Ashley's Birthday!

Sister Taylor had the Sisters over for a dinner/birthday party for Ashley.  Here are the pictures she so kindly sent.

So Thankful!

Dear Mom Dad and Alicia,

         Every week when I sit down to begin to write, I find it impossible to explain all that I do, see, learn, and feel in a week. I wish I could be more eloquent in my speech or in some way describe the depth of my feelings but I am finding it impossible. I am so thankful for the Lord and for His hand both in my life, and my mission. I see so clearly as I look back just on a week that He knows EXACTLY who He wants me to be and He is not ever going to stop trying to help me get there. We have four baptisms this weekend. Two will be baptized at precisely 12:15 this Friday and one of the families we have been teaching will be baptized the following day at 4:00 pm. It has been a BUSY week. But like Dad said in his email... it’s a GOOD busy. I love it and I am so thankful to be a part of such an
incredible work.

         To answer some of your questions... I have only been the Exchange Sister for one transfer now. President Weston splits the mission in half and calls one Exchange Sister for the North and one for the South. It changes from time to time how many we exchange with but the purpose is to learn from other missionaries. We have weekly leadership meetings with the Zone Leaders and a few specialized trainings with President Weston each transfer. I LOVE exchanging with the Sisters. It is such a good opportunity for me to learn and increase my faith to find people. So now... when I go to bed I am not only worried about MY area and MY investigators...but I am also thinking about Sister Adamson and Sister Oro and Sister etc.... I really feel my heart grow as I pray for these other missionaries and their success. I have had incredible experiences on exchanges already. We ALWAYS see miracles. It has been really nice to see so much of President, but to be honest, I would rather be in my own area working. When we plan out our week each week I sometimes wish that we just HAD MORE TIME! Right now our schedule is so packed with the BEST things, (people that are progressing towards baptism), that we don't quite have all the time to do other things like community service projects, tracting, boosting the members, working with ward council, or working with part-member families. We still do all of those things, it’s just weird to schedule an appointment with someone and have to try to "squeeze" them in. But it's incredible how Heavenly Father is truly in charge of this work. As we plan our week to His will it’s incredible how we can accomplish more than I could have ever imagined possible. It’s still not easy, that’s for sure.

         It’s incredible how easy it is to be prideful. Not in a "oh I'm the best" way. But simply in a, "I can do this on my own way." There are two ways we come to a knowledge of our true dependence on our Father in Heaven. One we are COMPELLED to be humble. (Yes, that has happened to me MANY times) Or we humble ourselves. This week I have experienced the greater spirit that can come into your life as you "humble yourself." We have seen sooooooo many blesssings lately and my jaw just drops to the floor to look at how many times Heavenly Father has answered my heartfelt prayers. How could I not be humble? How could I not see His hand in all that has been done here? Every ward I go to there is a ward leader that I know I was MEANT to meet. Why? Because the Lord knows us and He loves us dearly. He truly is in charge of this work. I love you guys half to death! Thank you soooooooooooo much for the packages. You have no idea how many of them were tender mercies for me this week. I'll be honest and admit that I was having a really hard day one day. I got home, finished planning, updated the area book and with 5 minutes to spare before bed and feeling INCREDIBLY exhausted... I opened up one of my presents from you. It was the one with the lotion in it. I just sat on the floor and cried. (In a non-depressing way) More so in a..."I am so glad that I have parents that know me so well, that love me, and that truly support me and know what I am going through." Those Presidents letters from Dad

made my jaw drop to the ground as well. Are we the same person? I am so thankful for all three of you and for your testimonies. I feel like when I walk outside the sole reason I am completely in one piece is because of your prayers and your testimonies. I love you all so very much. Give the Twelve Oaks 1st Ward the biggest hug you can for me. I miss all those wonderful people!

Love,

Sister Mitchell!

Best Day of My WHOLE Mission!

My Dearest Family,

         Nothing could ever be better than this! There is a missionary in our ward that just got back from Taiwan Taipei and I was assigned to speak in Sacrament meeting along with him. My talk was on "Growth in the Gospel." Bishop Culp assigned it to me before he was released and it is such a special topic to me because I think it perfectly describes the work we have been doing here and the importance of not just "doing" but of "becoming" something greater.

         We have been working SO hard lately. Training and being exchange sister has meant that I leave my area a LOT for specialized trainings or for this and that. I feel like I have been working OVERTIME and praying RELENTLESSLY and I LOVE it! I am soooooooooo busy and I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face. The point to that story is that hard work pays off. This Sunday was by far, the GREATEST DAY OF MY WHOLE ENTIRE MISSION.

