Week 22

Mom!! It was so nice to talk to all you guys for Christmas!! It seems like just yesterday that I was packing up my room getting ready to head to the MTC! Man time is flying!

So this week was pretty great! We got fed a lot and were able to visit lots of people even though it was Christmas. Just last night we found two new really prepared people which was sweet! We stopped by a former who has been having a lot of marriage issues. We showed her a video and then bore simple testimony to her that her Heavenly Father loves her and is very aware of what she is going through. She instantly started to cry and opening up to us a lot. We told her how much we care about her and how we want to help as much as possible. She said she really appreciated it and would call us this week to let us know when we could come back over. It was so amazing to see the Holy Ghost really work through us to help touch this ladys heart.

I am still learning so much right now. Im really learning how all missionaries DO NOT all think a like. Im learning that there are some things that other missionaries dont understand that I do and also that I dont understand everything they do. Working with all the companionships and helping them as much as i can has helped me gain A LOT of patience. I am always saying in my head "Lord, Is it I?" It has helped a lot! Its like saying "SERENITY NOW!!!" hahahah man I miss hearing dad laugh hysterically at 11 at night while watching Seinfeld! :)

So it has been soooo hot here lately!! The day after Christmas it was 85 and I was sweating bullets! I was like "This is not Christmas..." it feels so weird. Its like having an eternal summer.... I dont like it! hahah Good thing im not here for vacation... strictly business! :) So thank you so much for sending us a new shower curtain!! We were seriously going to go buy one today because of how gross ours was!

Thank you for everything mom! I Love you so much! I couldn't do it without you guys. All the support and help has made all the difference in my mission, i know it. I hope you have an amazing week you Beautiful lady who i get to call MOMMA BEAR!:)

Love your son
Elder Ashworth

Week 21

Dad,

Im excited to talk to you guys as well! I will be Skyping you at around 3 so set up a skype because we cant facetime. If their are any technical difficulties ill call and we'll work it out. So we actually read that scripture with all of our investigators. We have been working really hard and helping them realize that they should start to become happier as they change their lives, repent, and start reading praying and coming to church. Verse 41 has really stuck out to me on my mission so far. I am the happiest i have ever been and i know its because im not being as selfish as i used to be and im focusing more on the souls of others rather then mine.

So this past week in church we talked about memorable Christmas's. One that really stood out to me was when i was really young we got a sub for santa family and i distinctly remember going to walmart and buying them a scooter. I really wanetd it so mom said that she'd let me decide if i wanted to give it to the family or if i wanted to keep it. If i remember correctly i decided to let them have it and i was so happy i did. At first i was sad but then i thought about how much fun this random kid would have on the scooter i picked out for him or her. Its just like missionary work. Are we gonna take and keep all the blessings of this gospel with only ourselves or are we gonna share it with others to see the happiness they receive from it. One other instant stood out to me a lot too. I remember being in the Airport about to fly somewhere with the family. Right before we boarded i saw you go to the front desk by a lady and give the flight lady money. You then walked back over to the family acting like nothing happened. I asked you several times what you did but you didnt tell me. I knew that you helped pay for that ladys ticket. You didnt know her, you didnt know why she couldnt afford it, you just acted, exactly how the Savior would. Dad I noticed almost everything you did. I looked up to you and still look up to you so much and watch what you do so i know what to do. I picture you being out here on the mission with me sometimes. I know you were probably a much better missionary then i was but I know together, we'd baptize the Scriptural 'Hell' out of these people, literally :) (That is a quote from President Berry by the way so its ok ;) ) I love you Dad. Thank you for setting such a great example for me to follow in and being so Christ like.

Love Elder Ashworth

Week 20

The hand is doing well. I haven't played any basketball or done any BMX'ing this past week so it should be better;) This past week flew by! Nothing crazy or big happened but it was still a good week. Its interesting you talk about Erik's mission dropping people. We have a few investigators that are doing just enough, but not everything. We know that thats whats holding them back from progressing but its hard to drop someone who still has some potential. This next transfer I really want to try my best to drop the ones who aren't progressing and move on. So i am staying in Clermont which I'm so excited  about!! I love it here! Unfortunately Elder Norton is leaving. Its weird he's one and done here but the Lord has good things in store I'm sure of it. This is a short email but the work is progressing so well here. Haven't seen a lot of baptisms but I know that I'm doing the things that I need to and that God will do the rest. He will put the prepared people in our path so we can teach them. We have several investigators really close to baptism, its so amazing to see the changes in their lives! I feel like I'm a builder. This area wasn't doing well and now its doing much better. I know its not because of me though. The Lord has been blessing this area so much. Im just working for him.  I love you guys so much! Hope you have a great week!! Tell Steven to buy some "UP YOUR MASS" :) haha have a great week

Love your son Elder Ashworth

Elder Ashworth, Elder Chidester (just arrived in the mission) and Elder Kruger.
All Lone Peak knights serving in the Florida Orlando Mission

Week 19

Thats crazy that Kassi and Erik are home! I can't believe it. I swear it was last Christmas that I said good bye to Erik and right before I left that I said goodbye to Kassi! So ya this past week we have been showing the video “He is the Gift" http://www.mormon.org/christmas  to everyone we come in contact with pretty much! We have gained a couple new investigators from it as well which is cool! The video is so inspiring. Christmas is supposed to be all about Christ but unfortunately its not quite like that in this world. I think this is going to be one of the best Christmas's ever because all I think and talk about pretty much is Christ and his teachings. I was thinking about it and not being around the media and seeing all the Christmas commercials and presents has really made me forget about all of the worldly things about it. The only thing I want for Christmas is for all of the people we are working with to progress and keep their commitments. I see people with the new iPhone, the new Corvette Stingrays and Porsche twin turbos and it doesn't amuse me as much as it used to. Ya they look cool and would be fun to drive but truly none of that stuff matters... at all. 

