Come Let Us Anew....

Hello All!

It's that time again....HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I can't believe that 2009 is almost over.  it's been a great year.  I have learned so much and I have loved serving the Lord and His Children in Orillia, Woodstock, Barrie, and Kitchener.

Christmas was great.  We ate breakfast with the Baker Family.  Pancakes and Eggs - Yummy!  we sang them a song (Which Sister Baker e-mailed to you, mom...) and shared a message about Christ!  The reason for the season. After breakfast, we headed to lunch.  Yes that's right.  We basically drove from one to the other.  Michael Drick, one of the members who is in a nursing home with a shattered kneecap had us over for lunch.  It was great.

We  went Christmas Caroling with some of the Other missionaries and then went to the Holden’s for dinner.  Their son, Micah, reminds me of Adam Hebdon (but not Matt, for some reason - crazy) It was good.  Beautiful day!

We have had a hard time meeting with our investigators due to the Christmas Season, but we have appointments today with 6 more and we are very excited for them.  Last night, we met a man from Thailand named Sao.  He was very nice and we taught him the first lesson in his garage.  He doesn't speak English very well, so it was interesting as we used all the hand gestures and pictures we could think of to teach him.  We didn't get through the whole lesson, but we are going back tonight to give him a Thai Book of Mormon, so that should be good.  We are excited for the week ahead.  A good time to reevaluate our efforts and set goals for the coming year.  It will be a great one.  I'm going to say the best one yet.  I love you all and have a great day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Silent Night! Holy Night!

Hello All!

How are things!?!?  Is everybody ready for Christmas?  I sure hope so. There is snow all over up here, and it looks all Christmas-y!  Christmas lights on houses, Santa Clauses, etc.  And the Spirit of Christ is in the Air!  What a wonderful time of year!

It was a good week!  We had Zone conference, the Night In Bethlehem Pageant (A huge walk-through nativity), and I was also able to go on a couple of exchanges with Elder Dudley and Elder Kelly.  Great men.  Good Days.  We taught a few new people this week, but one of the problems that we ran in to was holding on to them.  We had Sunny, last night, tell us that he wasn't really interested, and Greg didn't give us the right address for the return appointment. So we have more time for finding this week!  And with Christmas it is just going to be a week of miracles!

If I could ask for your prayers in behalf of Sandra.  She is working a lot and as such, we have not been able to meet with her much lately.  Please pray for her protection that she won't be dissuaded by the adversary.  We need Heavenly Father's help.  Thanks!

I love you all!  Have a Merry CHRISTmas!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie....

Hello All!

Greetings from Canada!  It's finally starting to look like Canada.  There is snow on the ground, and it is cold!  It's wintertime.  No holding back.  On Thursday, Elder Hyde (one of the Assistants) and I were downtown almost all day street contacting.  The temperature was about -11 with a wind chill that took it to about -20 or -25.  It was fun.  We had a blast talking to everybody that was brave enough to go out in the cold.  We actually talked to a lot of people.  I was surprised that so many were outside.  But hey - the truth doesn't rest.  They needed the Gospel.

We met with Sandra, and she agreed to be baptized on January 3rd.  She was planning on coming to church on Sunday, but we think she got called in to work.  Your prayers on her behalf would be greatly appreciated.   It has been a beautiful week.  We are excited for all that is coming up as well.

The ward here is having a big walk through nativity (kind of like the one that the Jensen's ward would have) and we are going to be a part of that. We get to be nice and warm inside handing out hot chocolate, though.  It's going to be great.  And Zone conference is coming up on Thursday, so it will be magnificent.  I am very excited.  This is a great time of year, and I look forward to hearing from each of you about how you have shared the gospel with others!

I love you all! Have a great Day! Merry CHRISTmas!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night....

Hello All!

How are things?  It finally has started to snow up here!  We had a light dusting yesterday morning, and it is snowing as we speak (Or type....).  It doesn't look like it is sticking very much, but it is snowing nonetheless.

It was a good week.  We were able to drop by and say hello to Sandra.  We still have not been able to actually visit with her, but we have an appointment for tomorrow evening.  I am excited.  We dropped by last week. We were in the neighborhood, and thought we should drop by.  We gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and a chapter to read.  As we were leaving, she said, "Every time I need you guys, you knock on my door."  A great testimony to me that Heavenly Father knows and loves each of his children,  and he will work through each of us to help others.  President Kimball said something to the effect of, "God does notice us, and he hears our prayers, but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."  By small and simple means, are great things brought to pass.  This is true.  

We have been looking for divine Rendezvous lately.  A divine Rendezvous is when you run into someone that only the Savior could have placed in your path.  Someone who pulls into their driveway as we are knocking on their door.  Someone who walks outside as soon as we are getting out of the car.  The timing is too perfect to be coincidence.  I love it.  The Lord's hand is in this work, and is in our lives.  I love Him, and the things He does for Me.  He is the Good Shepherd, and he is watching over His Flock.

I Love You All! Have A Great Week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

O Come, All Ye Faithful....

Hello Everybody!

How is the marvelous Christmas Season going?  I hope that your spirits are merry, your countenance bright, and your trees decorated!  This is a magnificent time of year.

So there is a bit of news that might affect all of you planning to e-mail me in the future.  Our Preparation Day will be moving to Monday.  So Starting next Monday, 7 December, The day will be Monday.  So I look forward to hearing from each of you first thing Monday morning!

This has been an interesting week.  We got everything taken care of with transfers and getting everybody where they needed to go, we were able to have an amazing lesson with Rina (I think i have told you about her.  She is from Thailand).  The Spirit was very strong.  She prayed in the appointment and asked if the Book of Mormon was true.  She felt the Spirit, and she knows it is true.  The problem with Rina is that she is afraid.  She doesn't think she is ready.  We got a concerning phone call from her on Monday, and she wanted to take a break from our visits and just read.  We can't really force her to meet with us, so we are praying that she will call us later this week.  Your prayers on her behalf would also help. Thanks for that.

Prayers are answered.  I know that.  This is God's Work.  I am very grateful to be a part of it.  I have noticed recently how important it is to have pure motives for helping people.  It really does take your efforts to a whole new level.  Our Mission President always says, "People won't care what you know until they know that you care."  It is very true.  Love is the great motivator, and it should be at the center of everything that we do, especially in missionary work.  I know that God loves me.  And I love him. God loves others, and I will too. Try it out.  Just love.  It works wonders.

I love You All!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

This Our Hymn of Grateful Praise....

Hello All!

How is everything besides cold and snowy?  I hope that you are all enjoying it.  Winter seems to have receded for a while.  The past couple of days have just been beautiful!  Today it rained a lot.  Nobody is complaining that it hasn't really snowed yet.  This time last year, we had 2 feet already!  I am sure that it will come soon enough.

So transfer calls came on Monday night, and Elder Peck and I are staying here!  So not too much change happening here, except in the hearts of people who feel the Spirit, of course.... We had an amazing experience on Thursday night.  We were going to visit Brother Nordquist at 8:00.  We had planned to do a bit of tracting before hand in his neighborhood, and so at 7:30, we began.  We knocked on about 10 doors, before we ran into Sandra.  We knocked on the door, and she answered and we started introducing the Gospel Message to her.  As we began, I noticed she was starting to cry.  We both immediately began to change course and testify of the healing power of the Atonement.  It was amazing.  The Spirit came very strongly.  We set up a time to call her the next day, and when we did, she explained that she had a million things go wrong that day. Her husband had recently left, her daughter was diagnosed with a learning disorder, etc.  She said that she started to doubt the existence of God. She explained that the moment that she started to doubt, she heard us knocking at the door.  Someone told me once that Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.  This was no coincidence.  This was a miracle. We will be meeting with her this weekend.

This truly is the Lord's work.  His hand is ever present in guiding and Directing it.  I know that.  I know that the Atonement is the only way for us to experience complete healing.  All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement. I love you All!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Because I have been Given much, I too must give....

