08-11-2014

This week has been bit of a crazy week, but it has been so much fun!

So on Tuesday we had interviews with President Thomas, and he's just an amazing man. I am blessed with the best mission president ever. Then on Wednesday we had Zone Training Meeting, and that was really focused on teaching with the Spirit! And how true that is. I've tried, yeah tried being the key word here, to teach while only half listening to the spirit, and that's just dumb. Just go with the spirit, it's so much better!  Afterwards we went out for lunch, and tried going to this Asian place, it looked kind of questionable, but from past experiences with Troy and Liza's about a small Asian restaurant  named HoHo's I thought it was a pretty great idea! But they only accepted ca$h ;(

So we went to Boston Pizza and I ordered a salad instead, and the owner actually had a BFF that was LDS so he gave us a %15 discount, and we gave him a pass along card it was great!

Next my companion has been really sick this week, but she's amazing, and kept going strong anyway. We had a pretty week with planning the baptism, and teaching, and sorts of meetings. I love being a missionary, it's pretty much the best! And it really helps when you are serving in such a fantastic ward like the Moose Jaw ward! I love it here! the Bishopric, the members are just the best! I love them so much!

BTW have I mentioned how beautiful it is here? And how small town Moose Jaw is? It's pretty much gorgeous, and I will try and send you pictures next week! :) Anyway it reminds a lot of Vernal. I love small towns, I really really do. Anyway I love the work!

I love it here in Moose jaw, OH did I mention that we had a baptism this past weekend, let me reread my email... no I did not! Cheryl was baptized and confirmed this past weekend! I am so happy for her! and I am so grateful for this work it makes me happy. And imagine how much more happier you'd be too if you were doing missionary work! Just saying.. have you read PMG yet, or asked your local mission leader/ missionaries how you can assist them?

I love you, I gotta go 

p.s. thank you for all that you do for me, and for the Lord!

Love Sister Tomkinson

Whoever Has Faith in Christ will be Happy

Hello family and friends,

I hope that you all are having such a great week! I just wanted to let you know that I am having a great week! This past week our investigator Cheryl is ready to be baptized this Saturday! I am so grateful that I am part of this wonderful work! I know that as she enters the waters of baptism that she is entering into a covenant with God. What a marvelous thing, I am just astounded by her faith, by the spirit for it touching her heart. And for our Savior Jesus Christ who makes it possible for us to life with our Heavenly Father again. How I love this gospel, and how I know it's true.

Some fun things.. this week my companion and I had some 'guided meditation' haha, it was given to us by the mission psychologist she's a pretty neat lady.Her name is Sister Marx. Anyway We found out what our spiritual animal totem is... my is a bear, and a goat... it's weird to have two, but when two lemons appear it means you can make twice the amount of lemonade. Anyway it was an interesting process that i don't really have time to explain haha. Anyway :)

This week Sister Fellows and I were able to teach Young Womens about journal writing and I love keeping a journal, and I need to get better at it. It just seems like we never have time haha. But I want to write at least one line a day. 

I love my family so much, thank you all for your support I have the best family. And my friends are pretty great too.

It's super neat that we're able to be with our families for all eternity through Heavenly Father's plan. I am so happy to know that. And I was thinking about how blessed we are to know that we can be with each other forever. Some people don't know this. That makes my heart break. When Mom died, me knowing that is one of, if not the only thing that has kept me together. I rely on our Savior Jesus Christ's Atonement every day of my life. And how I love Him. Through His everlasting grace we will all live again. 

And what an amazing miracle we have in our lives that we can even have families! I am so glad that Ashlynn, and Cora are both welcoming little ones into their families, which in turn is in our family! What an amazing blessing we have! :D  

I love you all so much, and I hope that you give all the love and support you can give to each other. I use to think that my reach to you all back at home was limited. But in reality me putting a limit on prayer. Is me putting a limit to my faith, and a limit on God. Which is lying, because God has no limit. I love you all so much! 

