Bienvenidos a Rosedal

I absolutely love Barrio Rosedal and my new companion Hna. Neff. These last couple of days has been pretty amazing, and I’m not quite sure where to start. So I’m going to take the advice from the Sound of Music and start from the very beginning because it’s the only good place to start.

Miercoles – So I got here in Rosedal and met my new companion Hna. Neff and hung out with her old companion Hna. Stott for a while. I have kind of met Hna. Neff before - a couple of times, and Hna. Mortensen had told me a lot about her because they were companions in the MTC together. I caught up with Hna. Stott for a while. She was in my district and we got in the misión at the same time. She’s way fun, and we understand each other. So it was fun to chat with her for a while. And then we headed out and went to a Dinosaur Museum with some of the zone. It was pretty weird but kind of fun. It was something fun to do for pday. And then we had a family home evening with the bishop’s family that night. I was pretty nervous, but we just went in and taught; and it went well. I hope that we have success working with the bishop and leadership in the ward. Missionary work is pretty much impossible without the help and the support of the members.

Jueves – we stopped by a lot of our investigators and some of the members. A lot of the investigators weren’t there, but we did find Maricel. She’s a 22 year-old that is interested in the church. She is reading the Book of Mormon everyday, and she has really good questions. But she still hasn’t gone to church. We really tried to focus on that, but she still didn’t make it to church. Sometimes I don’t understand why it’s so hard to get to church. There are so many blessings waiting at church, why don’t people want blessings from God? It was raining that morning, but I don’t think rain is any sort of excuse to not go to church.

Viernes – We passed by a couple of references from members that happened to be some familias that were part menos activos and part nonmembers. But it went well. We tried to help them recognize their testimonies so that they return back to church. I hope it helps, but I think the Spirit will have the most effect and then the members. A lot of menos activos just need a friend in church. And unfortunately, us missionaries don’t really have the time to just be friends. So we’re trying to help the ward understand that important principle. I hope it gets across. We also went to a family home evening with another member’s family. And we also ask for references, and I think the Lord has been testing me. I made a goal that I would not dwell on La Calera. that I would focus on my new area and not be homesick of La Calera. But check it, every time I asked a member for a referente, they gave me one for somebody that lives in La Calera. And every few hours, I would receive a call from the hermanas in La Calera. I miss it, but thankfully I love Rosedal!

Sabado - So we got the help of a member named Diego. It’s this 19 year old boy that is preparing for his misión. He got baptized a year ago, and he’s pretty much amazing! He helped us for all of the afternoon, and I already know that he is going to be an amazing missionary! He knows pretty much everything about missionary work, and he had this excitement that I need to have every minute of the day. It’s a new goal that I’m working on. It just goes to show that you can be an example to anyone.

Domingo - It was raining in the morning, but we went to church. It was a weird experience for me because I’m not used to going to a real church house. It’s been a really long time that I have gone to a ward. They asked me to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting, and I got pretty nervous; but I think I did fine. But I’m excited to be in Rosedal and work with Hna. Neff.

Well I got to go but keep helping the missionaries and just know that I love you all!

Hna. Ellsworth

Cambios

So we got transfers this week and I have been transferred to Rosedal with Hna. Neff. I'm very excited and a little scared. Rosedal is in the capital of Cordoba and it has a ward and chapel and everything. I'm going big time now. I've only ever worked in branches where the church is in a house. So I'm excited for a new environment and to learn new things. Hna. Neff was the companion of Hna. Mortensen in the MTC so I have already heard a lot of great things about here.

I'm very excited but I{m not going to lie to you. These last couple of days has been pretty emocional for me. This morning I was listening to the CD that Allison made for me and the song Familias Forever came on. I used to play this song for my other companions that were leaving the misión because it's a perfect trunky song. But when i was listening to it today, and it pretty much brought me to tears. And here's why, the words are – And it{s hard to say goodbye and let go. And it's hard to see it end. When the memories we have made will never happen again. - Story of my life. I have had so much time here in La Calera that I feel like they are part of my family. I didn't want to say goodbye. I passed by almost everyone and took pictures and said goodbye. Some of the members/investigators made me an asado and a couple others promised that they would make me one when I come back. But i'm definitely going to miss La Calera and all of the people I have met. And I'm going to really miss Hna. Mortensen. The Aspen Companionship is breaking up but we are definitely going to keep in touch. She has no choice!

But this week was full of interesting experiences. The Assistants to the President came to pick up a mini-missionary that is in our Branch. And while they were there, they wanted to pass by and talk with our investigador. But Hna. Mortensen had got pretty sick that day so we were kinda of stuck in the pension. But they said it was okay for me to do intercambios with them. It was really weird! I{m just not used to being without a companion. But we went to the cita with me, the 2 assistants, the mini-missionary, his companion, and my investigador – Gustavo. So pretty much it was me and 5 chicos that have 20 years. It was weird but I learned a lot of great stuff. The Assistants are amazing missionaries! It was a great experience to learn from them. This last week we went to an English class because one of the members invited us to pass by for a couple of minutes. It was a ton of fun. We just talked a little bit of English like Hello and How are you? And then we gave all of the kids a penny of the U.S. They absolutely loved it! And we got a couple of references. I love it!

And i have a couple of other stories but I'm out of time. But I'm excited for everything that is going to happen this week. It's going to be very interesting so keep me in your prayers. Love you all!

Hna. Ellsworth

Hogar Dulce Hogar

So I officially feel like La Calera has become my home away from home. I can honestly leave my apartment in the morning and walk by about 5 people that I have talked to before. I know the post man, the vegetable boys, the meat man, the Chinese people at the grocery store, the policemen, the bread lady, and everybody else that I have invited to come unto Christ. I often have that one song from ¨Beauty and the Beast¨ called ¨Bonjour¨ stuck in my head. ¨Every morning just the same, since the morning that we came…¨ And then I have to repent and think of a hymn to sing in my head. But it’s pretty crazy in that everybody knows us. We´re pretty much just those ¨two blond gringas that talk weird and are always talking to people about a blue book.¨ I pretty much love the misión!

