Happy Halloween!

Dear Family,

         Happy Halloween! This week was crazy-good! We were in-charge of the trunk-or-treat this year and our ward missionaries did a killer job of decorating. We had a HUGE turn out and met a lot of the people that we hadn't been able to meet yet. It was a blast. Brother Rackham had his wife at a picture booth where everyone could get there picture taken, we barbequed, they played some rad tunes. All-in-all, great night! I dressed up as a, "Greenie." (Cut out a green letter "E" and taped it to my tag) That’s about as crazy as I got this year! It was so much fun to hang out with all the kids and I never really realized how MANY people from the ward I know. It feels as if I've been here forever. Sister Kingsley works at the family history center in Sacramento and LOVES what she does. She has been working on some of our genealogy work and I have found out some super cool things from her, I'll have to send what she found home to you.

          Yesterday was the 5th Sunday lesson at church. Bishop Hansen put Sister Adamson and I in charge of teaching and guess what the topic was.... "MISSIONARY WORK!" Ha-ha. It was actually a really awesome meeting. I looked out at our whole ward and just was filled with love for them. They all work so hard to take care of and look out for each other. We meet in their homes each week and I have really just come to love them! Loomis 1st ward is awesome!!! I have sat through so many meetings where we focused on what we do wrong. We focus on how we need to be doing this and that and the other thing. But for our meeting we decided to focus on the blessings and the JOYS of missionary work. There is a quote by President Ezra Taft Benson that says, "Member-Missionary work is one of the great keys to the individual growth of our members. It is my conviction that member-missionary work will raise the spirituality in any ward where applied." Why is that? Why would doing missionary work raise our spirituality? I mean... sometimes missionary work is just plain uncomfortable sometimes right? Alma 29:10. We talked about a bunch of cool things. We read a little bit from President Eyering's conference talk entitled, "A Witness." He speaks of the promises we've made and how we have promised to become charitable and to be a witness of Jesus Christ. It was a pretty cool talk and an excellent meeting. Sister Adamson and I really thought and prayed about what we should leave as a commitment or goal for our ward. Normally it’s things like..."Pass out a book of Mormon" or "Invite a friend to church." But the more we thought about it the more we realized that the Book of Mormon is the answer. Read it. Drink deeply from its pages. President Eyering says that reading the book of Mormon will strengthen, empower and embolden you! I know this to be true. I know that when it sits on your shelf it does nothing. But as you read it’s pages you will feel a power in your life that you never knew existed. Our challenge to the members was just to read it. Read it. Read it. Read it. Because as you do so... your love will grow. As you do so... you will become a disciple of Jesus Christ. As you do so you will be emboldened and your example will be missionary work enough. Our Stake President was there and afterwards he approached us and had some really nice things to say. He says he has been begging President Weston to send him some more Sisters! Eh. He's the Stake President... he HAS to say nice things. But things are good. Sister Adamson and I only have three more weeks left together. We are pretty sure she is getting transferred........but I HOPE NOT! We are just trying to squeeze as much work and fun times out of these last few weeks! I love you all. 

Love,

Sister Mitchell

Exchange Sister

Dear Family,

We held signs for the Del Oro (high school)
band parade competition thingy.

      This transfer has gone by SOOOOO fast. And it is about to go even faster. Guess what? Juuuuust when I thought I had some good time left with Sister Adamson, they decide to mix things up. She was called to be the "exchange sister" for this transfer. Which means that she spends a full 24 hours with each individual sister from all our surrounding areas. Twice a week, at night, I will be driven out to another companionship, dropped off and exchanged! Sister Adamson is trying to get rid of me! Haha. No... it will be really fun to get to work with all the other Sisters from the mission and see how they do things. I will be working with Sister Totau this Wednesday and she is straight from TONGA!!! SOOOOO COOOOL! I'm super stoked!

      First of all... thank you SOOOO much again for the shirts! They have been so great to have!!! I also got the CD from Michelle Dustman and Jenny Nielson. It was really good!!!! You have NO idea how fun it is to get new music. I live for it. Well this week was pretty hard. I was sick with some kind of stomach thing that eventually Sister Adamson got too. She refused to let me do the things I wanted to and so we had one day where we were not nearly as productive as we had hoped. Buuuuuuut... can I just say one thing. I dislike tracting with a passion. Okay... I just had to say it. Does it mean I don't do it? No. But it is not my favorite way to do missionary work. I love to do service and to work for referrals from the ward. We go to festivals in town and even just go to the grocery store sometimes to contact people. There is something about knocking on someone’s door that just...rubs them the wrong way. I can't blame them! All too often we are busy. We keep to ourselves. People think, when they see the nametag at the door that we are not people. All they see is a product pushing something at their door. So bottom line. It’s hard for me. But whom the Lord loveth he correcteth right?

