Christmas Eve!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

To my Family and Friends:

Well if you were wondering it did not snow this Christmas. It may not have been white, but it was Merry and Bright! It was great to have the Christmas spirit, and the Christmas season for these past few weeks! It is really a blessing that we have to be able to remember our Savior Jesus Christ! It is a little bit of a bummer to be away from all of my family and friends, but I have been taken good care of these past few weeks! I really do feel loved, by my family, by my Father in Heaven, and also by these great members here in California! Thanks for all of the gifts, Christmas Cards, and letters I have received, it helps me to feel loved during this season!

Just so everybody knows, this is actually my Second Christmas on my mission. It is pretty incredible for me to take time, and reflect on this past year of my life. I know that I have never worked so hard, learned so much, and had so much fun in any year before. I am grateful to be able to serve during this time, and to learn so much in the service of God! It has been a journey worth remembering, and I am also grateful to have a whole year to still work hard and serve out here in the California Mission! Not only is it crazy to look back to this past year, but thinking back to two years ago... I was a pretty hard hearted and a stiff necked dude! If you would have told me then that I would be on my mission today, I would have laughed at you! I am grateful that my Heavenly Father has reached out to me, and softened my heart and given me this opportunity to serve. I will praise his name forever! I will never regret this decision to serve!

Well, I guess I will tell you what I have been up to during this Christmas season! Christmas Eve we were still working during the day, we were able to meet a few people, and it was very good. Then that evening ate dinner with the McMartins, they are an awesome and fun family. We did a bunch of activities, sang hymns, and had a family tradition... homemade pizza for dinner! It was a lot of fun, especially since I gambled a little, and brought Elder Lee's and my pajamas to dinner with me, and the off chance that they open up PJ's Christmas Eve as well! It payed off, because it just so happens that they do! We had a lot of fun.

Christmas morning, we opened our presents, ate cinnamon roles for breakfast, and went to church. After Church we went to the Littlefields house next door, to the Littlefields, whom we live in their apartment upstairs, and made the dreaded Christmas call home! It was so nice to talk to my family, and I am grateful for their love and support! We ate dinner with the Bischoff family. They are great, and made us a nice dinner. It was really a great time to serve in Loma Rica!

Well I love y'all, and am so grateful for all you do! Keep working hard and being awesome!

With Love,

Elder Nick Ellsworth

Santa Claus is coming town.....

Dear Family and Friends,

It never ceases to amaze me how fast time flies, especially when you are working hard! It is crazy how much I have loved my time in this service. I am trying my hardest to be the very best that I can. I feel more and more blessed every time I give something up as submit my will to my Father in Heavens. One thing that our mission has been focusing on is having "Perfect Mornings". I have really struggled with this on my mission. A perfect morning consists of waking up at 6:30, working out, starting our studies by 8, and having companionship study by 9. Now it might sound easy but it is very hard. This week that has been my focus and I have felt so blessed for it. Even this simple little sacrifice is enriching my mission experience.

It has been an incredible week as I have strived to work hard. We have found many successes this week, and even found some new people that we are hoping to start teaching on a regular basis soon. The Lord has blessed us so much. I am so grateful for all of the blessings that we receive. I think that this is one of the beauties of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Gospel is hard, it is not easy to be a member of this Church. Our Heavenly Father asks a lot of us. But for everything that we have to give up he blesses us ten fold. I love the quote from Elder Eyring's talk "We can't give so much as a crust to the Lord, without receiving a loaf in return." Now the blessings we receive should not be our motivation, but it is so nice to be blessed for our obedience. It is funny because as missionaries we have a lot of rules that we are asked to obey. We are very blessed when we obey, and we don't receive the blessings we could have when we choose not to be obedient. Now by obedience we are not promised to have a care free two years. Or Even to have many baptisms, but the Lord blesses us in our work, even when it doesn't seem like we are doing very much or making a difference.

I am so grateful for my strengthened testimony of obedience. It blesses me in every aspect of my life. Even though I am going through a rough time right now on my mission, I can take pride as I know that I am doing my very best to obey the laws of God. But even just in this week, as I have dedicated myself just a little bit more, I have found more happiness, and even a lot more success, and most of all a good feeling that I have done the will of my Father in Heaven. I know that the Lord is always mindful of each of us, and will support us and make our burden seem light, when we give him our effort. When we give him our heart. I am grateful for all the many blessing I have received in my life, and grateful for the Atonement of my Savior Jesus Christ. Because of his sacrifice, I can overcome any trial, and temptation, and any transgression as I rely on his mercy. I love you all, and wish you the best in this Christmas Season! Take time to remember our Savior Jesus Christ!

With Love

Elder Ellsworth

Things are starting to look up....

After two weeks of not enjoying myself, well not as much as I have been in the past, this week was actually pretty good. We didn't get very many lessons, but we worked hard and did a whole bunch of service. I have honestly been struggling with my new companion Elder Lee, but after this past week, I think that things are starting to improve their as well. We had this week a Companionship Inventory, where you talk about concerns, struggles, things that annoy you, or whatever else, so we had a good one this week. I learned a lot about my comp! I told him about my concerns of, the music that he listens too, what time he wakes up at, and about our companionship studies. And now he hasn't committed to live the rules necessarily
He won't wake up on time but he is willing to work on our studies as a companionship. So things are going to improve for sure.

Also this week, I had my first opportunity in my year out here to attend the temple. This Tuesday the Ellyson's (wicked awesome family) Loaded us up and took us farther south than I have been in many moons!!! It was a lot of fun, and I really felt the spirit strongly as I was able to renew my personal covenants. It was a big strength for me, it lifted me up, I guess that is the whole purpose of the temple. I have resolved to be the best that I can, regardless of what others want to do.

Also I had another cool experience this week. I was struggling, and very frustrating so before our District meeting on Tuesday, I asked Elder Paramore, my district leader for a blessing. It is actually the first blessing I have had, since the day I entered the MTC when Dad gave me a fathers blessing. What a good experience that was. I guess the Lord is truly blessing me this week with Strength to overcome my challenges.

Also President Weston came to Stake Conference in Yuba this week, and he spoke! That was another awesome experience for me! I love it when he talks. He is an amazing man!

Well once again my letter is short, but I want you to know I am doing good. I still have frustrations, but I know the Lord will support me! I love you'alls gutz!

Elder Ellsworth

LOMARICA