Time flies when you're having fun...

It pretty much feels like I wrote you yesterday. This week has literally flown by. You would think that spending my days in class for about twelve hours would seem like forever, but it almost feels like there's not enough time in the day to get everything done. There's just so much information to learn and I feel so inadequate to learn it. But I've learned that if I try my best and then put my trust in the Lord then everything works out.

The language is going great! I love learning Spanish! We've been working on vocabulary and conjugations and how to make a door contact all in Spanish. It's coming slowly but I'm starting to form sentences and understand some of the Spanish that is being. Today we have our first test to see if we can have a full out fifteen minute conversation in Spanish just meeting someone in a park and then testifying to them. I just can't believe how much Spanish is being taught in just one week! It is the definitely the gift of tongues promised from Heavenly Father because I know I couldn't do it myself.

Although Spanish is going great, I'm struggling with teaching Preach My Gospel. We had our first run through of the first lesson and it was way harder than I would've ever imagined. They told us that we needed to teach the person not the lesson. So I obviously have a lot to learn but I'm not too worried about it. I won't give up. I just figure that I was doing too well in Spanish so Heavenly Father figured he needed to humble me a bit with teaching.

I'm still loving the MTC and everything. My companion Hma. Dickey is amazing! We have a rock solid companionship and I'm so grateful for it. She gets me up for 6 am aerobics and talks me into doing the Referral Center. The Referral center used to terrify me because I didn't have the confidence to just talk to complete strangers on the phone but now I love it. I had an hour and half conversation with someone on mormon.org chat. I had to get to class but she still wanted to hear more. I just love the MTC!

Shocker of the week... I joined the MTC choir. I'm pretty much tone deaf but they let me in anyways. We sang for the Tuesday devotional which was awesome. It was a statistical update on temples. I really enjoyed it but the devotional review was even better. We have about an hour to review the devotional with our district and the Spirit was so strong. We have a great district.

Well, I'm just kind of blabbing on now. But I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as a missionary. I love this gospel and I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me. The Church is true!!

Hma. Ellsworth

Bring it! (1st email from the MTC)

I'm finally here!! It has been a crazy couple of days in the MTC. There is just so much going on around here and so much to learn. I absolutely love it!! Let's see what I can tell you... first of all, as you can assume I got to the MTC safely thanks to Jeff and Al. I'm sorry if i was boring for them. They wanted to do something special for my birthday but all I could think about was getting to the MTC. Thanks for trying though and I'm sorry I was a bum, but I had a great time with you all.

I reported at around noon and was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all these new things to learn and remember. And i'm pretty sure I got lost about a dozen times just in my first day. But I've decided that my motto is "Bring It!" There is a lot of new stuff happening but I know that Heavenly Father won't give me more than I can handle. So just keep it coming because I'm ready for it!

Anyways, my companion is pretty much amazing! Her name is Hermana Dickey and we immediately clicked. We've decided that we probably met in the pre-mortal life and broke out into song. (Sorry! Last time I ever allude to Saturday's Warrior ever again!) We have a lot of fun together, probably too much fun but we 're going to work on that. She is definitely helping me to strive to be better in everything that I do and I am so grateful to have her as a companion.
I absolutely love my classes. We have already started studying the gospel and learning Spanish.

I can pray, testify, and do the door approach in Spanish already. I'm pretty sure that I've learned more Spanish in the last three days than in my entire two and a half years of school Spanish. The MTC is truly an amazing place and miracles are happening everyone.
Speaking of miracles, I am definitely getting up at 5:45 in the morning to do an optional aerobics class for the sisters. I know that you prolly don't believe I am capable of getting out of bed before 9 am, but it is true. It is a lot of fun and helps me to wake up for the day. I love it! I'm definitely working on my six pack. but i digress...

I probably should tell you that I have an amazing district. We had our first Branch Presidency Meeting and the Spirit was so strong. Our Branch President is Pres. Shumway and he is great. He taught us a few things about obedience, diligence, patience, and other key attributes to being a good missionary. I'm very excited for our district and branch.

Well, besides studying the scriptures and learning Spanish, there's not much else to say. Just know that I have a testimony of the gospel that I know it is true. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a missionary and that the Lord blesses His missionaries with the Spirit and the gift of tongues. I am going to work as hard as I can and be obedient.

Thanks for the all the letters and package! It was exciting to have a whole pile waiting for me yesterday. And thanks for writing that you don't miss me. It really helped me stay focused on my purpose knowing that my family is glad that i'm out of the house. jk. I love you and miss you! k bye!

Love,
Hermana Ellsworth

Setting Apart and Airport Pictures

Entering in at the gate

Ascending up

Stacy & Hermana Ellsworth

Rachel is excited to have her own room again

Mission: Possible

Hermana Ellsworth & President Bradshaw

See ya in 18 months!

I am very happy to share that the countdown to reporting to the MTC is down to three days. Can I get a woot woot?! I feel like I have been waiting for this day forever. I thought it would never come. I am just so excited to serve and teach the gospel to the people of Cordoba, Argentina. I feel very grateful to have the opportunity to serve the Lord and learn the beautiful language of Spanish.

