Happy Halloween

Well I will tell you what, when I was growing up and in my special years, I did not see eye to eye with my parents on a lot of things. But the older I get, the more I become like them for some reason. For example Dad hates Holidays especially Halloween, I too now hate Halloween. I think the whole idea is just dumb.haha Dad might be right about stuff once and a while!!

I will get to my week now I guess. It has been an interesting one to say the least. I love Loma Rica that po-dunk little town, but I don't really know how to do work here. There is not a town, no suburbs, as a result we can't really tract. Especially since most people out here are gun weilding pot farmers!! I don't think that they would like two men in black suits coming to knock on their door!! So I guess that is one of my frustrations here, is I don't really know how to work in an area like this.

Also like I said last week our Investigators and Less actives are dropping like flies!! But life is good, I really enjoy serving with Elder Whitney, and I really do love my mission. Well we have both been a little under the weather this week, so I don't have too much to say but I had a couple of stories I want to share.

First is that a recent convert of about 3 months named Melvin Jones died this week. I only met him once, and he was very frail just sitting in his bed when I did meet him. So Thursday morning we get a call from his care taker a member named Gail Scott, she was needing a friendly voice, because the hospice for Melvin had just told her he only had 2-48 hours left to live. Well we decided Thursday afternoon to go and see Melvin, when we got to the house he had already died, so we basically got volunteered to help take his body out to the Funeral home van. I imagined in my head something like the scene from Waking Ned Divine, and as you can guess I was ... Thrilled... to help out. Thankfully they had a stretcher to take him out on. Only on a mission haha. It was kind of funny though, when I said my last respects to him, I could not help but be a little envious of him, because I know he is in the rest of our Savior! What comfort that is to know that.

My second funny experience was just on Saturday night. Our ward had a Halloween party mixed with a Chili Cook Off. Well for my costume I decided that I was going to wear my Dress Lava Lava, and dress up like a missionary serving in Polynesia!! It was awesome and I had a good laugh just watching people's reactions to me wearing it. People asked me if I was supposed to be a sister missionary, and I was asked why I was wearing a skirt like 25 times but It was funny none the less!

Well that is just about all I had to say this week, and I want everybody to know that I love them! I love you guys, and I love my time on my mission. I don't understand how Aunt Effie thinks that two years was long, because it feels like yesterday I was at their farewells (Tyler's and Spencer's), and farewell party saying goodbye to two of my brothers in the Gospel!!

With Loving of your Gutz

Elder Nick Ellsworth

Holla from your son in Yuba City!!

Hello from Loma Rica!!! Well technically I am emailing over here in Yuba City, but still I am hollering from Loma Rica. So not to be redundant or anything, but I am here in the Yuba City library emailing you guys, but I am serving in the Loma Rica Ward. Does that make sense?

Well my first week in Loma Rica was awesome! It is pretty much nutz that I am serving with Elder Kevin Whitney from New Fork!! It is pretty awesome to say the very least. So as we have been talking to each other, we have discovered more about our relationship at Camp New Fork. We were roommates for about half of that summer. We both stayed on the two bottom bunks in the Cardboard Cabin, and I like him a lot. I got sick of our other two roommates, because they thought that our cabin was possesed by demons or something crazy! ha ha Still what are the odds, that five years after we lived together we would be serving together out here in Roseville Cali! We get along great, I think that it is the best I get along with a comp since Elder McAllister like 6 months ago!!

But I am not too sure of this area yet. I have such a love for the area, and for the people that live up in Mount Shasta, I know that as a I serve diligently, and pray earnestly I will grow to love these people as well.

My area is as country as it gets. As a matter of fact, it makes Cottonwood, and Mount Shasta look like bustling metropolises. But the funny thing is, the ward over here is bigger than any of the other two I have served in.

Plus the work is going really good as well, we have a couple of solid investigators, and we even have two Baptisimal dates! It is pretty sweet time to be serving here! It is a big adjustment though. I don't think that after serving here, I will ever forget the smell of marijuana! You drive down the road, and you just smell a nasty scent in your nostrils, a little bit like skunk, every five to ten minutes or so. It is not skunk, it is the pot industry going strong out in the countryside of California. It helps me sleep well at night to think that the welfare system is helping people to grow this lucrative crop! haha

Our apartment out here is pretty nice as well, there are only a couple of problems... there are spiders everywhere, we live above members so we have to be very quiet, and the members we live above their grand daughter lives next door to us, and she is gorgeous!!! It is pretty sweet too, because we are teaching her friend, and they are both like 19! haha

It actually freaked me out a little bit the first time we went over there to teach. It was weird for me because I have never really taught lessons to people my age, let alone girls, that are very pretty. But I will endure ;)

Well other than that I don't have a whole ton to say. The work is sweet, we do a whole bunch of service, which I love! Also I have been able to be more obedient, and hard working since I have been with Elder Whitney. He encourages me to be better, rather than a few companions that have encouraged me to be worse... It is a little funny to me, because I didn't really realize that I was becoming relaxed with the rules, until I had an obedient companion, who is strictly obedient. It is a good thing, and it will help me to improve personally.

