Vinicius was baptized

Hey Fam! This week was fabulous! A little laddy named Vinicius was baptized saturday! It was one of the best experiences ever! He is 9 years old and he is going to be the best missionary ever when he grows up. He is such a great kid! We are pals! There were so manythings that were learning experiences for me. Satan did all he could to keep this important baptism from happening, but the determined and dedicated prevailed! It was especially neat because I was feeling a little worried and I prayed and instantly felt peace and an assurance that everything would work out. After that moment I had a flood of memories come back to me about times where the advisary has tried his hardest to stop important things from happening in my life. When Vinicius entered the baptismal font I was taken back to my baptism. I couldnt remember things very clearly, but as his baptism progressed and as he was lowered under the water the memories of my own became so much more tender and sweet. I distinctly remember taking dad´s hand and steping down into the water. I looked into his blue eyes and remember him smiling and me smiling bigger than ever. He turned me to the front, placed my hand on his arm and took my other hand in his. I was baptized and as I wiped the water from my eyes dads hand came on my shoulder. I turned and gave him a big huge hug and he said I´m proud of ya Ash. Mom helped me out of the font and helped me get dressed into my beautiful beautiful white baptism dress. She said I sure am proud of my little Ashley. I felt so pure. So perfect, so beautiful. I remember the primary presidency being there and i remember the song When I am Baptized being sung.I dont remember who exactly was there but these are a few things i distinctly remember.

At the baptism while Vinicius was drying off all of these memories were in my mind. I miss you all so much! Goodness! It isnt easy. Every day has a new challenge. But the memories like this that are so dear to my heart help me to know that I am helping others. They help inspire me to do all i can to bring those feelings of love and happiness to others. I love it here. It has rained every day for the past 40 days or something and it can be crazy at times, but It is an incredible experience.

I am so thankful for you all. I will send pictures soon. I may have an awesome sister in the ward help me send them to you this week. Love you all so much. Thanks for everything! I am glad to hear everything there is fantastic!!! We are so blessed!

Love you all!

Sister Ash

xoxoxo

The most important person is the one next to you.

Talk by Elder Holland Sept ensign about when the Prophet was in Liberty Jail
Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry, “Where art Thou?” it is imperative that we remember He is right there with us—where He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us. When lonely, cold, hard times come, we have to endure, we have to continue, we have to persist. That was the Savior’s message in the parable of the importuning widow (see Luke 18:1–8; see also Luke 11:5–10). Keep knocking on that door. Keep pleading. In the meantime, know that God hears your cries and knows your distress. He is your Father, and you are His child..... We are not alone in our little prisons here. When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we’ve ever been in our entire lives. That knowledge can turn every such situation into a would-be temple. Regarding our earthly journey, the Lord has promised, “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88). That is an everlasting declaration of God’s love and care for us, including—and perhaps especially—in times of trouble. Remaining true to our Christian principles is the only way divine influence can help us. The Spirit has a near impossible task to get through to a heart that is filled with hate or anger or vengeance or self-pity. Those are all antithetical to the Spirit of the Lord. On the other hand, the Spirit finds instant access to a heart striving to be charitable and forgiving, long-suffering, and kind—principles of true discipleship. ...As a valedictory to the lessons from Liberty Jail, I refer to the last verse of section 123: “Therefore … let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” (D&C 123:17; emphasis added). What a tremendously optimistic and faithful concluding declaration to be issued from a prison-temple! When he wrote those lines, Joseph did not know when he would be released or if he would ever be released. There was every indication that his enemies were still planning to take his life..... Yet in these cold, lonely hours, Joseph says let us do all we can and do it cheerfully. And then we can justifiably turn to the Lord, wait upon His mercy, and see His arm revealed in our behalf. What a magnificent attitude to maintain in good times or bad, in sorrow or in joy! I testify that the Father and the Son live and that They are close, perhaps even closest via the Holy Spirit, when we are experiencing difficult times. I testify that heaven’s kindness will never depart from you, regardless of what happens (see Isaiah 54:7–10; see also 3 Nephi 22:7–10). I testify that bad days come to an end, that faith always triumphs, and that heavenly promises are always kept. ...In the words of the Liberty Jail prison-temple experience, “Hold on thy way. … Fear not … , for God shall be with you forever and ever” (D&C 122:9).