Boxing Day

Dear Family,

Well I really do not have a whole lot to say today, but for the sake of your blog I will say a little, please feel free to add anything from the phone call that you feel is appropriate.  First Sunday in the field was pretty weird everybody in the ward wanted to come and introduce themselves.  It is impossible to remember, or even attempt to all of the names of the ward members. We have great support here from the members, they feed us every night. I haven't eaten a dinner in our apartment yet.

We have a couple of investigators in our investigator pool. This week we spent some time going through the books of old investigators and tracking some of them down.  I had a really neat experience this week. We were out trying to talk to people, we stopped at one house and as we were getting out of the car I had the impression that someone at that house was prepared to hear the gospel.  We spoke to  a woman at the door, we have an appointment to go back and see her on Thursday this week.

Our investigator Ron was at church yesterday, but he always comes. He is struggling to quit smoking and is pretty convinced that he can't do it. He knows the church is true, but hasn't been able to quit yet. I hope that we can get some inspiration to help him quit smoking.

I have really enjoyed my time here so far, and I almost have a whole week under my belt.  Cotton wood is a tiny little town, it has a really cool Historic Downtown section, but tell you the truth it is just really old.  There is tons of fields, and farmland, etc.  And the houses in town seem to be pretty spread out.  I have set foot on two or three sidewalks because mostly it is just dirt on the side of the road.

We are working in Cottonwood, but we actually live in Andersen which is about 4 miles away. 

In our apartment we have my companion Elder Thompson and myself, plus the zone leader and his companion. The ZL is Elder Thompson's Dad, so that makes him my grandpa, they told me to call his companion Grandma!

Sorry that isn't much family,  next week I will give you more to work with. 

Also after a get moved out of Cottonwood, or away from Elder Thompson, we need to think about purchasing a GPS,  apparently Utah missionaries cannot find their way around in California, so please price them out if you have time.

Ya, I know that there is other things, but I can't remember, so it will have to wait... do you need extra postage to Canada?  Also... We got a bunch of presents, I got a blanket, a green tie, some brown socks, a plethora of candy, and another stocking, and a pocket knife!

 Well I had better head out, I love you all so much, and next week I will try harder to write personal emails, and a better family one. For the sake of the blog, use some of what we talked about on Christmas.  I love you all, but I am the Lord's for now.

Elder Ellsworth

3 Nephi 5 :13

Christmas!!!

We received this email this evening from a member in California. Don't know why Elder Ellsworth is not in missionary clothes, but he looks like he is enjoying himself!

We enjoyed our call today. Nick is serving in Cottonwood, California about 20 miles from Redding. He sounds very happy! He wanted me to express his thanks to those of you who sent letters (and gifts) for Christmas. He will be sending personal thanks soon, but explained that their time on P-day is short so it may take some time to get all his letters written.


Now for the email:

Dear Parents,

My name is Eric Hogan, and your sons are at my house this Christmas day.  I would like to tell you what wonderful young men you have raised.  I am a Major in the Army Reserve, just recently home from Iraq, and I know something of longing to be home during the holidays.  I have deployed twice now, and perhaps this makes me more sensitive to how you must feel.  As you can see from the
pictures, your boys are enjoying themselves, and will definitely not go hungry today.  There will be lots to eat, home made pies, and every other confection you can think of.  My wife Patty and I really appreciate the opportunity to serve your boys.  We are so proud of them, and are very thankful for the spirit that they bring into our home.  I especially appreciate the example they set for my two boys.

 Eric L. Hogan

Airport

Nick called this morning from the airport. We had a 4 minute conversation. Great to hear from him, wished we had more time to talk! We received the following email this evening:

I am alive, and now in California, I was allowed to email you so I just have a short one.  Today was crazy, I woke up 15 minutes before, I was supposed to be leaving.  Threw my stuff together, and left.  Met 8 elders who were all in the same district all going to my mission.  Talked to a lady on the airplane, she didn't accept a BOM, landed in Cali.  Met the Mission president, went to this Stake Center, and finally had my first meal.  Now I am about to go and meet my very first companion.  Love you lots. Sorry my phonecall this morning was very short, I think that I get an hour Christmas day.  HUGS and KISSES

 

Elder Ellsworth

Leaving the MTC

This week's email was very brief. Nick leaves the MTC tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to a phone call from the airport.
This is all he wrote this week:

I am definately leaving the MTC on a high note.  This last week has been a lot better.  This morning I got up at  4:20 in the morning to see my Comp. and roommates off to Dallas.  It was actually really hard to say goodbye, they are like my brothers, and I was sad to let them go.  We had four more elder's leave at 6:00 this morning and I saw them off too.  Then I went back to sleep for a while with the four other left.  I leave tomorrow at 8.  I was made the district leader because Elder Hansen left this morning. 
Well I love you lots.!

