12/19/2016

The past two weeks what even happened?? well last week we only had 30 minutes to email so i didnt have time for everyone im sorry plus the computer was really slow so that wasnt fun lol.

but guess what! its christmas this week! that doesnt really change anything out here other than all our investigators are out of town :). Weve had a good two weeks of working out. but itas okay i needed the excersise people like to feed us around this time and theri food is heavy heavy heavy.

Ghana is great the language is hard and the streets are crazy sometimes you get a lady who punches you but overall its still a great counry.

i think the best way i can describe ghana is by using star wars. Ghana is Tatooine. There are places in the world like naboo and then there is Tatooine hot and dusty. some places are like endor but where im at its Tatooine theres a big city where everyone goes and then little villages outide but all of them are hot and dusty. Im a nerd but man IM IN TATOOINE! Its fun here a lot of times im just tired but i find joy in little thins as you can see.

last sunday i read an amazing talk titled ''Built upon the Rock by Elder Orson F. Whitney. Please read it its amazing. It says how the only difference really between us and all the other churches is we are led my modern day revelation just hoe they were in the Book of Mormon and the Bible and all other churches are led by things that stop or the traditions of their fathers. all of us worship god (kinda) but we have the living gospel. see its awesome!

this week we have so many parties to go to. tomorrow we have a multi zone thing then Wednesday we have district meeting and Friday is a stake fun-day and Saturday is a multi stake fun day so we really only have Thursday to fully go out :( but we can invite all our investigators to fun activities and Ghanaians love to party so that is good!

They have a Temple lighting every year. Unfortunately we weren’t able to go and I was really sad, but it’s all about patience and we can go on Monday to basketball at the Temple. Plus there’s always next year. This is a full size nativity as you can see. (it is on a table), but still!

Okay, so these are peanut butter edition! They weren't very good but still something you just have to buy. They also had strawberry cheesecake that we bought! Totally worth the 12 cedis (3 dollars) for both.

This is a type of Merry Christmas song in Ghana. We can learn it when I get home.

So this is our dart board. I think it’s allowed and I’m only going to use it on Mondays, but I totally got it in the green!

All the spots on the door are the times we (and the missionaries before) missed
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-Elder Ellsworth

12/12/2016

I’m doing fine; I think. This week was the elections here. (HEY why is the American Embassy's flag at half mass!?!?! Did something bad happen???) (we will tell him about John Glenn in our next email) We cleaned a bunch on Thursday because we weren’t allowed to go out. I have so little time I might not get a weekly email in today. We taught a lesson, and then the landlord made food for us without us knowing, so it took forever to eat. It was super nice of them but still I’m already late. It’s not ok, but I needed to let you know I am alive.

Anyway I love you and tell me when to call you for Christmas!

Elder Ellsworth

12/5/2016

I had a tough week with homesickness. We've worked pretty hard in the six weeks I've been here. We've taught a total of 128 lessons but I still feel homesick.

This week our bikes broke like 347230497012347 different times! Really it was only 4, but it takes like 3 hours each time to fix it so it's a drag. The bikes broke right next to a video game cafe and it took all the willpower I had to not go and watch people play Mario Kart 64 (the only reason i know it was Mario Kart 64 was because I'm amazing at listening to the sounds of games :))

We have a lot of awesome investigators and the work is moving forward. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry I couldn't be there, but I don't think you want me to leave Africa lol.

Some blessings that happened this week.
1. we have 2 new investigators that i think will be baptized soon
2. I haven't had any bad flesh wounds yet or thrown up.
3. We got to do service!
4. (the best one) I held a plank for 3 minutes flat.

This week I finished the book of Mormon. I know it's true. if it wasn't I would leave Africa this second. but it is true. It's so good that I am staying here to share it. When I read Moroni 8 1-3 I cried because I thought that it was the exact thing dad would say to me, but even more that it is what Heavenly Father says to all of us.

now for the fun parts :)

(before that... Why in the world don't we sing hymn 41 more often????????? It's like the best song ever!)

copyrights do not apply in Ghana (poor walmart)

This is what happens when you have leather, $40 emergency cash from your dad, and sweat. :) 

After 6 weeks you can see the difference

This is what we call a chocolate covered strawberry. ( it tastes like I could use my money better, but still fun to take a picture of)

I want to be the very best like no one ever wasssssssssssss

To catch them is my real test to train them is my cause POKEMON!!

