Farewell, 4 weeks left

This is why they call me Nurse Jaeger

Hey fam :]

A LOT has been going on this past week and I'm surprise I can still remember my name haha. I will try and remember all that good things that went on this past week :]

MTC comp Hna R & MTC friend Hna N

On wednesday we had the farewell temple trip to all the missionaries leaving. It was such a nice experience and I loved seeing my MTC companion Hna R and N again in the temple :] it brought back flash backs of when we would all go together while in the MTC. 

The day before I was able to go on an exchange back to B for a day! Wow it felt so weird being back in my old area, it brought back a lot of good memories of Hna O and Hna S. I made a couple of the members tell Hna S I said hi and to email me haha shes so sweet and today I got 2 emails from her. 

My District!

Hermana O I trained & Hermana G ~ & MTC Companion Hermana R

Hermana T and a ton of Hermanas from the Mission

It was so cool to see I my first convert! At first she didnt recognize me and I thought,  well its okay at least I can see her :] Then when she finally looked up to see us she said, "Wow, what a miracle. I'm so surpired you are here!" It made me feel so happy to see she remembered me and was happy to see me :] because of her health she still kept falling asleep in the lessons but I knew exactly what to do to get her attention :] I realized that since I spent so much time with her I figured out a way to teach her to her needs. I also saw K O and her family :] It was so fun seeing them , K actually came out teaching with us. When I was leaving she said, "You and Hna S were my favorites". I was also able to see the J family who help me out so much driving us to different lessons when it was in the freezing winter. 

My MTC Companion!

sunday we were able to have 6 less actives at church!!!! It was so awesome and a recent convert of mine J :] it was the best thing ever! Monday night we had the farewell dinner with all 40 missionaries. It was fun talking with Hna R again, we had a lot of good laughs about our missions and our time together in the MTC. As we hugged to say goodbye i told her, "Sprint to the end!" And she replied, "Of course. We started and will finish our missions together :]". It was interesting at the farewell dinner, i didnt feel like it was my turn to go home yet. i know im supposed to be here for a reason. 

Last week Ca and G had their baby girl. Her name is A and we will hopefully get to meet her this week :]  hopefully before. 

I love you all so much! I know the last 4 weeks are going to fly by so fast and then I'll be home :] I love you all and hope everything is going well. Adios!

At the Dr again.

10 more to go

Texas Houston District  ~  Signing my TX flag

Yep walked like this

We got transfer calls today and I found out I am staying in H 1 with Hna B :] I am so grateful to have another 6 weeks here and I'm positive the extra 4 weeks President will just keep me here in the area until I am called home. I'm starting to get emotional with knowing how fast the last transfer went and how I only have 1 1/2 left. How grateful I am for this time in my life to find out who I am through serving others 24/7. In church today we heard a really cool story as we were learning about the sabbath day that I would like to share with you.

 Afraid of B's sweet bird  ~  friend on ground trying to get in our place

My friend kept following me  ~  made left turn this sucker scared me

 L teaching me how to eat a mango & I'm messy  ~  Service for sweet friend & it was worth it!

"There was a fisherman who lived with his wife and 5 children. This father loved his family and wanted the best for them. He went out to work hoping to catch enough fish to give him income to take care of his family. As the fisherman pulled the net out of the water he found that his net was empty of fish, but found 7 clams. In each clam he found 7 beautiful pearls. The fisherman was happy and knew that with these 7 pearls he would be able to give much to his family. As the fisherman walked home he passed by a man sitting on the road, begging for food. The fisherman had compassion on the begger and decided he would give this poor man 6 pearls, for with the 7th pearls the man could support his family for awhile and then go back to work. As the fisherman traveled home the begger decided to follow this fisherman home. The fisherman walked into his home and closed the door. The begger peaked inside the window and say the fisherman put the one other pearl on his nightstand and turned in for the night. The begger quickly reached through the window, took the 7th pearl from off the fishermans desk and walked away."