This week I decided to memorize one of my favorite scriptures and my new mission motto in Spanish. The scripture is D&C 82:10 - "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." I figured it won't matter what trials happen to me in Argentina, as long as I obey all the mission rules. Obedience is the first law of heaven. Of all the advice I have recieved from returned missionaries, every single person had one thing to say in common - Obedience.


Moral of the Story - Thus I will go and do and obey!

Mission Address:
Sister Noralin Ellsworth
Argentina Cordoba Mission
Gay Lussac 5270
Apartado Postal No 49-X5009 ZAA
5009 Villa Belgrano, Cordoba
C.C. 17 Suc 9
Cordoba, Argentina

Peace, Love, and Curse Words

So I got into my first car accident last week... possibly one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, which should make for a good blog. So here we go. Over a week ago, I was asked to babysit for a delightful family for the entire day. All I had to do was babysit a little girl named Sadie who is in my nursery and her older brother Drew who would be gone half the day for Kindergarten. I'm thinking piece of cake. ya, not so much. Sadie was missing her parents and crying most of the morning. So after I tried everything else, I promised to take her to my farm so she could see the animals. She was content with that. So we headed over to my house. So I have always had this fear of driving other people's cars. I've never been in an accident before or anything, I just don't feel comfortable driving other people's vehicles. But I had no other choice and I buckled Sadie in and we headed out. I was being very cautious and using every turn signal and staying under the speed limit. I was doing everything right and yet the world still hates me. I was turning into my little dirt road and some red truck behind me tries to pass me on a residential street and runs into my car. And when I say my car, I actually mean their car. It was only a scratch and no one was hurt which was a tender mercy. I figured I would just exchange information real quick and it wouldn't be a huge deal. So I get out of the car to find a fifty-year-old biker hippie. Long scraggly beard, tiedye shirt, leather vest, chains, the whole shebang. He was very nice and asked if we were alright. He even called me darling. But then I suggested exchanging insurance information and he starts crying. He explained how he couldn't afford his insurance going up any more. I tried to be sympathetic but reminded him that we needed to exchange info. He then started yelling curse words to the sky. Seriously, yelling. I had neighbors looking out their windows wondering what this guy was doing. I nicely asked him to calm down and brought attention to a scared two-year-old in the back seat. He apologized and called me darling again but then again went back to shouting curse words. So I called my mom outside and took Sadie quickly inside before she learned an entirely new vocabulary. We then had to call the police and everything was quickly resolved. I spent the rest of the day babysitting two kids and trying to get Sadie to stop saying "darn it." (edited)

Moral of the Story - I'm never babysitting again.

Elizabeth Mae

My first experience as an aunt proved to be an enlightening one. . . babies hate me. I've always had this suspicion but I've carefully avoided babies for the last twenty years to avoid making that suspicion a reality. But for the first time in my life, I finally had a niece. (It's about time!) Elizabeth Mae Miller was born August 12, 2009. Liz was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. Mae's as beautiful as a baby can be. I went to the hospital to hold my favorite niece for the first time and it turns out that Beth was ready for me. I had only been holding Lizzy for about ten seconds before she took a huge dump in her diaper for me. Ten seconds later, Betty decided to do it again. Before I had the chance to hand Lizzy Mae over to her dad for a diaper change, Elizabeth decided to spit up her entire meal. In the thirty-eight seconds I was holding her, Betsy pooped twice and puked on me. What a precious little miracle. I was there for about an hour and half and that minute I held her was the only one that Eliza decided to puke or poop on anyone. Apparently, I'm her favorite.

Moral of the Story - Since Miller has about a dozen different nicknames, I can pretty much call her anything I want. I'm going to go with Harley. Welcome to the world Harley!

I've Got a Feeling

There are few things in this world that make me truly happy - family, friends, Chuck Norris, etc. But also on this list is music. No matter if I'm stressed or tired or angry, music is my happy place. If I were Peter Pan, my happy thought would be my favorite song of the week, which just so happens to be "I've Got a Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas. It's a wonderful song, a bit overplayed on the radio, but what great song isn't. Anyways, I worked eight hours at Payless and it was no picnic. Since we have Back to School Sales going on, it's been crazy busy and entirely no fun. Just imagine measuring smelly kids' feet all day. No fun. But I finally got off work and got in my car to drive home. While driving, my favorite song came on. My entire day went from miserable to happiness in .2 seconds. So I stopped at a red light at Southern and Harris. I could've turned right but I chose to pause and take it all in. So I turned up my radio as loud as it goes and rolled down all the windows. I then proceeded to perform the best car dancing of my entire life. I was busting it up for about half a minute when I looked over to the car next to me. To my dismay, it turned out to be a cop car. He was staring at me and instead of a smile on his face, he ominously shook his head at me. I hung my head in fake shame and turned off my music and then turned right onto Southern. I waited for half a mile to see if he was following me. When the coast was clear I cranked my music back up and continued my wicked car dancing moves.

Moral of the Story: My mother hoped I had learned a lesson from this experience and I have. Here it is... Always check for cops before car dancing.