It's a Christmas Miracle!!!

December 23, 2013

First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH to the ward, the young women, the activity day girls, and Alison Bennion who sent me christmas cards! And also just to the whole ward who is just awesome! I'm pretty convinced that we have the best ward there is:) Love and miss you all! 

Also- I forgot to say, that picture i sent was of victoria on her wedding day the week before her baptism! I'm super sad though cause her and her husband braian are moving to buenos aires this week right after christmas. I wanted you guys to see her though, because she really is incredible and I just love her:) 

So it continues to be super hot here and it causes a few problems for us.... besides that fact that I am sweaty and stinky 24/7... we often don't have water.  It either gets shut off or sometimes it just doesn't work in our pension. We usually can get a little drizzle from the kitchen sink though, but only of cold water and we get none in the bathroom. So we've been taking lots of bucket showers lately. And the truth is i'm pretty sure I'm only ever about 50% clean haha. It's awesome:) Also I got a bit sick this week and completely lost my voice the point where I couldn't talk at all. I was left totally mute. Although I'm pretty sure you guys would get some good laughs out the reasonings of a lot of people as to why it happened....a few are.... 1- It's from the heat the sun is bad for you and makes you sick (that's a common one) 2- It's cause I drink cold water (if that's the case it's too bad, cause I'm definitely not switching to warm water). 3 (and the best one I thought)- It's cause you drink too much juice (this person was very convinced of this)

well, although they were all very good guesses from various people and my companion, turns out the mission nurse told me it's nothing more than a verry bad infection/virus. (which is too bad cause I was really rooting for it to be the juice reason). Anyways, I got some meds at a pharmasy (why does that word look so weird) and they're helping although not quite fast enough cause the infection now moved to my eye. So I called the nurse again and she confermed that my throat infection moved to my eye (which sounds weird) and I got some powerful eye drops now too. Although I'm thinking i just need to spoon my eye out and buy myself a very nice looking christmas eye patch. It would go along well with the man voice i have now as my voice is slowly coming back. Anyways, it should be all better in another 3 days or so, and if not I'll be making a nice trip to an eye doctor and hospital for christmas. 

OH, and I got another companion. She's a newby here to Argentina and came in early so she's in a trio now with hermana silva and I. She's Hermana Brown and crazy thing- She entered the MTC the same day as me, and she got called to go to buenos aires as well for the MTC, but the day before they called her again and sent her to provo. And she's been serving in Idaho waiting for her visa for the last 8 months! Which is awesome, but I'm personaly super grateful that I got straight into Argentina. Also it's crazy to hear from her how different the missions are. 

Well transfers are the week right after christmas, so I'll be learning soon where I go and who I'm with... Maybe Hermana Brown will stay here in Allen with me... I think I'd like that, she's got an awesome conversion story. I really do want to stay in Allen though, it doesn't feel like I've been here for nearly 3 months. so I'm kinda anxious to learn what will happen. 

So if all goes well, we'll be coming into the cyber the 26th at 12 or 12:30. And we're hoping that there will be computers open. If not we'll have to wait till one opens up cause there's only a few with cameras and skype. Sorry I cant tell you all a more definite time. But just try to be ready and free between the hours of 8-11 AM your time or 12 noon to be safe... or untill that night haha. but we really will be trying to get in early before the computers are all taken. 

We're participating in a nativity scene play thing tonight for the ward and us hermanas are going to be the shepards. If it was as hot in that time and if it was anything like the clothing that we'll be using, then I feel bad for the shepards and how thick the clothing was that they used. 

Well... Aside from all the crazyness and sickness that's been happing, I really do belive in christmas miracles! And I hope that you all recieve the best christmas miracles this year. Keep your eyes open cause I know they're there:) I've made this phrase a thing between our district and we all say it all the time now:) It makes me so happy cause we all are looking for the big and small christmas miracles here in Allen:) 

Love you all so much and talk to you this thursday the 26th!!! have a great christmas!!! 

Love Hermana Ashcroft

P.S. - FELIZ NAVIDAD AND A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!