Now, what did you get from this story? Maybe not much at first but that the begger is supper greedy. In this story the fisherman is like Jesus Christ, he has given us 6 days out of the week to do what we need and want. But are we sometimes like the begger, greedily taking the 7th day and doing what we want with it? The Lord has asked us to sanctify the 7th day of the week to him. and when you think about it, after ALL that Christ has done for us, all he asks of us is to spend this one day out of the week in reverence to him. Are we doing so?

So happy to have a couch

I am grateful for Sundays. though on the mission it is far from a day off rest for me haha I am grateful for the opportunity to go to church and partake of the sacrament. I love H 1 ward and am so grateful and blessed to be in this ward. The members are so willing to help our investigators. I know in the next 10 weeks I will be able to see the fruits of my labors. I know god is a god of miracles and as i trustin him and do his will I will be able to see and experinece these miracles! i just need to be patient. I love you all :] And pray for each of you everynight.  love- herman ashley jaeger

Members, Missionaries & friends came together for a service project for Hermana P

 Deer in headlights ~ District Hermanas & J from ward ~ Service for Hna P

 We love Hna P  ~  1 2 3 smile and he kissed me haha

Cutting the grass with a machete

Booming Week!

Mi Familia :]

Wow this week has been a miracle. We had to combine our bike area with the other sister area in out district because hermana s companion left to Argentina. So we were in a tri companionship and it was AMAZING!!! We never had down time, we were always teaching! I've never had so much work and so much fun ever since I've came out on my mission! All I can say is how grateful I am to the Lord for sending me here to B, TX. The branch needs a lot of help. But in our district this past transfer we've been able to see a lot of miracles because we have been so united and unified and a district. Also on a personal note I've have seen the blessings of paying a full tithe. After I sent that letter in I've been able to see many miracles here as well as see dad have enough work to support the family and 3 kids on a mission. 

An investigators who's mother passed away a week ago. Her mom found out she had cancer a little after Y met the missionaries which was about 5 weeks ago. We went over to her house that night and had an amazing lesson on the Jesus Christ and the power of the Atonement. We were able to share a few scriptures to help give her comfort. We also gave her the picture of Christ walking out of the tomb. We explained that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ all those who live on this earth will be resurrected. We promised her that someday she'd be able to see her mother again and all other family members who've passed on. She put the picture of Christ in a place that she could always look at it. We also pointed out how God put the missionaries in her path just a month ago for a reason. It wasn't by chance she's been taking the lessons right before her mother passed.

A has a date for Nov 16. He is so prepared and ready. He has no doubts. He's a golden investigator.

M the mother of two daughters in the branch finally accepted a date for December 14! We taught her 3 nephi 11 and focused on baptism. The spirit was so strong the whole time and she expressed her feelings that she knew The Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. She loves this church.  Isabel and her kids are wonderful and we have FINALLY been able to meet her husband! Weren't able to teach him yet but we have an appointment with the whole family this week. They were able to meet some members in the ward who live on the same street. The same member family is coming with us to the next lesson.  Also were able to meet and teach M a friend who lives at their house!!! He was sad he couldn't come to church this Sunday cause of work but promised to come this next Sunday! hes excited to read The Book of Mormon and help the family, especially the kids, go to church.

We were able to teach 26 lessons this week! It was a miracle because normally we get MAYBE 14 or less. I know I will be helping SO MANY people to be baptized by the end of this year. I know I need to help 6 more people to be baptized this year, by the end of December. I pray and have faith this is possible. thank you for all your support and love!!! Hwo grateful I am for my savior Jesus Christ. He is my everything.

-Hrmana Ashley Jaeger

Miracles wrought by Faith ~ We had a Baptism!

Good morning :]

I cannot put into words my gratitude and appreciation for every single person who prayed and fasted for I... I am sincerely grateful for your help and your faith. This past week my faith was tested numerous times. But through it all my faith has grown.  And we had a BAPTISM!

Monday we talked to the Elders and planned on them going with us to the hospital so I... can have her baptismal interview. We waited outside the door anxiously. After 30 minutes Elder L came out of the room. She had passed! 

