Week 51 - Why I Believe

November 24, 2014

     You'll figure out why this is e-mail is called "Why I Believe" as you keep reading. But before that, I would like to tell you why I believe what I do. I believe in the Son of God, The Savior of the world. I believe in Jesus Christ and his gospel. I believe because of what I have lived. I know because of the way that I have lived. I know that His way is the only way, and I know that the authority of God can only be found within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Only through that authority can we receive the blessings of salvation. I do not know everything, or even much at all, but God has witnessed unto me that this is the path that I am to take, that this is the path that we are all to take to live with him again. Know that I love you, and that He loves you even more. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

        

     Just thought I'd start with my testimony instead of ending with it, and I hope that it can be conveyed properly through e-mail. There was an amazing fireside last night, called "Why I believe." What happens at these firesides, is that they are organized by a ward or branch, and convert's who have joined the church will tell their conversion story and bear testimony of it. Its all throughout the Muncie Stake, we had one when I served up there. This one was in a branch close to us, and we drove 40 min to attend. President and Sister Porter were there as well, which was a first. We brought our infamous investigator, Bob, (who calls himself an instigator by the way, super hilarious) with us. It was an absolutely wonderful. Powerful meeting, powerful testimonies, not to mention powerful President Porter who always brings the spirit so powerfully. At the very end, we ask him how he felt, and he said that all of his concerns had been wiped away, everything lined up perfectly. My awesome companion (Elder Bayly!!!) felt impressed to extend Dec 5th to him, and he fully accepted. He later went up to the mission President and invited him to come, and magically President was open that day. Bob has finally committed to a date without reservations!! We knew it was inspired of God, because we had forgotten about the Why I Believe during planning Saturday night, and we felt that there was something we needed to do Sunday night. So we didn't plan anything for those hours, just a few back-ups. Then BAM! Bob feels the spirit so strong, now he's gonna get baptized in a week and a half, and it was just amazing. And the Mission President is coming! President Porter mentioned at stake conference last week that he wanted to be there for his, which doesn't happen every day. IT WAS SO COOL!!! Life is just too awesome sometimes.

     Well, that's why its called Why I Believe. And I invite you to share with someone what you believe, and why you believe it. Bear your testimony to anyone in the next 24 hours!!! Try to focus on people who need it the most, and e-mail me back what happens! I promise that as you do this with real intent, you will have amazing experiences. I Love you all! And I thank you all so much for taking the time out of your life to read these e-mails, it really means a lot. I love you! Have a wonderful week! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. Really, you're all just wonderful. Keep smiling! :D

                                         These two are doing great together!

Week 50 - Stake Conference + Zone Conference

November 17, 2014
Wahoo!! Had such an amazing weekend, we got to go to Muncie 3 days in a row!!!!! Talk about blessings!! :D Had an amazing Zone Conference and Fireside Friday with President and Elder Wilford W. Anderson, it was awesome. Got to see so many old friends, with 2 stakes there it was 1/3 of the mission. 3 of my previous companions were there! All of my companions were there except for 1 who's in Ohio, and the other who finished his mission at the end of our companionship. Haha that was pretty cool. I've had really good companions, all except 1, but I'm pretty sure he's better by now. I hope so at least. :D He's a wonderful child of God. So yeah, off that rant. It was stake conference the next 2 nights, and I saw so many members from Muncie!!!! It was absolutely wonderful to see their smiling faces again. It was very spiritually enlightening as well. Our investigator that drove us, Bob, got to meet the mission president as well!!! It was his favorite part of the whole 3 days. He said he's never met someone with so much love and outpouring of the spirit. The mission president told me afterward that he wants to come to Bob's baptism, which is really cool. It was a great step in Bob's spiritual progress. I want to be here for his baptism so bad!!! 3 more weeks till next transfer, and all he has to do is give up coffee. He can do it. Haha I love that man. And President Porter, he has so much faith and is so inspiring. I've learned so much from him!! Every time I talk to him I feel the spirit so strongly. I love him a lot and consider him as a true friend. :D He's going to be like the next prophet or something. I can't even describe what it's like being around him.

       So yeah!! It was an absolutely wonderful weekend. Trying to take more vitamins since the mission president's wife said that it would help boost my energy levels. I've been super duper exhausted all the time. But it's a good thing!! Always more work to do. If everything goes to plan, with a lot of God's grace, Destiny and Chandler are gonna get baptized this week, but it's still up in the air. You guys should pray for their parents, cause they need a lot of it. So do they themselves, they've got a rough house life. 10 kids from at least 3 different fathers, unmarried parents and not enough to provide for all of them. The kids themselves are great, these 2 at least. And their brother, who got baptized little less than 2 years ago. We'll see what happens!! Thanks again for all the support and love! I love you all and wish you all a wonderful week!

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. IT IS SO COLD OVER HERE, the windchill makes it drop a ton. It snowed really badly last night and today, first real snow of the year. Which bodes really bad for Indiana, its used to mild winters, almost no snow. Now it's already got snow in the middle of November... Haha which is nothing to everyone back in Utah. Well, I'm glad we've got a house to live in! Think how terrible it'd be to be out in that cold with no house...Holy cow that'd be horrendous. :D Thanks for giving me a house God!! :D

Week 49 - 1 Year !!!!

