Sick, sick, sick

My Dearest Parents,

         Well I have had an interesting couple of days.  It has been an odd, my first week with Elder McAllister was great! We had 17 lessons; that led our zone!  But when he came to Cottonwood he came with a  cough.  It got worse and worse until last Tuesday I cancelled all of our appointments. I said he was sick and had to get better. Well, day after day he woke up coughing and hacking. Day after day I cancelled dinners and lessons.

 I feel really close to Elder McAllister.  I really loved Elder Thomson but it was not the same. He, McAllister, is such a good missionary, he works hard and he does the Lord’s will.  Now we have not been very productive because of his sickness. In fact today was the first day we have gotten out of the house in a week. We drove up to Redding to go and have a Dr. Appointment.  It was snowing up there!  The cars were covered for a little while! It is pretty hard to be productive or feel productive after spending so long at home. 

         I love you guys so much and I want to thank-you for your love and support.  You are so good to me.  You write every week, Thank-you! 

         I know why I am here, and I am determined not to get discouraged.  Not by other missionaries, not by experiences. I know why I am here. To serve the Lord!  I you all a ton. Thank you guys for EVERYTHING.

Love Elder Ellsworth

What a week!

Well this week was probably the most interesting week of my Mission thus far!  When Elder McAllister arrived in Cottonwood, he was a little bit sick, but last Tuesday he started coughing his lungs out, and he has not been proselyting since.  He is still sick today, but he is on the mend. 

 

I have enjoyed him so much, and I really love serving with him, so hopefully he will be well sometime this week so we can get some work done, in all this week we had four lessons!  It is pretty exciting.  Elders Sommer and Shelton who serve in Anderson and live with us are really good to us.  I have been able to get out for a couple of hours a couple of days this week, so it has not been to mind numbing, Elder McAllister is pretty frustrated though.  

 

There was one expirience that was pretty cool for me this week that I would love to share.  A couple of weeks ago our ward had a Chili Cook-Off and I was approached by this deaf family (Cottonwood is the Deaf ward for the Redding and Anderson Stakes).  The Father is not a member, and they wanted us to come and to teach the lessons.  Well it took a few weeks but two days ago we ate dinner with this family.  I went to the Dinner with Elder Call from the Palo Cedro Ward.  The daughter who can hear, and possibly translate was not able to make it to the dinner,so we called Sister Richardson, and she came and Translated for us.  She was around 10 minutes late so we wrote back and forth on a piece of paper until she arrived.  It was very odd sort of dinner, but when she arrived it was pretty cool.  When we finally shared a message with them it was so interesting, we had to compress our lesson into short powerful statements because of the translation, and I felt the spirit very strong as we did.  It was a new expirience for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Dinner and Lesson.  We even picked him up as a new investigator.  Though he told us that he was not super interested after all. 

 

Overall it was a very good week, but I hope Elder McAllister is feeling better this week so we can go and do some work!  I love you all a ton, and sorry again for the length.  Have a very nice Valentines day.  I will be sending some pictures later this week as well!

 

Love Elder Ellsworth

HELLO!

Quick explanation this week: I had a moment of panic on Saturday Morning. I walked into the family room at about 6:45 am and could have sworn for just a second that Nick was asleep on the couch. Totally freaked me out..... turned out to be Isaac (of course), but for just a moment I was confused. I have taken a lot of ribbing around here, so  I shared it with Nick.
-Liz

 Dear Family,

     Well I must admit that I had a nice laugh that you thought Isaac was me as well.  It is pretty funny because, I actually drove home this past week, and took a little nap on the couch!

     Oh boy have I had a exciting week!  First of all yes I did get your package, and yes I love Reeses Peanut Butter cups thank you very much!  Second of all Sister Pendleton (mission presidents wife) was involved in a head on collision this week, and she broke her sternum, and a vertebrae in her back.  We all participated in a mission wide fast, and she is walking, and at home now.  She sent out a voice mail message, and she does sound a little beat up, but she is very grateful for her blessings.

     I guess the one that you would like me to tell you about is my new companion.  Elder McAllister is awesome! He is from Sandy.   I loved Elder Thompson, but he did not feel like a close friend to me.  I feel like Elder McAllister and I are very good friends, and we get along great.  He has been out on his mission for 20 months, so who knows, I just might kill him off.  I was very nervous to meet my new companion, but I am grateful that the Lord gives us these opportunities to learn and grow.  From other people, as well as from ourselves.  I also got a new roommate at exchanges.  Elder Shelton is the new Zone Leader, and he is very nice, except for the fact that we hate each other!  Well not exactly ha ha.  