The beautiful pool where I... was Baptized!  She was so happy.

Wednesday we started the baptismal program. we went and visited I... at her home with a member, Hermana H. We got into the house to see Irma sitting on her bed in much pain. She asked if Hermana H... could help put chicken on the stove. Hermana went to town on cutting up the big chicken haha and she cooked it with tons of vegetables. Since the food was going to take a few hours to cook Hermana H... took her dinner out of the car and gave it to I.... I started crying at the kindness this member gave to I... She talked to I... about her baptism and what a beautiful day it will be! I... was more excited about the date, as long as she didn't have pain.

Thursday Hermana H and R told us they would be making the baptismal dress for I...! :)

Friday we stopped by I's house just my comp and I. I... told us shes been in a lot of pain and had an appointment with the doctors Saturday at 8 am. the day of her baptism. I didn't know what to do so I walked outside and started crying. I prayed to know what to do. I called the two relief society woman and told them we needed help. They stopped working on making the dress for I... and came to help us. Again they made her food, cleaned the house, we helped get I... ready, ect. After 2 hours of being there I... agreed to move her appointment to Monday!  :) 

All Friday night I could not sleep. I kept waking up with fear that I... couldn't get baptized or how she would get into the water, ect. I even started dreaming about the baptism!

Saturday morning we got a call from Hermana H... She told us I... is not well and we might not have the baptism. Right away I thought of calling the Elders. they were happy to go over to I's house and give her a blessing. All 6 of us missionaries and a few of the members showed up to the house of I... When the Elders started giving I... the blessing the spirit filled the whole house. it was an amazing experience. How grateful I am for priesthood holders. 

After the blessing I... felt better! The women helped I... get ready and after sitting at her house for 4 hours I... was ready! The baptism started over an hour late but miraculously it all worked out. Her baptism dress was beautiful and she was in awe that the woman made it for her. She was in pain getting into the cold water but she toughed it out. The three men helped her immerse fully under water and it only took one try! Branch president allowed her to be confirmed pool side because she is not able to go to church in her condition. I... was so happy.

So grateful of the Priesthood & the Elders

I was so touched by the Relief Society Sisters

I'm so grateful for this experience in my life. I've learned a lot but the thing that I've learned the most from this experience is trust in the Lord and never doubt his ways. God will put you through experiences that you don't understand why you have to deal with this situation or trial or difficulty. But I promise that as you are sitting in the celestial kingdom surrounded with your loved ones you will look back on your experience in life and appreciate and understand the trials you were put through. God knows us perfectly. He is our heavenly father and because he is our father he wants us to make it back home! He sent his son Jesus Christ here so through him we'd be able to repent and return home. I love my savior and am eternally grateful for his sacrifice for me. I know this is the true church on the earth today. I 

believe in miracles.

Our District celebrating after I's Baptism

He Knows Better Then I

Photo of Brazos District!

We saw the amazing miracle of having 4 people attend church this sunday!! How grateful I am for the lords help and guidance in this work! We visited I.  Shes is a special person.  Also I found out hermana oneill and i are staying here for another transfer YAY! We love this area. We had a really good week this week, were able to teach a lot of people and attend some branch and ward activities where we were able to meet new investigators! i know this work will not move forward without the help of the members.

this weeks email is going to be a little different. its more about what I've learned then a focus on a specific investigator but i feel impressed to share with you the knowlegde I've received this week. I'd like to share a scripture in the book of Alma that I've been able to relate to while I've been out on my mission.

"Yea, O God, thou hast been merciful unto me, and heard my cries in the midst of thy congregations... Yea, and thou hast also heard me when I have been cast out and have been despised by mine enemies; yea, thou didst hear my cries" (alma 33:9-10)

I know my Heavenly Father hears my prayers. I feel an urgency to talk with my Father in Heaven everyday. Without his help and his guidance I could not do this work. I want you to always remember how merciful our Heavenly Father and His son is. This past week I've been studying a lot about Repentance. 

