Birthday Buttermilk

Okay, at first the tagline may seem a little strange, but I'll explain. Today is my companions birthday, and I wanted to do something for him. So, I decided to go with the Ellsworth family tradition of making pancakes with Mom's buttermilk syrup and strawberries and whipped cream. It was really cool, he wasn't expecting it at all. It was really cool. The syrup was really good, everyone loved it a ton. I remember a few months ago making a comment to Sister Bahr about it and she said "That doesn't make any sense, how can you make syrup with Buttermilk?" But, I made it and it was delicious.

As for the Mothers Day call, I am more than happy to wait until later to call home. I don't think it'll be a distraction for me. I remember that my first call home I was waiting in anticipation for weeks, and thinking about it all the time, but now the call home is just part of the plan, waiting a couple more weeks I am completely willing to do. I really want to be on the phone as well as Nick opens his call. My biggest question is what does Mom think about it because after all, Mother's day is her special day. As for me, I'm fine with waiting, just let me know next week what the plan is, if he does start the papers this week, then I'll definitely wait.

This week has been crazy for us! When we got home on Sunday and added up everything, I have honestly no idea how we did as much as we did. These last two days have been especially crazy, we've been running around like no other.

This week we had Zone conferences. Elder Pearson from the first quorum of the Seventy came to our mission on a mission tour, and he taught us in Zone conference. He taught us a lot about how to be a better missionary. One thing that really stuck out to me. He talked about how our Identity is everything. We need to set aside who we were to become who we need to be. We need to become missionaries, not just 20 year old guys on a mission. He said our Identity detirmines our behavior, Attitude and rules, which determine our Actions, which in turn detirmine our Reality. If we change our Identity we change our Reality. Also he talked about being bold in inviting and bringing the Spirit. This week we've already seen a lot of miracles. That same night we set Dolores with a baptismal date for the 9th of May.

Another really cool miracle we saw this week. Last Sunday we met this guy named Juan who just came to church with his daughter, who is visiting from the DR. He told us he really wants to get baptized. We have gone over almost every single day this week and taught him. He is really cool Dominican guy, he's pretty old, and is partly deaf, so we have to almost yell while we have been teaching him. He is getting baptized this Sunday!!! On tuesday when we went over we met his son, who lives in Boston, who is going to baptize him. It was really cool, I know that the Lord has blessed us a lot in this area.

As for making me "Trunky" You're not, so don't worry about it. I just try not to think about it much, and when I do it's more of a "I only have 4 months left, I need to use what little time I have well" type of thing, I think it's more of a motivation than a distraction, really. I think that this will likely be my last area, so I need to do my best here and leave an impression, make the ward better, make the work better. and I feel like I've been doing well at that. I've only been here a month and we are already having a baptism. I know that it is because we are working hard and keeping ourselves focused so we can bring the spirit, that's why the Lord blessed us to teach Juan.

The picture is myself with Moises Galicia from Union City. Last week in my email I told about him coming with us to Dolores' house last week. After we left Dolores' house we took this picture, kind of another goodbye you could say. I think it's also a cool picture. The large buildings in the background is not New York, it is actually downtown Jersey City, which is in our area still. It was cool. He is off at BYU Idaho right now, and will be leaving on his mission hopefully in July or August.

I hope that this week goes well for you. I hope you get feeling better. Good luck with the end of the school year, Mom, I hope that things go well. I love you all so much, and I am excited to talk to you all soon. Let me know what's up next week. Thanks for always being a support to me here.

Love,

Elder Isaac Ellsworth

An email of the weekly sort...

This week has been really good. I'm glad to hear that everything and everyone is alright, though it sounds like you've all had quite an adventure this week. I hope everything in the house gets fixed up alright.

This week we had interviews with the mission president. They were good, this time he did it a little different, and we had interviews in our apartment. It was really cool. They came over and did the interviews here. At the interview I got two things finalized and worked out with pres.

