This week was great! I really love being here in curacao and more than anything being a missionary. I was comtemplating my mission up until now. What i've done what i have not done. and have more than anything realized how many things i have to be grateful for. I have been able to learn so many things. Both from just being in certain situations and also watching other people. Watching how people act and seeing that all is pretty much a choice of attitude. I am so grateful for all that i have learned. We are all finally in our own apartments now. 1 companionship in each apartment. Last transfer with 4 in ours we saved a lot of money on food that's for sure but also it was much easier to create a break in our unity i noticed. When you don't get along with your companion you have two more to talk to not fostering the best relationship with my companion so i am excited to be with just my companion this transfer. It will be good!
So the news i recieved. Monday night president martineau called me monday night and told me that i will be the district leader here on curacao and pretty much i am a zone leader just without another companion zone leader. Then he continued to tell me that there will be 8 missionaries at the end our our mission in the ABC islands. That there is going to be 2 on Aruba 1 in curacao and 1 in bonaire. He mentioned that there will be four missionaries from the Group right before me. Elder Slade my old companion and 3 others. Then he said that there will be 4 from my group to be the last last ones. Myself and three others will be the trainers for the other missonaries we will be here in the islands with the group before me then they die my second to last and my last transfer i will train a new missionary from the other mission. I will be ending in the Santo domingo East mission.
Question is there a senior couple from our stake in santo domingo? i swear in a conference from santo domingo i saw a couple i recognized.
But yeah my final interview will probably be in DR and i might get to go once more to the temple there before i come home. =) i am excited for that. Hace falta.
That is the news. I am going to be in the other mission! WOohoo! This week we got a great new investigator that bore her testimony in Gospel Principles yesterday. She was being taught by the sisters and now is our area. She says that shemoved here to work and worked for a few weeks. Then she lost her job and hasn't gotten more work. She then ran into the sisters. She said at first the Book of mormon seemed strange to her. then she started to read. She has read half way through the book of mormon came to church for the first time yesterday and feels like god wants her to use this time he has given her to prepare. To read and learn more. So i am pumped to work with her.
My companion is a puerto rican and his driving drives me nuts. =) he is always pushing overdrive on and off trying to drive faster. and changing from drive to 2 and low. becuase he thinks thats what your supposed to do. =) he also always turns off the air conditioner before turning off the car. also when we come to a red light he puts it in nuetral and pulls the e brake ....and the list goes on. =) funny. Much better though we get alongand my spanish is just getting better and better. I am trying with dutch and will be for a while now. President also said for the next three transfers i will stay here in curacao. We are getting an extended stay permit for church reasons and so yeah. I have 5 transfers left in my mission next three here and last two in aruba.
FUNNY.... there is a guy next to me chatting with a girl and speaking spanish he's from ecuador. Saying some personal things and she must have told him she couldn't hear him very well becuase he said. "there are other people here i can't talk to loud" then she must have asked how many or something. then he said "well most of them are People from Holland so they don't know anyway but theres more people" It makes me laugh understanding all that he's saying.
Two of my elders here got broken into and things stolen. one his camera (old one and new one) and the other 150 USD and his Social security card and Birth certificate =/ so we went and moved them immediately. Then this morning i moved as well from one apartment to the sisters old apartment. pretty nice one. i'm excited.
Yesterday i was on a tradeoff. It was really good. We went to our new house and toked over there. we tried to follow the spirit and one of the last houses we toked was a party. I normally don't like to talk to parties because if one is against then all of them get a bad view but this time i just felt a last minute nudge. Just like "everyone needs it!". Started talking to someone and they started asking me "Do you know marcus" and i said no... this is my first day in this area. she then said no in banda bao. which is Barber. and then thoughts went flying and BAM he walked out of the house. His cousin was having a birthday party. he was a member that got baptized there and he is 14 now. He was the only one in his family that got baptized hesaid he misses church since they closed it down there. But we set up a time to go see him and get him back to church! Woohoo! The lord!
Thats my life here! Good Stuf!
February 15, 2010
So... um I have forgotten to tell you some things for the last few weeks.
My mission will no longer exist as of July. When President Martineau dies so will his mission. The two puerto rico missions will become one. We will no longer have these islands of Aruba Bonaire and Curacao. They will belong to the santo domingo east mission. we will have three companionships on this island instead of 5 and i have to go close apartments for that. I will no longer be zone leader starting wednesday. He is putting the two zones together and leaving the two zone leaders in Aruba. so i might be district leader might not. So if i am here when they change missions. President will be leaving a companionship on each island to train the new elders from santo domingo. If i do that i will switch missions. I would no longer be part of the Puerto rico mission but i would be part of the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East mission. Which looks like i might do that. Nothing for sure but if i go through the island rounds i will be here in the time of that change.
This week has been Karnaval. Lots of Poorly Dressed women. Lots of alcohol. and lots of white people. Here in a predominately Black island (being and island in the Carribean) which is very strange. We have to be home early till tuesday. Then it is all over. Everyone says that this week many young women will get pregnant. in october and around that time there will be many babies born. It is quite sad. We go to talk with people and no one is to be found. Houses are all empty and the parade line has been in construction for three weeks now. They all build little shacks like little houses that they all sit in. Its like portland parades but lasts for weeks and they start preparing putting seats out weeks before it starts instead of the morning or night before. it is crazy!
So because of that we have not had a whole lot of success this week. We taught alot but not a whole lot great investigators. just so so. But yeah That is business here on the island.
My mission will no longer exist as of July. When President Martineau dies so will his mission. The two puerto rico missions will become one. We will no longer have these islands of Aruba Bonaire and Curacao. They will belong to the santo domingo east mission. we will have three companionships on this island instead of 5 and i have to go close apartments for that. I will no longer be zone leader starting wednesday. He is putting the two zones together and leaving the two zone leaders in Aruba. so i might be district leader might not. So if i am here when they change missions. President will be leaving a companionship on each island to train the new elders from santo domingo. If i do that i will switch missions. I would no longer be part of the Puerto rico mission but i would be part of the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East mission. Which looks like i might do that. Nothing for sure but if i go through the island rounds i will be here in the time of that change.
This week has been Karnaval. Lots of Poorly Dressed women. Lots of alcohol. and lots of white people. Here in a predominately Black island (being and island in the Carribean) which is very strange. We have to be home early till tuesday. Then it is all over. Everyone says that this week many young women will get pregnant. in october and around that time there will be many babies born. It is quite sad. We go to talk with people and no one is to be found. Houses are all empty and the parade line has been in construction for three weeks now. They all build little shacks like little houses that they all sit in. Its like portland parades but lasts for weeks and they start preparing putting seats out weeks before it starts instead of the morning or night before. it is crazy!
So because of that we have not had a whole lot of success this week. We taught alot but not a whole lot great investigators. just so so. But yeah That is business here on the island.
February 8, 2010
Élderes y Hermanas,
Usted:Elder Ellis
Su Compañero:Elder Slade
Su Área:Curacao 4
Escriba sus indicadores clave aquí:
Contactos (sin planificar):281
Contactos (planeados):130
Tiempo Consagrado Para Encontrar (horas totales):12:35
Lecciones (totales):25
Primeras lecciones:13
----------------------
Nuevos investigadores (totales):6
Lecciones con miembros presentes:0
Investigadores asistiendo a la Reunión Sacramental:1
Fechas bautismales:0
Bautismos:0
Confirmaciones:0
-----------------------
Reunión de Correlación Misional (CAR):No
Números de miembros que enseñaron con los misioneros:
Nuevos M&Ms:0
Nuevos investigadores proveídos por los miembros:0
Escriba su carta al presidente aquí:
Well This week was a great. With the day of 200 contacts i really did learn a lot from that. Now its a matter of putting the things i got from it in practice. I was very tired of saying the same things at the end of the 200. I started to make the contacts short but personal. Thinking really about that person. I feel like many missionaries myself included follow such a vain pattern. Ok two principles and then start with the testimony then set a return date. You can see it roll through their Train station of thought. they talk then testify rail takes off. They feel empty sometimes. Especially after doing about 50 i noticed the same words and same beginning end everything. So i tried to change it. I tried making them shorter. God loves us has brought back beautiful simple necessities for us to return to him. Would you like to hear more.
That is what i wrote to president/ But this week i decided to take on a challenge from president martineau. He said that if we contacted 200 people in one day he would by us a steak dinner. He has only had it happen a few times. And i decided on a tradeoff with a younger missionary we would try it out. It was a great opportunity for him and me to see how wonderful contacting is.... I still dont like it the most but i feel like it is what we are supposed to do. I read through my journal and that was what i wanted to do at the beginning of my mission. I wanted to talk to everyone this week i tried. It was great! The younger missioanry hadn't gotten his required contacts the last three weeks. This week after going on the tradeoff he got them for the first time! I was so happy for them.
We didn't get any member lessons this week though. I also found out that President will be changing from 10 missionaries to 6 down here. We are losing two areas. So i need to come up with new areas. Fun! WoohoO! He comes tomorrow night so i will be enjoying my steak dinner! yEAH!
What else. Well the other two dorks we room with got the bikes stolen. They were at a lunch cita and didn't lock them up. I had a spedometer with miles of this transfer... oh well. They're good guys but wonder how much they use their brains at times. =) They are just minor dorks compared to my dorkness. But we got the other bikes fixed so now we're up and running again.
Other than that this week was just more missionary work...
