Message from Sandra 11/28/2011
Family,

I know Lela did her message sometime ago, sorry about the delay. 

Thanksgiving was great for everyone it sounds like.  I was probably sleeping through most of it trying to
over come the lack of sleep that flying often causes.  The flight was good though and we are safe here in Brasil.
I love it here, however, if it had not been for my mission I think I would of had a hard time with the smell and not
being able to understand anyone.  I like the strong smells and the strong and beautiful language of the Rio people.
Daniel has taken great care of me.  It seems a little more dangerous then I anticipated but he is always there
to pull me out of the street or to the side before I get hit by something. haha.

So on the plane ride over, there was some turbulance and at one point the plane dropped pretty forcefully.  I was just coming out of my sleep so it scared me pretty bad.  Daniel said people actually flew up out of their sits before landing back in place. 
There was smaller amounts of turbulance here and there, but nothing quite so bad as that one.
Sometimes in life, we have a plan and we are moving forward.  The plan may be the best that we can come up with and what
we feel is right, but turbulance will happen.  I don´t just mean trials but sometimes our path is shifted just a little.
It doesn´t mean that we wont get were we want to go or planned to go, but it might mean we need to take a few other steps first.
Sometimes simply to prepare us better for the goal ahead.  I know that if Savior is our pilot that we will make it to the end safe, even if the flight was not as we planned.  I love you all and know that you all try your hardest to be not just good but great people.  I know that you are a wonderful family and I am very blessed. 

-----
Hello, Its been a wonderful oportunity to fly back home and see my family and friends in Rio de Janeiro. At first everything looks so different and weird but after the first couple of days I got used to all of it again. Sandra and I are having a unique moment, she is enjoying this new environment with new people and a new language. its so funny when my mom and Sandra try to have a conversation but the interesting part is that Sandra understands my mom and my mom actually knows better english than I knew. We are hanging out with friends and visiting the touristic places. This week we will be going to the Christ Statue and the Sugar Loaf which are the 2 most important ones I think. We will soon be going to the temple in Campinas SP and have fun with a friend and his wife there. Well, we are enjoying it and I know Sandra is still adjusting to all of this new stuff.

We know that nothing would have been possible without the love and support of each of you. Im so grateful for your care and zeal for us, I learn a lot with your example and humbleness... And its a blessing for me to have found Sandra with such an amazing family. Sometimes I talk to Sandra about the so many important events we are missing because of this trip but i know that Heavenly Father provided with everything for us to be here, it was a miracle and you know about it... My friend LOVED the IPHONE 4S and the Sunglasses, he was so happy and anxious that he was playing with that one day after... He even called me from it yesterday night... hahahah!!!! He even payed our dinner. Jim and Sharon you guys are awesome thank yUoUoUoUouOuoU
....


Sincerely


Daniel & Sandra Anastacio

A  Note from Amazing Moroni  written 10/21/2012
Hello Family,

     Well it is my turn for the message.  I am sorry I am late getting it out.  I thought I would mention briefly what we talked about in Sacrament meeting in church.  The talk was on "Patience", something that can be very rewarding but very difficult.  I know for Me Patience is something I must get better at.
     We live in a fast paced world that at times can make it very difficult to have patience.  We have a world that throws opportunities for us to have the things we want now for a price.  Debt is way too easy to come by, and far too hard to eliminate.  Mom and Dad are a great example of patience in this regard, they taught us to be content with what we have, it is not a bad thing to have an old car, old house, or old clothes.  If nothing else it taught humility.  On the flip side if we are impatient and try to acquire the things we want now, the consequences can be devastating.  Debt can become all consuming, it can ruin relationships, and drive the spirit out of the home because of contention.  It also sends the wrong message to our children.  If we have patience and are willing to be content with what we need we can build for our futures and be in a position to better serve our families and to do the lords work in the future.  To serve missions as a couple later in life you must have the financial situation to make it possible, and that does not happen unless we have patience and direction to get us there.
     Spiritually we frequently come up short as well due to a lack of patience.  I had a friend that was going through a hard time and went inactive in the church because he felt he had had his fair share of trials and had decided he had reached his breaking point.  He was a little angry at God for pushing him past what he felt was his breaking point.  He ultimately came back into activity, but he missed out on the blessing of the Gospel/Church for over 6 months.  How much patience do we have in the afflictions or trials we are facing.  Do we trust the lord, and are we willing to have patience and allow him to guide us through life.  In our prayers do we spend little time and have great expectations.  I know I have been guilty of getting caught up in not spending enough time to stop and really listen to the spirit.  When we pray or read scriptures if we want to reap the full blessings we need to be patient and listen and look for the spirit to teach us.
     When we are with our children and they are angry, and throwing fits, do we yell back and respond in anger, or are we willing to be patient and listen.  It was mentioned in church that if we aren't willing to show patience and a willingness to have patience with our children in their distress, then when they get older they are not likely to come to us when they have a serious problem.  We need  to be loving and patient with our children as God has been loving a patient with us.  We must have Faith, Hope, and Charity, and all three of these are impossible without patience.  It take time to develop faith, If we do not have patience we are not acting on the hope for our future, we are sacrificing our future.  Love demands we think of others if you are impatient you are thinking of yourself and thus cannot truly love.
     I know our Heavenly Father is the perfect example of patience, he is ever so patient with each of us.  As a family I believe there are many great examples that we have amongst us of patience.  I pray we can all be patient and allow the spirit to direct us in our lives, and not allow our impatience to take our eyes off what is important and drive the spirit away.

