Blog Archives

Looking for the Lord's hand

6/29/2015

It makes me so happy to hear that so many good things are happening back at home!! I love hearing about Chad and Craig going to the same mission (Madrid, Spain). It's so cool to see Heavenly Father's hand in so many things. I studied "Thy Kingdom Come" by Elder Anderson and it talks a lot about having faith and hope and looking for the Lord's hand in your own personal life and in the world, too, even with so many bad things happening. I loved it. That's my study bit for y'all this week.

This past week I was working on patience like President asked me to. At times it was harder than I thought it would be, but I was able to do it. Friday we had exchanges and I got talking with Sister Stone and it all came out. We both had a cry fest. It was well over due. She insisted I get a blessing from the Elders. So the next morning we did. It was from Elder Severe who doesn't know me very well but the blessing he gave was amazing. Heavenly Father knows my desires and has everything in place. All He needs me to do is have the faith and move forward with hope and all will go well. It also said other stuff, but it was perfect!! Back to Friday - I got to ride a bike. OH MY GOODNESS, I've never been in such pain after exercising - in a skirt is so hard. I have some bruises to show for the day. Miracles can happen on bikes. We found this way awesome family and we are so excited to start working with them this week!! I learned so much. I also learned that chatting until 12 on a mission is not a good idea. I was so dead the next morning!

Saturday we got to do our weekly planning for the afternoon and then that night we had dinner with Gary and Sue and they are amazing. She made pulled pork and was so nervous for me to try it because I had mentioned the one we made at my farewell. She wants that recipe can you send it to me so I can get it to her?? Thanks mom. But it was fun. We love them. Sunday we had a crazy guy show up that Sister Stone and I had street contacted. She had given him our number and he keeps texting us. To him I am Sister bbe, aka babe. I'm not too happy about that. Bishop got the feeling that we need to hand him over to the elders and I completely agree after a text we got today from him saying that I am now sister sexy babe......... But I explained that we devote our time to God while we are missionaries and he understood that I am married to God and it makes him sad but he respects that. Haha - oh dear! So I have never found so many crazies in one place... But that's Gloucester for you but, the weather is beautiful. Mom, don't worry. We have the situation handled with this crazy guy. No need to contact President.

President is leaving on Tuesday and we get the new one on Tuesday. We get to meet our new mission president, President Leppard, on Friday. So this week is way cool.

Oh, but I'll start quickly with a cool girl we stopped yesterday. We couldn't get her info before she got on the bus but she told us she was working today at the grocery store next to the church so we stopped in this morning. She was excited and gave us her number and really wants to meet up soon!! Yay! Today we have district pday so that will be fun. Tuesday we have some fun things planned. Hopefully it all goes well. We are hoping to have Billi come to church to see the building to help her get to church next Sunday. Wednesday we have a few cool appointments. Then there is a Brazilian family in our ward - they were actually shown in the family video in the women's conference in April. I'll get their picture and show you. But they are so much fun and have the cutest baby ever. So, Rachel, I get to try Brazilian food this week! We found a cool guy from Belgium on Saturday and we get to meet him on Thursday, after another fun dinner appointment. Friday we wake up early to go to Wales for zone conference to meet the new mission president, so I should get my package on my birthday!! Then we have a ward cultural night where we get to watch Meet the Mormons. I'm so excited. Bishop's wife found out it's my birthday so I'll probably get sang to that day. Gary and Sue found out it's my birthday, so Saturday they are taking us out to celebrate my birthday and since they missed Sister Melville's, we are adding that on, too - and the 4th of July! To make it the most American possible, we are going to TGI Fridays! I'm excited! It's going to be a great week.

I love this gospel. Just having a desire can bring so many good miracles. Oh, I forgot to tell you about the spy we are teaching. I'll tell you another time! (UPDATE: So with the spy. There is a big government building near my area that a lot of spies work in and some just do computer work and others do other stuff. They can't tell us. But he was avoiding answering our questions so Sister Melville asked him if he worked for that building and he said yes. He also said he has a business trip that he can't tell us where he is going and can't tell us specifically when he gets back. So we keep trying and so when he gets back we will continue
teaching him. Members of our ward work for that building full of spies haha. Fun stories!) Blessings come as you do your best!!

Love you all!!

grace, the atonement and gratitude

6/22/2015

Sister Melville & I with Colby's cousins, visiting from Cedar City, Utah!!

Thanks for the update! It sounds like you all had a great week. I was hoping to hear about Craig's mission call, but, oh well. We get to do it all over again this week!! Always great fun!!