P.S.S- Although I may miss you a bit, I wouldn't come home for christmas this year... I'm just so happy to have this oportunity to celebrate christmas in the mission and try to bring a happier christmas to others:)

Sweaty and Smiley!

December 16, 2013

So this subject line just about describes me right now.... it's super hot here.... Sometimes I think somebody just poured some water down my back and then I realize that it's just my own drops of sweat falling down hahah. I'm pretty sure I'm sweating even while im taking my cold showers. I never realized how hot hot feels if you never have an air conditioner to bask under. The fans are just starting to rotate the hot air and blow it in your face. I'm pretty sure i need to wash my sheets again cause I sleep sweating haha. HOWEVER, regardless of the heat, I'm super happy! Sometimes I just let myself think that I'm just wet because I've been swimming....I pretty much look like that haha. 

In other news, I'm mastering the tortas fritas (they're basically like scones)! Everybody here makes bread and torta fritas, but nobody actually has a recipie...recepi, recepie, recipi (how do you spell that word?..). Anyways, I've had some successes and have only burnt myself a bit from the oil and grasa. 

So it's super awesome here cause almost every tree in the street is a fruit tree of some type! We found apricots on the street the other day, but it was super funny cause we looked up and all the apricots were still green in the tree, but there were like 10 on the ground super ripe! My companion had never tried an apricot before so we picked up the best ones, brushed them off and ate about 3 each. It was so wonderful:) We've also found some trees that have some strange super lard grape things hanging from them. We didnt know if you could eat them, but they looked so good we were so tempted! We picked a bunch off the tree and carried them around with us so we could ask someone if they knew what they were... well we couldn't wait long enough to find somebody to ask and we just ate them anyways. We're hoping it wasnt like the forbidden fruit or anything and that we don't die, but they were super tasty at least! 

We got a reference the other day of a lady in the chacras (orchards) and we went to try and contact her saturday. Long story short, after walking a good couple (or bunch) of miles, sometimes going in the wrong direction, we adventually found her house in the middle of the chacras. She was super sweet and said she wanted to come to church the next day! So we called her that night to confirm with her and ask if she wanted us to pass by for her cause she doesnt have a car or bike and she said yes. So Sunday we left our apartment at 7:50 so that we could walk clear out there and bring her to church in time at 9:30. When we got there though, her husband said that she's left really late to go to a birthday party and hadn't come home.... that was disappointing. I just started laughing super hard cause we'd walked miles super excited to bring her to church! Perhaps the next week though we'll have better success:) 

Thank you so much to all for the letters!!! You know how I love to get mail:) A special thank you to the family and also to jan strong that sent me a letter with all the people from the ward (young womens) that signed it! Also to Kobe who sent me a fetivus card! I got all 4 christmas/thanksgiving card from the fam this week:) I totally laughed and its made me smile for days to see them! love you all so much!:)

So for christmas the 26th works great for both my companion and I:) We'll be going to a cyber around 12 or 12:30 our time which is.... 8 or 8:30 your guys's time i believe.... Sorry that it's early. I'll let you guys know more definitely the next week if that's the hour and day that we're going to come. Let me know if there's any problems with that day or time. 

OH, and we no longer have to be in our apartments by 6 now:) that rule didn't last too long... they're just advising to be careful, which is good cause you all know that i'm super dangerous. ;) 

I'm super excited for christmas here and I'm trying to think of what I can do or make to give to people:) Let me know if you guys hae any ideas of something easy to make to pass out! I really love allen! 

We've seen some incredible miracles:) and now I just know that we're going to see some great christmas miracles!!! (the whole fam better catch that:)) 

Really though, that's my favorite line, because it really is a christmas miracle! We have the ability to have infinite joy because of the miracle that christmas is really all about. Like grandma always says- christmas is light through the darkness and love through the ages. It's true:) I'm grateful for all the christmas miracles that I've recived and seen in my life and here in argentina.

I hope you all can see the miracles around you especailly at this time. 

Love you all so much and think and pray for you always!

hermana ashcroft

PS- IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!

Weddings!!