Hello All!

It sounds like winter in Utah.  The snow has yet to hit up here, although we keep hearing that it is right around the corner.  It has been pretty chilly lately with a wind that bites through you like Fat Albert eating a big mac (Thank You Taylor for that simile....)

So life up here is the like the biggest, fattest, fry-sauce covered French Fry there ever was!  It is great!  We were finally able to get in and teach Rina.  She is from Thailand.  We have had some problems getting in to visit her, due to the fact that she wants to meet in the afternoon when her daughter is at school.  That presents a little bit of a problem, because the members of the ward that usually go with us to visit single ladies all work during the day, but Brother Knight (Bless his big Jamaican heart) was able to come with us  to see her.  Without prompting from us (There was definitely some from heaven), Brother Knight right off the bat shared his testimony and his conversion story.  It brought such a sweet spirit into the room.  The lesson went very well, and we are meeting with her again tonight.  It has been really good to visit so many of God's Children.  It is even more comforting to realize that He loves each of them, without respect of age, gender, race, social status, etc.

I was reading this morning in 2 Nephi 27:33, which says, "he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile. "  That was a great verse for me this morning.  If God is no Respecter of persons, then we, as his servants, should not be either.  We should love them all regardless.  That is what Charity is.  In the New Testament, we read that "Charity covereth a multitude of sins."  One of the many things that we can learn from this verse is that when we have charity, we are willing to look past all the weaknesses of our brothers and sisters and love them for who they are - Children of God.  That principle has been engraven on my heart more than perhaps any other - "I am A Child of God." We sing it.  We say it.  We know it.  I know that God is there.  He is aware
of and loves each of us.  I know that.

I love you all!  Have a great Day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

In Remembrance of Thy Suffering....

Hello All!

Happy Remembrance Day!  (Or Veterans Day, depending on your location)  How is everything?  I hope that you all are doing well.  We had a good week.  We were able to meet with Georgeta, one of our investigators, and her husband Duku.  They are from Romania.  She has read everything we have given her out of the Book of Mormon.  When we follow up with her, she quotes specific verses that she likes word for word.  It is amazing.  We went over 3 Nephi 27 with her on Sunday evening, and she picked up on pretty much everything. She is currently praying about baptism, and when that should happen.  The obstacle with her is the fact that she works a ton, including Sundays.  If you could, please include her in your prayers that she will be able to come out to church and take that important step of baptism.  This is not just another minor decision.  This is Eternal Salvation.  Eternal Happiness.  And this is the only way.

I am very grateful for this time of year and the chance that we have to Remember.  Remember is one of the important words we know.  Helaman, in his counsel to his sons, said, "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation."  There are many things that we can and should be grateful for.  I am grateful for the sacrifice of those who have gone before.  Alma, in his address to the people on Zarahemla in Chapter 5, asks several questions that begin with "have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance....."  Have WE sufficiently retained in remembrance.  We covenant each week with our partaking of the sacrament that we will always REMEMBER Him.  If we do that, we will have no problem following Him.  I know He lives.  I know He Loves me.  I know He loves you.

Have A Great Day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

And We ARE NOW the Lord's missionaries - We'll Bring the World His Truth....

We had our first glimpse of snow yesterday!  it only snowed for about 13 seconds, but they were  definitely snowflakes and not rain.  Mother Nature has gotten into a habit of blowing a nice, brisk wind upon us here in Kitchener.   It has been fun.  I almost got blown away the other day (quite literally - which is really impressive, because I am not a small person....).  We enjoyed it.

It has been a good week.  God led us to 7 new people who wanted to learn about the Gospel.  I was very happy about that.  That is the highest one-week total of my mission.  The Lord's work is progressing  here, and we now have people that are willing to listen to the Message of the Restoration.  It is magnificent to be a part of this work.

So here it is - November.  Christmas is coming, and I have something I would like each of you to do for Christmas.  As the season draws nigh, take the opportunity to share with someone the incredible message of Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel.  And when you do that, write me a letter and tell me about it, and the Testimony of the Gospel that you have.  Invite someone to be taught by the missionaries, write your testimony in a Book Of Mormon and give it to somebody, give away a Church DVD, invite someone to come to ward activities - The method is up to you - use your wonderfully creative minds that God has given you (If you need ideas, Use Preach My Gospel or ask the missionaries).

Christ was the greatest gift ever given.  "For God so loved the World that He gave His only Begotten son...."  And as we commemorate the Savior and His atonement as the greatest Gift that HE could give, let us share with others the greatest gift WE can give.

President Eyring tells us, "at some moment in the world to come, everyone you will ever meet will know what you know now....And they will know that you knew. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you.... we have been given the privilege and the obligation to offer the truth and the choices which lead to those blessings to our Heavenly Father’s children, who are our brothers and our sisters."  I echo the Words of President Eyring.  We have a sacred privilege.  In the First Presidency Message in Preach My Gospel, we are promised that "more happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among His Children."  Sharing the Gospel Brings Joy, both to you and the people you share it with.  It is the only source of True Happiness.  Only the Gospel can bring us that.  Jesus Christ is the Savior, Lord, and Redeemer of all mankind.  He has restored His truth again to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  The Book of Mormon is the Word of God - I Sign my name with Elder Holland's in bearing witness of that.  This is the Lord's Work, and He will help us do it.

I love you All!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Count your many blessings. Name them one by one....

Hello All!

How are things?  I hope all is well.  We taught and set a new investigator, Rob, for baptism on Monday, and met with him again on Thursday, but he missed the appointment on Saturday night and thus did not come to church. We are still trying to get a hold of him.  We found quite a few new investigators, including Bawi (pronounced "Boy") and Rem.  They are the children in a Burmese family (ages 20 and  18 respectively).  We talked to Bawi on the street and set an appointment to come visit him on Sunday, and when we showed up, his mother and sister as well as his father invited us in and said that Bawi had told them about us coming by, and they were all excited to listen.  They called Bawi, who was not home, and he rushed home to visit with us.  The parents were pulled away, and we were in a bit of a time constraint, so we proceeded and were able to teach the first lesson to Bawi and Rem.  They are very humble people and they readily accepted the commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  That was a great miracle that we saw this week.

I am continually reminded of the incredible love that our Heavenly father has for each of us, and the foresight that is His in directing this work. Now, a little background on this - When we are on the street, we see and talk to a lot of people.  Sometimes there are a few who get away before we have a chance.  However, if I see somebody twice, God is trying to tell me something, and I will go out of my way to talk to that person specifically. This happened while I was on a companion exchange in Stratford.  I was downtown with Elder Johnson (My 6 foot 10 inch twin - long story) and we crossed the street and began talking to Lorne.  as we were talking to him, another lady walked out of a store and passed us on the sidewalk.  So we finished talking to Lorne, and kept going on our way.  We walked for about a half hour, when we came to a cross, felt we should go left and did.  As we were coming up to the next intersection, who do we see on the other side preparing to cross onto our side of the  street?  The very came lady that passed us as we were talking to Lorne.  Now she was in a decent sized group, but I weaved through very quickly and started talking to her.  She told us that she was just on her way to work, but we got her information and an appointment to go back later.

It is truly amazing how the Lord works.  He directs this work.  He has a bigger hand in it than we realize.   We should reflect each day and recall the tender mercies and the miracles that the Lord has blessed us with.  They are plentiful.  The Tabernacle Choir sings a song that I particularly enjoy, in which the Lyrics teach us an invaluable lesson - "Now if you're weary and you can't sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep. And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings."  We have been abundantly blessed.  The Lord loves us and opens up the windows of heaven and pours blessings upon us so much that we don't have room to receive them.  I know He lives, and he loves each of us.

Have A Great Day!  I love you!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Lift up your heart! Lift Up your voice! Rejoice! Again I Say, Rejoice!

Hello All!