This past week has flown by. Satan is hittin our investigators hard right now so we had a fast for some of them yesterday. We and they know that all of it is happening because satan knows its true and doesnt want them to join, but its still frustrating at times. We are working really really hard though. Their isn't a second where im not mentally and physically tired. It's kinda cool though, It shows that there is hard work being done. We were directed by the spirit to go visit some less actives this week and talk with them a little and guess what, they showed up!:) One of them has a husband that is not a member who usually hates missionaries but he allowed us to come help him put Christmas lights on his bushes! 

So my finger is doing fine! It doesn't hurt much and I have another check up on it next week! Thank you for all the packages!! theres one thing that was weird about them though... YOU SENT ME ACTUAL TEA!!! Haha you must miss me a lot if you're tryin to get me sent home early!!! Haha I was like "What the heck... is my family going less active on me? I mean I know Dad likes to watch golf on Sunday but they were doing great when i left" Hahahaha man im still laughing over it!! So im sending a package home this week. It will be pretty heavy! Don't open it until we Skype so I can watch you guys open it!:) I love you guys so much!!! Time is going by way to fast mom... It's crazy. I miss you guys but love my mission more ;) ;) hahaha 

LOVE YAAAAAA

Elder Ashworth

From Denise:  So I found out Amazon.com sends pantry foods.  I thought it would be nice to send Elder Ashworth some food so I clicked and ordered away.  Well, they must have been out of something I ordered and threw in some iced tea thinking we wouldn’t notice HAHA (I checked my order and for sure DID NOT order tea)  We all thought it was hilarious!!! 

 

The Clermont Ward Christmas Party

Looks like Elder Ashworth's broken fingers are healing nicely haha!! He is so crazy!!!

Week 18

Thanksgiving was amazing!! We ate at a members home and they cook a goooood turkey!! It was nice to sit and relax a little and just talk as well. The mission is always GO GO GO and its nice to relax for a bit. But not for to long!! Haha i get antsy when i sit for too long, i feel like i need to be out working!

So this week went really well! We were able to still teach a good amount even though it was a holiday week. Most people use that as an excuse not to meet, but they didnt! The Lord is blessing us a lot lately! We have a couple investigators preparing to enter the waters of baptism within the next month which is so exciting! Seeing peoples lives truly change is the most amazing thing anyone could be a part of! I love it so so so much!! Its going by too quick.

So i could be transferred the 13th. Its crazy we are only two weeks away from transfers! I'll let you know as soon as i find out though! I did get you packages! Thank you so much!! Haha i love the Christmas tree and all the food!! I didn’t know amazon shipped grocery! I guess when your Dad is their # 1 customer in the WORLD they'd ship just about anything for ya ;)

Life could not be better!! I’m sleeping awesome with my new duvet and my memory foam pillow, Investigators are progressing well, the ward and I are truly starting to become family, and I feel the spirit constantly! Thank you for supporting me so well!! You guys are the best family any missionary could ask for!! Tell everyone I said hello and that I love them! Hope you have a great great week! Be safe and know that I LOVE YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!:)

Love your son
Elder Ashworth

P.S. I fractured both my knuckles playing basketball last week... LOVE YA :) I have to wear this splint for 6 weeks :) I LOVE MISSION BASKETBALL!!

Week 17

I love you guys so much! So there are these thrift shops here and they are so addicting! They have the sweetest things! I find myself trying to find things for all the fam, and not for me... haha you guys should get an pretty interesting package for Christmas ;) Dont open it up till we face-time though!

So this week was really good! We are teaching a lot and have quite a few dates set for December. Our two young investigators K and R are progressing really well and our other two J and C are doing good as well. The Lord is blessing us sooooo much lately. Every night i find myself on my knees just thanking Heavenly Father for all my blessings. I say over and over again how grateful i am to be a missionary. I couldnt do it without him or without you guys. You support me so well and I thank you so much for that! Getting a package almost every week is so amazing!! Haha I love it!

I try to not spend a lot of money on my debit card but the thing is that our house is out of our area so to go back home and eat would take a lot of time away from teaching and we just dont have the miles to do it. We keep PB&J at the church but for some reason i get headaches when I eat too much peanut butter. We also barley have enough money for food on our mission cards so sometimes I have to use my debit card. How much money is even in my account? I don't want to be out of money like 6 months out haha!

So some miracles this week was that our investigator J told his Fiance that they couldn’t sleep together anymore and that was awesome!! He just told her strait up; he's really prepared. Another thing was that we are consistently getting more and more investigators show up to church! I know its because we are applying what it says to do in Preach My Gospel and have faith that Heavenly Father will make sure everything works out the way it needs too. It’s hard seeing Missionaries who have been out for a long time try to do it by themselves. I’m like "USE PREACH MY GOSPEL" HAHA its kinda frustrating.

