Changing Your Roots 4-17-17

So to start off, we had 2 exchanges with some Elders in the Zone. On one of our exchanges the Elder I was with and I tried a less-active couple. They let us right in and we just talked with them for a long time. We showed the Easter Initiative. Before we left they gave us 2 things. The first was some German chocolate because the lady was from Germany and recently returned from a trip there. It was delicious! The second thing required that we buy a ton of ice cream. We were given some Carolina Reapers. If you don't know what that is, it is the hottest pepper in the world. So at the end of the night, what did we do? Oh yes, we tried them. We took very small pieces, but as soon as it hit our tongues, our whole mouth was on fire and our saliva was on fire as we swallowed It went all the way down our throats. The ice cream cooled things a little in our mouths, but it didn't take it away, just masked it. Somehow my finger touched a pepper and so when I rubbed my eye, that was not fun at all.

Our second exchange we had a cool experience. We were in the other Elder’s area because they just whitewashed in (which is when two new missionaries come in who don't know anything about the area and it is basically starting from scratch) and they didn't have much of a teaching pool. So we worked their area double to help get some things going. The Elder I was with and I went tracting towards the evening and we knocked on the door of an apartment. They answered and we asked if we could share a message about Jesus. So to me it was almost like the story President Uchtdorf told in the women's session in October, fourth floor, last door. The parents were going to say the usual, "we are good thank you," but a 7 year old girl spoke first and said, “Yes.” So the grandma said we could because the girl had said yes. It was really cool and if they progress, then it will all be because that little girl stepped up first.

I gave a talk in the YSA Branch. Can you guess what on? You got it. Tithing. No I'm kidding, it was definitely the Atonement. I first talked about Satan and the things he does to put us in bondage and related it to how we can only escape if we use the Atonement every day. I had multiple scriptures to go along with it and ended with the survey that I think I have talked about before. It is about the 4 questions asked to temple recommend holders. If I haven't shared that yet then let me know and I will.

We also had Zone Training Meeting and I gave 3 trainings: One to the missionaries with Elder Smith, one by myself to the missionaries, and one to just the District Leaders. All of them went well. The one to the missionaries was pretty good. Elder Smith and I had a really good one on how to begin teaching and we added getting rid of what we call “eternagators” (investigators that investigate, but don't keep commitments or progress, they just sit there) by dropping them for a while or baptizing them. Either help them progress or help them progress by giving them some time on their own. Then there was my training. I spoke about what the title of this email is, changing your roots. I first talked about how we all want good fruit to come forth from our labors and the only way that good fruit will come about is if we have good roots. I spoke on 4 roots that can be found in missionary work. They are the root of Homesickness, Negativity, Work, and Love. The first two I talked about how we need to change it or use it to help us do our best. The second two I said are things we need and are good for us. I ended with the scripture John 15: 16 and how we have been chosen to this work and we should have the hope that we will bring forth good fruit that will remain as long as we start with good roots.

We also had a sweet Easter Sunday. We went to some awesome members and had breakfast for dinner. We then did an Easter Egg Hunt because, why not?

Lastly we had interviews with President Griffin. In the interview we had to teach him about repentance. It was a little different than most interviews, but it was still good. I just want to end with a little writing about repentance. First and foremost, repentance is not supposed to be a fearful, dreadful, scary thing. It is meant to be a joyous experience. There is no better feeling than when you have peace come over you and the guilt of whatever mistake you have made is gone. As our Mission President's son defines it, it is a daily course correction. We need to repent every day or else the Atonement that Christ performed willingly, is not being used by us properly. He is the Prince of Peace and peace only comes when we correct our daily behavior to be more in line with God's will.

I close this email in the name of Him who is our advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Ellison