How are things?  I hope and pray that all is well.  This week has been good.  One of the things I like most about Kitchener is that we live downtown.  If we want to find and talk to a whole kaboodle (I hope that is how you spell it) of people, we just have to walk out of our apartment.  We received recent instruction from the Assistants on making our finding more effective as well, so it has been fun to apply that and see miracles happen.  This is a blessed land.  I absolutely love it here.

One thing I would like to address today is the importance of maintaining a positive attitude.  That is something that has really helped me recently. There are, of course, the adages - "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right,"  the "power of positive thinking," as President Hinckley put it, and one of my personal favorites, "Happiness is by Choice, not Chance" (Thanks Mom).  They are all true.  How many times in the scripture are we counseled by historians, prophets, and even the Savior himself to "Be of Good Cheer?"  2 Nephi 2:25 teaches us that "Men are that they might find JOY."  We are here to have joy and prepare to meet God, and oh how Joyful that will be.  The Spirit  brings joy.  The Spirit brings peace.  The Spirit brings happiness.  The ONLY way for us to experience true and lasting happiness is by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have seen and realized that time and time again.

President Eyring has counseled us that Joy comes from Unity.  When we are unified with the Savior, we are becoming what He wants us to be.  We are living His Gospel.  Sometimes life may throw us challenges that seem difficult to overcome.  It is important that we learn, What Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught so clearly in the October 2008 General Conference - "Come What May, and Love It."  And when trials come, change the way they are viewed.  President Eyring, just a few short weeks ago counseled us that "The disciple who accepts a trial as an invitation to grow and therefore qualify for eternal life can find peace in the midst of the struggle."  The stumbling Blocks that we have are there for a reason.  We must be prepared to face them, as they are the only way that we can grow.

C.S. Lewis said, "We are blocks of stone, out of which the creator forms the shapes of men.  The blows of His chisel, which hurt us so very much, are what make us perfect."  We are being refined.  We are being tested.  We are being perfected.  I know that this is the Lord's plan for us.  He only wants what is best for us, and the things we receive from Him ARE what is best for us, despite what we might think at the  moment.  I look forward to the day that I will stand before God, and look back on my life and finally realize how each experience I had shaped me, and how My Heavenly Father molded me. I know that as each of us strives to be clay in his hands, we will become what he wants us to be.  Someone told me once, "If each of us could catch a glimpse of the person our Heavenly Father knew we could be, we would rise up and never be the same."  The Father has great things in store for us.  We just have to put our hand in His, and let Him lift us higher.  I love you all.  I know that you are all children of God with Divine potential.  You are my brothers and sisters, children of a Divine and perfect Parent, and I will love you forever.

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft.

P.S. - If there is ever anything that I can ever do for any of you, please let me know.  Please.

It may not be on the mountain height, or over the stormy sea....

Hello All!

I hope that everyone is having a good day.  Just a little update - I have been transferred and am now serving in Kitchener with Elder Peck.  It's a grand old place and I am excited to get to work.  I don't have too much time, I have been traveling and such, but I know that this work is true, and that there is work to do in whatsoever place we may be in.  In all our efforts to share the gospel, make sure that the people you share these beloved truths with know that you love them.  When we are motivated by Charity, all things will work out for our good.  I know the Gospel has been restored to the Earth.  I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Son Of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world.  I love you all!  Have a great week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Search, Ponder and Pray, are the things that I must do....

Hello All!

How are things?  I am doing just swimmingly up here (not literally, of course - Missionaries are not supposed to swim...).  But I am loving Barrie, Ontario.  The weather is starting to turn a little brisk - The temperature dropping, the Cold Northern winds blowing - it's magnificent! We had a good week.  A lot of finding.  But we were able to see some fruit from it, and we have a lot of appointments set up with the people we met last weekend.  The Lord truly blesses us and leads us to those whom He has prepared.  We were not able to meet with any of our investigators, but we found a few people who will listen to us.  Hopefully we will be able to help them realize that they need the gospel in their lives!  It truly is the greatest blessing that any of us could receive!  I love being able to tell people about it and seeing them change as they accept it.  This truly is God's work.

I am So excited for General Conference!!!  What an amazing opportunity to hear from the Prophet of God!  I encourage each of you to come up with a few questions that you have about your life, write them down, and then listen intently to conference.  You will get the answers that you seek.  The Lord wants us to be happy.  He wants us to have the answers.  We are promised all throughout scripture - "Ask and ye Shall Receive."  It truly is a promise with power.  Joseph Smith had a question, and he asked for an answer.  Look what has happened as a result of that!  Miracles can and will happen.  We will receive if we ask.  I know that.  I love you all and I wish you a happy Conference!  Have a Great Week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Beautiful Day, of peace and rest....

Hello All!

How are things?  I hope that you all are doing well.  Things up here have been.  We found 3 new investigators last week.  One of them is Greg Thompson.  He is a friend of a member in Midland, and the missionaries there called us and gave us the name.  He is a great man.  He knows the Bible fairly well, and his views match up with ours.  As we met with him, he would ask us questions about pretty much everything in the church and each response would be greeted with "That's the way I feel as well.  It talks about that in the Bible."  Or something similar to that.  Oh - and by the way - he's blind.  So we were able to get him a braille copy of the Book of Mormon.  It's HUGE!  I carried it in to his house in a box that Brindy and Noelle Both could fit it.  It came in 6 massive binders stuffed to capacity.  He was very grateful for it.  He told us as we were leaving that with all the paper and the stamping, he would give the entire copy a ballpark estimate of costing about $1000.00.  He was very grateful and we are excited to help him progress in the gospel.

The work is progressing.  As Joseph Smith stated, "No unhallowed hand can stop the Work from progressing."  That is very true.  As hostile and negative as people may be toward us and toward the Church, it can't change the fact that it is true.  I am very grateful for that.  Nothing can or ever will alter the truth.  I am grateful to be engaged in this tremendous work. Nothing else can compare.  I love it.  I love you all!  Have a great Day! Study, Share, but more importantly, LIVE THE GOSPEL!!!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

I Love The Lord - In Him My Soul Delights.....

Hello All!

How is life in the Blessed Homeland?  I hope that you all are doing well.  I think Canada is a little  confused about the Seasons.  It is actually pretty warm up here.  It's like summer came late.  I am sure that I will be missing it though in a couple weeks.  But Anyway....

We had a good week.  We were able to meet with some of our investigators and Find a few more.  One of them, Steve, is working to be baptized on the 4 of October.  (Speaking of Which - I am so excited for GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! YAY!!! LIVING PROPHETS!!!! REVELATION!!! SPIRITUAL FEASTING!!!! YUMMY!!!! Be sure to enjoy it.  I have a feeling this conference is going to be the best one yet!).  We were also able to have Zone Conference on Monday.  What a great experience.  We learned all about how to be more bold and powerful as we extend commitments to people, and about how we should use ALL the resources around us to talk to ALL the people we come in contact with.  It was a great experience.  I just love missionary work and all that comes with it!  The Gospel is true.  I am so grateful for that knowledge and the privilege that I have of sharing that with others.  It is such an honor to be in His service, and to be an instrument in His hands.  There is no greater work than this.  I love it.  I love the Gospel.  I love God's Children.  I Love The Lord-  In Him My Soul Delights!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

I Believe in Christ! He is My King! With ALL my heart to Him I'll sing....

Hello All!

Greetings from the blesse land of Barrie!  This week has been great, as we have been able to evaluate last transfer and set goals to improve this next one.  Elder Obando and I have addressed the concerns of the Zone and we are very excited for the group of missionaries that we have and the potential that we have.  We have a lot of good missionaries [Side Note - Sister Olsen (From Price, UT - GO CEU!) is serving in Keswick right now, which is in the Zone.  Her District Leader is Elder Ford (GO OLYMPUS!).  So that's
fun....].