Well love all y'alls' gutz

Elder Ellsworth

Loma Rica!, but again I am emailing from here in Yuba

Life is good!

Well just for a minute I wanted to start off by telling you guys just a little bit about the Gardners, and when I say a little bit, I will probably ramble on and on, but that is okay. The first time I met them, it was the end of the month, and Elder Brown, and I had many extra miles, so I wanted to go and see all of the towns that were far away in our area. So we drove to Lake Shastina, which is like 18 miles from our house in Mount Shasta. We got out there, and Brown was like we should contact his Former Investigator family named the Gardner's, and I really wasn't too thrilled, but we knocked on the door. Nobody answered, so we walked down their walkway towards the lake, and when we got down there, Vonda poked her head over the balcony, and said "oh, somebody was knocking on the door" So we talked to her, and set up an appointment. She was always a little more ready than Jason as we taught them, and wanted to come to church, and pray. Jason started to change and open up as he read from the Book of Mormon. I remember one week at church how he said that I said something that inspired him to start reading. I said that the Book of Mormon is the foundation of our testimony. That was the reason he started reading. Oh, also they have a 3 year old daughter named Kya, and a 1 year old named Roman. So they were reading, and started to pray, and it took a while for Jason's schedule to change, but eventually they made it to church again. They asked me to baptized them before I left, I was more than obliging to that request.

So, this Saturday around 10:45 I had the amazing experience of baptizing this family, that I love so much. I am so grateful that the Lord has touched their hearts. I love them, and know that they will be awesome members. And a year from now, they will receive eternal blessing when they enter the temple, and are sealed for time and all eternity! I hope that I can make it! They were confirmed Sunday in church. Brother Taylor in the ward did that. And Jason was interviewed, sustained and Ordained to the office of a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood! One cool thing that happened, was when Will Weidmann, passed the Sacrament to Jason and Vonda. That was a sweet experience for me.

In other news. Transfers have come in this morning, and I am getting the boot! I am getting transferred to the Loma Rica ward in the Yuba City stake! Pretty crazy too, my new comp's name is Elder Kevin Whitney, you might know his name, because he worked with me at Camp New Fork! He is one of the Four Whitney Brothers, he has been out for 3 months I think, and he is excited about his work. I am excited to serve with him!! We are going to work our butts off down there. I have loved my past few companions, but I have been waiting for one that just has the fire!! I think Elder Whitney does!

Well that is about all. Life is Good. I love my mission so much, I know this Church is true! It changes lives, and it blesses families!! I know because it has changed my life, and it has blessed my family.

Ian! You heard what the apostles had to say! I urge you, and command you with all of the brotherly love that I possess to prepare for your time to serve now!! This mission is the best decision I have ever made. When you get to see, and be a participant in somebody's conversion, it makes it all worth it! There is sacrifice involved, but that makes this experience so much sweeter. Read, Pray, and Prepare boy! I say that with love ;)

Love all of your gutz do I,

Elder Ellsworth

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

Stayin in Shasta!

Well I will start off by saying that I am very happy with transfers this week! I was hoping that Elder Clifford would take off, and that I would have six more weeks up in Mt. Shasta, and well that is exactly what is happening. Clifford is taking off, and going to serve as a District Leader down in the Lincoln 1st ward, and I am going to stay up in Banishment with Elder Gillen. I don't know much about him except that Elder Squires my current Distric Leader described him as a jerk! haha Well Squires is a little up tight about things, so I think that we will get along very good. Plus, if we don't I will just sit on him because he is pretty small!! Other than that I really don't have much in the way of news. Time still is just slipping through my fingers, and I am still trying to be a better missionary than I am. I don't think that I will ever get to where I want to be, but that is okay. I want myself to be the perfect missionary but I just don't think that it is possible.

I did have a very frustrating week this week. Elder Clark and I had an awesome exchange. Probably the best that I have ever been on, and we taught 9 lessons, and had a blast. And Elder Clifford came back up and just sucked the drive out of me! We only had 4 lessons for the rest of the week after Clifford came back up. :( I was very frustrated with him, and just ready to be done with our companionship. Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoy serving with him, but we just aren't that good at working together. We get along great though. We both agreed that we were ready for some change though.

Our investigators are still doing well, and for the most part progressing. I don't have anything else to say really. I love the Gardener's they are awesome this week we taught the 10 C's and we put some hand signs to them so they could remember them better. Alyssa is awesome but I don't know what to do with her. We can't ever teach her for reals when her dad is their she just kind of shuts down, and won't respond or do or say anything to us. He kind of just pushes her aside. So she is definately not progressing. Oh I have a talk in two Sundays that I am pretty excited about, and I think that you guys should write it for me. Last time you did it worked out pretty well so, take that into consideration please. haha

Well I love your gutz,

Elder Ellsworth