I just realized... missionary work isn't much different than Pokemon....

(don't go throwing balls at people expecting them to get baptized... you need to get their HP down a bit first :))

Yes I'm a nerd.

Love you all
-Elder Ellsworth

11/28/2016

We had a multi-zone conference and i got t see some of my MTC! and one AP because he likes being in pictures

its so much easier to decorate with magnets :)

Mommy is the best at giving gifts 

We had jell-o, butterscotch pudding, green beans, chicken (member made and gave to us), mashed potatoes, gravy, sour gummy worms, pretzels, 7-up, and some peach apple sparkling drink thing (non-alcoholic i checked) and bread of course

The clouds are the biggest reason why i stay here other than the work and i need to be here the clouds (when they come) look so awesome!

Well, this week was much harder. I’m positive it is because we didn’t actually get any work done until Wednesday and even then it was like one lesson that we spent 3 hours at because they had to make the food (1hour) we had to eat the food (1 hour) then the lesson (1 hour) (I’m not exaggerating). Despite all of that, I still like it here. I still like my mission. (I’ll love it soon…just give me a while :)). 

This week I’ve had a lot of time to think. I’ve thought of a few subjects that have helped me. The first is obedience. A small analogy I love is that of a piece of paper. If we have the commandment to cut a piece of paper on a line that is drawn, there are about 4 main ways that we can be obedient to that commandment. 1) we can disobey, we can come up with excuses to leave the paper because we just don't want to cut it or we don't have time to. 2) We can rip the paper. We still get the goal of having the paper in 2 but, did we do it how we were commanded to? Are we following the spirit or letter of the law? 3) We can cut the paper. GOOD! This is good, just good you accomplished the task and you tried but you didn't do it on the line or you did but you did it fast and you didn't get it as best as you could have. 4) You cut the paper on the line how you were commanded. This is exact obedience; you take your time and you do it the best as you can, giving it your best effort. ‘‘Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles''.

Well, I didn't knock on wood hard enough. I’ve become more like Spencer this week than ever :). Firstly I crashed. I crashed bad :) I ran straight into my companion’s back tire and flew off my bike! I was like a whole leg away from my bike but Prayers work! I didn't get hurt at all! I also fell off my bike a different day as well. We were riding and we rode across some sand and my bike moved the sand and I fell. It was a sad moment :). The second reason I’ve become more like Spencer is I gave my watch away! (I thought you would get a kick out of that dad) I gave it to a recent convert boy who is 14 and I was probably going to get him one for Christmas anyway :).

Thanksgiving was this week and to celebrate we made mashed potatoes and it made me miss home a bunch! We also had gravy because my companion is awesome

I hope everyone is great at home and enjoying life. Have some milk and Oreos!

11/21/2016

Hello Everyone! This week was great. We had my first baptism! Her name is Vida and she is literally the sweetest woman ever and she gives us way too much food every time we pass by her!

We had the West African Conference yesterday (I think they are starting to do region conferences in the church) anyway it was cool and we got to see other missionaries! The most important thing I took from that conference is that we need to live the church culture not the worlds culture. That really applies to here because it's basically America 100 years ago where you have to pay the father if you want to marry a girl and all other things like that. But that is something we can ask ourselves: Are we completely living the church culture or the world culture? To answer that, ask yourself what is the church culture? (Let me know what you come up with because really I don't know :)). I only know mission culture right now. :) I do know a part of church culture is to go Home Teaching!

We have heard so much on home teaching but, let me be bold-- as a missionary I DON'T want to go out with members if they don't go home teaching. We actually go and take members home teaching out here because it's that imortant (something we figured out and just did. It's not the Mission Presidents rule) but it's so important. We need to home teach. It's been said that ''home teaching is but missionary work to members''. So please please please, we all need it.