Me & my Companion

Never in my life before have I feared so much for the salvation of a lost soul. I worry for those who do not feel godly sorrow for what they have done they will not be saved. But in my studies today about repentance I found hope. To repent we need to change our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. We need to feel SORROWFUL for what we have done, pray and ask forgivness, and strive to not repeat the same sin. Results from repentace is that we feel Gods forgiveness in our lives, guilt and sorrow are taken away, we feel the influence of the spirit in greater abundance, and when the day comes when we pass through this life we will be more prepared to live with our Father and His Son. In Helaman 5:10-11 It explains that the Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ, came to earth to redeem his people FROM their sins, not IN their sins. And christ has power from his Father to redeem his people from their sins BECAUSE OF REPENTACE. the scritpure goes onto say, "Therefore, he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringith unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the slavation of their souls". God has sent his angels, his missionaries and more specifically Hermana O'Neill and I to declare repentance unto everyone living in Rosenburg. What great urgency I feel to cry repentace unto anyone and everyone I come in contact with.

I know the savior rejoices in the souls who repent (D&C 18:10-13). I know if we do not repent of our sins we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. I love the parable found in Luke 15 of the lost sheep. That what man having 100 sheep and if one of them is lost doeth not leave the 99 and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds the lost sheep, he puts it onto his shoulders, rejoicing! And calling together all his friends and neighbors saying "Rejoice with me! for I have found my sheep which was lost" "I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repentath, more than over the 99 just persons, which need no repentance" (Luke 15:3-7). I know the savior is our Shephard, el gran pastor. He is calling each of us to come unto his fold. Hes asking all of us to go out and find the lost one! To give them rest, peace, and eternal happiness.

It is of great importance, wether you have a missioanry nametag or not, for all of use to preach the gospel. "And now, behold, I say unto you that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto the people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen."

I know this gospel is true. I charish the time I have right now to be a missionary. The work is hard but oh so worth it. I love being in the service of my God. I know he watches over and protects all those who trust in Him.  

Love- Hermana Ashley Jaeger

We get bashed & just SMILE back :)

Doing what we love to do on Pday's!!!

Hola mi muy bonita familia!

Wow that's crazy Kelsey's video of us opening our calls is on the Deseret News page! That's super awesome I hope it helps motivate youth to go on missions, especially the young women! Being a missionary is the best decision I have ever made in my life :] It's not easy but oh is it worth it. Not only does the mission change the lives of others but it also is changing my life. Its helping me prepare to be a strong member of the church, funny enough teaching me good mom skills and wife skills hahaha. I love reading the scriptures and just gaining more knowledge about the church. Its amazing I thought I knew a lot about the church and in the scriptures but being out on the mission I've come to find out theres always room to learn more about the church haha.

Oh thank you SOOOOOO SOOOOO much for the package! One morning I was walking out of the bathroom and my companion yells, "Its christmas!!!' Haha someone dropped of the package to our apartment and I was so ecxcited! I love evrything that you put in there thank you so much you really didnt have to do that but i really appreciate it and am so grateful!  I cant explain how happy that made me.

This week we had the chance to teach a few new people. We are teaching a members husband named L.G.  who is awesome! We watched the Restoration video and he loved it, hes been trying to figure out which church is the right one. He was really interested in learning more and we are so excited to go back and teach him the Plan of Salvation with his amazign wife.

Took off our shoes to go help wash cars :)

R. B. is amazing and progressing so much! When we stopped by her house she was outside washing her car. so we took of our tracting shoes and helped her wash her truck, she was so grateful and the whole time we washed her car she was asking us about hwat she had read in the scritpures!!! In just a few days she had already read the first 6 chapters on Nefi!!! As we were finishing up her truck, her husband pulled up to the house and was so impressed that we were helping wash the car in skirts! He was kind and offered us water and started helping us clean the car. After we finished we hurried and ran over to C. truck and started washing his! It was fun and it reallly showed them how much we care for them. They were nice and afterwards helped wash our car. Then we taught them about church and showed the pictrues of the church building (great idea from Elder Lewis) and they loved it. 

