HEY!!!!

Hey Ya'll, Bubba, Babes, Babies!
Those are all pretty common names here! I get called them daily. Well, I am a real life missionary now. I have been in Tennessee for a week! I left the MTC on March 23rd at like 3 in the am! It was the worst haha. We rode a bus to the train and then the train to the airport. We were able to call at the airport and I had bought a calling card but, when I tried to call it wouldnt go through. I guess I just wasnt supposed to talk to yall. Anways, I sat next to Elder Allen on the plane. He is spanish speaking but like he is such a missionary. It was great. He was telling me all about how he was writing his 10 yr old sister and letting her know she needs to change her life. It was funny. He read me the whole letter. We also played Sudoku. We flew to Atlanta, Georgia and then to Nashville. The mission president, his wife and his counselors Elders were all at the airport. We started proselyting at the airport. It was nuts. Then we went to the mission home. There were nine sisters who came and five Elders. We role payed, ate some delicious food and studied alot. The next morning we woke up and had a district meeting and then went to the transfer meeting. It was cool. There were 24 missionaries going home that day. Crazy. They all spoke and gave us new missionaries some advice. This one Sister was so boss. She made a slam poetry piece which was like a rap and gosh it was the greatest. One advice that stuck with me is.. "you can either go big or go home and you cant go home...." how true is that so i am out here goin big. You better believe that. I got assigned to my new companion, Sister Halbeisen. She is so great and I am the most blessed person to have her as my "mom". She is so nice and just ah! so great! We have been tracting a ton. We meet a lot of new people every single day. I wanna write about everything but that will just take too much time. So I will just tell of a little bit...

Sister Halbeisen and I. First day!

There are cats. Everywhere. Seriously like it is the worst. Also, SO MANY CHURCHES. Anyone can make a church and they do. It is insane. Every person has the grossest smelling house. I have been in a total of three houses that do not smell. Mostly it smells like pee, cigs, poop, throw up or mostly just a combination of everything. We went to this trailer the other day and the four year old boy is always in just underwear and he clearly had pooped his pants and he was climbing all up on me and I honestly wanted to cry. As that was happening there were big ol cockroaches crawling all over my shoes. My companion kept lookin at me to say something but I just couldn't even focus. It is cold here. It really isnt but i am always cold. Everyone who we go to teach ends up preachin to us. It is great. People sure do LOVE Jesus. I am grateful for that. We have something in common. One house we had an appointment with.. we went in and start teaching and the couple both get on their laptops and started playin video games. It felt uncomfortable to bear testimony while they were shouting I AM GONNA KILL YOU to each other. Being a missionary is so great. My companion and I got pulled over the other night haha pretty funny. At another scheduled appointment we get there and walk out of the car and the lady starts FREAKIN out. She was like, "Run away !! There is a crazy dog fight going on. They will bite you!"  It was weird. Then the dog started comin haha. Crazy things happen all day every day here and I love it. It is so fun and weird hahhaa. This old guy asked us to exercise in his bedroom with him. We respectfully declined. Oh! I don't know if I ever told you.. while I was in the M.T.C., there were protestors like everyday and that was insane. People are crazy, bless their hearts. <<< I learned from a member that I can say anything mean that I want as long as I say, "bless their heart" after I say it. People say that to us a ton hahahah.

K, let me tell you about the good stuff....
We teach two awesome ladies. Both their names are Nancy. They are GREAT. They both have been coming to church and just progressing so much. We teach them everyday. We brought Nancy with us to the Women's Session of General Conference and she LOVED it. After it, I asked her, "How was it.?"and she goes, "Well I am ready to get baptized." My jaw dropped to the floor for a solid minute. It was crazy. I was so happy. They both have such strong testimonies, but they don't realize it. Hopefully they both get baptized soon. We have an awesome ward. A girl, Loretta, is about 21 yrs old, comes out with us a few times a week. SHE IS MY FAVORITE PERSON EVER. She has like a manly voice, but like she is great. She never talks, but when she does it goes something like this.. "Loretta how has prayer influenced your life?" She answers, "I mean it's usually pretty positive." and that is all she says. She cracks me up. I love her.  Another girl named "Paige" comes out with us too. She is 15 and is pretty solid. Oh, I am in the Tullahoma mission. It is just great. We are the only missionaries in this town. I wish yall could meet everyone that I meet. I love it here. I am learning a lot but it sure is hard. I love my Savior and I am SOOO excited about general conference! I hope yall watch it and just get super pumped!