Elder Ellsworth's address in California is:
8583 Watt Ave.
Antelope, Ca, 95843

That is the mission home address. We will post his apartment address when we get it.
Thanks to everyone for you love and support. Nick is excited to get to California and get to work

Liz

Week 2

Dear Famiy,

Oh the ways the Lord works.  It always feels like I am learning a lot, but then my teachers talk and I realize how much I have to learn!  I am trying to learn, but it is so hard. We have MDT (missionary directed time) for a couple of hours everyday. It seems that there is so much to learn.

I have felt somewhat overwhelmed this week, I did however have a couple of bright spots in the past week.  First I got my Travel Itinerary, I fly out next Tuesday, the 21st of December. 

Second Elder Chantry and I taught a real investigator this week, his name is Steven he is 11 years old, and I was able to give him a copy of the Book of Mormon that I purchased at the bookstore. I look forward to more experiences of teaching real investigators!

We went to the temple again today, that is always a great experience!

I love getting letters... more than emails.  I sent letters to Ian, Isaac, Emily, and Matt Scherbel coming to the house this week.  Please get Matt's letter to him.  I love you so much mom thank you for everything.

Hopefully I will have more time to write next week,
Love Elder Ellsworth

Nick's first email

Elder Ellsworth and Elder Chantry

Elder Ellsworth with Sister and Elder Ellsworth

Dear Family,
I have had an emotional couple of days.  I don't really know how to explain the MTC. They throw so much knowledge at you so stinking fast I makes my head spin.  The first day that we arrived we met with our first investigator, that was heart pounding of course it was an investigator with a nametag pretty similar to mine and Elder Chantry, but still I was super nervous.  They have cameras in one of the centers that we can use so we knew that our teacher could watch.

Well I have only a short time to write about 30 minutes so I will just go fast.  I have two teachers both attend BYU and both have returned from missions English speaking in the US in the last two years.  Brother Wall is an amazing teacher, and I am pretty sure that he see's right into all of our souls.  He went to the Seattle Washington Mission and returned a year ago.  He has red hair and holy cow does he have a testimony, he also has a huge knowledge of the gospel to go along with it.  Sister Eyre is about twenty five and she returned from the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Mission about a year and a half ago, she is a whole lot more spunky then Brother Wall but she still can teach like nothing I have ever seen.  She is also super pretty and we just love her to death.

Since arriving we have spent about nine hours per day in a classroom that is about twelve foot by ten foot big.  With 13 Elder's trying to learn the gospel, and with a crappy air conditioning that just seems to put out white noise that distracts me really bad and it gets super hot so you have to turn on this fan that makes the noise almost unbearable.  But other that that it is great! ;)  We spend about three to four hours with Brother Wall and I think about 2-3 with Sister Eyre. They bless me with the testimonies that they have,  they actually make all of us feel a little crappy about ourselves when we do a bad job and they follow it up by making one of us pretend like we are an investigator they just nail it.  Elder Chantry said after one such experience with Sister Eyre he said that he wanted to get baptized again.  They are such a blessing I just hope that I can be worthy and open to take in their lessons, and follow their teachings, and become a good servant unto the lord.  I can't stop silently thinking about trying to work at the MTC after I return, I think that I would love it.

Elder Chantry is a blessing, he was about 348 pounds before he put in his mission papers.  He was told that he needed to 35 pounds before they would let him serve, he ended up losing about 70 pounds.  He is a big fellow, probably my height or a little taller, he has the best sense of Humor that I have ever seen. He can make the entire class laugh and he does multiple times a day.  He is from 14 miles out of Sacramento, and he is just barely out of my mission boundaries, in his free time he likes to pan for gold, play football, and he really likes to play call of duty.

In my letter I express some worries that I have had and still have, but please do not worry about me I am loving it here at the MTC.  On Sunday we walked around the temple, and had such a great and spiritual time.  Today was P-day and we were allowed to go and do a temple session this morning, it was so great to see my entire district, and attend the temple with me, it was a blessing for me.

Please send letters, I never did realize how important they are, holy cow every time the mail comes, I just hope that I get one or more.  I always feel a little bad when others get stuff and I don't.  I have received one letter and I was so happy, it almost killed me trying to wait until the evening to read it.  I feel bad for the missionaries that have to stay hear for so long. 9-12 weeks I think would kill me I feel so blessed that I only have 3 but I am sure that I will wish to be back as soon as I get out there.

  Elder Chantry and myself have had the opportunity to teach a progressive investigator this past week twice now.  His name is nick, he is a teacher here but it is still cool to have a semi-realistic experience.  He has gone to church now, and also has agreed to start reading the BOM and also to pray every night.  Well I only have 3 minutes left I love you all so much, and a really look forward to receiving those letters.
Love,
 Elder Ellsworth