Okay, back to lighthearted fun things :) We went to KFC today and I ate to the bones!

The scripture I have read this week that really hit me hard was Alma 13: 27. 27 "And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance"

That is how I feel. It can be how we all feel. We need to love the people we are around and as we love them we will want them to have this same knowledge and happiness that we have.

The plan of salvation is perfect! We go through sore trials but it's all for our experience. God's plan is perfect because He is perfect. I know it's perfect. One other thing that was said in the conference was to be happy through trials. I don't know how, but we can find joy in little things

I do love you all and appreciate the support and help you do for the building of the kingdom!

-Elder Ellsworth

I bought a new watch! 10 cedi for a fake g-shock, but it's okay because it's orange :)

This is vida and she is awesome. My camera doesn't do well in dimly lit places ':)

These two things have saved my life. Peanut butter is a rare find here :) and top choco is just chocolate spread (think Nutella) lol but it's so good and made me less homesick

This is how much dirt and dust gets into our room (not our house, just our room) over the week----just one week!

It was P-day today and we had nothing better to do except play ping pong and connect four

My tag I use is fading (the one on the left) Ghana just doesnt like the word ''of''

This was the week before when we swept just our room :)
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Week 4

THEY HAVE TOP RAMEN EVERYWHERE! this is actually really good and not expensive at all

Everything in that freezer is our neighbors, but at the back there is a cut off bottle. That has coke in it.  Yes it's what you're thinking...we can make slushies in Ghana! Also we have hotdogs, so I'm not dying completely :)

This is more a picture of my beautiful smile :) (my tie is not meant to be that low)

This actually really hurt my head and got my tie soaked but service is service right!?! :) Yes the bucket is full of water

It's the mall. It's more American than the malls in America:)

They had a lego store in the mall plus it's p-day so I built a Temple. Did you know that Duplo doesn't make angel Moroni blocks? 

Well it’s week 4 in the field and I’m still kind of homesick, but mom is awesome and forgives me :)

We had something called a bofloat(?). It’s like a deep fried dough ball and kind of tastes like a Disneyland churro, if you have a good enough imagination :)

We have a baptism scheduled for Saturday! Her name is Vida and she’s awesome. She was so devoted to being baptized on Sunday she said she would quit working on Sundays.s (she sells roasted plantain for 1 cedi and she buys them for about that much so she really doesn't make any profit (that is just the Ghana economy)) So she only makes enough to survive every day but she said she will stop selling to keep the Sabbath day holy so she can be baptized. She has so much faith! She was scheduled for yesterday, but Bishop wanted her to meet the Relief Society President before, so it’s this Saturday!

This week was really good. It was a lot of work and kind of just blurred together but I know we did work and that’s what is important.

We got to experience some Ghanaian culture this week at a naming ceremony for a non member’s baby. I’m still confused as to what actually happened, but there was a guy who was yelling at the baby and into a microphone with blasting speakers. There was also oil that he had and he palmed my head like a basketball. I don’t know if that was the best example I could have set as a missionary but he was yelling and everyone was staring. I DID get water out of it so it was worth it! but it was pretty crazy!

I read my patriarchal blessing and it gave me so much comfort and peace with the challenges that I was going though. The church is true! I’m so blessed with all the things I have. Of course I want to live in an American apartment but at least I have fans, electricity that doesn't shut off often, and a shower head.

I love all the words of encouragement that have been sent to me through e mail. They do help me. Thank you. I really can’t think of what to write. I need a prompt or something. I do have pretty good pictures this week. I carried water on my head and IT HURTS! I was probably doing it wrong!

This isn't just another church... it is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth again. I hope we all understand that because that is so so so so so so so important and we need to know that. i love you all and keep rooted, that is where it’s safe.

-Elder Ellsworth

DAD I forgot to answer your question last week about the rain! No it hasn’t been raining like at all. We’re coming on the dust storm season. It’s going to be supper hard to keep stuff clean. (I should really get dirt colored shoes lol) It has rained like 3 times but not even hard so it’s not too bad.

