This week was so awesome! On Tuesday we got to go to the temple as the mission and it was the best ever. I have seriously taken all the temples in Utah for granted and I want to say sorry for that. This was the best day ever. We woke up at 2 am and hopped on a bus for a few hours. We got to the temple and it was the best. I love the temple and the spirit that we can feel when we are there. It was so peaceful. There is nothing like the peace that I felt there out here in El Salvador. It is a whole other world.

 And I want to send a big thank you to the Primary for the cute package and the stickers with their testimonies of the scriptures! They will surely strengthen other testimonies as well! The scriptures are some of the best places to learn about Jesus and how to be a little better every day! It is so important to have them be a daily habit. Like eating good food makes us strong and helps us grow, the scriptures help our testimonies grow strong too.

And... GERSON GOT BAPTIZED!!! It was a very beautiful baptismal service.  Gerson already has such a strong testimony and is so happy with the gospel. I am so happy for him and for how happy he is!

This week I´ve been having to talk more and more. It is sort of scary to talk to new people in the street when I don´t know them, but it has been good. I am practicing more and more to be able to do this on my own. Hna Jara just stands next to me and smiles. It’s scary but it is also really fun becasue I can actually see how much I´ve progressed. On the first day I was the one smiling and standing while she talked. Heavenly father has blessed me so much to be able to do this now. I could not have imagined doing it then. Yesterday we were walking and I started talking to a woman about her garden that she had, we talked and were able to share algo pequeño and she even gave us some of her flowers. They smelled sooooo good. It was maravela. It is a purple-pink flower that they have a lot of here. It was really great. What helps is that the people are really nice here.

Today for p-day we went to La Union, which is mas cerca a la playa so we took a bus to a lookout. It was very pretty. But, even more hot than San Miguel. It was the p-day as total las hermanas en oriente.

I loved reading all of your letters this week! It is so funny how it doesn’t seem like I’ve been gone for 3 months. The times since I´ve left  home feels paused. I don´t know how, but every Monday is a shock that one more week has passed.

I love you and I’m praying for you!

Keep praying, reading, and attending church and you will be able to recognize the blessings that Heavenly Father has for you. I love hearing about your missionary opportunities! Keep it up! It is not easy but it isn´t impossible either!

I love you and I love the gospel!

Hma Ashton!

           Joy labeled this picture at the temple as ....."with a healthy gap between elders and hermanas."

Joy received this sweet package from our Primary!   Thank you Sister Love!