Goodbye's and MTC Drop Off

Mom, Dad, Mal, and Ash drove to Utah on Tuesday, April 21. They got to see the Sydney and Ben, attend the temple, and go to dinner at PF Changs.  While they were attending the temple Ashton started talking with a temple worker, as they talked Ashton shared that she was reporting the next day to the MTC to go to Milwaukee, sure enough that temple worker's granddaughter was reporting that next day to the very same mission!
The next morning they had a little time to get some last minute items before she reported. They took some pictures in the grass just east of the MTC, a nice elder asked if he could help take a group picture of everyone. As they talked with him, they found out that he too was going to Milwaukee! Ashton was so excited to have some connections. She is great at talking with others and will be a wonderful missionary.

 Mallory, Sydney, Ben, and of course Ashton :) 

Fist pump of confidence as she said goodbye for the last time. Mom cried and cried!

 Driving up to the MTC drop off!!

Ashton and Madison saying goodbye before Maddy left for college

Ashton saying goodbye to Ken and Chandler before they flew out.

Chandler is clearly saying, "Come back Ashton!"

Farewell Talk

Ashton opened her talk by saying, "Hi, I'm Ashton Wise and I have been called to serve in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and I will be speaking WisCANsin". Then she told  a few jokes about how she has "already packed two BEGS of luggage" and some other CHEESEy jokes :)   Of Ashton's talk it was said, "She make me laugh, she made me cry, and I felt the Spirit". That is a pretty good missionary right there!

Ashton called me the evening after her farewell and told me how touched she was to have family and friends come and support her, she was almost in tears. It is so amazing to have great people around to cheer her on.

 Kam Wheeler, Mallory Wheeler, baby Collyns, Madison, Mallory, cousin Versailles, Ashton, Mom, cousin Cannon, Aunt Lorri, Dad  (many other family members attended but didn't get to stick around for pictures)

 Ashton and Dakota Anselmo 

 Mallory, Ashton, Maddy... Mall missed the glasses memo ;)

Photo Session

All the missionaries these days have lovely photos taken before they leave on their mission. Ashton's were professionally taken by dad and choreographed by mom :) They turned out great!

 On the corner of Ash, and Wisconsin! 

 I believe this chair has some family history story behind it... maybe Tom Carr's school chair. We will have to have mom validate that. For all I know it is a cute antique that was bought at a second hand store!

Baby it's cold outside! 

Temple Endowment

Soon after Ashton's call she was able to schedule her own live Endowment session in the Boise temple. She was endowed on March 24, 2015 (dad's birthday). Luckily, I got to be there for my own sister's special day. Mallory was back at home babysitting Chandler and I prayed that it wouldn't traumatize Mal and deter her from having children of her own (all went well and Chandler was an angel!)

Ashton was a little nervous for the unknown of the temple, but felt so much more calm as she read the scriptures with mom and dad and received counsel from her leaders. She had taken temple prep and had read various articles and books on preparing to enter.

It was a special day! The family and friends that were able to attend served as proxy for the family history names we had brought with us.

Wise Family, Boise Idaho temple 

Mom and Ash went early for Initatory 

What a great happy birthday present to dad! 

Left to right: Aunt Lorri Carr,  Dad Eric Wise, Ashton Wise, Mom Maurine Wise, Sister Kennedy Nicoll, BFF Laurie Navarro, BFF Rob Navarro. (not pictured: Dawn Benjamin, Mom Laurie Nelson, Dad Brent Nelson) 

Ashton with her recommend.

Opening The Call

Welcome to Ashton's mission blog, this is written by Kennedy M. Nicoll, trustee of the Ashton Fund. Ashton can add stories when she gets home, until then the stories get to be told the way I see them :)


SHOULD I GO ON A MISSION?! Ashton had first considered going on a full-time service mission to Salt Lake City. This seemed like a great fit for Ashton... minus the fact that she was responsible to find her own housing and transportation.. and she didn't have a companion. Really that type of mission may be better suited for someone who already lives in the SLC area and wants to serve.  Later, Ashton felt like she should pray to know what do to. She felt like going on a full-time proselyting was the will of the Lord for her, and she began her papers.


THE ENVELOPE: Ash submitted her papers and got her call like 24 hours later! ok that is an exaggeration, but they seriously put that thing on amazon prime or something! Mom and Dad were out of town when the call arrived and Ashton was home alone when the mail came. It was SO hard not to look at that envelope, it just kept staring her down! When Mallory got home she quickly hid the envelope from Ashton so it wouldn't be too much of a temptation.

OPENING THE CALL: Sunday evening a gaggle of YSA kids went to 'grandpa's house' or mom and dad's house on Marble Front Rd.  I was watching via Skype. Ashton was nervous!!! She opened her call and said, "Dear Sis. Wise, you have hereby been called to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You have been called to labor in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin mission French speaking. You will report April 22, 2015."   There were all sorts of giggles and I couldn't really hear... and I was starting to wonder if French speaking was a joke... but no one was paying attention to the Skype screen!! For the next 6 hours I tried contacting people to find out if she was really French speaking!!! Wisconsin is close to Canada, so that makes sense that she could be... but I could also see Ashton throwing in a nice little joke... sure enough. It was a joke. She isn't French speaking. She is WISCONSIN speaking! Don't Cha Nooo!

She was in tears as she finished reading the rest of the call and was especially touched to read that she was called to invite others to come unto Christ. It was so amazing to feel the Spirit in the room.

 YSA hooligans *not even sure if this was the same day you opened the call... but hey, at least it is documented!

Milwaukee, WI... where's a map!