We had a great lady in church yesterday! She came in and said she had been looking for the church for the last hour. She said she had showed her daughter about the book of mormon and her daughter asked why do we need that if we have the bible. She said she told her daughter. THEY SAY IT IS MORE FROM JESUS CHRIST. Why not read it!? I was very excited hearing that we have an appointment on friday with her! WOoho! ....My companion... well he leaves next week. So i'm not too bummed! But hings aren't that bad. Love You!
Usted:Elder Ellis
Su Compañero:Elder Slade
Su Área:Curacao 4
Escriba sus indicadores clave aquí:
Contactos (sin planificar):281
Contactos (planeados):130
Tiempo Consagrado Para Encontrar (horas totales):12:35
Lecciones (totales):25
Primeras lecciones:13
----------------------
Nuevos investigadores (totales):6
Lecciones con miembros presentes:0
Investigadores asistiendo a la Reunión Sacramental:1
Fechas bautismales:0
Bautismos:0
Confirmaciones:0
-----------------------
Reunión de Correlación Misional (CAR):No
Números de miembros que enseñaron con los misioneros:
Nuevos M&Ms:0
Nuevos investigadores proveídos por los miembros:0
Escriba su carta al presidente aquí:
Well This week was a great. With the day of 200 contacts i really did learn a lot from that. Now its a matter of putting the things i got from it in practice. I was very tired of saying the same things at the end of the 200. I started to make the contacts short but personal. Thinking really about that person. I feel like many missionaries myself included follow such a vain pattern. Ok two principles and then start with the testimony then set a return date. You can see it roll through their Train station of thought. they talk then testify rail takes off. They feel empty sometimes. Especially after doing about 50 i noticed the same words and same beginning end everything. So i tried to change it. I tried making them shorter. God loves us has brought back beautiful simple necessities for us to return to him. Would you like to hear more.
That is what i wrote to president/ But this week i decided to take on a challenge from president martineau. He said that if we contacted 200 people in one day he would by us a steak dinner. He has only had it happen a few times. And i decided on a tradeoff with a younger missionary we would try it out. It was a great opportunity for him and me to see how wonderful contacting is.... I still dont like it the most but i feel like it is what we are supposed to do. I read through my journal and that was what i wanted to do at the beginning of my mission. I wanted to talk to everyone this week i tried. It was great! The younger missioanry hadn't gotten his required contacts the last three weeks. This week after going on the tradeoff he got them for the first time! I was so happy for them.
We didn't get any member lessons this week though. I also found out that President will be changing from 10 missionaries to 6 down here. We are losing two areas. So i need to come up with new areas. Fun! WoohoO! He comes tomorrow night so i will be enjoying my steak dinner! yEAH!
What else. Well the other two dorks we room with got the bikes stolen. They were at a lunch cita and didn't lock them up. I had a spedometer with miles of this transfer... oh well. They're good guys but wonder how much they use their brains at times. =) They are just minor dorks compared to my dorkness. But we got the other bikes fixed so now we're up and running again.
Other than that this week was just more missionary work...
We had a great lady in church yesterday! She came in and said she had been looking for the church for the last hour. She said she had showed her daughter about the book of mormon and her daughter asked why do we need that if we have the bible. She said she told her daughter. THEY SAY IT IS MORE FROM JESUS CHRIST. Why not read it!? I was very excited hearing that we have an appointment on friday with her! WOoho! ....My companion... well he leaves next week. So i'm not too bummed! But hings aren't that bad. Love You!
February 1, 2010
Not a whole lot of time left. But I just want you to know i love you. So i am the temporary Gospel Principles Teacher. Pretty fun. I really love teaching. I think that's one of my favorite aspects of the mission. Now that also brings in one of my trials. Teaching well with a companion. Getting unified. Not just free of argueing but us both having the same righteous desires. Both realizing what we have to do and coming together. I feel like its too much one way or the other. Either his idea or my idea. That isn't very beneficial. Because one of us is usually still wondering how our own idea would have worked. I was on two different trade offs this week. and both were great because we were together. We had great companionsip studies made choices together and more than anything agreed on the points to teach. Now i need to find out how i can do that with my companion. I feel like he has lost desire to progress. The other missionaries I was with are both studying constantly the Scriptures and PMG and my companion commented this week to one of them. If you don't stop reading your head will explode. Jokingly but kind of shows he doesn't have a desire to improve anymore. He thinks he knows it pretty well and is satisfied. I have so much room to improve.
AAAAHHHHH
But things are going well!
I am enjoying my stay.
AAAAHHHHH
But things are going well!
I am enjoying my stay.
Januarty 25, 2010
This week was good. Not super duper but good!
we acheived our goals but several little arguements with my companion. We came home early on friday because of elections here and we were able to clean the apartment deep clean finally. =) It is much nicer now. I bet its much nicer than josh's apartment at school. =)
We taught many lessons. Many new investigators. 15 actually but i think we are going to be a little stricter on who we count as new investigators. Here in Curacao the people are very willing to set up a cita. But are never there. Its kind of frustrating some times. But i also learned a lot this week gospel wise.
one of the coolest moments this week was this morning i was studying the gift of tongues. I have definitely seen it here in my mission. Being able to learn spanish and papiamento so well and so quickly. Has been a huge blessing. so this morning i got the strongest impression that i need to learn dutch. so my language studies are going to be focues on dutch.
Today the other missionaries want to go to the sea aquarium. =\ i want to go but dont want to spend the money. I have gotten much better with money on my mission. i'm still not good but better. =)
Well not a whole lot on my mind right now other than this week thats coming. I'm excited to teach a few people.
we acheived our goals but several little arguements with my companion. We came home early on friday because of elections here and we were able to clean the apartment deep clean finally. =) It is much nicer now. I bet its much nicer than josh's apartment at school. =)
We taught many lessons. Many new investigators. 15 actually but i think we are going to be a little stricter on who we count as new investigators. Here in Curacao the people are very willing to set up a cita. But are never there. Its kind of frustrating some times. But i also learned a lot this week gospel wise.
one of the coolest moments this week was this morning i was studying the gift of tongues. I have definitely seen it here in my mission. Being able to learn spanish and papiamento so well and so quickly. Has been a huge blessing. so this morning i got the strongest impression that i need to learn dutch. so my language studies are going to be focues on dutch.
Today the other missionaries want to go to the sea aquarium. =\ i want to go but dont want to spend the money. I have gotten much better with money on my mission. i'm still not good but better. =)
Well not a whole lot on my mind right now other than this week thats coming. I'm excited to teach a few people.
January 18, 2010
This week was much better. I have loved being here in this area. and have learned a lot from Adrian(a return missionary here). He doesn't talk if he doesn't feel the spirit. I have been striving to have the spirit guiding us lately. and there was a lady we went to teach who had invited a friend and all the friend seemed to want to do was argue. We began the lesson and started teaching the plan of salvation and she keept going off on how we were teaching doctrine that wasn't found in the bible. Earlier in my mission i would have tried to prove her wrong. Instead i respectfully listened to her point of view and tried to help her see ours from what she had said. Honestly the whole time i felt the spirit. She was frustrated becuase we weren't teaching from the bible but no matter what she said i didn't allow my thoughts of love and respect change for her. I was striving for the spirit. I am not perfect but sure feel like i am progressing.
Something president said in zone conference really struck me. It is more important that i am unified with my companion than him teaching exactly how he should or the perfect doctrine. It kind of goes back to faith in the Lord. Wonderful things happen when you listen. I feel like these last few weeks have been some of the biggest growth weeks on my mission. What a wonderful feeling it is.
We also had Elder Galloway who is an AP he was in my district back in aguada. He helped us a lot. This week i have strived to just accept the things my companion says and not try to argue with other people. or my companion. ANother thing i mentioned to president in my interview was how i feel like many missionaries talk to members and investigators in a demeaning manner. Like we are big guys and they are little kids. Many of them have many more years studying the scriptures than i do. Many of the members have more years in the church than i have alive. and the only difference between me and them is God has called me to share certain things with them. I don't know more than them nor am i a better person than them but i have been called by a prophet of God invite them "to come unto Christ by recieving the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end." I am also trying to learn something from each person we teach. see a Christlike attribute in them or a good quality that i can work from.
My companion seems to work in his own little circle. Uses the same examples every time the same scriptures every time. but as long as i support him and don't hinder the spirit we are good.
Good week. My other roommates. (we have 4 missionaries in our house) are doing great! Them have several baptismal dates and keep finding more. I am so excited for them. This morning they started to clean and change things. Not me... my companion didn't get as mad this time. It was good! I Like it better how it is now. We taught some good lessons this last week. WOohoo!
I Love You! Thanks for all!
Something president said in zone conference really struck me. It is more important that i am unified with my companion than him teaching exactly how he should or the perfect doctrine. It kind of goes back to faith in the Lord. Wonderful things happen when you listen. I feel like these last few weeks have been some of the biggest growth weeks on my mission. What a wonderful feeling it is.
We also had Elder Galloway who is an AP he was in my district back in aguada. He helped us a lot. This week i have strived to just accept the things my companion says and not try to argue with other people. or my companion. ANother thing i mentioned to president in my interview was how i feel like many missionaries talk to members and investigators in a demeaning manner. Like we are big guys and they are little kids. Many of them have many more years studying the scriptures than i do. Many of the members have more years in the church than i have alive. and the only difference between me and them is God has called me to share certain things with them. I don't know more than them nor am i a better person than them but i have been called by a prophet of God invite them "to come unto Christ by recieving the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end." I am also trying to learn something from each person we teach. see a Christlike attribute in them or a good quality that i can work from.