1) my departure date is officially and finalized to be August 23rd. It is a Monday. That morning Pres and sister Bahr will pick me up directly from the apartment to take me to the airport. It's still a ways away, I still have 4 months left of the mission. I am excited, and I'm glad to have everything figured out. I'm registered for classes, and I have my departure date figured out, so now I don't have to worry about it, and I can focus on the work for the last bit.

2) I asked President, and he said I could delay my Mother's Day call so I can be on the phone when Nick opens his call. I did some basic math, and my guess is that he'll get his call before the 23rd of May. I looked back in my old journals, and I got my call pretty much exactly 2 weeks after I completed and filled out my papers My guess is that it would come on a Wednesday, because when I got mine it came on Wednesday. We just need to work it out through email what day I'm going to call. President said it still needs to be a Sunday evening, so let me know what you think, if I should do that or just call home on Mothers day and you tell me where he is going via email when he opens his call. I would think that after he gets his papers submitted to expect the misson call to come 2 weeks later, and on that Sunday evening call home, just let me know what you think.

This week has been good. We are getting close to having a baptism. Dolores is progressing a lot, but she is still not wanting to commit to a baptismal date. We went by Yesterday after church. Moises from the Union City ward came with us.

Well, here's what happened. Moises showed up at the chapel yesterday, he was there to have his last interview with President Drussell to finish up his mission papers, so I was talking with him, and I asked him if he would like to come out with us to an appointment, so he did. It was really cool, he has a very strong testimony, he really touched Samuel (Dolores' son). Moises today left to go back to BYU Idaho for another trimester and then he'll leave on his mission right afterward, so I don't know if I'll see him again. I gave him my contact information, I definitely need to keep in touch with him.

Dolores is doing really well though, We tried to commit her yesterday to get baptized on the 1st of May, but she thinks its too soon. She wants to get baptized, and she absolutely loves to church, but she is a little hesitant to do it right now.

This week we have zone conference. It will be really great. Elder Pearson of the first quorum of the seventy will be here on a mission tour. I am really excited. He was supposed to come back in February, but due to a really bad winter storm he had to postpone his trip. I am really excited for the opportunity to learn. I love Zone Conferences, they are always an opportunity to learn and grow, what can I do better.

I am so excited for this area. At interviews president Bahr kind of hinted that this will be my last area. He said that I was here "to gather up a few more sheaves on your way out" I know that we will have some baptisms, and see some success here in the area. We have a lot of investigators that are really cool.

I have been so blessed as I've been here on my mission. I have definitely changed a lot. I feel I'm a more mature, responsible person, and I am a lot happier.

One thing I remember as a kid, and something that always inspired me to serve a mission was something that Dad used to tell me. He used to tell me that a lot of the man he is came from his mission, or something along those lines. The same is definitely true for me. I know that my mission has changed me forever.

I love you guys so much, and I hope that everything goes well. Nick, Em and Ian, good luck in school. Mom and Dad, good luck in work and with the house, I'm glad the damage wasn't worse. I hope that doesn't happen again.

I love you, and miss you. I'm looking forward to calling home, just let me know what you thing about calling home a little later.

Can't wait to hear from you next week.

Love,
Elder Isaac Ellsworth

Jersey City

This week has been pretty good. My new area is pretty crazy big, though. We recently bought bus passes, and we are slowly peicing together the bus routes. A couple of months ago, there was a threesome in the area, so they did not buy buss passes that month, and the Elders in the area just didn't buy them again since, and so the verbal tradition and knowledge of the buss routes has been lost through the ages, so we are starting from ground zero. We have been picking up bus schedules where we can, and I am slowly marking a route map of the area for future generations.

My companion is pretty cool, He is from Washington. He came out to the mission last July. He was trained by Elder Ward the transfer Elder Ward and I split. I was in the same district as him for 2 transfers, so I know him fairly well already. He is a really great missionary. He has been in the area for 3 months already, and for the most part I just follow his lead, I really don't know my way around yet.

