Ashley Ltr: 2013-11-25

Subject:  This transfer's gonna be a good one!!

November 25, 2013

Hey family!!

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!!!! :)

Sounds like things are going pretty good back home! I hope Jace gets feeling better, he's probably just anxious cause I'm coming home so soon, he's just not even sure how to handle it! I'm not even sure how to handle it. You just keep working hard and moving forward, that's what you do. I just feel like there's so much do to still and I'm running out of time to do it... Lucky for me I have an incredible new companion! Her name is Erin Huber from Amarillo TX. We were in the same district about a year ago and went on a couple of exchanges down in Chattanooga when she was first out and now it's coming full circle! I'm way excited to work with her and I feel totally and completely 100% confident that she will take great care of Kingsport after I leave.

We started our first day off with a bang, we got 2 baptismal commitments! Remember the Short family I told y'all about a few weeks back, Debbie and Hunter well we were FINALLY able to get in with them on Thursday, and set a date for Dec 21, they are so golden! We're hoping to get Debbie and Eric's daughter Kallie for that same day, she's close. She recently started coming to church with Debbie and has really enjoyed it, she was like it wasn't as weird as I thought it was going to be haha! Eric is a member already but has been inactive for a lot of years, a few months ago Debbie was like I want us to go to church, Eric said I'll only go to my church so Debbie said fine if you'll go to mine, I'll go to yours. When Debbie went to our church there was no turning back, she said this is so much better than anything I've ever heard experienced! And they've been going faithfully for awhile up in the Powell Valley ward (which is about an 1 1/2 drive for them) they were going there though because they used to live up there and Eric's family goes there but they've finally agreed to come to the Kingsport ward. Hunter is 10 and Kallie is 14 and we have an awesome Primary and YW program here, Powell Valley is so small they don't really have that at all, so that would be awesome for them to get involved. I'm so excited! It's been my dream my whole mission to get to work with a family and finally at the end it's happening! :)

Sister Fox headed down to Hixon in Chattanooga, she's still an STL so I'll get to see her when we have mission leadership council which will be good, I'm going to miss working with her. And Sister Roundy is in Lafollette (sp?) and I have no idea where that is. She was a little nervous and started crying but I know she'll be just fine, she's made so many strides to becoming the missionary I know she's capable of becoming.

There's still no change with Vivian or Marge, Marge told us to stop texting her last night... :(  Man it just sucks when you know people know and they reject it, rejection really doesn't get any easier I've decided no matter how often it happens. But that's what the area books for hopefully future missionaries will find her again and she'll accept the gospel in the future.

No update on anyone else either this week, Patty Nisbet finally got back in town so I'm excited to get to start working with her again. Kim Williams is making slow but steady progress as well, it just seems like when she starts to take steps forward something sets her back every single time. Their little girl Trinity is in the hospital right now, prayers for them would be appreciated.

I don't know if I've ever really mentioned the LA's we've been working with but one of them is Debbie Hickman she used to be a seminary teacher, YW President, several things but then about 5 years ago things just started crashing down on her and she stopped going. We've been working with her for about 4 months now and she came to church yesterday!!!! :) :) She brought her 7 year old grandson Ezra, who she has custody of and he really enjoyed it as well. It was awesome! Seriously working with LA's is one of my favorite things in the world to do! Seeing that light come back in their eyes is incredible!

Our plans for Thanksgiving should be good, we've got a few people who have invited us over and we're playing in the turkey bowl! It should be fun. I'll be thinking of y'all.

Yah Brielle e-mailed me and says he has pancreatitis I guess he's dropped a lot of weight and has been in a lot of pain, she said he's also been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes... Other than that I'm not sure all whats going on. Keep me updated please.

Well I think that about covers it for this week. Thank you again for your constant prayers, love, and support it's what keeps me going a lot of days. I hope you have a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving!

I love, love, love you!!! xoxoxo

Sister Bedke- the elder :)

p.s. Yes I got my ensign thanks again for sending that! You da best.

p.s.s. Jace I don't think I've gotten anything from you in awhile bud... I think I replied to your last letter. Maybe I'm wrong though, you should write me again and I promise I'll get back to you! Love you bud.

p.s.s.s. That goes for all you siblings!!

Ashley Ltr: 2013-11-18

Subject:  I'm going to die.... IN KINGSPORT!!! :)

November 18, 2013

Hey hey hey!!!

