Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Well Done 10-17-16

So it was the start of our new transfer.  I am still here in Chattanooga and still serving with and training Elder Thomas.  So far we are still getting 80 degree weather which is super nice because who likes the cold?  Not me.  We had a pretty good week. 

Monday we went up to Hixson for our last District P-day.  On the way up there we stopped by a less-actives home and gave a blessing to his non-member wife.  Later we played some beach volleyball.  That was super fun.  We also played tag on the playground.  We still aren't too old or too big for that - haha. 

Tuesday we saw Olivia and Rebecca.  We read out of the Book of Mormon with them and helped them understand the story and what was going on.  Later we went and worked up in the North Shore area across the river.  We met a really nice lady.  She firmly believes that we were an answer to her prayers and that us showing up on her door right then was God’s way of telling her that this is the path she needs to take.  Her name is Leslie and she is the wife of an investigator we have only seen a couple times.

Wednesday we went to a less-active’s home to help her assess some damage to her house and see what needs to be done.  We later tried to contact some people in our area book.  We met with John and Adina.  We read a chapter out of the Book of Mormon with them.  They are friends of some members.  After the lesson, the members took us to eat.  After we got our fill of pulled pork sandwiches, we went to contact a referral.  This lady’s name is Pam and she is really nice.  We dropped off a Bible for her that she had requested and within a couple minutes of talking to us, she opened up and just started to cry.  We read a couple scriptures that could help comfort her in her situation and she asked us when we could come back.  We were to go back Saturday morning, but she wasn't feeling well.  We will reschedule.  That evening we met with Zack.  We went over the Gospel of Jesus Christ lesson.  It was kind of a review for him.  He is going out to Logan, Utah for Fall Break to visit a friend.   We looked at the weather and it is supposed to be rainy and cold almost the whole time.  We wished him good luck.

Thursday we met with Rebecca and Olivia again and went over baptism and confirmation of the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We talked about where they were at and in the end, we asked them to pray about a date they can be baptized on.  We won't get to meet with them until Friday because it is Fall Break this week.  We came back and did some weekly planning.  That night we had a good lesson with Venita.  Our Branch Mission Leader, Bro Smith, came with us and we reviewed the Restoration.  She had some good questions and we were able to answer and clarify them.  She has some things that she will need to work out over time, but she seems like she will move forward in the gospel.

Friday we had District Meeting and we got to meet the new people in our District.  Two of the areas got whitewashed.  That means that they took both missionaries in those areas and replaced them with two new ones.  In our District, I am the second oldest in terms of being out the longest.  That is so weird to me.  After District Meeting, we went over to the Rossville area and met with a guy named Gerald.  He is a super nice guy.  Right now he is only curious about what we believe, but we are hoping that he feels the Spirit and his desires change.

Saturday we met with Yetta again.  We went over the Restoration with her.  We left her with the commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  She is such a wonderful lady and it is really sad to see her in the condition she is.  Just try and imagine only skin and bones and that is what she looks like.  She can't weigh more than 80 lbs.  That night, the branch put on a fish fry.  We had a pretty good turn out and we had two investigators come.  It was at a park and there was a bunch of things to climb on at the playground and so I was over there doing a little American Ninja Warrior training.  Felt good to do something like that again. 

Sunday was an OK day.  Great that we had church, but we didn't have anyone that we are teaching come to church.  Fall Break was the excuse for the YSA, but not sure about the others.  A little disappointing but that is OK.  That is just how it goes sometimes.

So I would like to share a scripture with you guys.  It's 2 Timothy 4: 5-7, "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.  6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"

This scripture is pretty famous and one of the last things the Apostle Paul wrote.  This can also apply to us though.  We all are part of the ministry to teach others about Jesus Christ.  The two main keys are to endure to the end through everything we face and to be diligent and continue to work hard.  If we can do these things, we will be blessed and be able to say like Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."  We will have worked hard, endured to the end through all our hardships, stayed strong in our beliefs, and shared them with others.  If we can do this throughout our lives and missions, and make it to the "end", then we will be able to hear and feel the words from our loving Heavenly Father, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."  Oh how glorious it will be to hear such praise from our God.  We can then know that our efforts were enough, they were cherished, and that we were able to show God how much we loved Him by feeding His sheep.  I leave these things with you in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.


Elder Ellison

Shoe Insoles Completely Destroyed - Evidence of Hard Work

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