Things are goin so well. I love every day out here. It’s sad I’m almost 4 months out. I only have 5 more times to do 4 months and then I wont be a missionary anymore. Helping people apply the gospel in their lives everyday is so rewarding. I have never been happier and more ready to just work!! I pray every night and ask Heavenly Father to help me be able to do all that I can, I never want to lay in bed and think of somewhere I could have worked harder. I find the harder and smarter I work, the more I learn. Missionary work is just like life, stay to the basics! Its not as hard as we think it is sometimes. Why do yo think the Spurs win so much? Because they are fundamental. I have to think that if Heavenly Father had to pick a favorite team, it would have to be BYU first obviously, and then the Spurs. haha i still hate them though. GO LAKERS!!!

Thanks for all the support and love! I feel your prayers each day!! Hope your guys week goes amazing! Have fun in Gunlock!

Love, Elder Ashworth

Week 16

I heard Steven made the LP Varsity Basketball Team!! Thats so awesome!! Man am I proud of him:) Thanks for the greenie package ;) haha I loved it! The new bed stuff is keeping me nice and toasty which is good! Its been warming up a bit, but its suppose to get really cold tomorrow! The Elders Quorum President is coming to Utah this next week and his sister lives right down by the Stroms kind of! I gave him your guys numbers and told him to call you! His name is Darren Lofthouse, He's a really nice guy! His wife is spanish and kind of reminds me of you (Because she’s really tan) :) Let me know if you guys meet! 

So this week was really good. We had a couple investigators show up to church again which was awesome! The work is moving forward quick here. We have a good amount of baptismal dates set for December so it should be a great upcoming month! This past week we taught our investigator J the law of chastity. He told us in the past that his fiancee' would sleep over at times so we were a bit nervous that this would hold him back a little. When we explained the law of chastity and the blessings that come from it you could tell he was thinking hard about it. We told him strait up "Look, in order to progress towards baptism you cant be sexually active with your fiance and she cant sleep over anymore, so J, will you commit to live the law of chastity" without any hesitation he said yes and that he would let his fiance know of the changes that were going to need to happen! It was so cool! I know the spirit testified to him that what we were telling him would bless him. So my new comp has been out 9 months, he said he hasn’t seen a ton of success though and wants that to change. I feel like we were put together for that exact reason, so we could see success together. We also have two young kids named K and R who are progressing really well too! The ward is doing well at fellowshipping them which is awesome! 

This work is so amazing. I’m constantly asking myself if I’m doing everything I can to be the best missionary possible. I feel like I’m working pretty hard because I can barley stay awake during nightly planning. Days are flying by, it’s nuts. I feel like I don’t have enought time to get done all the work that needs to be done, but I’m trying my very hardest to do all I can. I love you so much! Thank you for all the support and prayers, I can definitely feel them! Be good and keep me posted on anything new that happens. 

Love your son Elder Ashworth

 

 

 

Week 15

So I did get a new comp this week, his name is Elder Norton. He is a really nice kid. It was really hard for me to adjust the first few days but i'm good now. We have been teaching a lot and finding a lot of new people, its been really cool! Last night we decided to stop by on a kinda flakie investigator, he was outside drinking so we asked if we could sit down for a minute and share a quick message with him. (They're never that quick, we just have to say that so they'll agree;) haha but so we sat down and right after the opening prayer his friend walked in! We instantly asked him to join in with us and we shared with them the plan of salvation. The spirit was so strong. They were both so into the lesson and what we had to say I knew that it was the spirit speaking to their hearts. We ended up getting a decent amount of investigators and a lot of less actives to church yesterday. Well we didn’t, God did, but we did verbally invite them :) We were giving one of them named J a church tour after who has a baptismal date for December 13th and one of the members came up to him and said "Hey you're J right?" he said “Ya!" The member said well "welcome! I hear you're getting baptized soon!" Juan then said "Ya I'm getting baptized December 13th!" It was soooo cool hearing him talk about his own baptism. He is really prepared.

We also were sitting in sacrament meeting and next thing we know we get a text from the sister missionaries about a guy who was sitting right behind us who was a former investigator who had moved into our area. We talked to him after and he said he had to go but really wanted to meet with us and gave us a envelope to give to the bishop. We said we would and scheduled a day to meet with him this week. Well turns out that he's been taught almost everything and that that envelope was TITHING!!! He isn't even baptized yet but he's already paying tithing! Man, God is so real!:) haha we were so excited! I wish i could tell you all the stories but that would take a while. We are seeing so many miracles in this area right now. I dont know why Heavenly Father is blessing us this much right now but I'm going to make sure I'm doing everything I can to continue to be worthy of these types of blessings.

I did get all those things your packages!! Thank you so much for the duvet, I sleep like a baby:) My comp is kind of jelly cuz of how comfy i look at night:) haha thank you soooo much for all the support and prayers, I can definitely feel them! Love you tons!

Love Elder Ashworth

Week 14

 Hey!!! Ya the Jones are such great people! They were the first people to ever feed me! I remember going to their house my first day here and just feeling super overwhelmed. They helped me feel right at home which was very helpful.

