Funny Father

Funny father:

Dad sends me a text: "... How's school?"
Me: "Sick of it. So done. Hahaha. It's good though. Working hard. All I want to do is be on my mission waking up at 6:30 changing peoples lives!"
Dad: "I'll save that text."

I send my dad a picture of the ombre I want to get

Me: "Dad can I do this to my hair?!"
Dad: "You mean make it look like your roots are growing out?"
Me: "IT'S OMBRE."
Dad: "Whatever - it'll start growing out while you're on your mission - will look HOMBRE!!!"
Me: "But that's the ombre LOOK."
Dad: "Ugh..."

You shoot, you score.

I LOVE GOAL SETTING.
So I have this theory that if you make a goal and work up to it, you'll succeed.
Background: I've swam my entire life. When I got to high school I wanted nothing more than qualify for state and do my best.
Junior year I injured my shoulder, more specifically my rotator cuff. I had to go through physical therapy RIGHT before qualifying. I told myself that I wouldn't let it get me down and that I'd still do my absolute best to at least qualify in a relay with my team. I worked with my physical therapist and we ended up going to state in the 200 meter medley relay! Only downside was I didn't qualify in my favorite event, the 100 meter breaststroke - I was an alternate.
NOTHING is worse than being an alternate. You have to show up, warm up, and sit on deck knowing you were .07 seconds to being able to be in that pool with the other girls.
I worked out all summer long to build my endurance to meet my goal. When swimming started, I practiced harder and harder every day. I knew I wasn't doing my best if I didn't reach the wall and feel sick with exhaustion. I'd stay after and get extra coaching from my coaches.
The details cut SO much time away. I was obedient and did as they told me.
The race came where I finally qualified for state!!
My qualifying time: http://www.utswimcoach.com/4A1112.htm (under woman's 100 meter breaststroke).
SERIOUSLY this was the most excited I had ever been in my life!! I've never worked so hard at something and accomplished so much!!
State time: http://www.utswimcoach.com/4ASTATE1112.htm

My coaches and I after the race. What great women.

My family there to support me! ALL OF THEM (first time we've all been together in a loooong time). Gawl I love them so much.

Anyways, now I'm training for a half marathon. I love love LOVE the feeling of accomplishing goals. I'll let y'all know how it goes. I never in a million years thought I'd be running one, but I know that if I set my mind to something, I can do it.

It sounds corny, but I'm serious. I can do this.

What I'm getting at is that goal setting is a huge part of the mission. I have high goals and expectations heading out to into the field. 

High goals = lots of work = lots of growth = lots of relying on the atonement to perfect myself.

I know that if I want to have the spirit flow throughout me, I must be obedient and prove to the Lord that I am here to serve Him! The part about setting goals that I love, is that most the time you become more confident in yourself and your goal as time goes on and you stick with it. 

DO NOT BE A QUITTER. NO ONE LIKES THEM. I feel bad for them, because there's an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and joy when you succeed. I'm out to change the New Hampshire Manchester Mission. I'm preparing myself now so I can accomplish my goals and be a tool in the Lord's hands.

A few of my goals SO FAR:

- See someone go through a change of heart

- Watch blessings pour upon committed investigators

- Make the best of my time (which means staying focused)

- Making the best out of bad days, just like bad workouts, time keeps moving and things always get better

- KNOW the scripture stories and apply them everyday

- Love the people I serve, love my companions

- Have an optimistic outlook (the Lord doesn't put you through anything you can't handle)

- BE OBEDIENT! Almost to the point of annoyance

- Make a life long friend

- Change the lives of generations

- BALL my eyes out from utter joy

- Laugh everyday, especially the bad days

- Keep the goals I make on the mission

- Use the Atonement everyday, in everything

- Pray harder and with more sincerity

- Dance to MO TAB

The list could go on, and it probably will as I get closer to leaving. I just have a firm testimony of the power of goal setting, especially when you have Heavenly Father on your side. I can't wait to set goals everyday on my mission. I can't wait to follow through with my converts and see their lives change as my heart is touched. I feel love for the people I have yet to meet. I see their potential and can't wait to be a part of many life-changing/saving processes! Being the mouth of the Lord will be the greatest experience of my life. Accomplishing a mission with every effort I have in myself and in Christ will be the toughest, more rewarding thing I've done in my life so far. June 5th BRING IT.

- Ash

Go cry about your blister...

McCord's thought on complaining about a blister:

"It's like, suck it up. it's a blister. A person squeezed you out of themselves. Another person has spent thousands of hours working to give you food and not asked you to pay him back. People have died for your freedom. And died, under such painful circumstances that He bled from every pore because he loves you. And you're whining about a blister?

Others starve daily. Others get shot at and you're crying cause a door got slammed in your face. See? No previous adversity or mental toughness."

"Ash, I'm worried one of my eyes might roll so far that my pupil will be in the back of my skull and unable to come back.

