Buses, maggots, Sign Language, and apple cider vinegar!

Wow! hahahaha the title of this sounds sick!!!! anyway! first thing is first!

      I was on exchanges with sister Katz! (from WY) and she and i went to a members home for dinner! We had gluten free pasta with spaghetti sauce with ground meat! It was okay! tasted funky! Didn't know if it was just a secret ingredient! so....I was done eating and looked at my plate and what did i see.....a worm.....a maggot to be exact.......on my plate......it was in my meat! I was really quiet the rest of the appointment and sister katz asked what was wrong and i told her! and she said "Oh my gosh i wish you had told me because i had an impression that said "DONT EAT THAT MEAT!" and so she and i heard that apple cider vinegar kills like....i don't know....bad stuff in you...? ahhaha so we went and got vinegar and water and chugged! So of course zone conference was friday and EVERYONE found out about this little experience! And then i was at church on sunday and a YSA in the ward comes up to us and says "Sisters! Here is a gift for you!" it was cute and wrapped nice and we opened it and it was......vinegar....hahahahhahahaha SO MEAN! But hilarious! hahahahahahahaha anyway! so i have been drinking that all week! I think i am clean now!

     So sister Katz is also a sign language missionary! And so she taught me some sign! so i have been signing ever since last tuesday! Sister Tenney and i pray in sign every day! :) i love it! There was a deaf girl in the ward sunday and i got to have a conversation in sign! the Lord blesses us with hidden talents to do His work! I love it! I love you all!!!!

       Really short short email but i hope everyone knows how much i love The Savior! He knows me! He reaches down to lift me up! and i am forever grateful! I know that Jesus lives! I have been memorizing The Living Christ! and I thought about it! how amazing that the 12 disciples sign their names at the end of it! Why???? I have never seen any other church put out a document where they sign it! Why sign it!? Its because they are the 12 apostles! They know it! They are not just leaders of the church but leaders of the World! I LOVE IT! It amazes me! I know that Christ directs the affairs of His church ! I know that! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What am i doin new years eve???? MISSIONARY WORK! Its gunna be the best day ever! 

      oh one more thing! We were at institute the other night and the teacher asked what "Hosannah means" and it means: Please Save us! Why did people shout hosannah when Christ entered into the city???? Its because They KNEW He was "mighty to save"! I along with them say "hosannah to God and the Lamb!" I am so grateful for that Lamb, Jesus Christ, this Christmas season! I am HIs servant....and i feel liike im getting preachy! ......BUT I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because i have been given much i too must give!

-Sister Wise

And THAT'S why we carry pepper spray folks!

Well WOW! hahahahhahaa there isn't much email time left! hahaha BUT i have to tell this story! So sister Tenney (who is the BOMB by the way) and I take the bus to UWM Campus in Milwaukee! So we were on the bus! It was really interesting! So we were talkin to people! Tellin them about Jesus! and it was great! but we get off at a stop and this guy starts talkin to us and i said "HEY I KNOW YOU!!!!!" he was this crazy guy i met in West Allis like 6 months ago!! he was CRAZY! and then this guy started like sayin inappropriate things and makin me feel uncomfortable so i tried to avoid him! so we get back on the bus and we standing because it is PACKED and this guy is standing behind me and has his arm like on the rail above my head and he said "your hair smells so wonderful!" and that was it!!!!!!! and i look at sister tenney and she and i are freaking out because this man surely was a psycho! and right as we look at each other we hear a thud! and a woman lost consciousness on the BUS! and so this guy stopped creepin on me and got off the bus so he could get to work on time! DIVINE INTERVENTION!.....at someone else's expense......BUT DIVINE INTERVENTION! hahahah so cool! kinda.........anyway! THERE WERE MANY OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON THE BUS! hahahhaha but that was one of the craziest ones!

     It has been my first week in this area and as a Sister Training Leader! Kinda weird! and a HUGE change!! But i LOVE sister Tenney my new companion! She is from Snowflake Arizona and has been out a year! 

     We had our ward Christmas party on saturday and it was a ball! So fun and weird to be back in a YSA ward! but so fun! I Love this time of the year as well!!!!

      I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior from the world! So many people are in DARKNESS! I loved what Elder Bednar said at the Christmas devotional! He was talking about Darkness and light and he was talking about the nephites who were in COMPLETE darkness for 3 days! No sun, no moon, no stars, we talk about it but its hard to imagine! and then he said that when Christ came, the 1st words he used to describe himself was "the light"! light penetrates ALL Darkness! not just some types of darkness...but all darkness! ") what a blessing! 

     ANYWAY! that is me! It is a beautiful life here in milwaukee! The sun is shining..........sometimes...... :) hahaha but i wouldn't rather be ANYWHERE else! :) i KNOW that The book of Mormon is a true book! It shows me that God still talks to us and always will! i love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Because I have been given much i too must give!

