Week 64 - Zone Fun Day Pics

February 23, 2015

Some Pics of our last Zone Fun day! This one was combined with Muncie North, so we had the whole stake.

- Elder Ellis

Week 63 - Woot, new house!! :D

February 16, 2015

So we moved next door into a new apartment, and its awesome!! We don't live above a smoker anymore, and we have control of our thermostat. It's so sweet. Oh yeah, the new address is 115 N.11th, Richmond, Indiana 47374. Its a duplex, and nobody lives in the one next door, so we don't have to worry about any people doing crazy stuff. And we can blast our Motab. Oh yeah! Life is just too good. I really hope I don't get transferred in 2 weeks, because this place is sweet. Knock on wood

    Yeah, so Tommy's dad did not give his permission and he threatened us and was just a crappy face this week. So Tommy hopefully will one day get baptized, either when he's 18 or when his father's heart is softened. He's a great kid.

     But let's move on to a different miracle!! Todd and Melissa, this amazing couple we started teaching 2 weeks ago, came to church for the first time yesterday, and our mission President came to speak. That's the first time he's ever been at one of the wards I've been at for Sunday service, and it was just amazing. He gave a powerful talk, and its just what our investigators needed to hear. They're coming back next week, and they're progressing really well. Everything lined up so perfectly!!! I can't believe it. Flat-out miracle how everything is working together. They're going to get baptized in March, through the grace of God. Another reason why I hope not to get transferred. I say that every transfer period, probably because I love it here so much. Things are great. My companion is awesome. I love you all!! Have a wonderful week!

-Love, Elder Ellis

p.s Happy Valentines Day!! :D

p.p.s. pics of me and Elder Price from the same exchange.

Week 62 - Moving

February 9, 2015

We're moving apartments!!! Wooo, its gonna be fun. Our new one is bigger, and the bathroom isn't from 1919, and its just great. So we're pretty excited about that. :D hopefully I'll be around a little longer to enjoy it, cause we've already got one of the nicer apartments in the mission... so we're getting spoiled. haha I'll probably get transferred to a terrible apartment... haha that's ok, some missionaries have it way worse than us spoiled kids in the states. Anyways...

    Tommy's getting baptized on Saturday!! He finally got his answer during church on Sunday, and it was awesome. The only thing that remains up in the air is we need his dad's permission, who isn't very friendly towards Mormons, but we should be able work it out with him. So that's really exciting, Tommy has been doing so great. Had a total change in his attitude last Tuesday when we had this lesson with this member. Worked out really well, it changed everything. God's grace!!! :D Really excited for him.

      Well, life's great!! Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! It's just another day for us, but maybe it'll make one of you smile. :D Have a great week!!

-Elder Ellis

Week 61 - Blew out the pants...

February 2, 2015

     Yep! I did. I was helping lift a 300 lb. electric wheelchair for this handicapped guy in our ward, and as I was bending down, the seam on the bottom of my pants went pow!!!! Huge 5in. rip. Haha pretty hilarious we were all having a good laugh. Then I went and got changed of course... But that was one of the very exciting things that happened this week. And I got to make pancakes!! That's always one of my favorite things to do.

     So other than that OH YEAH we had zone conference on Wednesday!!! That was super cool. One of my good friends, Elder Carter, is the new assistant, and he goes home in 4 weeks, and him and me and Elder Price were all there, so it was really cool having all of us up in Muncie again. Haha so many good memories. Me and Elder Price have both served a year so far in the Muncie Stake. I guess it'll be 13 months by the end of this transfer. We'll see who wins!! Haha he's so awesome. I am very grateful to my companion, Elder Bradshaw, he is an amazing example to me. I am learning so much! And I'm growing quite a bit, I'm truly grateful. This is the nice kind of growing, not the soul-wrenching where'd my brain go growing. Hard, but very positive. :D He's a baller.

     So these pictures are a scheme of mine. Not sure what I'm trying to accomplish, but its pretty funny. I just set them up in the middle of the apartment and see how long it takes Elder Bradshaw to take them down. Haha 30 hours is the record so far.