So ya Elder Hemsley is getting transferred :( We are doing so well together right now. I want him to stay one more. It's ok though, we are both moving on to bigger and better things. I’m excited to find out who my next companion is next transfer! Our teaching pool is pretty big right now so we can just hit the ground running.

So ya its freezing cold here in the mornings! Since our house was built by the Lamanites when they first got here we have absolutely no insulation. Every morning we wake up our house is like 59 degrees!! I just kneel on my bed to say my morning prayers cuz im to cold to get on the wood floor. I would really appreciate some sweaters. Mainly black gray and blue would match best.

So this past week we got a lot of work done. It’s crazy to see how much Heavenly Father has His hand in the work. These are not our investigators, they are his. We are just acting as a mouth peace for him. Its so humbling to see these people progress even though we aren't the best teachers. I know its because God is softening their hearts for us. We were able to set some more baptismal dates which is awesome. The next two transfers should be really good. It’s crazy to think two transfers are already done. I dont feel like I have enough time to accomplish all the things I want to accomplish.

This past week I have been studying a lot about fear. Fear is what holds us all back. It is the opposite of faith. It is the main tool that satan uses to stop the work of salvation. I hate how he uses it, especially on our investigators. If we could all just move forward with complete faith and trust in the Lord the work would progress a lot quicker, especially member work. This ward is awesome but not great at giving referrals. We are trying to work with as many members as possible to get them to invite their friends to meet with us. Its ok though, they are all such great people.

So I kinda need a GPS for the car for this next transfer. Trying to get to zone conferences and stuff is crazy! There are so many toll roads here that we don't take so I get super messed up direction wise. Another thing I was thinking would be cool would be a new tie every transfer from you guys. It doesn't have to be nice, just one that i can write "transfer 1" or "transfer 5" on so i can remember when i got that tie.

The work is moving forward here! I love being out sooooo much! Thank you all for all the support! Tell the Wakefield's, I loved the package, funny memories :) HAHA.  Tell Grandma and Grandpa, Kristen, and the Fackrell's all thank you for the packages too! They make my week! Love you all so much!

Love Elder Ashworth

Halloween

Week 13

So this past week so suuuper busy! The Lord is blessing us with so many teaching opportunities its crazy! It seems like every appointment that falls through, the first person we see we get to teach! Haha its so sweet! I love Florida so much. The people here are old and bitter like the Kastanzas, but we find a lot of young nice people as well! We were able set a couple new baptismal dates this past week with some solid investigators. We had the impression to just go drop in on one of our investigators, while riding over their we saw two kids and their grandma taking in groceries. We helped them out and just strait out asked if we could share a message with them about Jesus Christ and how his church is back on the earth today. They agreed and we were able to sit down with them and the two kids and teach them all the Restoration. Well it turns out that their grandma was baptized like 25 years ago but just hasn't had her records moved. She now attends a seventh day Adventist church but is ok with us teaching her two kids. They are really excited to get baptized! They tell us every visit how they cant wait to have all their sins washed away! Its really cool to see the change its already making in their lives.

I would share more experiences but I kinda feel like its bragging in a way... haha i know its not but I just feel more comfortable saying that we are doing well here in Clermont. This area is gonna explode pretty soon and I hope I'm still here to see it happen. Transfers are next week so I'll probably be staying here but with a new companion. The members here are all so amazing! I love them all so much! Thank you for all your support and prayers. I can't believe how quick times flyin by. Already two transfers out and i feel like i've been out a week!

Love you all so so so much!! Keep your eyes open for missionary opportunities! We always use the excuse that since we live in Utah we don't know any non members, but we all know that's garbage. Satan wants us to make excuses, so find someone who isn't a member, or less active, and just invite them to do some type of church related thing. I can promise our family will see so many blessings come from it

Have a great week and keep me posted on all the kids sports! Love you guys tons

Love Elder Ashworth

Week 12

Sorry that pic was super bad quality but I thought you'd like it. Her name is C and she has been baptized but now we are teaching her grandson and he should be baptized soon! I’m still goin crazy over how you were here just last week! You guys are nuts!! I love those pics though :)

So this past week has been crazy busy! We are having to schedule appointments a week in advance now. I was looking over the numbers from the months before i got here and each month they have gone up. Right now is about the best this area has done in a while. I know its not because of me though. Its because of Heavenly Father. My comp and I are trying really really hard to stick to the basics and just take every teaching opportunity we can get. We do a really spiritually lead weekly planning and it seems like every lesson that falls through, we end up finding someone right in that same area to teach!! Its so amazing! I feel so blessed to have a good amount of success this early in my mission. My Trainer said that i am learning and progressing a lot quicker then most missionaries usually do because I've had so many opportunities to teach and everything. I don't know why im being blessed with this, but I sure am grateful for it.

N is doing well. We just picked him back up and are going to try and teach him a little slower this time. He said he felt rushed at first so we are going to work on that. He is easily persuaded and "moved" so we try to go over the spirit a lot so he knows when he truly is feeling the spirit. All our investigators we teach we give them pretty a promised 4 step program to receive their answer from God. 1. Read the BOM everyday. 2. Pray every night and morning and ask specific questions such as "Is the Book of Mormon the word of God and Was Joseph Smith a true prophet" 3. Come to church every week. and 4. is be in daily contact with us missionaries so we can answer any questions they have. One thing we are struggling with is getting them to come to church. They do the first 3 but dont come to church. Its ok though, its a work in progress.