     Well. He does. And he did. We were out contacting a referral we had been given by a member of our ward. She has a neighbor whose husband was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She has a big yard and we were just going over to offer help with the yard work. We didn't have anything planned right afterwards and so we decided to tract the next couple houses around the area. I did NOT want to do it. I hung my head down thinking...."I just can't take one more slammed door today." I suggested to Sister Adamson that maybe we could just go accidentally tract into all the member’s homes instead. This way we would be received with friendly hellos, warm welcomes and exclamations about how cute my outfit is or something.... She didn't quite go for it. Haha. So we went on. We went to a couple houses and then I suggested that we could go work on some paperwork really quick! Sweet Sister Adamson is so patient with me. But she disagreed. She said... let’s do ONE more house. And we did. And that, my dearest most marvelous family, is where we met him!  He is a retired biology teacher who rolls around in an old ford with a shiny paint and purple dice on the mirror. (If I was cool like that I would tell you what kind of car it is and what kind of engine it has in it because he showed us... but I'm not cool. I don't remember) Anyways. He is a biologist. So he is one SMMMMMMART dude. But he is also a Christian. When asked why. He said... I don't quite know. Biology explains so many things. But it doesn't quite explain the lessons I wanted to teach my children like..."Why do we treat each other with respect." "Why do we deal honestly with one another and never seek to bring each other down?" We had a long conversation with him. I gotta tell ya. This is the ONLY time I have ever tracted into someone and actually got to speak WORDS with them. Haha. Even in Loomis. (The nicest place in the world!) Well it got to the end of our conversation. I handed him a card with our phone number on it and was about to speak when he said, "You know... I've talked to a lot of these religious folk that come around...but I have never shared the things that I shared with you today. I can't quite figure out why I did that...." I told him, I said. "We must be worth your time then eh? Do you mind if we come back to meet with you." He had a curious look on his face almost like he didn't believe his answer as he said yes. We will be going by this Tuesday to meet with him.

      I learned my lesson this week. I never want to...."push" my beliefs on someone. But I DO want to help those that are looking. This man felt something as we talked that day. What if I hadn't done one more house? I think that has a lot to do with our everyday lives. What if we hadn't talked to just one more person that day? What if. I never want to ask myself that. I want to do all that I am asked. I want to smile and wave and be crazy Sister Ash Mitch and never have those days where I don't do enough.

I miss you guys like crazy! I love you tons.  I got a letter from Alicia this week. OH MY LADY GAGA does she have some EXPLAINING to do! Haha. I love you all and will write you back soon leesh. Sounds like the Hogwarts party was a blast. Tell Miranda to keep you in line. I can't believe she is home now! Say hi to all my loves! The Schicks, the Shielas, the Jacobsons, Jack and Jude and all the lovely people I am so lucky to call mine. Haha. Have a great week!!!!!

Love,

Sista Ash Mitch

Pictures from Loomis and the MTC!

Hola Mi Familia,

     It feels like I was just here! Do the weeks go by just as quickly for you as they do for me?!?!?! That’s so good to hear that Bob Lee is back at home! He has been on my mind a lot this week. Go see him for me will ya?  Hopefully he can make a full recovery. I was sad to hear the illnesses in our extended family.  Man do I love our family! We really are sooooooo incredibly blessed to have all of these Aunts and Uncles who care so much about what’s going on in our crazy little lives!!!! (It also helps that the Mitchell's are just flat out hilarious by nature...)  Be sure to let them know that my prayers are with them and that I love them very very very VERY much!!!!

     Well, ironically, this week I have been thinking a lot about trials. Trials that come as the result of others, ones we've brought upon ourselves, and then those trials that are just a part of life. Why do we have them? Why do they come along at the exact time that they do? Why is it always when we are worried and stressed and lonely that THEN is the time for our next big trial? Why can't they come when we are at our very best and ready to face it?!?!?! I find myself often times thinking, "SERIOUSLY!?!?!, NOW?!?!?!" I have come to the conclusion that we just don't know yet. Our Heavenly Father knows where we are going. He knows the challenges we must face and there is a man who felt the pain and the trials that we must go through in the process.

