Week 53 - How can we be mad at God's plan?

As you may have heard, I am home to be quarantined for a good 2 weeks. Coming home from Ecuador being quarantined to being quarantined with 6 gringos how weird. Haha  Okay but for real, I just want to share a bit of my thought process through these past 2 weeks.  2 weeks ago I got a new companion, Hermana Ballard who is just a spiritual giant who has changed my life. We set goals as a companionship to talk to at least 36 people everyday to finish the cambio with 1500 new people with the knowledge about the gospel, and to set Calderon on fire. Work as hard as we have ever worked and to run with the angels. Oof was I ready to get to work.  The first day of our companionship we had probably one of the best most successful days of my mission, the next day everything fell through. No one cared to listen and we were like well that’s all good tomorrows a new day, the new day comes around and we find mold in our house and it gave us headaches and we ended up having to clean it up and later that day found out we can no longer talk to people on the streets OKAY THATS FINE ITS TOTALLY OKAY. we ended up calling so many people that day. The next day went about the same other than we got 2 hours to go buy a 14 day food storage and then Sunday comes around and as we were at the members house my companion looks at me and says “we need to move today” shoot alright.  Backstory we had a debt on our house and problems with the owner so we just decided to move and we’re planning on moving at the end of the month.  So we call the elder and we explain that if we’re in quarantine it’ll be more of a problem. So we end up getting permission to move the next day after the debt is paid. Alright so that day we spent packing and the next day we pack and the moving truck gets there with the elders SO SWEET THANKS ELDERS but then the lady couldn’t get us the keys to the house and oof I’m almost in tears but shout out to elder dagliesh who talks to the lady and gets her to send the keys in a bag in a taxi WOHOO to finish that part we got into our new house just in time to buy a little bit more food and talk to our families and just in time to be quarantined the next day! And the last thing I thought Was that after a week in the house passed we’d be told to pack and get ready to leave that Friday.  I have never relied so much on my Savior. All of those who know me know how passionate I am for this work, for Ecuador, and for giving my all to the Lord and this trial in my life definitely caused some discouragement and frustrated thoughts. As we cried together the night we found out we dropped to our knees and poured our souls out to the Lord for understanding and help. I was Broken I was Hurting but yet in the moment that I felt Like my whole world was breaking out from under me I felt Peace. I felt Comfort. I felt the need for all of this. I dont understand everything. But I do know that God does.  Now during the next 2 days of packing and cleaning I had my “why was my time cut short here in Ecuador?” “Why do I have to say goodbye to my family?” But then I remember that this is not my plan. This is the work of the Lord and He knows exactly what He’s doing. He called me to Ecuador knowing I’d have a pit stop in Arizona, knowing I’d be able to serve in Ecuador with the best people I’ve ever met, that I’d be going back to my family for a time, and knows what’s next for me.  But trust me. It hasn’t been easy it’s been sad. And that’s okay, we’re allowed to be sad. But it’s not the end of the world. It’s just the beginning of something even greater. Our lives are puzzles and we just found a new piece and it fits perfectly. Now we must wait patiently to find the next piece. We get to decide if we finish our puzzle or just leave it to never be finished. Have faith, live by hope, and keep your head up. How can we be mad when the one who’s in charge is perfect? I cant be and I will never be.  I loved the almost year I got in Ecuador. I have been changed because of my new home and family and I love The Lord for giving me the opportunity to be there as long as I was. He knows me and He knows what I need and I love Him more than anything. Thank you for all the cute cards and uplifting words I have The best supporters in the world! I have The best family in the world and you’re all apart of it!!    If it doesn’t go as planned it’s because it’s Gods plan. Go with the flow in faith and as Roman 12:21 says we will overcome evil with good. Let’s keep our heads up and overcome the world.  John 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have ​​​peace​. In the ​​​world​ ye shall have ​​​tribulation​: but be of good ​​​cheer​; I have ​​​overcome​ the world FE EN DIOS INCLUYE FE EN SU TIEMPO  HERMANA CAMPBELL