Their is a lot of potential here. This place is about to explode, me and my companion can sense it. We just have to continue to be humble, faithful, and do our part such as studying from PMG and the scriptures as much as possible so God can trust putting his Children in our hands.

Time is flying by too quick. I don’t like it. I don’t want it to go by this fast. It not that I don’t miss you guys, I just am learning so many things and this is the happiest I’ve ever been. Every night I am so exhausted I can barley plan for the next day. That’s what makes it so fun though :)

Love you all so much!!! Thanks for all the support and packages!! They help me out more then you guys think! Remember, STICK TO THE BASICS!! Read, Pray, Go to church and serve others and everything will work out the way God wants it too!

Love Elder Ashworth

Week 11

Ya i heard that BYU lost:( Its so sad! But whatever, they'll get another chance in the upcoming years! I did get the suit! Thank you so much!! It fits well:) I also got the shoes but need to send them back today. They should be coming soon. I didn't pick up the other package of pants though. We never got a package note or anything so maybe theyre still coming! Thank you so much for all you do mom. You dont know how much I truly appreciate you. You are the best mom ever. Thank you for being so supportive and sending me things that im in need of! I did however find a SICK suit at the Good Will thrift shop for $15 so my suits will be still nice enough to wear when i get home to save some money. You are the best!! Love yo millions

I'm currently in 2 Nephi after restarting and its crazy how much courage Nephi had. He is such an amazing example to me and to all of us. This past General Conference was so amazing! All of those talks hit the spot on many different aspects. Our investigator needed to take a little break he said because his son just got out of jail and his wife tried to kill herself which isnt good. We insured him that his life would be better if he continued to read and to pray and he said he would. We should be stopping by in a day or two to see how hes going. He'll get baptized, im sure of it! We were able to stop by and teach two Inactive members and committed them to come to church. and guess what, they did!! It was awesome to see all the members go up and give them hugs and congratulate us on getting them back. We obviously took none of the credit and told them that it wasnt us but was Heavenly Father. The spirit is so strong out here. We met a ton of new people this week to teach so it should be really busy. We are already running out of times to meet all the people we need too and are having to schedule over a week in advance.

The work is going to move forward whether satan likes it or not, thats the bottom line. I feel so blessed to be able to be a part of it. Love you so much.

Love Elder Ashworth

They got caught in a rainstorm and were soaking wet by the time they got home haha

It has been an unusually wet summer so it rains almost everyday.

This pic reminded Tyler of his friend Elder Cole Johnson serving in Korea :)

Week 10

How good was Conference?? I loved every single talk! Each one said something that I could apply to our investigators.

Elder Holland never disappoints. With how much we have been given we should give just as much back. It really hit home because it made me realize how much I have been given in life. It makes me feel so grateful and sad at the same time. I have taken so much for granted all my life. Here in Florida almost everyone is in debt. Their houses are almost always a wreck, and they don't even know the true purpose to life. Most people say to learn and to just make it through so you can live with God again. Its not just about making it through. It's about enjoying life and all that Heavenly Father has given us such as a body, friends and family, a wonderful world to live on and explore. Money is not a part of Gods plan. Unfortunately we need it to survive on this earth. But with those that do have money they are expected and commanded to give back as much as they can.

Elder Bednar gave an amazing investigator talk! I loved how he used that band-aid example to missionary work. That is exactly how I see it. I have something that I want to share with everyone because of how much it has helped me in life.

Another one I liked was the one by Tadd R Callister where he talked about worldy distractions. I pictured dad saying right after he gave his talk about being sent to the library by his mom and not being able to watch TV "Ok Stevo and Trips, we're cancelling our Direct TV account and are gonna start reading more" haha and then i can hear them saying back "Haha good one Dad, Mom would never let that happen! How would she watch her 1920's BYU Football re-runs"  :):):) haha

 Did you guys go to Gunlock for Conference?

So I wrote you a letter and it should be there within the next week! It shares more details about the work going on right now here in Clermont.

Florida is so amazing! The weather is perfect right now.

Love you so much!!

Love Elder Ashworth

Week 9

Dear Momma Bear

This week has been amazing! Everyday its rained which I love! I love the rain so much. I made my trainer go out and track in the rain because riding the bike in the rain is way fun and i hate sitting inside just making phone calls haha. He was afraid that we were gonna get sick but i trusted in the Lord more then he did and knew we wouldn't :) Well last night i threw up from biking in the rain all day.... haha jk jk! (I crack myself up sometimes)

So im still with the same Comp Elder Hemsley. He just got called to be district leader which is really cool! He's a great missionary and now i get to go on exchanges with all the district and the Zone Leaders which will be cool. I'm trying to learn as much as i can these next couple months so i can hit my peak earlier and stay there for as long as i can. This week we went over to N and taught him about the word of wisdom. We then figured out that he's been struggling with his baptismal date. He doesn't feel like hes received and answer yet. He trusts us with all his heart because he says he can just tell we are good guys. So right now we are working on him get his own answer so he can hopefully still get baptized on the 11th.

