I love to see the temple!

Dear family,

This week has been wonderful! We got to watch general conference!! I am so grateful for the words of the prophets and how inspired all of the talks were. We had an investigator with us to watch the Sunday
Morning session. It was so great! She really felt the spirit and she was able to see President Monson speak, so that was wonderful. I love the spirit that comes from hearing the prophet speak even if it is being translated in to Japanese. And don't think I am all fluent in Japanese.....  Haha I was following along in English to understand it of course...haha :) But it was a great experience. I loved that the theme of general conference was family and Jesus Christ. Those two things are the most important things in our lives. I felt that they were talking about all the basic things we need to do and believe in order to be happy in this life and the next. It was so focused on doing and being more. I am so grateful for the trust God has in us, His Children, to become more. And I know that through this gospel we can become all God has intended us to become.

It was also so wonderful to see all of the members from the Fujisawa stake! I have served in the  Fujisawa stake for about a year now. :) It is my home away from home. I love these people so much! It was great to be able to see so many of the people I love again! They have all influenced my life so much. So grateful for them! And I am so happy to be able to serve here until the end of my mission. It is such a blessing! :)

This week we had transfers and my new companion Murakami Shimai is the cutest person in the whole world. She is so funny! We do English day and Japanese day so that she can learn English and I can learn Japanese. This week I have learned so much from listening to her when she prays in English. It is so simple and so pure. It is from the heart and she really tries her best. It is the way we should all pray. Simply and from the heart. It is the cutest thing in the whole world! I am so grateful for the chance to be serving with her and learning so much from her!
Today we went to the Tokyo temple. It was my last time on my mission getting to go to the temple.  As I was sitting there, there were about a million things going through my mind and I felt a little stressed out. They were all good things, but just too much. So I said a simple
prayer and before I finished praying it was as if my whole mind was just wiped clean and I felt so much peace. It reminded me of the scripture 2 Nephi 33:1. The spirit can be all around us, but we have to let it INTO our hearts in order to feel it and be changed. I was in

the temple surrounded by peace but it wasn't until I let that peace into my heart that I felt it. It was a good reminder. Sometimes we need to remember that not only do we need to be in good places to feel the spirit but we need our heart to be in a good place as well.

I know that this is the Lords work and he is guiding and blessing us. The gospel is true and I am so grateful for it in my life.

I love you all so much!!

Love,
Sister Hannah Ashby

My new district before general conference in the "Easter room" they
had set up for church tours. :) Elder Mitabi is so tiny!! Haha :)

Happy Easter!

Dear Family!

Happy Easter! We had a great Easter Sunday. It was full of happiness, testimonies, and miracles. This week we had some happy days. Today I wanted to share three things that I believe are really important to understand.

1. God wants us to be happy. :) There are so many things that bring me happiness everyday. :) This week was Cherry Blossom week in Japan. Spring is here. Easter time! I was able to go on splits with the Shonan sisters. We had such a good time talking to so many people. But the best part of it was just thinking about all the things during the day that made me happy. And most of it came because of other people. The old man at the food stand that always waves to the missionaries. The jr. High school kids running, but who wanted to stop to say hello.:)  All the thousands of people at the park looking at the Sakura trees and enjoying the weather. God has made us a beautiful world and filled it with so many wonderful people, who just need the gospel in their lives! So happy I get to share it with them.

2. If you seek with real intent you will find. This week after eikaiwa I had the opportunity to testify to one of the elders investigators about finding answers through the words of the prophets. He has a baptismal date, but is still looking for an answer. We talked about general conference coming up, and the power of the words of the prophets. It was a great conversation and the end he committed to pray about his questions and then come to general conference to help him find his answer. The next day I put that to the test for myself, because you can't tell your investigators to do anything your not already doing... So I went to Mission leadership council with questions. (I always do...but this time I really really really prayed about them) And I received answers. To all of them. :) I know that as we seek with real intent the Lord will bless us with answers to all of our questions. And he will do it in his own way. :)

3. The most important thing is to love people, including yourself. :) President Wada has been talking a lot lately about loving ourselves as well as loving others. We have had a lot of missionaries being too hard on themselves I guess. But I know that if we really come to understand our true identity as sons and daughters of God we will learn to love ourselves because of not only who we are but whose we are. :) God loves us, so we need to love ourselves. :)

Well yesterday was the best day ever! We had a less active come to church with her sons!!!! It we way happy! And a huge surprise! We also had a ward prayer meeting for missionary work in the mountains yesterday morning. The spirit was so strong there. I am so So grateful for these wonderful Atsugi ward member.

