last e-mail from MTC

Dear all:

Well, as this is my last email from the MTC, I just want to tell everyone thank you that sent me letters, packages, or dear elders. They were all very appreciated. I can't believe I will be in a third-world country in three days. Sunday is my last day as zone leader. I has been such a good apportunity to be zone leader. I have learned so much about myself and how to be a better leader. Sorry, I accidentally pressed send instread of save. Anyway, I had a hard time this last week. I broke down one day. All the days built up on themselves and I struggled. I realized I would be leaving to speak only spanish in a place that I have never even seen. I realized that I am as ready as I could be. I know spanish desently, way more that I could have learned anywhere else. I can teach in spanish. I realiezed that I may not be the best teacher or speak perfect spanish yet., but that's not the important thing. I am not expected to be perfect. One of my teachers told me that I will be great, but a lot of that will come from experience in the field. I got really scared about leaving, but then I realized these things. I also remembered the message that we share. I will be going out to teach the gosple of Jesus Christ. We teach how to find peace, hope, and joy. I thought about it and how I could use this in my life and if I really knew what I am going to teach. I thought about the atonement of Jesus Christ and that it is there for everyone, even missionaries. I found my joy again and remembered why I'm here. I'm not here for myself. I'm here to take the gosple to the lives of people in Nicaragua. I'm here to take the knowledge that I have that I know is true and that I know will bless the life of every person on the earth. I can't wait to get to Nicaragua and be able to teach real people. I'm sorry none of this is in spanish, but time is short and it takes a little longer. I leave at 3:00 on Monday morning and I can't wait. I will be in Nicaragua at 7:00PM. I have grown so much and can't wait to teach and talk to everyone I see. Bryan, I can't wait for you to be able to come here and learn and grow as well. I know I have been lead and guided in my time here. I know that there have been times where either my companion or I have been lead by the spirit. I know that there have been times where I came out of a lesson and didn't even know what I said. It was been amazing. thanks you everyone again. I will email again in Nicaragua!!! bye all!

More pics from the MTC

This is where we're going!

Our last Zone Leader, Elder Kunz (next to Scott)

E-mail April 23, 2010

Dear everyone,

Well, this week went well. Our lesson in the TRC was lesson 2 for the first time in spanish. It went much better than last week. I talked for about 85% of the time. We've been learning spanish and working hard. I got my travel plans yesterday!!! We leave the MTC at 3:00 AM on Monday the 3rd! I only have 9 more days! I can't wait. Our district is trying to only speak spanish this last week we are here. We got a new district on Wednesday. As zone leaders, we got to teach them and welcome them. It was a good opportunity. It has been a lot better as zone leaders this week as well. We get to start packing in a week. Everything is going well. We only have one more time in the TRC. This week, I saw Marren Clayton, one of Sheridan's roomates that she roomed with like a year ago. It was crazy. Things are just going well and I'm getting ready to leave for a 3rd world country!! I can speak spanish alright, but I can't understand very well. That's the only thing I'm worried about. I am afraid that I am going to go down there and not understand anything. well, I actually know that's going to happen. But it will be ok. I will work hard and it will come. So other than that, I only have 1 more week as zone leader. Estoy muy emosionado. No puedo esperar para ir. Podemos dos mas maestros nuevos. Nuestros maestros salimos a causa de el semestre nuevo aquí a BYU. Entonces, Estoy probiendo preparar para el campo y los investigadors que voy a enseñar. Muchas gracias por todos cartas que recibí durate mi tiempo aquí. La iglesia is verdadera, y el espiritu y el don de tonguas es verdadero. Otra vez, muchas gracias por todo sus apollo para mi. Uno mas semana!!!! Nos vemos.

Elder Ashby

Pictures from the MTC

Scott and his Companion, Elder Ellis.

Elder Mar and Scott

Letter April 16, 2010

April 16, 2010

Dear Mom and Dad:

I’m going to try not to repeat anything I had in my e-mail. Yes, I did get called as a Zone Leader. It will be an experience. It is kind of hard because my comp is still becoming a missionary too. He just doesn’t always thing before he does things. If there’s one thing I’m extremely thankful for, it’s the work ethic and the “think before you do something, son” from Dad. Some of the missionaries call me the zone Mom because I’ve had to teach 2 missionaries how to sew on buttons. I sometimes ask myself if those missionaries learned anything from their mothers! And you will be proud to know that at least my stuff is clean. I always fold my laundry right away. I make my bed every day. I even had to fold my comp’s clothes the other day. Our P-day is Friday. He put his garments in a box on the floor. On Monday night, they were still there, so I folded all his garments for him. (Note from Mom: I had almost lost hope for Scott to be clean and fold his clothes. I’m glad my example paid off.) Things are going well. We get travel plans on Thursday, probably. I can’t wait. Yes, we will get to call in the airport. We teach the second lesson on Wednesday. I can’t believe how much Spanish I can, for the most part, understand from Dave’s letters in Spanish. I am sending more pictures. Things are going well here. I don’t have much news other than Zone Leader. I have learned so much already. I have gotten a lot better at loving people. I have really gotten better at not getting mad at people, but by leading with love. I have really taken to heart DC 121. I have really focused on the verse that talks about long-suffering and persuasion. I am trying to show my love and persuade them to do what they need to. Anyway, things are going good. It has been good to hear about everything at home. I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about anything at home. I hope you are keeping busy. I love you and will talk to you in 2 weeks.

