Just Another Week in Paradise

I don't have too much to say for this week! I sure love the mission,

this area is just a little more difficult to work in! But we've

seriously had miracles. This week we had few lessons, but all were

with people that seriously want to change their lives and know if this

is the true church on the Earth. (Don't worry; they will! It's a

promise from God after all!) So even though our numbers were low, they

were all quality lessons with good people. Gotta count your blessings!

We've been finding lots of people who just stopped going to church,

and are helping them come back! It's super cool to see these people

rediscover the joy of the gospel and the old faith they used to have.

Life changing experiences! We also had a really cool experience where

a guy stopped us who had just moved back here from Japan. He knows the

gospel is true, hasn't been baptized, and wants us to teach his family

so they can know too and they can all be sealed eventually as a family

and live in heaven together! Also super cool, and we're meeting with

him again today! Miracles truly happen on a mission, every single day.

You just have to look for them, and sometimes God even has YOU make

them! I love this church and I love this work! I'm working hard and

having an amazing time with a life fully centered on Jesus Christ and

His church! Love you all! Keep strong and working hard, and have fun!!

Elder Ashford

Another Week, Another Pizza

I wasn't really sure what to call this one, so this is what I came up

with as we were hungry one night and decided to order pizza from a new

place. The pizza was HUGE. Like about 18 inches in diameter. So that

was cool. The pizza here is really not that good in comparison to the

US though. Ohhhh man I can't wait for a good American Pizza! Y'all can

cast lots for who gets to go with me for pizza when I get back. (Man

I'm reading the scriptures too much....) 

Beyond that, the other picture is in the house of a member. We didn't have lunch one day

because the member moved, so were invited to eat with the other Elders

in our city! The family was awesome and the lady was super funny and

made us eat with towels in our collars to protect from spaghetti sauce

splatter. And let's not mention how many red dots Elder Carney STILL

had on his shirt after lunch. Whoops. He just read that.

Something cool is that I find a new love for the scriptures every day.

They are seriously awesome. I had a super fun time Sunday morning

doing a scripture marking fest and finding a bunch of new stuff that

I'd never noticed before. The scriptures have so much knowledge and so

many good examples that can help us improve ever day. Reading the Book

of Mormon is dear to me now, as it brings so much more peace into my

life ever time I read. I'm super thankful for the hours I have in the

morning to read and study and ponder, and then find how I can become a

better person because of the things I've read. It's cool to see the

references to Christ everywhere. The constant symbolism keeps you on

your toes, and always gives you something new to learn.

Beyond scriptures, we've had a good week. My companion and I get along

really well and we do good work together. We're are still having

trouble finding people with interest, but we've had some people with

real potential crop up recently, and for that I thank our Heavenly

Father for having us return to the investigator's house just one more

time, even though he's not normally home. I think that's all I have! I

pray for everyone and hope y'all are doing well. I send lots of love

and good wishes. Keep firm and strong! Have fun!

Sincerely,

Elder Ashford

PS. Thank you so much to the Townsend family for my letter! Thanks to

them and the envelope full of awesome quotes I have now, I want to

begin sharing cools quotes with you every week!

"It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some

anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is

normal. Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once

in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. There

is great purpose in our struggle in life."     -Elder Boyd K. Packer

Pflugerville Youth Questions

The youth of our ward submitted questions to ask the missionaries.  Here are the questions and Michael's answers:  (His time is limited, so he probably didn't have enough time to answer all of them!)

Lighthearted / Fun Questions:


1. Have you gained or lost weight?  How many pounds?Neither! I've stayed the same. The benefits of being in Brazil, is that you eat a TON of realllly good food, but also walk so much that none of it stays on you!

2.  What was your MTC experience like?MTC experience was seriously awesome! I love the spirit there and the focus that everyone has.

3. Describe the culture, landscape, and climate of where you serve.


4. What is the most interesting thing you have eaten?Think you've had a hamburger with everything on it? Think again. Try one with bacon cubes, beef cubes, hamburger patty, cheese, fried egg, tomato, lettuce, fried potato sticks, mayonnaise, and corn. Then come and talk to me.

5.  Do the people where you serve have any interesting holidays or celebrations?They have a holiday called Corpus Christi. Yes, like the city in Texas. It's to celebrate some saint I think. And lets not talk about Carnival. Mainly because no one here wants to even mention what goes on, so I don't totally know!

6. What was the hardest part of learning another language?


7. What do you do on Preparation Day?SLEEP. That afternoon is sacred nap time before you get to work at the end of the day.

8. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you so far on your Mission?