Other interesting note. Elder McBroom is my district leader. Also, Elders Wray and Godfrey (from my MTC district) are also in the same district. We all know eachother really well, so it's a lot of fun. Elder Godfrey and I have had 2 common areas, we both served in WNY and in Rockland county, though at different times, Elder Wray also served in WNY. But both of them served in the 60-70 area.

Things area going well. There is this awesome lady named Dolores we are teaching. She is from Ecuador. She came to church Yesterday and she loved it. We are trying to get her to get baptized this month. She has desires to, but I think she has some doubts. One of the sisters commented to me that Dolores was worried, because she didn't know what to say to her church why she didn't go yesterday. We have another appointment on Tuesday, and we'll see how that goes. She made us some delicious Ceviche last time we went over.

I love this ward. Yesterday when Dolores came, there were so many sisters and members fellowshipping her and saying hi, After the meetings, one of the members asked me for Dolores' phone number so she could call her and invite her to a family home evening at her house, and to invite and encourage her to come to church. It was really cool. I know that Dolores will get baptized soon.

This week has been pretty cool, I'm still trying to get the hang of the area, but it's going well. On Saturday we had the opportunity to help and serve the bishop of the ward. We spent a couple of hours painting a railing, and then the bishop made us some burgers.
OK. Here are a couple of pic's, it's been a while since I sent pictures, so here goes.
The first picture is a really cool panorama I took on my last day in West New York. It was reallly foggy that day, and you could not see the Hudson because of the fog, or the sky. The effect being that there was fog above and below the view of the city, so I had to get a picture.
The second picture is from the event I was just describing. The painting. In this pic are Elder Larsen (my comp) and Elder McBroom (my old comp) painting at the bishops house, and the third picture is the bishop while he was cooking the burgers.
I hope that everything goes well for you. I wish you all the best of luck in everything! I'm glad to hear that the trip to Italy went well, and I hope everyone else had fun in Canada (or at school.) I love you all and miss you so much!
Love,
Elder Isaac Ellsworth

Transfers....

Now I am here in Jersey City. Things are going good. My new companion is Elder Larsen. He is from Washington. The area is probably the biggest walking area in the mission. We are doing well, we have some really cool investigators. I am very excited. It is more than likely that I will finish my mission here.

Today I got on and finished up my registration. Melanie got on and registered on Saturday, and today I got on and finished up a few details, so I am set. I am registered for 16 hours next Semester. I am excited. I can't beleive that school is right around the corner.

In other news, things are going well in this area. I haven't had a chance to meet all the investigators yet, Elder Larsen said that they are hard to get a hold of, some of them, and we have a diofficult time getting appointments. The ones that I have met are super awesome, there are a lot of prepared people here.

Of course, it's also tough because this week being General Conference, I didn't get to meet tons of members on Sunday, but from what I am told, the ward here is really big.

Speaking of General Conference, it was amazing. I loved it so much. I hope that everyone enjoyed it. Priesthood session was spectacular. Several of the talks about missionary work made me think about Nick and Ian, how much of a blessing being a missionary has been for me, and how much it will positively effect them as well. As Elder Rasburn spoke about the inspired process of choosing where missionaries should go, I recieved an even stronger testimony of that my mission call was of God, and that New Jersey is where I need to be. I also know in the same way that President Bahr is inspired to choose where we are transferred, and thus, I am where I need to be right now, to bless these people.

Our area is huge. We cover Journal Square, Downtown, and almost touching the Heights of Jersey City. If you want that to make sense, maybe you can look up a map of Jersey City, but anyways... it is a big area. We recently bought buss passes so we can make our work a little easier. I am excited, things are looking up here in the area.

President Bahr promised us that with faith and prayer every single missionary will get a baptism this month. I am excited. I am not sure who yet, but we will get a baptism in April. It'll be amazing. Elder Larsen tells me we have a lot of really awesome people, but we just need to get appointments and get members out with us.

I love you all so much, and I hope that things go well in Italy. Thank you for helping me out with everything, all the support. Thanks also for the cookies. They were delicious.
I love you and miss you tons!
Love,
Elder Isaac Ellsworth