December 2, 2013

Don't worry, not my wedding... haha

Our investigator Victoria got married this week!!! I was going to send a picture, but i forgot my camera cord... it was so awesome though and i just couldnt stop smiling the whole day!! It was a simple wedding just done in the civil offices building, but it really was so special!! She'll be getting baptised this saturday now and her newly husband may be able to baptise her!!! I'm seriously just so happy about it all and  victoria already is talking about preparing and saving to be able to go to buenos aires to get sealed with her husband and 2 little kids:) 

Our other investigator maria is also preparing to get married!!! If all goes well and they can get a turn, they'll be getting married the 20th!! and then she'll be baptized the 28th! So we're full of weddings here in Allen now and I just can't stop smiling! I'm sure that people think that I'm super crazy for how big my smile is while im walking down the streets. 

So a couple weeks ago I burnt the fetch out of nearly all my fingers.... and now they're all scared super ugly and I still don't have normal feeling back. I'm not really sure if it's going to come back... haha oh well I'm slowly getting use to not feeling. 

things are going well... dont really know what else to tell you haha.

we had a really awesome conference with elder romeu from the area 70. we had to wake up at 3 in the morning to go to it, but it was worth it. Although I nearly died afterwards from sueño. 

Ummm LOVE the pictures natalie! I just know that I have the cutest nephew in the world! Take videos for me as well so that I can see them when I get back:) 

Sorry you were sick for thanksgiving dad... that's a bummer. I ate an apple for thanksgiving and 2 facturas ( we were a bit short on food that day haha) but the apple was the size of jupiter!!! Seriously it was the size of my face! and super delicious, so it was a good thanksgiving apple:) California sounds like it was super great:) mmmm seafood i miss that

anyways, now that I've written a bunch of not so important stuff, time for the most important thing today- HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!!! 

I love you so much and I don't know what I did to be so lucky as to get the best dad there ever was. Sometimes I feel bad for other people knowing that their dad can't be as awesome as mine. I really hope that your day is so wonderful and I want to thank you so much for all that you have done for me and continue to do for me. There's not a daty that goes by that I don't think of you. I know i'm only who I am and where i am because of you and all that i've learned from you. thank you dad. love you eternaly! 

and to the rest of you- i guess i love you too:) 

hope you're week is great! 

hermana ashcroft

P.s. thanks for the money for christmas! I need to buy some scriptures and journals and other stuff for my investigators:) 

It's Summer Time!

November 25, 2013

Hello all:)

So this week was pretty nice with weather, not too hot or anything! I got my new companion, hermana Silva from nicaragua, the capital managua where matthew served i believe. She's.... I don't the words to describe her haha, but she's really nice:) 

So i've been teaching piano lessons for a few weeks now to lots of dfferent youth to try and activate them and it's working super well!! The only problem is their's only one piano and it's hard find a specific time to teach all of them. but i was surprised at how many people were intrested and excited to learn and it's helped us out a lot to get some older youth to acompany us to appointments and visit people, and it's activating some other youth. There's one girl that's 16 years old and for the past 3 sundays now she's woken up really early to help get her 2 younger sisters ready and walk the 25 minutes to the chaple with them without the help of her mom. It's really so incredible! I love seeing things like that, it just testifies to me that this gosple really changes people and lives and blesses them so much. So anyways, don't tell marci nilsson that I'm teaching piano cause she would probably die to think about me teaching, especially because of how horrible I am with rhythm hahahh. But the youth are eating it up! I've got more than 8 youth now that are wanting the lessons. I think I've got to try to find someone else in the area that teaches piano and has one to start taking over... haha. 

