Facebook Missionaries

The weeks are all merging into one at the moment haha, but I'm happy and healthy so I can't complain. I moved to Katowice this week, well, last week and it's been a really good week. My apartment is amazing I love it. It's a pretty place and the views are amazing. We even have a balcony haha, so we've been soaking up the sun haha. It's been really good weather as well in Poland, like 22 degrees celsius! I think I burned a little which is embarrassing but it's been nice to sit outside in the sun, keeps me sane. The work is exclusively facebook work, but it's actually really effective and kind of fun, but at the same time it's kind of exhausting. 6 hours talking to people on Facebook in another language actually saps the life out of you lol.

It was Easter this past weekend, surprise. But yeah it was the best time. I loved the extra focus I was able to have on the Atonement and Resurrection during my personal studies. As I was reading in Matthew I came across the well known words, "He is not here, for he is risen," and the words just seemed to jump off the page as I read them and I was filled with gratitude, for I know that death isn't the end. There aren't many other things that bring more consolation to a broken soul than that of the knowledge that Christ broke the bands of death. The grave has no victory and death has lost its sting. Christ's love for us all took Him to Gethsemane and then all the way to the summit of Calvary. He pressed on to the very end, finishing the bitter cup that was placed before Him. I'll never be able to fully express my love and my gratitude for my Saviour, but I hope that my small offering that I make to Him each day of my heart, all that I am and all that I have, is enough.

I love and miss you all. Also, a little shout out to Elder Jake Preston who is an inspiration to me every day.

I hope you all have a blessed week.

Starszy Ashworth x

:)

I had 0 clue what to put for a subject so yeah. This week has been eventful, to say the least. In terms of missionary work it's actually been quite boring haha, but like the world is going crazy because of coronavirus. Poland has shut everything down, nothing is open apart from Lidl which is actually super useful as we were able to do our weekly shop this morning. Besides that, we haven't really done much this week. The work has been pretty slow here in Łódź so we'll see what we can do now that we're kinda stuck in our apartment all day. 

Overall though I'm happy. There's not much else to say. I'm the happiest I've been for a little while, I feel calm and peaceful about everything, I know Heavenly Father is in control and He won't forsake His people. That doesn't mean life is perfect, it just means that we can have the surety that God is with us in all things and it brings comfort to the soul. I love my Saviour and I'm grateful for Him, I'm coming closer and closer to Him and for me, it's been the best thing about my mission. 

Warsaaawwwwww

So this week was such a good week, its flown by, I can't believe how quick time goes, and it's because I'm having so much fun. The mission is such a huge blessing. It stretches you and pushes you to the point where you feel that you can't carry on, and then comes the sweet relief from the Saviour, who finished His course for me, who never gave up and pressed on to the end in faith. I know I can do whatever my Heavenly Father asks of me, because the enabling and strengthening power of the Atonement is real, and I really have felt it carry me.

This past week I turned 19 which is crazy! I'm like nearly 30 lol. But seriously it's wild that I've been alive for 19 years, whatttt happened hahaha. It was such a blessing though, I went to see my family in Warsaw and it was the best birthday ever. My Polish family have such a special place in my heart, and I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father, and for the tender mercy of being given the opportunity to labour for His people here in Poland. Speaking to my family in Polish was such an amazing experience and quite surreal, I remember like 4/5 years ago when Josef got his mission call to Poland and we'd talk about me one day serving there also, speaking to each other in Polish etc. and now here I am! It's such a blessing.

I spent Saturday in Warsaw with my family and got to see old town, it's so beautiful, and I'm looking forward to going back some day. The rest of the week was just the usual missionary work, I'll save you from the details haha.

Sorry for not replying to everyone's emails but I read them all and I'm grateful for those who write to me. It puts a smile on my face.

Speak soon everyone!

Starszy Ashworth x

Family

Cousins

Birthday Cake

Testimony

So this week has gone so fast. It's been so so busy and I can't believe it's P-day already. We had zone conference this week, which was really really nice. It was on the meaning of  Christmas and what we want our Christmas to look like while we're here in Poland. It's different here, I'm not with my family, I don't have the christmas tree and the christmas songs or even Home Alone. This Christmas has been a great time to really think about the true meaning of Christmas, why we celebrate it and why the season is filled with so much joy and so much hope. It's the season of giving, of sharing and of loving. The reason why we have Christmas is because 'God so loved the world that He sent his Only Begotten Son.' God sent His Son Jesus Christ, who was born in a stable in Bethlehem. The God of the Old Testament, the Lamb of God, the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind had such humble beginnings, and the story of His birth sparks within us joy, and love and care for others as we are reminded of what is really important during the Christmas season. I've had moments of peace and moments to be still, as I have thought about the Christ child, His mother Mary and the humble Joseph. I've been filled with gratitude towards God, for the gift that he gave us, the gift of His Divine Son. 

