Thursday, April 28, 2011
April 28, 2011
Today is Elder Joshua T. Ellis' 365th day in service as a Missionary!!! His 1 year mark and for me (his Dad) tomorrow begins his count-down from 365 days. Not that I miss him at all or anything. So I am posting a "Blast From The Past" picture just for fun ;)
Monday, April 25, 2011
April 25, 2011
Hello Everyone!!!
This past week went very very well!! In our zone altogether we had two baptisms! One of them was a big miracle, she is a lady who is 65 and has been going to church her whole life, she has not been baptized because she has an extreme fear of water, because when she was young she almost drowned. This past week the elders and the ward helped her to finally make the decision to be baptized and within 3 days were able to practice and prepare to help her be baptized and she was! We started out this week by going on a three day exchange with a companionship in our zone. I worked in our area with Elder Toland, he is a great elder. We worked pretty hard and had one day of back to back lessons, probably one the most busiest days of my mission so far! Every hour of our day had a lesson and dinner was a backup plan ;) (that tends to happen a lot). On my mission there have been a few times when I have a very special spiritual feeling or experience and one happened this week. We were talking to a lot of people that were outside in this particular neighborhood, and while we were walking around a man came up to us and said "How much do you know about the Mormons?" and it turns out he was a member. But he referred us to his less-active son who lives in the complex we were at. We went and visited the son and he invited us in, we talked to him for a bit and then set up a time to meet with him again. The next night we went back and taught him and his non-member girlfriend. During the lesson I had a strong feeling that I know him and I remembered him. Something I can't quite describe but it was very special to me. I am excited to help him get back on his feet in the Gospel again. This week was a lot of just plain hard work and talking to everyone and I have seen so many blessings come our way. I can't believe my year mark is in three days! I was reading a talk this week by Elder Marion D. Hanks and it was about finding joy through Christ. He focused on something I haven't really put much thought into before. But he said "We all know we need God. We love him and we absolutely rely on him." Then he said "But I find that rarely do we consider that God needs us. Each and everyone of us." I know that we really are all children of God and because of that, everything we do in this life has an impact on others. We should never think less of who we are. God is on our side and we can always come off conqueror! I love this work, and I love all of you! I hope all is going well! Until next week!
This past week went very very well!! In our zone altogether we had two baptisms! One of them was a big miracle, she is a lady who is 65 and has been going to church her whole life, she has not been baptized because she has an extreme fear of water, because when she was young she almost drowned. This past week the elders and the ward helped her to finally make the decision to be baptized and within 3 days were able to practice and prepare to help her be baptized and she was! We started out this week by going on a three day exchange with a companionship in our zone. I worked in our area with Elder Toland, he is a great elder. We worked pretty hard and had one day of back to back lessons, probably one the most busiest days of my mission so far! Every hour of our day had a lesson and dinner was a backup plan ;) (that tends to happen a lot). On my mission there have been a few times when I have a very special spiritual feeling or experience and one happened this week. We were talking to a lot of people that were outside in this particular neighborhood, and while we were walking around a man came up to us and said "How much do you know about the Mormons?" and it turns out he was a member. But he referred us to his less-active son who lives in the complex we were at. We went and visited the son and he invited us in, we talked to him for a bit and then set up a time to meet with him again. The next night we went back and taught him and his non-member girlfriend. During the lesson I had a strong feeling that I know him and I remembered him. Something I can't quite describe but it was very special to me. I am excited to help him get back on his feet in the Gospel again. This week was a lot of just plain hard work and talking to everyone and I have seen so many blessings come our way. I can't believe my year mark is in three days! I was reading a talk this week by Elder Marion D. Hanks and it was about finding joy through Christ. He focused on something I haven't really put much thought into before. But he said "We all know we need God. We love him and we absolutely rely on him." Then he said "But I find that rarely do we consider that God needs us. Each and everyone of us." I know that we really are all children of God and because of that, everything we do in this life has an impact on others. We should never think less of who we are. God is on our side and we can always come off conqueror! I love this work, and I love all of you! I hope all is going well! Until next week!
Monday, April 18, 2011
April 18, 2011
Hello everybody!
Ok, where do I start...This week all of the missionaries had their interviews with the mission president. My companion and I being the Zone leaders had to prepare a training lesson for all the other missionaries at the building while the interviews were going on. We worked pretty hard on the lesson and it turned out very well! All the missionaries loved it. And our topic was on asking questions. I have realized that asking questions is easy, but asking the right questions or even good questions is very difficult. We had another stake report with the Newport stake this week. A stake report is when my companion and I meet with the stake presidency and give a report with everything missionary wise that has been going on in the zone. This was my second time around so it went much more smoothly for me. The man that was presiding is the 1 counselor of the stake presidency and his name is President Watkins. He is such an amazing man! I could literally just sit all day and listen to him talk about the Gospel because he has such a strong testimony and desire for missionary work! This week I have really been focusing on improving my contacting and teaching, and not over thinking anything. The Lord has been helping and blessing me so much! I know the Lord put me in this area for a reason because I am learning the most here. I have found that the reason that sometimes situations seem like they are laser guided toward our weaknesses or strengths is because they are. The lord knows where we will best learn and who will have the biggest impacts on us. I know the Lord knows each and every one of us. He loves us all. One other cool thing that has happened lately is that my companion and I were at the stake center the other day and a man was cleaning out the library. He asked us if we wanted the old ensigns that were in there because they weren't keeping anything over 3 years anymore since it is all online. We said yes and recently I have been reading general conference addresses from 1972 and they are AMAZING!! I get to look at super young pictures of Elder Thomas S. Monson ;), and Elder Gordon B. Hinckley. I love this work! I hope all is well! Until next week!