November 10,02014
HOLY COW I HIT MY YEAR MARK ON THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!! That's kinda really crazy thinking about it. Everyone has always said that once you hit your year mark, the next year passes by so fast. Now, I guess I'll find out if that's true or not. HOLY COW I still can't believe it, I really can't. I feel like I've been out here my whole life, there is nothing but missionary work. Haha I was born 1 year ago, and that's all that's happened my entire life. Its really cool being lost in the work this much, just completely lost in all of it. My mission has been the crowning event of my life so far, I've changed more than I ever could have dreamed, and want and need to change so much more before I'll be ready for all the things that are ahead after my mission. Its been the hardest thing I've ever done. And Its been the best thing I ever done, been happier out here than I ever have in my entire life. In truth, I don't want it to end. Ever. Well, decision made. Sorry parents, you're never seeing me again. :D Sure Love ya! I'll be out here until my body decays and falls apart. Have fun!!

     Had an awesome week this week! We got to see a bunch of people, including Bob, who asked if he could still be baptized on Nov 8th the day before. I felt so bad telling him that we had to push it back cause he has to be living the WoW for at least a week! It crushed him a little, but we told him that before and he hasn't stopped drinking coffee. He's gonna make it though, he's going strong with everything else, including alcohol. Which is super impressive. He had such a desire to get baptized... still has it, my heart just goes out to him.

       We saw a few other people, and there was a bunch of people committed to coming to church yesterday, and they almost all had completely legit life reasons come up that stopped them from coming. Like death threats(not concerning the church)... that was scary. So only 2 people came. Then BAM! This less-active, who has 2 daughters, and who hasn't come in the entire time I've been in Richmond, came to church and brought an entire family with him!! They wanted to check out the church and they're looking for the Gospel. The coolest part is, is that our mission president has promised that if we pray and fast for families, if we do everything we can to find them then they'll come. And they brought themselves to church!!! Promises of the key-holders, they are a real thing. So that's been cool to see.

      It's Stake conference this weekend for the Muncie Stake!!!!! I am so excited, I get to see all the members of Muncie 1st and 2nd that I used to serve with, as well as a bunch of missionaries from my old Zone. Yeah!! And a 70 is going to be there, which is going to be really cool. There's going to be lots of spiritual enlightenment, and we're all really excited. 

       Well, that's my week! It's been a good one. God's grace has been many places this week. Oh yeah! I have to tell you this hilarious story of an alley cat we met last night. So its pitch black out, and this skinny cat comes up to us and starts cuddling us, and I was like "ooo what a cute cat" And my companion was like "that cat totally just wants food from us" and i was like "ok, bummer, I thought he loved us". So that's when I pull out a milky way and try to feed it to the cat, and he totally rejected it!!!!! so I broke it up into pieces and threw it at him (dunno if that still counts as rude if its alley cats) and then he ate it!!! And he was really happy. So if a cat doesn't like your food, throw it at them. Until you actually hit them, that don't like that. Then they run away. :D

    I'm going to come up with a funny story every week, just to entertain you guys. Love ya!!!!

-Love, Elder Ellis

p.s. for the record, I wasn't trying to actually hit the cat. That's mean. :D At least I don't think I was....

                       Elder Ellis is in the middle of the mission photo just above the sisters.

          Elder Ellis is in the top left corner of the photo above, and on the left side below.

Week 48 - Well, hello there!

November 3, 2014

     Oh, hey there! I see people on the other side of this e-mail in my mind's eye... Oh no... They're getting really bored... HEY DON'T GET BORED THIS LETTER IS SUPER EXCITING AND YOU KNOW IT!!!!!! Haha there we go, no one's gonna fall asleep now.

     So we had a few super sweet miracles happen this week! For one, I'm not dead!! I always think that's a miracle considering everything I've done in my life... Specifically the one story about flipping a green car and getting my ankle ran over by a truck, those got brought up in a conversation this week. Reflecting on how much of a miracle is was that I came out the way I did, both times... God's blessings are just so fantastic. ALSO, Becca's grandma has given her permission to get baptized!!!! YEE-HA, that was a definite miracle! Kaylynn is still coming around, but she'll make it by Thanksgiving. They moved out from Chrissy's place (Which is best for all) and they should progress a lot better now. We gotta get G-ma to come to church and feel the spirit and stuff, it'd be really good for eternal salvation. But we'll let God worry about the big stuff and just do what we're told, it's a lot funner that way, and better. :D

     

     Sadly, Bob couldn't quite kick drinking coffee yet. He's living the Law of Chastity (Big change) and completely gave up alcohol (BIG Change) but he still wants his 1 little cup of coffee! Oh my goodness Bob, its bad for you, don't ask why, God told you it was. Accept the facts! Haha but it's ok, we'll just have to wait a few more weeks for him. He's got a stellar testimony, and we love him a lot. Good guy.

     Not much else to report, they'll be more next week, I can feel it. Lots of cool things are going to happen. :D Know that I Love you all! Have a great week!! :D

Love, 

Elder Ellis

P.S. Don't drive crazy if it gives your companion anxiety attacks, we had to go to the Hospital a few times for him. JK BWahaha we bike everywhere!

                                                Chrissy's baptism