You read it right, I'm staying in Kingsport for my last transfer! Almost half my mission (7 1/2 months) in one area! I'm thrilled though, I've just been feeling like there's something more that I still need to do here and I have 6 weeks to figure it out. No pressure or anything...

Sister Fox and Roundy are both leaving though... We were kinda shocked I thought for sure Sister Fox and I would stay together for my last transfer but the Lord has something else in store I guess. I'll still be a STL which I'm excited about, I don't think I'd really know how to handle myself just being a normal missionary with no extra responsibilities.

This has been an interesting week...We went from a lot of highs to some lows. I don't remember if I mentioned Vivian Stapleton or not last week, she's an older lady who we've been teaching she seemed so golden, we extended a baptismal date and she excepted, we were so excited! Then Friday came... We get to her door I'm all excited to teach her and we find a note taped to the door that says Mormon Sisters on the front and my heart sunk. It really was a sweet letter (as sweet as being dropped can be haha) that said she needed to take some time to think and at her age it was going to be really hard to change. I just started crying but after a minute I had a peace come over me that everything was going to be okay with her, it still sucks but I really just know somehow that everything’s going to work out.

The other major downer was Marge Baldwin from last week that had a date also, we had such an incredible lesson with her the other day. We did a church tour and taught part of the plan of salvation, the spirit was so thick you could taste it, she started crying and said that this is really where she felt like she needed to be and that she definitely was going to be baptized. All this was on Friday we called her Sunday morning for a wake up call for church and she was up and getting ready to go. 9:00 o'clock rolls around though and no Marge... Then came the text. It said something like I just need some time to think things over, cancel our meeting for next week. Man my heart was crushed... All this rejection gets really hard sometimes. I refuse to give up on her though, she is so ready I think she's just scared same with Vivian... I hate to tell you this Amb but even after 17 months rejection doesn't get any easier. But it will always make you stronger if you let it.

We are starting to meet with Kim Williams again! I mentioned her probably a few months ago, she just really wasn't making any progress but in these last couple of weeks she is making a ton!! :) :) We had 2 awesome lessons with her this week, and did a special fast with her to help her get some answers to prayers. She really has a thing for sweet iced tea. So we had left her with D&C 89 to read but she couldn't remember what section it was so she read 39 oh my heck, y'all need to go read that with the mindset of someone whose not a member of the church. It was so cool!! She was like I think this is really what I was supposed to read. She'll get there! The day she gets baptized will be amazing!!

We're hopefully going to be able to start meeting with the Shorts again soon I think I mentioned them a few weeks back, they've only been wanting to go to the Powell Valley ward but hopefully we can change that all they need to do is come once and they'll be hooked, seriously this ward is incredible. I really love it here.

Debbie and Sydney are still doing great! They both just love church and the gospel. When I'm having hard days and when people drop commitments I just think about those 2 and how there are people out there and it's my job to find them. When I see how happy they are it makes all the hard days worth it. :)

I can hardly believe that I'm down to my last transfer of my mission... It hardly seems real, it's gone by so fast and yet at the same time I feel like it's the only thing I've known forever. I'm going to make it the best that I can though like I said no getting trunky here!

Well I think those are the highlights of the week. Good things are happening or will be soon! I'm excited for a new transfer and a new companion, it's gonna be good! :)

Love, love, love y'all!!!! xoxoxo

Sister Bedke :)

p.s. Yes I'm staying warm and healthy! I haven't heard from Em in a few months I really should write her there's just never any time! As far as I know she's doing great! And staying healthy.

p.s.s. They'll be starting the media stuff in our mission probably in February or March I think. It'll be cool, missionary work is definitely evolving!!

Ashley Ltr: 2013-11-11

Subject:  Woohooooo! Life is good.

November 11, 2013

Helloooooo family!!!

Sounds like a great week back home! Sorry you had so many hours dad, you sure are great I hope you know that!! And I appreciate more and more the things you do the longer I'm out here serving, being a Bishop is not an easy calling.

We had a pretty fantastic week!! Man I really just don't want to go home... I mean I'm excited and I've fully accepted the fact that the day will come regardless of whether I want it to or not but I just have really enjoyed my time serving here and getting to be so fully engrossed in the gospel 24/7, I've learned SO MUCH about myself and about the gospel. I just don't understand why everyone doesn't want to be a part of this! The church is so true and makes everyone who knows it so happy, I just wish everyone understood that it can change their lives if they'll let it.