Sister Halbeisen and I with a girl in our ward. She comes out and teaches

with us weekly.  She is great!!!!

Tomorrow is zone meeting and I will be getting my ipad. I can check emails every night but I can only write back on Pdays. (Mondays). It seems like yall are doing great without me. I am so proud!!! I love yall so much!!! And I miss ya quite a bit, too. My companion always says "you are catching on to the sayings here" what she doesnt know is it is stuff i have said my whole life. So maybe I have always just been a Tennessean at heart. ;)

I love hearin from ya!!! And anyone else, too! I don't know like anyone's email so send em on to me!!!!


Love,
Sister Felshaw

I also forgot to tell this awesome story. Yesterday at church, Brayden, a twelve year old investigator told us he wanted to bear his testimony but only if sister halbeisen and I bore ours too. So we did. He got up there and told me he was nervous but knew exactly what he was going to say. That he did. It was the best testimony I have ever heard and it came straight from the heart. It was awesome. He sounded like a prophet. He knows the church is true but his mom won't let him get baptized. I feel so bad. I am grateful to have parents that raised me in the church. Also, Nancy Bomar came to church and we didn't know but she has a niece in our ward and her niece went up to bear her testimony and she was like oh my gosh! I didn't even know my aunt Nancy was seeing the missionaries I am so excited and then Nancy says from the congregation "can I come to ya baby? Can I come to ya?" And she said yes so she said yes and Nancy went up there and bore her testimony. It was awesome!!! I love the people here.

THEY'RE HERE!

Thanks for lending them to us.
TENNESSEE NASHVILLE MISSION

    WE RECEIVED THIS PICTURE IN AN EMAIL FROM THE MISSION HOME  AND THEN LATER RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM A SISTER DEAN CONTAINING THE FOLLOWING PHOTO:                                        

Sister Dean said:

I thought you might appreciate seeing your sweet missionary on her way to Tullahoma. I have twin sons out serving now and it means so much to me when nice folks send a pic or a quick note to let me know how they're doing.

My husband is the ward mission leader so we will do our best to help your missionary. Thanks for sharing her with us. 

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE FOR REAL THIS TIME!

I am  on the airplane to Tennessee right now!  It is not real yet.  I said goodbye to Sister Murakane last night and that was REALLY hard.  We both cried a lot.  She was my best friend in the M.T.C. We were seriously like sisters.  But I am SO thankful that I was able to meet so many people at the M.T.C. that made saying goodbye hard!  I loved the M.T.C. so much.  It has changed my life.  I learned so much!  I grew a lot.  I gained some pounds as well.  My skirts have trouble zipping up.....no big deal.

We got to watch "Meet the Mormons" last night, which was fun.  Sunday night devotionals are always the best, too!  The man who was speaking had the whole first row come up and say what they were sacrificing to be on a mission.  Most talked about family , sports, school, family, and more family.  One Elder said surfing.  He was from Australia and by his accent you sure could tell!  You could literally see all of the Sisters fall in love when he introduced himself.  Another missionary said he sacrificed the relationship with his girlfriend.  The speaker had everyone stand up who had already been "Dear Johned" or "Dear Janed".  There were about six people who had.  It was so sad!  Most had only been out a week!

Mission goggles are a real thing.  The Elders I would NEVER find attractive in real life are pretty good looking now.  And the Elders who have been in the M.T.C. for around 9 weeks find me somewhat decent so I know they are struggling with it.  I heard some Elders talking about how hot the Mia Maids would be when they got back. Haha!

I don't know if I already told you, but I had a M.T.C. stalker.  He left me cards, notes, letters in or on my stuff all the time.  I don't even know how.  I've spoken to him once.  It is nice, though.  My talk in church went horrible yesterday.  I compared everyone to my butt....it was just yeah.  Everyone else did great, though!