-Sister Wise

Bing Crosby said it best...:"I'm Dreamin' of a WHITE THANKSGIVING"

23 November 2015

well! It happened! IT SNOWED!!!!!!!!! and when it rains it pours! THERE IS SNOW EVERYWHERE! hahaha its fun!!!!! its really fun to watch your companion (who has never seen falling snow might I add) just look out the window the WHOLE time during studies! hhahaha SO FUNNY! I may or may not have thrown snowballs at her! She doesn't really know how to make them so I have the advantage!

     Well I don't have a ton of time! BUT elder Schwitzer of the 70 came to our mission this week! HE IS A SERVANT OF THE LORD and you can't deny it! He was funny, he was captivating, he used parables and he was passionate about all he had prepared to talk with us about!!!! it was great! I felt the spirit so strongly!!!

       BIG NEWS: SHELBY AND ABBIE were baptized on Saturday the 21st! MY little sisters birthday!!! WHOOP WHOOP! (welcome to adulthood mal mal) haha and also my grandma wise's birthday! I feel her helping me in my missionary service everyday! :)

      But the baptism went well! Shelby and abbie were so happy!!!!! :) the ward all came and the speakers were well prepared! I was so pleased but more importantly the Lord was pleased! He is pleased! I know that this is what He wants for them! And then their father (who is not yet a member) said the closing prayer and it was such a great and genuine prayer! I know that he cares for his daughters! :)

      IT WAS SO CRAZY TO SEE PICTURES OF MY SISTER WITH JESSICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for those who don't know! Jessica is a girl that we have been teaching for some time! She is supposed to be baptized in 2 weeks! and she went to BYU and BYUI to see some friends this week and she met up with my sister, Madison! She sent pictures to a member and he showed me! I WAS SO EXCITED! She thought maddy and I were twins! Almost but not quite! hahaha :) I love my sister! It was weird to see my two worlds collide! :) ahhahhaha

      Well I best be goin! FOR THERE IS A WORK FOR ME TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but I LOVE this work! I thought about it! And we were walking in snow that was almost knee deep and it was COLD and I was in a skirt!..........talkin about all sorts of uncomfortable! hahaha and I just thought "I wouldn't rather be ANYWHERE else!!! I love these people! I love this mission! I love my mission president! I love my companion! I love my s upportive family! I love my supportive friends! BUT most importantly I love my Savior! and I love His Father! Who is also my Father!

      I KNOW that this is the true church! It kinda  hit me today like a load of bricks! I was listening to a talk by Jeffery R Holland! And he was talking about how this church is true and there is no way it could have been man made and I just thought "Woah.....he has got a point there! Woah! This is true! WOAH!" it was awesome!!!!! Its so true! And I am reminded of that everyday! I love you all!

 

Because I have been Given much I too must give!!!!

 

-Sister Wise

There are TWO very important days in a woman's life: the day she was born, and the day she finds out WHY"

I love this quote! I was reading in the conference edition in the Ensign and came across this quote earlier last week! I loved it! I have realized that the reason i have been born is to teach the gospel and to live the gospel and to share that joy that it has brought me with others!! I love this gospel! 

    I found out a few days ago that i am being transferred! I have been in this area for my whole mission! hahaha Its crazy! 1/3 of my mission was spent in southern milwaukee county! :) haha now I have been called to serve in the Milwaukee Young Single Adult ward! I am so excited! It will for sure be a different experience! we (from what i hear) will be doing A LOT of street contacting on the campus of Marquette University in downtown milwaukee! I am so excited! This will be WAY different! it will be cool to teach some people my age..ish! hahaha :)

    Our last district meeting was on Tuesday! We each stood and bore our testimonies of the restored gospel and how the atonement of Jesus Christ has changed us! I stood and talked about the people who i have taught! I have seen them go from "I am a vile sinner and can never be forgiven of the wrongs i have done" to see them say things like "It doesn't matter what i have done! He will forgive me! He will make promises with me! He will love me!" and that has been the thing that has kept me goin! The doors slam in our faces at times and we get yelled at....BUT there is NOTHIN better than telling someone that they don't have to be weighed down my guilt anymore! they can be forgiven! and people get so excited when we tell them! 

     Thanksgiving was THE BEST THING EVER!!!!!!!!!! I am so grateful for the opportunity i have to be a missionary! something really cool happened on Thanksgiving! We were at a dinner appointment and i said to sister peterson "after this we should go minister to people!" hahaha so we left the dinner appointment and she said "okay what do you want to do???" as i was driving i saw a mcdonalds and thought! "okay no one wants to work on Thanksgiving!" so we drove to the drive through and got like a parfait or something and as we went to the widnow to pay the girl I rolled down the window and said "Hello! Whats your name?" "Emma" "Emma! Well Emma can we sing to you????" and so we said "Happy Thanksgiving day to you [...]" she was SO EXCITED and her smile was priceless!!!!! and then we gave her a pass along card with our number on it!

     But then later that day i told a bunch of other missionaries about it! And so we all went to a gas station during black friday shopping and went in and sang to the guy working in there! and after we were done the elders talked about the Book of Mormon a little bit! and this guy said "that is crazy because i was feeling SO DOWN earlier today and really missin my family! but you all made me VERY happy! God bless you!" It was the greatest! 