Like I said we had a pretty great week! We got a baptismal commitment!!! Sister Roundy extended her first one and she accepted! Her name is Marge -last name still to come haha sometimes I suck at that part...- she's set for November 30th. I've only met her once, and that was only for like 5 minutes maybe, that's one of the big downers to being a sister training leader is that our investigators have 0 consistency, most of the people we see there is 3 different people each time we go by haha. But they said they had a really powerful Restoration lesson with her and she accepted a date on the spot! I still haven't got to meet her again yet because she's got some health problems, she's probably in her mid to late 60's. So more details to come with her in the upcoming weeks! :) The majority of people we're working with are older now.

We had mission leadership council this week in Knoxville again, this time around it was only a 4 1/2 hour meeting so they're getting a little more time management savey, the ones in the past have been 5 1/2-6 hours long ugh....... But they're really good and we learn a lot its just wayyyyy looooong plus a 2 hour drive there and back. I really have loved being in leadership though, I like knowing what's going on and getting to give my input on things. It's cool to see the behind the scenes action too, our leaders really do care about us and put a lot of time and effort into making sure things run smoothly and that we become Preach My Gospel missionaries.

I went on 2 more exchanges this week, in Rogersville and Johnson City. Both of which were awesome exchanges, we've got really solid sisters (well for the most part) in this zone who really just want to work hard and do the best they can. The one with Johnson City was kind of a last minute thing, I really felt like Sister Roundy needed to lead out in our area before the transfer was over so that's exactly what we had her do, and she did a great job! I knew she would sometimes you just gotta literally shove people out of their comfort zones in order for them to achieve their full potential, kinda like what had to happen to me! And I'm soooo grateful it did, I'm a completely different missionary than I used to be. And Sister Roundy had a break through realizing that she could do it! Those are the kind of things I LOVE about being a trainer, is when that light finally turns on and you see people just blossom into who they really are.

Also while in Johnson City I had a pretty cool experience. We went to teach a part member family, the girl is super less active though and is kind of a push over. So we were trying to teach her husband and father in law both of which are very hard core baptists. We asked the father in law if he'd read and prayed about the Book of Mormon and he said, "You bet I have and I know that it's false, it's just a myth, in fact I think he just copied everything that's in the Bible and put it in there then changed the names and you will have to account for the lies you are spreading to people. I don't need no Joseph Smith to tell me how to get to heaven." It's been awhile since I've experienced someone so hostile but the scary part was is he wasn't really mad or anything he just said it like it was the truth, which normally people here scream at you... I had the worst, sickening feeling come over me and I almost started to cry (I held strong though) but I knew instantly that everything he had said was a lie, then I had this overwhelming sense of peace that I was doing the right thing and that the things we teach people are true and that nothing anyone said or did was ever going to change that! It was such an incredible feeling. I know that this church is true and no one can tell me otherwise. I read an awesome talk today and in it he says, "We should be on our knees every morning and night pleading with the Lord that we never lose our faith, our testimony, or our virtue. There only has to be one witness, but it must be yourself."

That is what a mission has done for me, I've gained that witness for myself. I know it, I live it, I love it!!

We had a break through with one of our LA this week! Her name is Pam Mathes, I can't remember if I've mentioned her or not in the past. But she hasn't been to church in several years, her husband recently committed suicide... It's really sad. Sister Fox and I went by a couple weeks ago though and had a really spiritual lesson with her, but it was weird she couldn't remember anything really about her baptism or when she joined the church and when we invited her to take the lessons again she said no, so that was kind of a downer BUT this week was a total 180 degree turn around!! We prayed before going in and when we got there she was happy and excited to see us, she said she had been going through some old photos and found the ones of when her and her husband and son had been baptized, she then described in detail how she felt when it happened and how happy she was at that time.  We had another powerful lesson with her and explained how when you take the sacrament you can feel that way each week, and she said she'd like to come again sometime! Woo! It was way cool! I tell you what when you let the spirit do its thing, miracles happen! We're hoping we can teach her and her son Dalton, whose not a member, the lessons here soon and get them coming back regularly.

Debbie is still doing great! I love that lady! She is just totally integrating herself into the ward and absolutely loves it all! Phil still isn't coming around much yet but I know he'll get there someday!

Sydney is doing pretty good too, she's no longer living on her dad's porch thank goodness but she's now living with another guy friend... Not the best of living situations but at least she has a roof over her head for now. Yep the Elders family came again to church, they're all set for the 23rd! Sky is 16 and yes her family is members.