I was reading in Alma 46 the other day, and I came across a verse, and it was verse 41. And this is talking about the righteous people who listened to the Lord. 

and those who died in the faith of Christ are happy in him, as we must needs suppose.

I love that it says "as we must needs suppose." We are suppose to be happy, life isn't suppose to be this terribly hard thing that we have to go through. It's not who ever suffers the most gets to live with God, so let's see how much you can take. No! It's who ever has faith in Christ, and grows to be like Him will be happy. Christ is happy, and when we are like Christ. We are happy. 

I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for all that you do. I love you!

Love Ashley 

Canadian Quilt

My darling family made me this beautiful quilt. I am so grateful for the amazing support, and love that they give me. I am so grateful for the knowledge that we are all children of God. And just like my family supports me, I have the support of our God. We can rely on Jesus Christ our Savior in all aspects of ours lives!

 

 

07-28-2014

The work here in Moose Jaw is progressing! :)

In the last week we have an investigator named Cheryl, we had to move her baptismal date, because she had to sort some things out...but her baptism is going to be August 9th! We are so happy for her, that she is making this eternal decision that will bless her, and those around her for all eternity! I always thinking of 2 Nephi 31:17 whenever I think of someone going into the waters of baptism. Baptism is the gate in which we enter so that we can obtain Celestial glory. What an amazing ordinance we have on the earth today! I love this gospel so much, and it's truthfulness just rings loud within my ears!

Last night, well.. let me back up a little bit. So we were visiting a less active member, when she didn't let us in we headed back to our car to catch another appointment. While we were out there we received a prompting to come back and visit her neighbors house at another time... so back to last night we stopped by said house. There a wonderful woman named Tami answered the door. We were able to get to know her, and ask her if she'd be interesting in learning more about Christ's church. She politely declined, but I am so grateful that we were able to contact her, and that it was positive! You never know what comes from just telling somebody hello, or giving them a compliment.

Anyway I am so glad that yesterday was church! The Sacrament just gives me a spiritual boost every week, that I think we all need. 

A woman in the ward gave us some veggies, they're quite delicious. And I don't know what to add haha, but I hope that you all are having a great day, and you'll have a great week.

Oh I know, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRUMAN, KARLA, GRANDMA RUSCH,& ELDER SIMONSEN,!!

And thank you all so much for all the help that you gave Rana for helping out for the quilt! I love you all so very much! I am so thankful!

Love Sister Ashley Tomkinson

p.s. I've been out for about 29 weeks. :)

Oh.. and I have less than a year left as of July 24. Like what the, where'd the time go?

"People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is art, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." - Elisabeth Kebler - Ross
We are all part of that perfected light, the light that is everywhere around us.
Let's take the sun, and the moon for example. The sun is the center, and light of the universe. It brings light to our planet, and to our moon. Although the moon only reflects the light of the sun. It's still important that we have it. It brings us light in our darkness of nights, and lights the way for us.
It's sometimes hard to follow the son. Even though he is all the light of the world, and he touches everything we see, and don't see, but we simply look the other way. But sometimes when if we allow it. We follow the moon's light, we follow the light of others in our lives. And we learn that the light of the moon's is the same as the light of the sun, and that we need to see the light of the moon in order to be guided by the light of the sun.

smile

 "A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter..."
Anne Roiphe
Happiness I have heard that it's just a smile away, that if we just act happy, that we will become happy, This works but I love it! When I find happiness on it's own. And I have to remember that happiness for when I'm alone, because I'm never really ever alone. That, that person who bought me happiness in the first place, is still me with me when I'm down, or when I am at my happiness. Because that was the great plan, That great and marvelous Plan of Happiness.

Have you told yourself that your beautiful today?
That you're worth it? 
"Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Just remember that we all have come from the same thing, we were intelligences, then spirits, and now were here on earth as man. We were all created from the same thing. We are all individual pieces of art put together, and brought together by perfection. And that perfection, loves us.