                                                     

We have incredible potential and we are very excited for the miracles that we can  accomplish.  As always, I am grateful for your prayers and can truly see them being answered every day.  This is an incredible work that we are about, and the Lord truly has a hand in it.  His influence is far greater than any of us know.  We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have made promises to the Lord.  We are to stand as Witnesses of God at ALL times, in ALL things, and in ALL places. There is no exception, qualifier, or condition.  We are representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We know He Lives and loves each and every one of us, and it is our duty to let everyone know that.  "Ye are the light of the world....Do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house....Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your god works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."  We have the Light.  We are the light.  And because we have that, we need to share our light with others.  A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.  Please, each of you.  Make a list of people that you know who do not know the gospel.  Pray over that list and pay attention to the name (or names) that come into your mind.  The Spirit speaks through the Thoughts in our minds and the feelings in our hearts. You don't even have to talk to this person about the gospel.  If you aren't comfortable with that, just call the missionaries, give them the name, and watch the Spirit work.  It is truly amazing.  I love each of you, and I pray for you.  If I can help you in any way, let me know.  Have a Wonderful day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

You can Make the Pathway Bright....

Hello All!

Transfers Happened - and I am  staying in Barrie!  My New  companion is Elder Obando.  He  will arrive later today.  I  am  excited for  that.  We had a good week.  It was a little bit of a struggle to get in touch with our investigators this week, but  we have  some definite potential for  more investigators in the next week as  well.  It is an exciting   time.  Elder Hafen,  Elder  Smith,  and Elder Shelley are  all leaving, so  yet again, I stay and everybody else goes.  Oh well.  The Church is still true.  I  hope that everybody is doing well.  Hopefully,  school has not  floored anybody too bad.  Good luck with that.  Do your best!  Have Fun!  Sorry to be brief! I love  you!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

We all have work, Let no one shirk.....

Hello All!

Let me just start off by saying that I love the called and ordained servants of God!  We had a great meeting with Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the seventy. He met with us and the Zone Leaders from the East mission as well on Monday Morning.  It was such a great opportunity to hear his words and be taught from on high as he instructed us.  He talked a lot about Agency and Responsibility being companion principles.  As such, they are completely inseparable.  You cannot have one without the other.  And if, at any time, we avoid responsibility, we are giving control to others, giving away our own agency, and (very blunt, but very true) - denying the plan of our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was very bold, very powerful, and very motivating.

Amazing how God calls Men and uses them in ways that they cannot even comprehend to accomplish His Work.  I love it!  It is truly amazing!  I am very excited for tomorrow, when Elder Robbins will address the entire mission.  It will be a great spiritual feast.  It has been a good week, and I hope that you are all doing well.  I love you all!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

P.S.  - Good Luck with Back to School!  Let me know how things are turning out!

Help Me Teach With Inspiration....

Hello All!

How is everybody as the Summer winds down?  Not to bring up a painful subject or anything, but I hope that everybody is ready for school and everything that comes with it.  The Summer here in Barrie seems to be just picking up.  It is hot. And it is humid.  And I am wearing along sleeved shirt.  Don't ask me why.  Let's just say thank goodness for Air conditioning.  Yeah.

Things are going well.  We had a bit of a slow week teaching wise.  We had three district meetings to go to, and we had a companion exchange with the Newmarket Elders.  So we spent a fair bit of time with the administrative things, and that took a chunk of time from our proselyting (bummer).  But with the time we had, we made it effective and did what we could.  We were able to find some really good  potentials, and we hope to meet with them later this week.  One of them is a less active member that we contacted on the street who has a nine year-old daughter who (as we were talking to the mom) was jumping up and down yelling "I want to be a Mormon!"   That's awesome that a little girl recognizes the truth and wants to be a part of it. She doesn't care who knows it either.  She is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.  And neither should we.  This is the truth, and we all know that.  As Joseph Smith stated (tense revised for myself, and each of us for that matter), "I know it.  I know that God knows it.  And I Cannot Deny it."  I love this gospel and this work.  Live it.  Love it.  Share it.  I love you!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

The Happy Day at Last Has Come....

Hello All!

How are things in the great State of Utah (And wherever else you may be as well)?  Things here are going well.  The Sun is Shining.  The weather is Humid.  The people are out.  And we are talking to them.  We have done a ton of finding in the past week.  Especially the last few days of last week.  We talked to a ton of people, and we have seen fruit already from it.  We have a lot of potentials that we will be working with in the near future.

I am continually amazed by the hand of the Lord in this work.  One of the people that I talked to was Mike.  He was walking a little bit ahead of me, and when I first started talking to him, I thought he was ignoring me, so I almost let him go.  The Spirit works in lovely ways, and my thought was that I needed to hear him say he was not interested before I let him go.  So I tried again and we talked to him and were able to tell him about the glorious message of the restoration.  He hadn't heard me the first time, but when the Lord commands - Do it.  Blessings will follow.  It happens time and time again.

I love you all!  I hope that each of you has a great day!  You deserve it. Remember Who you are.  Remember Where you live (That's kind of important). Remember WHOSE you are (1 Corinthians 7:13).  Just Remember.  A greater word was never known among men.

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Like Ten Thousand Legions Marching....

Hello All!

Barrie Means Business!  That's our motto here.  We hope to live up to it. We are getting there.  We were able to Set Dan  for baptism on the 29th of August.  Nice Man, has read the Book of Mormon 6 times.  We also are hoping to commit Tina, Brenda, and Paul and Jeanne to the same.  Please pray for us and for them so that we will be able to see these and other children of God come into His fold.  Miracles can and will happen when we act in faith.   We had a lot of planning and other things for the Zone that we had to do, and we are excited to see what we can accomplish.  It was a good week and we hope to continue!  This is short, but I don't have too much time (We had to drive down to Newmarket and meet the Assistants to get a new phone for the Stayner Elders - They Broke Theirs... That took a few minutes).  But I love you all and hope you are having (And Will have) a great day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me....

Hello All!

Greetings from Barrie, Ontario!  It is a great place up here, and except for the fact that it has rained 6 of the last 7 days, the weather has been awesome!  Rain is great.  I love it.  But not really as a missionary.  You see, when it rains, most people go inside and don't want to answer their doors, and you are left with no one to talk to.  That’d be bad.   No bueno.   If you know what I am saying.  We have been tearing it up, though.  The breaks in between the rain we have run and talked to as many people as we could.  It's pretty much awesome.  So yeah.  Time runs a little short this week, but we are doing well.  Barrie is great.  We are starting with a few investigators that are awesome (2 of which came to church), and we are striving, constantly striving, to find more.  Have a Great Day!  Learn it.  Live it.  Love It. Share it.   

Your Obedient Servant,

Elder Austin James Ashcraft

I'll Go where you want me to go, dear Lord....

Hello All!

Stop right there!  Don't put the stamp on that envelope yet!  (I know that all of you were about to send me a letter)  TRANSFERS!  I am now back in the Barrie Zone (Actually serving in Barrie this time).  I guess the northern end of the mission was calling my name, and I could only stay away for 3 months.  My new companion is Elder Hafen.  He is from Santa Clara, Utah. Good Man.  I am excited to work with him.  It is a little interesting being only 30 minutes away from the Blessed land of Orillia, but it is good to learn a new place.  So the reason that this e-mail comes late (obviously) is the fact that I was traveling for much of the day yesterday.  So here I am - at the Barrie Library - e-mailing all of you!  I hope that you have a great Day!  And for all of you out there that are sending me letters, my new address is:

Elder Austin Ashcraft
75 Ellen St. #904
Barrie, ON  L4N 7R6
CANADA

So I will be anxiously waiting for your correspondence.  Have a great Day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Go Forth with Faith....

Hello All!

I hope that all is going well!  I apologize if this may be shorter than usual, but we are a little rushed for time today because we are heading up to Kitchener for a Zone Activity.  There will be volleyball, which is wonderful!  *(Side Note - Elder Feinga [who just so happens to be the cousin of Ray Feinga and Harvey Unga - he's Tongan- thought some of you might appreciate that little tidbit of information] is a very good volleyball player.  So much so that he was banned from MTC volleyball during gym time because he spiked the ball into an elder's face and broke his nose, causing him to delay his departure date while he got that taken care of.  So it's going to be fun trying to dig out his hits this afternoon.)*  Anyway......