About investigators taking the sacrament, I explain what it is and then just leave it up to them if they want to take it or not, I'm not exactly sure if that's what you're supposed to do but it's worked thus far.

I agree with y'all I think you should just hold my Christmas stuff, I really don't need anything I don't think. Maybe a new shirt to come home in?? Are you going to wait and do Christmas for when I get home? I think you should! But I'm good with whatever.

Well I think that about covers the highlights of the week. Transfers are already next week... I really hope I get to stay for my last one but you really just never know what could happen!

Y'all are the best, thanks for all the love, support, and prayers. Love, love, love you!!! xoxoxoxo

Sister Bedke :)

p.s. you should send me a recording of Madi singing! I'd love to hear that!

Ashley Ltr: 2013-11-04

Subject:  I LOVE being a missionary!

November 4, 2013

Yo yo yo it's letta time!!

Hey y'all!! Great letter from home! I'm sorry to hear Jace still isn't feeling that good... Hopefully some answers will come soon. That was way funny about Lilly of course something like that would happen after a long day. Loved the Halloween pics haha Brooke.. Your shirt! I love it.

This week has been pretty good! Our investigators are still lacking and moving slow but we are moving forward! Yesterday we were talking while driving to an appt just about how awesome it is to serve!! Geez! This past few weeks have been hard, really hard. BUT Heavenly Father has blessed me a lot still, we're having success with LA's and have picked up a couple of new investigators! When you keep working hard and moving forward the Lord WILL bless you! And He will never give you more than you can handle. We never gave up during these last couple of weeks and I never will, that doesn't mean I won't have discouraging days or moments but I will always move forward and keep working hard til the end because I CAN do tough things and I CAN be a good leader. :)

Dad I don't remember if I told you but I've totally adopted our rule from home about not using the "C" word haha, I've used that on all my companions and it really does make a difference and so many of them have said I'm going to use that when I raise my kids. So dad you're influencing lifes even out here in Tennessee :) Thanks for instilling that in me, I hated it at times haha but it really has blessed my life a lot. You're the best old dad on the block.

We had two exchanges this week, Powell Valley and Bristol. I went to Powell Valley again with Sister Burr, that exchange was one that made me feel like I was succeeding as a STL. I was able to help her come out of her shell more and help her realize that she is a good teacher and that she can lead out on things. It's an awesome feeling when you know that you're helping someone achieve their full potential. It was her first time hosting an exchange and she was super nervous but she did great! I really do love being a sister training leader. :)

For Halloween we had dinner with some members and then headed over to the Carters to spend the rest of the night with them. Nothing to exciting but it was fun.

Yesterday was such a good day. I think fast and testimony meeting is now my favorite Sunday. Especially out here in the South, literally there were no pauses yesterday, people were just lining up to bear testimony, it was awesome! The Elders had 4 investigators at church! 3 of them are a whole family they're working with, and they whole family came! They have 5 kids and just loved church it was awesome! That's what it's all about family.

Sky Byars is a young woman we've been meeting with a lot, she's been struggling so we try to see her a every week, she has started blooming its awesome! And she brought a friend to church yesterday who really enjoyed it. Hopefully we'll get to start meeting with her soon.

Debbie wasn't at church yesterday so I texted her and asked what was up (she hasn't missed a week since she was baptized!) she really hurt her back on Saturday and was in so much pain she couldn't make it but I really felt like we needed to go see her, so after church we did and she just unloaded on us how rough of a week it's been and how she was really looking forward to coming to church because it always helps lift her spirits. She also really wants her husband Phil to start coming to church with her but as of right now he's not interested at all... (Prayers in their behalf would be much appreciated). I had one of those experiences where I really had no idea what to say and really felt young and inadequate but I hurried and got rid of those thoughts and just let the spirit do its job, I was able to bear simple testimony to her and honestly I don't remember what else was said but by the end we were all crying and the spirit was tangible. Really we can't do anything as missionaries without the spirit and when we have it miracles happen. We brought the Elders by later that night and they gave her a blessing, I'm so grateful for the priesthood and worthy men who hold it so the rest of us can benefit from it.

Sydney came again yesterday and loved it. She told me I love how everyone makes me feel while I'm here and how everyone loves me. :)

Well I think that about wraps up the highlights of the week. Mission life is good, challenging and trying at times but I really don't want it to end. I hate that I'm down to less than 2 months now... I'm doing great though and loving it all. Thanks for all the love and support. Love y'all! xoxo

Sister B

p.s. when we played boccee ball we played outside at a park :)