This week it was very hard for me, Elder Thompson and his Tom Tom GPS left me all alone in Cotton wood, which honestly is the most confusing place in the world.  All sort of little streets weave in and out through the country, but we have survived thus far, and we are learning  the area more and more each day.

     We have had some awesome lesson this week too.  There have been a couple where it was just great feeling God's love in the room.  We watched "Finding Faith in Christ" with a recent convert Tracy McAninch and the spirit was so thick.  We talked about Baptisms for the Dead, and I teared up as I expressed my feelings as I was able to baptize Emily in the Provo Temple, that day so very long ago.

       Elder McAllister also had a couple of very interesting experiences.  First of all the first three nights that he was here, we were given steak each night, each night they got less cooked!  The last one we ate was still bleeding!  Let Ian know that he has a long way to go, because on your mission, you just eat it.  It doesn't matter of it is good or not, you just do it!  Don't get me wrong we are always fed very well, and I can think of only one meal that I sincerely did not like.

 

       The second was as we sat in a lesson with a less active lady named Mary Baker.  She got a phone call, and her neighbor informed her that there was a fire next door.  I thought maybe a bon-fire or a camp fire, but no.  It was a trailer fire, we realized that when we saw the first of three fire trucks driving up the dirt road!  So we walked outside and observed as this trailer burnt to the ground, honestly it was pretty cool!  Obviously nobody was hurt.

     My testimony grows stronger and stronger each day, and my desire to feel the spirit grows.  I hope to be the best missionary I possibly can.  I am trying to replace every doubtful thought with a faithful act!  I rejoice because "the hour of my mission is come" D+C 31.  Read it love it, it has some very powerful promises in there.  This is the most important thing that I could ever do.  And I do not want to miss out on it.

     I hope that this is enough for your blog!  Tell Isaac that I will write him this week!  Also I will not write Em or Ean Bean again until I get one back!  Thank you so much for you support and love.  I got a letter from John, and Ashley this week.  NO BUDS HAVE WRITTEN ME YET!!!!!  It is not a big deal it is not like it has been six weeks or anything!!!!  I love you lots, and keep you in my prayers always.  Look unto God in every thought, doubt not, fear not! D+C 6;36

Love Elder Ellsworth

Transfers...

Dear Family,

 

Well what to say, that is my biggest problem, I never really know what to say.  Missionary life is awesome, but it flies so every Monday when I sit down to write you a letter, or email it is a little bit hard for me to say anything, because it doesn't seem like that long ago!  Does that make any sense?

 

Well anyways it is my first go at transfers, and all week there have been rumors flying around. I tried to ignore them but they were focused around Elder Thompson so of course a listened.  One thing was for sure, Elder Allen was going home today, but that was about it.  When we finally checked, well I am going to tell you about my week first.  

 

This week as a wrote in my journal I decided to change the focus of my writings, I have been writing about people, and lessons, but I realized that I shouldn't care as much about that, I will still write about my investigators, and a select few members, but I want to focus on my growth, my learning, and spiritual expiriences as well.  I will do that in my letters, and emails home as well.  

 

I had a pretty good week, my studies did suffer a little because Allen was all over the place.  I wouldn't say he was trunky as much as I would say he was antsy, ready to go.  But as a result everybody had a pretty bad study week.  

 

We are continueing to teach Amber Griffith twice a week, but Justin's mother has flaked two weeks in a row now on picking him up.  Without them, the Griffith's car is not big enough to fit the whole family into it, so they can't come on their own.  It is frustrating!!!

 

Sunday we had Regional Conference broadcasted from salt lake.  President Packer, President Eyring, and President Rasband were all their, and spoke.  It was very cool and Eyring's talk was incredible.  He talked about the Prophet, and how we can and should support him. 

 

This week we ate dinner with a part member family, and the non-member husband was willing to have us come and help out on Saturday, so we went, and chopped up a fallen tree, and burned all of the branches... the flames were probably 20-30 feet high, it was awesome, we had so much fun.  He also came to conference, it was awesome to see him there.  

 

This week we were able to give two priesthood blessings as well.  One of which was an answer to a less-active lady's fast.  It is so cool how the lord inspires missionaries in the simplest of ways.  I love being a missionary, and it really does fly, I have now been out here for two months or 61 days!  I am not counting, I just kind of realize the days.  Well I had better wrap this up.  I love you all a bunch. Be safe!