      We were teaching one of our less-active members one evening and ended up in the kitchen doing her dishes. One of her friends came over to visit and we got to talking. She is going through a hard time right now. She recently lost her husband and has a son that has a lot of struggles. She is having some financial problems because a realtor had dealt with her unjustly and man... the list just went on and on. We had not planned to share a message. But Sister Adamson gave me that look that I know all to well what it means. I grabbed my scriptures and we read in 2nd Nephi about Hope. We talked about the Atonement and about how Jesus Christ has given us an opportunity to lay those things at his feet. To bring relief, comfort and peace into our lives. There are some STRONG people out there. People that think they can handle it on their own. They can take the abuse they can deal with the pain. To be honest, I thought I was one of them. I have felt beaten, I have felt alone, but I also have thought that I could handle it on my own. That I could find things that would make me happy despite my pain. You know! All those things we do to ignore it. The Yoga, the chocolate, the eating out with friends. They are all good things! (Well maybe not the chocolate...) But there is a better way. There is a way out of the storm! The Atonement was no small thing. He paid our debt for us. And how do we pay him back? By utilizing His Atonement every day in our lives. By not allowing ourselves to suffer when all we have to do is get down on our knees to bring that peace. It was really cool to meet with this woman. She is one cool lady and actually came to church with us this week! Sister Adamson and I were asked by Brother Rackham to teach Gospel Principles. What was the lesson on?... The Atonement. It was such a great opportunity to teach. All of the members of the class are the people that we meet with regularly each week. One man, (recently re-activated member from Tucson Arizona) bore his testimony in a way only he could. He brings life to the words "heart felt." I love this gospel. I love the joy it’s brought into my life and the opportunity I have to continue to serve people.

      Thanks so much for getting a book ready for Zane! I really love that family! Zane will demand that we sit by him each week and I accept every time! It may have something to do with the fact that he may or may not bring snacks each week...... Haha. Is it bad that I'm a missionary and I still eat cheerios in church? Well. I LOVE the Ensign and Friend idea. I can't think of any other families at this point that would like them but boy would that be PERFECT for the Savery's!!!!! They are so eager to re-learn things! It’s so cute! I can't remember any of the other questions you asked me but if I ever forget to answer one just be sure to write it to me again and be like, "YO! Ashley! Get your act together and communicate with your parentals!" I'm just as forgetful as always. But I still love you like crazy and can't wait to hear from you! (Sister Adamson got her letter and she TOTALLY called me on it!) She said..."You just told your mom to write me because I haven't been getting any mail!" I denied it but she saw right through me... I asked her why and she said, "Because I did the same thing to MY trainer just 2 months ago!!!!!!" Hahahaha. Sister Adamson and I are the same person sometimes. It's ridiculous. The ward keeps fighting over having us over for dinner. As Megan Schmitt describes it. (14 year old awesome basketball player from the ward) "We love you guys because you’re BOTH crazy!!! Usually we only get one crazy one and one quiet one... but your BOTH insane!!!" I'm not entirely sure it was a compliment. But Sister A and I try our best to make this whole "missionary deal" look gooooood! Keep it real! I love you all!

Love,

Sista Mitchell!!!!

     REALLY bad pictures of us 
     after Zane's baptism!

Guess who spoke the DAY

I left the MTC? My favorite apostle....

President Holland! I knew it!

Literally. I left at 5 in the morning...

he spoke at 7 that night!

                          Sister Adamson and I at

                          half-mission conference

                          where we heard  

                          Elder Kieran speak!

        This is how we do our Ward Mission

        Leader meetings with Bro. Rackham.

        Haha. He is the COOLEST guy ever.

        Next week for our meeting... we are

        using the zip-line in his backyard.

        Yeah... life here is rough. haha.

Sister Mckellar, Mitchell, Grant,

Adamson. These are the sisters

from the zone last transfer.

(We lost Mckellar to Folsom

this transfer though :( )

                    Bro. Smith from our ward.

                    (Goes windsurfing with his

                    kids all the time and is the

                    coooolest dad ever!) picked

                    a rose for me one day when

                    we came over. (He picks one

                    for his wife every now and

                    then too.... so cute!

