Sister Mary-Ashley Esplin: Last Week of the Transfer…Dun Dun Dun!!!

Hey y'all!

How is everyone doing? I hope things are going well:) Life has been pretty crazy over here in Lakeland the past week. But I will get to that in a moment:)

Last week we had our PDay with the Seamans! Woot woot! It was so much fun, we went into Memphiswent to the Peabody Hotel where they have ducks that swim in the lobby and we went to Beale street which is apparently a famous street for music. We also went to the Bass Pro Shop at the pyramid which is a really cool store! I just love the Seaman family. They are the best. :)

This has honestly been a really crazy week. On Monday night we got a call from some elders in ANOTHER ZONE, telling us that they were teaching a lady named Hollie and that she was going to be baptized in the Lakeland ward on the 24th. WHAT?!! Stinkin zone leaders. Just kidding. I don't hate them. They are just being a little difficult at the moment. :) Anywhooo, they told us that she was going to be baptized and that they were going to keep teaching her until after she was baptized. Then we would teach her. Turns out, she actually lives 5 streets away from us. But it's fine, we don't need to teach her, it would just be easier for her to get to know members in her own ward that she will be going to. Sorry rant over. But it was pretty cool that they are teaching her. I guess she came up to a coworker of hers who is a member and she asked to meet with missionaries because she wants to get baptized. That never happens! So she's pretty great. Hollie will actually get baptized on April 7th. WAHOO!!! The ward is seriously so pumped, although a little confused about everything-join the club. They all swarmed her after sacrament meeting wanting to get to know her. And because we knew she was coming to church we had texted a lot of people so that there would be more people in our gospel principles class and a lot of people came which was super awesome.

Another awesome thing that happened this week was that we have a super awesome new investigator named Luciana. She is actually from São Paulo, Brazil! She grew up living right next to the temple and she had taken discussions when she was eighteen. She had seen missionaries while she as at the grocery story a couple of weeks back and she said that she wanted to meet with them because she wanted to have some happiness and direction in her life. So we met with her and she had so many questions. She is amazing. Seriously she just is so excited to learn she kept asking questions that were totally answered by the restoration ( I love when that happens. When I can actually answer questions easily). She also was really interested in what we do and what we believe. When we talked about the first vision she just turned to us and asked us why more christians don't believe us! She also was wondering how all the people in Memphis know that their church is true because there are so many churches around here. Fo real! Why don't more people ask these questions. She truly is amazing. When we left she's made sure that we would come back. She was so worried that we wouldn't come back. Then she gave us some chocolate from Brazil. Mom! It was so awesome. I just felt like I was working with you in teaching those people from Brazil. Go us!

Anywhoooo, so sorry that this is a short letter! I love y’all. I seriously am so so so so so grateful to be serving a mission. There is no place that I would rather be at this moment. This work is so amazing and beautiful and I am so grateful to be a part of it. It is seriously so amazing. I love this ward and area that I am serving in. It is amazing. I love these people. I love the Book of Mormon. I love reading it each day and talking with others about it.

The other day I was reading in the Book of Mormon and I really love Mosiah 24. I love what Mosiah 24:14-15 says. " And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which are laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.” I love what Richard G. Scott said in a commentary from the institute manual about it. He shared, “The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development. That progress is accelerated when you willingly allow Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter, whether initially it be to your individual liking or not. When you trust in the Lord, when you are willing to let your heart and your mind be centered in His will, when you ask to be led by the Spirit to do His will, you are assured of the greatest happiness along the way and the most fulfilling attainment from this mortal experience. If you question everything you are asked to do, or dig in your heels at every unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to bless you"

I know that trials are difficult. They aren't fun. BUT I am learning that God gives them to us for a reason. I know that He loves me and every one of you and I know that He will help us through any trial we have. He will not leave us a one. I know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and for you. I know that this work that I am a part of is special and important. I know that we cannot do it alone. I know that every one of us has a mission to fill and a duty to share the gospel. If you are thinking about serving a mission, pray to your Heavenly Father and if He tells you yes, GO! It is the best thing to happen in my life and it has forever changed me for the better. I will never doubt the gospel and I will never question it. I love it in all that it is. I love that it can help us all get back to our Father in Heaven. When we are struggling and everything feels overwhelming, my advice would be to focus on the fundamentals. Faith, repentance, sacrament (ordinances), having the Holy Ghost with us, and enduring to the end. Don't get too caught up in everything else. Focus on the gospel and you can grow to be even more than you think that you can be. I love y’all so much. You are all so special and important to me. Thank you for all that you do!

Ashley

Sister Esplin