Things are going well.  The Missionary Day was fantastic!  Good turnout, good workshops, and we have already seen some fruit from it, as the members have given us more referrals in the past week than they have my entire mission.  Good stuff.  We have been purging our teaching pool of non-progressing barnacles (AKA the ones that just seem to hold on forever but never really do anything).  That is going well and we have found some new people to work with.  The work is progressing, and the church is true. Have a great day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Come, Sing To The Lord....

Hello All!

How is everybody? I hope that all is well!  Things up here are great!  The weather is bearable.  The  people are Canadian.  The Gospel is True – What more could you ask for?

We had a good week, despite not being able to contact L.J., Tamara, and Becky, and losing 7 of our  investigators because they were not interested. Winston, and Kevin stepped up, though, and they are both doing well.  They believe everything we have taught, they are just waiting for an answer from our Heavenly Father so that they will KNOW that this is what they are supposed to do.  We also have the Woodstock Branch Missionary Day on Saturday which should be great.  I am very excited for that.  I will update you next week on how that went.  It's essentially a Member MTC.  It should be good.  I am excited.

I hope that everybody had a good 4th of July.  Independence Day!  I sang the National Anthem that morning.  I hope you could all hear me.  I hope that everyone had a great day celebrating the freedoms that we so fully enjoy. Ether 2:12 - Look it up.  Anyway - I love you and miss you all.  Not too long today, but I will do better next week.  I hope that you all have a great day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Go Ye Messengers Of Glory....

Hello All!

How are you doing?  I hope that things are going well.  It has been a good week up here in  Woodstock.  We had Zone Conference on Thursday and it was spectacular!  President Middleton is such an inspired man.  I love him to death.  (Except not literally.  That would not end well).  We received some great instruction from the leaders of the mission.  I am so very grateful
for the spirit and the divine guidance that it gives.

We had a little scare with L.J. last week.  He called us and asked some questions about the church and we could tell that he was being antied.  He was also avoiding meeting with us for a while.  We finally were able to meet with him and resolve his concerns, though.  He is still planning on being baptized on July 11.  A few others of our investigators fell off the radar for a little bit.  Scary.  We are continuing to work and pray for them, and we know that all will be well.

Canada Day was good.  The Stratford Elders came down and we played Tennis and Volleyball for P-day.  It was a lot of fun.  I haven't played a good game of volleyball since the MTC.  it was good stuff.  The Library was closed, so here I am, on Thursday, writing to yous.  Fun stuff.  I hope that you all have a great Day and a marvelous 4th Of July.  Light Fireworks/have a BBQ/relax for me.  Have a good one.  I love you and miss you all.  Have a wonderful Week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Do not be discouraged, God is over all....

Hello All!

Greetings from Woodstock, Ontario!  It's a little warm here and I feel like I am melting every time I walk out the door, but life is great!  We had a good week and I am excited to be here in Woodstock.

The week was a little slow lessons-wise.  The only investigator we were able to really make progress with was L.J.  He is still working for 11 July to be baptized.  His older brother Jermaine, picked up and went to Jamaica for a while to visit his dad.  We are not sure when he is getting back.  We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon to take with him, and he told us that he would continue to read and pray every day, so it will all work out.  We have enjoyed our week.  I spent yesterday in Kitchener with Elder Obando on a companion exchange.  That was fun.  Talked to some crazy people.

Anyway, I apologize that this is later than usual, but the server at the library was down, so we had to wait.  Also, Next Wednesday is Canada Day, and all the libraries are closed, so I am not quite sure what is happening there.  It will all work out, though.  So if an e-mail doesn't come until the day after, forgive me.  Have a great Week!  Enjoy the Summer Break! Live The Gospel!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done....

Hello All!

I hope that things are going well in the blessed homeland!  Things up here are going quite swimmingly (seriously.  I feel like I am swimming every time I walk out the Door.  It's SO Humid here!)  Things are going well though.

So we had an interesting experience last night.  We dropped by Lee and he wasn't feeling good, so we were walking back to the car and looked at the apartment building across the street, and we saw that something on one of the balconies had caught fire.  So we called the fire department and then went into the building, pulled the fire alarms and knocked on all the doors (something we have a lot of practice at) telling people to get out of the building.  We got everybody out safe and the fire department came and quickly got the fire under control.  It was not very big of a fire, probably only about the size of a  campfire, and there was not a huge amount of damage from what I saw outside, but it was a rewarding experience.  The superintendent of the Building came up to us after (Everybody was outside waiting) and he said, "Thanks for what you did.  My name is Douglas - Apartment 102.  Come by in a couple days or so.  I want to talk to you." That was cool.  Hopefully we will see some fruit from that.  So that was our eventful experience for the night.  Definitely a Journal Moment.  Anyway....

We were able to meet with L.J. and Jermaine a few times this week.  They are the two investigators with baptismal dates.  They are preparing for July 11th.  We were talking to them yesterday, and Jermaine mentioned that he had been having second thoughts about baptism.  He doesn't want to make a commitment and then slip up again.  We reassured him that the Lord would help him, and that, although it might be a sacrifice and it would be difficult, the reward that we receive from our Father in Heaven is far greater than anything we can imagine.  If we give the Lord our best, He will give us His best.  and His best is more than enough to pay the price for us.  They are going to, each night, read from the Book of Mormon and pray for a confirmation to know that it is true.  The youth in the branch are getting involved as well.  Jermaine and L.J. are going to one of the Mutual activities tonight.  We also identified a family in the branch that would be good to fellowship their parents, so we can bring an entire family into the gospel!  It is an exciting time here is Woodstock.  The Lord is really blessing us here.   I am grateful for the opportunity to be here.

This is the Lord's work.  He wants us do it and to do it His way.  He will bless us and guide us in our efforts to share the gospel.  Something in Preach My Gospel (The First Presidency Message - Page v) is really amazing. it says, "More Happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among his children."  It's true.  President Hinckley has said,  "You want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause, and bend your efforts to helping people."  Such wise counsel.    We are promised that whosoever shall lose his life for Christ's sake shall find it.  This is a true principle.  I know that each of us, as we serve others, will receive more joy and happiness than we have ever known.  This is Christ's  Gospel. This is His Church.  This is His Way. I love you all.  Have a wonderful day!  And remember (Thanks, Mom) Find Joy in His Service Today!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Count Your Many Blessings, Name them one by one....

Hello All!

Greetings from the blessed land of Woodstock.  I have some tremendous News - Tamara is Getting Baptized!  (I know - some of you - possibly all - might be thinking "Who the heck is Tamara?"  Well, let me tell you)  Tamara is the Girlfriend of Mark Dustow, one of the members in the branch.  he talked to her about marriage and he told her that if he was going to get married, he wanted to do it right and be sealed in the temple.  He told her about the church and we met with her last Friday and she accepted the invitation to be baptized!  The baptism won't be for a few weeks, but I was so excited, I couldn't wait that long to tell you (not like I would wait that long anyway....).  We are meeting with her again this evening.

L.J., our 9-year old genius of an investigator, also wants to be baptized. He is aiming for 11 July.  We are trying to teach his family as well, but they are always running around like chickens without heads when we come by. We did have a good visit with Victoria, the mother, and we shared some scriptures with her that show how Christ loves us and wants us to be happy, and how that by turning to Him, He can lift burdens off our shoulders and give us the strength to carry on.  L.J. usually has the time to meet with us (after all, he is only 9) and he wants to be baptized.  He and his 16-year old brother Jermaine came to church on Sunday and I think they enjoyed it.

They are also going through a rough time financially, with both parents looking for work.  We are trying to help, but we can only do as much as they will let us (Which, as of yet, isn't much).  But keep them in your prayers and miracles will happen.

