Sister Mary-Ashley Esplin: Some like it hot. 🔥 I am not included in that statement.

HELLO EVERYONE!!!!!

I hope that y'all have had a wonderful week this week and that you have been able to see the hand of the Lord in your lives. I know that sometimes it is hard to see, but when you look closer you realize how much He really is involved in the details of our lives. :)

Well everyone, It is getting HOT here in Arkansas!! My face melts off my face, but everyone says that southerners look so young because of the humidity, so I expect to look fantastic when I am 60 because of my service here. ;) This week was great, but it sure involved being out of the area a lot. I had an appointment in West Memphis, Arkansas which took 6 hours for a 15 minute appointment. Ahhh. And then we were stuck in Little Rock all day on Saturday for an appointment for Sister Peterson. Fortunately, a member was so sweet and drove us to the appointment and back to our area and, to top things off, she took us to lunch at a cute little restaurant in Little Rock and before driving us home. :) I love branches!!! I often think that I want to end my mission here. The people here are AMAZING!! They are so sweet and giving and kind and generous and service-oriented and Christlike and ALL the other wonderful things that you can say about people. :)

This week we went on exchanges and I went to Conway with Sister Dayley! We came out together and she is so sweet! It is so funny, when I was in Sherwood I always wanted to go on an exchange to Conway but I never had the opportunity to. It is funny that I had to be transferred to a completely different zone/stake to go on an exchange with them. 😂 The exchange was so good! I learned so much and we were able to see miracles. We went to one street, called Utah Trail (oh me sweet homeland, where the mountains call me name and the heat be dry). I thought, there's got to be someone here who is ready to hear the gospel. This is Utah trail. UTAH. Yessssss. Well, we went and talked to everyone and some people were more receptive than others but it was so great to still be sharing the gospel! We got to one house though, and the man opened the door and said, “You are with the Mormons?” We answered YES and he said, “Oh yeah, I totally believe what y'all believe…when can I come to church? Is there one around here?” We totally freaked out on the inside. WHAT!!! So cool! The missionaries are going to see him this week:) We also were able to have a lesson with the Rowes ( a part member family) and talk to them about the restoration. We taught them about how much Heavenly Father loves them and that He will answer their prayers as they study the scriptures and earnestly seek for answers in prayer. Then they came to church the next day! And what was our Sunday school lesson on? Oh you know, just the Holy Ghost and how Heavenly Father answers our prayers. INSPIRED!!!!

Here is my spiritual thought this week! As y'all know, I have been working like crazy to understand and better know my Savior, Jesus Christ. I have been reading everything that I can get my hands on. The Book of Mormon, The New Testament, Jesus the Christ, and General Conference Talks. As I read in Preach My gospel about the Atonement, something really stood out to me. It says, “Though He suffered beyond comprehension-so much so that he bled from every pore and asked whether it were possible that this burden be lifted from Him-He submitted to the Father's will in a supreme expression of love for His father and for us. I LOVE THAT!! I love that He loves us so so so much that He suffered for us ALL. I think that is where all great service comes from, it stems from love. As I am trying to be like Jesus (cue the primary song 😊), I realized that I needed to cultivate more love for those around me and for my Savior and Heavenly Father. Not that I don't love people around me, but I recently remembered that mom my taught us that it wasn’t enough just to tell people that you love them. You need to work at SHOWING them your love through your actions. So I have a new commitment this week to SHOW LOVE. To serve more and give my heart to these people. Sometimes it can be easy to love people but not give my everything to them. I will give them all that I have.

I hope that y'all have a wonderful week!! Thank you so so much for all of your love and support. I love y'all so much!! I know the church is

true, I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that he restored Christ's church. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and that He knows me perfectly and that He will answer my prayers, because He answered a young boy's prayer in 1820.

I love y'all!!!

Love, ❤️

Sister Esplin

Ash

Someone who says on the daily, “I may be red in the face, but its not out of anger.”

Someone who is trying to be like Jesus

Mission traveler. (I went to 4 different zones this week! Four different stakes).