October 21, 2015

Today is the only day it has rained this week. The language is going good. I can understand 95% of what they are saying. The native Germans going to our mission don’t come for four weeks. There is one that came for the last two weeks with us though. His name is Elder Skozylis he lives in the Frankfurt mission. He is pretty cool. He isn’t in our district but he hangs out with us all the time. I’m way excited to get out in the mission. I just can’t wait to see where my first Christmas is going to be spent. We knock on doors at the MTC and have investigators that we teach. They set it up just like real life and we do 30 minute lessons. We do it every day pretty much. It’s really realistic. For some reason we always end up talking about random stuff like meatloaf, plants and other strange stuff. The craziest part is that it is all in German! It’s also really cool because we progress with the investigators. Of course some cut us off though. This is what Elder Evans and Elder Lucas were doing when they got that Bible thrown at them…hahaha. This Sunday will be my 1^st time giving a talk at the MTC and it is all in German. This week I have been learning the 1^st vision in German. That has been helping a lot. I watched a devotional from David (Apostolic) Bednar. He challenged us to get a paper back Book of Mormon and come up with a question. We dedicate the entire Book to that question and read it front to back highlighting things that have to do with that question. I got mine and dedicated it to the loss of someone. I plan on giving it to someone that needs help with loss when I‘m done. So, I pray as I read I will know who it should go to.

 

October 14, 2015

Elder Ashcroft has never been one for many words. We have been helping him out with questions again this week. Here are a few:

What has been your most spiritual experience there so far?

It was at the priesthood meeting this last Sunday. We all talked about when we got our mission calls.

How is the German?

It is going pretty good! I was using all the German words but I was using them in English word order. I have now learned how to use them in the correct word order, which can be really weird. I have also learned how to use past tense and future tense now.

How is your teaching coming along?

It is going really well. Elder Evans got a Bible thrown at him by a Muslim….hahaha! Yeah, a German speaking Muslim! Like that’s believable!! We did get one to commit to baptism though.

His email was also hacked by a few fellow Elder’s. Some of the information we got out of them was:

• He is called Sasquatch.
• They didn’t believe he is adopted. Due to the fact he looks too much like his Mum (Mom).
• and he is addicted to the Vimto drink. (not surprising for him.)

We found the England MTC facebook page. There are some pictures of the facility and the missionaries there. We came across a picture of our Elder. A lot of people were commenting on how content he looks. President Preston had commented back and said, “he is more than content.” We are so blessed with the resources we have to give us reassurance he is okay and doing well.

This was our week with Elder Ashcroft. He has a little under 2 weeks left at the MTC. Thanks for all the prayers and support.

The Ashcroft Family

October 7, 2015

 

These are a few questions we asked to get the ball rolling on conversation....

1. What was your favorite talk in conference?
2. How is your German coming?
3. Are all the missionaries that you talked about last week going to the same mission?
4. What is your favorite food that you get to have?
5. How is your washing of your clothes going?
6. Have you gotten any new missionaries in yet?
7. Have you spent any of your euros yet?
8. You haven't forgotten that we love you have you?
9. What is church like there on Sundays?
10. What is you Sunday like?

Here are his answers:

1. The one about mothers was my favorite! It was really good! The only one we watched live was the Saturday morning session.

2. The German is good but I learned that the language doesn't matter as much in the MTC it will come latter. I need to focus on the Spirit so that the Lord can mold me into what he wants me to be. All I can do is try to be worthy of that. Why try and give god only half the wheel when you could accomplish so much more?

3. No they were just going to English speaking missions like Scotland, Ireland, London, etc...

4. Every once in a while they do American food day and that’s my favorite!! There are hamburgers and fries (the Brits call them chips) and its really good. The home made pizza is really good too!

5. It is easy and fine.

6. Yeah they are all pretty much going to London South. There are only like 2 cool ones.

By the way a sister missionary from Austria, Sister Lehmann (my favorite sister missionary cuz she helps me with my German a lot), knows some Scholzen’s from back home. Her ward is in my mission so we might serve there.

7. No they use pounds here but I traded my us money for pounds with no charge. They don't charge for it over here. I did get a bathrobe and some other stuff though.

8. NO!

9. We just have sacrament and priesthood meeting then study the rest of the day.

10. I like changing the routine up anyway I can so Sundays are good. Some days it feels like I’m in one of those movies where the day keeps replaying until you do something right.

Some of the Elder's wore the suits in side out for my Birthday.

They bought me this candy pizza and large Vimto drink. I also got a giant cinnamon roll made for me by the chef.