Week 40 - Oh what a two weeks it has been!

Week 40 – Oh what a two weeks it has been! December 30, 2019 FELIZ NAVIDAD (a little late! sorry) Oh my how are all of you incredible people?!?!?!?!!? I am doing fantastic thank you very much. We have had an incredible 2 weeks here in Calderon. (the city thats not even a city but to me is a giant city with lots of cars and noise and people and NO COWS OR CHANCOS. its fine.) with the holidays it actually made me really happy. So we have these pass along cards that we write our numbers on them and hand them out to people on the streets in the bus wherever we are really and heheheh with the light the world cards that were literally the cutest i had so much fun with them. We would finish lunch and be heading back to the house for studies and i looked at hermana oswald and was like, alright here are you cards. We dont enter the house until we have talked to at least 5 people each. We just started talking to everybody and giving everybody the tarjetas and we ended up talking to almost 10 people each and we were the happiest little (were actually giant gringas here) missionaries ever. But yes that was a cute fun story that i just felt like sharing with you all. The point of the story is that this christmas was the best christmas i have ever had. I have never been so excited to give someone the gift that will never go away. I hope you all took advantage of this christmas season and shared that gift with as many people as you could. and if you didnt, hey guess what, WE CAN SHARE THIS GIFT OF CHRIST ALL YEAR LONG SO WHOOHOOOOO I LOVE IT. Anyway something else that i would love to share with you all this week is a question that we were asked in a lesson. We left the previous lesson leaving her to read the introduccion del libro de mormon and when we showed up we asked if she had read it, and she had!!! WHOOOHOO LOVE THAT. But she then goes on to ask us a question that i had never been asked before and it was "why was the first thing you wanted me to read the intro?you could have left me with a story or something else but why the intro?" and as i thought about it i realized it was just what my trainer would do, you always left them with the intro but as i thought moreabout the intro i realized why. The Book of Mormon is the key stone of our religion. If the bood of mormon is true, that means Joseph Smith restored this gospel, that he truly saw our Father and His son Jesucristo. It also means that Jesus Christ is our savior. That He died for us and suffered in Gethsemane for each one of us and each one of our trials and difficulties that we have had. And that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints is the TRUE CHURCH. the only church that has the plenitud del evangelio restaurado. The introduction explains to us that and has the power to testify to us that all of what we teach is true. We ended explaining to her that if she gains a testimony of the book of mormon that means that everything we are going to continue teaching her is true without a doubt. and so i challenge you all the same. This week, no matter where you are at in the book of mormon i challenge you all to go back and read the intro. Read the introduction and pray to know whether the book of mormon is true. I promise you with all my heart that if you read it with an open heart and mind, you will receive an answer and in a way that you will know without a doubt. You will also feel complete, whatever troubles or doubts you have had about anything with no longer be doubts. you will know what you need to do and you will feel the love of God in your life. I truly love this gospel so much and am filled with so much joy as i go day to day sharing the one thing that has completed me. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Without the gospel, without jesus christ, i dont know where i would be or what i would be doing. all i know is that i would be lost. Yet Im not, imay not know the street names or where people live, but i do know that i am exactly where i should be. I hope you all had a very merry christmas and have a very happy new year. SET GOALS THAT WILL HELP YOU GROW CLOSER TO GOD AND GET YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIPS HEHEH i love you all so much and talk to you next week!!! CHAU FE EN DIOS INCLUYE FE EN SU TIEMPO HERMANA CAMPBELL

Week 39 - Christmas Eve

Week 39 – Christmas Eve December 24, 2019 For many reasons, Ashlyn did not get an email out this week. She misses San Pablo but is excited about her new area. There's a lot of work to be done and lots of people interested in the Gospel. She and her companion are learning a lot about each other and getting along great. She continues to love being a missionary! She loves being a witness of Jesus Christ and wearing His name as a missionary. Here are a few pictures she managed to send off to me in the short time she was on for p day and a couple from our visit with her on Christmas day.

Week 38 - Sad Day! I Left the Campo!