Yesterday we were suppose to have 4 investigators show up and one family.... well none of them showed and I was kinda down on myself. We emphasized how church is one of the greatest places to receive answers from our heavenly father. So i thought that my whole Sunday was going to be bad but then 30 min before church got out we got a text from one of our new investigators C that she was outside! So we ran out there and just gave her a quick tour of the church. Everyone was saying hello to her and i could tell by her smile that she felt very welcomed. Another great thing was that right after church yesterday there was a member baptism! So we got C to stay and watch that! I know that was some hard core divine intervention.

We are seeing miracles everyday out here and its awesome! I love it so much. I hit the pillow every night and pass out. Im working as hard as i possibly can and I'm seeing miracles come from it! I read over the story of The brother of Jared today and it just reminded me how much faith plays a part in all of our lives. Without faith, life would basically suck. Glad everything's great back at home! I fixed my shoe with some super glue but now the heel fell off so I'm gonna have to fix that :) haha Love you all so much!!!

Love Elder Ashworth.

Week 8

Oh ya sorry, I forgot I had a Mom.... hahahahah Just kidding!! I obviously save the best for last!! My comp loved your letter and said that he’s honored to be training such a great kid. He said I came out of the womb with a beard, ready to go ;) haha how’s everything else going? This past week has been great! Our investigators are doing really well and they’re all progressing little by little. That’s crazy that Janet’s cousin is in my ward!! Man, what a small world. I just sent you a letter in the mail with all your questions answered and more so ya, your welcome. I figured that should cover me for a couple months... so talk to you at Christmas!!

Haha tell brandon hes looking HUGE!! Tell him to lay off of my "Up your Mass" haha. Tell Cole I love him and that he’s always been my favorite brother!!:) and tell Tanner that he’s a stud and needs to keep the lady’s away for as long as he can, cuz they’re trouble! Just ask Erin;) haha

So my black shoes are falling apart but I’m just too lazy and don’t now if I have enough money to go buy new ones haha! I’ve had like 3 families and one of my investigators offer to buy me a new pair! I scratched my toe without taking my shoe off and this lady in my ward started cracking up laughing so now its our new inside joke! I think I’m gonna go buy some super glue from walmart today to fix them up.

This Gospel is so amazing! I love it so much and haven't realized how big of an impact its made in my life till now. I challenge you guys to pass out a pass along card or even a Book Of Mormon while in Cali, but if your back then just send it to Steven Kirshbaum :) I love you guys so much! Thanks for all the letters and support, you guys are the best!!

Love,
Elder Ashworth

Letter to Danny:

We have had the opportunity to give a couple of blessings to investigators and less actives and the spirit is always so strong. That’s great Connor is back out, how long does he have to wait in Vegas? Thank you for all of your prayers, I can definitely feel them. We found a new investigator named N who is progressing really well. He soaks in everything we tell him and already has a testimony of Joseph Smith. He’s just a sponge. He’s an older guy but he’s super funny! He always says that we impress the (Explicit) out of him haha, we still need to go over language. He’s getting off of tea right now and can’t wait to get baptized. He was already so prepared, it was a miracle that we decided to stop and talk to him at the bus stop because he doesn't really look like a guy you'd approach. Haha he’s got a couple of tats and is missing a bunch of teeth. I love him though, he gives us candy bars every time we go over. Times flying by and it’s kind of sad. I don't want it to go by too fast. I miss you all so much. Thanks for the great example you've always set for me dad, it means the world to me. Talk to you soon.

Week 7

Ya I got all of the packages! Thank you so much! You are the best! I miss all you guys, but I'm super busy so I don’t have time to think about home. This week was great! Two days ago we were riding our bikes and all of a sudden I hear this POP! Next thing I know I have ketchup all over me! Haha so we had to go back to the church to clean off cuz we ran over a ketchup packet! I was kind of mad cuz it was taking time away from dropping in on people. But it was all part of the Lord’s plan because on our way back we ran into this old investigator who went to jail but was back out! We ended up setting a return appointment up and it was awesome! God knows everything and its crazy.

In St Matt 6:8 it says Be ye not therefore like unto them: for your father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.

This is so true and I see it every day!! I love my mission so much! Me and my companion have so much fun it almost seems like we’re not on a mission. Our investigators are doing well. We got a new one this week named N who’s super prepared! We've taught him 3 times this week and he’s hopefully getting baptized in two weeks! So I'll keep you posted.

It would be easier if i could just email the whole family through yours so here.

Steven: I love you man. Keep practicing and making your way up to the starting lineup. Quincy expects big things of you and we all know you can surpass his expectations. Be a great big brother and dont be anything like i was, cuz i stunk haha

Tanner: That motorcycle is sick man!! Im so jealous of you. Be safe on it and dont run anyone over or run into any cars haha. Keep up on your study's and never procrastinate. It always ends up hurting you in the end.

Brandon: Dont get too buff while im gone, I still need to be able to beat you up when I get home :) haha fight those ladies off with a stick if you have to!

Cole: You're the man! You were always my favorite brother :) haha keep practicing soccer and being such a kind nice kid. Lots of people look up to you so always be on your best behavior.

Dad: Dont crash your airplanes too much. I'll have to teach you how to fly them right when i get back ;) Oh and hope your handicap is dropping each week;)

Thanks for everything! You guys are the best! I couldn’t have asked for a better family! You can lay off the packages a little if you want haha you're making my comp kinda jealous!

