Week 98

Tuesday: We had a district meeting in the morning and we felt prompted to go to Elder Alarcon's district meeting to hype up the sisters who are struggling. In our closing remarks we talked about how the Lord can turn our weaknesses into strengths if we allow him to. We also talked about how we can't expect the lord to give us miracles if we are only doing the bare minimum. All he wants is for us to have the desire to go above and beyond and he blesses us. Obviously it takes action with the desire but you need to have both to receive the most help from above. At night I had an exchange with my good old companion Elder Gehrett. It was fun to go on all three zone leader, AP exchanges with him. We went to ward softball and played with the Tongan ward the first game and then played with Butterfield canyon the second game. At night we talked FOREVER!!! I mean FOREVER!!! We went to bed at 2:30am because we were talking about all that has happened on our missions. It will be sad to not have him in this mission next transfer but his family moved to Sandy so we will see each other all the time haha!

Wednesday: We had interviews with President Lansing in the morning and it was a very interesting interview this time. It was different this time because he basically told me that the zone was doing good and that I was doing a good job so I don't need to stress about anything but not to relax too much. Usually he puts me on blast because he knows that it give me more incentive to work hard but he was just like yeah just relax things are going well. We had a lesson with Jo (Jehoshabeath) and it was a super good lesson. She is FLDS so she basically believes everything we do but the continuation of plural marriage. We talked  a lot about having the desire to know. We played the Mormon message "music of the gospel" and she related so well to it and said she has been going through the motions and not taking the time to figure it out. She said she will be baptized "when" she knows it's true. We had exchanges with Elder Alarcon and Westover and I went with Elder Westover in our area and had some ward visits in Butterfield canyon and then had ward basketball.

Thursday: We had a NLC (Nation Leadership Council) in the morning and it was all devoted to the idea of developing the missionaries under our stewardship. We played two Mormon messages, pianos purpose, and music of the gospel and related both of them back to developing our missionaries. It was one of the best zone leadership meetings I've had. The spirit was so strong and everyone left the meeting with revelation on how to help their missionaries. We talked to Jon who was baptized a few weeks ago and he is doing great still and is getting the priesthood on Sunday. Elder Bretschneider did a baptismal interview for a man named Teo. While I talked with Elder Mullenaux and Passeraub. We went by and taught Luis about the priesthood as well to prepare him to receive it since he was also recently baptized. 

Friday: I had a last transfer meeting which we refer to as a "trunky" meeting. It is a meeting to prepare missionaries to go home as my time is winding down. I honestly loved the meeting because of how smart President Lansing is. He talked about if we coast at the end of our mission we are coasting into the rest of our lives. The missionaries that sprint to the end are sprinting into life ahead of the game. We also talked a lot about dating and getting married etc but it was all good things but I still have 7 weeks to hit the pavement running!

Saturday: We had a crazy day with all the investigators in the area being baptized. We went to Teo's baptism at 11am. Jireh's baptism at 3pm. Kelton's baptism at 5pm. All of them were being taught by different missionaries but it was cool to see all of them and where they came from to the very moment of making this big step in their life with the decision to be baptized. After Keltons baptism Elder Walker and Bretschneider went back to a baptism that was in Sandy for someone who they taught when they were companions and I stayed with Elder Mazzagardi. It was one of the most powerful moments on my mission as a leader with Elder Mazzagardi. He asked if I was ready to go home and a few other questions which turned into me talking to him about how important it is to give up everything to the Lord and serve him for two years. Missionaries that give up their will and do the Lord's will are better off. The natural man or woman in each of us will make us feel that we know what we know and we are stubborn to change. Well the Lord doesn't want to prune the natural man or woman in us, he wants us to dig it out and give it all to him. I've seen on my mission that as I truly love the Lord through my actions he will pave the path he wants me to take, which leads to the happiness we are all searching for. It was an emotional moment where both of us were crying and he committed to give up the things he loves from back home like movies and video games and is dedicated to serve the Lord with all he has now.

Sunday: We went to a stake missionary meeting in the morning  with Elder Mullenaux and Passeraub and Sister Neuhaus and Smith. We talked about the work going on in the stake and what the stake presidency can do to be better in assisting us. After that we went to Mountain View ward and then the Tongan ward. At night the YSA stake had a Devotional with Dr Don Hilton who talked about pornography and the plague it can have on our spirits. It was kind of an odd Devotional but it was cool to see how inspired it was. The thought came to my mind as he was speaking that our phones are just like Lehi's dream in the Book of Mormon. We had the word of God on our phones and we also have the adversaries temptations as well. We can get lost in the world through social media and be in the great and spacious building or we can hold to the rod of iron which leads to the tree of life. 

Hope you all have a great week.

Love,

Elder Aaron Ashby