Hi

Hello everybody

It was a great week especially with all the sunshine. It seems that people are happier when the sun shines. It does get really hot sometimes but since the car has airco we can't complain.

The week started good with a sweet Family Home Evening at the young single adult center. A lot of people came and even though it was hard to get everybody focused it turned out really well. Clarissa, a recent convert, gave the lesson and it was really good. She is doing so good and is fellowshipping other investigators already. 

On Tuesday we went on X-changes and that went really good. We just saw cool miracles of the right people that were put on our path. 

We set a few more baptismal dates this week with really cool people and saw a lot of success.

On Saturday we had a baptism. Tony is baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. He is so cool and is doing so good.

Sorry but I am out of time we had a fun P-day.

 I love you all. I also went on X-changes in Amsterdam.

Love Elder Ellis

The Lord is Merciful

Hello

It has been such a good week. It is so nice to see people change their lives for the better because of the impact the gospel has on them. I have seen so many wonderful people change their lives. I love it. There is the coolest guy ever who will be baptized this weekend in Rotterdam south at 19.00 on Saturday. He has been doing everything to put his live in order. I love his so much. His name is Tony. He is the man. 

   I want to share a miracle with you. I have really been working on talking to everyone and working hard. Well as the week went on we were not finding any new investigators and I felt as if we are doing something wrong when the calm feeling came to me that we need to just continue working hard and that the Lord will provide Investigators for us. On Saturday we fasted to be able to be more consecrated to the work and have more power. We had a fantastic day but then Elder Benson brought up the same concern that we are not finding anyone. I was able to comfort him and promise that we would see a miracle on Sunday and that if we have faith that the Lord will provide. I really had faith and I exercised it. On Sunday as we come into the church almost late for waiting at the metro for someone who did not come we were welcomed by a brother who told us that there is a guy in the room with all the Priesthood holders and he is not a member. This man has been to our church before in Germany and in Eindhoven a while back and now really wants to learn more and we set up an appointment and shared a lesson and he became a new investigator. Then during sacrament meeting I was pulled out of the chapel to go talk to a single mother and her daughter who were waiting outside in the hallway. The lady's mother is a member in Colombia and she wants to come to church from now on and fill the emptiness that she feels inside of her. So both the lady and her daughter also became new Investigators. The Lord really did provide for us. I am just glad that we gave our best this past week to be worthy of such a blessing and that the Lord trusts us with his precious children. I know that God loves all his children and he will lead them to us as we gain his trust. I love the Lord.

  It is the most rewarding feeling when you feel the spirit working through you and when you can say something and know that the spirit is backing you up. I love this work. I know that my redeemer lives and that we can repent and feel joy through the gospel. I know that his church has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that he leads the church today through the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I can feel the love that the Savior has for all of us and all he wants us to do is come unto him, love him and keep his commandments. He gave his life for us so that we can live. He is the Redeemer of the world. Jesus Christ lives. God is merciful and loves showing mercy to his children. That is a characteristic of God, the very thrill of extending his mercy to us even when we sometimes feel not worthy of it. Let us do our best to become more like him by following our perfect example Jesus Christ. I love him and God. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

I love you all. I miss you and I am thankful for all the prayers and support. 

Love Elder Ellis 

This Last Week

It has been such a good week. 

Oh hi ya'll

On Monday we had an appointment with a lady who is the aunt of a famous soccer player named Seedorf or Zeedorf. It was cool.

On Tuesday I had a couple really cool appointments with people that I will definitely miss from north.

For transfers me and Elder Da Cruz got to make the transfer plans that means we had to figure out where all the missionaries will be going and we arranged it so that the missionaries never have to travel alone which was fun to do but also a lot of work. We then also had to get everyone to there cities after they got to the station in Rotterdam. There are 4 main meeting points for transfers where the Zone Leaders wait and get everyone going. It all went pretty smooth.

I then went to Rotterdam South to my new area. We already had a dinner appointment with some members there and I met my new ward mission leader. I also met this cool family of a single dad with 4 kids 3 of them are girls and they range between the ages 6 to 11 so that is a hand full. 

We had a pretty cool week. We had one appointment with an older man who was very set on the bijbel but was open to learn more about the Book of Mormon. The entire time I tried to answer his concerns and questions till I was humbled by my companion who just stuck to our plan that we had made before going in. From then on we taught the Restoration and testified and the spirit was so strong that I know that he felt it too. The message of the restoration and an invitation to be baptized is what really brings the spirit. I learned my lesson.

We also got a tour of a Mosque or however you say that in English. It was very nice. We also were invited to another church which was nice but I know that the gospel has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.

It was a good experience.

Well the rest of the week was good. Thanks for all the support. I love you all.

It is Queens Day

Hey

Today is queens day so everyone is wearing orange because in the past the royal families name was oranje which means orange in Dutch.

However we started our day off today going to Belgium to go to Brussels cause my comp had to take care of something there. It was so cool especially cause most people there speak french so I understood nothing. We went and checked out some cool tourist sights, and having a car definitely made that easier. We ate a Belgian waffle and a Swedish member ran into us. That was cool especially cause we don´t know her yet we spoke to her as if she was just family.

It was super busy and the city was packed with tourists, a ton of Germans too and a few Austrians.

  So this past week was amazing. The entire zone smashed it, we had just a really good week and we had the most baptisms in a month since President Brubaker has been here in the whole mission of course.

Sunday was such a good day. We had 4 investigators come to church and they really liked it and all the lessons and talks were aimed at investigators and why the gospel is important, which also motivated the members to do Missionary work.

   So there is the coolest girl ever here in Rotterdam who will be baptized on Sunday. The Elders before me started teaching her and I just took over so I only got handed over the awesomeness. She is the man.. I mean the girl. She has made so much progress and its cool to see her make this awesome choice to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. She is only 19.

