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