 

11/7/16

This week, oh this week! This week was really cool.  We taught a bunch of lessons and worked super hard and guess what I didn’t feel as bad as last week! There’s a real blessing from the Lord. Someone this week called me Elder Ellssmith.  So, I mean, that was fun.  I didn’t laugh too loud.  I was respectable, don’t worry, Mom! 

I gave my testimony on Sunday.  It was the first time I’ve been called to give my testimony and the first time I cried all the way through.  I know the plan of salvation is true. It has to be!.

We had a very productive week.  We taught a total of 20 lessons and have an investigator preparing for baptism for Sunday.  The people here are ready to follow God. 

There are still struggles-- like people not understanding there is one true church or that the Book of Mormon is The Book of Mormon, not The Book of Mammon lol.

On Sunday before sacrament meeting I was having a hard time. The thought came to my mind that I felt alone.  Yes I know the atonement means I’m never alone, but my mind led to why I was here and the question I asked myself that we should all ask ourselves is '' do I love the Gospel or, do I love the people of the Gospel?'' Basically am I here because the gospel or am I here because of my ward, friends, and family? I answered both-- don’t worry I love you all but more so, the first part.  That’s where our testimony needs to be.  That’s the rock and not the sand.

Money literally goes so far here. You can get like a full glass bottle of soda for like 25 cents (1 cedi). The only expensive things are American things and they are only like 25 cedi-- which is like 6 dollars.

Dad, thank you for your stories. I talk so much about you and mom and everyone.   I miss everyone and everything so much but I know I’m doing the right thing.

I tried taking money out today but the ATM was broken lol.  Not that I need any but I just need to buy clothes and stuff with my money not mission money.  It’s so different here and my greatest desire is to go home.  But then I think about it and my greatest desire is when I get home: I want to go to the temple with everyone as soon as I get off the plane. That’s more important to me. 

Also, Oreos are a lot better in Africa than America!  Yes, even without milk. :)  

Please read the Book of Mormon. Even for the story. It has the best story ever (yes even better than Harry Potter) 

I love you all and am absolutely grateful for the support. 

Love

Elder Ellsworth (the one better at riding a bike)

P.s I’ve decided I’m better at riding a bike than Spencer because I haven’t crashed yet (knock on wood) but the traffic here is absolutely crazy!! Also it’s not me it’s the protection of all the prayers and obedience by actually wearing my helmet :) (yes I’m the nerd missionary that wears his helmet)

Rooted

This is almost all we did (besides eat and study) in the MTC, bottle flipping and dabbing. ( I didn't dab) That bottle actually landed like that-- I testify that it happened (so now, no one can say it was posed) :) (that was my MTC companion Elder Bambrough-- amazing elder from Salem, Utah (20 minutes from the provo MTC)

On our way to the netherlands we were SUPER lucky to be able to see the northern lights. They are beautiful! Couldn't get a picture of them-- the camera isn't the best quality :)

welcome to hand washing clothes :/

There are also no public restrooms, so people just pee in the gutter in the wide open. (I don't)

My ear doesn't hurt as much. I got a blessing in the MTC, not specifically for that but I'm counting it, so blessings are real! My ear hasn't popped yet witch just adds to the difficulty to understand, not just what people are saying but what language they are speaking. They really should have us learn Twi in the MTC, it would help so much!

I told mom and dad this but I'm totally like dad now. I cry at everything spiritual, he totally got that on his mission, (I also ate beans) so that absolutely proves I'm becoming like dad. Which is a really good thing if you think about it?

We teach a lot of people. People literally walk up to us and ask to be taught. This man who calls himself Teacher (because that’s his job) followed us for two streets my first day to ask us to teach him so we are going to see him tomorrow. It is hard to understand people and to love them but I’m starting with the children. I’m going to love the children first then work to the adults.

Everywhere we go we get called Obroni (oh-bro-knee) which basically means white boy. Really it means “not from Ghana”, but it means white boy. Only the children say it so you just yell back HI!!!! and they giggle and think it’s the coolest thing. They are a loving people and love us. Little kids will come up and touch and stroke your arm because I’m super white. They love it and I think it’s funny.