Love you all so much! have a great week

Elder Ashworth

As a side note, I found out he got a bug stuck in his eye last week while riding his bike.  He got most of the bug out but the wing was stuck in his eye and he had to go to instacare to get it removed.  It had scratched his Cornea and was pretty painful but he is doing better now.  That must have been SOME bug!! HAHA.

Companion Study time :)

Beautiful Sunset in Florida

Supporting the Y in Florida…

 He is hopeful the mission president will let missionaries go to the BYU game when the play Central Florida in Orlando in October.  I told him not to get his hopes up!!

We always tease Tyler about pegging his pants..and those are some crazy socks for a missionary  HAHA!

Week 6

Hey I’ll send a lot of pics next week! I got a bug stuck in my eye so I need to go to urgent care really quick cuz I can't get it out. Don't worry at all though I'll be fine. I just can't email well. This week was amazing! I saw a lot of miracles. We met a new guy named J (Spanish) :) and we think he’s really prepared. We'll just have to keep working with him. I miss you guys but the mission is amazing! I love everything about it! Share this with all the boys and dad cuz I've got to go. The scripture of the week is in alma when him and Amulek have to watch the children and women burn.

Alma 14:10-13
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.
13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.

Imagine how much faith that would take! We have to have 100% faith in The Lord and know that when we keep the commandments he will always provide a way and lead us in the right direction.

Love you all sooooo much! Have a great week!

  Love Elder Ashworth

Week 5

Mom, that is so awesome! Fiji sounds so great! You know you were sent there for a specific reason. I heard that BYU won! I'm so pumped! I haven't gotten your package yet so maybe it'll come this week. This week has been amazing we've seen a lot of miracles! We went and visited a old investigator who's name is T. He's been taught all the lessons and knows the Book of Mormon is true but for some reason just hasn't made that step towards baptism yet. Well when we went over there we just said hi and I felt prompted to ask him to come to church with us. He said yes and now we're re-teaching him and now his dad too who's a Jehovas Witness. Things are so great here. I love Florida. It's hot but you get used to it.... Ok no you actually don't but it's ok :) The members are all so amazing and have really helped me feel welcomed. We get fed like 4 times a week which is nice. Times flying by though. I've been in Florida for 4 weeks now which is crazy to me. I hit the pillow and am instantly out every night! Haha we taught a lesson to a member family and he served in Bristol England on his mission but in 1972 so before dad. It was still cool though to talk to him about it. I love this so much. I wouldn't come back for anything. I'm learning so many new things! Especially how to kill rodents in the house ;) I miss you a lot! Talk to you next week.

Love Elder Ashworth

P.S. Tell Sarah thanks so much for all the letters and
packages! I couldn't do it without all the support I have at home.
Love you so much mom! I kiss the picture of you and me everyday :)

The scripture for this week is: Mosiah 18:8-10

8. And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people,
and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9. Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10. Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

We made a sacred covenant when we were baptized to take his name upon us and also to spread his gospel. Will you guys as a family just find one person this next week not of our faith to share a little bit with them? I know it will bless you and me and so many different ways!

Letter to Danny:

This week has been busy. Were teaching quite a bit of people and we are seeing miracles left and right. Just the other day we had this lesson with a guy who didn't have a phone so we were just going off of trust that he'd show up. We waited for 30 min and were just about to leave when we decided to pray him there. Right when I said Amen he pulled up! It was awesome. Our investigators right now are G, P, J, S, T, D, and hopefully K. We think that most of them are pretty solid but people are just so flaky all the time so it's super hard to tell. Another miracle was two nights ago we were doing daily planning and we're stuck on what we should do for a specific answer. We decided to pray for guidance and instantly a part member less active family's name came to mind so so we encoded to go visit them. Well they weren't home but we knew that Heavenly Father had sent us there for some specific reason. So we went and knocked on this super old potentials house down the street and she ended up being home and her and her brother want to start taking lessons again and are coming to a ward party this Friday hopefully. It's crazy how God directs us where we need to go as long as we put our trust in him.

I get to exercise a little, we have a free bar and some dumb bells and a pull up bar so I just use that. But on exchanges last week some of the other elders have a real gym and bar so I lifted there and surprisingly can still put up 295. It's probably cuz I'm filled head to toe with the spirit. I'm eating well. We get fed like 3 or 4 nights a week which is ok. Our ward is struggling on being missionary minded and helping us out. We only had 2 member present lessons last MONTH which is tough but we just got a new ward mission leader so he'll pump them up a bit. I can tell I'm gaining more and more trust from the members every week.  There are a lot of really cool families in the ward. Brother J the Pro Wake Boarder is a genius when it comes to Preach my Gospel so I told him that if he continues to help me out he's invited to Lake Powell! Haha he said he charges $1000 a day and I said ok I'll see if that's in the budget;) Haha but overall everything's going super well! I'm learning a lot and I love the work I'm a part of. I feel like it's a new business that I'm starting up and I need to continue to find ways to perfect my approach on every different scenario I come across.