                                                                                                       

Folsom Lake. (The other sisters                                                                                                      live within eyesight of this                                                                                                        place!!!! Agh! So jealous!)

Folsom Lake

Our Zone for my 

second transfer!

    Its been raining A LOT in loomis! 

    And...it was so wierd... 

    there were seagulls everywhere 

    the other day!

   Sister A and I at the 
   Sacramento Temple!

      

           Sisters at the Temple 

            for the first time!!!

MTC Pictures:

Sis Knutson and I. (She is serving 

in Bangkok Thailand) She's the 

sister that knows Montana and 

lives in Bellingham!!!!

                               This is Sis. Green!!! 

                               (My MTC companion) 

                               We are at the Provo Temple.

Sista Ash Mitch. Provo Temple

                       Sis Williams mom 

                       sent us cupcakes 

                       (in the MTC)

Elder Healey from the MTC. 

In my district. 

Coollllest kid ever!

Transfers!

Dear Fambly,

         So transfers have come and gone. Drum roll please......I'M STILL IN LOOMIS! Yayyyy! And I get to stay with the amazing Sister Adamson for at least another six weeks. Things are going really well here! I was sooooooo nervous the last week of the transfer. Sister Adamson has been in Loomis for almost half her mission now. 8 months going on 9. So I was nervous they might pull her. It didn't help that our Zone Leaders (Burnetti & Booth) were playing tricks on me that week. (I won't go into too much detail but let’s just say there were some "fake" transfer voicemails that I wasn't too pleased about...) Bad news is, we lost Sister Mckellar. (Awesome Sister that loves the Beatles almost as much as I do...) Buuuut... we got Sister Oro! She is from the Philippians and is super legit.

          Work in the area is going along well. One of our investigators is getting sicker and sicker by the day. She got pneumonia again. She is in a rehabilitation center but just can't seem to catch a break. We haven't been able to teach her very much because of all the rest she needs. The baptism is going to have to be pushed back.

          I got to attend my first baptism this past Saturday.  He is nine years old and he is, simply spoken, THE coolest kid in the universe!!!!!! He loves every kind of sport that was ever created. He does soccer, baseball, and football and every time we come up to the house he is always outside swinging a golf club. Haha. I love him! His family, are all inactive members. They haven't been to church in at least 5 years or so. They are one rad family. The dad plays the guitar and we jam out every now and then. He is such a smiley guy and I just love being around him. But the point of the story is that this young man is the greatest missionary of all time! His family is inactive and one day he says to his Dad. "Dad, I want to get baptized." To make a long story short...we have been teaching them the lessons (which is fun because we get to make it an object lesson and bring candy and do all sorts of fun stuff), they started coming back to church, and get this.... THE DAD BAPTIZED HIS SON! It was an excellent baptism. It was so cool to see a family that I've grown so close to receive those blessings and find a greater joy in their lives.  Just the other day we stopped by to check on them and they made us hot chocolate and cookies and I just sat there with them thinking, "How could I be so lucky to know these people?" I feel at home here. The dad is such a humble man. He is grateful for the example his son has set. I mean... it takes a LOT to have that kind of humility. I can speak from personal experience when I say, change, is hard. But boooy has he done it. I have felt such a difference in their home. They are happier, more patient, and just... full! Full of something awesome. 

         Well... its hard to remember what happened this week. Things were mad crazy and I am more and more exhausted each day. But... I am grateful to still be serving here in Loomis! You have no idea how much better I feel now knowing I have some more time. I have NO idea what I would have done if I had to leave. Sister Adamson and I feel like we really have the capability to do good things here together. I am so grateful for her and for the love we receive from the members here. Sister Clement (cool family with the orchard) gave us a call right after transfers to check up on me. (In case Adamson had left) They are so sweet to us! Get those missionaries in your homes! It is such a blessing in our lives to be able to learn from you and get to know you better!

          I miss you guys! Oh! And Mom! I have a present for Jackie in my room on the guitar shelf. It’s got her name on it. Can you give it to her on her Birthday? K. Well tell the Jude boy to stop growing up and make sure that you guys aren't having too much fun without me! Thanks for the words of advice Dad. It’s always good to hear from all of you. It lifts me up and gives me strength to keep going.

Love,

Sista Mitchell

P.S. I've run out of time. Today is crazy busy. But remind me to tell you the story of Yin Yin and Hot Pot next week. COOLEST thing happened that I couldn’t believe I haven't told you about yet!

