Transfers......

Dear Family, and Friends,

Well as you know transfers are this week! And transfer week stinks, it is really hard to focus on missionary work, and the last transfer week was very bad for me! Last Transfer I was pretty sure I was leaving, and in a sense I checked out my last week of last transfer. We did not get a whole lot of work done because of that. So this week I really applied myself. Even though I was still pretty sure that I would be leaving as well. We really did work hard! We taught 15 lessons this week, which was the most we have had this transfer, and possibly the most we have taught together! It was great.

We had our ward Chapel Dinner and Chapel tour this week as well. I was stressed out of my mind about it because it felt like it was all up to me to get it done. Brother Littlefield had been out of town until Monday and the potluck was Friday, so Elder Lee and I did just about everything to make it all work out good. It was a huge success, there was a ton of food, and around 100 people that came. We had a couple of non-members go around on the tour which was great, so hopefully that will open up some future possibilities. We had a pinata after it all went down, and it was epic. Ryan Ellyson was in charge of keeping it alive, and I lined up the kids from shortest to tallest to take a whack at it. When it finally met its demise the kids mobbed the ground trying to get to the candy! It was crazy, the good news is thought that nobody got hurt!

We had a couple of good lessons as well. We met with all of our Investigators this week, well the ones that are progressing, and this are really does have a lot of potential for the next couple of transfers. They could have a few baptisms coming up but nothing super close right now. Which is good because I am getting transferred! I am going to serve down in the Antelope Stake. I will covering a ward, as well as a singles branch! It should be an adventure! Well I know it will be because that is how my entire mission has been thus far. It always seems to throw me for a loop. I love this ward, and am sad to leave. But it is time to move on. I really love Elder Lee as well. I really want to apologize for complaining about him a lot. I really care about him, but at times he would frustrate me. But overall these past 3 transfers have been great. I have been smiling and laughing a whole lot more than I have been fuming. I am excited for more adventures with Elder Grover my new comp! Plus bonus points because I here my new house is legit! It is a four bedroom two bathroom house in a gated community for the two of us! BOOM SHOCKA LOCKA!! haha Love y'all talk to you next week!

With love,

Elder Ellsworth

Transfer Clause is Coming to Town......

Dear Family and Friends!

Well this week has been a quick one, and I have a couple of things that I wanted to tell you about! So sit tight, and maybe this will be a bit longer than the last few weeks! Well a lot of crazy new things have happened lately, so I will try and address them one at a time. First off, you may have noticed that I talk a lot about our investigator Drealton for the past few weeks, well she is out of the picture unfortunately. We met her two weeks ago on Sunday, and set a baptism date with her, and a bunch of appointments. So our first lesson went well, and after that we lost contact with her. She moved into a ghetto trailer park, and hung around the bad crowd, and as a result she fell into her old ways, and is now living with a man in Yuba City, and smoking pot, and cigarettes. It is a really sad thing for us because she really was touched but she chose to turn away. Who knows maybe we will see her again, but things are not looking up for it.

So that was Tuesday we had a lesson fall through with her, and lost contact, then on Wednesday I went on exchanges down in Marysville with Elder Simon. That was a very bad exchange with him, because for most of the exchange we did not do very much. The rain started, and did not quit all day long. It was cold too, so we would go out for a while than come home soaked, and then dry off and go out again. Overall we did not get very much done. The real problem is one of my sets of shoes, the one that I had, I stepped on a wire on Tuesday and poked a hole right through the bottom! So my feet got wet very very fast. So that was my day on Wednesday.

Thursday was a very intense day! Elder Talbot, and I were on exchanges and we went up to Chico for a conference of mission leadership. Because Elder Talbot is a trainer, and I am a District Leader we were both invited, and it was a very intense meeting. President Weston is awesome, and he does not mess around. He told us flat out that we need to step up our game! Because we are the leaders of the mission he said that we need to be perfect! He invited any missionary attending who is not willing to step up and be obedient to call him, and they will be removed from their leadership next transfer! I was inspired on so many things that I need to improve, so this week that is what I tried my best to do. Also I had dinner with a Hmong family with Elder Talbot that evening and said the prayer in Hmong (with a lot of help)

Friday I sat down with Elder Lee, and tried to inspire him to improve, but he mostly shut down on me, and he said he would think about it. I haven't addressed it since, I will this week though.

Saturday we went to a wedding! it was pretty... cool

and Sunday we almost died in a car crash!