I love you all:
     - Moroni

A Note From Mom, written 5/16/2012

       There is a lot in my Heart at this time that I want to express.   First off let me say I am sorry for the Many Times I got angry it made the spirit leave.   There was so much I needed to learn that I am surprised that the Lord sent such special spirits to me.    Your Father has taught me a lot and I know that there is still a lot for me to learn.  I have learned not to demand respect but to respect myself is more important and to respect others is just as important. Even with their different views and ideas.  Christ did not demand respect he did not lash out at those who spit at him.   Am I greater than him?  No!

      As we have read the scriptures especially the Book of Mormon, I see our day and what is to come.  It is sad to see the Loss of Freedom.   We must not let anger fill our Hearts or let fear enter in.   For they are the tools of Satan and will drive the Holy Ghost away.   We are here at this time for a purpose.   We are the generation that all the prophets have seen.   We have the gospel and the Knowledge and the Scriptures with a Living Prophet to guide.   But most important we are a covenant People and have the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  We have the Protection of the Lord.   We know the outcome of the future.  The Future is as bright as our Faith.   So cast out doubt and fear and anger.   We may not see our next step but if we study and pray and read and listen to the prophet.   We will be guided by the Holy Ghost.  I have found that my Faith grows as I study the Scriptures and my Family History.   Another way for Faith to grow is to take time and see all the things and in all the ways God has blessed us.  It is also vital that we forgive for it is a main factor of repentance which we all need.       We must follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  So we must stay close to the Spirit.  There are hard times ahead.   But these are tests that we need to go through.   Let us do our Studying so that we may pass these tests with Flying Colors and grow stronger with each test.   They are our lessons and our test that is for us personally.   So let’s hit the books and our knees in diligence that we are ready.  That the Lord may use us to build his Kingdom and be his valiant Soldiers of the Last Days.   I love you all and could not ask for better Children. 
  Your Loving Mother

Sharon N Ashby  

Message from Deborah Aug 12 2011

Hey Family,
So we are getting the family messages going again. So the message I have today is about innovation. I know this sounds like a weird gospel topic. The BYU homepage has a brief article on Jeff Dyer who is a professor for the business college here. He just finished a book called the Innovators DNA. He mentions that everyone can become an innovator. They just need to learn to question, experiment, network, observe, and associate things. When I seen these titles for some reason I thought of the Book of Mormon. We are told to experiment with the seed of faith and to observe it to see if it is good. (Alma 34). If these are skills of innovation they also appear to me to be skills that can be used to build your own faith. I had some fun and typed these key words into the scriptures on lds.org, you can see the links below (except networking, you'd have to find scripture terminology for that like gathering, connecting, or something like that). I hope you enjoy trying to be innovative with your testimony and life. I love you all!

websites for Jeff Dyer and scripture searches.

http://lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&type=verse&query=associate+
http://lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&type=verse&query=question
http://lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&query=experiment
http://lds.org/scriptures/search?lang=eng&type=verse&query=observe

http://news.byu.edu/archive11-jul-innovatordna.aspx
http://sternspeakers.com/jeff-dyer/

Deborah

Message from David and Melodie Jan 15, 2011

Jan 15, 2011

So I am not sure Is this a weekly thing or a monthly thing if its monthly I am ahead if not sorry I am late…

I love it when there are beautiful days like to day the sun is shining the wife is happy and pregnant the children are playing. Really this is when I think of 2 Nephi 2:25...Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy…or something like that any way. We really have a great Father…I mean Father In Heaven cause he gives us all we need to be Happy and to Grow and be full of Hope and Joy. Now Our earthly father is not bad at all honestly he really has been a great blessing to us all heck I think we all owe him an arm or a leg perhaps a few of our children as well, but any way the Lord is great that blessed us to be in such a wonderful family..