I am sitting next to an Elder who is going to Nashville as well, but he is Spanish speaking.  It is really cool to be able to talk to him and see the differences in M.T.C. experiences.  Well, I love this gospel!  I love you so much.  Miss and pray about you!
Love, Sister Felshaw

MY DISTRICT

So the Sisters in my District are:  Sister Heslop (my companion), Sister Murakane & Sister Linsangan (they are companions).

And the Elders in my District are:  Elder Sykes & Elder Zuniga (companions) and Elder Crawford & Elder Huber (companions)

MY DISTRICT WITH FOUR OF OUR TEACHERS

They are cool.  My companion, Sister Heslop, plays the flute and is also very innocent.  One day I asked her if she has ever done anything wrong.  Her response, "I snuck food into the movie theater once."  Seriously!  She was serious.  She makes me feel like I was sinning over things that I don't even think could be sins.  Sister Murakane is so friendly.  She has the Hawaiian spirit about her.  We get along very well!  Sister Linsangan is soooo smart and absorbs the gospel and scriptures with no problem!

Elder Sykes is like the best guy ever.  He is chill about everything and so smart.  He teaches me something every time that I talk to him.  He is my favorite role play partner, too.  Elder Zuniga is quiet but brilliant.  He is the best at impersonations, especially girl ones.  And he is funny.  Elder Crawford has actually been in the MTC before.  Last year he came and trained then went home to clear things up.  Now he is back..  He is like the class clown.  Elder Huber is this quiet farm boy.  He is a hard worker.

So yep.  That is my district.  I love them.  I am sad/excited to get a new one in just a few days!  It is SO crazy that I am done at the MTC.  It has gone by WAY too extremely fast!  I try to make time to write but there hardly is tie to even learn! Anyways, we taught Olivia, Joe, and a new investigator yesterday!  We have already invited  Joe to baptism.  He was eager and said yes.  Yesterday we invited Olivia and she said she will when she is more sure.  Christina (new investigator) was the best lesson we have ever taught.  We taught about the atonement and the Spriit was so strong!  We are about to skype a member.  It is always weird doing that.  Last time, the kids just cried in front of the camera the wole time.  We teach Olivia today a little later.  We pack and do laundry today as well!  I love the MTC.  It is the best experience of my life.  I LOVE YOU.  I love my Savior and his gospel.  Miss you always!

Love, Sister Felshaw



SASHA SENT THIS EMAIL LATER THAT DAY:

I don't think I will be able to call you on Monday but we depart at like 3 am. We get to pack and do laundry for a couple hours right now so I just thought I would say hi while I have time! I sent you some letters but you probably won't get them until next week!



AND:

I LOVE YOU, MOMMA. This is my last email from the MTC.

love,

your favorite daughter

Sista Felshaw

LETTER

FAMILY,

I wish I had more time to write.  I am working on being more obedient, which means going to bed on time instead of doing other things.  Just using time more wisely.

I got my first priesthood blessing as a missionary.  Yes. I am that sister.  I think it was Wednesday night.  At the end of the day I felt so sick I couldn't stand.  Two teachers gave me a blessing.  I am not telling you to make you worry because I am fine now.  It was just a very spiritual experience and I was promised so many awesome things.

I love you all!  I love my Savior.  I encourage you to be a member missionary!

Love, Sister Felshaw

M. T. C. LIFE

It is hard to write as a missionary cause I have no idea what to write. The spirit is always strong. It is awesome! :) I love it here so much. Like I can't even explain it. I have learned more about the church than I ever have my whole life! What do you want to know?

THIS IS ALL WE DO IN CLASS

SISTER MURAKANE & ME

GOING TO THE PROVO TEMPLE

We got to go to the temple this morning! It was so beautiful!!!!!

I LOVE MY DISTRICT!

MY DISTRICT

SISTER HESLOP AND ME

Mom, Dad, ANYONE!

I don’t even remember what I wrote you because we are SO busy all the time.  Sister Heslop (my companion) and I are Sister Training Leaders for our zone.  I really do love her.  She is 4’8”.  It’s great.  She is seriously a saint.

THIS IS SISTER HESLOP.  SHE IS MY M.T.C. COMPANION!

