Well this week. I flew down here to curacao. Got a flat tire. Taught some missionary lessons. Laughed at a picture dad sent. and... Not a whole lot more.
No this week was good. I thought i would love a nice open area where you have to ride bike to get everywhere. But now that i am actually in it. We got finding for three hours and only talk to 11 people. It is great! I have gotten 2 flat tires. But this last week we started a dutch class. Yeah i am finally learning my dutch. Slowly but i am learning it. I can't wait till i can say i speak it. we watched a video with a less active member and we put the subtitles in dutch. Ha ha ha. Woohoo! but yeah. I am coming into an area where the last elder tried to talk to every single person. Now everyone as soon as we say bon tardi. they wave us off and don't want to talk to us. He had great intentions just like nephi when he told his brothers about the vision... Just didn't really do it very effectively. I am working on my piano playing juggling and pen spinning too. More the juggling as we wait at bus stops. I can juggle for a little bit then the rocks start to go away from me. i didn't think i stunk that bad. But then as well i am trying to learn to play the piano becuase it would help the members in church...
So as a district we are going to be working on shorter lessons this week. Still good solid lessons but i feel in order to get our contacts and make it to other citas we really need to just teach simple and short. This week was a good get to know a little bit of the area. Church was kind of interesting as well. Sacrament meeting went over by 30 minutes and then to finish it off we sang all 4 verses of the Closing hymn. Then they start the next class with all 4 verses of another hymn. Kind of made me smile. Then we taught the gospel principles class trying to read through and do what we needed to and a member didn't feel we answered the question of the recent convert and so told us we should go back and explain it a little better. It was kind of funny listening to a member complain about how certain members like to gossip as the whole conversation quickly turned into what was happening in each of the members lives.
At the beginning of my mission president told us in our first meeting that as we studied the scriptures and recorded what we studied Nephi would come alive to us. I have been trying to read the book of mormon as a goal for this transfer. NEPHI IS ALIVE! As i read the scriptures and record what i am reading trying to really get into it i feel like i am right there with him. and it kills me when laman and lemuel don't listen! AAAHHHH! But i love it! I love seeing how nephi reciaved his teaching and then how he taught his brothers. Watching what worked and what didn't. President has really helped me apply the scriptures to my life in a completely new way. to really study how they felt how they taught and what they did. It was great! I Love the sacred hour in the morning!
My companion is elder bown from Brigham City Utah. He's got about 7 months. so i am finally not a junior comp.
oh and as well i was called as a District leader. So i call the other elders and see how there numbers are and help them improve and train them and also interview there baptismal candidates. I HAVE AN INTERVIEW ON WEDNESDAY! AAAAHHHH. i have to see if someone is worthy for baptism. AAAhhhh!
Crazy but kind of exciting. So Yeah that is my news for the week. Enjoy!
July 20, 2009
Tomorrow I am leaving for Curacao. So this week was a good one. Just a lot of going out trying to find things to do. We didn't reach our contacts the last few weeks and i know that it was inspired for president to have us get 20 contacts a day becuase when we don't we don't teach. Although we went out and tried. We couldnt get a whole lot done and so we were kind of down. Then we went out one finding time and i was in a lame down mood. But like always didn't stick in it. In the space of three hours we had 7 new investigators. We had 4 investigators come to church and really saw the blessings for working hard. Not only that we had some citas with Angela she's from Venezuela. She is a handful. This week she gave me tons of little gifts. she said my fingernails were too long so she went in and wouldn't let us leave without cutting my fingernails. Kind of awkward. But we worked really hard with her trying to help her quit smoking this week. She tried last week and failed. Pray for her.
Then as well we have Jenny and Reginel. Our best investigators. They are great! They think i am going to get married right after my mission and so they keep telling me to send them an invitation. I don't know why they think i will get married so soon. =) funny. But Jenny gave me a card that said "elder ellis you came to our door and brought with you peace and happiness that i have never had. That i have wanted and searched for all my life. You have really changed my life with the person you are and the important message you share." Then her friend Reginel said. Elder Ellis. You are not just a missionary not just someone that came to our door one day but someone that has changed our lives. You have become a great friend, and a part of our family! We cant wait to see you again.