Though we have few members in the branch that can help us they are wonderful. We have received a lot of help from L R. We taught the restoration to a family and it was really powerful!!! The spirit was so strong! My companion and I did really well with explaining the restoration in a good amount of time. 

This week Hermana K and I are having an inner/outer beauty night with the young women for mutual. We are so excited and we hand made 25 invitations for the young women and for them to invite their friends. We hope as we meet new nonmember girls we can teach them at the members home.

We have helped reactivate some less actives.  They feel so happy being back to church. I think what sparked the interest again was having them have the chance to talk about their baptism and how it was such a special day. Its awesome to see the reaction of them coming back to church and feeling that happiness and peace again from attending church. 

MO City District

Spanish is coming along pretty well! everyone is so nice and keeps complimenting me on how my spanish is improving. I'm working really hard on it and practice something in the spanish textbooks everyday. I love serving a mission and just want to help everyone I come incontact with!!! Funny, a few times this week we've had to knock doors and I'm sure it surprises peoplethey are bashing and I'm just smiling back at them becuase I seriously have no idea what they are saying to me. But I've realized even if I dont understand spanish and the people that speak it I have such a great love for them because I see them the way God sees them. Precious.

Thanks for all the love and support and prayers!

Love-Hermana Ashley Jaeger

fav quote: Heaven is a continuation of the ideal home :]

Week 4 MTC

Okay so this week in the MTC has been cool. My district is now the oldest district in the zone for the next 2 weeks. So weird. Yesterday my companion and I had to teach 4 people!!! Usually you just teach one person but it was the best day I've ever had while out on the mission. I love to teach people but again, it's way hard to do in another language.

OH! I have an embarressing story. So thanks mom for typing all my letters onto the blog....maybe I should clarify ahead of time what I do and don't want on there HAHA. I'm not mad I just can't believe this happened.

So I have 2 teachers Hermano W and Hermana R. The other day Hermana R came across my youtube video of me opening my call. She sent that video to all the teachers that knew me. Then I think my blog link is somewhere on the youtube account. So my teacher Hemana R clicked on it and started reading my blog. She laughed when she say me talking about my first P-Day and I had said something like, "The language is hard but the view is nice, but don't worry the teacher is married". I almost died haha I told her not to tell Hermano W until AFTER I left but who knows he may have already read it haha. All the girls in my district joke about it. Yesterday Hermano W told us to give him our parents emails so he can email you guys. Then he said if we wanted to give him our emails or blogs to see how we are doing. ALL the sisters looked at me and started laughing so hard, it was way embarressing. When he asked what we were laughing about I told him nothing.

It's so hard being here in the MTC for 6 weeks it feels so long! And weird to think I've already passed a month since I reported to the MTC.

I came across a scripture that I LOVE! It's Helaman 5. It talks about how Nephi and Lehi (NOT the Nephi and Lehi at the beginning of the Book of Mormon these are 2 completely different people. they are brothers) Nephi and Lehi were remembering the words their father Helaman spoke to them.
in vs 6 it says, "Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. behold i have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of jerusalem; and this I have doine that when you remember your names ye may remember them, and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said and also written that they were good"

I like to take this verse and read it as if my Heavenly Father was speaking to me as a missionary about receiving/wearing the name of Christ. "Behold my missionary I desire that ye should remember to keep my commandments. and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. behold i have given unto you the name of your Savior, Jesus christ from Bethlehem. And this I have done that when you remember and read his name upon your nametag ye may remember him. and when ye remember him ye may remember his works. and when you remember his works ye ye may know how that it is said and also written that they were good"

I love you so much! I'm sorry this letter is random. I will go on later today and write more :]

Oh could you please tell Sister V F that I say hi, i love her, and thank her for sending me joel and brandon's letters! Tell her I see Joel every once in awhile and he is so happy! the other day he sent me canadian candy haha he's so sweet. Everytime I see him i wish i could hug him because he's such a good friend of mine! i'de send you a pic but i lost my card...