Week 50 - Birthday Week

ALRIGHTY EVERYBODY LETS GOOOOOOOO! okay. this week was ridiculous. Ridiculously incredible with so much crazy experiences and just ugh THEMISSION THE MISSION IS RIDICULOUSLY INCREDIBLE. i learned so much this week. SO MUCH. Its crazy how the Lord knows exactly what we need and because He knows that, He knows the situations we need to go through to really understand what he wants us to know. It honestly so cool. Its the phrase everything happens for a reason. That is so true. Literally everything that we go through is because Heavenly Father has a plan. When we get upset with situations when we complain and murmur, we are doubting and denying the love of God. Doubting in His plan. Obviously as humans we will doubt, we will be upset, impatient, and frustrated, BUT we have the atonement of Jesus Christ.I learned so much about the love of God this week. The love he has for us to send his son, Jesus Christ to this earth to suffer, to be rejected, spit upon, and to bleed from every pore. How many of you would be willing to let your children, future children, someone you love, go on a trip knowing that they are going to be in the worst accident that no one else can survive? heavenly Father did that when through Jesus Christ, He created this earth. All of his plan is based off of Jesus Christ. HOW MERCIFUL AND LOVING IS OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN?!?!!? He knows us, He knows what we need. Guys, Heavenly Father sent us to this earth, knowing some of us were not going to choose him, some of us were going to go our whole life without knowing about his love, yet he did, so that we can learn, and grow, and become like him. But we have to accept him. NOW IS THE TIME. NOT TOMORROW CHRIST MAY COME TOMORROW. stop waiting for the moment because THE MOMENT IS NOW. We have to act now. Being here on the mission has taught me that not everybody is goingto accept not everybody is going to let us in when it is raining and we are soaking wet, but what i do know is that there are people ready there are people starving for the gospel and as we sacrifice our desires and wants we find those people that want it. Dont be those that shut the door ever. Member or not, open your doors and let God in. and be the person that brings God into others homes. AH JUST GIVE YOURSELVES TO THE LORD AND HE WILL MOLD YOU INTO PRECIOUS DAUGHTERS AND SONS OF HIM. Thatis all i ask of you but more than anything, that is what God asks of you.  Goodness gracious i love the mission. i have said it before and i will say it 100 times but I AM LIVING MY DREAM. i love hthis gospel and i love this time i have to just give everything i have to the lord. Its incredible and God is good!  I LOVE YOU ALL THANK YOU FOR THE BDAY WISHES!!!!!!  Hermana Campbell

Week 49 - It's Been a Crazy Couple of Weeks

Hello everybody. How have you all been??? Glad to hear that everythings great because here in good ole ecuador everybody and there dog is freaking out over the coronavirus... im chillin, if i get it im going to heaven. kidding im not going to get it but that is some new news! It was also carnival and here in ecuador, they throw eggs, flour, and spray you with water so we couldnt leave a few days. My brother told me its just breakfast and they should let us go outside. jajaj i think hes funny. ANYWAY those two days in the house were good, we got time to deep clean and study a ton anddddd prepare for a talk in front of a TON OF MISSIONARIES. okay i do like talking but not in front of a ton of people. i was shaking as i was preparing it BUT it went super well! Little run down of my topic, i was given the topic, my dedication as a missionary. and boy did i love that topic. If i have learned anything here on the mission it is how we can be dedicated servants of Jesus Christ. It was cool to write my talk and think about how i have learned to be a dedicated missionary and realized that its all stuff we can do on or off the mission, its something we should do DAILY! THE GOSPEL IS OUR LIFE FOR HEAVENS SAKE. We must act now, we must not wait for a good time because no time is a perfect time to start exercising or going on a diet, we just have to get over ourselves and do it. All of us have the potential to become gods and if we would like to reach that potential we must prepare now. We must get to work. We got this, just open your mouth and share the gospel, live the way Christ lived and you will be ready i promise.  So giving the little talk was honestly such a cool experience and the conference was so spiritually uplifting. It just gives you the boost you need to get up and go to work! We then got to do a little swap with some of the hermanas to see how they work and learn how you can be a better missionary and it was such a blast!!! Its also an eye opener that calderon has no hills... its fine. ummmmmmmmmm i think thats about it.. a normal week of missionary work, talking with everybody, tripping on every street, and eating a lot of politos (actually didnt eat that much because didnt have any money whoops) But i just love the mission, i love what it has taught me about how precious our time is here on this earth. We can rest later, now is when we need to complete the work of the Lord. I love you all so much and hope you all have had such a fun week and have such an even better one! I LOVE YOU ALL (also shoutout to Hermana Bowden whos now is 20 years old)  FE EN DIOS INCLUYE FE EN SU TIEMPO HERMANA CAMPBELL

Week 48

No email from Ashlyn Campbell this week. They were required to stay in their apartments Monday and Tuesday due to carnival, and then Wednesday she had zone conference. We got to speak to her for about 30 min today, but that was it. No pictures. No email. We will wait for next Tuesday to hear more. She did share that she had a speaking assignment in her zone conference yesterday and that it went amazingly well. I'm so proud of her and grateful she's having so many incredible experiences with the Spirit! Until next week! Oh ya, today marks 11 months to the day that she left on her mission. Time is flying! 

Week 47

WOHOOOOO ANOTHER INCREDIBLE CRAZY FILLED SPIRIT FILLED WEEK! Okay from day one i have always loved the tree of life and this week i got ot study it again!!!!! and this timesomething else caught my eye. As lehi begins his dream he sees a man in a white manto... not sure what the translation is but he begins to follow him through the dark and dreary desert. That is us. As we learn about the gospel we begin to follow christ through this dark world. But just like lehi if we only follow we begin to be scarred and we fall. But we learn from Lehi, he beganto pray,pleading for help and thats when he received help and that is when we receive help as well.When we act. When we pray, read, go to chruch, as we do little things are lives begin to change and although we are walking in a darkening world,we begin to be strengthened through the atonement of jesus christ. The only one capable of savingus.  SORRY NOT MUCH TIME TODAY BUT I LOVE YOU ALL AND HAVE AN INCREDIBLE WEEK!!!!  Hermana Campbell