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