Oh also say hi and thank you to sister B for the letter :] and Emily S tell her I love her and appreciate her letters to me about if i need anything.

Take care! Love you so much!!!

Love-Hermana Ashley Jaeger

Week 3 MTC ~ "...and down ascended two CARROTS!" & Elder Holland visited

Buenos Dias!  email 1 today!!

I hope you all are doing well :] Well my Spanish is SLOWLY starting to improve. Yesterday we were teaching an investigator/teacher and he had expressed that his wife had a miscarriage. I'm surprised I even understood what he said. I got a little emotional and explained that my mom had a miscarriage but that this gospel makes me happy because I know I will live with him again. So "hijo" is son and "hermano" is brother. After our lesson the investigator/teacher pulled me out of class. I had told him that I had a miscarriage because I said "hijo" not "hermano" haha I was so embarrassed because my teacher thought it was probably an issue if I had a miscarriage and was out in the field. So embarrassing. Needless to say my Spanish still needs A LOT of work. It's okay though one Elder in our district said that Jesus was a women and the other Elder said Joseph Smith saw a pillar of light and down ascended two carrots hahaha! Aww learning a new language is awesome.

Our teacher was asking us questions and he asked my companion and I if we followed satan. We were so focused on what he was saying that we just expected he asked "do you two follow the example of jesus christ" instead he said "do you two follow the example of satan". We said yes and everyone started busting up laughing. it was so embarressing haha

Oh here's an even more embarressing story. Our zone loves to play volleyball during gym. I was standing out of the court waiting for the ball. All of a sudden the ball starts coming to me and I just hit it back in the court. A new Elder in our District was running towards the ball. It was super awkward when he ran into me and accidently put his hands on my waist. haha we were embarrassed because you're not suppost to hug/touch/do anything with someone of the opposite gender. Obviously our whole zone jokes about it now. He asked me the other day if I could take a picture with him to send home to his mom so she could see which girl is the cause of him getting sent home. hahaha he's not getting sent home, we just joke because if an elder and sister hugged or did anything like that they would most likely get sent home.

I saw Joel F yesterday! He tried to give me a hug twice!! haha he's well and is really happy to being the MTC!

Let everyone know I love them and thank them for theri letters and prayers.  Someone told me that under the Prophet the missionaries probably recieve the most prayers!  I am grateful for this because I need those prayers. A quote by Elder Bednar really toughted me, escpeciall as I am trying to learn Spanish.  "IT IS MORE IMPORTANT WHO YOU ARE, THEN WHAT YOU WILL EVERY SAY."  

(pic above this was the volleyball 'toucher" Elder C in the middle!!!)

Sister W from home ~  (going to Japan) 

How grateful I am to have felt the prompting to go on a mossion, prayed sincerely about it then by faith (fe') acted upon it!  That's how our faith grows.  I love everyone and miss you all so much.  I hope all is well and I know this church is true.

Love, Hermana Ashely Jaeger

Email 2 today!!!

I love Hermana N!

*I also learned that we need to be willing to walk like Lehi, not knowing where you are going but by faith you keep walking.

*"Mother's are magical"-elder holland (i so agree)

*The Book of Mormon was a record kept not for those who wrote the record but it was written for us!!!

*We don't worship the prophet, we HONOR the prophet.

*"you may be missing your dad and aching for your mom" -elder holland

"Don't take for grantid to have been born in the last dispentation. The gospel has not been on the earth for a long time amoung many people. Almost nobody had the gospel! Everytime the gospel started there came an Apostacy. I believe someday, probably not until heaven, when we see the panarama of the history of the earth that we will understand what it was we were given and to what time we were born. A mission is not just a break from 'the real world'. And don't think that after your mission you are going back into the real woRLD, THIS IS THE REAL WORLD! You will never be closer to God then on your mission. Everything God does is devoted to the saving of His children. We are favoredpeople of God to bring about the latter day glory and kingdom of God. think of the prophets of old, they knew the gospel wouldn't last long in their time but they still diligently worked. Love the scriptures and master preach my gospel because you are the generation that is going to make it!Prophets of old stuck it out because they knew that we were destined to win. This is the day and you are the troops. Others on the other side are cheering you on knowing that you can do this!!!How many temples did we have before Joseph Smith? One. And that temple was stadnign for only a few decades. Today we have about 139 temples! That example alone is amazing. Do this work for the Savior. Dont let him walk alone. My mission meant everything because it was a break through of finding these truths" -Elder Holland

