Hey Mom,
I'm glad you finally got the pictures! Cause trying to send them on the computer just wasn't going to work... I have some more that I took last night on my iPad. Gianni will really appreciate these. I had dinner last night with a member and her son who owns some antique guns. I felt like a kid in a candy shop! Almost all of them are unfired and all of them very unique. One of them is a magnum 500 - when I saw it, all I could think of is when Jim was telling me how he broke his thumb firing one of those bad boys.
Regarding your experience attending your new ward in Tooele, a ward that fails to fellowship is going to struggle. As a missionary, finding fellowshippers for investigators and new converts is pretty essential. I remember last transfer I was talking to an investigator who has attended church several times was talking to me about how no one came up and introduced himself or made him feel welcome. I was so irritated when I was told that. That wasn't a deal breaker for him and he still came to church, but it's so important for people to feel welcome. It's tough to join a new church full of people you don't know so you need to make them feel welcome and wanted.
Well I got awesome news! My papa is coming home! My trainer, Elder Whittingslow, is coming back to the mission in May! I'm so excited. I'm not going to be an orphan anymore! I was so bummed when he went home. He is such a great missionary. I'm really glad he's coming back. But it'll be super weird since he was at nine months out when he left and he can't come back till May, so he'll go home just three months before me, and he came out way before I did.
Well my studies have been getting a little more intensive. I've started reading Jesus the Christ. When I read it I feel really smart but really stupid at the same time. I hardly understand what Talmage is saying in it! When it does make sense, I feel like a champ. I also read this talk the other morning that was given by a mission president in '95 that talks a lot about the second coming. My mind was completely blown afterwards. I'm always looking for more things to study. I really love the institute manuals - there is some really awesome study material in there that I can't get enough of!
Well I've been doing really well. I've had some really good lessons this week. I taught the plan of salvation to our new investigator, D****. She really didn't understand a lot of it, primarily about Adam and Eve, since she's been taught different for so long but she really liked it. And when she prays afterwards it is so sincere. There's just no way she isn't getting baptized. Absolutely no way. We also picked up a new investigator named A***** and we taught her the restoration and answered all her question. She use to be a Jehovah witness but she doesn't like their excommunication process so she doesn't practice anymore. So hopefully we can teach her regularly.
Well I'm being harassed to get off email and play some Frisbee so I got to get going. I'm so psyched that Elder Moore and Elder Hamrick are both on the west coast! I'm so psyched that we all ended up so close together (albeit Elder Hamrick is going to Brazil soon...)
Love,
Elder Hayden Ellis
I'm glad you finally got the pictures! Cause trying to send them on the computer just wasn't going to work... I have some more that I took last night on my iPad. Gianni will really appreciate these. I had dinner last night with a member and her son who owns some antique guns. I felt like a kid in a candy shop! Almost all of them are unfired and all of them very unique. One of them is a magnum 500 - when I saw it, all I could think of is when Jim was telling me how he broke his thumb firing one of those bad boys.
Regarding your experience attending your new ward in Tooele, a ward that fails to fellowship is going to struggle. As a missionary, finding fellowshippers for investigators and new converts is pretty essential. I remember last transfer I was talking to an investigator who has attended church several times was talking to me about how no one came up and introduced himself or made him feel welcome. I was so irritated when I was told that. That wasn't a deal breaker for him and he still came to church, but it's so important for people to feel welcome. It's tough to join a new church full of people you don't know so you need to make them feel welcome and wanted.
Well I got awesome news! My papa is coming home! My trainer, Elder Whittingslow, is coming back to the mission in May! I'm so excited. I'm not going to be an orphan anymore! I was so bummed when he went home. He is such a great missionary. I'm really glad he's coming back. But it'll be super weird since he was at nine months out when he left and he can't come back till May, so he'll go home just three months before me, and he came out way before I did.
Well my studies have been getting a little more intensive. I've started reading Jesus the Christ. When I read it I feel really smart but really stupid at the same time. I hardly understand what Talmage is saying in it! When it does make sense, I feel like a champ. I also read this talk the other morning that was given by a mission president in '95 that talks a lot about the second coming. My mind was completely blown afterwards. I'm always looking for more things to study. I really love the institute manuals - there is some really awesome study material in there that I can't get enough of!
Well I've been doing really well. I've had some really good lessons this week. I taught the plan of salvation to our new investigator, D****. She really didn't understand a lot of it, primarily about Adam and Eve, since she's been taught different for so long but she really liked it. And when she prays afterwards it is so sincere. There's just no way she isn't getting baptized. Absolutely no way. We also picked up a new investigator named A***** and we taught her the restoration and answered all her question. She use to be a Jehovah witness but she doesn't like their excommunication process so she doesn't practice anymore. So hopefully we can teach her regularly.
Well I'm being harassed to get off email and play some Frisbee so I got to get going. I'm so psyched that Elder Moore and Elder Hamrick are both on the west coast! I'm so psyched that we all ended up so close together (albeit Elder Hamrick is going to Brazil soon...)
Love,
Elder Hayden Ellis
Oh, I love that boy!! Sounds like he is doing so well!!
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