Yet thou art there.

That's been my favourite little line this week. It's been a nice reminder that the Saviour is always there, regardless of how we feel. Not much has changed since last week, we're still doing the same work, still on Facebook, still wondering when it'll all go back to normal. It's a funny old time to be in, kind of just taking it all a day at a time because that's all you can do really. I've found a lot of peace in prayer and scripture study. Those basics that we're always reminded to do, but they're so powerful. That's one lesson I've learned from all of this, just how much Heavenly Father wants us to talk to Him and tell Him everything that's going on. 

Prayer really is what connects us with Heaven and there's a quote I love from President Hinckley,

"when life gets too hard to stand, kneel."

It's so true and I have felt the power of prayer in my life. So too with scripture study, I'm grateful for what I'm learning and the peace that it brings. I'll say that word a lot.

Peace. 

But that's what this gospel offers. Peace, hope, joy, renewal, happiness, purpose and so much more. One of my favourite things as well is that we can access all of this through scripture study and prayer. 

I've been reading the gospels recently in the Bible, and it's been a really profound experience. My testimony and gratitude and love for my Saviour have continued to grow and I just love the New Testament you should all read it. There's too much to talk about but I've loved comparing all of the final events of Christ's life in the gospels. 

There's one part that stood out this time as I read them all, and it's when the Saviour goes back to Peter, James and John after coming out of the Garden of Gethsemane and He says,

"sleep on now, take your rest." In the Bible it emphasises the word 'your'. The Saviour had compassion on His disciples, and told them to take their rest, while He knew there would be no rest for Him. He would be betrayed by one of His own, face illegal trials and then move on to crucifixion. I'm just amazed again and again and again by the love of my Saviour and His example. What a time to be a missionary and bear His name. 

Speak to you all soon! 

Starszy Ashworth. 

General Conference!

Hey everyone it's been a few weeks so today might be a bit of a 2 birds with 1 stone kind of thing. 

So it's been a whirlwind of a few weeks, there's been no certainty to anything really, apart from that General Conference was on the 4th-5th of April. What an experience that was by the way, but I'll talk about that later. 

So to start, I got a new companion. President gave me and Elder Posacki  a surprise call last saturday, told us that he would be leaving on tuesday, and that I'd get a new companion on monday and that I'd be finishing his training etc. So that happened, Elder Posacki packed and left and I had my new companion. I then found out on friday that that would all be changing. I was told I'd be moving cities and getting a new companion which was a big shock, and I'll be in the same city as my trainer lol. I had a really nice 6 days with Elder Hancock but the Lord has different plans for us both and we just need to put our faith and trust in Him that it'll work out for our good. 

So I'm moving tomorrow. I get a fresh start in a new city called Katowice which is exciting, also pretty nervy but I'll be alright because I've got God on my side, and as Paul said, if God is for us then who can be against us? 

So it's been a pretty busy week haha but that's just part of being a missionary during the Covid-19 pandemic. At least the journal entries are a bit more exciting though haha. In the midst of all the craziness, I let my companion cut my hair for a bit of fun, and I think the only one who enjoyed it was him because it looked like someone had tried to cut my hair with a lawn-mower, but it gave us a good laugh and I fixed it somewhat later on so it's cool. It's one for the mission memories. I'd include a photo but I want to save myself the embarrassment haha.

Moving on, Conference happened! It was amazing and inspiring and uplifting in so many ways. I was overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude to know that we have a Prophet who leads and guides us. Each time he spoke the spirit entered into my heart and it's just such a blessing to have a living Prophet. All of the messages were inspired and the weekend as a whole brought so much comfort and peace to my soul. I'm so so so so excited to go back and listen to all of the talks. It amazed me just how personal each message felt. I realised that what made it unforgettable for me was the preparation I put in, and the hunger that I had to feel God's love. 

After a few hard weeks I just wanted to feel again that God loves me, a question that each soul yearns to have an answer to. I wanted to know what Christ thinks of me, I wanted to know what role I can have in this restoration and how I can help. I was humbled in my preparations, and taken back to the very basics, with a child-like desire to be reassured and comforted that everything will be okay. My questions were answered in an abundance, and my heart was filled with love. Of course God loves me, He sent His Son to die for me. Christ thinks everything of me and of you, because He thought us worthy of His blood, and He suffered all things both body and spirit, so that we can have the opportunity to accept His sacrifice and be found worthy to dwell in God's presence once again. We all have a role in this restoration, we have the right and privilege to receive revelation, to 'Hear Him,' we have the opportunity to go to the temple, to perform ordinances and enter into covenants and receive blessings from our Heavenly Father. We can enjoy all of the many things that thousands and thousands of Saints gave their lives for. The restoration of the Gospel is a marvelous work and a wonder. "The marvelous work is the work of the Lord's Church in the latter days, and the wonder is that He invites all of us, in spite of our weaknesses, to participate." What a blessing it is to be a part of this work, and to live in a day where the Lord speaks to His people.