Week 38 – Sad Day! I Left the Campo December 17, 2019 well everybody, i have left the campo... and it was a sad sad day. 7.5 months in san pablo and i have finally adventured outside into the real world!!!! i ate my first chicken nuggets in a long time and lets just say im gonna miss my rice and beans and pollo. but wohooo still get some of that!!! One time in the same sector is not the easiest. you become so relaxed and so used to everything and it got a bit difficult to contact and really dedicate everything. BUT that isnt a reason to stop working. There truly are people we found these last few weeks that really we wouldnt have found if we wouldve stopped working. That doesnt just happen on the mission but in real life. We get so used to one thing that it becomes natural. We lose the real meaning of things. for example this christmas. What is christmas? presents, christmas tree, candy canes, snowman, sledding, santa clause... i could go on. But when we truly take time to rethink things that happen all the time we realize that there is so much more to learn about every little thing. So when we think about it, What is Christmas? What ive learned here in the mission is that there is no snow, presents dont exist, christmas trees are super rare but one thing that is the same is Christ. We dont need to have the brightest christmas lights or a christmas tree super bright, because when we have christ as the center of our lives we have the best light we can ever find. Christ truly is the only thing we really need in this life. Christmas is so fun but i dont think i have ever had so much love for christmas until now. Really being able to serve and dedicate all of my time to help others find the light of christ is the only thing that i want to do this christmas and i challenge you all to make that the focus this week leading up to christmas. Find someone who needs light, who needs hope, and who needs the love of God and give them the best christmas present they could ever recieve!! Today during my study i truly learned how hard it is to stay strong the gospel, let me explain. In 4 nefi 1 it talks about the begining of the great apostasy, the time where the gospel of jesus christ was not on the earth. and as i was reading it dawned on me that God had been working with different profets for more that 600 years, and when Christ came to the americas that is when everyone converted to Christ and converted to the true gospel. but then it explains that not even 200 years after christ came, there began to be wickedness again in the land and then bam it just fell hard. It truly doenst matter how long it takes us to gain our testimony because we could chose to be converted in 1 day or in 10 years but if we do not continue strengthening our testimony it will fall and we will turn away faster than you know. Once you have the one thing that will give you the most joy in this world, dont play with it, dont slack on your reading, dont stop talking to your father in heaven, STAY STRONG AND SPREAD THE GOSPEL. LIVE LIKE CHRIST IS WALKING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU AND YOU WILL HAVE SO MUCH MORE JOY AND HAPPINESS!!! I’m now in Calderon which is in quito but a cute subburb and my comp is from south jordan utah and her name is hna oswald, SUPER CUTE! but yeah im doing so incredibley amazing and have never been happier!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND HAVE A GOOD WEEK ILUMINA EL MUNDO EN CADA MOMENTO WOHOOOO - HERMANA CAMPBELL

Week 37 - I'm Surrounded by Pigs, I Just Wanted to be One

Week 37 – I’m Surrounded by Pigs, I Just Wanted to be One December 10, 2019 yeah i dont have a picture of what happened this morning but long story short we hiked up basically an iceberg on a mountain.. cool right? and the mud was super slippery and i biffed it so hard and the left side of my body was completely covered in mud... it was hilarious and when i get a picture of it, youll see. hope you found that as funny as it was. BUT WOHOOO THIS WEEK WAS INCREDIBLE. There were so many miracles this week and not enough time to share them all but ill mention a few... Wednesday - wow, we have been teaching a family for a really long time now, for like 7 months and they have read the intro many times, but this time when they read it, they understood it and oh the joy that was in there home. We may not understand everything we read in the scriptures or everything we hear in life, but never give up. Keep searching for the answer because i testify that it will come. Thursday - intercambios!!! i was in a different sector for the day and may i say i love eating 25 cent icecream. its so good. but we had an incredible lesson with a part member family who have been through so much. People, never stop sharing the gospel, even with members because everyone is going through something and they need what we have to share!!! SHARE IT Friday - Feeling the spirit in the home of those we visit is one of the most incredible things i have ever experienced. Do everything in your power to invite the Spirit into your homes ALWAYS Saturday - WOHOOOOO the introduccion in the book of mormon is incredible and i invite you all to read it! It has touched the hearts of many this week and i testify that you will recieve an answer you have been searching for if you will read it with complete faith! Sunday - We have watched the video of the Jesus Child, not really sure what its called in english but if you get anything out of my email this week, i hope you all understand the importance of our savior Jesus Christ. The video may be in a different language but i have never felt the spirit so strong watching a video. The light of Christ shines so bright in the video and what is even more incredible is that He was just born. As a child Jesus Christ had such a light and that light is something we can have, something we should desire to have. This christmas season isnt about gifts, isnt about lights or trees or snowman, although those things are so amazingly fun, but this christmas season like they talked aboutin the christmas devotional is about giving the gift that never stops giving. which is the light and love that jesus christ himself offers to each and every one of us that actually looks to have it in our lives. GO WATCH THE VIDEO AND SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/live-broadcasts?lang=eng I love you all so much and i know that Jesus Christ is the only way we receive what we need in this life, LET HIM IN. Fe en Dios incluye Fe en Su tiempo Hermana Campbell