     I hope you all enjoyed all those other pictures!! Lots of good memories, with lots of awesome people. Have a great week!! I love you all!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

The Chef at work

                                                His scheme

Elder Carter

Dinner at the Homers

Week 60 - Hola

January 26, 2015

Hola, mi compandero sey no gusta moso queso. QUESO QUESO QUESO!!!!! :D
As you all can tell I don't actually speak Spanish. Wish I could. And no funny stories about cheese either...

     This week was a pretty good week to be honest. I got a killer companion, Elder Nathan Bradshaw from Clinton, Utah. Really hard worker, lots of faith and good at missionary work. He's been out 18 months, he's only got 6 left. Haha really cool guy, we get along really good. Really excited for this transfer, its gonna be a good one!!

     OH YEAH he's a ginger [redhead]. First ginger companion! :D  Tommy (Barbara's grandson) is doing good, he came to church again and he's planning on getting baptized in just under 2 weeks. We're working closely with him, and actually started teaching his mom as well, who doesn't live with them. She's a recovering drug addict. She's planning on church next week I believe. 

     We met this really cool guy named Bobby on Tuesday!! He came to church on Sunday (which is unusual the first week we teach someone) And he had a great time!! Met lots of great people, had lunch at a member's house right after church, and everything worked out very well. He's coming back next week, and we have high hopes for him becoming a member. He's got some WoW issues, but he'll make it.

     OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'm not gonna tell anyone about that part. It happened 2 weeks ago anyway.

     Well, life is pretty good right now!! Pretty dang good. Still in Richmond, same address....

     Let me know if you guys ever want to hear of a cool story involving a car, its pretty cool. Anyways, I love you all!! Have a great week!! :D Life's awesome!!!!!

-Love, Elder Ellis

Some pics!! The ginger one is my companion. We're helping a member make lunch. :D

                                    Indiana National Guard in Knightstown, Indiana

Week 59 - Transfers!

January 19, 2014

Holy cow, transfers are here!!!! 6 months in Richmond, and now.... I'm staying again!!! My companion is leaving though, and he got here a transfer after me, so that's weird. I am honestly so excited to stay!!!!!!!! I love it here so much, it's like my family. And we've got some really cool people we're teaching, so excited for that too. Get to go to transfer meeting tomorrow, and don't even have to pack!! That's a blessing. I love transfer meetings. Not much else to say, the other Richmond elders are staying, and they're a blast, so that's exciting. Lots to get done today, I'll say more next week!! Love ya!! :D

-Elder Ellis

P.S. I had interviews with President Porter, that was sweet. Great guy.

The Incredible Hulk Missionary!

Week 58 - *Cough* *influenza* but still a good week

January 12, 2015

Yeah, some nurse in my ward told me that I like had the Flu or something. Crazy thoughts I tell you. So yeah, I was sick a few days this week, figured I'd actually tell someone this time cause my wonderful momma got upset last time. haha I was just sick, no one cares about that boring stuff. I was out for Thursday and Friday sleeping at this cool members house while my companion went out teaching with another member. I'm feeling quite better now though, I took the advice and just slept instead of pushing through it, and I actually got better!! It was really weird. So I'm all good now, no worries. The Richmond ward took very good care of me. I'm gonna cry if I ever leave this place. And transfers are in like 1 week!!!! So we'll know next Monday what's happening. So Scary!! I've been here 6 months, not long at all, I better stay here. :D just kidding that's a long time.

   Haha awesome story with Barbara, the lady that got baptized the day after Christmas. She left right before the end of Sacrament meeting during Church to go take care of something. She tells us all about this later, but she goes to the church that she used to go to, and she stands up and says something like this: "God and a book have led me to another church, and that's where I belong" She said in front of all these people, practically testifying of the Mormon Church. HOW COOL IS THAT??? Dang cool, yeah, I know. :D She has such an awesome testimony, she's amazing. Her grandson's coming around, very rebellious 10 year old. Haha he's cool though.

Well, life is great!! Not too much to talk about with being down and out half the week, but things are going well!! I am just so happy all the time, so excited for everything. It's great. Haha I love you all!! Have a wonderful week! :D

-Elder Ellis

P.S. It gets -20 here all the time with windchill. Icy roads, we were slipping all over last night. WOOT! Fun times! REALLY cold sometimes, but it could be so much worse. :D

                                          Christmas present