USING THE PUNCHING BALLOONS MOM SENT

TWINNING IT UP WITH MY COMPANION

SISTER HESLOP AND ME

Don’t worry about me.  I love it here and I have so much fun all the time! It’s crazy to think that today is already Friday!  But at the same time it feels like I have been here forever!  I have learned so much.  We met our investigators the first night and taught on the 2nd.  We teach.  I teach.  It’s crazy and stressful and spiritual and awesome!

 I think about you all often.  I do miss you, but it makes me happy not sad.  I know this is where I am suppose to be!  I know Heavenly Father loves me.  I continue to get extra blessed every day.  Update me on everything!  I wish I had more time.  I love you and that will never change.  Thank you for being my example.  And thank you for everything else.  I pray for you and miss you!

Love,
Sister Felshaw

1ST LETTER HOME!!!

We received a letter today in the mail from Sister Sasha Felshaw.  She wrote it on March 11, 2015, the same day that she entered the M. T. C.  She wrote:

Family!
     How is everything?  I've made it through my first day!  Everything is awesome!  The food isn't even that bad!  My district is the coolest!   There are two sets of Sisters and two sets of Elders.

MY DISTRICT

Honestly, today seemed SO long and it already seems like I have been here forever!  My P-day is Wednesday!  My companion is great!  Would you believe I am the tallest girl in my district?  Haha it's great!  There is one sister going to Salt Lake and one Elder.  The rest of us are going to Nashville. I don't even know what to write cause so much happened!  I love ya'll and miss ya!  Everything is great here so don't worry!
Love,
Sister Felshaw

AWKWARD FAMILY PHOTOS!

After I was set apart as a missionary, my mom insisted on doing a photo shoot!  I have learned to just go along with it.  I had been crying, but oh well . . .   My brothers, Kasdan & Marlan, and my sister, Maleena had come to see me off and got roped into this as well.

Mess with our sister, we'll mess with you!

GETTING SET APART AS A MISSIONARY

President Anderson & Me

I love President Anderson!  He was the Singles Branch President when I first started to go to the Singles Ward.  He is a good man and always shows so much love to everyone.  He was on spring break and was in the Provo area.  He came to our hotel room to set me apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He said that he had received notice from the First Presidency that now the missionaries represent the whole church and not just their stakes or wards. President Anderson also gave me a wonderful blessing that was just what I needed.  I AM A MISSIONARY!!!!!!  My mom looked like I had lost my mind when I said I waned to live the missionary rules and be in bed by 10:30 p.m. Utah time.  I DID IT!!!!!!!!

Thank you!

Felshaw Family

Sasha gave an amazing talk on Sunday and really enjoyed having family and friends around her during her luncheon. On facebook she wrote: "Thank you to everyone who came to my farewell and also to those who couldn't make it but still supported me! I will be getting set apart tonight so if you want me to email you just comment or message me. Love ya'll so much. See ya in 18." Sasha's parents would like to thank all those who came and contributed and everyone that has shown love and support towards Sasha.

FAREWELL TALK

I finally got used to talking in the Singles Ward where there are usually only 15 - 20 people there.  So this is a whole new ball game.  I have around that many siblings here,  To say I am more nervous than a ceiling fan store owner with a comb-over, would be an understatement.  And when I am nervous, I talk super fast.  So I hope Brother Hunt prepared a lengthy talk.

Anyways, for those who don't know me, my name is Sasha Felshaw.  I was born and raised here.  I am the seventh of ten children.  And I am leaving this Wednesday to serve a mission in Nashville, Tennessee.

Before I start my talk, I've had a couple questions I would like to answer.  Every time someone finds out I am going on a mission, 99% of the people ask in a perky voice that I don't think I am even capable of doing, "Are you excited?!"  I almost always hesitate and kind of blow it off cause I try not to think about it.  Not because I am not excited though.  It's because there are not words to describe how I feel.  I am more than excited.  I love Tennessee and the people there so much already.  There is honestly nowhere I would rather be going.

Now if you are in the 1% of the people like my dad, he always asks, "Are you depressed?"  Let me tell you a little insight into my life this past month and a half.  I am laying on the couch and my mom comes in a just stares at me (which I have learned is common for moms to do to their favorite child in awe that she created me).  So I just stare back because she is my favorite mom.  I could tell she had been crying.  She finally asks, "Have you cried today?"  I said, "No".  She then said, "I have been crying for the both of us so good thing you haven't."  I have never heard truer words come out of that woman's mouth.  So the answer is:  Yes, I do get sad because I hate seeing my momma cry.