That made me feel like i really am leaving this area better than i found it! I felt so many great feelings these last few days. Now on to continue in Curacao. Woohoo!Just a lot of going out trying to find things to do. We didn't reach our contacts the last few weeks and i know that it was inspired for president to have us get 20 contacts a day becuase when we don't we don't teach. Although we went out and tried. We couldnt get a whole lot done and so we were kind of down. Then we went out one finding time and i was in a lame down mood. But like always didn't stick in it. In the space of three hours we had 7 new investigators. We had 4 investigators come to church and really saw the blessings for working hard. Not only that we had some citas with Angela she's from Venezuela. She is a handful. This week she gave me tons of little gifts. she said my fingernails were too long so she went in and wouldn't let us leave without cutting my fingernails. Kind of awkward. But we worked really hard with her trying to help her quit smoking this week. She tried last week and failed. Pray for her.
Then as well we have Jenny and Reginel. Our best investigators. They are great! They think i am going to get married right after my mission and so they keep telling me to send them an invitation. I don't know why they think i will get married so soon. =) funny. But Jenny gave me a card that said "elder ellis you came to our door and brought with you peace and happiness that i have never had. That i have wanted and searched for all my life. You have really changed my life with the person you are and the important message you share." Then her friend Reginel said. Elder Ellis. You are not just a missionary not just someone that came to our door one day but someone that has changed our lives. You have become a great friend, and a part of our family! We cant wait to see you again.
That made me feel like i really am leaving this area better than i found it! I felt so many great feelings these last few days. Now on to continue in Curacao. Woohoo!
Then as well we have Jenny and Reginel. Our best investigators. They are great! They think i am going to get married right after my mission and so they keep telling me to send them an invitation. I don't know why they think i will get married so soon. =) funny. But Jenny gave me a card that said "elder ellis you came to our door and brought with you peace and happiness that i have never had. That i have wanted and searched for all my life. You have really changed my life with the person you are and the important message you share." Then her friend Reginel said. Elder Ellis. You are not just a missionary not just someone that came to our door one day but someone that has changed our lives. You have become a great friend, and a part of our family! We cant wait to see you again.
That made me feel like i really am leaving this area better than i found it! I felt so many great feelings these last few days. Now on to continue in Curacao. Woohoo!Just a lot of going out trying to find things to do. We didn't reach our contacts the last few weeks and i know that it was inspired for president to have us get 20 contacts a day becuase when we don't we don't teach. Although we went out and tried. We couldnt get a whole lot done and so we were kind of down. Then we went out one finding time and i was in a lame down mood. But like always didn't stick in it. In the space of three hours we had 7 new investigators. We had 4 investigators come to church and really saw the blessings for working hard. Not only that we had some citas with Angela she's from Venezuela. She is a handful. This week she gave me tons of little gifts. she said my fingernails were too long so she went in and wouldn't let us leave without cutting my fingernails. Kind of awkward. But we worked really hard with her trying to help her quit smoking this week. She tried last week and failed. Pray for her.
Then as well we have Jenny and Reginel. Our best investigators. They are great! They think i am going to get married right after my mission and so they keep telling me to send them an invitation. I don't know why they think i will get married so soon. =) funny. But Jenny gave me a card that said "elder ellis you came to our door and brought with you peace and happiness that i have never had. That i have wanted and searched for all my life. You have really changed my life with the person you are and the important message you share." Then her friend Reginel said. Elder Ellis. You are not just a missionary not just someone that came to our door one day but someone that has changed our lives. You have become a great friend, and a part of our family! We cant wait to see you again.
That made me feel like i really am leaving this area better than i found it! I felt so many great feelings these last few days. Now on to continue in Curacao. Woohoo!
July 13, 2009
Well this week was a good not great but good week. Time like always went by toooooo fast. I have 8 more weeks till i have been a missionary for a year. This week was good because we had P-day then we had interviews with president. then one of the APs came down to teach us how to teach. The only problem was that we didn't get to teach anyone that day. =) had some really awkward contacts with some teenage girls. But then to celebrate the 30th year of the mission we had a 2nd Pday on wednesday and president and sister martineau came down and we all played basketball and soccer and then they took us all to wendys to eat. =) After that we went to try to teach and again didn't teach anyone. then on thursday we had to paint the church and so lost more time there then on friday the young women had an activty and we were the only priesthood that could go so we went to the butterfly farm. then Pizza Bobs which is the resaurant that our Elders quorum is chef at. =) Good pizza. Then saturday we had a real full day of missionary work. BUT none of our lessons were there. Every lesson we had was a backup. Then on sunday exact same thing. Every lesson we had was a backup. except with the elders quorum presidents kids we taught them and had a little family home evening. I love little families. You better have one when i get back erika! =)
But yes my week wasn't super exciting. I did get a nice set of goat horns that i wanted to send home but it would be way too much so i will have to just bring some back when i visit after the mission. =) I will get good pictures.