We have transfers this week. I am staying and my new companion is Sister Murakami! So excited! :)
Thank you for all of the love and prayers! I am praying for you!

Love,
アシュビー姉妹

Spring time, New iPads, and Easter!

Dear family,

So this week has been great! First because the weather is so beautiful and you can actually feel spring is here! Yeah! And spring time brings Japanese Cherry Blossoms and happy Dendo! :) so happy to be here again for this time of year! I am so excited for his next month! I personally believe it is the best time of year to Dendo in Japan, because everyone is happy to be outside in the spring weather looking at the blossoms. :) And to top it all off it is Easter! Have you all seen the new "Because He Lives" video?? If not go watch it! That is the center of Dendo this week! It is my favorite way to share about Jesus Christ. He does live and because He lives we have hope, joy, love, and everything else that is good in the life's! It is a good time to be alive.

So this week we got new iPads! Yay! They are way nice. But I am so grateful for the opportunity I have and have had so far to create good habits on my mission using technology. I know they will bless me for the rest of my life. We just keep getting to learn more and more about how to use technology in better ways. :) I am so grateful and excited for this 'restart' they are giving the missionaries to learn now how to use technology in the right way. :) The lord really does trust and love his missionaries and all of His children.

Yesterday we had a great day at church! The spirit was so strong. I had the opportunity to speak in church about answers to prayers. I had prayed so much for that talk and I felt my prayer being answered as I spoke. The spirit really took over. It felt really good. Having the spirit work through you to touch other people is a very special experience. I know we can have it happen everyday if we are striving to always do the Lords will. :) God will use us bless other people.

Sorry this one is kind of short today. :) For some reason I don't feel like I have much to say. :) Yet I have tons... :) Oh well. :)
I love you!!! :) Thank you for you prayers and love!

Love,
アシュビー姉妹

Sorry a little blurry... But this is my zone! Best Zone ever!! :) really though. I love these people!

Preparing us for forever!

Dear family,

I have learned so much this week! We had Elder Nelson and Elder Evans come to our mission this week and talk about iPads! Guess what we are getting new iPads! :) haha I get a new iPad for the last transfer of my mission... Lucky right? Haha :) But I guess this past year the iPads we have been using were just test iPads and now we will be getting the new ones. :) But during the conference the many focus was on why they are now using iPads and helping us truly understand the reason for these recent changes. The reasons for the iPads is not just for "hastening the work" and giving us the latest technology to use, but it is preparing missionaries for the rest of their lives to learn now to use technology in the right way. To start now, to reset, and set good habits that we can use for the rest of ours lives as we use technology. It was so amazing! I just felt this overwhelming joy. They are doing all the can to help us prepare to fight against Satan. They are truly creating the armies of Helaman. It was a great conference. :)
And did you Know Elder Nelson is 90 years old?? He is so full of light and truth.

We had a some great lessons this week but a highlight one was after the conference on Wed. (Wednesday was just the best day ever...) :) We taught our investigated about prayer and she told us that she believed in Jesus Christ and that he was her savior. It was a great moment. The Spirit was so strong and guided that lesson so much. :)

Thursday we had zone conference. Best zone conference ever!! All the missionaries leaving in the next transfers bore their testimonies. It was a weird feeling to be up there, but it was a good feeling. I felt a lot of change and could see the changes that have happened in myself over my mission. I am so grateful for the power of the atonement in our lives to change us. God truly does take ordinary people, and helps them to do and become extraordinary. The gospel can change us if we allow it to. :) We must make that choice. That choice is worth making. :)

I know this church is true and I will be faithful to it for the rest of my life.

I love you all so much!
Thanks for your support!

Love,
アシュビー姉妹

Past companions..... All blonde...haha :) sorry the picture is blurry. :)

Let the Holy Spirit guide. :)

Dear family, :) 

This week has been good. :) I learned a lot about the power of the spirit in our lives this week. 

If we are worthy of the spirit it can guide us in ways we don't realize. I love the spirit and this 

week I have been so grateful for it. 

