LIfe in Wrightwood

Dear anyone who is reading this.  

Wrightwood is the first area of my mission up in the mountains above the high desert.  It is a long drive anywhere and so we get a lot of miles everyday on the car.  I absolutely love it up here.  Even though no one in this town has air conditioning and every street is either uphill or downhill, I love every day of being here.  I suffer emotionally sometimes, it's a hard area to be a missionary in.  In a high mountain town with a population of just 5,000 residents, many of which are just vacation home, it is hard to find investigators and make contacts with others.  Every door here has been knocked so every person knows who we are and don't ask questions.  In the 2 weeks I've been here only one door that opened got past, "We'd like to share a message about Jesus Christ".  My companion, Elder Law, has been up here for the last 5 months of his mission and has only had 1 investigator get past the first discussion.  We have actually doubled our number of investigators since I've been here. From 1, to 2, and the second was a referral.  The members are the absolute key up here, and we spend most our time visiting and serving them.  There are 37 single sisters in this ward which makes it especially hard to meet them for very long as we can't even enter their homes without another member present.  I have had some amazing experiences up here already even with all the trials presented before me.

 I gave my first priesthood blessing this week which was quite the experience for me.  I felt so nervous before hand, I felt maybe I wouldn't be able to feel the spirit fully and maybe I would choke on the words.  I had all these doubts before but realized as soon as I started that it was all in the mental.  I let go of Ian, I let go of Elder Ellsworth, and let the spirit do what needed to be done.  I don't remember much of the things I said but afterwords the family, the Brady's whom I mentioned before, noticed a similarity to another blessing received before I had arrived on my mission.  The previous Elder had mentioned Mike Brady's, the recipient of the blessing, ancestors and how much they cared for and watched over him.  I also said something along those lines without foreknowledge.  I absolutely love the Brady family, every time I go over there I learn so much about myself and the spirit.  Also sister Brady makes some Bomb cinnamon rolls! Love those so much but if I keep eating them I'll gain weight they are so good.  

I have learned so much from so many up here in the mountains.  I have learned humility and charity.  Grandma Anderson is my hero.  She is the wife of the ward mission leader and such an amazing person.  The first day I met her she told me that she was my grandma now because I couldn't see my grandma anymore for 2 years.  She has had one trial after another, enough for anyone to lose their faith.  Yet she has retained her love for the savior and takes care of so many selflessly.  Even though she has so many kids and takes care of her sisters kids, she still acts as my Gma because she loves her savior enough to love someone she just met as her own.  I love her so much and want to serve her as much as possible.  

My faith has grown this past week more than I thought possible.  I hope to keep growing in my faith and my knowledge everyday I have. 

Elder Ellsworth

Made it to Rancho!

Hello parents!

SO, I made it to Rancho Cucamonga safely even with a very bumpy flight, turbulence.  I spent the night in the mission home and the very next day I was assigned a father and drove to my first apartment that night.  I'm actually in a town called Wright Wood up in the mountains above the high desert where it is really cool.  I love it so much I never want to leave this area the entire time I'm here, even if it snows here in the winter and I'll have to do a LOT of shoveling, I wouldn't mind even a little bit.  The people are all so inviting every time I talk people want to listen to me because my missionary status.  The ward I'm in is so very little and the hearts of the people are so very big.  Sister Anderson has already adopted me as her grandson, along with every other missionary, and is so inviting and friendly that I feel as though she were my own grandmother.  I have also eaten at a number of members homes since I've been here and they have all been so welcoming to me even though I am a greenie and replacing Elder Golden.  My Trainer is Elder Law, he comes home in around 5 weeks and lives in Midway.  We are both so very close to each other in home and here.  Out of all the wonderful people here I think the Brady's might be my favorite (don't tell anyone I said that!) because Elder Law and I gave 2 blessings the other night and I haven't the spirit so beautifully in such a long time.  I have been so blessed to have such an amazing trainer and even if I went home tomorrow my testimony has already been affirmed because of him.