President also joined two branches together here. Not mine but the other two on the island. They are now a normal size branch. instead of two tiny branches. Its great! He asked us who the branch president should be. He did it in 3 days. then flew to curacao the same day and did it there too. =) He's crazy!
But yah this week we had many funny little kid stories and i need to get better at writing in my journal. so i can remember all of them. Well love you!
But yes my week wasn't super exciting. I did get a nice set of goat horns that i wanted to send home but it would be way too much so i will have to just bring some back when i visit after the mission. =) I will get good pictures.
President also joined two branches together here. Not mine but the other two on the island. They are now a normal size branch. instead of two tiny branches. Its great! He asked us who the branch president should be. He did it in 3 days. then flew to curacao the same day and did it there too. =) He's crazy!
But yah this week we had many funny little kid stories and i need to get better at writing in my journal. so i can remember all of them. Well love you!
July 6, 2009
(Picture this week is Aaron wearing a "Mormon Helping Hands" vest)
Hello. Well this week was full of different things happening. We started the week out strong with three lessons on monday after p-day. It was great! then on monday night when we were on the way home I went to go contact a man. His heart was so hard. He told me that i knew only a few words in papiamento after I had pretty much taught him a whole first lesson. Man. we talked to him and he really didn't want anything. My compnaion was riding his bick behind me and I turned around to tell him something. He was trying to text while he was riding his bike...=) (texting is allowed for us here, becuase for many people it is cheaper than calling) so he was trying to text and I turned around and he thought something was wrong. So he squeezed the brake one handed and flipped right over the handlebars. =) the phone went flying and broke apart in a few pieces. I pulled his bike off of him as he faked he was crying. Then I looked at the handlebars and the left handlebar was bent down about 5 inches. I started laughing my head off. Then I went and got the phone as he was just sitting on the ground laughing. I got the phone and a little boy ran up and asked if he crashed then asked to ride our bikes but we wouldn't let him. Then he asked to see our phone. So I handed it too him he flipped through the menu... then started to run. I grabbed his shirt and took the phone away from him then we went home...=) Then next day we lost a lot of time taking the bike to get it fixed. Someone stole our lights last week as well...=( Then this friday we had pretty much everything fall through. NOTHING... so we went to just try to contact. IT STARTED POURING. We just continued and trying to talk to a guy as he ran under a shelter we talked to everyone under the shelter. Then we left in the rain because we had to get money for the bus the next day. So we went to the ATM... we left a little pool in the ATM room. =) then went to Wendy's to get the change split up. So I ordered two burgers and two frostys and while I was ordering my companion started to talk to this couple. Then as I was waiting for our food the power just shut off. Everything went out. I gave my new bike light to the workers to finish making our burgers and then went over to talk with my companion and the two people. He was teaching them a first lesson...=) in spanish... but he was talking to them and then she asked where she could get the book of mormon. Then elder johnson said we would bring one by and she asked if she could have the one in his hand. he said "no this one is wet we'll bring you a dry one. she said no I want that one. So we gave it to her and got her address and talked a little more to find that they were going to puerto rico to play baseball in a tournament. Then we left and as we left she said "please come over I want to learn more" so we assured her we would. we went home and when we got home noticed our perfect new investigator lives...in the sisters area. two streets over from our area boundary... MAN! But we left and then said our prayers and I asked for the power to come on so we could sleep in comfort. After the prayer as I pulled my sheets up... the air conditioner clicked on...I said "God answers prayers elder" and then it clicked off and he said "on his own time"... Then the next day we had the beach cleanup and then went to the church to clean up and then to a members house then went out to teach. YESTERDAY!!! We woke up, went to church, they had cake and everything after for me. =) sang happy birthday in English spanish dutch and papiamento. Woohoo! then after we went home and found that the sisters had broken into our apartment and put a bunch of balloons in. Then we ate and started our Four hour suicide.... 4 hours of finding time is a long time. but we started and actually we were able to teach four people. We ended with four new investigators and then had one lesson after with two kids of a member that arent members. It was great and we made them investigators too... So on my birthday I made more investigators finded for more time and taught more lessons than I did in whole weeks in puerto rico. I Loved it. Then this morning we wake up to find out our laundromat is closed so we had to take our clothes to the sisters place to wash it. Now we are emailing.... Tomorrow we have district meeting and president interviews. So tomorrow hopefully I get my package but dont know. Then tomorrow we are having one of the AP's come to monitor our teaching... aaaahhhh. Then on wednesday president is letting us celebrate the 30th year of this mission by playing sports and a big BBQ all day long. WOohoo!