Ok, where do I start...This week all of the missionaries had their interviews with the mission president. My companion and I being the Zone leaders had to prepare a training lesson for all the other missionaries at the building while the interviews were going on. We worked pretty hard on the lesson and it turned out very well! All the missionaries loved it. And our topic was on asking questions. I have realized that asking questions is easy, but asking the right questions or even good questions is very difficult. We had another stake report with the Newport stake this week. A stake report is when my companion and I meet with the stake presidency and give a report with everything missionary wise that has been going on in the zone. This was my second time around so it went much more smoothly for me. The man that was presiding is the 1 counselor of the stake presidency and his name is President Watkins. He is such an amazing man! I could literally just sit all day and listen to him talk about the Gospel because he has such a strong testimony and desire for missionary work! This week I have really been focusing on improving my contacting and teaching, and not over thinking anything. The Lord has been helping and blessing me so much! I know the Lord put me in this area for a reason because I am learning the most here. I have found that the reason that sometimes situations seem like they are laser guided toward our weaknesses or strengths is because they are. The lord knows where we will best learn and who will have the biggest impacts on us. I know the Lord knows each and every one of us. He loves us all. One other cool thing that has happened lately is that my companion and I were at the stake center the other day and a man was cleaning out the library. He asked us if we wanted the old ensigns that were in there because they weren't keeping anything over 3 years anymore since it is all online. We said yes and recently I have been reading general conference addresses from 1972 and they are AMAZING!! I get to look at super young pictures of Elder Thomas S. Monson ;), and Elder Gordon B. Hinckley. I love this work! I hope all is well! Until next week!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April 11, 2011
Hello Everyone!
This past week was the first of the new transfer!! It feels good to start out with a lot of new members in the zone I am over and to just try and renew a sense of faith and urgency in my own area. We have had a ton of meetings and administrative stuff this week, but the little time we did go tracting and street contacting and teaching, was SUPER effective! I know that was a huge blessing from the Lord!!!! This past week we were walking down the side walk and I saw a girl across the street and I decided to say hi to her and try to contact her from the other side of the street. She happily waved and said hi back, we stood there for about 7 minutes yelling over cars that were driving by and talking about the Book of Mormon and her friends that were on missions. I invited her to let us come and share the message her friends are sharing with other people in the Philippines. She said yes and the next day we went and taught her. She is now a new solid investigator! I find that at the beginning of my mission I would be really timid talking to people around me and I hated awkward conversations where the people just look at you and don't say much, but now I thrive on it :). The more I understand how much the message of the restored gospel means to me, the less timid I get, because I know for a fact it will help others and I am going to be the one to let them know how they can accept it. I have also learned that no one is too good or too less for the gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter who they are, what they have done, or how they treat us. We had the opportunity of teaching one of our investigators named Jay. We hadn't seen him since the first day of last transfer and we knew this lesson had to be really good and toward his needs, but we weren't exactly sure what his true needs were. So my companion and I prayed and studied a lot for him. During our lesson I had a scripture come instantly to my mind as Jay was talking and I told him the question he was asking was answered in a scripture that I felt like I should share with him. After he read the scripture he looked up and said, how did you know to share this with me? And I told him, because the spirit wanted me to. From there he opened up and shared with us his true feelings and concerns and we were able to help him. I know the Lord is in this work! Missionaries have the privilege to be a part of it, but in no way does the success come from what we do. It is the spirit of the Lord. I hope everyone is doing well! I have to cut this one short because I am running out of time. I love you all!! Until next week! Zaijian!