9.  What do you feel has changed the most about you since starting your Mission?


10. What do you miss the most from home?


11. What do you wish you had learned from your Mother before you left on your Mission?


12. What is it like living with a companion 24/7?  Who has your most interesting companion been and           why? I just try to think of it as preparation for marriage. It's hard at times, adjusting to new people. But I make sure to love my companions and serve them and everything works out great! My favorite companion so far, was Elder Marciano (or Elder Martian in English). He's from Rio de Janeiro and is super cool. We worked great together and became seriously great friends.

13. Have you been persecuted (rocks, spit, yelling, threats, etc.)?  How did you handle it?


Thoughtful / Spiritual Questions:


14. What is your favorite scripture and why?I've always loved the faith and strength you can get from 1 Nephi 3:7, and the example he gives to us to always trust in the Lord, and that we can do all things with his help.

15. What aspect of Missionary Work were you not fully prepared for?


16. What do you wish you had done differently / in addition to prepare for your mission?Scriptures is a huge thing I wish I had learned and memorized more of before my mission. It's hard to use that powerful scriptural evidence in lessons if you don't know where to find the right words!

17. What principle of the gospel has been the most difficult to teach for people to accept?What really gets a lot of people here, is that there can only be one true church. Lots of people think that whoever speaks the word God has been ordained from Him to save other people. We give lots of explanations about the authority of the priesthood and how it's necessary to speak and act in the name of God.

18  Can you give an example of how you have seen the gospel change someone's life?

19. What is the biggest lesson(s) you've learned while on your mission?


20. How has your testimony been strengthened?
 My testimony has been strengthened in every way imaginable.There's really no way for me to relay that any better. Every time I bear my testimony, I feel the Spirit testify to me that these things really are true.


21. What has been your observation of Sister Missionaries and their contribution to missionary work?             What would you tell a Young Woman who isn't sure if a mission is right for her?The Sisters help a TON! We need so many more Sisters who are willing and able to serve. It's so much easier now for you with the age change, and everyone is needed to help spread this amazing work.
You are needed! I promise! If you are wondering about whether to serve or not, it's because you have a desire! And like D&C 4 says, everyone who has desires is called to the work! If you're on the fence,  Just start to turn in your papers! Have faith that Heavenly Father will stop you if he has a different plan for you!

22. What advice would you give an Aaronic Priesthood holder who has not yet decided if he will serve           a mission?You have no reason not to serve. Unless you have some ailment that restricts you from serving, you are absolutely needed. Remember, that this work isn't about you. It's about serving the Lord, and helping
tons of His children return to His presence. You will be blessed. It will be hard. But God will help you and give you the strength that you need to serve. He needs you, and has given tons of commandments to go
forth and serve Him. Just go read the New Testament. I know that you will be blessed a ton for this. You will learn more here than you can possibly learn outside of the mission field. If your concern is college, marriage, or whatever else, I promise as a representative of Jesus Christ that you will be better prepared for those things AFTER serving a mission. You have no reason not to serve, and every reason to serve.

23. Please share your feelings for the Savior and Missionary Work.
What more can I say? This church is true! Christ lives and loves us! Everyone can benefit from missionary work! This really is a marvelous work and a wonder, and is our awe inspiring privilege to work hand in hand with the Lord to bring about much righteousness and help His children come to know of the blessings He has in store for everyone! I love my Savior and feel much closer to Him now. He really does love you and wants what's best for you. I know this better and better every day as I work with Him in His vineyard to save souls. There is no greater blessing or opportunity than this! I am immensely grateful for my time as a missionary and will spend everyone second I am given to help other people receive the blessings I've had and continue to receive. In the sacred name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen!

Hope, Trust and Pixie Dust

Yeah, well, we're still waiting for the last one. Some magic pixie

dust would really be awesome right about now. But it's all good! This

week was much better in terms of our success. We found more people,

and taught more lessons, but it's still hard! The standards of

excellence are about double of our numbers, and even though it's a

harder area, it's still hard! I want so badly for people to accept us

and hear our message! We'll get there though. Hope and trust in the

Lord is what we have! Along with diligent work to help people come to

know of the true path that leads to life eternal with our families!

Anyways, this week marked 6 months of being a missionary! Super

exciting. Also crazy to think that one fourth of my mission has

already flown right by. I want it to go slower! (BUT MOM DOESN'T) Valentine's day

actually marked my 6 month mark, which is cool. Glad to know I'm so

loved. Pretty sure I had 7 Valentine's, and not a single one was from

someone outside of my family. Hint hint. It was good though. We're

going to an all you can eat barbecue place today to make up for all

our sad, broken hearts.

We found some cows roaming around this week! These are the only

pictures I took, so I hope you like cows. Someone show this to Dayton

Talbot back at home. He'll get a kick out of it.