I have been doing an ongoing study on grace, the atonement and gratitude. It's amazing. When I can study that topic it always makes me feel better. But it's truly amazing how much gratitude plays in everything. That is the reason why we are obedient to the commandments and what allows us not to just live in the telestial kingdom but to get to the celestial kingdom. His grace is sufficient is what I'm in the middle of re-studying. But grace makes it possible for all of us to be saved, we have to measure up in this life and prepare for the next and when we live the gospel and the commandments, we are showing our gratitude to the Saviour. Also, what I learned about repentance -so cool!! It's there to help us prepare for eternal life! It's like the roller coaster rides where you have to be a certain height to ride. It's the same with the celestial kingdom. We need to be hit a certain standard and that standard is Christ-like.

This week was cool. It was kinda slow, but Saturday was a miracle day! We had two amazing recent convert lessons and 6 unplanned lessons while finding. One was so cool! We tracked into Patricia and started talking. We ended up asking her if she thought there could be a prophet on the earth. She said yes, but we would have to wait and see if one comes and what he does. We asked how she expected him to come. She said quietly. We said he did come and we have one on the earth today. The spirit was so strong. She said, in the end, she is okay at her local, but that we could come back and share some more. So we will get her in the end. Also, we knocked on another door not too long after and this sweet lady Carole chatted with us as the rain pelted down!! She kept talking with us asked where our church was and committed herself to come next week!! We have a return appointment with her on Tuesday. We are excited!! It was a day full of miracles!

Then satan had his little play in it. Sister Melville lost her bus pass and then her pork pies fell out of the fridge and put a downer on her day... I just laughed about it all!! What else can you do! But we ended up getting 6 lessons and 3 new investigators!! It was a fun day!

Here is a picture of part of a old building on our way back from breakfast with some other missionaries in town. I'm trying to take some on my iPad so I can just email them in the same email. I have other pictures on my camera.

So, I love it all. I love this gospel and the peace that can come. I know prayer is so important and having an attitude of gratitude is just as important. I love my Saviour, I love my mission president, and I love my family - both the ones at home and the ones that have adopted me on the mission.

Love you all
Sister Ash

ps - I forgot to tell you. It was my American week!!! So on Wednesday we
were finding and we hear voices calling, "Sisters...." We look behind us
and it's these two girls, about my age, and their mom. There are from Utah, Cedar City, to be exact. One was on the debate team with Addie in high school and it turns out they are cousins with Colby Evans, Shauna's husband. We got chatting. It was so fun to run into some extended family! Then, on Friday, we were inside the local Walmart and we bought American food, some chips and salsa, pizza and root beer. Then we ran into an elder that had finished his mission back in April. It was kinda nice to turn around to see a very cute boy smiling at me with very big blue eyes. We had served around each other in my last zone. He was here showing his parents around and it was fun to chat with them for a bit before we went home and did our weekly planning. Fun times!

The American Flag!!

Elder Holland's Talk

6/15/2015

Our mission with Elder Holland

Hey! So, this week was great but, I'm just going to touch on Elder Holland's talk. It was so cool!! President had made such a big fuss about preparing ourselves for an apostle of the Lord. It was so worth it.

We were towards the back of the chapel because of some traffic, but it was all right. I could still see him (blessings of having a tall torso). We were sitting in silence for almost an hour until he walked in. We all stood up and it was so cool. The spirit of just all us missionaries in one room was so cool and then add an apostle and three members of the quorum of 70. That was a spirit-filled room!

We each got to shake his hand and a photographer took a picture while we did that. Elder Holland has really soft hands.  He asked us to tell him our name and where we are from. When it was my turn, I said my bit, " Sister MacKay from Las Vegas, Nevada," and he said, " Sister MacKay, very good!" After we all sat down, he talked about how a handshake is a personal interview and that, of course, there are a few that are struggling but, over all, he is so proud of us. All of us are extremely worthy to be here.

He went on to talk about the death of Elder Perry and how sad that has made him and the other members of the quorum. He talked about how we need to have that kind of brotherhood and sisterhood on the mission. He talked about his wife who was sick and that is why she couldn't come. It was cool to listen to him as he was in a bit of a blue mood, as he called it.

He said that he didn't feel the need to talk about obedience with us. He is so proud of our mission. He said we have one of the best mission presidents in the world and that we are one of the best missions. He said we should feel honored to be called England Birmingham missionaries and that that is a title other missions should want to live up to. All he asks is that we step it up more - improve even more. So that's what we are working on. He told us that he would be speaking on the Atonement with us.

On a side note, this is what was going on in my head as he was speaking.... In a video called "Heroes of the Book of Mormon" by John Bytheway, he talks about how in Alma 5, Alma has to preach to people who are not doing the basics (reading scriptures, praying). So, that is where Alma 5 comes from. Then Alma travels to another land and the people there arerighteous and choosing well, so he is able to teach them about Christ. That is where Alma 7 comes in. John Bytheway says something along these lines: If we each made sure we did the basics, how much more would we receive at General Conference. We wouldn't have to be told to read our scriptures and we would receive more! Then it hit me! We as a mission had been doing the basics of being obedient and he was so proud of us that we got to hear more - some really cool things.

