There is Sunshine in My Soul...

Hello All!  

How is life?  I hope all is well!  It has been cold and rainy all week up here, but our spirits are still bright.  There is sunshine in My soul.  And that's what counts.

It was an interesting week.  It started out great, but the roller-coaster of missionary work came around again and the end of the week was a little disheartening.  We had on Friday almost all of our investigators committed to come to church, but when we called them on Saturday, they all flaked off.  It was a little bit frustrating.  We are trying to figure out what to do here.  We really want to get the ward involved, but everybody seems busy and we don't want to overstep our stewardship.  We tried to schedule appointments and we were getting responses that we usually get from investigators.  "We are really busy right now.  Try next month."  Even now as I type this I am being reminded by the Spirit that we can use the same techniques with members as we do with investigators.  So hopefully things will go better. 

We were speaking with Elder Messick (our district leader) last night and we decided that although the immediate fruit comes more when we take care of things on our own, we need to work inseparably with the membership in order to produce the best fruit.  I heard a talk from President Eyring called the "Law of Increasing Returns."  That's kind of the principle I am trying to follow right now.  The fruit may not be this week, but it will lay a foundation for the future harvest that will be much greater than the short term.  Not to say that we are not hoping, praying, and working for the immediate fruit.  We have faith that the Lord will bless us with that as well.   

We will be having a Saturday Morning Pancake breakfast/meeting with the Bishop and Ward Mission Leader in the coming weeks and that should be a catalyst.  Bishop Coulbeck is one who gets things done.  Brother Hofer is eager to help as well.  There are lots of good members also that will jump on board as we do our best and trust the Lord.  So that is our direction.  We have a vision to have the Ward so involved in missionary work that we will be able to talk to each member about how their friend So-and so is doing.  We have been teaching the Elder Robbins Referral Lesson and it has been interesting.  I have yet to see it work according to how Elder Robbins taught it, but I think that means that I just need to review my notes and practice.  

Almost all of our investigators have fallen off.  Dawn and Nancy are pretty much done for a while.  They are both kind of avoiding us.  We were able to find three new investigators, though.  One of them, Kevin, was a miracle find.  We were wondering what to do at 8:00 on Wednesday night.  It was cold, raining, and our plans fell through.  The Vernets (A family that just moved in) kept coming to my mind, so we decided to go visit them.  We walked to their apartment building, and the buzzer list was in alphabetical order, but the Vernets were not on the list.  We saw a tenant whose buzzer said "occupied" and alphabetically it would have been the Vernets, so we decided to give it a shot.  So we dialed the number.  

"Hello?"
"Hello!  Is this the Vernets?"
"Yes. Who is this?"
"It's the Missionaries."
"Who?"
"The missionaries."
"Oh."
"We were just wondering if you had a few minutes that we could come visit with you."
"I'll buzz you in."
"What's the apartment number, by the way?"
"506"
"Thanks.  We'll be right up."
So we went up to the fifth floor and as we get off the elevator, a man is standing in the doorway of apartment 506. It is not Brother Vernet. 
"What's up?  Why did you buzz me?"
"You are actually not who we were trying to reach."
"Who are you guys?"
"We are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."
"I already believe in Jesus Christ.  But come on in.  What type of message?  Go Ahead - Spill your Guts."

So we went in and taught him the restoration.  He really liked the book of Mormon.  It was great!  Truly a miracle.  The Lord will direct his work.  Anyone who says otherwise has not tried to do it.  I love it.  So we are starting over this week.  It will be good, though.  I love this work and I love the Lord whose work this is.  I love you all as well!  Have a great day!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft 

I Need Thee, Oh I need Thee....

Hello All!  

How is life?  I hope all is well.  It has been a bit of a roller-coaster this week, in more than one sense.  Can you all pray for Mark Nowlan this week.  He is experiencing some pretty fierce doubt, and all this just after his baptism.  He saw that PBS special on the Mormons and that shook him pretty bad.  He needs a little spiritual help right now, I hope you can all help.  It was a decent week otherwise.  We had a great Zone Conference.  I love conferences.  General, Stake, Ward, Zone, Mission.  Conferences are just great.  It's really good to hear the words of our leaders and of the Spirit.  We have been doing a lot with members lately.  We are trying to work more closely with them and use the tremendous resource they are.  We have run into some less active members that are less than pleased with the Church.  It has been interesting to see that every one of their issues comes from Pride.  It truly is, as President Benson describes, the Universal Sin.  I have noticed how much we truly need the Savior.  Those who push his hand away and say "I don't need you." are truly lost, and they are without His blessings.  It is sad.  I know that he lives, and that he directs this work.  I love Him.  I love you.  Have a great Week!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft 

Oh, There's sunshine, blessed Sunshine....

Hello All! 

Greetings from the southern-most point of Canada.  It is the only place where you have to actually go north to get to the Contiguous states (excluding Alaska, of course).  I learned that this week.  We had a good week of finding.  We were able to be led to four of God's children this week.  There has been some progress made on some of the others as well.  Kyle, an 18 year old from Mississauga, wants to be baptized.  Due to his circumstances and history, it will take some time, but the desire is there.  We will be working with him to help him move toward that.  We also were able to meet with Elvis (Yeah,  I know).  He is from Albania.  He is really busy with school, but we were able to take 15 minutes and share the Plan of Salvation with him.  It was good.  He will have a lot more time when exams are finished at the end of April. 

It has been a good week.  The sun is shining!  The plants are coming back to life!  The Gospel is Restored!  What a great time to be alive!  It is a great time to share the Gospel and to shout as Paul did, "I am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ!"  We have had a few people come up to us this past week and bring up some rather uncomplimentary accusations against us, due to the showing if that PBS documentary on "The Mormons."  I love that the gift of the Holy Ghost allows us to sift through all the nonsense and the lies and that it testifies of Truth.  I just was thinking about it, and every question, concern,  that was brought up, the gospel has an answer.  I love it.  I am very grateful for this opportunity for others to show how THEY can know.  What greater thing could we be doing than bringing our Brothers and sisters closer to Christ.  That was something I picked up on in Conference As well.  We need to come to Christ and Bring others with us.  I love it.  I can't say that enough.  Alma 26:16 (Look it up, I recommend it.  That's how I feel....) I love you all!  Have a great day! 

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft 

We Listen to a Prophet's voice, and hear the Savior too....

Hello There!  

How are you?  How was conference?  Pretty much amazing for myself.  It's crazy how much we can learn about things we already know.  The Spirit is just incredible that way.  Everything from President Packer telling us that we need more Priesthood POWER, not just Priesthood Authority, to Elder Andersen encouraging us to Tell the Stories Of Jesus, and everything in between.  From beginning to end, it is just phenomenal.  A Spiritual feast. I thought it interesting the common theme of teaching the rising generation.  And that theme was only compounded and emphasized when Elder Andersen mentioned that none of the speakers are assigned their topics.  Each felt inspired to give the message that they did, and they came together, each playing their part in a "Beautiful Spiritual Symphony."  Magnificent.  I was very grateful for those who have played a part in my learning. 

To those mentors that I have had, and to everyone who has been an example to me, I was profoundly grateful.  Each of you have played an integral part in helping me to become the person I am, and yet hope to become.  Thank you for that.  There truly is a prophet on the earth today.  This Church, Christ's Church, is truly the divine establishment that we need to be a part of to find true happiness.  I know that as we heed the counsel of the Leaders of the Church, and as we strive to apply that into our lives, we will truly see our lives change for the better.  I know that. 

Have a great Week!  I Love You!

Your Obedient Servant,
Elder Austin James Ashcraft