Great Things are happening in Woodstock.  I am excited to be here.  Little side note: transfers are today and Elder Call and I are both staying in Woodstock for another 6 weeks.  The Lord has blessed us so much as we have diligently worked in this area.  Just last night, we had a dinner appointment with the Mitchell's and afterwards, we were walking down the street to the car and we decided to cross the street and talk to an older couple who was just getting home.  We did, They invited us in and we were able to share the Restored Gospel with them.  It is so amazing how the Lord Works.  I am so grateful to be a part of this great work.  It is something that blesses the lives of all who participate in it in any way.  I love this work.  I love the Gospel.  And I love the Lord - In Him my soul delights.

Have a Great Week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Jesus Said Love Everyone. Treat them Kindly Too.....

Hello All!

Greetings from Woodstock Canada!  Life up here is just grand!  The work is great!  I am so very grateful to be a missionary!  So it's June.  And usually in June the weather is warmer, right?  Well, not so up here.  The first day of June was a little bit....how do you say....cold?  Yes, that is the right word.  About 50 degrees.  For the first day of June.  That's not quite kosher (Which, believe it or not, is okay anyway because I am not Jewish).  Anyway....That was probably enough of my ranting for one e-mail. so yeah....

We had a good week.  We were able to visit with a few investigators and we feel that they are making progress.  Lee Walters, who I believe I have mentioned before, loved the Plan of Salvation and he asked us when we were coming back before we suggested it.  I love it when that happens.  We were not able to meet with him last night as we had planned, but we will be dropping by tonight to visit with him.

One of our new investigators, L.J., we are very excited to work with.  He is 9 years old.  His parents had been investigators when we came in to the area and we have not been able to meet with them yet (They keep shrugging us off) but the one time we dropped by, Victoria (The mother) sent L.J. to the door to tell us that she didn't have time that day, and he added "I would like to study with you."  So we visited with him.  He is the smartest 9 year old I have ever met.  We had looked at/investigated/been to 13 different churches.  He understood everything we taught and we hope that we can get the rest of the family back into active investigation.  We have an appointment with them on Saturday, so we will see how that goes.

Elder Call is doing very well from what I can see.  We had a good talk about the spirit right after an amazing lesson that we had.  He mentioned at one point that it is difficult for him to discern the promptings of the spirit from his own thoughts, which is a problem/concern that I had and continue to have.  It is a constant struggle, and we were able to talk about that and I hope that Elder call learned as much from that conversation as I did.  He is a great missionary and he will accomplish great things.

I hope that everyone has a great week!  Know that the church is true and that the Lord watches over each and every one of us.  "His eye is on the sparrow.  And I know He watches me."  True statement.  He knows each of us perfectly.  His arm is constantly reaching out to us.  (Jacob 6:5)  Take his hand and let him lift you.  I love you and miss you all!  Have a great Day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

A mighty fortress is our God, A tower of strength ne’er failing......

Hello All!

How is everybody?  I hope that all is well.  I was glad to hear that the yard sale/fundraiser was such a success.  I hope that Maggie is doing better and that the Doctors in Boston will know what to  do.  Anyway....

We had a good week.  We were able to meet with quite a few of our investigators and there is some definite progress.  Dan is doing well.  We had a really good lesson on Monday about the power and the need to pray. I think he is finally starting to understand that prayer is a very powerful tool.  He has problems with schizophrenia, and we promised him that if he prayed when he was hearing voices, they would start to go away.  He liked that idea and he committed to pray every day.  He is still having a hard time with coming to church.  He doesn't like crowds and he thinks the service is too long and boring.  We are still working on overcoming that stumbling block.

Our most progressing investigator would probably be Becky Reeves.  She is one that we tracted into on Tuesday and she let us in and heard us out.  We have taught her the Restoration, the Plan of Salvation, and part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We also found out that her sister, Danielle, was an investigator in Brantford while she was going to school, but she moved to Woodstock and kind of fell off the map.  We met her and she told us this, and she also said that she was taking the fact that we randomly showed up at her house as a sign that she needs to get back into it.  That was amazing. I love it when things like that happen.

We also met with Lee last night.  We taught him the Plan of Salvation.  He told us that when we first came to the door, something told him, "You should listen to them."   That was really cool.  We also reiterated how he can know what is true by praying and asking about it.  That was a great way to end
the night.

The work is going well.  It is amazing to see how the gospel changes people's lives.  I am very grateful for the opportunity to share the gospel full time with everyone I come in contact with.  It's amazing - that's all there is to it.  I love you and miss you all!  Have an amazing week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

All around and all above, bear one chorus: God is Love....

Hello All!

How are you?  How is the first bit of summer (For some of you) and the last bit of school (For the rest)?  I hope that everything is well and that you are enjoying this wonderful life that we have.

We had a good week. We did found a few new investigators that made the week great.  Les is a former investigator from about a year ago that we were able to contact and teach, and the other two are Winston and Gail.  He is from Jamaica and she (I believe) was born and raised in town.  We visited with them on Saturday morning and they were excited about the message that we had to share.  They accepted the commitment to read 3 Nephi 11 and pray about whether or not the Book of Mormon is true.  They wouldn't give us a definite yes about church though.  They said "we will see what happens."  But they didn't show up.  We have an appointment with them on Saturday Morning again and we will reiterate the importance of the Sabbath Then.  We also have been trying to get in contact with the investigators that the previous missionaries left.  There are a few that we still have not met yet.  We are working with that, but there is not too much progress there right now.

We have planned a "Branch Missionary Day" for July 11th.  We hope to get the entire branch out and have sort of a "Member Missionary Training Center." We want to help them see how they can use the resources that we do have (Preach My Gospel, Pass-a-long cards, etc.) to make it easy to share the gospel with others.  It should be a great event.  I am very excited for it.

We had a great spiritual experience yesterday that reaffirmed my testimony of the Book of Mormon.  We were tracting and we were invited in by a man who had a very firm and adamant belief that the heavens were closed and the bible was the end of revelation.  We explained where the Book of Mormon came from and he pretty much flat out told us that we were wrong.  We listened to his argument for a few minutes and shared our testimonies, but seeing that there was nothing that we could do to help him see, we wrapped up and headed out.  Elder Call, very eager to get him to know the truth, tried very hard to convince him to "just try the Book of Mormon."  As this invitation was extended, he again shut us down and we went on our way.  We left the house and I could tell that Elder Call was angry, so we went to the car and read from the Book of Mormon.  As we would get near the end of a particular passage, another scripture would come to my mind and we would go there.  We simply read from the Book of Mormon for about 15 minutes.  Tears were shed as we realized the power of the Book of Mormon and the Truth that it contains.  The power that is in that book truly outweighs any other literature.  I felt so grateful for the knowledge that we have, and for the
opportunity to share that with others.

Elder Call is great.  He is constantly learning and trying to be better.  He will be a powerful instrument in the lord's hands.

Thanks for all that you do!  I am very grateful to know each of you and to learn from you.  I love you and Miss you all!  Live the Gospel, Love the Gospel, Share the Gospel.  This is what the Lord expects of us.

Have A Great Day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

I Need Thee Every Hour, Most Gracious Lord....

Hello All!

How was everybody's mother's day?  I hope that it was just grand.  Ours was delightful.  I am so very grateful for all you mother's out there and everything that you do to raise and help with all children, not just your own.  Keep up the good work.

It was a pretty good week, although we are having a little bit of trouble meeting with our investigators, especially those that were left by the other missionaries.  We have been able to set a few appointments with them, however.  Hopefully they will go through and we will be able to help them progress.

We had a great experience on Monday.  We were tracting and saw a man working on a bike in his garage.  We offered our help and he said something that we didn't understand.  We again asked him if he needed help and realized that he could not speak English.  We then just started to help him.  We worked in almost complete silence for about 20 minutes on this bike, and when we had finished, we handed him a pass-a long card with a picture of the Savior.  He was very grateful for that.  He tried to say something right before we left, but we both just looked at each other, looked at him, all three of us
shrugged our shoulders, shook hands, and we then went on our way. I thought it amazing how even though we could not speak the same language, we didn’t need to.  Our actions did the talking for us.  What an amazing experience.

