quiet, it took him a little but then he offered the most sincere heart felt prayer that I have ever heard!  He has gone through so much in his life but he is finally letting God back into his life and letting Him heal him!
  We got to have lunch with the Matsons, the family I lived with for the first 6 months of my mission. It was a blast! I've missed them so much and they are already looking for tickets to come down to my homecoming! hahahaha
   We did a service project with our district for a lady in the sister ward that had her basement flooded. It was a blast! We joked around, talked, laughed. Elder Chapman and Elder Wright decided that they wanted to have a fashion show with the Ladies old clothes! hahaha After that and cleaning Jaunita's house, me and Sister Lassen have decided that we don't want to have like ANYTHING when we get older!!! hahahaha 
   So a member that we visit every week invited us to their quilting day in the primary room. It was a blast!!!!! I tied one quilt and then left with Sister Lassen to sew Quilt tops together! MAN was I in heaven again! You never know how much you love doing one thing until you don't have the ability to do it for a long time, then get to do it again! I sewed 2 quilt tops together and this will be going to the police departments when they pick up kids and take them from their homes so they have something! It was a BLAST!!!!
    We had a great Zone Meeting this week, all focused on finding new investigators. Finding those that are ready to come into the fold of God! It was quite a spiritual day! We even had fried Oreos to end it off with a bang! hahaha They actually taste pretty good, to my surprise! hahaha The Zone leaders challenged us to find a new investigator by tonight and this was on Friday they issued it! They asked us if we had enough faith to find this one or more souls that were ready to hear the Restored Gospel. A couple hours later we went to see Betty and teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ Lesson and to our surprise the boy that is renting out  a room in her house, weird I know..., sat down with us and told us that he wanted to learn more about the "Mormons" so we shared the lesson and told him we would be back next Friday and he said he would think about it! We were so excited to be able to see a miracle come from our faith to find a new investigator! It shows that Heavenly Father really trusts those that put their faith in Him to teach many and bring them to Christ!
  Hunter had his baptismal interview and priesthood interview this Sunday and everything is set and ready for his baptism on Wed! Hopefully his dad will be feeling well enough to baptize him! So on Tues night we got a call from Sister Barnes telling us that Robert, her husband, was in the Hospital due to pancreatic, which can last for weeks! So we grab our Ward mission Leader, Brother Christanson and his wife to go give Robert a blessing! He looked sooo bad when we got there so we didn't stay very long after the blessing. The next day Sister Barnes texts us and told us that an hour or so after the blessing Robert felt a ton better and the nurses checked his vitals and there was a dramatic increase and he was released that night to go home and eat big people food! hahaha I LOVE the power of the priesthood! It is such an amazing thing! We are so blessed to have it back on this earth through worthy males who take the responsibility to serve others seriously!
  I love you all so much and I can feel the prayers on my behalf so strong!
--
<3 Sister Ashley Clawson
pics!
Too funny elders!!!!
 
  I had fun with my camera! hahaha
 
 first quilt top!
 
Second quilt top I had to do this one cuz it was yellow! hahaha

Sunday, January 11, 2015

....Letters from Boise, Idaho members

We received a package from Ashley and inside were these letters- Wanted to share them

December 2014

Hey, parents of Sister Clawson!

The fact that you are receiving these letters in an example of one of the reasons we love your daughter so, so much! She is so thoughtful and sweet. She was thinking of your Christmas present way before I started my Christmas preparations. Your daughter stole my heart the moment I met her with her gorgeous red hair, her smile that lights up a whole room, and her shivering all the way down to her toes. I don't know if she will ever adjust to the cold. :)

And then I got to know her and loved her even more. She is grounded in her faith and this shows in her actions every day When she walks in a room she lights it up with that amazing smile and then proceeds to fill it with the light of the Savior and his Gospel. When she speaks about the Gospel, the spirit is felt and hearts are touched. She is one of those people you can trust because you know her heart is true. She is someone who has truly built her foundation on the rock of our Savior and so you are safe in believing what she says. Her strength in the gospel and wisdom beyond her years is her greatest asset as a missionary (after that smile, of course!)

Thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter. She has blessed our family with her love and laughter and testimony. Our home is a better place and our family is stronger because of our association with her.

Rachelle Cahoon

                                                                               ~
Former Bishop Cahoon
Merry Christmas
December 10, 2014

Dear parents of Sister Clawson,
Your daughter arrived in our was as a brand new missionary. I could tell from the very first time I met her that she had the maturity in the gospel and the personality to make a wonderful impression on member and non-members in our ward. She was a delight to have in our home. Thank you for preparing your daughter so well and allowing her the opportunity to serve a mission, especially in our ward.

Just about every Saturday I would make sourdough bread in anticipation of Sis. Clawson and her companion's arrival at my home for a progress report. They were very faithful in delivering the report and keeping me up to date on the people they were visiting in our ward. They were always joyful and happily engaged in the work.

Several times we had them over for either dinner of FHE. I was always impressed with the message and testimony that your daughter delivered to our family. I am equally impressed with the example she set for my daughters, one of which has a desire to serve a mission some day.

Thanks you again for sharing your daughter with my family.
Sincerely yours,
James B Cahoon
                                                                             ~
Sister Clawson
We just loved Sister Clawson, she always had a beautiful smile and such a sweet spirit about her. We loved having her in our home for dinner, she was always so appreciative and left us feeling of the spirit form the messages she shared.
At a special concert we have in Boise for Thanksgiving, we had the opportunity of seeing Sister Clawson again. There she was, Big bright smile, and it was so good to see her again.
Your daughter is a wonderful missionary, you can be proud of her, as she served so diligently in the Idaho Boise Mission. .... Love your Daughter!!!

The Hunters
Keith and Rosalee
                                                                              ~
December 2014
To the family of Sister Clawson

She was such an inspiration in our Ward with her wonderful smile and cheery greeting every time. She had such a sweet, spiritual way of teaching our friends and neighbors. We knew she would never offend anyone but was always gracious and people felt comfortable around her. We missed her a lot when she was transferred. Another area was blessed with her missionary efforts.

People whose lives she touched will always be grateful for her influence which will continue to influence them and their families eternally since she brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ into their lives.

May our Heavenly Father continue to less her throughout her life and also pour out blessings on you, her family, who have shared her and her testimony with us and so many others.

Sincerely,
LeDera Greenland - Cloverdale ward,  Meridian East Stake

Monday, January 5, 2015

2015!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a fantastic week of a lot of service and visits with great people! New years eve we spent with Sister Wilkes playing Blokus and Scategorizes! Super fun and drinking apple Cider of course! The inversion had hit here in Boise for you that don't know what it is, it's a layer of smog because of Eastern Idaho's houses and cars and what not. So no sun for a while. :(  sad day.
   So Henry, Juanita's husband has decided to get baptized on the 25th of January!!!! Whoot Whoot!!! She wants nothing more than to be sealed as a family in the Temple so we are still working with all of them to get them ready for baptism. Josh and Taylor hopefully will be baptized on the 17th of January! Please keep them both in your prayers! Hunter will be baptized on the 14th of January by his dad who has come such a LONG way! So excited!!!! I love being a witness to all these miracles! The Lord has blessed me soo much! I love and miss you all so much!!!!
     Stay strong and Carry On!!!

<3 Sister Ashley Clawson
 
 not my favorite sight!
 
 We made gingerbread cookies with a lady in the ward and this my friends is my Missionary Boyfriend! haha his name is Elder! hehehehehe
 
Ain't he cute!
 
 
Party time! hahah as much as you can party on a mission hahaha
 
 Sister Lassen, Sister Wilkes and me! Drinken apple cider for New Years Eve! 
 
So I have to explain this one..Sister Delahoyde would always color on her fastoffering envelope and since this is most likely my last one i decided to do it too. they have been trying to get me to do it since she left! hehehe so that is my great art work! i should be an art major right?! hahha