Elder Ashby

E-mail April 16

Dear all,

Well, six weeks down, 3 more to go!! I can't believe it's already been this long. well, my distric is already the older district. On sunday, they called new zone leaders, My companion and I. I was a little surprised. It is definately going to be hard, but it will be a really good experience. We had a really hard time because there were 5 missionaries who didn't have their visas that were the onld distric leaders and they went against pretty much everything we asked. They set a bad example for our new district and we had a rough first 3 or 4 days and zone leaders. but, they are gone finally and last night was much easier to get everyone to bed. It has definately already been a good learning experience of how to be lead other missionaries. Things are going good. We didn't do very well in the TRC this last week though. Our lesson was extremely boring and I just focused way too much on my spanish. I realized that i have not been speaking as much spanish ourside of class and I have not been reaching my goals. I set some new goals this week and am going to work hard and using my spanish all the time and teaching better lessons. Each week is a growing experience. It was great to hear from everyone this week in their letters. Para que todos persons sepan, estoy saliendo para el campo en 3 de Mayo. Estoy muy emosionado or animado. Yes, we get our travel plans in a week and we find out when we leave, what flight we're on and everything else. I'm so excited. I'm a little worried about spanish, but I can't believe how much I've learned already through the spirit. I know that I will learn so much once I actually get there. I'm trying to be as prepared to go as possible. Mom, I was thinking. If my other mutual fund is doing really well, you could take my mutual of america fund and put it into my fidelity fund. Just a thought. Do whatever youthink is best. Also, I printed off some more pictures today so i am going to send you the pictures, a letter, and the names from the temple. Did you see Aleena's pictures from when she came to provo? She took one right infront of the MTC sign. I thought it was hilarious. Anyway, things are giong well. I am learning and preparing to go to Nicaragua. Peudo hablar espanol mucho. Yo amo la CCM. Es el mejor lugar para aprender una idioma. Yo he aprendido mucho aqui y puedo ensenar lecciones uno y dos. Proxima miercoles, Debo ensenar la leccion dos por la primero vez. Estoy nervioso. Pero, a traves de el espiritu, yo se que puedo ensenar todos las cosas que Dios quiere que ensene. Esta Iglesia es verdadera. No tengo mas tiempo. Entonces, yo amo a todos ustedes.

Elder Ashby

E-mail April 9, 2010

Well, after 5 weeks in the MTC, I feel pretty confident at teaching lesson 1 all in spanish. We had to teach in the TRC this last wednesday in only Spanish. At one point, I didn't understand what the native said and I was eating my imaginary pinaple when it was really sup[p[osed to be a drink. It was funny. But then I ended up having to teach about 90% of the lesson because my comp is struggling with the spanish. Things are going good. I am speaking a lot of spanish. I am trying to only speak spanish, but that is hard when you can't say everything and all of your vocabulary is gosple vocab. Thank you Sis. Key. I have appreciated your weekly letters and updates of your famly. That's great to hear about Doug. I was really worried if he was goi9ng to go or not. Well, come this wednesday, my district will be the oldest ones. It is crazy. One districe of missionaries are going to mexuico. Half of them left on Tuesday and the other half of them don't have thier visas yet but they are hoping for tuesday and they other district leaves on Tuesday for CA. I can believe that i only have 3.5 weeks left. That is crazy. I am really enjoying it. I have learned so much and I know I have so much still to learn, but I feel like I am on my way to being ready for the field. Conference was awesome. For those of you that were wondering, we all went to the guy where we have devotionals to watch every session of connferece. But, it was way good. I am actually able to read and mostly understand what I read in my spanish scriptures. Things are really awesome. The update on my weight is 3 pounds. Not too bad. I appreciate the letters from everyone. I am studying hard and learning spanish. I know the church is true. When I was teaching in the TRC in spanish on Wednesday, I was takling and teaching things that I knew, but I have no idea how I was speaking any of it. I didn't every really know what I was saying and when I got done I couldn't remember what I had said, but I know that becuase I had prepared and studied, the Spirit was able to help me and conveyed my message. It was a truely amazing experience for my. The spirit teaches, not me. It has been awesome here. It has been a real learing experience and I have truely enjoyed my time here. I know a lot of guys complain about all the rules and all the structure, but I know that it is all for our good and a profet ofGod has commanded it. I know that we have a very important message to share: THE CHURCH IT TRUE!!!