So we have been working pretty diligently with this kid named Gustavo. He’s pretty Evangelist but has a sincere desire to follow Christ. So we’ve been trying to teach him, and he likes the Book of Mormon but is not so sure about Joseph Smith. It’s kind of interesting because it’s impossible to have a testimony of one without the other. But he says that he’s praying for an answer about Joseph Smith, but that he is waiting for an answer. And it’s interesting because we have been teaching him with different members and each one, when they heard that, read the scripture in Moroni 10:4-5. So now he has heard that scripture about 5 different times. But you have to love that scripture. It’s something that I have been studying and focusing on more. With just three things – faith in Jesus Christ, real intention, and a sincere heart – we can know the truth of all things. What a powerful promise! But we went to his church last week because he went to General Conference. It was very interesting, and it reminded me of an email that my sister sent me. She summed it up perfectly. And I really don´t think I could explain it better than her. So here you go… Sis. Ellsworth in Orlando said, ¨Satan will never put us in a situation that makes us grow. It is only through God that we will learn and grow and progress within ourselves. I realized that yesterday when we attended another church. We met a man that said he'd come to our church if we came to his. So we went to Fellowship Orlando, a non-denominational church. It was quite interesting. I felt like I was at an EFY dance. Weird, huh? But although they sung songs of praise and the saving grace of God, not teaching anything that is false doctrine, I realized that nothing that was said helped us to improve ourselves. It was just words of praise and words describing the wonders of God. I'm glad to be in the true church and learn of the full gospel of Jesus Christ that helps us know how to improve, how to grow, how to see our potential and the way to obtain that potential.¨ I would like to add my testimony to hers that I know that this church is true and that our Heavenly Father gives us the great blessing to learn and grow. I am so grateful to improve myself in the misión. It´s not the easiest thing in the world, but it’s definitely worth it. El Reino de Dios o Nada!

Les amo,
Hna. Ellsworth

I thank you!

I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! I´m pretty much convinced that General Conference is better than opening presents on Christmas morning!! Let´s just list some of the great tender mercies that I was blessed to receive this last weekend.

1. Reunion with Villa Independencia. I get to see all of the members from my old area and I got to see 6 of my investigators that I found and taught that had been baptized since I´ve been in La Calera. I had never been so happy! I got to hug them and talk with them and I was pretty much close to tears. They all told me that they are excited when I return. (If it happened with La Calera, maybe it can happen with Villa Independencia.)
2. Roadtrip with La Calera. So we all got to load up in an old school city bus and we all went together to the Conference. It was so much fun. I felt like I was in Primary School again. I got to sit in the back of the bus and kept getting out of my seat to talk to all of the members. I absolutely love the members in La Calera. I feel like they´re part of my extended family (just a lot more tanned!).
3. We had three of our investigators that came to the conference and loved it. One of them had to leave early and that was pretty stressful for me because I didn´t know that he had left because I was in the english session. But he said that he liked it and we hope that he makes it to his baptism date.
4. I got to watch three sessions of conference in English and one in Spanish. I was planning on watching them all in english, but the members wanted us to stay and watch one with them. And i´m going to be completely honest and tell you that I didn´t understand everything in spanish but i understood most of it. It was kind of interesting to watch it in spanish but it´s definitely better to watch it in english because you can hear the emotion in the speakers´voices and the dramatic pauses in the most important parts. So COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!! You probable never thought about watching conference in your native language as a blessing, but it is a huge blessing. You jsut don´t realize it until you don´t have it.
5. We got to talk to the other hermanas that are in Villa Independencia. And this might sound like nothing but it´s exactly a huge thing for me. We are the only hermanas in our district and in our zone. So I never get to see the other hermanas. So when we see the other hermanas misioneras, we just love to catch up on everything that is happening.
6. I received my package from Mom and I got to wear my new shirts to the conference and eat a peanut butter and banana sándwich for lunch. It was delicious and it felt great to wear new clothes without stains or holes in it. So ya, thanks mom!
7. And for the tender mercy mas grande was the talks in General Conference. They were absolutely amazing. And I love how the Brethren say things that are just meant for me and exactly what I need. I always love to bring questions to Conference and search for the answers. And without fail, they always answer all my questions and they do it specifically. I think my favorite talk was given by Pres. Eyring about how we can trust in God. It is something that I´m working on and struggling with it. Because I know if i put all my trust in Him, and less in myself, we will see more miracles and baptisms. But Pres. Eyring helped me receive revelation through the Holy Ghost that I need for the missionary work in La Calera. Now I just need to apply it and see the miracles.

There are a ton of more blessings that I saw in the conference but i think you get the big Picture. I absolutely love learning from the counsel and wisdom of the Prophet and the 12 Apostles. I know that they are men called of God. And if we just listen to their Word and apply their words, we will be blessed. So I would like to do my part and apply the words of our beloved Prophet, Pte. Monson. I just like to give my gratitude to everyone that is supporting me in the misión. Thank you for the letters, for the packages, for your counsel, for your love, for your examples, and most importantly, thank you for your prayers. I can honestly feel the stregnth of your prayers. I love you and pray for you daily. I thank my family – my parents, my siblings and their familias, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my church leaders, my teachers, my friends, and everyone that inspires me to be a better person. I thank you and I love you! I know this Church is true and it brings us the peace and joy that we need in our lives.

Press Forward,

Hna. Ellsworth