Thursday and Friday were a miracle days. I was on splits with Johannson Shimai. After a amazing 

study we ate lunch and headed out to go visit a referral from the elders. We were biking around 

looking for a yellow apartment, but no luck. But throughout the day we were able to teach four 

lessons! It was amazing! I know the spirit was guiding us to every person we met that day. The 

first was to a funny old lady working in her garden and washing vegetables. She wasn't interested 

really but listened to our message and gave us some onions and lemons. The spirit guides us to
those with a kind heart. 

After we were riding our bikes and saw a crying girl walking home from school. We stopped
and started to talk to her. It was her last day of high school and she was really sad to be 
graduating and leaving all of her friends. We talked about Gods plan for her and his love. We 
were able to share with her the Book of Mormon and set up an appointment for the Shonan 
Sisters to meet with her again. She was able to stop crying and it went away smiling. She was 
really grateful for it. It was a really happy experience.  I have wanted to have an experience 
like that. :) The spirit guides us to those in need. 

Next we were walking through the most beautiful park and met this old grandma who loves
Jesus Christ. We shared with her the Restoration and she thought it was interesting and gave 
us her address. She was so cute. The spirit guides us to the prepared. 

Last we decided to go housing, but past the street we had decided to go down. We turned
around to walk back and said hello to a grandma on her bike. (Note that old people in Japan 
ride bikes! I want to be like these genki old people when I am 80 years old!) She stopped and 
we talked for a while, shared with her about who we were, but she wasn't interested in church.  
We talked for a little while and all during this time I kept having the impression, "we need to 
ask this lady for a referral" just over and over in my head. So finally I just asked her. She looked 
at me and then looked around at the houses and really searched and then pointed to a house 
across the street and said maybe her. Then got on her bike and rode away. We couldn't tell if it 
was someone she knew or just random, but we walked over and knocked. A lady came to the door 

and was so happy to see us. She used to know missionaries over 17 years ago. In fact she went to 
America to go visit them in Utah and New York. They would come over to her house all the time 
for dinner. She said she hadn't seen sister missionaries in a long time but saw the elders ride by 
all the time. We just stood there stunned as she told us all of this. That old lady on the bike was 
inspired by the spirit! Haha :) She didn't join the church and but she thinks the missionaries are 
amazing young people. We felt prompted to share with her about the atonement of Jesus Christ. 
As we testified of Gods love for us you could tell she felt the spirit.  She said she has a hard time 
with church things, but that we can come again anytime. She was so kind, and I think God is 
giving her another chance to hear the gospel. The spirit guides us to those who have lost their 

way and who need another chance. 

I am so grateful for the guidance of the spirit and the happiness we can feel when we follow the
spirit. On those days you just feel so energized, no fear, full faith, hope and happiness. It is the best 
rush you could ever feel! The spirit has power and God is guiding is servants on the earth though 
this wonderful gift of the spirit. :) I challenged you to do more in your life to qualify for this blessing. 
:) it is the best! 

I love you all. Thank you so much for the prayers. :) 

I think missionaries are the most prayed for people on the planet. Thank you!!! 

Love, 

アシュビー姉妹

'You may rescue, you may save.'

Dearest family,

Why didn't I take Spanish? This is a questions I have asked myself quite frequently these past few transfers. Who would have thought that you would come to Japan and wish you spoke Spanish....or Portuguese.
Haha :) This past Sunday my companion and I sat on either side of the two recent converts here in the Atsugi Ward and used google translate to translate the meeting into Spanish for Onelia 姉妹 and Portuguese for
Adriana 姉妹. Usually there is a Ward member there who speaks Spanish and can translate for them, but he had to leave earlier yesterday so we used are resources. Yay Google translate! Haha even if it is a funny translation. 笑 :) but I love Spanish and I have a new life goal to learn it. That and Chinese! :) one day I want to serve a mission in
China! We had a Chinese Ward member in my last Ward that said in her home Ward in China there are 5 baptisms a week and that is just from the members introducing their friends to the church! Amazing right! Power of member missionary work! It is the way to dendo! :)

Anyway... We have had another great week in Atsugi! We had a lot of our appointments this week canceled. Which is kind of sad, but we made the most of what we could do and tried our best. That is really all we
can do. Things happen and all we can do it move forward and pray harder. :)

But are Indian friends came to Japanese class this week and we were able to give them a church tour after. It went really well! We also found out that there is a Book of Mormon in their native language!!!! Yay!!!! Now they can read it and understand it! They said we can study it with them as soon as we have it in their language. Pray that it
comes quickly. Ordering sometimes takes a while. We asked the office and they said plan to wait 3 years..... But we know miracles can happen!! :)

We had Mission Leadership Council this past Thursday and it was amazing. I am always amazed by the leaders in this mission. I am so grateful for President and Sister Wada and all that they do for us. It was an amazing meeting. In preparation for it they asked us to read the talk given by Elder Boyd K. Packer titled, "The Atonement". It is
amazing. In the meeting a group of Elders sang 'Brightly Beams Our Fathers Mercy'. It was amazing. The words to that song have taken on a whole new meaning in my life.

1. Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,    
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore
2. Dark the night of sin has settled;
Loud the angry billows roar.
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.
3. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.
[Chorus]
Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

There are people in this world that are yearning and searching for the light that the atonement of Jesus Christ can provide in their lives and God has given us the sacred trust to be that lower light for those who are searching. Be the lower light that someone can look to for guidance. We are needed so much more than we think we are. The World needs more light, so we must share our light. I know that Jesus Christ and his Atonement are the source of that light.

In the words of President Tanaka (my favorite old Japanese man) "I love you. I love you. I love you." He is so cute when he says this to all of the missionaries! It is happiness. Haha :) pure happiness and 

love.

Have a great week!!!

Love,
アシュビー姉妹

厚木!! Atsugi!

Atsugi is Atsui!!!

After the baptism.
Onelia shimai and her nephew. :)

Dear family,

Do you like my pun?? Haha :) You get my pun? If not oh well! Pretty much this new area is on fire with missionary work and I am so excited to serve here!!

This week was transfers and usually transfer week is a little rough...But this week has been the best week of my mission. Hands down. I have never seen so many miracles. But really!! It has been amazing! I left
Hodogaya seeing more miracles then we had seen the whole transfer and came to Atusgi and saw more!! I don't even no where to start and there just isn't enough time to tell you everything. So I will keep it short
and sweet or my hands might hurt. ;)

Tuesday night we taught Tomomi san the first lesson and she committed to be baptized when she knew the church was true. She is amazing and the spirit of that lesson was so powerful!!

Wed. We taught Kaneko san the plan of salvation. This lesson was amazing!!! She has the best questions ever. The spirit guides the questions she asks! Haha :) I love it. Shuto Shimai came as well and was able to powerfully testify to her of the plan of salvation. We set
a baptismal date with her for May 17th!!! Just a few days before I go home. When she realized that, she was so happy! That night at Eikaiwa she came up to me and told me to make sure I came to her baptism. She is totally owning that date. She will have some hard things to overcome to get there. But she wants it and I know the Lord will bless
her so much. :)

Thursday after I had transferred to Atsugi we were walking home for dinner and we met a lady from India. Side note.... My new area is full of people from South America and India... Anyway she told us to come over to her house sometimes. Her husband is Christian and she really wanted to see us again. So Sunday night we were able to go visit them.
We taught them the first lesson and they are coming to church this next Sunday! It was amazing. They are so nice! I love people from India! They are so beautiful and their accents are the best!! They have been looking for a church to go to and are really excited to
come.

Saturday we had a baptism! It was for a lady name Onelia 姉妹. She is from Peru and only speaks a little Japanese. But they are in the process of starting a Spanish/Portuguese branch here in the Fujisawa Stake. I have never felt so much love for someone all at once. She is amazing and has brought so many more miracles into this Ward. The baptismal service was so wonderful and the spirit was so strong. :) It was amazing to speak to her in Japanese. I had to laugh because out of all languages... I can't understand spanish  and she doesn't speak English so we spoke to each other in Japanese..... What?!? Haha :) The
gospel is true.

Sunday at her confirmation was the bigger miracle. The night before we had been calling former investigators and only got a hold of one. She came to church on Sunday and happened to know Onelia shimai! They worked together 6 years ago. She was able to see Onelia shimai confirmed and it was a great experience for her. She too decided that
she wanted to hear our message again. :)

There were so many other miracles and cool experiences that have happened this week I wish I could just share them all... :)

But I will say this. God is guiding this work. The spirit is real and when it touches the heart hearts are changed forever. My heart has been changed and I am so grateful for it. I know that this church IS the true church. God is the head of it and He knows the hearts and

needs of His children. God is good. :)

Have a great week!! I love you!

Love, アシュビー姉妹

Old companions. :) actually two more were there too but they were
still in the temple....

FHE with some Ward members :) all girls!!