Well this email in a novel! :) i love you all! I know that Jesus Christ lives! As we listen to Him and live by His teachings, it will forever mainstream the Church of Jesus Christ! I love you!

"Because I have been given much i too must give!"
-Sister Wise

"I LOVE THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR"

 So something kind of cool is that sister peterson spoke in church and she used a poem i wrote! And i realized that i haven't shared it with any of you!!!! only my companions and now my ward! I wrote it for personal progress because i restarted personal progress on my mission! Its a poem written from the point of view of the prodigal son!:

              "when i came to myself and changed my ways it was so very hard to see, that even though I had been a disgrace...My Savior, He still loved me.

I do not think i understood the atonement that was made. Nor did I understand by what means and how my guilt and sorrows should fade! But i write to you now as a different man! A man of God on High! And if you ask "How can this be?" I'll assure you the reason why! I have faith in my Savior, The Lord, Jesus Christ and His capacity to forgive! And so from this time, and forever more! I shall look to Him and live."

I was grateful that my companion shared that! It helped me as i wrote it recognize the faith i had in Jesus Christ! She pointed out something interesting in her talk! She said "We focus on the definition given in the Bible Dictionary when it says 'Faith is a hope for things which are not seen, which are true!'" but then she went on to explain that we forget the last part of the definition! It must be centered in Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation! IT MUST BE IN JESUS CHRIST! i could have faith in the greenbay packers or faith in my ward or mission leaders! But if i don't first and foremost have faith in Jesus Christ, it won't matter what other things i do have faith in! I know that! but anyway! hahaha

HOLY SMOKES HOLY SMOKES HOLY SMOKES!!!!!!! Who knew smoke could be so holy right????? hahaha okay! So last p-day sister peterson and i were walking in the mall looking for a place to get snow boots! we walked into Kohls! we get 5 feet in the store and then we hear....as clear as day! "I love the mormon tabernacle choir!" we look at each other and then walk outside! we saw a woman sitting on a bench outside the store! I walked up to her and said "Um hi...do you like the mormon tabernacle choir???" and she said "Yeah why???" and I said "Well we are mormon!!!" and she said "Woah no way!!!!!" anyway! Her name is mary! She thought that we weren't christians and that we hate the catholics! and i said "Nope not true not true mary!!!!" and we taught her the restoration! And then invited her to baptized! She said YES!!!!! WOAH! :) hahaha so cool! It was a mini miracle! ACTUALLY!....who are we kidding!?!?!?? ITS A MIRACLE ! A HUGE FULL BLOWN MIRACLE! hahaha

     well hello friends!!!! How are you!?!?!? It has been QUITE the week! I love being a missionary!!!!!!!! This week was full of a LOT of service! We helped the friend of a member move out of her house! There were 4 other elders there! Sister Peterson and I were quite the team! lifting dressers and mattresses and couches! it was great! This woman needed the help! We and the elders were so glad to help! I love serving!

       It was also really cool to go into downtown milwaukee with the spanish elders and teach a woman who was deaf! We came a long with the donich family! They sign because their daughter is deaf as well!! It was a different expereince, speaking to someone who cannot hear you! however i knew that even though we were not hearing the same things, we were feeling the same thing. the spirit! I am grateful for the universal language of love! I know that is how God communicates with us! 

      I know that this is the true church! I have found it out for myself! Although i was born under the covenant that my parents made in the temple I had to find for myself and 'wrestle with God" (as Enos writes) to gain a knowledge of this gospel and the truthfulness of it! I know that this is the true church on the earth! I know this because I know the one who stands at the head of it! Jesus Christ!

     I wanted to end this email with a REALLY cool story i heard!:

There was a man performing at a theater! Many came to watch him in a play! He had a talent, or even a gift, to speak! He spoke with such clarity and such loudness that everyone in the theater could hear him exactly! After the show the MC came out and said "Wasn't that GREAT!? before we end tonight we would like to invite the star of our show to come out here and to quote "Psalm 23" the man came out and started "The Lord is my shepherd....etc."when he finished the audience was clapping and standing! 

    The Mc came back out and invited an older gentleman to come out of the audience! The man struggled to make his way to the stage, for he was old and weak! The man made it to the microphone and was invited to also quote Psalm 23! As he choked out the verse holding back tears he said "The Lord is my shepherd...etc" he finished and the audience was left in tears! The MC came back out, thanked the man and turned to t he audience and 

 said: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the first man knew psalm 23. The second man knew the shepherd."

I know the shepherd as He has shown me that He wants to know me! we can each know him as we study him and have faith! I know it! I love you all!!!

"Because I have been given much i too must give"

-Sister Ashton Louise Wise

Me- "Do you believe that Jospeh Smith is a Prophet of God?" Her-"uummm TBD" Me- "okay.....ummm.......how can we make that just a ....D?...."