         I'm not sure if you remember me talking about her, but there is a woman named Debbie that we have been meeting with. I know I was sent here to meet her. She is my SOUL mate. My eyes are often moist when I think of her and the incredible changes she is making in her life. I love her more than I think I could ever love ANYONE. About a month ago we took her into the chapel to show her what it looked like. She stopped at the door in her jeans and Aerosmith T-shirt and merely peaked in, afraid to taint or offend by her choice of clothing. Standing in that chapel in silence I asked her, "When am I going to

sit in here with you Debbie?" Her response was merely a sly smile but an honest knowing that soon she would be. (No matter how hard she tried to fight it) I showed up last Friday to inform her that I would be giving a talk and that I might be gone from here soon. I asked her directly. Once I am gone....what steps will you take to move forward in the gospel? She looked at me with knowing eyes and said, "I guess the next step is coming to church." Words can't describe the experience nearly as well as I could in person. You would have to know Debbie. But, yesterday, standing at those chapel doors and seeing her

walk in was the single-most incredible thing that has ever happened to me in my WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE! I can't even describe it guys. There is no greater feeling then when they first take those steps. But that’s not all... the new family we have been teaching showed up with all of their family. The woman from China I told you about a while back showed up and told us that she wanted to be baptized so she can feel that happiness she feels every time we come to see her.  Her english is not very good but she handed me a letter and told me to read it. In that letter she talked about this indescribable peace she feels when we come in her home. She thanked us for teaching her about God and how to

pray and said that she feels that her stress always goes away when she talks to Him.  She feels the "Sister" change the way her home feels and the way her son acts. She just glows. I cried my eyeballs out when I read it. Martin and his family were there. Hailee and Lexie and the Goodsells were there. This work is so great! This area is so incredible. I have seen it grow and shape into the most incredible thing. SO MANY MIRACLES! So I sat up there on the stand... looking out at members, less actives, investigators that will soon be baptized and my heart is just OVERFLOWING WITH LOVE! I know each and every one of those people. There is literally not a single person in that room that

I have not prayed with and for. I feel like a missionary. I feel blessed to have been able to be even a small expression of God's love for them.

         Thank you so much for all you guys do for me! I love all the cute packages! Just ask Sister Simons... I chomp at the bit and have to reason with myself to make sure I don't open them early haha. I love you all and I pray for you lots! Thanks for all the uplifting advice.

Love,

Sister Ashley Rose Mitchell

(The happiest Sister Missionary in the whole entire world)

(I'm NEVER coming home!!!!!!!!)

Baptisms!

July 2, 2012

Dear Family,

         I don't know where to even start. Time is flying by so quickly and things are going well. The father and daughter of one of the families we have been teaching are scheduled to be baptized on July 21st. They are the most precious family ever. The other day we were over at their house for a lesson and the 2-year-old daughter just came over, laid her head on my knees and stared at me for what felt like an hour. I love this sweet family so much and it has been so cool to see them grow together. The dad is incredible and it is so cool to see him grow and change. Two young girls we have been teaching will be baptized on the 14th. And another family that we picked up last week are doing SO well. They had said they were coming to church yesterday and we gave them directions and everything. They ended up not showing up. But after about fifteen minutes of staring longingly at the door I finally decided to start paying attention to the speakers. We had a message from them after sacrament meeting stating how sorry they were that they weren't able to make it to church but that they had been feeling sick. Then they went on to say that they had watched the "finding faith in Christ" DVD and that they have been praying every night as a family and they were so thankful for our help in making their family stronger. It rocked! I love the this family and we are so excited for them! The work is going along marvelously. Being a trainer is often times a hard job, but I feel as if I have really grown closer to my Father in Heaven and I have daily realized the importance of humility in all things.

Sister Mitchell and Simons

         That’s so good to hear that you guys had fun in California! It’s so weird to think you were just here. Mom! Thank you sooooooooo much for the packages for my Birthday haha. The people at the mission office all laughed at me as I tried to carry them all out. They got a kick out of the fact that they were all labeled by day. There is nothing I want. Just keep writing me! I love you guys! Well family, my time is short this week. We have now gotten permission to email in the family history library so we can do it on Mondays. But I hope you guys have a great Fourth of July! And Happy Birthday to you Dad! Thanks so much for all that you guys do for me. I love you to death!

Love,
Sister Mitchell

My Favorite Bishop

June 26, 2012

Dear Family,

         I received a call from President Weston this morning about Buddy. I wish I could say it was easy to move on from that, but it has not been. He is so much a part of our family and he is in my thoughts and prayers. I wish I could be there with you guys! I love you. As with most of the toughest times on my mission...we have been seeing great success!

