Week 1 - A New Language

​​​​Hej Hej!

       The last week has been a blur.  The common phrase around here is that "the days are weeks and the weeks are days", it is so true.  We are busy all the time but we are learning so much and there is such an awesome spirit here!  By the second day we already had to teach an "investigator" our first lesson, entirely in Swedish!  He's really one of our teachers acting as someone who wants us to teach him but it feels surprisingly real.  That first lesson went well.  We were reading a lot from our notes but it went well.  We have taught him almost every day now, and every day my companion and I's Swedish improve.  Every time we teach we need notes less and less.  In only a week I can probably speak as much as it took me a year or two of German to learn.  God truly does give his missionaries the Gift of Tongues.  

       It has definitely been different having a companion and never really being alone, but I am getting used to it.  My companion, Elder Beveridge and I get along really well.  We are 2 of the 13 missionaries in our district.  We have 10 Swedish Elders, a Swedish Sister, and 2 Norwegian Elders.  All of us get along great!  We overlapped for a few days with the Swedish district who just left Monday for Sweden.  One of them, Elder Shanks, his sister served in my home ward recently so we made sure to get a picture.  I also saw Elder Young here from my home stake, he just left yesterday for the Philippines but it was great to see him briefly.  

       On Tuesday we had a devotional from Joy D. Jones, the Primary General President for the Church.  She gave an awesome talk about loving others and being obedient as missionaries.  I sang in the choir for that devotional.  We sang 'Hurrah for Israel' and it was awesome.  I would highly recommend that you look it up and it's backstory.  It is a favorite here at the MTC.

       There have been so many things to do and learn here I can´t even think of them all.  But I know that there have already been so many small miracles.  The most evident one to me was that there were 2 Swedish Missionaries who didn´t leave with the rest of their district.  They had originally been called to Russia, then they were switched to Sweden.  Then they were told that their visas might not come in time.  They were told that on Wednesday they would be temporarily assigned to Fresno, California until the visas came, but then on Monday their Visas came and they left for Sweden on Wednesday.  I feel like it wasn´t an accident their visas arrived when they did.  The Branch Presidency for our zone even told us that they could tell by the missionaries coming in that something is happening in Sweden.  One of the Finnish Elders who is actually from Sweden said during testimony meeting that he heard from the mission president there this summer that Scandanavia is currently using only a tenth of it´s current temple capacity and that the Lord does not make mistakes.  That hit me really hard and really helped make it clear why I need to go to Sweden.  Missionary work is growing there and I get to be a part of it.

       I am so glad for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord.  While it is not always easy I know that he provides a way and he blesses us as we obey his commandments.  God gives us the power to do His will beyond our own abilities.  He loves and knows us each individually and what our needs are.

I´ll attach a few pictures as well.  The one with me and the really tall elder is me and Elder Young.  The one indoors with a lot of guys is me and the Elders in my district.  The one with me and the Elder in the jacket is me and Elder Shanks.  The one of me and another Elder outside the Provo Temple is me and my companion.  and the one on the steps is my entire district except for Elders Domino and Wilkinson, which really just means that we added Sister Pyckett.

I will be sure to email you all next week.

Elder Ashford​​

Elder Young and Äldste Ashford - Minnesota Reunion

Äldste Ashford and the other Swedish Elders (what is the plural of Äldste?)  A question for a future email.
There are also 2 Elders heading for Norway in this group.

Äldste Ashford and Äldste Shanks.  Äldste Shanks is now is Sweden (he is one transfer ahead of the current MTC group) but his sister, Sister Gotchy is a missionary in Minnesota and before she was transferred to a different area, had dinner at our home several times.

Äldste Ashford and his companion Äldste Beveridge.

Most of his district at the Provo Temple.