-Here are some awesome socks a member gave us....i thought it was pretty exciting! haha 

Well hello dear friends and family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

           MAN OH MAN!!!!!!!!!!! this is the true church of Christ! I know that! I know that our Prophet Thomas S. Monson is a man of God and INSPIRED! :) I know that the Book of Mormon is true! I know this for myself! I know that ETERNAL LIFE IS FAMILY LIFE! This concept is stressed SO INTENSELY in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Mission! I know that Joseph Smith is no liar! And if people say he is a liar! They are only fulfilling prophecy which was given my the angel moroni when he said that Josephs name would be used for both good and evil! :) 

            We have an investigator named Sara who has a friend in Utah who is helping her gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon! We invited her to kneel in prayer with us right there and ask if the Book of Mormon was true! That was THE MOST SINCERE PRAYER I HAVE EVER HEARD LEAVE SOMEONES LIPS!! WOW! it was great! I know that God will answer her prayers!

            So to explain the title! We met with Jessica our investigator and we read her the baptismal questions! To some she said yes and to others she said TBD (To be determined)......and after she said TBD, i didn't know what to say! So i paused...and sister peterson didn't say anything....and so i just said kinda slowly and awkwardly. "mmkkayyy....? how can we...make....that go from TBD....to just D?" hahahaha this made me WISH that missionaries were forced to memorize the lessons because I sounded sssoooooooo dumb hahahaha but thats okay! Jess Loves us anyway! Hopefully she gets a D soon! hahaha?

           It is a great life here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this sweet sweet ward! We had an awesome youth fireside that was on missionary work and we had it combined with the youth and missionaries from two other wards! We showed an awesome mormon message and talked about how being a friend to people is missionary work in its self! 

          We brought a less active girl who is a little rough around the edges to a lesson with us! We had been thinking about her A TON last week! And we talked with her mom ( the girl is our age) and asked what she thought and we came to a conclusion that she should help us teach shelby and abbie (who are being baptized on the 21st My little sisters b-day!!!!)) BUT THIS LESS ACTIVE GIRL DID WONDERS!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE BROUGHT THE SPIRIT that she didn't know she could bring anymore! We are going to dinner at her house later this week! We can't wait to continue to help her faith grow!!!!!!! 

           funniest thing of this week was definitely playing bingo at a nursing home with a woman in our ward! hahahahaha i can see why they like it! Its intense! So here we are playing bingo....and this round was black out! and i got a black out! So i just yell "YYYYAAAAAAHHHHHOOOOOO!!!!!!!" and pretty sure some hearing aids broke! They were like "What the devil!? Who is that young whiper shnapper! oh shes a mormon!!!" haha okay not that last part! but their reactions were PRICELESS! There are many other stories to tell!!!!!!! BUT! Not enough time! Love you all!!!!!!!!!!

"Because I have been Given Much i too must Give"

-Sister Wise

"Persecutions may rage! Mobs may combine! Armies may assemble" and the Greenbay Packers may loose even though they were 6-0..

p.s. here are some pictures of Hermana Casas, Sister Osburn, Hermana Martinez, Sister Quist, Sister Petserson and me! :) 

November 2, 2015
HAHAHA OKAY first of all! It is a REAL THING! people make us get out of their house so they can watch the game! hahaha The streets are empty,The stores have nothing, the bars...haha...those are NEVER EMPTY! haha BUT in all seriousness it has been an AWESOME WEEK!!!!!!!! 

     something SUPER cool happened! So we met up with an investigator at Barnes and Noble! But before we did that we had a dinner appointment with the Leo family! and when were at the leo's i felt a strong prompting to open up a copy of the Book of Mormon they had on their table and to start reading before we ate! I did so! I read in Alma when it talks about the resurrection and life after death! I put the book down and said "okay...?" haha and ate dinner! and then we go to barnes and noble where we were going to read in the book of Enos with our investigator! But before we could she said "Sorry i can't really focus! I went to a funeral earlier this week and just cant get that off my mind!" and i said "WHAT?????? THATS GREAT!" and proceeded to tell her what I had read earlier! it was just TESTIMONY TO ME! that the God cares about EACH of us! but mostly that the book of mormon is TRUE it answers questions of the soul! Really! Truly it does! I love the book!

I AM JUST SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THE BOOK OF MORMON! I was reading in it earlier this week and it was talking about the stick of Judah and stick of Ephraim and it talks about how the bible at once contained to fullness of the gospel but does not anymore! It was prophecy that a book would come forth that did contain the fullness of the gospel! and its the Book of Mormon! So now when i give the book of mormon to someone i now know that i am FULFILLING PROPHECY! SO COOL! 

 

The purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to help us access the healing and enabling power of Christ's ATONEMENT! I learned this in the MTC! How am i saved? A: Through the atonement of Jesus Christ! How do we ACCESS that atonement?: Through having Faith, repenting, being baptized by someone who holds the authority to do so along with receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end (AKA The fullness of the gospel). and Where can i learn or read about the fullness of the gospel? A: The Book of Mormon!  The book of mormon gives us the steps and necessary changes we must make to be forgiven and healed! It is so important for the world to feel this!!! :) Because as we feel forgiven we are more inclined to, like nephi, "Frankly forgive". THIS is what the world NEEDS!!!!