The other night that I spoke of was Friday the 21st.  That night we went over to visit them for a while because the second daughter, R., was in a lot of pain from girls camp and we just wanted to visit.  R. wanted nothing to do with the church even though the rest of her family are all strong in the church and was converted by Elder Law and Elder Golden.  All they did was read the scriptures with her and bore testimony every time they would visit and she became active and even got her patriarchal blessing.  At girls camp this last week there was a CPR demonstration where it was explained what to do and the counselor actually accidentally pressed down on her chest as if they were doing it for real.  Her sternum didn't break, thankfully, but she was in a lot of pain and wanted a blessing from Elder Law.  I did the oil and he gave the blessing in which he spoke about her lasting impact on the hearts of the girls she served while at camp.  At the time neither of us knew anything about her experience other than her sternum was nearly broke.  Later we found out there was a girl being bullied and she attempted to comfort the bullied girl and felt that she didn't "really" help the girl.  This touched R.'s heart and she was crying by the time the blessing was finished.  I even had to fill Elder Law in on what he even said because he couldn't remember the contents of the blessing.  I had my hands laid on her head along with her father and Elder Law and I felt the spirit so strongly it felt as if I was being pierced in the back by it it was so powerful.

The church is absolutely true!!  If it wasn't, then Elder Law would be a liar.  If it wasn't I would be lost in California.  If it wasn't the world wouldn't be.

So sorry about the radio silence.  I have been super sick for close to 3 weeks now and still not getting over this cough.  I have plenty of medicine and have access to a doctor so I'll be fine.  Last week of MTC the group headed to Rancho Cucamonga left around noon and took us all day to travel to the mission office.  My P-day in the MTC was Tuesday and my P-day here in California is Monday so I got he short end of the stick there.  I love and promise to always write and email you when I can so you can be assured of my living.  Also google chatroom is not allowed in my mission and we really aren't supposed to do the emailing back and forth thing, so yeah.  I will still keep in contact but it will be quite slow.  As for my scripture for the missionary plaque I have one in mind and any other scripture would be sacrilege to use any other so I can hold off the picture for a little while.  Besides even if I gave you one the plaque wouldn't go up at the church for another 3 months anyways so there is no harm waiting right?  Also here is the photos of the Moses mural and also another that will receive no context.

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Also I gave my first missionary talk on Sunday.  (Pday is Monday).  It was pretty terrifying but I made it through without anything too horrible happening.  I gave a pretty short talk even though I was supposed to go longer I fell short on that part but I lived regardless.  I love you peoples so much and will return with honor.

Elder Ellsworth

   

MTC Week 2

I LIVE!

But seriously, I am still alive.  This week was exciting.  We moved from T1, which is one of the old buildings, to T4, which is one of the new buildings. Specifically the big one visible from the south end.  It is seriously amazing!  The air conditioning is fully working and the windows provide so much light.  I love it so much.  The old building that I was being taught at was cramped, and the window was tiny, and the air conditioning was poor at delivering cold air.   But the new one is simply divine.  Also all of the water fountains also have the really cool water bottle fillers that say how many plastic bottles were saved.  Also we finally got a permanent teacher for our second class.  His name is Brother Anderson, and he is probably one of the best teachers I have ever had in any class.  His way of teaching is seriously strict, but we all feel the spirit so strongly every class.  Also he gets everyone engaged in such a way that everyone learns by the spirit every class.  I am thriving here at the MTC because of the unique atmosphere that I feel in every room.  

I am also planning on emailing you more than just insignificant day to day worries.  I don't know what else I am supposed to talk about.  If you have any questions just let me know i suppose.

Elder Ellsworth

Our friend and neighbor, Dean Wright, made a delivery for me today. Ian is holding a loaf of homemade bread still warm from the oven. 