 

Love Elder Ellsworth

Nick's email kinda left us hanging... he never mentioned transfers. About 30 minutes later we received this follow-up.

Well I kind of figured that you would now be freaking out about transfers.  Elder Thompson is going to Yuba City as a Zone Leader, my new companion is Elder McAllister.  Never met him ha well this goes to show that Missionaries can have a sense of Humor!!  

Darn!!

Well this week was a little bit of a let down.  I was expecting a package  everyday, and it never came!  Ha, oh well I was just giving you a hard time.  But actually the only mail that we got this week was a wedding announcement for Elder Thompson's friend.  What a bummer. 

This week was not as great as the last.  We were able to meet with Amber Griffith and her kids two times, but Justin wasn't there for either lesson, and they did not get to church this week.  Neither did Ron or Kara, so we went from six investigators to church last Sunday to zero this Sunday.  There is some good news though, but not for us really. Kara is getting baptized.  But it will be in the singles ward up in Redding, so we will go, but it isn't our baptism. 

Well time is flying by, I have already been out here in California for 34 days!  Next Monday is transfers!  Elder Thompson thinks he will get transferred, I hope not. . I think it is a safe bet I will stay in Cottonwood, also I personally think Elder Thompson will stay here as well.
Every time I look up it is P-day, or Weekly planning which happens every Friday.

Also Elder Sommer has been really sick this week for like four days, so I have been going on exchanges with Elder Allen for a couple hours a day, because it is Elder Allen's last week, and he doesn't want to spend it at home.  It is really strange to think that Elder Allen is going home, while I am just starting.  To tell you the truth every time I think about the next two years I get a headache.  This week I also packed away my photo album, as well as the framed pictures, and my calendar.  I am working hard to avoid getting home sick.  I even had a dream that I saw you all at Wal-mart this week, that was pretty weird.  Overall I am doing very good, a little discouraged, but well. 

I love you tons, and I am doing really well out here, I will let you know what is happening with transfers next week.

Sorry I don't have more to say today

With Love

Elder Ellsworth

Glory Glory Hallelujah his truth is marching on!!!

Well for the first time this week I felt like a real missionary.  I guess I will start with last Sunday.  

We visited with the Griffith family, Justin, a less active member, seemed very reserved, and didn't seem excited to have his family learn about the Gospel.  There is a sister in our ward named Sister Cuellar (quay-ar).  She works for the start as a foster parent.  She is incredible, and the state loves her, but they always send her the worst of the worst.  These boys are on their last chance before they enter the Juvenile system.  That is where Justin came from, so as you can guess he is a little rough around the edges.  Justin is just 21, he is married to Amber who is 34 and she is investigating with her four sons from another Marriage.  Sean is 13, Seth is 9, Michael is 8, and Zachary is 5.  They are all super smart kids, and very small for their ages.  Zachary is just about the cutest kid in the whole world.  So on Sunday we met with them, and set up an appointment for the following Saturday. 

Monday of course was P-day, which is always a good day.  On Tuesday morning I went on exchanges with Elder H.  He is a disobedient missionary in the worst possible way, he actually has two strikes, one more and he will be sent home.  I spent until Thursday morning with him, and I was really miserable, we did no work, and I wasted a lot of the Lord's time. 

Thursday we had Zone Conference, and it was great to get back to doing some actual work.  I met back up with Elder Thompson, I had never been so grateful to see anybody in my whole life!

 Friday was amazing, and that is when I felt like a real missionary.  In the morning we had weekly planning, which went very well, but after lunch we met with Julie Morales a less active lady, Tracie Mcaninch a recent convert, ate dinner with Brother Gingell a less active man, and Bishop Baer we had a lesson about missionary work, he of course is very active.  It was awesome to be so busy!

  Then Saturday got even better, we met with the Griffith's in the morning, and I was floored by the change in Justin.  He was eager to learn, and to teach the boys.  Amber had to go to work halfway throught the lesson, and when we all kneeled down around the table to teach them how to pray.  Justin taught each boy in tearn while Elder Thompson and I cheered inside.  The whole family agreed to come to church, and to read the pamphlet that we left them. 