I’ve been having a rough (terrible) time transitioning out here but Sunday came which was the first Sunday, but also the first time I saw another white person in 3 days!! It was so good for me (that’s not racist but it’s a weird feeling) it was actually stake conference so we saw other elders Saturday so it was two days but it still helped a ton!

At stake conference we had the area 70 speak to us and he is great we also had the Temple president speak to us, but what hit me was the song “How Firm a Foundation”. It says upheld by my righteous Omnipotent hand and I never realized that that means Christ. Because of the atonement he is all knowing. We must remember that we are literally upheld by Christ’s omnipotent hand and that hit me so hard pretty much because I always thought the word was righteousness so it made the song really hard to sing go ahead try singing it with that word :). But also with that word it didn’t make any sense but it clicked and it made me, yes, it made me cry like dad.

It’s hard out here. I have my reasons for staying which make it not an option to leave, but I’m going to enjoy it soon I hope. If I don’t I still won’t go home. I’m rooted. I really am. Thank you all for helping me be rooted. Love you all

Sincerely,
Elder Ellsworth (not Spencer :))

 

I like it here, so don't worry.

Dear Family

This is so crazy! I had this exact assignment back in Seminary Freshman year. Write your family a short letter when you’re in a far off country! Well, I wish I had my Notebook so I could copy that!

I like it here, so don’t worry. I mean, I’ve only been in the mission home so I shouldn’t make judgements yet, but I like it. The first night I got here I did cry, mainly because I was singing the primary song, “I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ”.

The flight was long. This letter might be the only one you get. Thank you Mom and Dad, I feel like a Pioneer. I mean not as hard as they had it, but I still don’t have indoor plumbing! I mean I do in the apartment and church buildings, but not public restrooms.

Thanks you for raising me so right. I still feel a little sick, but it’s not about me.

Chelsea, Robert, Scott, Andy and no name yet: Thank you for protecting me and making me laugh.

Jordan, Bryttnii and Heidi (how do you spell Heidi?): Thank you for letting me copy you and staying home so I wasn’t ever an only child. Seriously that’s not sarcastic. I didn’t want o be an only child. It doesn’t seem as fun.

Kyle: Thank you for setting a standard of excellence for what I need to strive to be like. Also thanks for letting me follow you so much.

Spencer: Thank you for being y best friend and protecting me so much and looking out for me and doing everything I didn’t know how to do.

Don’t worry, I’m not dying. I’m just so grateful. They told me to find my purpose and that would make this easier, so I did it and my purpose for being here was to do what was needed so I can get back to live with you all. I miss you, but I’m not homesick. I’m scared, but I just need to get situated. I love you all and hope you can keep your head above the water. That’s what I’m trying to do.

President and Sister Simpson and Elder Beall (first companion and trainer)

Elders Ellsworth and Beall

New Missionaries and their trainers

New Missionaries to Ghana Accra West

Love you all!Elder Brandon Ellsworth (the farther away one)

Made it to Africa!

❤️🇬🇭

Cantonments, Accra

Special Priesthood Blessing

Apparently I need another flu shot!!!!!!! Spencer is really blessed to have an IPad because KEYBOARDS SUCK! Wait, I need to repent: keyboards are unfortunate!!!!!!! My flight was good, but I felt pretty sick. I was taking with another missionary the whole time so that’s probably why, but it was also a blessing because it helped to calm me down. After I landed I found the shuttle and GUESS WHAT! The unfortunate collect call thing was being super rude and not working for me!! I also had to wait like 20 minutes for my shuttle so I was freaking out. Like did I really get called on a Mission??? But yes I did thankfully. Let me tell you SO much has happened and I really don’t see how Spencer puts it all so nice in his emails! My P-Day is Thursday in the MTC.