My companion seems to work in his own little circle. Uses the same examples every time the same scriptures every time. but as long as i support him and don't hinder the spirit we are good.
Good week. My other roommates. (we have 4 missionaries in our house) are doing great! Them have several baptismal dates and keep finding more. I am so excited for them. This morning they started to clean and change things. Not me... my companion didn't get as mad this time. It was good! I Like it better how it is now. We taught some good lessons this last week. WOohoo!
I Love You! Thanks for all!
January 11, 2010
Things are going great! We are working. Like most companionships we have our differences, we need to work out solutions to them.
The mission has helped me see that there are differences in everyone. The challenge is trying to work through them. My companion does some things that i dont agree with, and i do things that he doesn't agree with. One of the main things was the organization of the apartment. or better said lack there of. I have been trying to clean up the apartment and papers that we have. I can tell my companion doesn't like it very much. He had his routine set and i have changed a lot of things 1 materials 2 kitchen 3 paperwork and and for me it works very well now. A system that is fairly organized and everything now has its place. But now to my companion everything is out of place. Funny how life works some times.
I think that is the biggest struggle we have for now. Working as a companionship instead of both trying to go our own way. our own system. hmmm...
As for being here in curacao. The members were excited to see me again. Some. Most… The ones from barber were excited and both invited me to eat. =) This week should be a good one because we have our zone conference. We get to talk with president. Woohoo! Yesterday we were talking to a man that was drinking. He was a very nice guy. We asked us to tell him about our church. My companion started to explain a little bit and he mentioned that god has called a prophet again. The man quickly said that revelation has ceased and there will not be anymore prophets. My companion quickly took offense and told him that he needed to read the scriptures again. Then my companion just stopped talking to him. A situation I have put myself in many too many times. I took it much gentler and talked to him a little bit more and asked him to show me where it said that. And then the man said he wanted me to come back and explain more not my companion. It really made me start thinking. Of course every person is different. I can’t tell someone to do something or believe in my way of belief without understanding theirs why they believe that way. Elder Bednar had us read an article that he will be talking about when he comes to the mission. I LOVE IT. I read it and have been trying to apply it. Its hard when your companion hasn’t read the same thing and doesn’t teach the same way. He keeps answering hard questions I make to the investigators. I know it’s a hard question but I want them to learn not regurgitate. The talk is called Learning By Faith David Bednar. Read it!!! Its great. I am trying to apply it because I want the investigators to learn not just understand.
As far as leadership stuff. I have the leadership skills and techniques I learned before the mission. In marching band and scouts and stuff. My companion has his leadership skills he learned before the mission as well. They really clash. He likes to use our working time to run errands I would much rather wait on certain things till PDAY. But I am trying to communicate better with him. SO things will work out. The work is great I am learning tons. I got to visit one of the recent converts I did an interview for. She was happy to see me and I was very happy to see her strong and faithful in the gospel. It was great!
Well I Love You! Thanks for all. Talk to you next week.
The mission has helped me see that there are differences in everyone. The challenge is trying to work through them. My companion does some things that i dont agree with, and i do things that he doesn't agree with. One of the main things was the organization of the apartment. or better said lack there of. I have been trying to clean up the apartment and papers that we have. I can tell my companion doesn't like it very much. He had his routine set and i have changed a lot of things 1 materials 2 kitchen 3 paperwork and and for me it works very well now. A system that is fairly organized and everything now has its place. But now to my companion everything is out of place. Funny how life works some times.
I think that is the biggest struggle we have for now. Working as a companionship instead of both trying to go our own way. our own system. hmmm...
As for being here in curacao. The members were excited to see me again. Some. Most… The ones from barber were excited and both invited me to eat. =) This week should be a good one because we have our zone conference. We get to talk with president. Woohoo! Yesterday we were talking to a man that was drinking. He was a very nice guy. We asked us to tell him about our church. My companion started to explain a little bit and he mentioned that god has called a prophet again. The man quickly said that revelation has ceased and there will not be anymore prophets. My companion quickly took offense and told him that he needed to read the scriptures again. Then my companion just stopped talking to him. A situation I have put myself in many too many times. I took it much gentler and talked to him a little bit more and asked him to show me where it said that. And then the man said he wanted me to come back and explain more not my companion. It really made me start thinking. Of course every person is different. I can’t tell someone to do something or believe in my way of belief without understanding theirs why they believe that way. Elder Bednar had us read an article that he will be talking about when he comes to the mission. I LOVE IT. I read it and have been trying to apply it. Its hard when your companion hasn’t read the same thing and doesn’t teach the same way. He keeps answering hard questions I make to the investigators. I know it’s a hard question but I want them to learn not regurgitate. The talk is called Learning By Faith David Bednar. Read it!!! Its great. I am trying to apply it because I want the investigators to learn not just understand.
As far as leadership stuff. I have the leadership skills and techniques I learned before the mission. In marching band and scouts and stuff. My companion has his leadership skills he learned before the mission as well. They really clash. He likes to use our working time to run errands I would much rather wait on certain things till PDAY. But I am trying to communicate better with him. SO things will work out. The work is great I am learning tons. I got to visit one of the recent converts I did an interview for. She was happy to see me and I was very happy to see her strong and faithful in the gospel. It was great!
Well I Love You! Thanks for all. Talk to you next week.
January 4, 2010
SO this week was kind of crazy! We talked with our investigator on monday and he said he was excited to keep learning. We brought out my Helicopter...(christmas Present from you guys =) ) and played with it and his kids (it was P-day) Then played frisbee. Then found out one of our other investigators was in jail because her ex-husband came to her house and she told him to leave and he wouldn't so she slapped him and he called the police so she spent the night in jail. Then we went to the Arce family and he said he wanted to get baptized after having his dream. We had a Family home evening planned with a member and he was excited to come and eat and enjoy and we were going to do the interview with president that night. We got there and called him and he told us that he was in the hospital. he had gone in for a checkup and the doctor told him he couldn't leave the hospital. That he had to stay to clean his blood and had some clogged arteries or something. So he wasn't able to get baptized last weekend. But he gets out today and the baptism is planned for this weekend. But president that night anounced to the members that i was leaving and instead of saying Aruba he said Curacao. and i was a bit confused. He Said that i was giong to curacao and that ......... then he said that my companion was going to train. My companion is on his last trasnfer and he is training. =)
We kept working and working. New years eve couldn't sleep because it was so loud. Then i got to use a lawn mower for the first time in my mission. My lines weren't very straight at first but towards the end i pick it up again. =) I Love mowing lawns. Then on sunday i got up to bear my testimony and bore my simple heart felt testimony then thanked the members for all they have done and mentioned i was leaving today. as soon as i said that there was an audible sigh. That hasn't happened before...ever. All the other wards were just normal...ok bye... but here they all got up and bore their testimonies about missionary work. One sister said. "The missionaries come and go and have never affected us but these two are the hardest working humblest missioanries we have seen" She finished her testimony and another got up. Then after church they really made it hard. They all wanted to write their address' in my book and it was just a nice experience to see that the members i learned to love had learned to love me back. Thats a great feeling. One other sister. Sister Linares My puerto rican mom wrote in my journal Elder ellis tu robaste nuestros corazones, cuando regreses nuestro hogar es el tuyo (Dad's own attempt at translation here: "You stole our hearts, when you return our home is yours). They are a great family. I feel like they really are part of my family! I cant explain it. They are just like sisters and my aunt and uncle.
Then the less active we have been working with hasn't been to church in 25 years. She got baptized and went to church for a little while then stopped. She came to church this week. I almost started crying. SO HAPPY! The best part is there were 3 or 4 members that she knew. She was surprised and felt welcome with them still there. She talked to me after and said that she felt like she had missed out for a long time and thanked us for coming over and helping her come back. It made me feel so good.
Then today found out David A Bednar is coming to our mission the 23 of January. But he's not coming down to the islands. So today i am going to bring it up in zone leader council tonight, that maybe president can fly the Zone leaders of the islands up to puerto rico for that wonderful experience.
oh that too i am now zone leader of the islands of Bonaire and curacao
I Love you! Have a wonderful day Night week! Tlka to you later.
We kept working and working. New years eve couldn't sleep because it was so loud. Then i got to use a lawn mower for the first time in my mission. My lines weren't very straight at first but towards the end i pick it up again. =) I Love mowing lawns. Then on sunday i got up to bear my testimony and bore my simple heart felt testimony then thanked the members for all they have done and mentioned i was leaving today. as soon as i said that there was an audible sigh. That hasn't happened before...ever. All the other wards were just normal...ok bye... but here they all got up and bore their testimonies about missionary work. One sister said. "The missionaries come and go and have never affected us but these two are the hardest working humblest missioanries we have seen" She finished her testimony and another got up. Then after church they really made it hard. They all wanted to write their address' in my book and it was just a nice experience to see that the members i learned to love had learned to love me back. Thats a great feeling. One other sister. Sister Linares My puerto rican mom wrote in my journal Elder ellis tu robaste nuestros corazones, cuando regreses nuestro hogar es el tuyo (Dad's own attempt at translation here: "You stole our hearts, when you return our home is yours). They are a great family. I feel like they really are part of my family! I cant explain it. They are just like sisters and my aunt and uncle.
Then the less active we have been working with hasn't been to church in 25 years. She got baptized and went to church for a little while then stopped. She came to church this week. I almost started crying. SO HAPPY! The best part is there were 3 or 4 members that she knew. She was surprised and felt welcome with them still there. She talked to me after and said that she felt like she had missed out for a long time and thanked us for coming over and helping her come back. It made me feel so good.
