Moving Around

So, it has been great being with the Zone Leaders. I was with them until Thursday. On Thursday we went to Helena because Elder Davis became the new AP  and we had to bring a car in since it hit it's 50,000 miles. So we drove 2 vehicles up. I drove the Truck to Helena with Elder Wade as my passenger. It was a nice 2 hours drive and the road was covered in snow and ice. So when I reached Helena a lady was stopping into a stop sign and slid in the middle of the road so I had to swerve at the last second to avoid her, good thing I have amazing driving skills! :) We then also picked up Elder Thawley and Elder Hatch (Ex-AP) because they are the new Zone Leaders in Missoula, they are in a trio with Elder Anderson. Then we drove back to Missoula and they dropped me off to my first area to be in Clinton! :) I have been with Elder Stephens and Elder Doyle this past week and I'll be with them till Wednesday. Elder Stephens is from Utah and Elder Doyle is from New York. It has been nice to see people in Clinton again. But, I got sick Thursday Evening and slept all day Friday with a sore throat and headache. Then I lost my voice. I still can't talk and have to whisper. This really stinks, because on Sunday I saw everybody and I tried to talk to them, but I had to whisper the whole time.

So today we got our transfer call and I will be going back to Corvallis with Elder Croteau again. Elder Hansen (visa waiter) will be with the Zone Leaders. I found out that one of our investigator in Corvallis went to Church yesterday! Made me super happy. I'm excited to go back to Corvallis. Anyway, that's basically what happened this week. Bunch of moving around. Hope you guys have a great week.

Elder Ashcroft

Transformation Through the Gospel :)

Well, this has been a good week. I love being around Elder Davis and Elder Anderson. Elder Davis spends the morning with us then in the afternoons we drop him off to the other companionship in Missoula and we pick him up at the end of the day. Some days he just stays with me and Elder Anderson. Elder Anderson has been out 19 months and Elder Davis been out 18 months. Elder Anderson is from Linden, Utah, next to Pleasant Grove, and Elder Davis is from Mesa, Arizona. You know, I actually really like being in a trio, it is really fun and I learn a lot being around them. I actually learn a lot about what the Zone Leaders responsibilities are and what they actually do. Some missionaries are saying I'm going Zone Leader soon, but I really doubt that. So I met Elder Hansen, the visa waiter, he is waiting to go to Australia. he is a really cool Elder and from what I have heard is a hard working missionary. 

Zone Conference on Wednesday was really good and President Mecham was there. We talked a lot about the Trust Box. So there is a big box as we missionaries can be in. We have a lot of free agency and we can make a lot of choices. But sometimes we do some little things that bring us out of that big trust box, such as sleeping in till 8 in the morning. We don't need to necessarily tell President Mecham about that, but we just need to repent  and get inside the trust box by waking up at 6:30 the next day. Unfortunately there are some missionaries that stay outside the Trust box and create their own little box, in that box President Mecham and Zone Leaders will keep close watch on those missionaries and help them get back to the big trust box. If they refuse to change they will be sent in a box shaped like a plane and will be sent home where they can live in their own box they created since they can't live inside the big trust box. Unfortunately someone who used to be my companion is in my Zone who is in his little box right now and Elder Davis has been spending time with him, but it hasn't looked like he has changed much and I don't know if he is going to change and how much longer he has to be in that little box.

So, there is an amazing experience, or a witness of what took place. So, before I left Missoula to go to Roundup, about 2 months ago, on a p-day, I went with the Zone Leaders, Elder Anderson and Elder Branham, to Walmart and they stopped a less active girl, in her 20's, and she seemed way off and depressed, shy, and didn't really want to talk to us. So I saw her on Friday at the library with Elder Anderson and Elder Davis and she has totally changed. She was so happy, talkative, and could see a glow about her. Elder Anderson said she just started going back to church and she just changed. He said she is now the best member missionary and every Sunday she always brings someone new to Church with her. She actually said she feels the most happy in her life when she does missionary work. I saw her again at church at the University Ward. It's amazing what change the Gospel can do to people.

So Elder Anderson and I were going around trying to see people, and we were going to see a lady, a potential Investigator, a referral. Elder Anderson asked me to say a prayer before we knocked on her door, so I prayed that we would be able to see her and be able to teach her. We then knocked on her door, she answered and said she was busy, but she said we can see her on Tuesday. Elder Anderson said I should pray more often for him, because he has been trying to get in contact with her for 4 1/2 months. So were excited to see her on Tuesday.