 I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and I hope you all have an amazing week.

Starszy Ashworth x

I'm a missionary (still doesn't feel real).

So this week I was on exchanges, which means I went to a new city and had a new companion for a couple of days. We were walking around and it hit me again that I was a missionary and I looked at my companion and I was like woah I'm a missionary. 

I still sometimes can't believe it, my whole life I've been waiting to serve a mission, the missionaries were like superheroes to me, and now I'm here living in Poland, fulfilling my dreams and it's the coolest thing ever. I get to share with people the message of the restored gospel, a message that can and WILL change lives. 

It's a message that brings hope, peace and comfort to the soul. Without the gospel and without my testimony of it, I wouldn't be able to have hope in the fact that I'll be with my grandad Brian again, but because of the message of the restored gospel, and through the Holy Ghost, I know that I'll see my grandad again and that I can live with all my family throughout the eternities. This is just one example of how the gospel has blessed my life and the comfort that it brings. 

There are countless examples and I see it each day and I am so so grateful for it. But, back to exchanges. I was with one of the zone leaders called Elder Long and the guy was a machine. I learned so much from him. We spoke to a ton of people and We did a street display which was fun. I spoke to like 50 people and about 2 people stopped to talk but that's just the life of a missionary here in Poland haha. It's fun though, as I've mentioned before, I know that the Saviour is there with us, He promised us that He always will be, and He doesn't break his promises. 

I read a really good talk earlier this week by Jeffrey R Holland called songs sung and unsung, and there was a quote in there that really touched my heart and it says, 

"But I plead with each one of us to stay permanently and faithfully in the choir, where we will be able to savour forever that most precious anthem of all - 'the song of redeeming love.'" We all have moments where we feel like there is no place for us in the 'choir', where we feel that we're just not quite good enough but I know with all my heart that this is not the case. A kind, loving Heavenly Father knows our hearts and He knows our desires. He blesses us for wanting to do good, He blesses us for wanting to improve. We are exactly what our Heavenly Father wants us to be, and with His help He can help mould us into what He knows we can become. 

One thing I've learned from my short time on my mission is that because of the Saviour Jesus Christ and His infinite atonement, divine love and compassion are never far away, and a loving Heavenly Father is always close by. Just keep going, and do your best, because that's all that our Heavenly Father asks for. 

Speak soon everyone and have a great week!

Starszy Ashworth x 

"the night is dark and I am far from home"

Hello everyone!

Another week down and its absolutely flown by. The Polish has been coming along so much better, I can put together my own sentences which is really fun, and then last night we taught 2 20 minute lessons alllll in Polish which was really nerve wracking at first but I actually ended up really enjoying it and it made me realise how much Polish we've actually learned. 

The class time is getting a bit more fun, we're really starting to get into the grammar and things like that so it's getting interesting. We got to go to the temple last week and we get to go again today which I'm really looking forward to, it's fun to take the walk to the temple and get away from the MTC haha. I helped out yesterday with new missionaries.  It was a really nice experience.  I prayed for service opportunities and I feel like that was one.  

Quentin L Cook and his wife came and spoke as well on Tuesday which was the best, it was so good and I feel as though so many prayers were answered, he spoke about the importance of having a testimony of the Saviour and how this is the most important thing we can share with the people we meet. There were other things of course but this is what stood out to me the most. I also joined the MTC choir lol but it's actually really fun, and I got to sing for Quentin L Cook which was a good experience. We sang Lead Kindly Light which has become one of my favourite hymns, there's a line "the night is dark and I am far from home" and this is quite similar to how you feel as a missionary, but I know that the Lord is always with me. 

So yeah I'm doing alright, I'm having fun, I'm making loads of friends and I'm learning about my Saviour every day so I can't complain haha.

Elder Ashworth x 

Lead Kindly Light

https://youtu.be/PnIYLEXHeFk