Then today found out David A Bednar is coming to our mission the 23 of January. But he's not coming down to the islands. So today i am going to bring it up in zone leader council tonight, that maybe president can fly the Zone leaders of the islands up to puerto rico for that wonderful experience.
oh that too i am now zone leader of the islands of Bonaire and curacao
I Love you! Have a wonderful day Night week! Tlka to you later.
December 28, 2009
Hello family!
I dont have a whole lot to say. Just that i am most likely going to ARUBA again! president came to our ward yesterday and i asked him what he is doing and he said he wants me to be a District leader in ARUBA. SO i may be going there. There is still a week and now president said that three missionaries wont be coming from the MTC becuase of visa problems. So things may change.
But yeah sorry i don't have a whole lot more to say. after christmas we visited more people and ate a whole ton more as well! Now the fridge is full of Candy and Overfilled with Food.
THANKS FOR ALL THAT WAS SENT TO ME THIS CHRISTMAS! I love the Ties books sax playin dogs candy toothbrush and All!
I dont have a whole lot to say. Just that i am most likely going to ARUBA again! president came to our ward yesterday and i asked him what he is doing and he said he wants me to be a District leader in ARUBA. SO i may be going there. There is still a week and now president said that three missionaries wont be coming from the MTC becuase of visa problems. So things may change.
But yeah sorry i don't have a whole lot more to say. after christmas we visited more people and ate a whole ton more as well! Now the fridge is full of Candy and Overfilled with Food.
THANKS FOR ALL THAT WAS SENT TO ME THIS CHRISTMAS! I love the Ties books sax playin dogs candy toothbrush and All!
December 21, 2009
So this week hmmmm
This week was good, We had a few days where we went and talked and just out of the blue got 4 or 5 lessons. The Arce Family seemed very excited to come to the ward activity for christmas. Then... the same sisters from before kicked them out of the kitchen, they got offended by that and left without saying a word to us. As they left another member asked what was wrong and he told them that he got kicked out so he didn't want to be there anymore. we didn't know this till sunday afternoon after we noticed that He didn't come to church.
These sisters also the same day offended a member whos son went in to go ask for a hamburger and they said no he had already eaten and they left as well, and they didn't come to church either. There are a few sisters that really just dont have patience nor treat situations with much tact. We are going to speak with the bishop about it but so far nothing has changed. It is the same as it was when we got here.
But other than that we are trying hard to get our goals. This week we had interviews with president martineau and it was great! just being able to talk to him about the work. I wonder if NEPHI had PPI's with his dad... i imagine so. That would be kind of neat to listen in on one of those. This week we also found a way cool cuban guy and he told us so much about cuba that i didn't know! I had no idea how bad it was! It is pretty much Communist. I will tell you more when i call you. Woohoo! i get to call you. Well i will call in the evening for me on christmas eve. At about 9 oclock here. which is about 5 ocklock there. or maybe even a little later. THATS CHRISTMAS EVE. Christmas day Probably in the evening as well. Like 7 here which would be 3 there. i think. We dont have daylight savings time here so i am way confused. But yeah i believe it is four hours in the winter and 3 in the summer but i am not sure.
Also i apologize i didn't send much. i will probably send some puerto rican candy again for Dia De Los Reyes Magos (puerto Rico's Second Christmas) which is the 6th of January. Day of the wise men...
This week as well i made good friends with some security dogs. They are there to protect all these things and they make a lot of noise but they love me! I walked by and petted and they loved me. All but two licked me and wagged their tails. Two just kept barking but never bit me.
We walked a lot and this week we are going to be walking a lot more. We're out of miles. =) so yeah we will be having fun. Contacting more which is good.
President talked to me this morning about the islands. i think im going back now. WOohoo! Letters every three weeks again! Yeah!
Well Talk to you soon!
This week was good, We had a few days where we went and talked and just out of the blue got 4 or 5 lessons. The Arce Family seemed very excited to come to the ward activity for christmas. Then... the same sisters from before kicked them out of the kitchen, they got offended by that and left without saying a word to us. As they left another member asked what was wrong and he told them that he got kicked out so he didn't want to be there anymore. we didn't know this till sunday afternoon after we noticed that He didn't come to church.
These sisters also the same day offended a member whos son went in to go ask for a hamburger and they said no he had already eaten and they left as well, and they didn't come to church either. There are a few sisters that really just dont have patience nor treat situations with much tact. We are going to speak with the bishop about it but so far nothing has changed. It is the same as it was when we got here.
But other than that we are trying hard to get our goals. This week we had interviews with president martineau and it was great! just being able to talk to him about the work. I wonder if NEPHI had PPI's with his dad... i imagine so. That would be kind of neat to listen in on one of those. This week we also found a way cool cuban guy and he told us so much about cuba that i didn't know! I had no idea how bad it was! It is pretty much Communist. I will tell you more when i call you. Woohoo! i get to call you. Well i will call in the evening for me on christmas eve. At about 9 oclock here. which is about 5 ocklock there. or maybe even a little later. THATS CHRISTMAS EVE. Christmas day Probably in the evening as well. Like 7 here which would be 3 there. i think. We dont have daylight savings time here so i am way confused. But yeah i believe it is four hours in the winter and 3 in the summer but i am not sure.
Also i apologize i didn't send much. i will probably send some puerto rican candy again for Dia De Los Reyes Magos (puerto Rico's Second Christmas) which is the 6th of January. Day of the wise men...
This week as well i made good friends with some security dogs. They are there to protect all these things and they make a lot of noise but they love me! I walked by and petted and they loved me. All but two licked me and wagged their tails. Two just kept barking but never bit me.
We walked a lot and this week we are going to be walking a lot more. We're out of miles. =) so yeah we will be having fun. Contacting more which is good.
President talked to me this morning about the islands. i think im going back now. WOohoo! Letters every three weeks again! Yeah!
Well Talk to you soon!
December 14, 2009
This week was great! We didnt get our contacts but we were able to get our hours of finding time. It is definitely a challenge to get them goals. Any extra time we have i feel like we are talking to people. But the funny things is the more and more we talk to people the less people let us into their homes. We are not getting new investigators and spending a whole lot of time dedicated to just talking to people. BUT this week we did have a great experience with the arce family. We went and talked to them about baptism. Asking them if they were ready to make a decision and be baptized. He told us the same thing that he had talked to his pastor and just wanted to stay where he was and continue visiting us. So we asked him a few questions to see what it was that was really stopping him. and we also had a member with us. The member just kind of took over. A little stronger and more brave than we were being. Just said do you want to follow Jesus Christ or not. He asked him. if Jesus Christ was right here and told you to get baptized would you do it. He said of course. Then he asked and do you feel that Joseph Smith was a prophet? he again replied of course. and then he continued to ask if he thought Thomas monson was a prophet. He replied yes. Then he said if Thomas s monson or Joseph smith were here and told you to be baptized would you do it? he replied yes. Then he said well these two young men have been called by thomas monson himself to come here to you to tell you to get baptized. Will you do it? he replied with much hesitation i have already thought about it and just dont know. So we talked a little more and left him with doctrine and covenants 22 to read. He read it and then in church he shared a story in Elders Quorum. We were teaching the young men and didnt hear it but members told us that he said that night after reading what the missionaries had left with him he prayed and then had a dream. he was in a car and asked the chouffer to take him to the True Church of Jesus Christ the chouffer took him directly to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints. He stood up and shared this in church and the members assured him with their testimonies that it was the true church. I am very excited to work with them this week. Super!
We also have several appointments this week with some other members which will be great! a few families that we are trying to make into M&M´s (member Missionaries) (a new goal that president has given us 2 M&M´s a week). Tonight we have one and wednesday we have another with another family and the Senior couple the Vickery´s from boise They are a great couple. We are excited. This week i decided to pass around a lunch appointment sign up in relief society so we can try to make more people M&M´s but only one couple signed up and they feed us each week anyway. it made me kind of sad. =( we will do it again next week and hopefully it will improve.
Thats pretty neat that tommy said that. i never would have imagined i would have been an example. I just worked hard and did what i was taught. It makes me kind of wish i would have done a little better though to deserve the compliment.
I get to talk to my family NEXT WEEK! woohoo! well this week we are having our ward christmas party. I am going to be Santa Clause =) this will be fun! WoohoO!
well yeah! we will talk to you later. I will write you next week and call you on christmas eve to schedule the time on christmas day.
We also have several appointments this week with some other members which will be great! a few families that we are trying to make into M&M´s (member Missionaries) (a new goal that president has given us 2 M&M´s a week). Tonight we have one and wednesday we have another with another family and the Senior couple the Vickery´s from boise They are a great couple. We are excited. This week i decided to pass around a lunch appointment sign up in relief society so we can try to make more people M&M´s but only one couple signed up and they feed us each week anyway. it made me kind of sad. =( we will do it again next week and hopefully it will improve.
Thats pretty neat that tommy said that. i never would have imagined i would have been an example. I just worked hard and did what i was taught. It makes me kind of wish i would have done a little better though to deserve the compliment.
I get to talk to my family NEXT WEEK! woohoo! well this week we are having our ward christmas party. I am going to be Santa Clause =) this will be fun! WoohoO!
well yeah! we will talk to you later. I will write you next week and call you on christmas eve to schedule the time on christmas day.