         Every Saturday we meet with our Bishop to discuss the work we did that week and how we could better help him in moving this great work forward. In my previous ward, this meeting was brief and very rarely did it exceed 5-10 minutes. But since my arrival here in Dry Creek I have spent many Saturdays with Bishop Culp and these times have become very special to me. When I first got here the missionaries were not meeting with the Bishop on a regular basis and so when I called him on Friday to set it up he did not seem all that enthused. But as I have continued to meet with this wonderful man I have come to understand more fully what it means to "sustain your leaders." Bishop Culp is the most loving person I have met. He does not shout it from the rooftops. He does nothing to be recognized, praised or rewarded. He thinks about the people in our ward and their problems weigh him down. This past Saturday we met with him and at the closing of our meeting we knelt with him and his wife for a prayer. He gave the most beautiful prayer I have ever heard. I felt strengthened and lifted. I left that day feeling so grateful that I had the opportunity to serve with him. I love him like a father.

         Then, the next day at church, sitting on the stand was the Stake Presidency. To make a long story short of it... our new Bishop is now Bishop Wyllie. (Another one of my favorite people from the ward) I am so excited to serve with him; he gave us a call that same day and said, "Sisters, we have a LOT of work to do." Nothing could have made me grin bigger then that. But a little piece of me was heartbroken. Bishop Culp will forever be my favorite Bishop. It's a testimony to me that things are not always as they seem. Although there may be some leaders that are outwardly loving and overly caring...we have leaders that pour over their scriptures and spend many hours on their knees for us. We must sustain them as well. We must support them, pray for them and boost them up in all they do. We truly can never judge a book by it’s cover. I love this work! We picked up two new families this week and its seems like this work is just taking off! We had a new investigator at church last week. He was so intrigued by the switching of the Bishops and his eyes were just wide open. He kept talking really loud during sacrament meeting asking questions and it was so cute. One of the new families we are teaching is a mom, two daughters (13) (15), and a 17-year-old son. The fifteen year old is so curious about God and the way He works. She has had a lot of trials in her life. Health issues, learning disabilities, and even several deaths in the family. She said she felt for a long time like God may just be punishing her for doing something wrong. We had an INCREDIBLE lesson with her. Whenever people talk about the things they wonder or worry about I sometimes have to look around to see if there is a hidden camera or something because this could not possibly be real! I mean... EVERYTHING she talked about could be directly answered by learning about principles of the gospel. We have only had one lesson with them but will be going back today. They are such a cute family and such honest seekers of truth. I love you guys all soooooooooo much. Please know that I keep you in my prayers and I love you more than I could ever explain.

Te Amo,

Sister Mitchell

Photos compliments of Sister Taylor!

Sisters Love, Simons, Williams,  & Mitchell

Transfers!

June 19, 2012

Dear Family,

Transfers have come and gone and thank goodness I am still here in Dry Creek! Today is transfer day and we always help President Weston out with the new missionaries so our day is always a little hectic. (Especially since we dropped Sister McKellar off at the Assistant’s place at 4am...) But regardless, I wanted to express my love and appreciation for your constant support. This ward is incredible. I have been here for a while now and with transfers looming over my head I found myself reflecting on the growth we have made here. Our ward council has been great. They are excited about and involved in the work. We have investigators coming to church. Two people  are getting baptized next week and we have two more with a date to be baptized this next month. We picked black berries at Bishop Culp’s house the other day and I can't describe to you how much I respect and admire that man. The relationships I have made with those in leadership positions are ones I think will last a lifetime. We have been teaching the family I spoke about last week. Some things have been a little rocky, but our promise is that, although people aren’t perfect, Christ's gospel is. It’s incredible to watch as that knowledge seeps into your soul. It brightens your eyes and puts a bounce in your step. Unfortunately, I don't have much time this week. But I am SOOOOOOOOO thankful to be here in Dry Creek. I had the privilege of being able to attend specialized leadership training with President Weston last week and received a lot of inspiration as to which things we could be doing better in our area. I see so many areas where I can be more obedient and dedicated to this work. I love this work with all my heart! I love my companion. She teaches me every day to be humble and accept feedback. It’s been interesting being companions with Sister Simons. She is a convert of three years and is very much different from me. I have developed a love for her.  The lessons we learn in this life truly mold us into what our Heavenly Father would have us be. I love you guys so much! Have fun in California! I'll be with you in spirit!

Love,

Sister Mitchell

Following Inspiration

June 13, 2012      

Dear Family,

         Some really cool things happened for Sister Simons and I this week. We have two people set for baptisms on the 30th of this month and things have been going well for them. We met a lot of cool people this week and Paul’s Mom, Mary, taught us how to make jam. Her friend came over and we found out that she used to go to our church services when she was a kid. We had a great day cutting up apples and helping pick up all the eggs from her chickens. We have really been looking for opportunities to serve at any chance we get.