Victoria is getting married this week!!!!!!! And then she'll be baptised on the 7th!!! I'm super excited for her!!! And maria has progressed so much!! it's incredible to see that change in her that has taken place!! She's totally ready for baptism as well, but she just needs to get married.... it's a bit of a sticky situation, but we're working with it:) 

So we just got letters from the president telling us about how christmas is going to work with communicating with our families, and I need to see if the cyber is going to be open on christmas or not, and if not i'll let you guys know what day the week of christmas I'll be getting on to talk with you all:) So.... I'm pretty sure I remember my skype, so I'll just be using that unless someone knows of something better?... And I'll tell you the hour and day mas o menos, and then Just wait for you guys on skype. I've still got to check out the cybers though and see whick ones have skype and a camera and headphones and the hours for the week of christmas. I'm super excited to see you all though and talk with you, although I don't really know what there is to say haha. I just want to see baby bear really.... just kidding, kinda;) But anyways, there's still a month left for that! 

Oh, so this week I was with a ginga for about 2 days while we waited for our new companions and it was interesting being with someone for the first time who's native language isn't spanish and that had less spanish than me haha. Defintiely some interesting days. But anywyas, we totally thought thanksgiving was last thursday and we went around telling EVERYONE feliz dia de las gracias! we sent messages to all the missionaries in our areas and our leaders and everything. And then we found out that night that thanksgiving is this week.... although i'm still not really sure... haha. Isn't thanksgiving the 3rd thursday of the month??? And why is it something weird like that so that we don't know what day is thanksgiving?? haha. ANywyas, i hope you all enjoy thanksgiving for me and eat lots of delicious food!! I'll be eating noodles... with tuko... and maybe rice.... with and apple hahah. 

well, love you all so much! Hope you're not too cold there, I'll try not to sweat down here too much for all of you. 

lots of love and hugs!!

hermana ashcroft

P.S.- english music in the cybers kills me! haha it makes me want to listen to more music! and makes it dificult to concentrate on typing haha

Gracias

November 18, 2013

Thanks for all the letters this week! Unfortunately there were so many that I don't have time to reply haha. This cyber is going to close like... now.. but i've got about 2 minutes more that I can be on the computer, so if i can im gonna try to finish writing in another cyber later on today. Oh siesta... everything closes. 

love you all so much! Thanks for updating me about dylan, I was worried when people started to tell me about the phillipians. let me know if you hear anything about edward and how he is. 

oh yeah, so its a new transfer now and i'm training a new missionary again, but ill be staying in allen. my comp is leaving to go to roca. I'll let you know who my new newbie is when I find out. I'll meet her thursday. 

lots of love again!

hermana ashcroft

ps- thanks again for the letters and photos!

Lucky for you guys, I actually love you!

November 11, 2013

So just joking, I actually am going to write you, cause I really actually do love you all:) Although I may not be so merciful the next time....

So hypothetically speaking, I may have gone to the hospital this week, cause I may have passed out at a members house, and they may have injected me with something in the hospital that I may not know what it is. But it may have knocked me out for about an hour in a hospital that may have been a bit... interesting. But then again, maybe not. So you shouldn't worry:) hahaha

Although, if someone had injected me with something, I would probably be conviced that it was some sort of tracker. So I may be thinking right now that the Argentine Government is watching me, so for that I may be talking all "hypothetically". 

hahhaa only joking, but only a little bit joking... 

But honestly, don't worry, although I know you won't cause you're not even writing me. hahah, sorry, it's just too funny:)

ANYWAYS, things are going super well:) One of our 2 investigators has set a date to get married and then she'll be getting baptised shortly after! And our other investigator is working on setting a date to get married right now:) I really like Allen, although sometimes there's crazy weather and it just starts hailing ice the size of very large green peas in the middle of a bright, hot, and sunny day. haha who knew that was possible??? Aparently though it's hailed the size of tennis balls and bigger before though! It ruined a lot of cars and a lot of other damage obviously. Try to imagine a bunch of ice balls the size of a tennis balls falling from the sky!! crazy no?!?

So I'm totally in love with the books of mosiah and Alma now, they're like super intense stories!! And I'm like a super nerd for the book of mormon now. Guess I really am going to be one of those weird return missionaries that perhaps relates everything to the book of mormon... but I was already super weird before and relating everything to harry potter, so now I think It's actually an improvement seeing as the book of mormon is actual real:) 

haha well I think that's all for this week... write me and maybe I'll tell you guys more. 