Last Week of the Transfer!

Dear Family,

        The weeks are just cruising by. Every six weeks is called a "transfer." At the end of the six weeks the President moves us all around to new areas and new companions. Sister Adamson and I (Okay, Mostly Me!) are scared wittttttless! There is no way around it... Sister Adamson is, hands down, the COOLEST Sister in the mission!!! We have so much fun together and get so much work done in the process. If they take her away from me I wouldn't know what to do with myself. They usually keep the "greenies" with their trainers for at least two transfers, so let’s hope I can squeeze one more transfer out of her.

        But wow. Can I get a "WOOP WOOP" for conference this week?!?!?! Soooooooooooo good! We watched it on Saturday with one of our less-active/part-member families. The husband was baptized down in Tucson about 30 years ago. He even used to work on the church pecan orchards like you did mom! So we talk about Arizona a lot. He is just the sweetest man on earth. He

worked on the railroad for the past 40 years or so. (That could be an exaggeration but he did it for a looong time and always wears train T-shirts) His wife is a devout catholic and we usually come by and meet with them once a week. We have become really good friends with them and it just feels...like home. It feels like kickin' it with Paula and Darwin or something. Whenever he feels the spirit, he says in spanish what translates to, "my chest is not a grocery store."..........I guess you'd have to be there. But he's hilarious and loving. He has been coming back to church now for a little over a month and just ROCKS! His wife is the sweetest spirit and I love her to death. She is so crafty and just always speaks her mind. Anyways. The point of my story is to say that we watched conference with them. Sister Adamson has a tradition in her family to make fried apples and biscuits every conference. So we went over and made that for them and had a grand old time. I love being in these people’s homes and having an opportunity to be a part of their lives. The wife has been... asking questions? And this week, we are going to invite her to take the missionary discussions.

       Also....drum roll please.........WE ARE HAVING SOMEONE GET BAPTIZED!!!!!! There is a brother that we go visit every week. He has those sweet-awesome huge turquoise bracelets and a thousand rings on his fingers. His eyes are two different colors and he loves to pick on the missionaries! I love him. He cracks me up and says I'm a "firecracker." I'm not entirely sure that’s a compliment but he likes that I keep him on his toes and don't let him push me around. He has been less-active all his life basically. But we have got him coming again and he even received the Aaronic Priesthood recently. His wife has had poor health for quite some time. She had a scare a few weeks ago in which she was rushed to the emergency room. (They are both in their 80s) We have always tried to get her to come out for our lessons but she is always too sick. One week when she was feeling better we offered to make them dinner. We got to share a message with her and visited her in the hospital a few times to check up on her. Then we get this call from Sister Gilbert in our ward and she just said..."she (the woman) wants to get baptized. Call me back ASAP." So we did! And we met with her and wow. We have been praying for her. Her husband really wants to be sealed to her and now he will get to! We set a date for not this Saturday but next. This will be Sister Adamson’s first baptism as well. We get to witness our first baptism together! I am so excited for her and for the peace that she can find in coming closer to her Savior and learning of the atonement. I am grateful for this church and have a testimony of it's truthfulness. I know that there is not any pain, any weakness, any trial that cannot be overcome with the redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know this is his church on the earth and I am grateful for him throwing me so directly in its path. He knew I would be to blind to recognize it any other way.

       I learned so much at conference but I am more specifically grateful for personal revelation. If you watch conference with a question in mind. It will be answered. Conference is such a great missionary tool. These men are servants of God. They receive revelation for us. How wonderful to invite someone to listen to their words. They do not falter, they are not afraid, they don't fumble on their words the way I feel I do at times. They are the perfect missionaries. Invite people into your home to hear their messages and words of wisdom for us. We are all struggling in our own way. You might not always know how much pain is in the lives of that neighbor or that friend that you've been neglecting. The principles of the gospel will bring comfort NO MATTER what obstacles you face in life. I am so very grateful for my family and for all they taught and continue to teach me. I love you guys so much!

        I got the package! Thank you soooooooooooooo sososoososososoososo much for the music. You have NO idea! Chantel Flemming sent me some super rad tunes too. She is known all over the mission already because we played them on exchanges. So thank you! Thank you for all the love and support you give to me. I often wonder what it would be like to do this work without the support from friends and family at home. 

       Kiss Jude boy for me. I miss that little guy. 

 Love,

Sister Ash Mitch