Excited for Christmas!

Hey everybody

I am so excited that it's almost Christmas. I have a stack of gifts that I want to open.

Man so on Tuesday I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders or well at least with one of them.

I went with Elder Hawkley who is a Marine, so I bet you all know what we talked about. If you were thinking that we talked about the military than you are all wrong, we are on missions so we talked about the Gospel the whole time. (and also a little about the Marines)

I got to do two more baptismal interviews with a 10 and an 11 year old. It was very cool and fun I mean like serious but special... I will just leave it at that. Also I ate so much at the dinner appointment we had, the Dutch people always say "Alles moet op" which means everything has to go or be eaten. I have no problem with that since my motto is eat till there is nothing left.

Oh I also got the `Your from Australia`thing said to me which is weird cause I am actually starting to speak with an Australian accent.

On Wednesday we had a very good Zone Training which Sister Brubaker read us a Christmas story. It was so cool. I also got to see a lot of my buddies and we just had a blast.

On Thursday we had a very good day with Aswin and had a couple really good appointments.

On Friday we went on more exchanges and that was fun too. I was with Elder Leash and we got along great.

I love you all. Elder Ellis

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Hello

Wow my buddy Cabel is coming home this week that means I only have like a little more than 10 months left. What?

Time is going by way to fast. I am loving my mission so much. I am learning so much. I love the Gospel and am so thankful for Jesus Christ. We taught a member lesson this week and we talked about the Plan of Salvation. It really made me feel the need of a saviour, Eben Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for him and will serve him all my life.

Monday we celebrated St Nikkolaas. First we ate with some members and then we went to some other members and and got presents from them and hung out a little it was sweet.

On Tuesday I prepared my District meeting in the morning before we left since I did not get what I needed to talk about till the day before in the e-mail. The meeting went really good and after we went on X-changes. I went back to Assen with Elder Hyer and Elder McDaniel went to Heerenveen with Elder Pelaquim. We had two of the best member present lessons ever. it was so sweet. Super positive. After we got out I told Elder Hyer,"Watch how I can get a dinner appointment" SO I then said out loud, "Elder Hyer what are we eating for dinner". The member then called his wife and asked if we wanted to eat with them and we were like "well.... I guess we can. It was a good day. My time is up . i ended up getting sick and I am still getting over it. I love you all and miss you, We also had a really good Christmas Dinner party. It was awesome.

Love Elder Ellis

December!!!!!! Its the most wonderful time of the year

Hello

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Jack frost nipping at your nose.

I am so excited for Christmas. I am listening to Motab Christmas edition all the time and its awesome. There is nothing better than Motab to a missionaries ears besides maybe Alex Boye' or Paul Cardell on the piano. I love the Christmas music and did not start listening to it till December 1st. I can feel that Christmas is in the air, even though thinking of Christmas makes me think of Family (and I do get trunky occasionally) I am very glad and happy to be here in Tha Netherlands on my Mission. The members here are spoiling us and giving us candy, chocolate, and what not left and right. Today is St Nikolaas which is a white bearded man with a red outfit like Santa on a white horse. We have two dinner appointments but the later is more like Hot Chocolate appointment which will be Sweeeettett. 

I am so stoked about what is going on in the Mission, there are miracles everywhere. We had a lady come to church who we met on the street. I think that that was the first time that someone came to church when we invited them without being an investigator. She is now investigating. It was such an awesome Sunday. Testimony meeting was so powerful and spiritual.  I love the members and get to stay here in Assen for the most wonderful time of the year.

This last Tuesday we had a zone p-day and me and Elder Sanchez (the other District Leader) taught District meeting together to both Districts and we then ate Lunch and had our Turkey Bowl. It was so much fun to play American Football, Soccer , and ultimate Frisbee. It was a blast. When we played American Football we got weird looks from people because its not that common in Europe.

I also bought an Arabic Soda at a middle eastern store. Yeah and Fudge Bars, the dates reminded me of all the stories I have of messing with palm trees and working with them and what not. All those times I had to work on the needle pricking trees. Now I look back and miss those times. I remember one time the drippers for one of the trees was broken so it just sprayed out into the ground and after some time created a deep hole which Brandon with his skinny body back then in those days climbed inside and was almost completely under the ground, funny what parents don't know. Anyways I have to go.

I love you all. and miss you

Love Elder Ellis

 

Merry Christmas even though I will write again next week and the week after that before Christmas so .

Time is Flying By

Well

Its been another great week and I can't believe that I am on my 9th transfer out of 16. Its crazy how fast time goes by.