Well that was our week, sorry I am running out of time!

With Love

Elder Ellsworth

JK Sunday was good, but we ran into some snow while I was driving, and started to skid while I was going 55 down the road. Luckily we skidded down the middle of the road, and I was able to pull it out! We made it safely to our destination, and I slowed down for the rest of the day!

It was a great day because we took a Priest in our ward out with us all day long. I wish I had that experience before my mission!

Love y'all

Visit with L. Tom Perry!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well I must admit this week has been fo-shizzlin awesome! I really had a good one, with a lot of exchanges and a lot of fun! So let me tell you a little bit about it. First off Tuesday morning I was with Elder Simon, who is a missionary serving in Marysville. He is a good guy, and is trying to turn his mission around and be a harder worker. We went out and cut wood with a member for like 4 hours! It was not meant to be that long, but it was a lot of fun! We had a couple of good lessons this week, with Drealton, and with Pat. Both of whom are progressing towards baptism and doing pretty well. Drealton moved out from her parents, and into this trailer. I am a little bit worried about here because that trailer park is ghetto! But other than that she is doing well.

As you guys know this Thursday we had an awesome meeting with Elder L. Tom Perry! It was down in Antelope at the biggest chapel I have ever seen! And not only us, but the Sacramento mission was also invited. So as you can guess, it was a sea of Black suits, and parted hair! I even saw another kid from Timpanogos there, serving in the Sac. mission! The meeting was great, Elder L. Tom Perry, and his wife, and a member of the Presidency of the Seventy were there, and they brought the Spirit in such rich abundance! They gave it to us hard, that we need to represent the church well, I like it better when they give it that way. But they also expressed their love for us.

Now I am going to brag on myself for just a minute here. So as we were getting ready to go to this meeting Thursday morning, Elder Lee, did his hair a little bit different, he put his laniard in his pocket, he also even changed his belt buckle, from a skate brand to a normal buckle. As we went to the Marysville Elders' apartment, both of them commented on how they hadn't parted their hair in months! I was very proud of myself that when an apostle of God came to visit our mission, I dressed the same way, I wore the same tie I would have, I did my hair the exact same way I do every day, even today on P-day. It really did make me feel good, that the way I am, I didn't have to change to feel worthy to be in the presence of an apostle. So enough bragging on myself! I did however remove my I heart Weed sunglasses from the car, and I haven't put them back, nor will I. So I still have a lot of work to do, but every time I dedicate myself even a little bit more, I feel great. I love living a consecrated life. I strive everyday to give more to the Lord, and I hope to work, until I give all to the Lord!

Other than that my week was pretty dull. I am really excited at how fast this transfer has been going, and I am ready for transfers once again in two weeks. But this time I won't be checking out of my area early!

I love all y'all with the aorta of my heart!

Elder Ellsworth

Another week in Loma Rica

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, in answer to your question, yes I have been getting your emails every week, thank you so much for writing me so faithfully in your emails. I really do appreciate it, and it makes my P-days worthwhile. Please continue to do so. What I was complaining about was the fact that I have not gotten a single letter this transfer :( And this week I was let down yet again every day... tear... But that is okay I don't really write anybody but you guys anyways so I can't really expect letters in return from anybody but Isaac, Emily, and Ian! Who all owe me a letter now! ha. But other than that life is going really stinking good here in Loma Rica (Lome Rick-a)

We had a couple of awesome miracles this week that I wanted to tell you guys about! We had a lesson with Pat this week. It went awesome, and the spirit was very strong. We taught her the Restoration, and we talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon as evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet. We Invited her to be baptized when she feels that the Book of Mormon is true, and she accepted our invitation! We did not set a day yet, but we are very excited to work with her.

We picked up a new investigator this week named Drealton. She is a recovering drug addict, but she is also the most golden person I have ever met. She just recently moved back into our area, and when she lived in Texas she was taking the missionary lessons. She already had a baptism date, and so we met with her yesterday, and reset that for March 24th. So that will be just 3 days before the transfers happen! She already has a testimony of this Church, she even bore it in Relief Society!

So we now we have 1 baptism date set, and we are hoping by the grace of God to set two more this week! So please pray for these awesome people. I truly am loving this time that I have now to be in this great work. I feel blessed every single day! I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Hurrah for Israel!

With my bowels filled with love,

for your gutz!

Elder Nick Ellsworth

Esquire