December 7, 2009
Well this week was good. Although i felt like we were trying to catch up the whole week even to the very end. Which wasn´t bad becuase at the end we had far over our goal of 140 contacts (we got 164). Adding up everything there felt pretty good. WOW We did a whole lot more than i thought we did. This week i would really like to get them normally through our every day activities instead of cita falls through and we just talk to everyone and their dogs. which wasn´t bad but we still could have met with other people throughout the week. This week we had many things set up great we were expecting about 9 people to come to church. a whole family all of a sudden fell sick on sunday morning and another slept in and another´s kids were sick. But a family we weren´t expecting did come. My companion´s family had sent a hymn book to give to them because the last name is the same Arce. and it had it printed on the hymn book. so he gave it to them when they arrived and you should have seen how proudly he carried that hymn book. he asked me. Now when i try to take this out they aren´t going to stop me right? =) made me smile. He left singing the hymn Loor Al Profeta (Praise to the Man) with his children.
I Also loved going to the christmas devotional. I Love Handel´s Messiah and especially when its followed by such a strong speaker. I Loved them all!
This week we also worked a lot with our normal investigators and had some really good lessons with them. We did senor heuvo with Solimari. which is to show baptism by water and baptism by fire. Taking an egg marking him all up. Baptizing him (taking off his shell) and then baptizing him by fire...putting a match in a bottle and putting the egg on top PLOP and its in the bottle (Kingdom of God)
It went great they loved it and the son that has never listened to us before asked when we were coming back.
On sunday we went finding for 3:30 hrs. not a single person let us in. and two or three set up appointments. =) woohoO!
This morning our dueña asked me to fix her computer. Some sister missionary that was there before us supposedly showed her how to use her computer and ever since then it hasn´t worked. So i got on and simply fixed it. She was going to go pay to get it fixed and said they wanted just $50 to look at it. in less than 30 minutes i had it running nice and smooth.
Getting closer and closer to christmas. People get colder and colder this time of year. But i´m glad i can help bring them the warmth of the Gospel. today on our way here a man was on the side of the road we went and got him a dollar of gas and put it in his car and he went away offering us lunch. =) Nice guy.
i lOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
tHANKS for the package.. Camera! I did get grandmas card! wrote her a letter the other day. Love you All!
I Also loved going to the christmas devotional. I Love Handel´s Messiah and especially when its followed by such a strong speaker. I Loved them all!
This week we also worked a lot with our normal investigators and had some really good lessons with them. We did senor heuvo with Solimari. which is to show baptism by water and baptism by fire. Taking an egg marking him all up. Baptizing him (taking off his shell) and then baptizing him by fire...putting a match in a bottle and putting the egg on top PLOP and its in the bottle (Kingdom of God)
It went great they loved it and the son that has never listened to us before asked when we were coming back.
On sunday we went finding for 3:30 hrs. not a single person let us in. and two or three set up appointments. =) woohoO!
This morning our dueña asked me to fix her computer. Some sister missionary that was there before us supposedly showed her how to use her computer and ever since then it hasn´t worked. So i got on and simply fixed it. She was going to go pay to get it fixed and said they wanted just $50 to look at it. in less than 30 minutes i had it running nice and smooth.
Getting closer and closer to christmas. People get colder and colder this time of year. But i´m glad i can help bring them the warmth of the Gospel. today on our way here a man was on the side of the road we went and got him a dollar of gas and put it in his car and he went away offering us lunch. =) Nice guy.
i lOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
tHANKS for the package.. Camera! I did get grandmas card! wrote her a letter the other day. Love you All!
November 30, 2009
So this week.......
We had a lesson with the lady we gave the book of mormon to and she was very interested in the book of mormon and Joseph smith. She had even read to 2nd Nephi in the book of mormon. It was a great lesson one where you just sit back and smile becuase you know they are understanding.
For thanks giving we had one family that invited us over and fed us a ton. Then right after that we went to another family who also gave us a ton. They live further out in the nowheres. so we went and swang on some vines while she was finishing the food. =) We went to eat and It was delicious. My favorite of the day. While she was helping serve us i put a fake cockroach on her plate =) she came back and had the most disgusted look on her face. Then smiled and said "elderes yo debo saber ya que siempre me hacen maldades" =) I honestly continue to love these people. I feel like they are my family! I told my companion that i wish she could be my aunt or something. She told me that next year i can come back and go Black friday shopping with her all over puerto rico. She left at 4 in the morning.
We also ahd a ward activity that was great! We did Create a sundae. it turned out great! The ward mission leader was afraid of letting us run it thinking it wouldn't turn out very good. But it turned out great! We had another little talk with the bishop just to update him on our work and things that are happening.
Then on saturday we had a service project to clean someones yard. She also lives way out in the nowheres. it was super! My companion got sick. Way sick that night. His eyes were blood shot and had a fever. Then i gave him a blessing that night and he woke up perfectly fine.
Then sunday morning we both gave talks. I enjoyed it a lot. I learned a lot preparing and giving the talk. Revelation is great. Being able to use scriptures in ways i had never thought about seem to be coming to me much more lately. What a blessing. I have used the same chapter with many members this week and everytime empphasizing on a different principle of the Gospel. Nephi and his brothers getting the plates.
Good Good Good.
We even got a call from president telling us he heard we gave great talks in sacrament meeting.
We had a lesson with the lady we gave the book of mormon to and she was very interested in the book of mormon and Joseph smith. She had even read to 2nd Nephi in the book of mormon. It was a great lesson one where you just sit back and smile becuase you know they are understanding.
For thanks giving we had one family that invited us over and fed us a ton. Then right after that we went to another family who also gave us a ton. They live further out in the nowheres. so we went and swang on some vines while she was finishing the food. =) We went to eat and It was delicious. My favorite of the day. While she was helping serve us i put a fake cockroach on her plate =) she came back and had the most disgusted look on her face. Then smiled and said "elderes yo debo saber ya que siempre me hacen maldades" =) I honestly continue to love these people. I feel like they are my family! I told my companion that i wish she could be my aunt or something. She told me that next year i can come back and go Black friday shopping with her all over puerto rico. She left at 4 in the morning.
We also ahd a ward activity that was great! We did Create a sundae. it turned out great! The ward mission leader was afraid of letting us run it thinking it wouldn't turn out very good. But it turned out great! We had another little talk with the bishop just to update him on our work and things that are happening.
Then on saturday we had a service project to clean someones yard. She also lives way out in the nowheres. it was super! My companion got sick. Way sick that night. His eyes were blood shot and had a fever. Then i gave him a blessing that night and he woke up perfectly fine.
Then sunday morning we both gave talks. I enjoyed it a lot. I learned a lot preparing and giving the talk. Revelation is great. Being able to use scriptures in ways i had never thought about seem to be coming to me much more lately. What a blessing. I have used the same chapter with many members this week and everytime empphasizing on a different principle of the Gospel. Nephi and his brothers getting the plates.
Good Good Good.
We even got a call from president telling us he heard we gave great talks in sacrament meeting.
November 16, 2009
Hello Family.
So we got our contacts this week! Woohoo! And our hours of finding time. This week we also tried pigs feet. MMMMM not! EWWW. I didn’t like it at all! And Flan de pana pen. Which is a flan made out of a big green fruit called bread fruit. We don`t have it in the states. But it is good. I learned you can pretty much make flan out of anything. Pumpkin cheese breadfruit and there are a few others I have heard of. I am going to learn how to do it. This weekend we also had the opportunity to listen to M Russel Ballard. He was in the DR and spoke to the whole caribe (Spanish for Carribbean) He shared many stories about his leadership and being able to open these islands to missionary work. He mentioned one where he was to choose a stake president and he was so concerned. It was one of his first assignments and he went to do the interviews and interviewed all but 2 people. Hadnt felt anything special with any of them. He got to the end and when he went into the hall to shake the hand of the second to last he said. Where do I know you from. He replied I shook your hand in general conference 3 years ago. He immediately knew he was to be the stake president. He was sustained and called his parents after the meeting on Sunday and said Mom quess what. She replied I already know last night when I was washing dishes I felt the impression you would be stake president. he mentioned she felt that at the same time he extended the call. The he told his father dad guess what I was called…I know to be stake president. his dad replied I already know I had a dream the other night that you were called to the stake president. He told elder Ballard about that and elder ballard returned to utah and spoke with Heber J Grant. And told him what had happened. And he started to chuckle. He asked him what was funny. And Heber Replied it's funny how the lord requires us to be confidential but he goes around telling everyone before it happens. =) funny huh
We had a great lesson with this lady named Mari. She has an eight year old daughter that was quoting scriptures in the bible the whole lesson. We talked about Jesus Christ and she said. Did you know it says in John that god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. And recited many scriptures. It was an amazing lesson and she told us she would pray. As well this week we had many contacts and one the guy stopped me and said tell me something I don’t know so I said ok well did you know that not only in Jerusalem but jesus also preached in… and he cut me off saying there you go again telling me something I have already read in the bible. We walked away.
We are having a few problems with the ward and their attitudes about preach my gospel and missionary work. I really tried being bold with members and trying different things to get references. I HATE KNOCKING DOORS. So president told me to find a more effective method. So we are having a family home evening at the home of the Bishops second counselor this week with one of their neighbors. =) it was great. I am really trying to work harder with the members here. This week we are focusing on getting the bishopric out with us. Its not so easy as they all work.
This week as well we finally had a good coordination meeting where we made some plans and followed up. We also spoke with the bishop about some concerns we have and overall I really just feel like this last week was how missionary work should be. We worked hard. Although we definitely could have worked better we did what we were supposed to and found new more effective ways to do some things.
