Week 23: Primary Is Where the Party's At

Double trouble.. Think I was just about to smile I dk hahaha Or i am just becoming peruvian and dont smile all the way…

This week was pretty good! I successfully met some of my goals for the week like not wearing my hear in a bun EVERY day.. Literally known in the mission for that now haha.. The other day my hair was down and the other missionaries were meeting us for a service project and claimed they couldn’t find us because they didn’t see Hermana Springer’s top knot haha. So this week I was a whole different me.. With my hair in a PONYTAIL.. Big change I know don’t panic. I also tried not to wear as much makeup (going all granola/hipster).. Still wore some though haha. Can’t scare the children! Nah just teasing, I like learning to be okay without it, so nice.

I also started my goal to read Jesus the Christ! They told us to read it before the mission and I picked it up and started reading it on the living room couch and was out in a few minutes.. Haha but now it is easier to read! Also it’s in ENGLISH so that makes me ten times more excited to read it and when comparing it to reading scriptures in Spanish I can understand it.. or better at least.. Might as well be learning Russian.

I LOVE the beginning in the part where James E. Talmage says, “Christian and unbeliever alike acknowledge His supremacy as a Man, and respect the epoch-making significance of His birth.” I love that because I truly see that every day.. Teaching people in the streets or wherever we always get to know them a little and they tell us they don’t want our religion, they are Catholic, they don’t believe in religion… We ask them, “Do you know the name Jesus Christ?” “Yes.” “Who is He?” “He is our Savior.. He is God’s Son.. He is a prophet.. He is our Brother.. and He died for us..” “SO, you believe in Him?” “Yes, of course.” … And sometimes they still don’t want to talk to us and we want to go hit our head against the wall for a few minutes, BUT how cool?!

These are off Hna Taycks camera haha this has become my new hobby balancing my book of Mormon.. It makes walking so much a lot more fun..

Then I also love when James E. Talmage explains, “The rise and fall of dynasties, the birth and dissolution of nations, all the cycles of history as to war and peace, as to prosperity and adversity, as to health and pestilence, seasons of plenty and of famine, the awful happenings of earthquake and storm, the triumphs of invention and discovery, the epochs of man’s development in godliness and the long periods of his dwindling in unbelief—ALL the occurrences that make history—are chronicled throughout Christendom by reference to the year before or after the birth of Jesus Christ.” Seriously! And then he talks about how Jesus Christ had 33 years and only 3 years He was acknowledged as a teacher to the people. So obviously He was an INCREDIBLE leader. Right now I am also reading in the New Testament about His life and also just got to 3 Nephi 11 when He comes to visit and teach His people in the Americas. It has been cool reading about His life and also reading the Book of Mormon at the same time as these people are awaiting His visit.. When the people are being wicked in the Book of Mormon I just want to tell them, “No really He is in Jerusalem! He lives I promise I just read about it!”

Vi una columna de luz…. Mas brillante que el sol.. arriba de mi cabeza.

From the very beginning of the week I have been working on a lot of stuff.. Monday night after P-day we all went together to a Noche de Hogar and as we walked I said, “Guys are you SURE I have 6 months? Pretty sure I don’t..” (I got a card that morning saying Happy 6 Months and it kind of confused me but I was too lazy to check their calculation haha.) We walked and they started calculating my time and said yes! Then I said ok don’t use your fingers to count use the dates! We did that and there was a big “Ohhh…” But then they finished by saying, Eh same thing rounding you’ve got 6 months.. Obviously I don’t yet.. But I got super worried.. They say by 6 months you will most likely have the lessons down, language, etc.. Thankfully I could still say I don’t have 6 months yet so I’ve got more time to work on stuff before the 6 months haha! But I really felt that “Wow some people do have it figured out.. and I don’t..” I can’t just flip to a scripture that comes to my head during a lesson, my Spanish is still not awesome, etc etc.. When will I even get this all down? I should have prepared better!