Like I have said, 'It's not adversity that makes a person great. It's their ability to overcome that adversity time and again.'"

"Problems make you ordinary. Resilience makes you something special."

He's ridiculously quotable.

Gotta keep that in mind when I get discouraged on my mission. You aren't the first person to have ever felt weak or pain. Christ suffered through everything you're going through. He knows your pain because He went through it! You are not the exception.

Life

Goes

On

The clock is always running. I don't want to have regrets on my mission of times I knew I could've worked harder. I can do this!

I know Heavenly Father will test me in every way possible while I'm on my mission, but that's where you grow. I can't wait to be stretched!

I know I say that now, and in the moment I want to scream! Good thing I have a strong knowledge that through the atonement, MIRACLES HAPPEN, you are comforted, your burdens are lifted, you are STRENGTHENED, you rise up to His level!

The church is true.

I know it.

I live it.

I love it.

- Ash

Testimony Talk - Mom Edition

Today my mom took me on a 10 mile run from the start of Emigration Canyon down to my house (roughly over 10 miles).

Seriously kill me.

I'm running the Salt Lake City Half Marathon in about a month. Once upon a time 5 of the 8 girls in my dorm agreed to run it. We just got super spontaneous one night and decided to sign a contract (in blood... yeah we're weird) to run this thing.

Fridays are my long run days.

Anyways.

My mom and haven't spent a lot of time together since I've been up at school in Logan. It was so nice to be able to talk with her about my mission and other things we haven't had time to talk about!

Background: my mom went on an American Sign Language Mission to Roanoke, Virginia.

What she told me in a nutshell is that you'll see people do everything. You'll see the most obedient and disobedient people on your mission. If you don't kick the bad habits while you're on your mission, chances are you'll never kick them.

What I got out of it was that you can either use your mission to bring you closer to Heavenly Father than you've ever been in your life, or it could go the other way. You choose.

Also, obedience brings blessings. We talked a lot about the strength in covenants. When God promises you something, He will always follow through. When you make promises with God and keep them, He will bless you more than you could ever imagine!

There's so much to learn and so much growing that needs to be done! It's a comforting feeling to know that God has called me to do this work. He trusts me enough that He's sending me to teach His gospel. I always think that when I doubt my abilities to go on a mission. I HAVE BEEN CALLED OF GOD. It really is the coolest feeling! June 5th come sooner!!

The church is true my friends. The Lord blesses you when you keep the promises you make with Him and are obedient to His commandments.

- Ash

When I Opened My Call

The story of my mission call:

I got my call on February 15, 2013 to the New Hampshire Manchester Mission speaking English! I report June 5, 2013.

Oh my gosh.

I could not tell you the the amount of relief I felt when I read it! These are my people! My mission covers most of New Hampshire (including LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE FROM "WHAT ABOUT BOB"), Vermont, Maine, and parts of New York and Massachusetts. 

I was told my mission call was going to come on Wednesday, so I fasted and prayed until I got the mail and it wasn't there. Thursday was the same way. Even though it had only been two days, my patience was wearing thin. I wanted my call to come SO BADLY. Friday, I slept in until the mail. My RA called me and told me it had come. I ran out of bed with my lesbian looking sandles and pj's on, retainer in mouth, and headed down to the mailroom. I could feel it in my hands. This call that I had been waiting for my entire life was finally here! I hoped and prayed that I would feel comfortable about my call, and that I'd feel a sense of belonging. I called my mom and dad. My mom felt strongly that I needed to come home to open it, so I bought a bus ticket and came home as soon as I could! 

I opened it at 7 pm with my Mom, two of my siblings (William and Elle), Grandma and Grandpa Morgan, and friends Caitlin Jensen and Taylor Webb. It was the most surreal feeling in the world that I was really going to open my mission call! I felt so peaceful as soon as I read "New Hampshire Manchester Mission". I couldn't help but think what a beautiful area I'd be serving in! What a blessing! My mission is rich in the history and beginnings of the church. It is the only place in the United States that I've never lived in or been to (I've lived in almost every other region of the United States).

The thought that comes to mind right now is, what now? How do I prepare myself to serve the people in my mission? What can I do now to make it easier for me later? Also, how on earth am I going to buy everything I need for my mission in three months!?

The answer came a few weeks later. My mission president (President Wilkey) sent me a package in the mail with all the information I needed. In the letter to me from my mission president, he encouraged me to read the Book of Mormon again before entering the MTC. He wants me to write him a letter after reading talking about the doctrines of Christ. Christ's doctrine is the Atonement. I'll get more into that later. Basically, He gave me important tips and guidelines to help me prepare for my mission. 

I'm getting seriously excited at this point!!

There's so much to be done. I'll have to stretch myself further than I've ever gone for my mission. I love that I'll be doing all this for the Lord. I want to prove to Him that I am ready and willing to do whatever He would have me do. The church is true my friends.

- Ash