Okay! Something else and then i am done! haha...we had stake conference this past week!!! and our stake president talked about planes and how a plane ride can be likened to our daily lives! when they say "The cabin lights will be dimmed, but you have personal lights above you! Feel free to turn them on at any time during the flight!" He likened this to the darkening lights of the cabin (The world) the world is increasing in darkness! But we need not fear! For we have a personal light above us! I am so grateful for this personal light! His name is Jesus Christ! And he guides ME! Me personally! I have straight access to His grace and His power! 

I love you all!!!! It was a fabulous week! It always is when we are in the service of our fellow man and our God! May we ALWAYS serve Him!!! I love you all!!!!!

"Because I have been given much i too must give"

-Sister Ashton Wise

ps.s. here are the Barley's (senior couple who just went home :) and I

p.s.s.s. here is donna! She is a member who we work with and who has some wicked awesome sewing skills!

"IM BEARING MY TESTIMONY AS HARD AS I CAN!"

October 26, 2015

Hello hello hello friends and family! So the story behind the title is this:

     SO our investigator Richard (who found on the side of the road and who is supposed to be baptized) came to church and then came to a baptism! After the baptism we talked with him and he said "In all honesty i don't want to have to make the changes to be baptized and i was just BEARING MY TESTIMONY SO HARD! like SSOOOOOOOOOOOOOO so hard! he was saying no and i was saying "you sure????" and he said yes and i said "CHECK YOUR EARS ARE YOU SURE!?!?!?!?!?!" hahahahah and i just said "Richard! WE CAN BE BAPTIZED INTO EVERY CHURCH ON THIS EARTH, but if its not by someone who has the authority of God to do so, then we are ignoring the commandment of Jesus Christ when He said "Follow me!" " and he just said "no....." hahahahhhahaha i couldn't help but laugh afterwards even though i was SUPER bummed! Because i was SERIOUSLY exhausted after that lesson! I seriously did bear my testimony sUPAh hard! ahhaha :) oh richard...give it time....he'll come around! :)

    but this week has been a razy week! all of my friends went home! IT WAS TRANSFERS! (insert dramatic music here)! but it was coool because we had the opportunity to take the missionaries going home tracting and out to work with us before they went home! It was really really cool! 

    OH! okay! So it was really cool because we went to go see Charlene (Recent convert of l like a month!) and she said to us "you know...i think being a senior missionary in Salt Lake would be pretty cool and i was doin a part dance in my head! I AM SO PUMPED FOR HER! We are focusing on getting her to the temple right now though!  Hopefully soon! :)

    OH! And as we were walking in to charlenes apartment complex this woman was outside and we were talking to her and she was all like "I need God in my life" and we said "OH WE CAN HELP WITH THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)" hahaha and so we went back to her house and her name is daisy. daisy has had a ROUGH life! and holy cow...i thought i was back at good ol' VALLIVUE HIGH SCHOOL because the woman had the mouth of a sailor! WWWOOOOOWWWWW! hahahaha i was just singin "Be still my soul" In my head the whole time! hahhahahah oh dear daisy! She has potential! haha  

WELL!!!!!! FRIENDS FAMILY LOVED ONES! it was good emailing you! :) i love you all! BUT MOST OF ALL!

I know that this is the ONLY true church! This i know by the Spirit! I  know that Jesus Christ is my Savior! He knows me! and He STILL Loves me despite all of my wicked ways! I will see Him one day! I know that as well! I will not know any better then  than i know now, that He is God's only begotten son in the flesh! He lives! I know it! I know that Jospeh Smith restored the Gospel to the earth! He wouldn't have made all of this up! He is no liar! :I love him and hope to thank him one day! Love you all!

-SIster Ashton Louise Wise

"Because I have been given much i too must give" 

p.s. saw a new sister who flew in on tuesday! Asked her where shes from....Meridian Idaho! Ask her if she knew the Benjamins......Dawn does her hair! I yelled "SHE DOES MY HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)" hahhha it was great!

This is emerson! He left for a mission to albania today! GUNNA MISS THAT KID! we took him to alot of lessons! He will be a GREAT missionary! :)

80 Dollar Cheese and Tracting Miracles!

October 19, 2015
hahaha okay so first things first!..... I.saw.cheese.for.80 dollars! no no....not 18....80! YOU HEARD ME! hahaha that is CRAZY! Cheese....its whats for dinner! Every night....for 18months! hahaha its the best! It was aged sharp chedar! and i...bought it! 

ha kidding!