Week 2 MTC done! "Walk By Faith" - & Elder Faust visited

Protection while cleaning our room

So I just finished my week 2 at the MTC! It's been such a growing experience. To anyone who wants to serve a mission at a young age or as a senior companion mission may I offer some advice, prepare now. Read the scriptrues daily, pray daily and always, and know that the mission will be a humbling but rewarding experience. I know the gospel of Jesus christ is true and I will live the rest of my life sharing its truth to others. Remember when you receive your missionary tag that you are a representative of your family, the church, and most importantly jesus christ.

 

(My District Hermanas ~ My Companion Hermana R and I)

Yesterday we had to teach a lesson to a member of the church but in spanish. So our first member to teach was guy who went on his mission 6 years ago. He was speaking spanglish so i could kind of understand him. Going into this lesson I did not feel prepared. As we were trying to teach he kept telling me to relax because i looked so tense and stiff haha. I tried so hard not to get nervous but it was hard to try and understand what he was saying. Then as we were teaching our lesson I guess my eyes started to water and right in the middle of my companion speaking he looks at me and asks whats wrong. I started crying because I was so sad I couldn't express how i felt in spanish! He was so kind and shared with me a scripture Exodus 4:10 :] read it, ponder it, love it.  Basically the scripture was about a prophet who asked God why he was poor in speaking and God said it was for his own good, that faith in him would give him the power he needed to speak. That's exactly what i needed to hear. After we teach the members they write about what we taught them. Our teacher said that because of us it made him want to go and serve another mission:]

(Pday/Temple Trip ~ NO Touching ~ Hermana M ~ Elder C from home/Zone Leader)

Oh and I can honestly say I have never prayed so much in my life!!! I pray atleast 6 times a day. I know the Lord listens to our prayers and answers them. But usually after we ask a question we receive INSTRUCTIONS first from the Lord before receiving an answer. Here's a story to back up that thought. When Lehi and his sons were in the wilderness and all the bows and arrows broke they started to murmur. Lehi went to the lord and asked him where they should go to find food. The Lord instructed him to look upon the Liahonna to find an answer. The Liahonna only worked when Lehi and his family had faith. Pretty interesting story.

Sister Missionaries from my Zone!

I love my time here in the MTC and even though it's not the easiest thing in the world I am grateful for the preperation it is giving me before I head out into the field. Today we are going to the temple today and I am so excited! I love the temple.

Sis Kelsey and I spotted each other far away during Choir.

 I love this gospel. How grateful I am for Joseph Smith and for him to have faith to pray to God to know what he should do. His example caused me to pray to my Heavenly Father to know if I needed to go on a mission or not. ALWAYS be intuned with the Holy Ghost! He witnessed to me that I needed to go on a mission. I like how James E Faust explained the spirit, "The spirits voice is ever present but is calm...listen to and follow the spirit. This is an ancient and eternal solution...This solutions requires pateince in a world that requires instant gratification. The voice is quiet, peaceful, and sudden. This solution requires you to walk by faith in a world governed by sight. Learn to ponder the things of the spirit and respond to its promptings...As you become atuned to the spirit thin ears shall hear a word behind thee syagin 'this is the way, walk ye in it'".

Me, Friend from home and sis Kelsey in MTC

I know if we follow all the commandments of God and be EXACT obedience we will be able to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Pray specifically to heavenly father, let him know EXACTLY what you need. The book of mormon is so true, that is one of the ways the Lord answers our prayers is through the scriptures, prophets, personal revelation.

I love you all so much and pray for you everyday. Thank you for the sweet letters and the packages! I am so blessed!

Love-Hermana Ashley Jaeger