So when the world seems to be steaming towards self-destruction just remember who has everything in His hand, and what his desire is for us. I love you all and hope that it has been a wonderful new year for each of you. I know God lives, His Son Jesus Christ Rules, and His Church is the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints. It even has his name in it. The Gospel is true, all of it, which is available through a good subscription to the words of the Prophet.

Love Ya All…

Take care…

David T Ashby

Just a note from the wife:
Yes I am pregnant. I went for my second appointment with the doctor on Wednesday and I actually got to hear the 4 baby's heart beat. I am just into my second trimester. That means I'm just past a third of the way. What does this mean for all of you? This means that David and I own your calendar for the month of July. First will be our sealing. Then the baby will come. William will turn eight and be baptized. And we will try to squeeze the baby blessing in really fast before we move. I am assuming that we will move in the begining of August. I hope you all like driving to Provo. By the way, David added the 4. No we aren't expecting four. I think I would cry if we were. Hope you all have a great one. Just a thanks to my husband and the wonderful people who raised him. He is so sweet to me. Even though I have spent more days in pajamas sleeping than doing anything else the last few months he has never complained. Of course, the kids love it when I just make mac and cheese for dinner. ;) The love and support he has given me is wonderful. I feel completely spoiled. (David came back and says, "yes we are expecting four.") Who would you believe me or him? That is all I have to say.

Love ya!
Melodie

Message from Moroni Jan 4, 2011

Jan 4, 2011

Sorry this message is late. I've thought about doing it several times, but it didn't happen. Well it is a New Year and time to reflect on what we want to improve or to add to our lives, and set new goals. I've been thinking about happiness in the home lately because that is the topic assigned me to talk on in church. This is an area that I've discovered needs a lot of improvement on, especially on my part. There are several things that can bring unhappiness in the home, and damage us as individuals in the family. So I was thinking of ways to hedge up the home and to teach gospel principles to the children in ways they embrace it and live it because they want too. I came up with seven principles/concepts the family needs, in no particular order.

Devotion

Devotion to the Lord and the church must be first priority (scripture study, prayers, tithing, church callings, family home evening, etc….) Devotion to each other in the family. We must devote the necessary time to the family and the individuals in the family.

Gratitude

We must learn to recognize the Lord's hand in all things and to acknowledge it to each other so that we learn to be grateful for what we have. Continually express gratitude in prayers to the Lord. Gratitude brings blessings of contentment and happiness.

Support

We must reach out and support each other in the family. In church callings, in hobbies, in school events. Each individual must feel the support of their siblings/parents to feel of value and happy in the home.

Faith

Everyone has hard times, families have hard times. To get through these hard times and maintain happiness in the home faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is necessary. Faith in Christ brings a sense of worth and confidence that is contagious in tough times. Our children must see our faith and learn to develop their own, they need to develop their own relationship with Christ.

Respect

This is where I probably have damaged my children a little with my rough housing. Children need to learn to respect and honor their parents. If there is not a parent/child relationship it is hard to teach children. Children are much more likely to act out and to go against the parent’s teachings if they do not have this respect and honor for their parents. Likewise we must show respect for our own parents and to anything that has to do with the gospel. I think the priesthood has a place here, as the family develops a respect and love for the priesthood it can be a powerful tool in teaching the members of the family and to develop their relationship with God. The priesthood and other sacred things must be treated with the proper respect.

Goals

Members of the family need to work together on goals, spiritual, and physical goals. Having goals to work on as a family helps unite the family and give it purpose to a greater extent. It also helps the family shore up their weaknesses and to reach out and to be of help to others.

Repentance/Forgiveness

Members of the family must be quick to forgive and ask for forgiveness when this happens the Lord's spirit can dwell in the home. Contention drives it away (I've lots of experience at this with all of my teasing.) Also a relationship between the parents and children need to be maintained in a way that children can seek guidance for wrong doing in their own repentance process. The lines of communication need to be there for them when they make mistakes. (Monthly one-on-one Interviews/meetings with the Father/Mother can help establish this relationship and confidence needed)

These are just some principles that came to my mind that if followed will bring happiness to the home and will increase the self-worth of those in the home. Basically do what the prophets have told us for years. It’s a new year hopefully we can see where we are lacking and improve our home and work on it as a family. Thanks we all have been blessed with a great family (the best), I hope we can continue on with this legacy of the family and faith.

Thanks Love Moroni