Next week is Thanksgiving! CRAZY! We are going to the house of a member for thanksgiving. She told us not to plan anything for that day that the old missionaries have always spent the whole day there. But…nope. We will be obedient.
Wish you all a good week and if I remember more of what we did I will write it.
Hailee How are you? How is life how was your sleep over?
There is a family here that has a daughter that is 11 she acts like she is 16 I bet you will seem the same way when I see you again. And I bet I might seem like an old man when I get back. Guess what… I did jello to my companion this week. He said ´´elder what´s your problem why can you not be normal?´´ I just cant. Just not in my power. =) I hope youre enjoying your time as a kid. Before you know it before mom and dad know it youll be in BYUIDAHO with all the rest of your family. And mom and dad are going to move to utah or Idaho so theyre not lonely. =) That’s only 7 years away 7 years ago I was starting middle school and now I am already on my mission AAAHHHH almost done.
Josh! How are you bud! I haven’t heard from you in a while. Whats going on. What do you like to do most in Rexburg?
So we got our contacts this week! Woohoo! And our hours of finding time. This week we also tried pigs feet. MMMMM not! EWWW. I didn’t like it at all! And Flan de pana pen. Which is a flan made out of a big green fruit called bread fruit. We don`t have it in the states. But it is good. I learned you can pretty much make flan out of anything. Pumpkin cheese breadfruit and there are a few others I have heard of. I am going to learn how to do it. This weekend we also had the opportunity to listen to M Russel Ballard. He was in the DR and spoke to the whole caribe (Spanish for Carribbean) He shared many stories about his leadership and being able to open these islands to missionary work. He mentioned one where he was to choose a stake president and he was so concerned. It was one of his first assignments and he went to do the interviews and interviewed all but 2 people. Hadnt felt anything special with any of them. He got to the end and when he went into the hall to shake the hand of the second to last he said. Where do I know you from. He replied I shook your hand in general conference 3 years ago. He immediately knew he was to be the stake president. He was sustained and called his parents after the meeting on Sunday and said Mom quess what. She replied I already know last night when I was washing dishes I felt the impression you would be stake president. he mentioned she felt that at the same time he extended the call. The he told his father dad guess what I was called…I know to be stake president. his dad replied I already know I had a dream the other night that you were called to the stake president. He told elder Ballard about that and elder ballard returned to utah and spoke with Heber J Grant. And told him what had happened. And he started to chuckle. He asked him what was funny. And Heber Replied it's funny how the lord requires us to be confidential but he goes around telling everyone before it happens. =) funny huh
We had a great lesson with this lady named Mari. She has an eight year old daughter that was quoting scriptures in the bible the whole lesson. We talked about Jesus Christ and she said. Did you know it says in John that god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. And recited many scriptures. It was an amazing lesson and she told us she would pray. As well this week we had many contacts and one the guy stopped me and said tell me something I don’t know so I said ok well did you know that not only in Jerusalem but jesus also preached in… and he cut me off saying there you go again telling me something I have already read in the bible. We walked away.
We are having a few problems with the ward and their attitudes about preach my gospel and missionary work. I really tried being bold with members and trying different things to get references. I HATE KNOCKING DOORS. So president told me to find a more effective method. So we are having a family home evening at the home of the Bishops second counselor this week with one of their neighbors. =) it was great. I am really trying to work harder with the members here. This week we are focusing on getting the bishopric out with us. Its not so easy as they all work.
This week as well we finally had a good coordination meeting where we made some plans and followed up. We also spoke with the bishop about some concerns we have and overall I really just feel like this last week was how missionary work should be. We worked hard. Although we definitely could have worked better we did what we were supposed to and found new more effective ways to do some things.
Next week is Thanksgiving! CRAZY! We are going to the house of a member for thanksgiving. She told us not to plan anything for that day that the old missionaries have always spent the whole day there. But…nope. We will be obedient.
Wish you all a good week and if I remember more of what we did I will write it.
Hailee How are you? How is life how was your sleep over?
There is a family here that has a daughter that is 11 she acts like she is 16 I bet you will seem the same way when I see you again. And I bet I might seem like an old man when I get back. Guess what… I did jello to my companion this week. He said ´´elder what´s your problem why can you not be normal?´´ I just cant. Just not in my power. =) I hope youre enjoying your time as a kid. Before you know it before mom and dad know it youll be in BYUIDAHO with all the rest of your family. And mom and dad are going to move to utah or Idaho so theyre not lonely. =) That’s only 7 years away 7 years ago I was starting middle school and now I am already on my mission AAAHHHH almost done.
Josh! How are you bud! I haven’t heard from you in a while. Whats going on. What do you like to do most in Rexburg?
November 9, 2009
by small and simple things great things are brought to pass alma 37:6
SO THIS LAST WEEK WE HAD AN AWESOME LESSON WITH MARISOL! we were at her house and the most amazing thing happened. She Prayed! Then we talked about the plan of salvation. THEN! She said Elders please forgive me i am sorry i didn't accept Joseph Smith as a prophet.
(the week before al ensenarle the restoration she asked us how she could believe he was a prophet because he wasn't in the bible)
She said. I really feel like he could be a prophet. I feel like what i read here is the word of God! It was awesome! We also taught her daughter on saturday. She said i am Half and Half. I understand everyting i just dont really understand The spirit world. then she started talking about how her family loves tatoos and piercings. hmmm... But two really good lessons! Woohoo!
So this week We had interviews with presiden't. A lo mejor i will get a copy of our practices we did. he recorded us... =s and made us watch us teaching. He gave us some good complements. They acted hard for us. WHew. But they were things that usually come up. He also told me in my interview that he wanted to split my area its the biggest area in the mission. But he told me that he was going to becuase it has a lot of potential. But then i talked with him today and he said he wants to close it. Wake the members up. That would be my 3rd time closing an area. Woohoo! He also told me he really wants to change the culture of the mission. He dared me to be the one to change it. He said "Elder Ellis... The missionaries aren't working like they should. All it takes is one missionary to start a change. I want you to be that missionary! I want you to start it. Be completely obedient and more than anything i want you to baptize. I want you to have success. Elder Ellis i am making a promise for you. If you fulfill with the Goals we have set. I Promise you that you will baptize. Try the Lord! Be obedient and watch the blessings. Once you do it the whole mission will want to follow."
We have got our contacts since then and will continue to get them. He talked to me about just not letting myself be a person i don't want to be. I want to be a person that has success and as well one that is obedient so i am going to get my contacts to the best of my ability for the rest of my mission. There is no reason not to. I get scared typing it to you becuase what if i don't do it. BUT NO i want to do it. I will do it!
Woohoo! Missionary work is awesome!
We have about 3 great families right now that could really progress here soon.
But yeah i need to get off! Love You!
SO THIS LAST WEEK WE HAD AN AWESOME LESSON WITH MARISOL! we were at her house and the most amazing thing happened. She Prayed! Then we talked about the plan of salvation. THEN! She said Elders please forgive me i am sorry i didn't accept Joseph Smith as a prophet.
(the week before al ensenarle the restoration she asked us how she could believe he was a prophet because he wasn't in the bible)
She said. I really feel like he could be a prophet. I feel like what i read here is the word of God! It was awesome! We also taught her daughter on saturday. She said i am Half and Half. I understand everyting i just dont really understand The spirit world. then she started talking about how her family loves tatoos and piercings. hmmm... But two really good lessons! Woohoo!
So this week We had interviews with presiden't. A lo mejor i will get a copy of our practices we did. he recorded us... =s and made us watch us teaching. He gave us some good complements. They acted hard for us. WHew. But they were things that usually come up. He also told me in my interview that he wanted to split my area its the biggest area in the mission. But he told me that he was going to becuase it has a lot of potential. But then i talked with him today and he said he wants to close it. Wake the members up. That would be my 3rd time closing an area. Woohoo! He also told me he really wants to change the culture of the mission. He dared me to be the one to change it. He said "Elder Ellis... The missionaries aren't working like they should. All it takes is one missionary to start a change. I want you to be that missionary! I want you to start it. Be completely obedient and more than anything i want you to baptize. I want you to have success. Elder Ellis i am making a promise for you. If you fulfill with the Goals we have set. I Promise you that you will baptize. Try the Lord! Be obedient and watch the blessings. Once you do it the whole mission will want to follow."
We have got our contacts since then and will continue to get them. He talked to me about just not letting myself be a person i don't want to be. I want to be a person that has success and as well one that is obedient so i am going to get my contacts to the best of my ability for the rest of my mission. There is no reason not to. I get scared typing it to you becuase what if i don't do it. BUT NO i want to do it. I will do it!
Woohoo! Missionary work is awesome!
We have about 3 great families right now that could really progress here soon.
But yeah i need to get off! Love You!
November 2, 2009
This week was great! we had another run in with a group of Adventists and handled it much better. Instead of argueing i tried to help him realize that everyone thinks their way of interpreting the Bible is correct. He wouldn't agree saying he has the truth and the scriptures prove it. There was a huge difference. Between my purpose and his purpose. Between the way we went about it and the way he went about it. From the moment he started he talked about the ten commandments and how it says that even the smallest commandments are important. showing us that if we worship on a day other than what it says in the Bible we are worshipping the devil. We were trying to help him understand where the book of mormon came from and inviting him to read it. He just immediately shut it down. Saying he wouldn't waste his time reading something written by Joseph Smith. So we just left it at that and walked out. We did waste our time there. but instead of argueing with his points i agreed with most of them becuase they were true. but i also invited him to think of it from a different point of view. we continued talking and since then i have tried to really not waste my time. Asking people to be honest with us and tell us if they would like to hear or not.