         But the real miracle this week was the phone call we received from Bishop Culp. He said a man called him and he wondered if we could go visit him and check it out. He lives way off the Levee out in the sticks in a trailer. When we finally found it, we couldn't figure out which trailer it was but when we found him, he came out with a glowing smile and looked extremely excited to see us. We had no clue what we were walking into but he scrounged around for something for us to sit on and we sat outside with him for an hour. He is a single Dad of three children. a 9, 6, and 2 year old. They are the most adorable kids I have ever met. The minute we sat down, the 9 year old stared at me and said, "You look sooooo familiar. Do I know you?" I laughed but then we continued to talk with her dad. He attended Bible college in his youth and had several friends that were members of the church. He is going through a rough time right now. His wife got mixed up with drugs and began to hit the children. It eventually reached a point where he had to leave to keep them safe. Over the years he has talked a lot with his Mormon friends and he knows quite a bit about the church but he was never interested in joining. He has been to several churches and recently ran across a scripture in the Bible that says, "By their fruits ye shall know them." He choked up when he talked about the many "fruits" of our church. He says he has been watching us over the years and he hopes he has found the true church. The oldest daughter studied my face and rubbing her chin with her fingers perplexfully said, " I know I know you from somewhere." My heart was full as I answered her and expressed my gratitude for the opportunity to meet her family. I told her that meeting them, was an answer to my prayer, and it was! I went home that day with this new excitement about my studies. I wanted to do everything in my power to be worthy to teach such an incredible family. That following day we got a phone call saying that he was being kicked off the property. He has nothing. Nowhere to go. No plates. No food. Nothing! So we called the Bishop, informed him of the situation, and just waited. We were told there was nothing to be done. He went to stay with a friend out of town about 45 minutes away. I prayed for him and hoped that, wherever he was headed, he would find the help he needed. Then on Sunday... guess who showed up to church!?!?!? No one in our congregation knew him or his situation. We were already seated when they walked in so we were nowhere by him. An elderly man in our ward leaned over to him after the service and felt prompted to ask, "Are you in trouble son?" To which, of course, his reply was yes. To sum it all up. Brother Elliot was recently widowed and now has room in his house for a small family like this one. He moved in there and the ward has just really come together to show the kind of love I always knew they were capable of. I love this work. I love to watch the Lord’s hands work in the lives of the people I love so much. My heart is so full. I can't even tell you how grateful I am to know this man and to see his strength and enthusiasm. Through it all he keeps going with a smile on his face. He talked about how he feels, when we teach, that he "already knew these things." I love you guys and hope that you too are seeing miracles in our cute little Twelve Oaks area! I love your guts!

Love,

Sister Mitchell

Roses through the thorns?

June 5, 2012

Dear Familia,

Patience pays off. This week was another difficult one. It seems that this will be the case for quite some time. But I can't even TELL you the many miracles that we have seen amidst those trials. There is a less-active woman in our ward who has not been back to church since she was 16 years old. She remembers a few things, but has had no interest in coming back for quite some time. Her mother is an active member of our ward and we know her well. We met her by going to the monthly relief society activities. Her mother enlisted her to help out and she (being the kind daughter that she is) agreed. I introduced myself to her my first week in the area. We continued to see her at activities and eventually one day I just said, "We are coming to your house!" She looked at me and assumed that I was joking but said that it would be okay. We came by and went inside and talked with her about her life and the experiences she’s had. Without disclosing too much, she has had a rough life. But despite it all she is the most incredible person on the planet. She is filled with this charity for others that is just indescribable. I can't describe the way I love her. At the end of our meeting I asked if it would be okay if we came back. She tilted her head and gave me a sly look saying, "We'll see. If I'm here I guess." Then we eventually came by again. And again. Every time she looks me in the eye I see something in her. Like I know her so completely. I can't describe it. But on our last meeting we prayed and talked and at the end I asked when would be a good time to come back. She said, "Give me two weeks." And so we did and, as a matter of fact, due to extenuating circumstances... we weren't able to make it at two weeks and went by a little after that. We were walking down this long country street in the hot sun and we see her outside pruning the roses. We waved and she stood there and said, "Where have you been?!?!" My heart swelled in my chest. She said, "I have been worried you weren't going to come! Where were you!?!?!" We got to talking and I can just see the change in her. She has made tremendously hard steps in her life and she is just such an incredible example to me. We came inside and got a drink of water and she said, "It’s like... every time you talk, you say something I need to hear. I don't have to tell you my problems or even what’s going on in my life. I just know that, if you come, something you will say will help me." I thought for a minute about what a miracle that is. I am so humbled to be able to feel the spirit in my life. We told her that it isn't us that is doing it. She smiled knowingly and gave me that favorite sly look. I'm telling you right now. She is my life-long friend. She is one of those people I will NEVER forget. She is such a good example to me of humility and love. Both lessons that I am learning a LOT about lately. I love you guys so much and am so thankful for all you sacrifices to let me be here and serve. I love you from the bottom of my heart!

Love,

Sister Mitchell