Week 77 - Transfer Land!!!

May 25, 2015

     So transfer time has come upon us once again. And in the land of Centerville, Elder Conterio is staying, and Elder Ellis is leaving!!!!! Yes, I am getting transferred. So it's off to a new area and a new start!!! And no worries, I am not upset about it. I'm going where God wants me to go! I am sad to leave Centerville, there are just absolutely amazing members here, and I've gotten to know a few of them really well. So it's sad to go, but I know I'm going to a good place. SO yeah!!! Woohoo!!! I'll find out where I'll be going tomorrow, and let you all know as soon as I can. This is area number 8 I think for me, and companion 11. Wow, holy cow that's a lot! I guess none of them can stand me. hehe look out wife, it'll be a rough eternity. JK, if you don't get along with your companion, President will almost always make sure you stay with them to work it out. Haha it sure makes you grow. My mission really has been so great though, I've seen so many blessings out here. Met absolutely amazing people that I'll never forget, and had amazing experiences that I'll never forget. :D Life is so great. It really is.

     It's been a great time in Centerville, and I'm sure the work will continue to progress after I leave. There are a few people that are coming really close to baptism, and that are already committed to a date, so hopefully they'll continue to progress and make it there!! 

     Well, we'll see what happens tomorrow! Its always exciting. I Love you all, and have a great week!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

                                              Elder Ellis at transfers in March 2015

Week 76 - Sacrifice

May 18, 2015

So this week will be a week of sacrifice.... Lots of hard things ahead, we've got deep, dark mountains to climb.... PSYCH, its just another week. :D I think sacrifice looks really good as a one-word subject line, so there we go.

   Haha this week actually is going to be super exciting! There's always sacrifices in life, but we've got great things planned out, and it's going to be tons of fun. We're helping to teach a Comparative Religions class in the High School tomorrow, that's going to be tons of fun, and we've got a graduation thing that we're helping with Saturday, and a special Youth Sacrament service on Sunday, and a Memorial Day Breakfast/Picnic next Monday! Yeah! Haha what a great week ahead, I'm so excited for it. :D

   Marci and Brittany are doing well, and a few other investigators are coming on board with things, the miracles seem to never cease. They sure never cease to amaze me. We are so blessed, in so many ways. It's been amazing to see the change in the ward and their attitude towards us. Haha the ward is becoming home for us! There is still plenty of work to do though, and helping the members see how missionary work can be very effective in very simple ways. I'm so glad to be sent here. I swear, I've just had the best opportunities on my mission, it has been so wonderful. Know that I love you all, and life is great! Have a good week! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

p.s. Elder Murdock took pics with my camera when I left it in their car... haha

Week 75 - Happy Mother's Day!!!

May 11, 2015

     Happy Mother's Day to all women that it applies to! That counts birth-mothers, as well as standing-in mothers, cause we've all had a few of those. You are a wonderful blessing to the lives of all those around you, and life would be a dreary wasteland without you. Thank you for all you do.

     Good week, 2 of our investigators are now on Date to be baptized! One in a few weeks, the other in June. They both had a wonderful time at church as well, and we're excited for them. The ward has become very friendly to us, which is good, its been nice to see the change. Everything is just lining up perfectly in this part of the Lord's Vineyard, and we're really excited to see what happens. 

     

     I talked to my family yesterday, and it'll be the last time I see them until I get home!!! So crazy. I just don't think about it, because it's easier to just stay focused, and it's a long time away anyways. Things are going good! Love you all!

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. Here's Brittany at the font!! & me & my companion. She's going under June 13th.

Week 74 - Temple Trip!

May 4, 2015

We had a temple trip to Louisville Kentucky Saturday!!! Woohoo!!!! It was fantastic, our RC [Recent Convert] Vickie was able to go. She got baptized right before we got to Centerville, but she is still our good friend. The other pic is me and my companion. I didn't say this before, but my companion is so similar to the actor Michael Cera!!! It's that actor, gospel style. That's my companion. haha those of you who know who that is it will make you laugh a lot. Anyways, things are going well in Centerville! The ward is starting to catch missionary excitement, and things are about to ignite. It's so awesome!!! Miracle after miracle. Life is great! I wish the best of times for you and your children, whether they have been born yet, or not. Love you all!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. All this hardcore biking is paying off. :D   6 months left, that's really weird.

Here are pictures of Erin's baptism!! I got there right after they took these pictures, and I totally forgot to take some with my camera... no idea how I forgot that.  :D

                                                                                       

                                               Elders Ellis & Conterio

                                          Louisville Kentucky Temple

                                           Erin's Baptism in KY

Week 73 - The week of...NKY!!

April 27, 2015

     So guess what!!! Erin got baptized in Northern Kentucky (The girl that I was teaching there) last Friday and President gave me permission to go!!!! Holy cow it was so amazing, and just a great experience. I got to see a bunch of the members there, and my old companions, and it was just great. We have to cut our P-day short to make up the time lost, but its so worth it. I'm grateful for experiences like that. :D Such a fantastic night.