Aside from that we had a great opportunity this week to see the answers of our heavenly father. We had service planned and received a call to find out that the person we were going to do service for was going to the doctor. We decide to go do our backup service and needed string and gasoline for the weedwacker. We went and on the way it started to pour. We said a prayer asking it to stop. As we walked out of the store the rain was gone. The sky still just as grey but not raining at all. Then as we started to work the clouds all disolved and we were able to serve this Brother. Then we went home cleaned up and started to proselyte and the rains started again.
The Lord answers Prayers!
Last night as well we had a great lesson with a family we found a few weeks ago. We have tried to teach them several times. but they always call and cancel but we finally got to talk to them. We started just talking to them and they asked if we wanted anything to drink he offered coffee and she replied "they don't drink coffee, right?" we agreed and started to talk about the Word of Wisdom. We taught them each part and they agreed completely with it. She said she was listening to the radio and heard that if your body hurts or you have headaches when you stop drinking or eating something it means it isn't good for you. She mentioned when she has tried to quit drinking coffee and now knowing god doesn't want us to do it she has more motivation. She encouraged her husband to read the book of mormon (he doesn't like to read) and then at the end without us saying a think they said they were coming to our church next week! Woohoo! and then they invited us over for Dinner! WoohoO!
No more accidents in cars or with machetes for now but im sure you'll hear more before christmas. Now is when people start to paint their houses. so cutting bushes down and many more service projects. =) no...
This week as well we went to talk with a girl that we had taught a few times. She always has like popcorn questions. Just random and pop out of no where. But we went by and her mom was fingering through the book of mormon we left with her. We decided to invite her to listen as well. She stayed and we taught the restoration. In preach my gospel it tells us the importance of using scriptures. Saying it is VITAL. and that the more we use them the more the spirit can be there and the more comfortable the investigator will feel to ask questions and come to church. So we used many scriptures and she started asking us good questions. then asked us why Joseph smith Never appears in the Bible. we explained that it is really just a test of Humility and Faith. If God were to tell us there would be a Joseph smith to come. Where would our faith be. and How many Fake Joseph Smiths would arise. We need to be humble and Ask him.
She understood and said. "Thats the only way i get by in life. I ask God in everything. I will read and ask him if it is true!" She was very humble and i hope and pray that she has recognized and recieved her answer.
So i give candy to the Kids at church if they can tell me an article of faith or quote another scripture. they all come up trying to tell me the Ten commandments or genesis 1:1 they don't say them right and get frustrated when i ask them where they are. I think this week instead of Candy i am going to give them Article of faith cards. so they can start learning them. =) They really attacked me. 4 kids on jumping on my back another pulling my tie another reaching in my pockets and another kicking my shins. AAAAAAHHHHHHH! Kids and Candy don't Mix!
Here the members think its a big sin celebrating Halloween. and a lady in a contact asked us if we celebrate it. we answered well back home its much different. and she quickly replied "But its a pagan holiday" i didn't know what to say.
What does pagan mean? I looked and never found any scriptures saying we can't celebrate holidays.
That was my week.
Well i am learning a ton. Not perfect by working hard. and today we are going Crabbing! Different way of doing it. but yeah! WOohoO!
Aside from that we had a great opportunity this week to see the answers of our heavenly father. We had service planned and received a call to find out that the person we were going to do service for was going to the doctor. We decide to go do our backup service and needed string and gasoline for the weedwacker. We went and on the way it started to pour. We said a prayer asking it to stop. As we walked out of the store the rain was gone. The sky still just as grey but not raining at all. Then as we started to work the clouds all disolved and we were able to serve this Brother. Then we went home cleaned up and started to proselyte and the rains started again.
The Lord answers Prayers!
Last night as well we had a great lesson with a family we found a few weeks ago. We have tried to teach them several times. but they always call and cancel but we finally got to talk to them. We started just talking to them and they asked if we wanted anything to drink he offered coffee and she replied "they don't drink coffee, right?" we agreed and started to talk about the Word of Wisdom. We taught them each part and they agreed completely with it. She said she was listening to the radio and heard that if your body hurts or you have headaches when you stop drinking or eating something it means it isn't good for you. She mentioned when she has tried to quit drinking coffee and now knowing god doesn't want us to do it she has more motivation. She encouraged her husband to read the book of mormon (he doesn't like to read) and then at the end without us saying a think they said they were coming to our church next week! Woohoo! and then they invited us over for Dinner! WoohoO!
No more accidents in cars or with machetes for now but im sure you'll hear more before christmas. Now is when people start to paint their houses. so cutting bushes down and many more service projects. =) no...
This week as well we went to talk with a girl that we had taught a few times. She always has like popcorn questions. Just random and pop out of no where. But we went by and her mom was fingering through the book of mormon we left with her. We decided to invite her to listen as well. She stayed and we taught the restoration. In preach my gospel it tells us the importance of using scriptures. Saying it is VITAL. and that the more we use them the more the spirit can be there and the more comfortable the investigator will feel to ask questions and come to church. So we used many scriptures and she started asking us good questions. then asked us why Joseph smith Never appears in the Bible. we explained that it is really just a test of Humility and Faith. If God were to tell us there would be a Joseph smith to come. Where would our faith be. and How many Fake Joseph Smiths would arise. We need to be humble and Ask him.
She understood and said. "Thats the only way i get by in life. I ask God in everything. I will read and ask him if it is true!" She was very humble and i hope and pray that she has recognized and recieved her answer.
So i give candy to the Kids at church if they can tell me an article of faith or quote another scripture. they all come up trying to tell me the Ten commandments or genesis 1:1 they don't say them right and get frustrated when i ask them where they are. I think this week instead of Candy i am going to give them Article of faith cards. so they can start learning them. =) They really attacked me. 4 kids on jumping on my back another pulling my tie another reaching in my pockets and another kicking my shins. AAAAAAHHHHHHH! Kids and Candy don't Mix!
Here the members think its a big sin celebrating Halloween. and a lady in a contact asked us if we celebrate it. we answered well back home its much different. and she quickly replied "But its a pagan holiday" i didn't know what to say.
What does pagan mean? I looked and never found any scriptures saying we can't celebrate holidays.
That was my week.
Well i am learning a ton. Not perfect by working hard. and today we are going Crabbing! Different way of doing it. but yeah! WOohoO!
October 27, 2009
This week. hmmm hmmm. So that member talked to us forever. then went to members house and she said i had to tell you about my week. Then last week i really tried to contact more people. I really tried hard this week. i talked to people in all places almost even in the bathroom but then i remembered that man show episode. "Dont worry everyone grows up" and decided it might not be an appropriate place to do it. But i tried to contact people everywhere else. Got in an argument with a testigo...(jehovas witness) i dont want to argue it doesn't help anything at all! The spirit can't be there and they don't want to listen. But i was honest with him and we came to some sort of understanding. I think it should say "What the Jehovas Witnesses really teach, using the bible." I read the same Bible you do but have a completely different understanding of what it means. The only person that can tell me what a scripture really means is God himself, or Through a living prophet as he did in the ancient times. but to think that i would follow someone who doesn't believe in the gifts of the spirit, prophecy and revelation, who has put together scriptures that prove his point of view without claiming it was recieved from inspiration from God but by the studies of man is completely strange to me. I thanked him for his time. I invited him to continue reading the bible and always asking God for the inspiration needed to understand What God really Teaches."
last transfer president told us we needed to be bold and show people what they are doing that is against his word. I guess I took it a little too far.
Then yesterday i asked Elder Viñas in our zone conference how i can avoid situations like that. He said. "Well to start i just want you all to know that you should never argue. Never. Especially not with Jehovahs Witnesses." i never even said anything about Jehovahs witnesses in my question. he continued "They know much much more than you all do about the bible. But they key thing you need is The Gift of Discernment. Pray for it seek it study it. and then you will be able to know when you should end a lesson or contact before it is able to turn to something that shouldn't happen, and can't happen for you to keep the spirit"
By telling you this please don't think i am always argueing with people. That was one experience out of many. But this day i too easily accepted his arguement. I am trying hard to improve.
This week we were in the parking lot of Supermax. a grocery store, and we were contacting people. I started talking to a girl about 25 years old. Then from inside the car her mom stated. "We are from such and such a church and we believe We have the holy Ghost and don't need a prophet." So i said "ok so would you be willing to hear our message and let the Holy Ghost tell you whether it is true or not?"
She replied and talked and talked and talked about how we needed to get off the path we were on becAUse God has more for us. becAUse God has so much more and if we would just listen to the holy ghost we could recieve beautiful visions and experiences from God. so i replied "ma'am i came here becAUse i recieved a confirmation of the holy ghost that what i was doing was right and was what god wanted me to do" she quickly said "But you need to come to my church. Just walking into the doors you will feel his holy spirit consume you and will be able to know he has more." she then invited me to pray and ask God where i should go. To read her church program and then ask God if i should go. I acceted her offer and then Continued to contact. an example of what i try to do normally when i recieve opposition to our church. (i did pray... dont worry i'm not coming home anytime soon...)
as we contacted some other people in the same parking lot there was a woman that called us over to her car from the other side of the parking lot. i finished talking to the people we were talking to as my companion went over to her. She said she had received the missionaries before and her sister is the seminary teacher for our ward. We set up a time to call her and pass by and we're pretty excited.