I really do know that the book of mormon is true. I have no doubt, and it really does change lives. I've seen it, and it's changing mine as well. 

love you all to Jupiter and back! 

hermana ashcroft

PS- I learned that my convert gustavo that got baptised in trevelin is preparing to serve a mission!!! WHOOO! Told you the book of mormon really is powerful:) 

Let's Festivate!!

November 4, 2013

Well hello! 

first of all, the keyboard Im using is broken, so don't judge how I write... it's really hard...

so it's hot.... and i'm sweaty.... in case you wanted to know... also, I just learned that it's gotten up to 46 degrees celcius here before... and thanks to the handy dandy chart that natalie sent me I now know that that means a beautiful nearly 115 degrees... Let's hope Im not like the evil witch from the wizard of oz or something, or else I might melt.... actually i don't think it matters ifyour evil or not, i think everything melts in that weather! 

So did you know they don't celebrate haloween here... which is sad... they think it's like devilish... But I was trying to talk in english the other day to some missionaries and I said we should 'festivate' it anyways.... yes i used the word festivate being totally serious. Spanish makes me want to turn every word into a verb in english.... so anyways, I hope you all festivated halloween for me!! But not in a devilish way...

So like I said, I love Allen! But there wont be any fruit in the orchards untill december... so hopefully Im still here by then! and hopefully there's some not so rotten fruit on the ground we can eat! haha

We met a super old lady here the other day (although we didn't call her old cause that's super rude) and she has a super nice super old piano to go with her super nice super old house! And she plays the piano super legit!!! Well that's enough with the super.... sorry.

It's incredible how fast the work is growing! I really feel like Allen is where i need to be right now and like there's something waiting for me here.... I'm excited to find out what. 

sorry, don't really have time... like usual... haha

love you all lots!!

hermana ashcroft

2 in 1!!!

October 28, 2013

Hola familia (friends if I still have any that are reading...)

So things are going great here in Allen, I really like this city, it's a lot different than my other areas. Can't remember what I've told you about it, but it's full of orchards. It's like the pear and apple capital (that rhymed). And it's FULL of less active people... so basically it's like another orchard in a sense with lots of fruit that needs to get picked before it goes bad haha. (yes I just made a parallel with the scritptures). 

My companion hermana Gil is a newby that only just turned 19. But she's super sweet although it's definitely different trying to explain how everything works to her, especially since she's never lived away from home. But we get along really well! And she speaks english fairly well, so I'm trying to use that to my advantage to learn more spanish. She says that people from peru don't have accents, but they definitely do... haha. The good news is that by the end of my mission I'll be able to understand lots of different spanish, although I'm not sure what kind of spanish I'll be speaking....Right now its argentine with a dash or columbian, mexican, and peruvian.

So this week was great cause we got 2 new baptism dates! They're both for young (23ish) moms that are living with their 'marido' who have been less actives for 20 or so years. So we've got to get them married activated and baptised, but the both are improving a lot! And within only 1 day apart, we set baptism dates for the both for the same day, the 30 of november. It's incredibly to see the work spread and grow. We're 6 missionaries (us hermanas and 2 pairs of elders) here in Allen in the same ward. There was only about 25ish people our fist domingo, but we had nearly 60 the next! And the elders are getting close to putting a few baptism dates as well, so we could have a fair amount of baptisms in this next month. 

It's definitely getting hot now... although it's suppose to get a lot hotter. They say about 41 degrees celcius... someone want to tell me what that means?? 

Well sorry I don't have more time... I'll try to take some pictures that are worth sending the next week... 

lots of love!

hermana ashcroft

oh, P.S.- us missionaries put on a super funny skit for a ward activity this week. Whether or not I was before, I'm defintiely a funny person. incase you wanted to know. Pretty sure I got it from my parents

P.S.S- I accidently left our apartment the other day after our studies and after walking a couple blocks and seeing a lot of people I realized that me feet felt strangely comfortable... I looked down to realize that I still had my big bulky sandles on. haha that was embarassing

P.S.S.- no more stories for today. but lots of love!