Love you so much and talk to you soon

Love Elder Ashworth

Week 4

Happy Birthday Mom!! I love you So so so so so so much!!! :):) (kissy face emoji) :)

This week has been amazing. We set two new baptismal dates which is great! I’m getting better and better at teaching by the spirit rather then just teaching the lessons. This has been the best month of my life in every aspect. I meet new people every day. I get to ride my bike and wheelie all around Florida. I get to bare my testimony, its awesome!! haha its so so so so hot though. It didn’t rain at all this week so it got up to like 118! I sweat like a mad dog down here!! haha if you saw me on the streets It’d look like I ran from Utah to Florida!  I miss and love you. but I love my mission more right now;)

Thank you for the packages! Can you send me that apple portable keyboard cuz i can use that for my ipad when I get it next week to type with which would be nice. Dad asked about the UCF game and I think you guys should come down. We probably won’t be able to go and I should be here in Clermont for a couple transfers so I wont really be to close. Its about 45 min away so I think you should be fine.

Love you a ton!

Elder Ashworth

Oh and we found and killed a possum that was living in our couch a couple nights ago so we got a good dinner cookin for tonight. Love you :)

Tyler and his New Companion

New Arriving Missionaries

Zone Conference with the Leesburg Zone

Week 3

My P Days are on Monday but we had zone conference yesterday so it got switched to Tuesday for this week. I'm so happy to be here! I have already seen so many miracles right before my eyes! My companion is awesome. He's from Idaho and has been out for 14 months so he's training me well! He sticks to the rules exactly which i like a lot. When i got to our little house we live in it was a mess. But after a couple nights of cleaning its now spotless :) My very first lesson the day i got here was with a guy named C. Right when we got in he told us we had to watch a part of this south park episode with him that he saw to explain what was true and what wasn't. Haha it was hilarious that my first lesson i got to watch some south park!! haha everyone we teach is pretty much Black! I love it!  My bike is awesome! We have our own car but i was getting depressed the first couple days so i asked if we could just bike everywhere and its helped a ton! I love it here! It rains just about everyday and the lightning is awesome! Its really hot but for some reason i dont feel it a ton while riding my bike and stuff. I guess since my mind is so far off how hot it is and on our investigators it helps me not realize that I'm dripping sweat and my shirt is soaked! haha man i love it! I think about you guys a lot but i know you're all proud of me and would rather have me out here right now. I can feel your prayers so keep them coming! I love you so much! Tell the triplets and Steven i miss and love them and good luck with all the sports going on! Talk to you Monday.

Love Elder Ashworth

Letter to Danny his first week in Florida:

This first week has been amazing tho! Sooo many miracles are happening right before my eyes its awesome! My first official investigators name is D. I don't think itd be a coincidence if the first person i baptize is someone with the same name as my Father. We bike tract a lot which i like. Ive had some of the longest wheelies of my life here on my new bike! haha the kids on the streets love it. My trainer is awesome! Super hard working and an ultra ultra rule keeper which is perfect. We had zone conference yesterday and one of the members of the 70 came to speak with us. He was amazing! He told us how in the very first lesson we have to state our purpose. We have to give these investigators hope cuz without hope they wont have faith. They need to know that this gospel is the only thing that can truly change there life. The ward is really nice and cool. lots of young and old people. One guy in our ward was a professional wake boarder and now is a journalist for wake board magazine! His name is Brandon Judd. Look him up and let me know if he has any sweet videos of him on you tube or something. Everyday goes by really fast here. Its kinda weird. im one week away from being out a month which is cool! I love you dad so much. I think about you everyday and just say to myself "Im sure my dads really proud that im out here" You have taught me so much and i will forever be grateful for that. Every lesson i teach i can hear you there with me. I find myself saying a lot of the same things i think you would say. My testimony came from your testimony

Love you Dad
Elder Ashworth

With Elder Kruger. They were friends at Lone Peak and now both serving in the Florida Orlando Mission.

Week 2

Hey i dont have much time to write but i just wanted to say how much i love and miss you!!! All your packages and letters have helped me so much!! I haven't been homesick since. I don't even really think about you guys at all ;) haha mom youre the best and I hope you know that. All you do for me ill never be able to repay you for. Thats why i have dad to pay for that kind of stuff. Tell him to give you $5,000 to go buy anything you want at Nordstrom. You deserve it!! I love the MTC so much. Me and Cole hangout during every meal and just talk about all the fun times we had and stuff. I got to give a kid a blessing who was really sick and for some reason the spirit prompted me to tell him that he would be ok by morning. And guess what, he wasnt..... haha jk he was!!! It was awesome!!! I have felt all your prayers throughout this week so much. Keep them coming, they've helped me more then you and i think. I miss you a lot Mom, you are so great. I love you so so so so so so so much and thank you for all the support!!

Love Elder Ashworth

Week 1

I love you so much! I miss you guys a lot and think about  you guys every day. But I know that what I am doing is the right thing! We taught our first lesson to a practice investigator and it was awesome! I felt the spirit so strong and it was awesome being able to bare my testimony to him. My companion is awesome. We get along really well which is good. I see Cole Johnson almost every day which really helps me. Its gone by super fast yet super slow at the same time haha. I hear after Sunday everything really starts to fly by and i'm looking forward to that! Miss you a lot and i love you so much! keep me in your prayers and keep sending as many letters and packages as you want!!! I love them so much and they always make my day!!! So i'm serious send AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!!

Love Elder Ashworth

MTC Drop Off

We dropped off Tyler at the MTC on Wednesday July 30, 2014.  

We stopped by Aunt Sarah’s in Provo to give our final goodbyes to Sarah, Lucy and Miles.