Ian- Week 1

This has been the first week of the best 2 years of my life.  That's the way other people describe it and I've never fully understood what they meant by that phrase even though I've heard it so much.  Now I suppose I've experienced at the least the fist week.  The MTC is amazing.  I never knew that the world could hold so much spirit in such an area as small as campus.  Every missionary here is here to serve the lord and is looking to improve themselves to prepare to serve.  So far my experience has been pretty awesome, though the food is only getting worse as time goes on.  The cafeteria is pretty awesome but every meal is so heavy that after a while it just becomes too much.  I miss cooking for myself, something I never imagined I'd say myself but I miss cooking the raw tortillas you get at Costco.  I wish I could just make myself a box of craft dinner and just eat in peace.  Anyways, my district is pretty awesome.  There are 12 of us in total in district 31D.  All 4 Sisters are going to the Las Vegas West mission while all the Elders are going to the St. Louis Missouri mission.  It's just my companion, Elder Nordgren, and I that are going to Rancho Cucomonga.  Although we have met 2 other Elders also going to Rancho and heard from another Sister that there's like another 30 of us in a different building.  The work is hastening to be sending so many missionaries just to California.  There is 20 different missions just in the state of California.  That accounts for close to 10% of all missions in the world.  In my residence hall, I live in the basement with my district and zone.  The other half of the basement is shared by the missionaries going to Russia the surrounding countries so we have come to know them as simply, The Russians.  Day 1 Elder Doolen, an Elder who had been here the week prior, informed us they were crazy because the chanted in Russian at 1 in the morning and flipped the lights and wearing cloaks and such.  As it turned out it was just a misconception and the Russians are actually super nice.  They are all excited to go even though the rules there are crazy and they are doing their best to learn the rules and the languages.  My companion and I have had some amazing conversations with them and say hello whenever we find the opportunity.  I don't wish I could stay here at the MTC forever, but I am seriously enjoying every minute of it.  I have gotten so much reading of the Book of Mormon done here even though my schedule is absolutely packed.  I read the Book of Ether the other day and got so much more out of it than I ever thought possible in my life.  Even though every minute of my day is heavily planned by someone else, my scripture study is so much more productive than ever before in my life.  I have so many scriptures marked in my papers scriptures and I keep finding new scriptures to mark.  I hope my marking pens can last me my mission.  A great deal of my studying is all done in the brand new T-4 building, the building visible from the BYU Creamery.  It has the most amazing murals I have ever seen all about the stories of the Bible and Book of Mormon.  Below I've included the one about Moses parting the Red Sea, which is y favorite that we've found so far.  Also we've begun our TRC on Monday.  TRC is a kind of mock teaching an investigator and we have 2 people to teach this week.  Jose and Matthew, I'll leave out their real names for privacy's sake.  But I've really gotten to know them both and got Jose to open up to me about family and especially his dad  who grew up in a poor village in Guatemala.  I have really improved in my teaching abilities since I've come here and I think I got at least Jose to trust me.  Although, it's funny, all the TRC participants are supposed to make it seem like they aren't a member even though most of the are.  We know for sure that Jose is a member because when he opened his phone his background screen was a picture of him wearing a suit and a black name tag.  So he's an RM.  But our other investigator, Matthew is for sure a real investigator.  Either way we still teach the same message and treat them the same way so there's isn't much of a difference.  My testimony has never been as strong as it is right now, and it will only increase from where I am right now.  On Sunday evening we were shown a talk by Elder Bednar who addressed the missionaries in a Christmas devotional and changed the way I think.  His talk has inspired me to be better than I was and better than I am.  While talking to us he said a number of things that have had long lasting effects on my faith, increasing it exponentially.  One of the things he spoke about was someone who had lost their faith and said to Elder Bednar, "The Church isn't true" "No! You're not true to the Church!".  It struck me to my core because there was a time around when I had my concussion that I lost my faith in my depression and felt the church wasn't true.  I was wrong then and was scolded for it again by Elder Bednar.  The talk also spoke about a great many other things that have struck me deeply that I won't go into but I just need to say that there is no way that the Church isn't true.  I don't have a single doubt for myself that it isn't.  I need to exclaim this to all that I meet in California and I will beg them to pray for themselves to know that it is true.  Every day I come closer to my God.  Every day I learn more of his love.  Every day I feel the Holy Spirit by my side.  Every day I will better myself so I can bring more unto him.

Elder Ellsworth​

Here we go again!!!!

Ian has been called to serve in the Rancho Cucamonga Mission. He leaves June 28th. Stay tuned!!!