This past week we have been working really hard just to reach our goals that we set. On Tuesday we had a good District Meeting and am finally feeling like that I'm getting the hang of being a District leader. I mean its been going good ever since I started. After the Meeting the wonderful Van Komens made us a Thanksgiving Dinner for Lunch. It was so delicious. Their son and daughter in law are visiting who have the cutest little girl ever. It was so much fun to sit in the same District that I have been in my entire mission except that I am the only one. The rest have all moved in recently and are new to the District. Soon I will have been in the same District for a year. Aswin came to the Thanksgiving Lunch and then worked with us the rest of the day. Now that is commitment. He is so awesome.

It has been extremely foggy lately except today it is sunny and nice outside. But when it is foggy you can barely see anything. You will be biking and out of no where someone is coming at you on a bike or a car. We are very cautious. (For those who worry)

Wednesday we just had so much success. It seemed so many people were open. Number wise we did really good but whats important is that people are coming unto Christ. At night on our way home we did not know what else to do so we prayed for guidance. So a little later as we bike home I felt that we need to look someone up. It is an older couple who are so nice and have treated the missionaries with so much love and care for years. When we got there we noticed a red light blinking at their neighbours house. The old man walked with us around the house to see if anything happened but it was fine so we turned off the alarm. We still don't know why we had to look them up but we spent the rest of the evening with them drinking hot chocolate.

On Thursday was another amazing day with just talking to one after another. Teaching lessons right and left. We made a lot of appointments.

On Friday we had such a busy day. We had 7 appointment of which 4 did not go through. We still had a good day though.

On Saturday morning we went to this part of Assen where there was supposed to be some kind of seminar about spirituality. We could not find it so we just knocked some doors. We started talking to a man who after 15 minutes let us in. We had a very good time with him and his wife and talked about very cool and Spiritual things. So we did get to go to a seminar except for we were the teachers. No but seriously we all had our part.

Sunday was also a very good day. After church we had a Lunch with the members which is always super fun. I am getting to used to Assen I mean I feel like I am at home. I am also getting really attached to the people here. I love Assen. We then went to eat at a members house with a couple other members coming along. It was fun and I was so full for the rest of the day.

I want to say one more thing, there are people who are incredibly rude where I really, now I mean really have to hold my self back from saying something back to them, something Christ would probably not say. Some people really do not have manners. They only cause themselves more stress and anger. So that's it.

I love you all and I hope that all is going well.

Love Elder Ellis

Hello, Hallo

Hey

It is now Monday and I received no call last night and this morning my Zone Leaders called me to tell me that there will be no changes in our District except that we are getting an extra Elder up in Groningen in a 3 some. I am still the District Leader and staying in Assen with Elder McDaniel. I am moving to my 5th transfer in Assen, that's a very long time. Well I am excited to stay since I actually felt that there was something else that I needed to do here. I just don't know what yet. We'll see.

To answer peoples question, Yes the Baptism went through. Saturday was such an awesome day. Yeah!!!

It was very spiritual, well the second half of the day. There were 3 baptisms in Groningen and we went to all three. Yeah!!! Baptisms!!!!

The first one was really cool and there were a lot of people and like half of them were non members. I talked to a lot of them. Talking to People.... Yeah! The second baptism was very special because it was an older lady who received all the lessons in a care home and came for the baptism to church. I was a able to be a witness. Then finally the last one of the night was Bernadette.

It was so cool to see someone I found or refound, retaught everything and watched her get baptized. Aswin baptised her and Elder McDaniel and I were the witnesses. I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost and I cried a couple times especially since the talk was directed at Bernadette and everytime I looked at her I saw her crying. I felt the spirit so strong that night. I know that the church is true and that it has been restored through a prophet of God. I know that Jesus lives and that he is leading his church today.

The next day at church she was confirmed and I felt so much joy and was so happy that I can not describe it in words. Also one of the investigators we have came to both the baptism and church. She now also wants to be baptized. The Spirit of God like a fire is burning.

The whole week was good. We also had Zone Training which went very well. Aswin came too and he really liked it. The Loorbach family is so cool and really support Missionary work. They are a blessing. I am excited to stay longer in Assen but its also gonna be harder to leave. Well my time is up. I hope that all is going well for you.

I love you all.

Love Elder Ellis

What is Time?