Week 36 - Thankful for you all

Week 36 – Thankful for you all December 3, 2019 Ahhhhhhh my week was a great one!! Missionary work literally makes me so happy. So exhausted but oh boy so happy!!!! First of all HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Ahh this holiday is probably one of my most favorite holidays of the whole entire year! I absolutely LOVE IT!! There is so much to be thankful for and to have one day of the year to just be completely grateful for what we have been given is kind of sad because well, we should be thankful for everything all the time BUT I love that we really get to focus on it for a day. Honestly being on the mission during the holidays is actually something incredibly special. Especially when you dedicate everything you have to the One who has given you everything. Ive been thinking a lot about baptism, and the covenant we make when we are baptized. We promise to be an example of Jesus Christ in every situation that we come across. We have promised and some are going to get the chance to promise to God that we take upon us the name of Christ wherever we are. And as I was reading in 3 nephi 6 it talks about after Christ was born people began to forget about the signs of His birth and began to become very wicked. But in verse 14 (pg. 506 go read it!!) it mentions that all began to be very wicked, other than a few of the lamanites who have truly converted to la verdadera fe, the true faith.. something like that. It goes on to explain that they were firm, inquebrantables, inmutables, y estaban dispuestos a guarder los mandamientos del Señor con toda diligencia. That basically says that they were willing to follow the commandments diligently. They didn’t back down or lie or shy away when someone made fun of them or questioned them. They stayed strong because they knew what they believed in. I challenge all of you to grow your testimony to the point where you can say what the lamanites said. That’s our purpose on this earth. Is to grow our testimonies of God so that we can 1. Return and live with Him again. 2. So that we can help others around us also return and live with our Father in Heaven. Theres so much to be grateful for but honestly I am so grateful for this Gospel. Literally the Book of Mormon contains EVERYTHING we need. Study it daily and diligently. Pray to God. Get to know our Father in Heaven and you will come to know how truly important you are in this world, you will know your worth and the worth of all those around you. Ive never felt so much of Gods love in my life like I do right now and it’s not only because im on the mission but it’s because for the first time ive truly desired a relationship with Him. I have truly begged for His help and have truly seen the miracles that He has brought in my life. And to top it all off, ITS DECEMBER. CHRISTMAS THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST HAPPINESS, LIGHT, LOVE, TRUE JOY, AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTSSSSSSSSSSSS heheheh the owner of our house has helped us decorate and oof do I love Christmas time. But if you haven’t go and watch the light to world video of Jesus Christ! THE CHRIST CHILD. It is incredible and oof share it with everyone!!! This week was honestly a good week, we were able to see the light of Christ illuminate a home. A home that has been going through many hard times lately. The gospel truly does change lives. It changes the whole atmosphere around us when we truly accept it into our lives. I love what I get to be a part of and am so blessed that I have been given this opportunity. It truly is something I will never forget. I truly encourage all of you to find Christ in every situation. This life is to prove to Him that we love Him and are willing to follow Him, and what better way to prove to Him that by living the gospel of His son Jesus Christ. Mosiah 16:9 ILUMINA EL MUNDO UNO POR UNO!! I LITERALLY LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH KEEPING BEING AMAZING AND JUST LOVE GOD AND LOVE LIFE AND LOVE YOUR FAMILY AND SERVE EVERYONE WE ARE ALL GODS AND GODDESSES. HAVE AN AMAZING FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER!!!!!!