On Sunday we went to church and were waiting to see who would come to Sacrament meeting, to our delight Julie Morales was there, Fay Chenoweth was there, Ivy Wall was there, Ron Coulombe was there, Tracie McAninch was there, and so was her non-member daughter Kara!  To our disappointment the Griffith's never showed up.  As we walked out of the meeting to my delight the Whole Griffith family was sitting in the Foyer for the whole meeting!  We helped them to send their kids in the right direction and went to Sunday School, They even stayed for Priesthood, and Relief Society!!!   I was ecstatic about it.  I don't know if I have ever felt that way before.  And they are really excited to meet with us again tomorrow!  It is so incredible the change we have seen in Justin Griffith.  The Lord truely works in mysterious ways!

 I look forward to another succesful week, in the end we had six investigators (Griffiths, Kara, and Ron)  and 5 Less actives (Julie, Fay, Ivy and other that I don't know).  What an awesome week!  I love this work, I love this oppurtunity.  Is it easy ... no definitley not.  But if the Griffith family will change their life, it will be worth it!

Elder Ellsworth

P.S. This week I get letters from Alyssa, Natalie Bristow, Matt Scherbel, and Michael Crouch, and Emily.  Please Thank them.  Also thank Amy, Effie, John, Cliff, and Susan! I love the letters and will answer everyone as soon as I have time!

January is flying by.....

Well I will tell you what the time is flying by.  Which is not necessarily a bad thing.  It feel like just yesterday I was emailing you last.  Well we had a very nice week this week.  Well I am always Tired... Always.  I can't ever seem to get enough sleep.  I am up in bed until eleven or later every night, and I am awake at like 5;30 every morning.  It is driving me crazy!!!  Today is probably the worst day yet, but hopefully I can't start to feel rested.

 

  I am sick of not having very much to say in my emails, so today I brought my Journal with me, so it can help me to write more.  This week went pretty good, it started out with me teaching my first lesson in District meeting, it was about being a succesful missionary, and I thought that it went pretty well. 

 

On wednesday I went on my first exchange, I went about 20 minutes away to a little town called Palo Cedro.  I went with Elder McNarry.  He is very soft spoken, but a really powerful missionary.  We taught a 13 year old girl, and he comitted her to Baptism, and also an older man, and I recounted the First Vision.  It was great to finally teach some real Investigators, and once you start the lesson there is really nothing to be nervous about.  The place they live in is a Penthouse compared to our place.  It is above a members garage and it is so stinking spacious, I was green with Jealousy about it.  Coming home, and back to the place I know was also good. 

 

We had a couple of cool mid-week expiriences as well.  The first one was we were out tracting, and this guy opened the door, and said "Elder's I am so glad that you are here".  I did not recognize hime from the Ward, but he promptly explained, that he is the Elder's Quorum President down in the Gridley 2nd ward.  He told us his mother was very sick, and that he would like us to give her a blessing of comfort as she passes on.  Thankfully I always have my vile of oil on hand, and I was asked to annoint because of it.  He sealed the blessing, and we were shortly on our way.  A couple of times during our visit, he would exclaim to his Sister who isn't a member "I did not even call them, they just showed up".  It was a very cool expirience.  We followed that by giving a blessing to a less active lady the next day!  The Gingell's even agreed to feed us some Elk Steak Dinner next week. 

 

I was asked to give a talk in church this Sunday as well.  I was just as usual stressd about giving the talk.  It was ten minutes long and about building Testimonies.  I prepared probably the best talk of my life, and I only took up a little paper that stated the main points, and scriptures I was going to cover.  I felt the Spririt strongly as I gave the talk.  I was impressed with myself.  Many members of the Congregation said I did wonderfully as well. 

 

The Highlight of the week though was we finally got and Investigator to teach!  The Griffith family had already accepted the invitation to be baptized, but when they did Elder Thompson was on exchanges.  Missionaries we never able to get in contact with them again.  So Elder Thompson and I had never met Amber, the mother.  We dropped by Yesterday afternoon with 5 Books of Mormon.  They accepted, and also expressed that they would still like to pursue this, so next Saturday we have an appointment with them!  They have 3 Children that are old enought to be baptized, and the Father is a less active member.  Well that is about the jist of my week.  I had a great one, and I can't wait to hear from you again.

 

   I printed out some pictures at Wal-Mart today, so I will send those home in a letter.  My MTC district, and my Humble abode, are just a few of the Highlights.  I know that every week that I ask for more stuff, but I would love you forever, if you would look into a way to get a shrunk Preach my Gospel.  I have seen a few since I have been out here, and would love a mini copy.  Well that is just about the story of my life.  I love you all!  So much!  But I have a job to do 1Nephi 3:7 so peace!!

 

Elder Ellsworth