Hello

 

I have had another week go by on my mission. Time is past and today is a new Monday. Tomorrow will be Tuesday. I have the opportunity to wake up every new day and recommit to my Mission and my life as a worthy Priesthood holder of God. I try my best everyday but yet I find myself sometimes not doing my best. I realize it and than do my best. I may have learned a lot the last year or even my life but I can have a day that goes against all what I have learned just as fast as I can snap my fingers. I have had days on my mission that I am not very proud of (I did not do anything that would get me sent home), like sleeping in, being lazy and not caring about the time or stuff like that. These choices really affect the missionary work. However I find myself starting over and over again doing my best. In Alma it says that this life is the time to prepare to meet god. We do have to endure to the end, but that is very hard to do. I have found on my mission that there are three essential things for a ongoing conversion. We as missionaries call it THE BIG 3. Pray Always, Scripture Study and Church Attendance (Keeping the Sabbath day holy). Everyday that I wake up and the first thing I do is kneel and pray, have a really good personal Scripture study, things seem to run smoothly throughout the day. I can feel the guiding Gift of the Holy Ghost. When I attend church on Sundays I feel uplifted and serve others and feel Gods love. These are the things that help me be a good missionary. There are many other things that we work on to improve our lives but these three things are what keep the fire of our Testimony alive. I love my Mission. I may be in an Area which by some people is considered a bad area or a hard place to serve, but when I think about it, it really does not matter where I serve my God. He is with me and that's all that matters. I have felt the Atonement in my life and have seen it take effect in the lives of others.

So last Monday we did not have a real P-day. We had it on Tuesday instead with our whole District. We went to a Museum in Leeuwarden about the Resistance in World War 2. It was very interesting and fun to be with our District. Aswin also went mee. He is tha man. One with dedicated service. One I have seen grow so much. It reminds me of Elder Shields who was such a big influence in my life and a missionary who played a big part in my decision to go on a mission. I can not even imagine that I could take that kind of place even a little. I am just me, but now Elder Ellis. I love all the Members here in Assen and will have a hard time leaving this area if I do. Transfers are next week and I don´t know what will happen.

I was on X/changes with Elder Kunz and that was fun. I also went to District Leader Council with Elder Sanchez which was also cool. We had a sweet District Leader Council. On the train ride back we taught a young girl a little about the Restoration and about God and Jesus Christ. We sat in a silence section. Across from her was a man who kept looking at us so I thought he was mad at us for talking. The girl said `I believe that there is something out there but just don´t know what and who Jesus really is` all of a sudden the Man starts testifying about how our Heavenly Father lives and that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and that it will change her life if she believes. HE bore a very powerful testimony and he sounded like a member but I am sure he was not. He then just left. Best Joint Teach ever. I thought that he was either John the Beloved or just an Angel. Even just a normal Christian who acted as an angel. God works miracles. Church was awesome just one good thing after another. Bernadette is all good to go and will be baptized on Saturday. She means so much to me and I am so happy that she is being Baptized. I love you all and I know that this restored Gospel is true.

 

Love Elder Ellis

Hallo goede dag!

Well it has been another week and I am amazed how fast time is going by. I cannot believe that Christmas is coming up. I am so excited to talk to people about the Birth of Christ (yes I know that he was not actually born in December) but it is a good time to celebrate his birth. I am so glad that I am here on my mission because I am learning so much. I love the Lord and his gospel. We can be so happy that the Gospel has been restored. Now, what does that actually mean to me? Well when I think about what I want my future family to look like the only way I can imagine it is with the Gospel principle as the foundation of my home. I see so many families in Assen and all over the Netherlands and I just really want to share with them what it means. The Gospel blesses lives. My new Companion Elder McDaniel is a convert to the church and it has blessed his life so much. I am so honored to be able to train him. I love him already. He is such a good guy. All the members that I have met are amazing and good examples of followers of Christ. I love the members all over the world. There was a lady visiting from Honduras or something like that. She spoke no Dutch nor English and I spoke no Spanish but she was a member and I just felt as if I knew her. Such a sweet lady. I am also so happy to see the way people change their lives once they start feeling that the Gospel is true. My life is changing and I can't imagine what my life would be like if I was not on a mission. We went on joint-teach with this family last week and the daughter is preparing to go on a mission. It was a very good experience for all of us. We also had interviews this last week and it was good to talk to the president and his wife. I went on x-changes with an Elder from Brazil. He is also such a good missionary like all the others in this mission. We had fun. We had a really good Sunday and great testimonies and we went to Family Loorbach for dinner and had a great time, We now share a very spiritual experience and I feel at home when I am there. I also act like I am at home. I maybe need to not tell them to serve me like I did yesterday. It was good though and they are just so awesome. I am blessed to have so many friends and family who are on missions or preparing to go, I also should not forget those who already went. I said the word I a lot so now I want to say I love YOU all. You are the motivation, you are the strength, you are the support and you are loved by our Heavenly Father. Thank you all.

I love you all

Love Elder Ellis