As well we started teaching a woman named ruby. She is the one that doesnt have a whole lot of knowledge of the bible and just wants to follow God. So we taught her yesterday about the apostasy and she understood all of it! we were excited. Her son came in she explained it all to him perfectly. It was a great confirmation of our clarity in teaching. We are always striving for clarity and understanding. There are a few things that impede that here. they like to talk (puerto ricans) and there is always music in the background. ALWAYS! No matter where you are there is someone with a Car or scooter or anything you can put speakers on blasting LOUD! ALWAYS! So it was great that she understood.
That was my week. Trying hard to contact and teach.
last transfer president told us we needed to be bold and show people what they are doing that is against his word. I guess I took it a little too far.
Then yesterday i asked Elder Viñas in our zone conference how i can avoid situations like that. He said. "Well to start i just want you all to know that you should never argue. Never. Especially not with Jehovahs Witnesses." i never even said anything about Jehovahs witnesses in my question. he continued "They know much much more than you all do about the bible. But they key thing you need is The Gift of Discernment. Pray for it seek it study it. and then you will be able to know when you should end a lesson or contact before it is able to turn to something that shouldn't happen, and can't happen for you to keep the spirit"
By telling you this please don't think i am always argueing with people. That was one experience out of many. But this day i too easily accepted his arguement. I am trying hard to improve.
This week we were in the parking lot of Supermax. a grocery store, and we were contacting people. I started talking to a girl about 25 years old. Then from inside the car her mom stated. "We are from such and such a church and we believe We have the holy Ghost and don't need a prophet." So i said "ok so would you be willing to hear our message and let the Holy Ghost tell you whether it is true or not?"
She replied and talked and talked and talked about how we needed to get off the path we were on becAUse God has more for us. becAUse God has so much more and if we would just listen to the holy ghost we could recieve beautiful visions and experiences from God. so i replied "ma'am i came here becAUse i recieved a confirmation of the holy ghost that what i was doing was right and was what god wanted me to do" she quickly said "But you need to come to my church. Just walking into the doors you will feel his holy spirit consume you and will be able to know he has more." she then invited me to pray and ask God where i should go. To read her church program and then ask God if i should go. I acceted her offer and then Continued to contact. an example of what i try to do normally when i recieve opposition to our church. (i did pray... dont worry i'm not coming home anytime soon...)
as we contacted some other people in the same parking lot there was a woman that called us over to her car from the other side of the parking lot. i finished talking to the people we were talking to as my companion went over to her. She said she had received the missionaries before and her sister is the seminary teacher for our ward. We set up a time to call her and pass by and we're pretty excited.
As well we started teaching a woman named ruby. She is the one that doesnt have a whole lot of knowledge of the bible and just wants to follow God. So we taught her yesterday about the apostasy and she understood all of it! we were excited. Her son came in she explained it all to him perfectly. It was a great confirmation of our clarity in teaching. We are always striving for clarity and understanding. There are a few things that impede that here. they like to talk (puerto ricans) and there is always music in the background. ALWAYS! No matter where you are there is someone with a Car or scooter or anything you can put speakers on blasting LOUD! ALWAYS! So it was great that she understood.
That was my week. Trying hard to contact and teach.
October 19, 2009
So Just so you know what happened. Today when I was in the library i was talking to that man and we weren't able to do The email. He talked and Talked and Talked. Then the man at the front of the library logged off my computer becuase i was over an hour. So i was talking to a member and she told me to write you becuase she knows how parents are when they don't hear from their kids. So i am writing a quick note to tell you what happened that i love you and will write you a handwritten letter tonight and send it to you tomorrow morning on the way to district meeting. But yeah Thats what happened and Next week we are not going to that library to do email. That guy stops us every week and i really didn't like how they kicked me off. I didn't even get to write president. He was talking to me and my email kicked me out becuase it took too much time. But yeah! I will write more about my week in a handwritten letter tonight. I Love You! Congratulations Mom and Dad. What a pleasure to know my parents can work through their differences long enough to stay together for more than the world average of 4. I Love You! i wanted mom to read an article that i loved in the ensign. in September the article from Deiter F Uchtdorf. he quoted David O Mckay. I LOVE THAT QUOTE BY DAVID O MCKAY!
"Pues adios, pues adios"
"Pues adios, pues adios"
October 13, 2009
We had interviews with president this week. It was good. It was very good. President told us that he put two clydesdales in an open field so we could start plowing it and...were not doing as he thoguht we would. He kind of chewed us out a little saying that he thought we would have much better results and told us exactly what he wants of us. So we are starting to work. We really started working harder this last week and saw many blessings from it! We started contacting people. Found some old investigators from sister that progressed great but didn't continue and were able to set up appointments with them. It was good. As well we contacted a guy who agreed to let us come by and share with him. So we went and he read all the pamphlet all the definitions and the additional study as well. He was completely prepared to talk about everything and accepted everything we shared. He had no objections and wanted us to come back and share more. It was great! I Loved it!
AS well we are working with a family right now and have tried many times. Many Many Many times to set a baptismal date! They just wouldn't accept. Just kept saying "we will pray and see" so finally we just gave up trying. we just taught them. Then this last week we had a cita with them and had everything planned to share. We got there and for the first time he excitedly told us that he read. So we went over the chapter Alma 32 and asked him what he could do to keep strengthening his Gospel "tree" and explained to him. He turned around and said to his wife. "these guys are smart That is a great example to show with a tree it totally makes sense" Then my companion asked him about baptism. he said you know what. We need to get baptized. we need to keep our trees strong. He chose to be baptized on the 31 of october. =) We were way excited. We still have a few more tings to teach them but they are finally getting somewhere. I was so happy.
This week was good. President really just gave us the wakeup call we needed. and things are turning around.
I wasn't horrible disobedient. But the fact is just wasn't Making my L's look straight like that instead making them a little curved like l that
thats the way president explained it we are trying and will hopefully be seeing the blessings come from being obedient. again i keep all of the big rules no problem. There are tons of things that a missionary just doesn't do. The small ones that don't seem important at times are the ones i have problems with. Going to bed on time. Starting studies on time. (i never sleep in. never have and never will....that one for me is a big one) But things are going to be different this transfer.
AS well we are working with a family right now and have tried many times. Many Many Many times to set a baptismal date! They just wouldn't accept. Just kept saying "we will pray and see" so finally we just gave up trying. we just taught them. Then this last week we had a cita with them and had everything planned to share. We got there and for the first time he excitedly told us that he read. So we went over the chapter Alma 32 and asked him what he could do to keep strengthening his Gospel "tree" and explained to him. He turned around and said to his wife. "these guys are smart That is a great example to show with a tree it totally makes sense" Then my companion asked him about baptism. he said you know what. We need to get baptized. we need to keep our trees strong. He chose to be baptized on the 31 of october. =) We were way excited. We still have a few more tings to teach them but they are finally getting somewhere. I was so happy.
This week was good. President really just gave us the wakeup call we needed. and things are turning around.
I wasn't horrible disobedient. But the fact is just wasn't Making my L's look straight like that instead making them a little curved like l that
thats the way president explained it we are trying and will hopefully be seeing the blessings come from being obedient. again i keep all of the big rules no problem. There are tons of things that a missionary just doesn't do. The small ones that don't seem important at times are the ones i have problems with. Going to bed on time. Starting studies on time. (i never sleep in. never have and never will....that one for me is a big one) But things are going to be different this transfer.
October 5, 2009
It defintiely was a great conference. My third one as a missionary! CRAZY! 1 left. here they broadcast from 12-2 4-6 and 8-10 so we had to just go straight home after the priesthood session. Otherwise we would have gone to wendys. =) i loved it. and i loved watching the videos inbetween. that was neat as well. but yeah we had that tradeoff and then p-day and then conference that not a whole lot really happened. this week we were able to have a great family home evening with a family in our ward. it was awesome we made dinner with them and then washed the gua gua while it was cooking. Their whole fmaily helped us. They are a husbad wife and three kids. Two boys 15 and 14 and then a girl 11 and they all helped us wash the car. we also made the desert for them... better than...almost anything cake. they loved it. She made us what is called pastelon. and its a layer of mashed potatos layer of ground beef layer of more potatos layer of meat and cheese. simple but it was good. Then we shared the story of nephi onthe boat where his brothers tie him up... we had a brick. and all 5 of them had to stand on the brick. its hard to do normally. but we blindfolded on and tied his arms behind his back. The dad. they couldn't do a thing. Then we took it off and read the scripture in 2 nephi 1:21 how lehi blesses them all and tells them to be of one heart and mind. so we tried it again and tried to be more unified and were able to almost do it. the wife kept giving up and didn't want to said it was impossible but the husband was trying to hard. they all learned a lot about unity. it was great! Really made me miss the elder bednar moments of prayer giggling and poking and many other wonderful family home evenings.
Then in conference we were in the english room and there was a woman next to me. She reminding me so much of mom. So much just a warm loving feeling sitting next to her. Just the feeling that whatever happens she is there to help and comfort. I Miss you Mom! You warm heartfilled hugs!
That was my week. Loved conference.
Then in conference we were in the english room and there was a woman next to me. She reminding me so much of mom. So much just a warm loving feeling sitting next to her. Just the feeling that whatever happens she is there to help and comfort. I Miss you Mom! You warm heartfilled hugs!
That was my week. Loved conference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)