It's funny to think just to what extent we are representatives of

Christ. Remember in the Bible, when everyone believed that Christ

would come as this huge, worldly king, kick some Roman butt, take

names, and free everyone? Well, really, He came to do something much

more important. That was to suffer and die for us and save us from our

sins. To show us the path to return to our Heavenly Father. People

come up to us with their problems. We had one dude stop us the other

day and starting talking about the government, and the price of buses

to the other city, and how he was addicted but they wanted to send him

to drug rehab and something about his identification card. Not even my

Brazilian companion understood what he was talking about. The worst

part was, this guy wasn't even drunk! He was sober and saying this

gibberish! He was smoking a cigarette, but not drugged. I ended up

talking with him about how cigarettes ARE an addiction that needs to

be treated, and testified about how our bodies are precious and a gift

from God, and how we need to take care of them. He insisted still

about his problems, and I just said, "Look, this isn't what we're here

for. We are God's messengers here to help people fix their own lives

and return to live with God one day by accepting baptism in the church

that He created on the Earth that has this authority to baptize." He

didn't get it to well, so we invited him to church, gave him a

pamphlet about the Word of Wisdom, and left. He tried to follow us a

bit, still yelling about bus prices, but eventually let off and we

continued working. People think we're here to fix their problems, and

we are! But it has to be done in God's way. There you go. Gospel in

action.

I think that's all I have for now. Of course I have more stories, but

those will be saved for after the mission or something. I hope you all

like the cow pictures! I wish everyone a good week. Stay strong and

always keep moving forward! I love you all! Keep safe!

Sincerely,

Elder Ashford

Bitter Sweet

This week was hard. And it just got a little bit harder today with the knowledge of the passing away of my other grandfather. 

We had a tough week with few lessons taught. Walking all day every day, with nobody wanting to hear is tough. When you work with less active members who have moved or don't want the Gospel any more, it's tough. We have a wonderful message of love and hope that few people want to hear. It's truly sad. But we push forward for the few who understand the call that God is extending to them and take this call to heart and follow it. 

One man chose to follow the true and living Christ this week. His name is Alberto and he decided to be baptized. He was nervous about it, as anyone rightly should be, but he choose well. I know he'll be
blessed for this. He's almost 50, unmarried, and his Catholic mother lives with him. Constantly she was in the background, murmuring things against this baptism, but still, Alberto came. He didn't even tell his
mother he was doing it. He came and was baptized. He doesn't have too many friends in life. He lives kind of day to day working and sleeping. He was still happy though. And he's so much happier now. You
can see the joy on his face now. 

The picture was taken before the baptism, and you can see the difference now as he's a member of the
only true church on the face of the planet. He made an incredible decision, the right decision, and he's already being blessed for it. I hope that many other people come to the same knowledge as him and
overcome the natural man to choose to follow the things of God. He has a plan for us. We can return to live with him. Families can be together forever. This is the true church of Christ that He established on the Earth to bring about the eternal life of man. There is no greater blessing in life. I know this, and I share this every day. My work is not easy by any means, but it is worth it. I feel such joy when others come to this knowledge and accept it. If anyone thinks this work is easy, they're wrong. The missionaries deserve so much respect for leaving behind everything of the world and consecrating their lives to the service of the Lord to help His children return to His presence. Going to new, exotic places, working every day in the blazing sun, pouring rain, or freezing snow, having the thing most precious to you be rejected by your brothers and sisters. It's hard. But I know it's right. This is the most important work I can do right
now, and I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I hope that everyone comes to this knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and accepts it, is baptized in the only true church, and partakes of the
blessings God has prepared for every single one us. I add my testimony to that of so many others, that Christ lives and loves us. I love every one of you, and wish you the best. Stay firm and strong and
always choose what's right.

Sincerely,
Elder Michael Jay Ashford

Another Day in Paradise

So, if you actually listen to country music and recognize the

song. How is everyone?? I'm doing great back here, with lots of new

stories and awesome things happening!

So first of all, we had an AMAZING lunch after I talked with y'all

last week. We went to a fairly cheap, but reallllly good Brazilian

barbecue places. One of the awesome ones where they just bring the

meat around and cut off pieces for you. All you can eat, served, meat

buffet. Delicious. That was our little celebration for Elder Agnelli

finishing the mission. Speaking of which, my former companion is now

in his house, sitting pretty, probably eating his mama's lunch. Man

how I miss my mother's cooking. But it's all good! I'm having an

awesome time, so I don't even think about home very much!