So, this has been a very good week. Love ya!

Elder Ashcroft

Another Emergency Transfer

I have the coolest District and now unfortunately, I will be leaving that District tomorrow. Sorry I didn't email yesterday, we ended up being rushed so we couldn't email, so I'm emailing today. So, I just found out around 8 this morning that I will be leaving Corvallis. The reason is there is a missionary coming from the MTC who is waiting for his Visa to go to another country, so Elder Croteau will be training him. I will be going to be in Missoula serving in Missoula 4 ward and University ward (Young Single Adult) with my Zone Leader Elder Anderson. Elder Davis, my other Zone Leader will be a Traveling Zone Leader, so he will be traveling around the Zone being a trio with other Elders.  So that is my big news today. I am pretty much done packing. Tomorrow we have a Zone Conference and that is when Elder Croteau will get the new missionary and I will be with the Zone Leaders. So, this is the second time I will be with a Zone Leader for the last 1 1/2 week of transfer. I'm kinda bummed out because work is starting to pick up here in Corvallis.

On Saturday we found an investigator that the missionaries in the past had been teaching (from August) and we feel like he is just ready. He has read the whole Book of Mormon in 2 weeks. He is trying to have Heavenly Father and Christ more in his life. So that is good. Also we taught a part member family. We taught Gracie the Plan of Salvation and gave her a soft baptismal invite and she accepted. She is in Alma right now and believes what we are teaching her. We are just trying to get them to church.

So yesterday for P-day was fun. Well, first off, we really cant't do anything till 10, after studies, we then cleaned our car. Then we carpooled with the Elders from Hamilton to Missoula since we had planned to eat at Five Guys Burgers and Fries for lunch. Then the whole Zone got together to go bowling, and bowling is super cheap on Mondays. Rental shoes are only a dollar and a game for a dollar. So I played 3 games so I only payed for $4. :) Super amazing deal.

I can't believe Paul is getting married in the Denver Colorado Temple! I didn't even know he was dating anyone. I'm still surprised that I'm getting ET out of Corvallis. I'm going to miss it here. I'm going to the Zoo!!!! Well, love ya!

Exchanges

Oops, sorry, I didn't play for 43 hours, I would most likely have died.  [Mom's note: Devin's last email said 43 hours, but I changed it to "for 3" hours.]  Haha, no it was 4 hours. I will most likely be playing dodgeball again today. So as for my area. There is a Hamilton and Blodget Ward, both of those are in Hamilton and the Hamilton Elders cover both of those wards. Those two wards share the same building. Corvallis has its own building. As for Darby, Darby is South of Hamilton and Blodget Ward. Hamilton and Blodget are in between Corvallis and Darby. Darby is a 30-40 min. drive. So Elder Croteau and I went to Darby for the first time last Saturday and Sunday. We stayed at our Ward Mission Leader's cabin which is next to their house and it is a super nice cabin. I'll have to do a video tour the next time I stay there. There is a river right behind the house and cabin, so it looks beautiful.

So what we are doing as a mission is we have what we call a Dinner List. When we have dinner appointments with members we have this paper that says "The _____ Family" and then it says, "Yes, we are Missionaries". There on the paper the family can write names of people who they think they can fellowship and share the gospel with them. Both the family and we have a list and by the next dinner appointment or the next time we see them we can ask how they are doing with the list of names they have written down.

So we have a part member family in Darby and the wife is an active member and the husband is an active non member. He knows a lot about the church, what we teach, and goes to church every Sunday. The only thing we are waiting for is his decision to be baptized.

Elder Croteau got sick yesterday so after church in Darby we just went straight back to the cabin, which meant we missed the potluck the Ward had after church. So we didn't really do much yesterday except church. He is feeling better today but still sick. I just hope I don't catch it. Oh, Darby was a ward but now it is small and should be considered as a branch but they still call themselves a ward. They have about 60-70 people show up. In Corvallis they have 180 people show up on average. I really love my district and zone.