It was about the Fall and the Atonement. He got out the white board and we discussed the pros and cons of the Fall, before and after. Then we talked about what part the Atonement plays in it and how Jesus Christ is the "other Adam." Think of the temple video. Who worked together to create the world?? Both Adams. Adam has played just as big a role in everything as Christ has - or almost. In Elder Holland's words, Christ said to Adam, "You get us into this mess and I'll get us out." He talked about the Garden of Eden and how it was a telestial place. They had to leave the garden for us to become like God. I don't have my notes with me but, man, this conference was amazing. He talked about how we as missionaries cannot teach the Fall without the Atonement  A lot of what he said was combinations and parts of other talks I've heard over the years but, as you put them together in this order it meant so much more to me.

Oh, before he got to the Atonement, he talked about how we as missionaries are apostles with a lower case a and how we are never to go less active. If we really want to see him go ballistic, like embarrassingly ballistic, then just run into him after our missions being less-active. We are Christ's investigators as missionaries and humans. His goal isn't just baptism but lasting conversion. Missionary work is a calling for life.  We are never off the clock as missionaries and we need to remember the members of the 12 when it gets tough. We are to remember Christ and the Atonement He made for us when we feel it's tough.

He explained that we as missionaries must feel some of the pain and sorrow Christ felt and that is why the mission is not easy. The straight and narrow path to salvation has to go through Gethsemane, not the heart of it, but some portion of it. It was so cool to hear him say how proud he was of us. Before he spoke, a few other people spoke briefly and I watched him as they were speaking. You could see that he really was receiving revelation on what we needed to hear - it was so cool!!

We could really feel the Savior's love that day. Elder Holland is so cool and he really is filled with attitude, haha! It was fun to see him work. We loved it! It went perfectly with all my studies on giving up the natural man, the Atonement, grace and gratitude. I love this gospel so much. I would be so lost with out it. The Lord really does know what we need to hear. I'm just in awe at all that I've learned so far, realizing how much you really can love the Lord. It was amazing! Words can't describe that meeting.

President cried at the conference, saying goodbye. Sister Rasmussen is leaving and I'm so sad. She was one of my best friends. She says we can email each Monday, now. The new mission president comes in 2 days before my birthday so it will be fun this next month.

I love the mission. It's the best decision ever!

Love you all!!!
Sister Ashley MacKay

I'm knocking a door by the cathedral and, funny enough, that door has something to do with a Doctor Who episode. So, look at me, accidentally taking pictures with cool things!!

Me, Sister Melville & Elder Hatch on Transfer day

This is where they filmed Harry Potter when they are learning how to float feathers in the air

The Stake Picnic. Sister Melville, Elder Shaw (from South Africa) and I.

Here is a picture of the cute restaurat that we love that's right next to the Cathdral

Sister Rasmussen & I

Baptism & a crazy guy!!

6/8/2015

Andy's family on his baptism day

Andy was baptized by Gary

Sister Melville, Andy, Gary and me! Andy's Baptism Day!

Hey everyone!!

This week has flown by quickly. I'll jump into it.

Monday.... We met up with the elders and after being with them for like half an hour they ditched us. So that wasn't fun. We had an fhe with our 94 year old investigator. She's cool. Love her. We are doing that again tonight.

Tuesday.... We were supposed to meet with a friend of a crazy member. His name is Frank. He is a cool grandpa (at least that's what his grandchildren say). We waited at the cafe and then called and he said he couldn't make it. He runs a gambling business... Race horses, haha - no wonder he wanted to meet the girl from Vegas. We traveled to a less active couple and they don't realise they are less active.

Wednesday.. We did some cleaning for Sister Craven. It was fun. We did some things for the baptism and then we taught Rina.... She dropped us at the end of that lesson. She is okay with going to the Terrestrial Kingdom. Oh well. We tried. Later that night Andrew, the interesting one... He dropped us too. With everything that had happened this past week it was a bit rough.

Thursday... We had zone meeting. It was cool going to Cheltenham and seeing a new part of the mission. We had a few lessons after. We met with Andy, the one who got baptised yesterday, everyday starting Wednesday. So that was fun.

Friday..... Pretty normal. Weekly planning. We did have a dinner appointment where the person of that family who signed us up wasn't even there. The mom came late and told her 18 year old daughter to get dinner (baked beans, oven baked fries, and frozen breaded chicken) out of the oven in 10 minutes. We sat and talked to the daughter the whole time.

