What an amazing week!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well this week was probably one of the best of my mission! We worked really hard and found a lot of success! Well actually these past three weeks or so have all been awesome, and I have learned a lot! I am really excited about the work here in Loma Rica, and it is really picking up. I think that it is funny though because the harder I work the more blessed I feel. Even though I am really tired a lot, it is really rewarding and I feel really accomplished. I love that feeling of ending a week on a good note because of the hard work and effort that I have put forth. This week was a great one. I was talking to another missionary who told me a story about one of his companions. They served together for his last six weeks before he went home, and this Elder was freaking out because he felt that he had wasted most of his mission not working hard and not giving the Lord a full effort. So he tried really hard his last transfer to make his mission worth it, and in the end was just a big jerk to his comapanion over the whole thing. How sad is that, I want to live my life out here in such a way that when I come home I will hold my head high and know I have worked hard for two years! I am grateful for this time I have been given to serve the Lord.

This week has been one of hustle, it started off pretty terribly on Tuesday, with three cancelled lessons, and we ended up with none for the day, but it really went up from there. At the end of this week we were able to teach 16 lessons, that is two more than last week which is by far the most we have taught since I have been in this area. It has been really good, we simply went out everyday and did our best to serve the Lord. The best part about it was Elder Lee and I were not even together on Wednesday and Thursday because of exchanges, but both of us when we were in our area worked hard and taught a handful of lessons. Also I think that we are gaining member trust as well. They see and know that we are really working hard to further the work here in Loma Rica. It is really a sweet experience for me! I guess the best part of my week was just yesterday. We were teaching a lesson to Jason, he is getting baptized next Saturday. We finished up all of our lessons so he can be interviewed this week, and after the lesson we asked him who he would like to baptize him, and he asked me if I would. I told him I would be honored. Every time I get this opportunity it is so awesome! I feel the Spirit of the ordinance more abundantly!!

Also things with Elder Lee are going really good. We have been getting along really well, and we are both working hard. He still sleeps in, but I am not going to let that ruin or whole companionship. I also think that going on exchanges often has helped to smooth things over. We really do get along and like to talk as long as we avoid the topic of obedience. I really am learning to love him, and honestly I hope that we stay together for one more transfer.

Well I am just about out of things to say other than I love all y'all. Keep praying for me and being the best you can!

With Love

Elder Ellsworth