My goodness so much happened. Elder Bednar came to speak to us Tuesday and, as always, he is amazing. He’s probably my favorite if we were allowed to have favorites. My companion is Amazing! My district is amazing. My teachers are amazing. The spirit is literally as thick as Butter when we come together. (That was a quote from one of my teachers). I’ve seen Landon but I’m still searching for Colton. That was really fun to see him for like a minute. He’s amazing! He took a picture of us so maybe you got that. Laundry is weird—it’s better when mom does it. I literally love my district. My companion and I are over Sacrament here in the MTC on Sundays so you can tell Bro Woolfe, he’d be pretty proud lol. We have 4 sister missionaries in my district and 6 elders.

The most special thing that has happened to me throughout my whole mission (kidding aside) was Sister Martinez (a sister in my district) asked me to give her a blessing of comfort. So I said yes of course. So my companion and I, along with her companion and her, go into a separate room from our district and then I asked the questions that dad told me to before offering a blessing. You know; what’s going on, why you feel you need a blessing, and that brought the spirit. Then we placed our hands on her head and started to offer the blessing. The spirit was so strong in that room. Then I was there and it’s hard to think about. It was hard to keep my hands steady. The spirit was there. Plain and simple he was there. I said words that came to my mind and if you said you were going to give me $1000000000000 if I could remember just two things I said I wouldn’t be able to do it. Not that I don’t want to, but I literally cannot remember, because it simply was not me. That is the best thing I’ve ever experienced. I was also asked to give a blessing of the sick an afflicted to Sister Bateman, but I failed. I let my ego get in the way of what would have been an amazing experience and it’s a lesson to me, but also sad because I didn’t do well.

My zone leaders are amazing. We room with them. One is from Arkansas with the best accent ever! The other is from Idaho, he is so funny and spiritual. Our district leader is amazing as well. Seriously my whole district is a blessing.

Thank you dad and mom and Chelsea and Kyle and Jordan and Spencer for raising me, being an example to me, loving me, and being happy with me while I was young so I could tell families were important. So important that we can live together forever. From that and the hard work you put into your specific talents and skills brought me to know I need to work for anything, including truth. I don’t know why I’ve been blessed with these things. I seriously cannot think of any reason why, but I’m so happy I am.

Mom, those letters helped me, but I feel if I share them with my district it might help them even more. Thank you for sending them with me. Bryttnii (I really hope I spelled that right), and Robert, I love you guys, too.


Don’t worry, I love it here and seriously I am confused why I’m not downhearted.

PS. Mom sent me a Dear Elder letter about the dishwasher and I totally laughed.
I love you all and hope Mom goes through my spelling before anyone else reads this. She’s going to need some seer stones. I am loving it here so you can stop worrying about me

Love -Elder Ellsworth (The taller one of the two) (hope this is enough but for me there is so much more to tell, but all that matters is I’m loving my mission)

In the MTC

I’m leaving Monday and it’s like a two day flight! We’re stopping in the Netherlands! I am doing amazing. The letters mom sent me were very helpful not only to me but to the district I’m in right now.

I mean I always want things but I don’t need anything. I mean if you could send me Mom, that would help but I don't think that's allowed lol. What do you need? I mean I’m a missionary and don’t their prayers count for something more? I kid I kid I don’t think that, honestly, but I do want to know because I pray for you all but when I get to you and mom it’s like ummmmmmmmm??? What do I say?

I had a pretty good week. I’m working on diligence this week but I’m not doing very good at it, sadly, but that's why I picked that one!

Did you transform my room yet? My only wish is that Mathew isn't destroyed when I get back and I’ll know if you get me a new one too! But if it does happen I can forgive..... eventually.

I’m a bit anxious to leave but I know I can’t say no now. lol Hopefully I get pictures to you soon!

Love Elder Ellsworth (The faster one without a vehicle)

MTC PICS

10/4/2016

A familiar face and friend, Landon Merrill.

Thought you'd like to see your son. He looks great

Tell Mom I’m sorry because I left without knowing her’s (or anyone's) email except you and Kyle. I did try to call, but as I told Kyle, collect was being very un-smart, but I made it. I definitely love not having down time because if I keep doing things I’ll be focused and not sad. I need to be happy even when I’m sad that’s just being a Mormon I guess. Anyway, I got to go. Tell everyone I’m safe!

Love Elder Ellsworth