This past week was the first of the new transfer!! It feels good to start out with a lot of new members in the zone I am over and to just try and renew a sense of faith and urgency in my own area. We have had a ton of meetings and administrative stuff this week, but the little time we did go tracting and street contacting and teaching, was SUPER effective! I know that was a huge blessing from the Lord!!!! This past week we were walking down the side walk and I saw a girl across the street and I decided to say hi to her and try to contact her from the other side of the street. She happily waved and said hi back, we stood there for about 7 minutes yelling over cars that were driving by and talking about the Book of Mormon and her friends that were on missions. I invited her to let us come and share the message her friends are sharing with other people in the Philippines. She said yes and the next day we went and taught her. She is now a new solid investigator! I find that at the beginning of my mission I would be really timid talking to people around me and I hated awkward conversations where the people just look at you and don't say much, but now I thrive on it :). The more I understand how much the message of the restored gospel means to me, the less timid I get, because I know for a fact it will help others and I am going to be the one to let them know how they can accept it. I have also learned that no one is too good or too less for the gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter who they are, what they have done, or how they treat us. We had the opportunity of teaching one of our investigators named Jay. We hadn't seen him since the first day of last transfer and we knew this lesson had to be really good and toward his needs, but we weren't exactly sure what his true needs were. So my companion and I prayed and studied a lot for him. During our lesson I had a scripture come instantly to my mind as Jay was talking and I told him the question he was asking was answered in a scripture that I felt like I should share with him. After he read the scripture he looked up and said, how did you know to share this with me? And I told him, because the spirit wanted me to. From there he opened up and shared with us his true feelings and concerns and we were able to help him. I know the Lord is in this work! Missionaries have the privilege to be a part of it, but in no way does the success come from what we do. It is the spirit of the Lord. I hope everyone is doing well! I have to cut this one short because I am running out of time. I love you all!! Until next week! Zaijian!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
April 4, 2011
Hello everyone!!
This past week was the final week of the transfer. We had a ton of lessons and we worked extra hard to get ready for the upcoming transfer. My companion and I are not moving, we are staying the same. The only difference is that I am now the driver. Our entire zone around us changed and we have a lot of new faces and just plain exciting changes! This week we met with a potential investigator, his name is Jose. We had set up this meeting a long time ago and we finally got to teach him. The lesson was so spiritual and he told us how he just wishes he could have a loving family again, because when he was young his fell apart. We bore testimony on how the gospel of Jesus Christ will help him find happiness and it will bring his family closer together, and that he will eventually be able to live forever with his future family. It hit him very strongly and he accepted a baptismal date! We had a few investigators call us this week and tell us they no longer want to meet with us. That is really sad when that happens but it always gives that much more faith to go find those that are TRULY prepared and that will follow Jesus Christ with unwavering faith. This work has truly changed me and my relationship with my heavenly father and his son Jesus Christ. I have realized that the little things DO matter. I find comfort in that the Lord has promised us he will always be by our side when we keep his commandments...I don't think there is any greater promise than that, but it is a promise that is often overlooked. All we need to do is keep his commandments...and the creator of all things, will be on our side and be blessing us. That is enough knowledge to keep me going in any situation. This Saturday and Sunday we had General conference and sometimes it is hard to get investigators to come to it, but we had 4 that came. One of them in particular told us they were only coming for the Saturday morning session, and when the Saturday afternoon session came and we walked in, we saw her sitting there. She said "I felt like I needed to come again". Then she came to both on Sunday!!!! There is nothing that strengthens my testimony more than to see an investigator who is following spiritual promptings! Conference was amazing and I learned a lot and so did our investigators. I am excited for this transfer and I know it will go so well!! I love you all! Until next week!
PS: I haven't got a letter in a while, from anyone. Write me ;), I promise to write back if you do!
This past week was the final week of the transfer. We had a ton of lessons and we worked extra hard to get ready for the upcoming transfer. My companion and I are not moving, we are staying the same. The only difference is that I am now the driver. Our entire zone around us changed and we have a lot of new faces and just plain exciting changes! This week we met with a potential investigator, his name is Jose. We had set up this meeting a long time ago and we finally got to teach him. The lesson was so spiritual and he told us how he just wishes he could have a loving family again, because when he was young his fell apart. We bore testimony on how the gospel of Jesus Christ will help him find happiness and it will bring his family closer together, and that he will eventually be able to live forever with his future family. It hit him very strongly and he accepted a baptismal date! We had a few investigators call us this week and tell us they no longer want to meet with us. That is really sad when that happens but it always gives that much more faith to go find those that are TRULY prepared and that will follow Jesus Christ with unwavering faith. This work has truly changed me and my relationship with my heavenly father and his son Jesus Christ. I have realized that the little things DO matter. I find comfort in that the Lord has promised us he will always be by our side when we keep his commandments...I don't think there is any greater promise than that, but it is a promise that is often overlooked. All we need to do is keep his commandments...and the creator of all things, will be on our side and be blessing us. That is enough knowledge to keep me going in any situation. This Saturday and Sunday we had General conference and sometimes it is hard to get investigators to come to it, but we had 4 that came. One of them in particular told us they were only coming for the Saturday morning session, and when the Saturday afternoon session came and we walked in, we saw her sitting there. She said "I felt like I needed to come again". Then she came to both on Sunday!!!! There is nothing that strengthens my testimony more than to see an investigator who is following spiritual promptings! Conference was amazing and I learned a lot and so did our investigators. I am excited for this transfer and I know it will go so well!! I love you all! Until next week!
PS: I haven't got a letter in a while, from anyone. Write me ;), I promise to write back if you do!
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