Mother, I can't believe that September is gone either!

Well I do not have too much to say this week. It has been pretty good, and we have been doing a whole bunch of service this past week or so, and that has been very good. I love being a missionary. I love cool experiences that we have that someday will make some pretty awesome stories!

So here is one, that I was not even there to hear, but I will tell it anyways. As you know the Gardener's have been doing awesome. They also have been a little tight on money, which is part of the reason they weren't coming to church. Well little did I know, but last week when they showed up out of the blue, well to get there that day they put their last 10 dollars into their gas tank, to make the drive to church. When Jason went to work the very next morning, there was a tip that he had received, but wasn't given to him the last week! Not only that, but Jason also got a second job, so the Lord blessed them for putting their faith in him! He truly does provide! They also made it to church this past week, and they are just amazing! A family in the ward invited them over next week to watch conference at their house as well, so this ward is being so gracious and welcoming to the young couple.

I had another cool story while talking to them after church last Sunday. We were up in the Relief Society room, I say up because it is on the second story, and I was talking to them again. And Vonda told me she wished that I would stay here in Mount Shasta forever. Then she corrected herself, and said "no, you should go home, and then get married, and move back out here."

Well I was very flattered, and I am just again, so indebted to my Father in Heaven, so very grateful for the blessings I have in my life. They are not few, but they are many. I am grateful for my struggles, because when I have them I appreciate the good times that much more. I am grateful for this gospel. It has blessed my life, it has blessed my family. It is true. I know it is true.

Well that is just about all that I have for today. I am pretty tired, and ready for a nap, but doing well. We have the Potential to pick up like 11 new Investigators over the next few weeks, so the work is going well, and it is super rewarding. Well I will let you go, but I want you to know that I love you all very much, and wish you the best. Good luck Dad, and Em in Haiti. The Lord will bless you as you serve your fellow men. Thanks for all of the love and support!

With much Love

Elder Ellsworth

What an amazing week!

Well I must say that this week was really awesome. It was one of those weeks that in terms of numbers for the week was not very impressive, but the work that we were able to do was very good, and I am well to be honest I am so excited about the Missionary work up in Mount Shasta!


The week started off as kind of an odd one. As you know Elder Kearon of the Seventy came on Monday, and we had our P-day on Tuesday as a result, but what you probably don't know is the rest of the Story!

I started off the normal Proselyting week by going on Exchanges withe Elder Pennock the Greenie in the Zone. He is really cool, and has an excitement for the work, he is a little rough being brand new and all, but really a great guy. We had our truck waiting for us at the shop on Wednesday morning, so we were able to go about our business as usual. We met with the Gardener's that morning, and that lesson went really well. We talked about modern day prophets, their importance, and also that today the Chruch is set up in such a way that we will always have prophets, as well as that Priesthood Authority they hold on the earth. The lesson ended on an awesome note, when I bore my testimony about the Gospel how grateful I am for it. I shared that I always haven't had this appreciation for it, but because of those times, it is so sweet now. Then Elder Pennock bore his Testimony! Then Sister Gardener bore her powerful testimony on how she know that this Church, and what we have taught her is true. Followed last of all by Jason! He bore an awesome testimony as well. He said at one point that he could not deny that it was true! I am very grateful that I was able to be a part of that powerful lesson!


I got Elder Gillen back later that night, and things went really well. I have grown to love him, despite our differences. We actually had a talk this week one night, on how both of us pretty much feel the same way. The other made us mad for our first little bit, and it was pretty rocky for a while, but now we get along good. We had success this week with contacting a bunch of less actives that we have been trying to get in contact with. Set up two service projects for next week with Less active families, and our week was super awesome!

It was a really good week to begin with, but then Sunday came around. We were sitting in the Chapel 5 minutes or so before the meeting was going to start. Juanita was there, along with a couple of Less active people we are working with, when out of the blue the Gardener's walked into church! We had no idea they were coming so obviously we were ecstatic!! Even more so, when the High Council speaker and his wife both spoke about improving marriages and raising children for their talks! They stayed for Sunday School, which was a great lesson. And also they attended the third hour. I was a little worried because our Elder's Quorum President is a nut case, and he teaches some crazy "A" stuff if you know what I mean, but even the Priesthood meeting was livable.