     OKAY BUT REALLY! So Sister Peterson and I, one fine thursday morning were out and about and the spirit said "Go knock on some doors and teach truth!"...so i told sister peterson! "Okay...lets tract!" keep in mind! She is from Arizona! Its cold here! hahaha So bless her soul! She agreed and we were knockin on some doors!.........i wish i could say that it was successful...hahaha but...not the case.....and so sister peterson said "Alright lets go!" and then i said "Wait wait wait wait! ONE MORE! I PROMISE!" and i felt such a STRONG desire to go to this rather sketchy lookin house!....and so we did! I knock and out comes one of the most PLEASANT MEN I HAVE ENCOUNTERED ON A MISSION! He reminded me of MY father! :) He was so nice! He had all daughters (Like my father) he was tall (like my father) but he didn't believe in God (Definitely not like my father! hahaha) and we were talkin and he said "Yeah i know all about you mormons!" and i said "Yeah?? What do you know???" and he starts talkin! Then i mention that we have a prophet and he said "Wait!....you believe there is a prophet on the earth??? Whats his name???" At the beginning i was skeptical and i thought he was going to start making fun of our beliefs but i said "Thomas monson!" and he was SO EXCITED! and it was genuine! He invited us to come back this week! and talk about it! IT WAS SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It went from being a not so great tracting experience to being AWESOME! :) pretty exciting! Or in the words of my dad "THATS PRETTY NEAT!"

    

    So something pretty funny that happened this week was this:

There was a new missionary meeting up in Oshkosh wisconsin for the missionaries who have been out 6 weeks and their trainers! So sister Peterson and i drove up there with some other sisters and were trained by President and sister cutler and the assistants to president cutler! So president cutler wanted all of the new missionaries to practice teaching on a trainer who is not your companion! And so an elder comes up to me and he starts talkin to me! He asked me what my "Name" was! (usually when you role play you use a fake name) but this time i just thought "What the hey! I will just use my real name" and so i told him "My name is ashton" and he said "Okay really sister wise, a boy name???" and i said ...."yeah....thats my real name......" and he just got SO EMBARRASSED and then all of the others were giving him a hard time! But he taught well, so that was good! haha but he spent the rest of the meeting making apologetic remarks! hhahaha it was hilarious!

    

     One of the MOST INCREDIBLE experiences occurred this week!!!!! We found a man named Richard on the side of the road a few weeks back! He was in his yard pickin up acorns and we started talkin to him! Richard came to church yesterday! He loved it! We had a former stake president speak, a harp musical number, and a missionary farewell! (emerson ellsworth Shout out!) but he totally felt the spirit! Then he went to priesthood meetings with my mission president! and then we took him on a  church tour!!!! So we got into the chapel and the thought came to me "Sit him down, play the piano, and let this man feel the spirit!" so we sat him down and i began to play!...I am NOT confident in my piano skills and didn't really think i had a talent for it, but here i was using a talent to bring a man to Christ! It was cool! after that we asked how he felt and informed him, that if we felt prompted by the spirit, we would invite him to be baptized at the end of the tour! So we take him to the font and invited him and he said yes!!!!!!! We knelt and prayed right there!!!!! it was so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is like a grandpa to me! The man is like 76! He is great! :) 

     This is incredible! This work is incredible! I am so happy because " I repent everyday!" like they said in the womens broadcast! :) i am so grateful for this gospel! It is through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we unlock the blessings of the Savior's atonement! I am so grateful for that atonement! I love you all!!!!!!!! Shout out to my ridiculously adorable niece and her parents for dressing up like wisconsin cows for halloween! :) (well played) LOVE YOU!

Because I have been Given Much I too Must Give!

-Sister Wise 

HOLY SMOKES!!!!! CHARLENE IS ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!

October 12, 2015
WOW! okay! SO FIRST THINGS FIRST! My Zone Leaders called us on sunday night and asked two things 1) Sister Wise, can you put together a musical number? and 2) can charlene speak at Zone Training Meeting?? IN FRONT OF LIKE 50 MISSIONARIES! ahahha and so we said yes to both requests and proceeded to call Charlene! 

    She was a little hesitant, but she put her faith in the Lord and said yes! Which is a big deal for her! Even though she really is actually a fabulous public speaker! so she came, come tuesday morning, and she did SUUCCHHH AN AMMMMAAAZZZINNNGGGGG JOB!!!!!! She said some things I never had hear before! She said that she was feeling really depressed before we knocked on her door! She said "My whole life has been a struggle! I thought it was always going to be!" And she talked about how the church has changed her life! SHE BORE SOLEMN TESTIMONY OF THE MASTER! I was so grateful! It has been amazing to see her grow! To see this woman! Who had no concept of her divine identity prior to the restored gospel of Christ entering her heart and life, come and strengthen MY testimony TREMENDOUSLY! of course she was in tears and so were all of the missionaries! I love that woman! She has become my dear friend! AND GET THIS! SHE IS MOVING TO IDAHO with her daughter! She can never get rid of me now! I told her that i will be there when she goes through the temple! :)

     Okay! So another sweet experience! We had a lesson with our investigator is tate! We didn't know what to teach because he has been taught EVERYTHING! his mom just wont consent for him to be baptized! :( but that is okay! We continue teaching! But we totally wrote him a song!!!! Its to the tune of "I hope they call me on a mission" and we sang it for him:

      We know that you want to be baptized

       you want to show the Lord you care!

      We know your strong desires to serve Him

       He knows your heart He knows your name...and Tate, HE CARES!

(insert guitar solo here) haha ...kidding.....i'm more feelin the bongos

       We know that one day when you're baptized,

       You'll feel a light you want to share!

       You'll get your nametag and your best suit! 

