Week 69 - Wow, that's a lot

March 30, 2015

     Holy Cow!! So much stuff happened this week, its been pretty hectic. Some complicating things with investigators, interviews with President Porter, Rabbit Hash, and Elder Mower dropping a table on his Big toe. Yeah, we had to patch it up, and he can't walk on it for a few days. He won't let a doctor look at it... haha so we'll have to do. Erin's baptism has been postponed, same with Marcus'. They're still doing good though. And a part member family just moved into our ward from West Virginia!! And they are very prepared. We're excited to be teaching them! Life overall is going very good, President is finally happy with me again after that whole car debacle, and I should be able to drive again pretty soon. Learning is a wonderful process!! haha.

   
All the pictures I sent pretty much describes what has happened, lots of wonderful things. We went to the temple on Wednesday, and it was possibly the most spiritual experience I've had at the temple. Even though I was half asleep through it. Lehi's dream baby!!

   
Life is great! Conference is going to be really good!! Oh yeah I threw a snake at my companion the other day!!! It was hilarious, because he's really scared of snakes. Just a garter snake, nothing harmful. :D I Love you all!! Have a wonderful week!!

-Love, Elder Ellis

                                                        Temple trip as a zone

                                                                  District pic

                                 Our service project at the Ward Mission Leader's house (Bjarnson's)

                            Some pics from our district Fun-day Last Monday!!!! Super fun time. :D

                                                               Giving Service!

                                                              Temple trip group

Week 68 - Whoops, Lory got a little wet

March 23, 2015

     Yep, Lory got wet! As in, She got baptized!! Yeah!! And she loved it too, she has already seen a tremendous difference with the companionship of the Holy Spirit with her in her life. She is amazing!! But yeah, the service went well on Friday, our investigator Erin was there as well, and is very excited for this next weekend when she will be getting baptized. Lory's family didn't come and support her sadly, but we're making progress with them. They're going to get baptized all within the next few months, we can feel it... At least 2 of them will be. Don't know how long the father's going to take. It's great though!!! And Marcus may or may not do it this weekend, but if it's not this weekend, it'll be in April for sure. Miracles are raining down!!!

     General Conference is coming up in 2 weeks, so that will be an exciting opportunity to get people to hear the Prophet speak. We're going to make lots of plans and see lots of people have spiritual experiences!! It's going to be awesome, I'm so excited. Our tripanionship has become very effective. We get to go on lots of Member splits (Because we only need 1 member to split up now) And we're just able to get a lot of work done. God's grace has no limit.

     Things are going great here, and I hope they're going well wherever each of you individuals are!! God's love has no limit, and neither does Christ's Atonement. It doesn't matter what mistakes we've ever made, they can be made into non-existence through His Atonement. I love you all!! Stay Amazing! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

                                                               Lory's Baptism

                                                            Moving someone

                                          MTC companion - Elder Kason McFarland

Week 67 - Tripanionship!!!

March 16, 2015

     Another great week in Northern Kentucky!!! Things are going so well right now, it's fantastic. We have Erin getting baptized in 2 weeks, and she's already read over 300 pages of the Book of Mormon. She's only had it since last Tuesday!! Not even a week! And she wrote like her own study journal on all of it, and it's just mind-blowing. She's so prepared, she asked about the commandments, and said she already got rid of her tea when she talked to her friend about it. It's so crazy!! She's going to be a great member. She's been taught everything in just one week. She soaks it all up, and grasps everything so well. It's amazing.

   

     Lori is also getting baptized this weekend! It was going to be next, but our Bishop asked her for a week earlier since her surgery was going to prevent her from being able, and she has a 80% chance of not making it.... kind of scary. She's great though, reads BoM every day and comes to church every Sunday. She feels the spirit so strong. Another guy is Marcus, and he's shooting for the 28th of March to be baptized, which is going to be sweet as well. And his sister should make it soon after.

     

We continue to see miracles!! And it is so much fun being with 2 elders all the time. It's a party, I'm so grateful, and I feel so blessed. Life is great! I love you all!!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

Pics of our zone fun day. :D

                                                           Zone Fun Day

                                                  Cincinnati, Ohio

Week 66 - Florence, KY!!

March 9, 2015

     Yep! I'm now in Florence, Kentucky, serving in the Northern Kentucky ward! It is absolutely fantastic here, we have great member support for missionary work, and we've seen lots of miracles. One lady that came to church with her friend yesterday had an amazing spiritual experience, and she's now preparing to get baptized. It was so cool!! First time missionaries had ever taught her. We have truly seen grace be poured down upon us, and it's so cool to take part in all these miracles. Other investigators that we had are now preparing to be baptized at the end of the month as well. It's all through grace. :D Grace is real! And I never knew what it was until my mission.

     

     My new address is 8713 Preakness Drive, Florence, Kentucky 41042 yep. We have a super nice apartment complex, a gym, 2 bathrooms... We're stinkin' spoiled!!!! Maybe this was reward for doing all I could for my last apartment even though I knew there was a very high likelihood of me leaving soon. More grace!!! :D Never stop trying.

    

     Oh yeah, the best part of all... WE'RE IN A TRIPANIONSHIP!!!!! Haha heck yeah!! This week has been an absolute blast, it's been so much fun. We've been able to get tons of work done too, going on splits is really easy. The work has been going very well. Elder Logan Mower from American Falls, Idaho, and Elder Travis Jacobs from Mapleton, Utah!! I love these guys so much, it's been an absolute blast. This place is nicknamed "The Promised Land" in the mission, and it's so true. It is true because we have faith that it is, it would be true of any area if the people there have faith that it is. So it's been amazing. Life is great!! I Love you all, keep me posted!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. awesome pics:  my 2 companions, the sisters in our ward and Elder Price!!! The amazing, previous companion Elder Price. Love that guy to death.

                                                   and the amazing Butlers

                                                      

Week 65 - Transfers!!!

March 2, 2015

Dang it!! I'm getting transferred out of Richmond. I'll be honest, I am not happy to leave. I've been here for 7 months and it's become my home. These people have become my family... It's kinda like leaving home all over again. So I'm not very happy about it, but I know it's what God wants me to do, so I'm going to go wherever he sends me and work my face off. And it's going to be good! I have to have a good attitude about it. And it really will be good, there are wonderful people everywhere. :D Life's great.

     Church got cancelled yesterday because of the weather, that was really crazy. There was only 6-7'' but in Indiana, that's a lot. So we went out and shoveled a bunch of people's driveway's, haha that was fun. Todd & Melissa are doing absolutely fantastic. They've been reading the Book of Mormon and have been loving it. They're very open and in tune with the spirit, and it's been teaching them a lot. We had them over at the Shaws yesterday to watch General Conference with them since church was cancelled, and they handled the 2 hours very well. They are preparing to be baptized March 28, they accepted a date this past week. The ward has done an amazing job at fellowshipping them, and they have progressed really well. That's one of the biggest reasons why I'm upset about leaving is that I won't be able to see them progress all the way to baptism! And those services are some of the coolest ever. I'm going to see if the mission President will let me visit that day so I can be there. I've gotten really close to their family. Going to miss them. Going to miss a whole lot of other people too... But life goes on.

       Well, I'll e-mail once I find out what my new address and area is and all that good jazz!! I have honestly no idea what's going to happen or where I'm going. It'll be an exciting transfer meeting tomorrow!! :D I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful week!! I love you all!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. some cool pics :D

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.