It is finally fall here in California

Nick's final post:

Dear Family and Friends,

Well this week was going really well until Thursday morning when all of the sudden it turned from Summer to Winter in just one hour.  That was kind of a bummer.  I was loving the weather; even in the evenings when it was cooling off it was still not bad.  But then a storm rolled in on Thursday and the Summer broke and Winter arrived.  It will be very cold and rainy for the next few months until spring.  One thing that I love about California is that in the winter as soon as the rain starts everything suddenly comes alive.  All of the grass that was once nice and golden turns to fields of green lush grass.  It is funny how the seasons are so different from Utah.  But the leaves still act the same way aside from the grass.

I had been struggling these past couple of weeks so this week on Tuesday I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with President Weston.  It was very good, but I was warned I had to change a few things or he would be forced to transfer me.  It was not huge things but just a few areas where I was relaxing and showing a bad example for Elder Ashby.  So this week we made those changes and did a bunch better.  I am excited for the things that lie ahead. 

This week I took Dad's advice and spent the best $150 of my entire life.  There is a wonderful man in our area named Marcelo Gonzales.  He is a Philipino man who is so poor.  He has been looking for a bicycle so he can have some form of transportation, and I was thinking about giving mine (dad's) to him.  I asked Dad, and he requested that I just buy him one so Dad could have his back.  So I had $100 that I had saved up for the better part of my mission.  It was all of the pocket change that I had I put into a jar, and saved it up.  I thought and decided that this was the money I would use to purchase a bicycle for Marcelo.  So we got ourselves a ride to Wal-Mart and I found him one that will suit him just fine, and a helmet and bike lock as well.  As we delivered this Bike to him, he did not know what to say.  But his face said more than he ever could have.  He was so grateful to receive this gift that he didn’t know how he was going be be able to save up the money to buy.  He didn't want to accept this bike but I insisted, and I went away with warmth in my heart despite the pouring rain.  I am so grateful I was able to serve this wonderful man.

Life is good, not much else to say about it today!

With Love,
Elder Ellsworth

Hey!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well life is treating me well.  I had a bit of a rough week, but things are definitely looking up and I am excited to push forward and not look back.  The work here in the Tempo Park ward is still going well, and we are being blessed a lot.  I am loving being with Elder Ashby because he is such an example to me, and when I make a mistake he gently reminds me of what I should be doing.  He does it in a way that wouldn't offend anyone, so I love that.  We are looking on changing a few bad habits that we have been getting together, and starting fresh this week.  We are going to be looking for the miracles that are going to be flooding in I hope!

So I have a couple of crazy stories for you.  First off Halloween night we were told to be home by 6 o’clock.  So it was that afternoon and I did not feel very good.  So we decided to go home so I could get feeling better.  We rolled in around 4:30pm and I went to sleep.  I woke up just before six, and my stomach hurt, in the end I threw up my lunch and went back to bed until like 9 then got up called the mission nurse and got some tips.  Went back to bed around 10 and slept until 9 the next morning.  It was nice to get rested up, and the nurse told me to take it easy.  So on Thursday we only went out for a couple of lessons in the evening.  

Really Crazy Story...  So we were riding our bikes towards our dinner on Sunday afternoon.  As we rode through Tempo Park which is a regular thoroughfare for us in our area, we came across a large group of people who appeared to be of Hispanic descent.  There were about 15 of them walking in a big group through the park.  We rode around them and as we did both of us thought, oh they must have just wrapped up a soccer game.  As we went past the fields and back into the wooded part of the park we came across two more of these gentlemen.  One seemed fine, but the other seemed like he had just gotten his face smashed in.  He was bleeding and he looked pretty beat up.  They were both walking and I was a little nervous so we said hello and just rode on.  When we got to the other side of the park there was a group of older folks who were all standing there like something bad had happened.  Some of them had seen those some gentleman we had, when they were in a bit of a gang fight.  Gun shots were heard just a few minutes before we went riding happily through the park.  It was pretty scary and we have altered our night time riding route so that we won't be in the park!  By the way this all happened in broad daylight!  

Life is good and we are being protected and blessed.  I love this area it is great!

Elder Ellsworth