I was asked to speak on Elder Craig C. Christensen's talk in the October 2014 Priesthood Session called, "I Know These Things of Myself".  It is such a great talk and I encourage everyone to take time this week to read it!

He starts off by telling a story:

"Recently, several deacons were asked, "What do you admire most about President Monson?"  One deacon recalled how President Monson, as a child, gave his toys to needy friends.  Another mentioned how President Monson cared for many widows in his ward.  A third noted that he was called as an apostle at a very young age and has blessed people all around the world.  Then one young man said, "The thing I admire most about President Monson is his strong testimony."

President Monson said, "In order for us to be strong and to withstand all the forces pulling us in the wrong direction, we must have our own testimony. Whether you are 12 or 112 or anywhere in between, you can know for yourself that the gospel is true."

Last night, me and some of my family went out to Bunkerville to ride four-wheelers and things.  We ended up going to the Bunkerville Dam to roll tires.  It's one of my favorite things to do.  We all rode out there on four-wheelers.  You take the four-wheeler to the bottom, put the tires on, and bring them to the top.  So I got down there and started loading tires onto the four-wheeler my brother was on.  My sister-in-law looked a lot confused.  My brother tells her, "We are gonna roll tires down the hill."  I don't even think she had a second to think.  She automatically just said, "No".  I couldn't help but laugh.  She hasn't been in our family for even a year yet, but the look on her face was like she was ready to run and was wondering what kind of redneck family she had married into.  I just kept loading and taking tires to the top.  We picked our tires and took turns racing our tires down.  I started thinking about my talk and about testimonies.  I heard the kids and even some adults saying they wanted the biggest ones.  You want yours to be the biggest tire, the longest going, and all around just the best.  But it takes time.  It takes patience.  It takes practice and it takes mistakes.  My nephew rolled one down (if you want to call it that).  It stopped nearly a foot in front of him.  He made a mistake, but he learned and tried again and ended up winning.  That's the awesome thing about testimonies!  You gotta work for them.  You have to go through trials.  It isn't easy and Satan is the worst and you just gotta tell him to shut up and try your hardest.

Just like my nephew lerned for himself, we must also have a testimony of our own.  It is okay to start by relying on others as the stripling warriors did.  "We do not doubt our mothers knew it", but we have to grow for ourselves like Joseph Smith, Nephi, and Alma did.  They said, "I know these things of myself."

To do that there are four steps:  1. Search the words of God.  2. Be grateful for his mercy.  3. Pray to know if the church 's teachings are true.  4. Obey so you can feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

I am gonna tell you how I followed these steps and how I know:

I was having a hard time just in a rut thinking I wasn't doing anything wrong, but I wasn't doing anything super right either.  I decided to read a chapter a night in the Book of Mormon.  My life got extremely better.  I then decided to give thankful prayers each morning.  I got blessed even more.  I prayed the most I had ever prayed in my life for guidance and direction and to know if the church is true.  I was doing good and the Spirit had told me I needed to go through the temple.  I thought that was kind of silly cause I wasn't planning on going on a mission at all.  And I definitely was not getting married.  I pushed off that feeling, but luckily the Spirit didn't give up on me.  I decided to just go and it was the best decision of my life.  That day I gained a testimony that my Heavenly Father knows, loves, and is mindful of me.  He gave me the guidance and direction I needed.  I was to go on a mission.

I heard a quote, "Your testimony is the story of your encounter with God and what role He has played throughout your life."  I love that!  I challenge you all to keep Him in your everyday life.

BEAR TESTIMONY

  

Im Leaving on a Jet Plane...

 Actually my parents will just be driving me up to the Provo MTC on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. I will be speaking this Sunday, March 8th at noon in the Mesquite Stake Center. I invite you all to come visit with me before I leave on my adventure at the Hafen Ranch House at 2 pm. My mom and sisters will be keeping this page up for everyone that wants to know what Tennessee and my life are all about!