We did have transferred, and I knew that I'd get a new companion. I

stayed here in Itapetininga, and got put with Elder Ladwig for these

six weeks! He is seriously awesome and we work well together. He is

Brazilian, but looks very American. He's from the South of Brazil, and

from German ancestry. He's got a year and seven months on the

mission, and is suppper good at making contacts and teaching! I'm

already learning a ton from him, and am excited for all the good work

we are going to do this transfer!

Elder Carney stayed with me! 

He is seriously awesome, and a great friend. He's training a new
Brazilian and is District Leader here as well! 

Speaking of the work, it's going well. This week was hard with

transfers and Elder Agnelli needing to pack, so we didn't have as many

lessons as we'd like, but I know that this week will be better! We had

two investigators in the church this Sunday, one of which was Vera,

and is very excited for all the help she's getting from God. She loves

the church and what it teaches. That she learns stuff and not simply

receives information here. She's making tons of progress and tons of

new friends there. She just needs to convince her husband to get

married!! 

The other was Alberto, who is making good progress as well.

He has a baptism date set for the 15, but we're hoping we can move it

to this Saturday! We'll see! I'm really excited about the work that

will be happening these six weeks. WE are going to have lots of sucess

with the help of our Heavenly Father, and through our efforts! I know

for a fact, that God will help us, as long as we ask for help, and

then do our part! He expects us to put in all our effort, and then

He'll do the rest, as long as we are humble and ask! I have a

testimony of this! I see if absolutely ever day in the day to day

miracles!

I hope everyone stays safe and has fun! This life is about finding

joy! Both joy in this life, and eternal joy with our families in

heaven! Keep working hard and searching for the truth! Love you all!!

Elder Ashford

Oh yeah, and the picture with the dude flying around was random! He
had a parachute and a chair, and a giant gas powered fan! Kinda cool!

Oi! Tudo bem? Me chamo: Elder Agnelli

Wellllllll another week has passed, and more incredibly another

transfer! Time here passes so fast, and we'll know our new companions

by the end of the day! I'm fairrrrrlllly certain I'll have a new

companion, as Elder Agnelli is very anxious and ready to return home

in a couple days. And as this is the last P-Day I have with him, I'm

talk a bit more about my companion for the last six weeks!

Elder Éliezer Terceiro Agnelli is 23 and from Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.

His last name is actually Italian! He's super cool and just about

finished his mission. It's interesting, because the two years he had

as a missionary actually outnumber the number of years he has as a

member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was

converted by his friends three years ago, and wanted to serve a

mission after the first three months. He had to wait the full year

though before he left, but got called almost next door to the São

Paulo North Mission. He managed to help his mom and his two younger

brothers to baptism before he left, and hopes to help his father and

older brother as well, so missionary work isn't totally done for him.

Elder Agnelli is an excellent cook, and has been showing us how it's

done here. Lunch on Mondays is always new and super good. He's made

several Brazilian meals, as well as a couple American ones, usually

with a Brazilian twist. For example, normally our baked potatoes don't

have corn on them, but it was actually pretty good. Elder Agnelli also

likes to play guitar in down time. He has one with him that he's

carried around while on the mission, but is ready to return home to

his better guitar. I've actually been learning guitar with his help,

and have gotten pretty good with the limited music we have, mainly

hymns from the simplified hymn book. He also likes to study

scriptures!

Elder Agnelli has done a lot of stuff on the mission. He's a very good

missionary, and I was happy to learn from him. He served several times

in different leadership roles, and spent seven months in the mission

office as the Executive Secretary. Fancy, huh? He is very good though

and knows his stuff!

I think that's all I have for him! Next week y'all can learn a little

about my new companion. Beyond that, I've finally found the weirdest

thing I've eaten so far! We have this awesome market near our house

that sells like every kind of fruit and vegetable, including some rare

stuff from time to time. I was there, checking out, when I recognized

one fruit, and impulse bought it. Ever played Fruit Ninja? Yes, that

is Pitaya, or Dragon Fruit in English. IT LOOKS SUPER COOL!!!! And I

totally wasn't expecting it to look like that on the inside.

Unfortunately, it didn't taste so good. It was kind of bland. Like a

Kiwi without the taste. We all shared and tryed it, but we didn't

finish all. I was a little sad, but it was still a super cool

experience, as pratically no one has ever tryed it, in Brazil as well.

Though I'm pretty sure that's because it doesn't grow in Brazil. It

was cool though!! So yeah, I've tried Dragon Fruit.

I hope everyone is doing well! I miss everyone, but the work here is

wonderful and I'm so glad I have this oportunity to serve. This is

seriously the best thing I've ever done and I'm loving it. I wish

everyone a good week! Have fun and keep safe! Choose the right! Love

y'all!!

Élder Ashford