Saturday.... This was my favourite day!! We did a lesson in the morning, had lunch and then did service the rest of the day and the service was helping a member bake the treats for the baptism. It was a former less active and a recent convert that we got to spend time with and it was amazing!! I felt like I was back at home, baking. And then they offered to have us over for dinner after Andy's baptismal interview. So we helped her make dinner and had a blast with this couple. They really are like adoptive mom and dad on the mission. Sue and Gary keep trying to set me up with elders that have served in Gloucester and have gone home or ones that are still on their missions that they are in contact with. It was a funny night.

Sunday...it was a broadcasted Stake Conf by Elder Holland. Did you know he is speaking in parliament while he is on his little tour of the UK? Yeah, so cool! Then we had the baptism and it went great!! Loved it!

So why it's taken me all day to send this..... I got to Thursday while we were at the chapel and a guy that we street contacted a week ago walked in. But we locked all the doors so no one could get it. The Spirit was giving Sister Melville and I both flashing red lights. 1st he said he saw us walk in (that was an hour before he came in). 2nd he invited me to leave for the summer and live with him, aka he was asking me to move in. I was getting mad at this point. Other stuff happened but I was not in the mood to deal with this. Sister Melville had texted the elders quick when he walked in and they didn't respond at all. We asked him to leave and he got offended. I couldn't quite understand what he was saying but I think after I said no and then asked him to leave kindly he understood that I was really turning him down haha. But I was mad. We are supposed to be safe in the chapel and this guy broke in to ask me to move in with him.

We called President once we got somewhere else. President isn't too happy with the elders right now. He is happy we are safe though. Pictures will come next week. Sorry. Again.

I'm still loving it here. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior. I'm so thankful for the gift of grace and his love for each and everyone of us. Keep it real this week!!

Love ya,
Sister Ashley MacKay

Lessons!!!

6/1/2015

Hello everyone!,
This week has been awesome. I feel like we were just emailing the other day haha. So much has happened.

Monday.... We went to the tall ships festival and it was a blast. Loved it. I felt like a right tourist. It was the best. My camera died so Sister Melville has a lot of my pictures. We will have to use the church computer to send pictures haha.

Tuesday... We had four lessons.... We barely have time to do any finding any more because we are so busy teaching people haha

Wednesday... was transfers. Sister Melville and I both stayed. President and our zone leaders say that we are a power house team and that they can rely on us to get work done. We are teaching 10-14 lessons a week even when I was sick. So really there wasn't a surprise there. But we got a call from the elders in Evesham that they were in Gloucester early for the coach and so we needed to come keep them company. So we did. All these missionaries started showing up and we found out as we were there that we were to babysit another sister. So good thing none of our plans were set in stone. So we hung out with all the other missionaries. Elder Hatch was there and it was good. Our zone (Cheltenham 2) got pushed back together with Cheltenham 1 so we got to see a lot of missionaries that are now in our zone. Our district changed too. So Evesham isn't in our district any more.

Thursday... We had district meeting. There are 4 teams in our district and it was fun. We aren't as close as our last district but we are supposed to hang out with all of them today for a bit. We will see how that goes. I could sum up this week in one word. Lessons. So many haha. But we love it!! Oh this was the day we were first allowed to use our iPads. It was fun. I put the temple pic dad sent me as my background. I love it!!

Friday we took our trip to Birmingham and that was fun. Got to see some people from my last area. Mainly the office people but the Rudds were in and I got to see them. I loved it!! Oh I almost forgot - We had a lesson with this man named Costa and we met him at the docks last week and he ended up calling that morning, asking to meet with us so we did. It was a beautiful day. A bit chilly but the sun was out and it was shining off the water at the docks. Look up the historical docks of Gloucester. I love them. So, picture this - The sun reflecting off the water; a European man dressed in a casual back suit, no tie and the top two buttons of his shirt undone. The wind blowing in our faces. Walks slowly over to us these two Mormon missionaries. He asked us if we would like a drink. We said no and the movie moment was over. Hahaha - we were dying laughing. We can't teach him because he isn't from this area. He is on holiday but he is part Greek, part gypsie. It was the funniest lesson ever. We don't know what he was thinking but he really made us laugh. It was funny. I think he really liked that I was from Vegas.... He decided that he is going to visit Vegas after he goes to New York next. Haha

Saturday... We had a lot of weekly planning to do with a baptism happening this coming Sunday.. We are excited!! We did some finding.

Sunday...we had church. It was fast Sunday since we have stake conference again next Sunday. There is a broadcast that Elder Holland is doing from Scotland that we are going to watch and then he will come visit our mission later that week!!

Well it's pelting down rain right now. You have to love England!

Well I love you all so much!
Keep being awesome!

Sister Ashley MacKay

E-mail Address

Ashley would love
to hear from you!
ashley.mackay@
myldsmail.net

Mailing Address

Sister Ashley MacKay
England Birmingham Mission
187 Penns Lane
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands,
England B76 IJU

To send a letter or package, allow about
5 to 7 days.