I am not sure why but the Lord is blessing us tremendously. We need the Lord cause without him it is impossible. I talk all day which I have always done the only difference is that it is with 25ish different people instead of only a few. It is humbling to see how even when you stumble over your words that people feel the spirit when they hear the message of the restored Gospel. I am not that great of a public speaker especially since I hate attention...... :) I love this work so let no one shirk  and put your shoulder to the wheel. I love you all and I gotta go.

Thanks for all the support.

 

Love Elder Ellis

My Mission So Far

Imma write about my mission so far because of popular demand.

 

My Mission has been great!

 

OK so now that you all know, haha jk, butseriously!

When I first got to Zwolle, my first city, I was having a hard time probably cause it was a huge change from my laid back MTC life to the lone and dreary world where people rejected me and my companion. It probably also did not help that I left the MTC feeling like I knew the language perfectly and then realizing on my first Sunday at church that I could not understand the members at all. I remember one guy asked if I needed translation, he asked in dutch, I could not understand him so he repeated slowly and I still could not understand him so he asked me in English and I replied oh its OK, I can almost understand everything, which was a lie.

After a while I got used to it and started having fun. There were always ups and downs but I ended up loving my time in Zwolle. While there we taught some really cool people one later got baptized.

I went to Assen and had a rough start finding people to teach. After a while that picked up too and Bernadette was baptized, I really love my time in Assen so much and I got to spend 7 months in that city. I was still a part of the same district with Zwolle so I ended up being in the same District for over a year, half of my mission. In the District are the Van Komens a senior couple who cared for me very well. I really love them and am so thankful to them. They helped me so much and we have a strong bond.

I also had the opportunity to train my son Elder McDaniel who is the man, I learned so much from him as I did from my other companions as well. I then had to leave all my friends and loved ones in Assen to move to Almere. This city is only about 40 years old and is build on the bottom of the sea, thanks to Dikes. It was really weird going there but it did not take long to love it there as well. I met awesome people and had a blast. It might have been the fact that half of the ward was obsessed with Austria being either of Austrian decent or having served a mission there. So I felt welcomed. Unfortunately I had to leave Almere after only 6 weeks but got to go to Rotterdam to be Zone Leader. That was an awesome change. I have wanted to serve in a big city so bad and now I am with a car which sometimes is a little crazy. I have had so much fun. I have learned so much. One of the biggest things I have learned is that the Lord really is involved in this work. You can work as hard as you want but if you don't draw near to the Lord and seek his council and guidance you will not be able to do the work. I would be lost if the spirit was not my constant companion. I have also learned that if you are obedient that the Lord will bless you. Even if the Mission President asked you to do something that you think is not gonna be that effective, if you do it and obey the Lord will bless you. I love my mission and sad of the thought of going home, luckily I still have like a year or something like that. I know that God loves us and that he sent his son Jesus Christ to redeem us from sin and death. I know that the Gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God as is the Bible. I love the Lord and the Scriptures and I love the people whom I serve. I know these things not because of the proof or worldly evidence but because of the power of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit has testified to me, if any of you do not have this witness ask God for the truth with an open heart and real intent and I promise that he will let you know the truth of all things through the power of the Holy Ghost. I love you all. Thank you for all the support and the love that flows my way. It also flows back.

Much Everlasting Love

                                    Elder Ellis

Spring

Hello

 

It has been so nice except that one day the weather is super nice and the other day its super cold, so the change is sometimes not fun.

We had a nice Easter lunch on P-day with a member girl, the senior missionary couple came and also the Portuguese Elders. It was super fun and delicious.

She invited us for next p-day too to have some burgers. She is super nice.

We have two Chinese members who are here in the Netherlands studying and they are so cool and we meet with them once a week. One of them is going to Salzburg Austria on vacation next week. Cool.

So there is a family who we have dinner with every week and they are so much fun, Family Van Den Herik. They make really good food. Well all the members make really good food so that is good. I can´t complain.

We had a cool Zone Leader Council on Wednesday and my man Elder Davies and Elder Van De Graaff were there so it was a blast.

We had a funeral service of a brother from the ward. It was a very nice service and the talks that were given were very good and comforting. The Brother was such a cool guy and so funny, he always greeted everyone on Sunday so we will miss him. His name is Brother Lutgins.

Saturday was a crazy day, we had four appointments one after the other on the same street so in the time in between we just did some more contacting. It was a cool day.

On Sunday there was a marathon so the whole city was blocked off which made it very difficult to get to places. So that was fun especially in a car. Well That is about the week. I love you all.

Much Love Elder Ellis.

Happy Easter

Hey Happy Easter to everybody.

 

I am so grateful for the atonement and Jesus Christ being willing to make that sacrifice. We had a fantastic Sunday. Church was really good and we got to listen to some really good talks. The spirit was strong all day yesterday. Today we had lunch with a girl from our ward, the Portuguese Elders came and the senior couple Andersons. It was super fun and the food was good.

Oh before I forget, Esmeray was baptized on Saturday, she has been an investigator for a while but honestly now that she is baptized the time does not matter anymore. At her baptism a lot of people came that I knew from Zwolle and Assen. It was cool. At the Easter Concert yesterday I saw some members from Almere.

Elder Pelaquim is super cool he is one of the Portuguese Elders and working in the same city can be super fun at times.

So this past week was not the best in one certain aspect. More than half of our Investigators were impossible to get a hold of because there were phone problems in the whole country. It really stunk cause we lost contact with some people. I hope that we can get in contact with them this week. Well its been a great week. I love you all and I miss you very much.

I have to go, I´ll try saving more time on P-days to write better e-mails.

Much Love Elder Ellis