Our new investigators (Leann, Lee, and Dan) all have great potential.  Two of them were out of town last weekend, so we couldn't meet with them or get them to church, but we will keep trying.  That is one of our goals for the transfer - to focus on getting people to come to church.  We are working on that.  We have met quite a few of the members as well and we hope to get them more involved in the work.  We have made some plans to contact them personally and ask for referrals, ask them to accompany us to appointments, and to be willing to fellowship our investigators and make them feel welcome at church and such.  Miracles can and will happen.

This church is true.  I am so very grateful for that.  This is an exciting time of year, with school ending and summer starting. Have fun, but don't lose sight of what is important.  Never forget what you know.  And always, ALWAYS remember that Christ loves you and that he has a way for you to live with him again.  I love you and miss you all!!!  Have A Great Day!!!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Scatter Sunshine all along your way....

Hello All!

How is everybody doing?  I hope all is well back in the blessed motherland. Speaking of  Mothers... Happy Mother's Day!!!!  Tell your mother you love her, give her a big hug, and make it a special day for her!  You will feel better, I promise.  So....yeah....

It was a good week.  Elder Call and I have been familiarizing ourselves with the area and meeting a lot of good people.  Elder Call is doing very well. I think he is training me now.  There are still a few times when he will stumble over his words and look at me for help, but he is doing amazing. His testimony is very strong and he has a sincere love for everyone that we meet.  In the teaching appointments that we have had, he has borne his testimony about the truthfulness of this work and you could just feel the spirit flooding the room.   He has a great desire to learn as well.  He will be (And already is) a great missionary.  I am grateful for the opportunity to work with him.  Hopefully I can keep up.

Our new investigator, Dennis Rodgers, was  a media referral that the previous elders left us.  We dropped by and were able to teach him the restoration.  He is willing to learn and he told us that he had seriously investigated the church about 20 years ago out in Alberta.  We will be meeting with him again on Friday.  We have also talked to a few others that have definite potential as well.  We met with Bro Eichler, the Branch Mission Leader on Monday to coordinate with him, and we talked about how we
can get the branch members more excited and involved in the work.  We want to have a "Member MTC" where we teach them about Preach My Gospel and about how easy it is to talk to their friends about the church.  We don't yet know all the logistics, but we hope to get that moving forward.  We are kind of
excited about that.

Anyway.... I hope that everyone is doing well.  Good Luck on end of the year tests, and congratulations if you are done!  I hope that the school year ends well for everybody.  Have Fun, Do Good, and learn lots.  I love you and miss you all.  Share the gospel with your friends!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

The Morning Breaks.... Or Afternoon...Whatever...

Hello All!

Greetings from the sunny land of Orill - wait a minute - That's not right. I got transferred!  I am now serving in Woodstock, Ontario.  My New Companion is Elder Call.  He is from Queen Creek, Arizona, and he is fresh from the MTC on Tuesday.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be serving with Elder Call.  He is going to be a great missionary.  He is very humble and he is very willing to learn.  I am very excited to work with him.

We made it back to Woodstock at about 6:30 last night.  We got our bags inside and then went out to do some contacting.  As we were on our way we spotted a Moving Van and pulled over and helped them out.  It turned into a contact for Elder Call.  He was explaining to them what we are doing as missionaries
and they told us that we could come back after they got all settled in. Elder Call is a good man and I am excited to work with him here in Woodstock.

I got to Brampton on Tuesday Afternoon and then we went to the Mission home, met our companions and had a great night.  We had some training in the Morning and then we went to Lunch (The Mandarin - Great Place.  The Boys would have loved it.  Chinese Gourmet, but celestialized).  We got everything we needed from the Office, the Mission home, and The Mansion (Where the Brampton Zone Leaders live) and we drove to Woodstock.  It was a good couple of days.

The last week in Orillia yielded at least one miracle.  Len Longtin, when we met with him on Tuesday (right before I left), promised me that he would get baptized.  I didn't even have to ask him.  He just came right out with that.  I thought that was incredible.

Life is good.  The Gospel changes lives.  And it is through us (Each one of us.  that means you, too) that it is shared with our lost brothers and sisters.  Talk to your friends.  Talk to your Family.  Talk to a Parrot. But just Talk.  That's where it all starts.  Have a Great day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

P.S. My new address is

Elder Austin Ashcraft
600 Chieftain St. #805
Woodstock, ON N4T 1S1
Canada

Oh, How praying rests the Weary....

Hello All!

How is everything back in the Blessed Land of Utah?!  I hope that everything is going just swimmingly for each of you!  The Sun is shining!  I don't have to wear my suit jacket anymore!  Things are so happy here! We had an interesting week.  We met with most of our investigators and some of them seem to be progressing.  Others, however, are not progressing as much as we would like.  Len came to church.  He really liked it and he said that he would be back next week.  We met with him again yesterday and taught the stop-smoking workshop.  We are praying for him to quit.  That really is the only hang up that he has.  He has been taught everything and he believes it.  The only thing he has left to quit is smoking.

Allen is doing well.  We have showed a few videos over the last little while and he really enjoys and learns from them.  On Sunday, we watched "To this end was I born."  He was amazed at the suffering that Christ went through. The problem with his progression is that he is still living with Jessica,
and there is really no sign of that situation being remedied.  They are looking for an apartment, but I think that they are looking to get out of the place they are in, not to live in separate apartments.  We will continue to pray for them and help them realize the importance of keeping the commandments.

Jessica Haime told us last week that things are falling into place for her. We are hoping that means she is ready to kick Andrew out.  We will continue to help her build her faith as well.

Kara is in an interesting situation.  On Saturday, we set her baptismal date for 26 April.  She went to church with her family on Sunday and called up on Sunday evening saying she doesn't think she should get baptized yet.  She will be going to rehab in the middle of May and thinks she should wait until after that so she can clear her head of the confusion.  We visited with her and left a commitment to read the testimony of Joseph Smith in the front of the Book of Mormon and Pray specifically about it.  She said she had already done it, but she agreed to do it again.  The problem that I am having with that situation is that I really don't know what she is going through and she knows that.  I haven't had to be disowned by my family.  I haven't had to overcome addictive drugs.  We encourage her to go to the one who DOES know and ask for guidance.  That's all we had thought to do.  We haven't heard from her since then.  We hope to visit with her tomorrow and clear things up some more.

It is sad to see people who are so close that get thrown off at the last second.  There is still hope,  though.   The Lord will make it right.  We just have to work as hard as we can and keep the spirit with us to direct us.  When you're doing what you're supposed to, the Lord will step in and take care of the rest.   (Thank you, Austin Collie).  Anyway.... I love you and miss you all.  I hope that everything is going well.  Have a great Day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Firm as the Mountains around us.....

Hello All!

Canada is finally starting to look springy for real.  We have had some insane April Showers, and some warm weather that makes me all nice and happy inside.  It feels really good outside.  But Anyway...

It was an interesting week.  Kara Stanton has fallen off the radar.  We met with her last Monday and she told us that she didn't want to get baptized (At least not yet).  We left her with the testimony of Joseph Smith to read and she agreed to pray specifically about the Book of Mormon.  We hoped to hear from her the next day, but she hasn't gotten back to us.  We have tried to stop by a few times and she has appeared to be home, but has not answered the door.  We decided it would be best to give her a little space, so we have not tried to drop by since Friday.  We will try again tomorrow to contact her.

Len is doing well.  He has not quit smoking yet, but he has cut back significantly.  We met with him again yesterday and that went well.  He had Family show up on Sunday right before church, so he stayed  home with them. He should be at church this week, though. Allen and Jessica were not at church on Sunday because they had to help one of their neighbors move, but they are still doing okay.