So on Thursday we had a Zone Leadership Training, basically a Zone Conference and it went very well. President Mecham is trying to get the Zone to be more unified and the companionship to be more unified. Then I was going to go to a Leadership Training in Helena since Elder Croteau is District Leader but I found out at 10:00 Thursday Night I couldn't go. I was disappointed because I would have seen Elder Scott my Father and Elder Burrows from my MTC District. oh well, I went on my first Split/Exchanges with Elder Wood who is in Hamilton. Elder Wood has only been out a week. He is really cool and I like him. Since I didn't find out I wasn't going to Helena, I had to plan for that day during companionship study, but we were able to keep busy. So Elder Croteau went and he said they emphazied on short but powerfull lessons. A 20 min. lesson by using the pamphlets we have. Missionaries haven't been using the pamphlets like we should so we are bring back the pamphlets and its importance.

Anyway, sure do love ya and it is beautiful and cold up here.

Elder Ashcroft

Elder Ashcroft & Elder Croteau

This picture was sent by Brother Holmes. He said,

"You have a good young man and should be proud of him. 

He is a welcome addition in our home."

Thank you Brother Holmes!

Staying Busy!

Wow, what a week! Sorry I wasn't able to write yesterday since it was the holiday and the libraries were closed. I also only have 12 min. to write, so hopefully I can include everything and not forget anything. My companion is Elder Croteau and he is an amazing missionary. We get along very well and he is very hard working. We live with the Holmes and I really love them, they are amazing and very hospitable. So we are basically cleaning up the area as the past missionaries weren't very obedient and didn't have trust with the members. Our area book hasn't been updated since October, which was Elder Hatch who is now AP. I actually cover two wards, Corvallis and Darby. I haven't been in Darby yet but we have met our Ward Mission Leader there and told us what was going on. They have 120 people who have a potential in becoming Elders. So all we have to do is reactivate them. There is also a lot of part member families. Corvallis isn't really a town, more like an area since all the homes are spread out. We also met with our Ward Mission Leader in Corvallis and he helped us a lot with who the investigators are. We also have Pinesdale in our area which is a polygamist colony. We can not go in there unless we have a set appointment and have our Ward Mission Leader or Bishopbric come with us. Pinesdale is a break off from our church, the FLDS. A lot of our baptisms in our area come from Pinesdale. We have four excommunicated investigators who are waiting for the General Authority to let them be baptized. We went to a family yesterday and they referred us to 12 families! They were waiting for missionaries they could trust and they trusted us! We have a Ford Fusion which is terrible for our area. We have been stuck in a ditch 3 times now. Each time it took us 5-8 tries to get us out. Everytime we say a prayer though, we are able to get out. We do not have four wheel drive. Yesterday P-Day was the best  I've had so far, we played dodge ball for for 3 hours, but I'm super sore right now. I'm out of time, but I love ya.

Ok, I'm back on again, so I have more time and can go more into details. So about Pinesdale, around here we do NOT call ourselves Mormons, because people associate that name to the polygamists in Pinesdale. In Corvallis Ward a lot of members came from Pinesdale. The FLDS teach the same thing we teach and believe in the BOM and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet. They broke off when we stopped practicing polygamy. They also have another group in Salt Lake City. Anyway, that is Pinesdale and we're not allowed to go in there without an appointment. I really wish we had a truck, it's terrible with the Ford Fusion that doesn't have four wheel drive, we can't really get anywhere, so we have been doing a lot of tracting. As I said, P-day, we did dodge ball and I'm sore everywhere. My back hurts, my shoulder hurts, my legs hurt, and my butt hurts. :(  Haha, but it was fun and worth it. That was also the first time that our whole zone met for P-day. All 16 of us. It feels weird to be back in Missoula  but nice also to be back in the Zoo Zone. Mi-zoo-la. Haha. Anyway, Elder Croteau and I are working hard and rebuilding the trust with the members here. Well, sure do love ya!

Change of Plan

Sooo, I'm not going back to Roundup. I just talked with President Mecham and I found out I'm now going to Corvallis  which means I'm going back to the Missoula Zone. I will be with Elder Croteau?, not sure if I spelled his name right, but I served around him in Missoula before and I'm super pumped to serve with him. I really like him and we should get along great. Elder Anderson will my Zone Leader again, since he was my Zone Leader when I left, so that should be awesome. Also, Elder Croteau will be the District Leader. I'm super pumped and excited. But I believe we are both being doubled in, I don't think he was there before. President Mecham said the previous missionaries didn't get along with the members there and that we need to rebuild the relationship with the members. Anyway love ya! I leave Wednesday for Corvallis.