Elder Ashby

Letter April 5, 2010

Dear Parentals:

I don’t have a lot of time, but I thought I would write you a quick letter with these pictures. Well, conference was good and I think I made some progress with my comp today. I really listened to the Spirit and talked to him about closing his eyes and folding arms during prayers. He really was receptive. It was a cool experience. Last week, I had the last straw. He grades the sister missionaries on their looks to other missionaries. Well, last week our new district went to their first devotional. A sister said the closing prayer. I peaked to see if he was folding his arms and I saw him tell one of the new missionaries that she was a 5 . . . in the middle of the prayer! I couldn’t believe it! When the prayer was done, I told him I was disappointed. So tonight I talked to him about praying and it went well. The oldest district leaves on Monday and then the next elders district leaves a week from that. That means they will be calling new zone leaders on Sunday the 10^th. There aren’t a whole lot of choices. There is actually a good probability that my comp and I get called. Whoever gets called will be zone leader for 3 weeks. That is the longest I heard for the MTC. Things are going good. I can teach almost the entire 1^st lesson in Spanish. General Conference is awesome. Somehow it means a little more when I’m on my mission. I hope all is going well for you guys and I hope that you enjoyed your trip. Oh, by the way, Devin is not getting married!! I got a letter from her on Friday. Just thought I’d tell you the good news. Anyway, talk to you on Friday.

Love,

Elder Ashby

E-mail April 2, 2010

Dear all,

Thank you everyone for your continued support. I love hearing about everyone's families and the happenings in your lives. Emily, I woudld have emailed you personally, but I don't have your email. and I do love your stories. they make me laugh. I love to hear about how things are going. Mom, thank you for you reports on american idol, but now that Didi is gone, it doesn't matter :) Umm, yeah, Elder Kunz was one of my second zone leaders. They just left like almost 2 weeks ago. He was really awesome. I took some pics with all of us. I printed some off of my and will send them in a letter this week, but I will try to print one off with elder Kunz in it. There were 3 from that district who went to Nic and we got a pic with all of us. Everything is going really good here. I have been trying to speak in only spanish this week and for now on. We taught for the last time in English on Wednesday. We teach in spanish in the TRC every week for now on. I am really excited. Spanish is going good though. I am doing lots of contacts, and the more I use it, the better I get it. My comp is still understanding why he is here. He has a really hard time concentrating, but I am just amazed how much I have grown from here. I have gained soo much patience here with my comp. I know it will help me. I weigh about 127. I have leveled off pretty much. Nothing too exciting has happened. I have lots of food. I'm already going to get fat. Heather sent me lots of great goodies. I have enought cookies to last me the whole entire rest of my mission. Jk but they will last me the rest of my time here. The only thing I do need is...more camo duct tape. I dont' know if they sell it there in Texas, but i would love some more. I could also use another pair of pants. If you could send me that dark pair of tommy hillfiger pants, that would be great. Other than that, things are going great. The oldest district in our zone right now leaves on monday. The next oldest leave a week from monday, and they we will be the oldest district for 3 weeks. That will be exciting. The new district that came in two wednesdays ago is doing good. We talked to a guy who works in the MTC who went to Nicaragua and said that he had electicity in every one of his areas. So who knows. In terms of spanish, We have learned preterite tence, Imperfect, present, future, conditional, present subjunctive. We only have like two more tences to learn. The biggest problem I have now is knowing when to use it all. But everything has been good. We have had some really good speakers. I have learned so much while I've been here and it has really strengthened my testimony. I do know why I'm here and I love being here. I love that fact that I get so much time to study. I started reading from the beginning, again, the Book of Mormon, and i'm already 100 pages in. Yo tengo un testimonio de esta iglesia. Yo sé que tenemos un profeta quien guía y dirije la iglesi. Yo testestifio que el Evangelio de Jesucristo puede bendecir nuestras vidas. Yo sé que José Smith fue un profeta moderno. Él vio a Dios y a Jesucristo. A traves de Jesucristo, podemos arrepentirse y recibir forgiveness de de nuestros pecados. Yo sé qorque estoy aquí. Voy a predicar el Evangelio de Jesucristo a sus hijos del mundo. Muchas gracias por todos sus apollo y amor. Me esrcriban, por favor!!! The church is true!

Elder Ashby