The rest of the week was really good, we finally taught a lesson haha, and not just one lesson but two! It was so nice, I couldn't help but smile as we taught because I was sharing with them something that is so important to me and they were both such lovely people searching for the truth. We shared with them the message of the Restoration, taught them about the Book of Mormon and gave them each their own copy. I'm so grateful that I get to share with people Salvation. It's moments like these that make it all worth it, just look for the good in your life because I promise it will always outweigh the bad. 

Another good thing is that my Polish is improving a lot which is always a good sign. It's been a huge blessing and I've just been able to embrace it without fear and I find myself having conversations and talking and listening like woah I'm really doing this hahaha. It's quite funny to be honest but it's so cool. We had the ward Christmas party on saturday as well and it was a 12 course meal without any meat which was bizarre but I enjoyed it for the most part hahah.

At the zone conference, President Chandler gave me the opportunity to share my testimony of my Saviour and I was grateful for this. I'm always grateful for the opportunity to share my testimony of the Saviour because it means so much to me. I cherish my testimony of my Saviour, because he is everything to me. I am so grateful for Him,I'm grateful for His example, His love, His teachings and His atoning sacrifice. I feel his love each day, it helps me to continue on, when I feel like no one understands me I always remind myself that there is always one who knows, there is always one who understands, because Jesus Christ knows and understands perfectly.

Speak to you all soon!

Starszy Ashworth

POLAND

So I leave for Poland in 3 days, I'm so so so excited, it feels like I've been in the MTC forever and now I'll finally be able to preach the gospel to the Lord's people in Poland. It's been a rollercoaster of a week. I went to the doctor with some knee pain, and he said I'd torn my meniscus. He sent me to a specialist in Utah and I had an x-ray done, he also told me that I'd torn my meniscus and then I saw another doctor who also told me it was torn, so it looked like I'd be going home. I had an MRI scheduled and after the MRI I was going to find out whether I'd be going home or not, so I went and asked a district president in the MTC for a blessing. The moment he finished the blessing, I stood up and the pain was gone, and the MRI came back with no damage to my meniscus at all, such a miracle. 

Yesterday was thanksgiving and Elder Neil L Andersen came for the devotional and it was amazing. He told us to be grateful for all that we have and he bore such a powerful testimony of the Saviour, it was really moving and the words of this primary hymn came to my mind,

'love one another as Jesus loves you, try to show kindness in all that you do, be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, for these are the things Jesus taught.'

One of the best ways to follow the Saviour is to love those around us, and as we approach the Christmas season it is the perfect time to be kind to others. Think of someone you can serve, think of something you can do to help someone smile, and think of something you can do to lighten someone else's load. I promise you that you will find joy as you are in the service of others. 

Also, please please please all go and watch the new light the world video. It's called the Christ Child and it is amazing. Just type in LDS Light The World into your search bar and I'm sure you'll find it, and it'll help show the true meaning of christmas. 

Next time I email you all I'll be in Poland and I can't wait!

Speak soon,

Starszy Ashworth x

Me with Brother Eggert the MTC choir director. 

I love that I'm a representative of Jesus Christ

Another week down and I'm pretty much half way through my time here at the MTC. It's safe to say that I can't wait to get out to Poland, I'm literally so excited to get there, just 4 and a half weeks to go now! To say I've already been here for a month is pretty crazy, but I really am loving every minute of it. I love that I'm a representative of Jesus Christ, in everything that I do and say I stand as a witness of Him, it really gives me confidence to know that he is with me until the end. 

This week has been filled with so many good experiences, but in particular I've just been filled with gratitude for the prophet Joseph Smith, I have felt again and again that he truly did restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, and he really did see god the father and his son Jesus Christ. My favourite thought from this week was shared in a devotional on Tuesday. The first words that were spoken by heavenly father in the grove of trees were "Joseph, this is my Beloved Son, hear him!" Despite all that was to follow, we see that first and foremost this was an answer to a humble and sincere prayer from God. It was the beginning of a great and marvellous time, but it shows us that Heavenly father knows us by name, he cares for us and he answers our prayers, he knows our hearts and our desires, he knows our sorrows and our pains. This truth applies to all people, heavenly father knows you and he loves you. 

On another note, my Polish is improving. It's a slow progress but its progress nonetheless so I can't complain. I can testify of my Saviour and the restoration and the plan of salvation so I should be okay. I miss you all and I'll speak soon. 

Starszy Ashworth x