This week will be great! Starting it off with two really good lessons tonight! We are teaching the quit smoking lesson tonight Pray for us!
I don't know if I have grown much past 5' 9"
I Love the Gospel.
We also had a funny lesson with a man that told us that the Book of Mormon is just taken out of the Bible so me and my smart alek attitude pulled out 2 nephi 29 and he again said it was taken out of the bible. It was pretty funny!
I Love you all! Can't wait to read some more letters =) Tomorrow!
Hello. Well this week was full of different things happening. We started the week out strong with three lessons on monday after p-day. It was great! then on monday night when we were on the way home I went to go contact a man. His heart was so hard. He told me that i knew only a few words in papiamento after I had pretty much taught him a whole first lesson. Man. we talked to him and he really didn't want anything. My compnaion was riding his bick behind me and I turned around to tell him something. He was trying to text while he was riding his bike...=) (texting is allowed for us here, becuase for many people it is cheaper than calling) so he was trying to text and I turned around and he thought something was wrong. So he squeezed the brake one handed and flipped right over the handlebars. =) the phone went flying and broke apart in a few pieces. I pulled his bike off of him as he faked he was crying. Then I looked at the handlebars and the left handlebar was bent down about 5 inches. I started laughing my head off. Then I went and got the phone as he was just sitting on the ground laughing. I got the phone and a little boy ran up and asked if he crashed then asked to ride our bikes but we wouldn't let him. Then he asked to see our phone. So I handed it too him he flipped through the menu... then started to run. I grabbed his shirt and took the phone away from him then we went home...=) Then next day we lost a lot of time taking the bike to get it fixed. Someone stole our lights last week as well...=( Then this friday we had pretty much everything fall through. NOTHING... so we went to just try to contact. IT STARTED POURING. We just continued and trying to talk to a guy as he ran under a shelter we talked to everyone under the shelter. Then we left in the rain because we had to get money for the bus the next day. So we went to the ATM... we left a little pool in the ATM room. =) then went to Wendy's to get the change split up. So I ordered two burgers and two frostys and while I was ordering my companion started to talk to this couple. Then as I was waiting for our food the power just shut off. Everything went out. I gave my new bike light to the workers to finish making our burgers and then went over to talk with my companion and the two people. He was teaching them a first lesson...=) in spanish... but he was talking to them and then she asked where she could get the book of mormon. Then elder johnson said we would bring one by and she asked if she could have the one in his hand. he said "no this one is wet we'll bring you a dry one. she said no I want that one. So we gave it to her and got her address and talked a little more to find that they were going to puerto rico to play baseball in a tournament. Then we left and as we left she said "please come over I want to learn more" so we assured her we would. we went home and when we got home noticed our perfect new investigator lives...in the sisters area. two streets over from our area boundary... MAN! But we left and then said our prayers and I asked for the power to come on so we could sleep in comfort. After the prayer as I pulled my sheets up... the air conditioner clicked on...I said "God answers prayers elder" and then it clicked off and he said "on his own time"... Then the next day we had the beach cleanup and then went to the church to clean up and then to a members house then went out to teach. YESTERDAY!!! We woke up, went to church, they had cake and everything after for me. =) sang happy birthday in English spanish dutch and papiamento. Woohoo! then after we went home and found that the sisters had broken into our apartment and put a bunch of balloons in. Then we ate and started our Four hour suicide.... 4 hours of finding time is a long time. but we started and actually we were able to teach four people. We ended with four new investigators and then had one lesson after with two kids of a member that arent members. It was great and we made them investigators too... So on my birthday I made more investigators finded for more time and taught more lessons than I did in whole weeks in puerto rico. I Loved it. Then this morning we wake up to find out our laundromat is closed so we had to take our clothes to the sisters place to wash it. Now we are emailing.... Tomorrow we have district meeting and president interviews. So tomorrow hopefully I get my package but dont know. Then tomorrow we are having one of the AP's come to monitor our teaching... aaaahhhh. Then on wednesday president is letting us celebrate the 30th year of this mission by playing sports and a big BBQ all day long. WOohoo!
This week will be great! Starting it off with two really good lessons tonight! We are teaching the quit smoking lesson tonight Pray for us!
I don't know if I have grown much past 5' 9"
I Love the Gospel.
We also had a funny lesson with a man that told us that the Book of Mormon is just taken out of the Bible so me and my smart alek attitude pulled out 2 nephi 29 and he again said it was taken out of the bible. It was pretty funny!
I Love you all! Can't wait to read some more letters =) Tomorrow!
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