Hey Hey Family!
How is everyone doing?? First off, thank you to everyone who has written me letters or used dear elder ! There is no way I can physically write all of you back, there were over 10 of you! Let's see if I can remember them all! Um..: Brittany and Dave, Tara (twice) :), Ian, Jamie, Scott, BriAnna, Robyn, Amanda (with the sweetest package ever!), and mom of course!(I'm forgetting a couple people...ah...sorry! I have all my letters in my bag upstairs for writing time. Anyway, thank you all so much! Letters are the greatest things ever! I promise I will write each of you back, but it just may not be this week.
As for life here, I always think it couldn't get better, and then it does! We are learning more and more of the language. Every Thursday evening we have a Teaching appointment with an "investigator" which is always someone who speaks the language. We always have a language task before we do the lesson and then the lesson is in English. Well, last week we met with a guy who asked us how long we have been here. Now Sister Ball and I were stumbling all over our words...we're determined to do better next week, but we told him we have been there for 2 weeks. He freaked out and said, "No way!!! You have been here for at least 7!" So we must have sounded better than we though. So...mom, you asked for specific things to pray for. Instead of being vague and asking for just help on the language, maybe pray specifically that we will be able to successfully accomplish our Wika (language) task. BUT...with saying that, this is our last week of speaking English. Next week we are speaking completely Tagalog from now on. We have been trying it out this week. It is incredibly difficult, but it is a great exercise with using what we know. I have so much to tell you! Um, this week we worked in the RC (referral center) where we take incoming calls from people who see the commercials or get referral cards and want free dvds or the Book of Mormon. What a trip! so much fun! Our teachers stressed that it is definitely possible to have your first baptism through this system. They know many missionaries who have taken it seriously and have done it! So we go in all pumped..Elder Pickard got a call that was amazing, Sister Woodward got a pretty good call too. Elders Lewis and Scott had a chat going that was solid and I had a wrong number! hahaha! Sister Ball was chewed out by a lady who thought we were dish network, needless to say, we were a bit jealous. We are so eager to teach and share truth! BUT...later that night Sister Ball and I had a few unscheduled minutes after a teaching appointment left in our MDT (missionary directed time). So we decided to run up to the RC for a few minutes. So we did...and guess what??? I spoke to this amazingly sweet woman, Lilly, who wanted the DVD the Lamb of God. We talked for over 25 minutes about church doctrine. She asked all kinds of questions and I was amazed how I was guided to answer them. She definitely had simple questions and didn't have a great understanding of the English language, so with flowering words..she would just tune out completely. Anyway...after our talk, she said she didn't feel comfortable having the elders over to deliver the items because her husband thinks that Mormons are crazy. So I asked her if it would be okay if I called her back in 4-5 days to talk about how she felt when she watched the movie. She was all excited about it and told me when she would be off work and able to talk for awhile.... I'm so excited! She was a super sweet woman with a strong desire to have her family with her forever! So keep Lilly Gonzalez and her family in your prayers. She also asked for me to pray for her husband because he just recently lost his job. So ...even though I don't know his name, pray for their family! Um, have you ever seen the painting by Nathan Pinnock of "Lehi and the Tree of life"? It is beautiful! they have it in the MTC. That was random, enjoy.
So other news, I received a calling yesterday. The oldest district is leaving us today and so we are receiving 36 new missionaries this coming Wednesday and now we are the "experienced" ones. I know..crazy huh? 2 1/2 weeks and we're official. So I am now the coordinating sister for the zone. Many, many responsibilities. So, pray for me that I will have an abundance of charity toward these sisters coming in and that Sister Ball and I will be able to live up to the example we should be setting for them. We are excited to meet them all. There should be somewhere between 4-7 sisters coming in which is awesome! So many people being called to the Philippines. SO..get this!!! Today I go into the temple and guess who is in my session???? MISS TARA ANDERSON!!!!!! I balled my eyes out! I didn't think it was really her at first. She is up here for her friend Kami's wedding, and the friend she brought with her to the session is actually coming into the MTC on Nov. 18th going to a Tagalog speaking missin in the Pines! CRAZY! So I'll probably welcome her in when she comes if I'm still the co-sister. Man, I only have 8 minutes left.
I have really been trying to work on patience this week. I have been studying all about our Savior's patience and how loving He was with all around him. Sister Ball and I are looking for opportunities to serve daily. There are little things we can do each day. I would encourage each of you to find someone to serve each day. Whether it was helping an elderly couple with their grocery cart or letting someone go into a lane of traffic ahead of you, comforting a child, or making someone's bed, sending a note to a friend you haven't talked to in awhile (or maybe even a friend you have talked to..but you don't express how much you love them often). Really make an effort to be more Christlike through your attitude of service. Many times we run right past the opportunities because we are so set on our schedule! Make the time! Take off your blinders and serve and love it! Love every second of it.
5 minutes...here we go. I love you all so much, I miss you like crazy, but the thing is, I don't have much time to think about it, which makes it great! But every night when I get ready for bed I blow a kiss to my family photo and then kneel and speak about each one of you to our loving Heavenly Father. How blessed we are to have open communication with them any time we want, for as long as we want! We determine how long we want the conversations to be! amazing! Remember that anything is possible with faith. Mahal Kita! The Church is true! Press forward ever!!! We are ALL called to serve our king!

~Sister Ashley