       And serve along with the Lord! You'll sure make a great pair!

YAY! hahaha so we sang that to him! It was awesome! He loved it! We had fun! And it is something he will always remember!!!!!!!! But the really sweet thing was AFTER the lesson we always race tate and his little sister to the end of the drive way and they say bye to us at our car and we drive away! And this time i opened the door and Teirny,Tates little sister, saw our pass-along cards we give away! It had a picture of Christ on it! She said "Can i have some!?" and i said "Yeah you have any friends you want to give it to???" and she said "YEAH!" and then we got in the car, and i was typing some things on the GPS and we watched her go across the street to some neighbors playing with their dad and she gave each of them pictures of Christ! Then she pointed at us and we waved! hahaha It was SO SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sharing the gospel is EASY! :) we make it a little hard sometimes! :)

    ANYWAY! It has been a fabulous week! I thank each of you for your love and support!!!! these have been the GREATEST MONTHS OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!! :) they are going far too fast! but i just want to bear my testimony on the sabbath day! It really is a delight! I am so grateful for the SACRAMENT! What an incredible gift! THINK OF IT! It is the only ordinance that is repeated for ourselves!!! It is special! It is a gift! I am grateful for sacrament meeting and for the spirit that is felt in it! I was thinking back and realized that it was in a sacrament meeting in Nampa, Idaho that the spirit bore witness to me that my Father wanted me to serve a mission!!!!!  SACRAMENT MEETING CAN BE A TIME TO RECEIVE REVELATION IF WE LET IT! :) I love you all! I KNOW that Jesus is the Christ! I KNOW that joseph smith is a prophet of God! I know that when people talk bad about him, it is only evidence that the prophecy is being fulfilled that his name would be used for both good and evil! I know that President Monson is a Prophet of God and that he and his counselors and the 12 apostles are special witnesses of Jesus Christ! I am grateful to be in a dispensation that is lead by a living prophet! I KNOW that this email is super duper long! I LOVE YOU ALL!

From America's Dairyland to you! 

Sister Ashton Louise Wise

"Because I have been given much i too must give!"

"EXALTATION IS OUR GOAL, DISCIPLESHIP IS OUR JOURNEY" -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Wow! what a week! GENERAL CONFERENCE IS LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) I woke up Saturday morning singing "ITS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!" haha which may surprise many of you because i never was a morning person! But I have repented of my irritated morning person ways and wake up at 630 every morning EXCITED TO BE ON A MISSION! 

      General Conference was INCREDIBLE (as it always is)! What was really incredible was seeing 3 new apostles being called to take their place on the stand! WOW!!!!!! I was with my mission president while we were watching it and he just kept saying "Wow....What a brother hood!" 

     I personally loved President Russel M Nelson's address about female leaders in the church! It has inspired me to be a little better! And each time I get better and repent and grow, my sphere of influence grows that much more! And when our sphere's on influence grow, we are able to share the light of Christ with MORE PEOPLE! Isn't it wonderful??? Leadership, or should i say Christ-like leadership, is never for the man or womans personal gain! It is for the service of our fellow man and  ultimately for our God! HOW COOL!

       I really need to go.....BUT i just want to say ONE MORE SUPER COOL THING! Charlene Downey! OH MY HEAVENS THAT WOMAN! hahaha Charlene was just baptized over 2 weeks ago! We have started teaching the new member lessons! We decided to make it more interesting we would have her roleplay with us....we would be people investigating the church, and she would be a full-time missionary! hahaha so we sat on her couch and I put my nametag on her, and she just WENT! SHE TAUGHT BEAUTIFULLY! She taught us where we came from! Why we were here! Why we go through hard times! and where we go when we die! And I just thougt "Holy taledo! This woman needs to serve a mission dang it!" And so i said "Charlene!What if you served a mission?????" And she said "That would be GREAT!" So we will see if this happens! But she wants to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D and ALSO! Charlene has aggreed to speak to our zonetomorrow!!!!!!!!!! And tell her conversion story! CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU ALL!

I KNOW MILLIONS SHALL KNOW BROTHER JOSEPH SMITH AGAIN! I KNOW THAT GOD IS WAITING FOR ME AND PREPARING A MANSION ABOVE FOR ME I KNOW THAT JESUS CHRIST IS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Sister Ashton Wise

EARL WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!

holy cow what a WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a ton happened this week, but i would have to say that the coolest was earl being baptized!!!!!!! for those who dont know earl is a man that I found one day walking with sister palmer and I just felt the spirit prompt me to go and talk to him! Anyway! A few lessons after we invited him to be baptized and then found out he is not in our ward boundaries so the elders in another ward are now teaching him!!!!!!!!! it was just SO COOL to see this process from start to finish! To see someone having NO knowledge of the gospel to eventually following the example of Jesus Christ and being baptized!!!!!! SUCH a cool experience! and sister peterson, myself, sister quist and sister osburn sang at the baptism! Cool experience!