Elder Gillen went to the Bathroom so he was not their for the ensueing conversation, but it went something like this. Jason and I were sitting in the Chapel after Priesthood meeting and just chatting. I asked him if he had any questions for me, and he did from his reading. He is now in Mosiah by the way I answered his question, and eventually during the course of our conversation Vonda showed up with the kids. Then out of the blue Vonda told me that her and Jason had been talking about things, and they had decided that they wanted to be baptized by me before I left the area! I was of course more then obliged, and pulled out my planner, and set a baptism date with them for the last week of this transfer. So they are getting baptized on October 8th!! I cannot even describe how excited I am. I was pretty much floating 3 feet off of the floor for the rest of the day yesterday. I am so very grateful for this amazing family. I am so grateful that I have been given this chance to teach them, and share with them my testimony of this Church and this Gospel. I love this gospel so much, and having succeses out here on my mission, inspire me even more to go out and work harder, and to be better than I am. I love you guys very much, and I will hopefully chat with you next week again! With much love

Elder Ellsworth

Half Mission Conference with Elder Kearon

Well this week was a very good one. We had our Mission Tour, AKA Half Mission Conference Yesterday down in Yuba City. Which by the way is the furthest south that I have been in the mission in nine months, since the day that I was picked up at the same building by Elder Thompson! Pretty Crazy of you ask me!

It was a long drive down, and very cramped! I was sitting in the back of a Toyota Corolla for the entire trip down, and back up with two other Missionaries! I am glad to be out of that car to say the very least! The Conference was pretty awesome. We first heard from Sister Weston, then President Pendleton, and then we were addressed by Sister Kearon. Then for the next 4 hours or so Elder Kearon stood up there and addressed us about lots of stuff. We did have a lunch break in between, which was very nice, and needed. By the end of the meeting, I was pretty shot to pieces. We did wake up at 4:30 to make it there on time. I had a very enjoyable meeting, and it was cool to listen to him speak, we could tell that they had such a love for us Missionaries. Here is some cool facts. Elder Kearon was a convert, at age 27, they have four kids, the oldest of whom is only 14 years old. Elder Kearon is only 48! He is an awesome guy, but he does not look very much like I remember him from conference, he has aged a bit, and his hair is pretty much all gray now. I remember attending the Priesthood conference in which he gave that talk, that session impacted me very deeply, during a hard time for me and gave me strength and conviction to come out and serve the Lord. One of the main points in the lesson today was finding places where we lack, and improving. He talked a lot about the analogy of the rich young man, who asked the Savior how to get to Heaven, and he responded that he should obey the commandments. The man from his youth was obedient, and said, what lack I yet? that is the Question that we should ask ourselves.

Well I should mention the rest of this crazy week as well I guess. We taught the Gardener's about the law of Tithing, and they want to Obey it, but they are scared. I know that the Lord will bless them if they put forth their Faith, but how can I ask them to make that sacrifice? That is a scary situation, and I am scared as well as to how I can approach the subject lightly, and showing love to them.

Later on this past week, our Truck broke down, the battery went bad and is wouldn't start anymore, so we had to jump the Truck on Friday 6 times, and on Saturday it wouldn't start at all, so we had Shasta Lake Elders drive up on Sunday and pick us up. The truck was towed, and is waiting for us in the shop in Mount Shasta, now we just need to get back up there!

Also we were given the chance to speak this past week in Sacrament meeting, that was a cool thing for me. Especially since I spoke on the Restoration, and basically just taught the first lesson from the stand! It was good though, and Elder Gillen spoke on the Converting power of the Book of Mormon. I thought we did pretty good, especially since we only left 10 minutes for Brother Ingraham! Also things are going better with Elder Gillen. I like him, but when he gets around a certain group of Other missionaries, who I am not to fond of to begin with, they become very abrasive, and make me very mad. The key to this, is keeping the 3 of them apart from each other. So I will try to stay at Shasta Lake while in Redding rather than the Zone Leaders apartment. Well that is about all, I love you guys so much.

I love feeling the Spirit of the Lord. I love that warm, love that I feel. During our meetings yesterday, his words made my heart burn. They inspired me to be better, to work harder, and to be more dedicated. To ask myself what I lack, or where I can improve. The Lord will bless me as I strive to be a better more obedient servant of him. I know this is true. I know that my Savior lives, and he loves me. I know he atoned for my sins. I know that he knows me personally, and completely. I know that this Church is true, that this work will change lives, that when somebody is touched by the Spirit of the Lord, they can truly be Converted to the Gospel of Christ. I love my mission, despite the hardships, despite the struggles, the letdowns, the frustrations, the fear. I love it. I have never felt closer to my Savior then I do now. I am really hard on myself, and I know that I am sometimes a little extreme, but I am hard on myself because I know that I can be better, more effective, and harder working than I am. When I build the Lord's trust in me, he will lead me to those I am here to teach. I have done some good, on my mission, but I need to live up to my full potential. I love you guys very much, and I am grateful for the Love the Support and the Prayers in my behalf. I have had a cool experience these past few weeks, I have been putting in a greater effort to write in my journal. I have at the same time started to read from Dad's mission journal. I love it. It inspires me. I know that he had struggles to, but seeing him overcome them, is awesome what I neat experience that has been for me. He just got transferred from Napoli, his greenie area I think, and I have learned a lot from him already. I love you guys so much, and if I don' pray for you every prayer, I do it often.

With Love

Elder Ellsworth