That night after planning and getting ready for bed usually I just get bundled up in my fuzzy blanket like a big fat caterpillar and kneel in the big bundle of blankets to pray pretty eager to just finally be able to sleep, but I decided to read a talk from an old Liahona by Henry B. Eyring.. It was for a Priesthood session in 2011 but the heading caught my attention, “Don’t worry about how inexperienced you are or think you are, but think about what, with the Lord’s help, you can become.” I read some more and got to a part where he says, “Because a veil of forgetfulness was placed over our minds at birth, we have had to find a way to return in this life what we once knew and defended.” That made me think a lot about our home in Heaven.. about how we probably sat by friends and family learning about the Gospel and being prepared for trials.. I bet we were really excited but maybe some of our friends tapped us on the shoulder and whispered that they were nervous and “What if I fall?” Loving our friend so so much I have no doubt we promised them, “Don’t worry, I will catch you, I’d never let you fall!” We promised our friends that we would be there.. SO that’s why we meet certain people, or are called to a certain mission because we WERE prepared and God knows who we need to find. We just can’t remember them or our preparation because of the veil!

It helped me realize that God prepared us for this mission, “The Lord knows both what He will need you to DO and what you will need to KNOW. He is kind and He is all-knowing. So you can with confidence expect that He has prepared opportunities for you to learn in preparation for the service you will give.” –Henry B. Eyring. So I guess maybe I need to stop overthinking it because maybe I won’t get it all down right now.. maybe not until 17 months hah! BUT, we were prepared for our callings even before this life.. So that’s pretty cool! At the end of Henry B. Eyring’s talk he also talks about how Joseph Smith was given his life mission call too, to restore the fullness of the gospel and of the true Church (…yeah I thought this mission was hard.. haha jk). But Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ trusted an inexperienced boy.. They had prepared him! He knows us, and has prepared us and will continue to encourage, teach, and prepare us every day.

I was sure to thank Heavenly Father for comforting me and for reading the words of Henry B. Eyring that I know are inspired to help us. I have also been working on prayer and instead of being extremely eager to fall asleep I try to talk to Heavenly Father as though I am writing a letter to one of you.. You guys would probably be ticked if I could talk to you every day and all I said was, “Yeah today was great, ciao!” Well, that’s how Heavenly Father feels. He is eager for us to talk to him! I have been studying a lot about prayer that I will try to put in next week.. This is too long.

We had a wonderful week with our investigators! Our investigator and her adorable daughter came to church again and this week Hna. Torres went with her mom to Gospel Principles with Hna. Tayack, and I went with Hna. Mujica to Primary!! Hermana Mujica was needed for piano. I was pretty much that crazy “mom” lady giving thumbs up, waving, smiling, mouthing to music to my investigator’s daughter. (Oh forgot to put in there that the Primary was practicing for their program next, next Sunday! So that’s why I was there really. ;) ) It was kind of funny haha I didn’t even realize I was mouthing words to her and stuff until Hermana Mujica would start laughing and I realized what am I even doing this isn’t even my kid haha! But I love her so much! She just had a blast. Not going to lie there were times she got lost in the songs (It’s her 3^rd Sunday such a champ) and I went up and sat by her and just sang with the kids hahaha… Primary is where the party’s at. I am so excited to see her in the program! She is so excited to show her mom.

The struggle is real.. Our investigators cute Little 2 year old.. She only loves me because I bring her treats.. Don’t judge the hair.. Was after a longggg day..

Also, guess what! She and her mom are getting baptized October 15^th! Whoohoo! They are so excited! She is 8 so she gets to with her mom! We are really praying for their whole family though but Sundays are hard for her dad because he is also a cop and works a lot.. but he is very supportive and learning about the gospel as well! We are also still teaching her parents and they also have another little girl but, well she is 2… We are buddies. We just taught her how to pray.. It’s probably the cutest thing in the world. Except she peeks at me the whole time and then starts trying to open my eyes or feed me food or shove Pokemon cards in my face.. but it’s getting there.

I LOVED Women’s Conference! I loved knowing that us girls were all watching it at the same time. Their advice was incredible and I am so excited to learn more this next week! I hope you have a wonderful week with Conference! I am so excited to share our favorite talks! Serve someone every day, read the Book of Mormon together, and go to the temple! Talk to you very soon!

Love Ash Bash

Be still my heart

My Little painter!!

We did so good the last time we got hired again… Really not sure why.. I stink at painting.. See that bottom part..? Yeah with all the paint on the ground? That’s your kid.