     As for Centerville, things are going great. I don't mean to bag on past missionaries, but they would just go to investigators houses and talk, they wouldn't teach anything. That is... a little frustrating, to say the least. But, its ok, we are building our purpose back up in their minds, and they'll start keeping commitments and it will change their lives. Lots of new people we've started teaching, and that is going great, Brittany is one of them, she is preparing to get baptized at the end of May, and she's started reading the BoM. She's great, we're real excited for her. Marsee is another one, she has MS and will die young so the doctors say, and she's only 15. The friend of a member, we had an amazingly spiritual experience teaching her the Plan of Salvation, and she is thirsting for knowledge so badly. She should be getting baptized in May as well.

     So we've seen miracles, and we're gonna continue to work hard and see more. God definitely has a hand in this work, and nothing happens without Him. I love you all and wish you the best of weeks!!! Stay happy!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. 810 Pimlico Avenue Apt 1B Centerville, Ohio 45459, there's my address, sorry I forgot it last week. Love you guys! :D

                                                Elder Ellis with Elder McVey

Week 72 - Centerville, Ohio!!!

April 20, 2015

Wow, Centerville, Ohio!! Centerville is a suburb of Dayton, in case someone doesn't know where it is. Haha I've now hit every stake in the mission except for Fort Wayne! just finished by 4th 6-week area a week ago, and who knows, maybe this is the 5th 6-week area! Its ok though, its really cool being able to bounce around the entire mission. haha Fort Wayne, here I come!! last stake in the mission to serve in. Lets go!

    Holy guacamole, this week was exhausting. Exhaustingly awesome!!! Me and my companion, Elder Conterio from Orem, Utah, were doubled into the Centerville ward on Tuesday! And holy cow, its been so great. We have been going non-stop for the entire week, just going ham getting everything together. Meeting all the ward members and investigators, as well as building up the teaching pool here. We've already been able to build a lot of trust in the past week, but there's a lot more that needs to be built, and a lot of members that need to get missionary minded. There are a lot of really good members here though, we've already gotten a handful of referrals, and they show a lot of promise. Missionaries have always had the attitude that its a hard area, so we've been put here to change that. No such thing as a bad area, just a bad attitude. God's power is not limited by how many rich people there are, people will still listen, and we've seen that in this past week. Nothing can stop miracles from happening. :D its been great!

    Also, the bishopric got completely revamped yesterday, and that was a great turn for the better. The old bishop wasn't against missionary work, but he wasn't the  most focused on it. This one is wayyyyy better, a complete rockstar. And we helped him with a service project on Saturday before we knew he'd be Bishop, so he really likes us. That helps. We are really excited for everything going on.

   So, all in all, miracles are happening!!! We've seen God's grace this week. Grace is real, there's a lot of things that happened this week that really shouldn't have happened. But they did, because of grace. Its really cool to see God's hand working in people's lives. I am grateful for all the kindness you all have shown me! Thank you for being so great. Keep it real! Love ya!

-Love, Elder Ellis

p.s. Elder Conterio is awesome. Glad to be his companion.

Week 71 Dang it, another 6 week smack down

April 13, 2015

     Dang it!!!!! Like really. I'm getting transferred again!!! only 6 weeks here in Northern Kentucky, the Promised Land. This was the one area out of the entire mission that I really wanted to serve in, so at least I got to be here for 6 weeks. That's a tender mercy. I am sad to be leaving after such a short time though. But I'll get over it, I know that I'm going where God needs me to be.

     We have 2 people getting baptized this month, and 2-3 next month, so I won't be here for that, but maybe if I don't get transferred too far away they'll let me come see the baptism. I've been able to work really closely with them, that kind of stinks. But that's alright, it's just wonderful to see the Spirit change people's lives. So much joy in seeing people come closer to God. I love missionary work.

     Don't really know what else to say. I will send out my new area and address first chance I get though!!! Keep me posted on how everything goes. I love you all!! :D

-Love, Elder Ellis

P.S. 2 pictures from right after zone meeting last Wednesday. Our amazing zone family, and then me and Elder Stepp, one of my good friends.

Oh yeah, part of our zone meeting was really sweet, everyone got blindfolded and set loose, all the lights were off and they got no directions on what to do. Just to "Pray if you don't know what to do." So there were a bunch of obstacles in the halls, and a huge obstacle course in the gym, and they had to just figure it out. The trick was, that you couldn't do by yourself. We'd only help them out if they got on their knees and prayed, and they had to do that every time an obstacle came up if they wanted to get through it. It was very cool, everyone had a very profound experience. We had a testimony meeting in the chapel at the end of it, and it was very spiritual. Way awesome. And I got to set up the obstacle course before Zone Meeting, and that was just super fun. I'm so mad I didn't get to be here longer!!! Grr. The next place will be better though. It always goes uphill. :D