    Something else great was the fact that we had WOMENS CONFERENCE! our investigator marie came!!!!! We watched it at the bishops house with his wife and like 20 other women from the ward! hhahah it was PACKED! it was fun though!!!!! Right before that we had a lesson with marie and invited her to be baptized!!!!!!!!!!! OCTOBER 17th BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) sister peterson is doing so well with her teaching! SO PROUD! yahooo!!!!!!!! hahaha

Anyway! I have no time but shout out to MY BIG SISTER KENNEDY WHO'S HAVING A BABY GIRL!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA!!!!!!!!!!!! WWAAAHHHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Wise is an acronym....

W. We

I. Invite

S. Some

E. Estrogen 

and don't you forget it! hahahaha 8 women!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! #allgirls #treveryouloveit 

on a another bright note! something kinda funny yesterday!!!!!! So every morning we recite the standard of truth which is a quote by Joseph Smith and part of it says "The standard of truth has been erected! No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing! persecutions may rage mo bs may combine armies may assemble and calumny may defame..." hahaha and we were at a dinner appointment last night and i was helping cut some onions and BBOOOMMMMMMM sliced my finger!!!! It actually didn't hurt too bad but that sucker was bleeding! And I kept cutting because...well...i don't know....haha and sister Jepson said "Sister Wise! Stop! you have a good work ethic but you don't have to be go go go all the time! haha" (this woman is a senior missionary) and the first thing that came to my mind I just yelled "Hey! No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing!" hahahaha #missionaryjokes it was way funny!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahaha but anyway! My fingers okay! I get stitches tomorrow!! HAHAHA JOKES! hahaha but yeah! good times! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for your love and support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are all awesome! Keep the faith! stay by the tree! Read the Book of Mormon! EVERYDAY EVERY DAY EVERYDAY!!!!! :) LLLOOOVVVVVVVEEEEE!!!!!!!

"Because I have been given much i too must give
 

-Sister Wise

p.s. the weather is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!! Wisconsin is GORGEOUS in the fall!!!!!!! 

p.s.s. we ride out bikes a TON

p.s.s.s. life is goood!

p.s.s.s.s. God is greater :)

oh and here is this gem! :) this woman is a doll!!!! Her name is claudia!! She is home bound and we go see her every week! Sister Cutler came with us and sent me this picture today! :)

This is our morning workout! Run to a park and we do crossfit! Sister peterson is a stud! We are getting BUFF!!!!! Gotta have SOMETHING to thrust our sickles with! hahaha

Service project!!!! hahahaha got super muddy!!!!

"Charlene you have to be baptized again!" -"Sister Wise! Did you put them up to this??" haha

Sis. Rachel Peterson, Sis. Ashton Wise, Charlene, Sis. Kimber Palmer, Sis. Ashley Green

Well holy cow!!!!!!!!  WHAT A WEEK! To be honest all of the weeks are just BLENDING in to each other!!! I can definitely say that it was a good week though!!!!! I love this work! There is a lot to look forward to in the Wisconsin Milwaukee mission!

     I got to have an awesome interview with President Cutler and be taught by him! That is always a blessing!!!!! I also got to give a training in our district training meeting on Moroni on characteristics i admire about him and how we can become like him!!!!! OH! and I was asked to give a talk on wednesday and give it on sunday (yesterday) that was really awesome and fun to prepare!  I never thought i like public speaking! But i guess i do! i just love to teach!!! The Spirit is the teacher actually...so i just like to be the one who delivers it to the ears and the spirit delivers it to their hearts!!! but anywway! It was a good opportunity!

    BUT OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHARLENE WAS BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT was such an amazing experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I helped her get into her jumpsuit and then i went outside to help her to her chair and then i saw her daughter!!! Jennifer is a member in Idaho and has been the only member since she was 18! Her mom didn't attend her baptism and hated the church!!!! It was a MIRACLE that charlene's heart was softened! She loves the book of mormon! I feel SO PRIVILEGED to have taught her! I really do love her! It was an experience i will never forget! I saw then that the purpose of baptism is much more than just to save a soul! It is to unite families! And as my mission president SO OFTEN says "eternal life is family life!" How true that is! It was also pretty cool to have ALL OF MY COMPANIONS there! My trainer and the two sisters that i trained!!!! SO COOL! We all taught charlene and all could be there to witness her baptism!!! What a blessing!

      I know that this is the true church! Every time i teach and every time I bear my witness of the truth i feel my testimony lighting on FIRE! haha I feel like a light that can't be put out! I love this work! I love this message that I have to share I love the trust that God has put into me! I love my family! I love that They have the same burning testimony that I do!!!!!! I KNOW that Jesus is the Christ! I know that there is a prophet on the earth! And He was called of God! He does not call Himself! He does not run to be prophet! He does not get voted in! He is chosen from on high! I know it! 

 I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ENJOY THE PICTURES!

Because I have been Given Much, I TOO must Give"

-Sister Wise

My Trainer! Sister Ashley Green! (in the blue)

Sister Kimber Palmer (in red skirt) trained her last transfer! 

This is Regina Hastings! She was baptized almost a year ago and she and i both spoke in church on sunday!!!! It was her fist talk! SHE ROCKED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!