I did a companion exchange with Elder Layne last Thursday.  He is a great missionary.  He is very good at what he does and he has the spirit with him when he works.  I think I learned far more from him than he learned from me. It has been a good week.  I hope it was a great one for all of you!  Have a
tremendous coming week and "remember to do good always!" (Thanks Kathy).

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Go Forth with Faith to tell the World the Gospel is Restored...

Hello All!

Just when I thought that winter was over....we get another 6 inches of snow.  it's a little warmer,  though, so it shouldn't stay too long.

What A great week!  Zone Conference on Monday, General Conference on Saturday and Sunday!  I absolutely loved it.  The spiritual feast was incredible.  I hope that everyone else learned as much as I did.  I can't wait until the Ensign comes out and I can read them all over again!!!  Anyway....

We committed two of our investigators to be baptized!  Allen Langley is the first.  He has been taught all four lessons and he came to General Conference and loved it.  The hang up there is that he lives with his
girlfriend, Jessica.  They are planning on getting married, but she is still only 17 and due to legal complications, she can't get married until September, when she turns 18.  So they are looking for another apartment that Allen can live in until they can get married.  We have not set a date yet because of that, but we hope to in the near future.

The other is Kara Stanton.  She is doing very well.  She agreed to be baptized, despite her fears of being shunned by her family.  We told her that the Lord would make everything work out when we are willing to obey him, and she talked to her family and they are all (Except for one sister) okay with it.  One of her sisters is not talking to her, but Kara told us this morning on the phone, "I think that sometimes the Lord asks us to make sacrifices in order to do what is right.  Maybe the thing that I have to sacrifice right now is my relationship with my sister."  We told her that the Lord would make everything work, and that she can be an example to her sister of doing what the Lord Wants.  We are attending their "Family Meeting"
tomorrow evening to answer questions and, as Kara put it, "Tell my family more about the church."  We are planning on setting a firm date at that meeting as well.

We met with Len Longtin again yesterday.  We finished teaching Lesson 4 and went over the Word of Wisdom again.  He is a smoker and he wants to quit, so we will be going over the Stop-smoking workshop with him next Tuesday.  He tried to come to conference, but got lost in town and couldn't find the church.  We clarified his directions and now he knows where the church is. He also got his license back, so he can drive himself and doesn't need to depend on his wife for a ride. Things are going well.  It is so exciting to see the Gospel change people's lives.

I am so grateful for the opportunity we have to be members of the only true and living church.  The knowledge that we have helps us to get through even the toughest times.  If we stay close to the Lord, and follow the counsel given to us by his Prophet, We will never go astray.  I know that to be true.  The gospel has a tremendous capacity to change people.  Share it with whomever you can!  Give a pass-a-long card.  Write your testimony in a Book of Mormon and give it to somebody.  Anything you can give to further this great work of the Lord will be rewarded in heaven an hundred fold.  This is the Lord's Work.  and we are his servants.  We'll bring the world His truth.

I love you and miss you all!  I hope that everyone is doing well.  I would love to hear from you all and how you are sharing the gospel and "being an example to the believers."  Live it.  Love it.  Share it.

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

Christ the Lord is Risen Today. A-a-a-a-a-le-e-lu-u-jah.....

Hello All!

Greetings from the almost Springy (I am not sure if that is a real word. If it's not, I just made it one.) Land of Orillia.  The sun has been shining and we have been getting Pre-April Showers off and on.  It is warming up a bit, which is nice.  I was dying a couple of days because it was hot!  7 degrees (I know, I know.....all things relative, of course.)  I am kind of excited to be able to take my suit jacket off when I am proselyting.

 Speaking of that time - I am SO EXCITED for conference.  I cannot believe that it has been six months already since we last had this incredible opportunity.  The marvelous chance to hear from a Prophet of the Lord.  He truly is an inspired man.  I cannot wait until Saturday!

We had a great week!  We were able to teach most of our investigators.  Some of them even several times.  Our most progressing would probably be Kara Stanton.  She has quit smoking and she says that she no longer even has a desire to smoke.  The habit disgusts her.  She was at church on Sunday, and,
coincidentally enough, Jessica Haime, another investigator at church, knew her from High school.  They hit it off pretty good.  Kara was talking about quitting smoking with Jessica and she was offering lots of encouragement.

We also took quite a few members with us this week to visit Kara.  We had Brother Cook, Josh Ribalkin, Brother Wilson, Kevin Witlox, and Dustin Pearce.  She told us that she knows she wants to be baptized eventually and that Elder Day and myself are not going to be here forever, so she wants to
get to know members of the branch. We were not able to meet with Len Longin yesterday.  He called during Zone conference and left a message saying that he had the flu.  He did say that he would see us on the weekend for conference though.  I am excited to have him hear from our beloved prophet speak and to feel that incredible spirit.

Justinn and Kim met with us a few times, but they bombed our appointment on Saturday and didn't come to church.  We haven't yet gotten in touch with them since.  Hopefully everything is okay. I am so very grateful for the opportunity to be here in this wonderful place doing this wonderful work.  I pray that each of you is striving to be a missionary as best you can.  As you live the gospel, you will see that it
truly has the power to bless our lives and the lives of those around us.

Preach My Gospel is an incredible resource.  At the Beginning of the Third Chapter, it says that the manual contains the important doctrines that we can "Study, Believe, Love, Live, and Teach."  I encourage each of you to use this incredible tool that we have been given.

I hope that everyone is doing well.  I love you and miss you all!  Have a great Week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft

P.S. - "Be the Labor Great or Small, Do it well or not at all!"

-It's not where you serve, but how.

What Glorious Scenes Mine Eyes Behold....

Hello All!

It has been such a good week!  The sun has been shining!  I don't have to wear my big coat!  You can walk outside and not feel like you are an ice sculpture!  It's so happy!  Anyway.....

We had an amazing week!  We have been working with some of our most progressing investigators almost on a daily basis.  Kara Stanton hasn't smoked since last Tuesday.  She has gotten into a habit of calling us when she feels tempted to have a cigarette, which is absolutely fine with us. She called us last night and asked us to come over and she told us that she was talking to her mom (who had previously been strongly opposed to her meeting with us) on the phone and she told her mom about how she wanted to have a cigarette and her mom said, "Call the Mormons!"  So we visited her last night with Brother Cook, and were able to strengthen her and talk to her about how she can protect herself from the temptations that come constantly.  We also taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Friday.  She
loved it and told us that everything she learns makes her want to learn more and more.  She wants to know as much as she can so she can make an "informed decision" about baptism.  We will continue to work with her.

We also met again with Len Longin yesterday.  We taught him about the Law of Chastity, the Ten Commandments, and Following the Prophet.  We invited him to hear the words of our Living Prophet at General Conference, and he said, "I am not going to say I will try to be there, I WILL be there."  He
also explained that he can feel his faith growing every day.  He can't go to sleep at night unless he reads from the Book of Mormon, and it never leaves the kitchen table.  "Dishes and food are pushed aside, but the Book stays. "I am very excited for him.

We also resumed working with Kim Bell.  She is the non-member girlfriend of a less active member, Justinn Coombs.  Justin called us on Thursday night. He had gotten into some anti about the end of the world and he was scared. So we set up an appointment with our resident Genius and scriptorian, Brother Witlox, and that went very well.  We talked about what we need to do to Endure to the end.  He has promised us that he will be at church on Sunday, and she is coming with him.  We are working on getting them married as well.

It has been a stellar week.  I feel that the Lord has blessed us so much. We are seeing the Gospel change people,  and that is the greatest reward that we can receive.

If I may ask a favor of you all - Please pray for these few investigators that are trying to come into the fold of God.  They are so close.  They just need a little extra push to help them exercise their faith and come unto Christ.

I love you and miss you all!  I hope that all is well with every one of you.  If I can do anything let me know.  Have a great week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft