Week 41

Hello from sunny Arizona!

May 18

Today P-day was really lame. My email wasn't working really so I got a very little amount of that and nothing was going on at the Stake Center. The evening was really good though. We shared a message with Sister Brien and contacted a couple of potential investigators and could have lessons with them soon!

May 19

Today was good, we contacted potential and former investigators. We had dinner at the Quintana's which was kind of stressful because brother Quintana wasn't going to be there so she called up her son to come to dinner, just a crazy situation. We went on splits which was good.  Nobody answered for me and President Huff so he took me to get ice cream and he also gave five bucks to a homeless couple which was really cool!

May 20

Today was a really long day. We visited a lot of potential and former investigators but not many people answered. We biked over 100 blocks today because we had to go to dinner at our apartment from the end of our area because Sister Rios dropped off dinner, which was really good!

May 21

Today we shared a message with Brother Southworth then did our weekly planning. We had dinner with the Robinson's and Beeson's. So found out at Brother Beeson our Second Counselor is the second cousin of Eliza Beeson, the Sister Beeson that served in our ward in Eau Claire!!! Craziness!!! After dinner we visited potentials and formers and talked to Oscar who we might be doing some service for soon hopefully we can teach him!

May 22

Today we had some weekly planning and had District Meeting which was alright. We had dinner with Sister Tovar, which was a really good Jewish meal.  It was Shavuot which was Jewish bread, sweet sauerkraut and brats it was pretty good! We contacted a referral and she is open to learning though her husband doesn't want anything to do with it, so hopefully we can teach her. We were contacting a former investigator and when we were leaving their boxer chased me and I stopped and it ran into my tire and ran away pretty creepy! We contacted a former investigator, Melissa, and she is interested so we set up an appointment for Friday!  Pretty good day!

May 23

Today we constructed the "Warn Your Neighbor" lesson! We had dinner with the Eaton's which was good. We contacted formers and potentials. We were supposed to have a lesson with David Valenzuela but he didn't answer. So brother Jayme, who went with us, took us around visiting and almost got in a wreck! We were biking to the Church at the end of the night and  a guy named Chino stopped us and talked to us for a bit which was really cool! We got his phone number but we think he lives outside our area.

May 24

Church was pretty good today. Elder Keefer was home for his first Sunday. He was pretty cool! We had dinner at President Perkins (Stake Presidency Second Counselor) who Keefer lives with. After dinner we went to Emerson's farewell party and then visited the Arboledas.


Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Love you all,
Elder Ashby

Week 40

Hello all!!!

May 11

Today P-day was really fun! Before going to the Stake Center we went to a guys house who's son is a member and gave him a Blessing and Dedicated his home. Played speedball and basketball which was fun. We had a lesson with the Rivas and then the Smith's.

May 12

Today we visited a lot of potential investigators. We visited Brother Southworth. Elder Melsen buffed it twice today  and one time messed up his de-railer and so we went to the bike shop and got it fixed up. We had dinner with Bishop and his wife which was good! We were supposed to do splits but Brother Leavitt had to cancel so Brother Baxter went to Sven's and David Valenzuela and set up a lesson for tomorrow! David was in a great mood because he has the day off tomorrow!

May 13

Today we taught Brother Koutz. We ate dinner at the apartment. Brother Pearson picked us up for coordination meeting which was really good!  Our appointment with David fell through so we made a visit or two.  Pretty good day.

May 14

Today we did weekly planning. After weekly planning we went to dinner with the Jayme's which was really good omelets and oatmeal. It may have been the fourth time I had oatmeal that day, no big deal haha! We were supposed to go on splits but Brother Hardy got sick today so Brother LaMunyon went to our lesson with the Huffs which was really good! And then headed home pretty good day!

May 15

Today district meeting was good. I led a discussion on relying on the Spirit. We visited a lot of potentials today and had dinner at the apartment. It was awesome how much rain we got today which made the temperature really nice!

May 16

Due to all the rain from last night today was great temperature! We cleaned up our area book a lot today and visited potential and former investigators. We had dinner at the apartment and visited the Smith's to see if Brother Smith could give us a ride to PEC! We shared a message with Sister Tovar.

May 17

Today we had a really good Ward Council! Church was good. We got to hear Emerson Smith's farewell talk! After Church during lunch I took a nice nap! We had dinner with the Smith's which was really good! We visited potentials and formers and to end the night visited the Reeder's!

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Elder Ashby

Here are a couple of videos with me playing in the rain!!

 

Week 39

Hello everyone!

May 5

Today we got volunteered by the other Elders to help someone move at the beginning of P-day so that ticked me off a bit. Elder Davis packed during studies so we went to the stake center and played some basketball and volleyball. We had to end P-day early because we had a dinner which didn't make me the happiest either but the dinner was good with the Bonds. Said goodbye to people with Elder Davis.

May 6

Today Elder Davis got transferred to West Maricopa and I got Elder Melsen from Willsonville, Alabama! He's really cool and I think we'll get along great. A lot of the people that I came out with are becoming District Leaders and one Zone Leader.  I am grateful that I was able to have a leadership position early on in my mission and I am looking forward to having more opportunities. Today we had dinner with the Hardt's, then had coordination which was good. Then we visited Linda Rankin. Pretty good day.

May 7

Today we had weekly planning and we took Elder Melsen shopping. We went to the Church to have our weekly planning session and our referral showed up to the Church for our lesson an hour early. It was a good lesson.  Turns out he was a member in the past, so he won't count as an investigator. We had dinner with Sister Tovar where we went to Brothers, not a great restaurant. We had a lesson with the Reeder's and on the way there Erick, the referral, was calling us and texting us and was offended that we had a member at the lesson and is really paranoid about everything and threatened us a couple times so hopefully we can figure out all that tomorrow. We shared a message with the Reeder's. Our lesson with David Valenzuela cancelled. Very interesting day.

May 8

Today we did some weekly planning before District Meeting. District Meeting was OK, not the greatest District Meeting since getting here in my opinion. We had dinner with the Stowell's which was great! Our lesson with four potential investigators fell through so we went to Emerson Smith's farewell party, he leaves in three weeks. It was awesome because we were able to introduce Elder Melsen to a lot of the members and start off good relationships. Then we made the long bike ride home. It was actually cold today even though it would be warm for you guys haha!

May 9

Today we re-geocoded our area. Then we cleaned up our area book all day because we had no appointments. We had dinner at the apartment. I'm enjoying being with Elder Melsen!

May 10

Today church was good. Brother Marble's talk was my favorite talk today! Gospel Principles was kinda lame but the Elders Quorum lesson was good. Skyping home today was cool but really weird. It went by really quick! We had dinner with the Hardt's. Our evening consisted of dealing with Erick and all his drama all night.

Hope you all have a great week!

Last day with Elder Davis

My new Companion, Elder Melson from Alabama!

Week 38

Greetings from Arizona!! 

Here is the update for the week...

April 27
Today P-day was pretty good we had zone activity where we played glow in the dark dodge ball zombie ball and basketball! Had a really good time hanging out with all the other Elders, go Testostazone! We made visits the rest of the night.

April 28

Today we were on exchanges, Elder Timm came to my area with me. We taught Brother Koutz then did service for him.  I mowed the backyard and Elder Timm weed wacked all in our proselyting clothes!  Sister Quintana had to cancel dinner but dropped off a yummy stuffed crust pizza! Then we shared a message with the Winfield's and biked home!

April 29

Not a super productive day today. We called a lot of potential investigators to clean up our area book. We set goals for the next month and made visits. We had dinner with the Marbles who are awesome and hilarious! We had a good coordination meeting then made visits the rest of the night!

April 30

Today Elder Timm and I woke up early to go to a session at the Phoenix temple because Elder Davis and Owens have been recently. When we got there, to our surprise, President Griffin and Sister Griffin were there with the AP's as well as President Juchau and they were all in the same session which was cool and I got to see the new video the "gold throne one".  Jose the member that took us bought us In and Out afterwards! When we got back we taught Brother Antie.  It was super hot today! Our dinner with the Perkins cancelled because one of their sons has chicken pox. Then we went on splits and I taught the Tryon's. When we got back we visited David Valenzuela and set up an appointment for tomorrow.

May 1

Today we had zone meeting after lunch which was good. We didn't have a dinner but we had a lesson with David Valenzuela tonight finally! It was a very interesting lesson thanks to Brother Hardt, one of our Stake Missionaries.

May 2

Today we did a little weekly planning and had to redo the "Safeguards Online" course. We then went to a potential investigator, Jamie Schmidt, and helped them load a moving truck. He was a really cool guy who is a MMA fighter. We had dinner with the Eaton's and had a really good lesson with them to help her quit smoking. Made visits the rest of the night.

May 3

Today was pretty good.  Wasn't too hungry during Fast Sunday, haha! We thought our Gospel Principles teacher wasn't at Church, so I was going to be mad if we had to teach on no notice again, but he was in class.  Our Elders Quorum lesson was pretty pathetic, the President put on the Joseph Smith movie for the entire lesson. We had dinner at the Hagensen's, which was really good and then made visits the rest of the night.

May 4

Today was pretty unproductive we tried finding a ride to transfers because Elder Davis is getting transferred, so I will have a new companion on Wednesday. We didn't have a dinner.  Our lesson with Nicole Moya cancelled. We taught the Marble's, Arboleda's, and Willing's together.

That is about it for this week.  I will let you know about my new companion next week!

Love you all,
Elder Ashby

Couple of pictures from this week.