The one where I was asked to do a DIY hip replacement

  I hope each and every one of you have had a good week! I miss all of you dearly!

This week was a great week! We did a lot of service for our ward. We helped a widow in our ward move some boxes of her husband's things and she was super grateful for our help. Then we went to a ward activity and took pictures of Graves. This activity is pretty common to do in Kansas when you need service hours. I didn't know it was a thing until last transfer. 

The people here are really great and really funny. We went to visit some of our friends that we have in Wichita. We got in contact with a friend who is a single mom that the missionaries haven't been able to get in contact with. She is the nicest person ever and she is looking for spiritual guidance in her life. We are hoping to start teaching her on a regular basis. She also gave us a TON of food from her freezer. We couldn't fit it all in our freezer so we gave some to the Elders.

The story behind the title of my email is really funny. We were in Wichita and we went to visit another one of our friends. He is an old guy who needs a hip replacement. He kept asking us if any of us knew how to replace a hip. I told him that I played a computer game in elementary school that did a simulation for a hip replacement. So now this guy thinks I'm qualified to do a hip replacement. The whole thing was really funny but my companions were totally freaked out. 

I want to share this testimony about Joseph Smith. I know that he knelt down in a Grove of trees and cried out to the Lord in mighty prayer. I know that God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ appeared to him. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.  

The one where I ate duck

 I am so sorry that my email last week was lame. I will do better this week. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I was fed by one of our members and I ate my weight in food. They also roasted a duck and I tried duck for the first time. It was really good! The family we ate with reminded me of my family back home and it was really fun! It was like getting a piece of home for the holidays while I'm here in Kansas. 

Doughnuts after service (raking leaves)

This week I hit my 3 month mark. Which really weird because I feel like I just got here and now transfers are next week. We find out a week from today who is staying and who is going. Crazy! Time does not exist here. My sister Sam told me that time doesn't exist. And now I believe her. 

We were able to find a few people of Facebook to teach this week. We found a guy from Great Bend that we have to pass off to the Elders in Great Bend. The guy that we passed off is now on date for baptism!! And then we have a few people who we have send videos and waiting for then to respond to us. We found a few new people to teach this week. 

I was able to go on exchanges again on Saturday. I was with Sister Peterson. She was originally assigned to go to the Philippines. She speaks Cebuano. She is an amazing missionary and I love her so much!! I was able to learn so much from her. 

There is a scripture in 1 Nephi chapter 6. There is a scripture that talks about why Nephi is writing what he is writing. Verse 4 says:

4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved. 

This is also the purpose of the Book of Mormon. Preach my gospel says that the Book of Mormon along with the Spirit, are the most essential things of the conversion of our friends. Nephi states his purpose of his account, but truly it's the Book of Mormon as a whole. 

I love all of you so much!! I hope you have a fantastic week.

District lunch for Thanksgiving

The one where you had to be 21

 Hello everyone! I'm so sorry I didn't write last week. It was a really crazy pday but it was a lot of fun!

These past two weeks have flown by. The end of the transfer is almost here again! Time doesn't exist on a mission is the overall lesson that I am learning here. 

We had a Facebook live event last night and it was really powerful. If you would like to watch it, it's on Facebook under the page The Church of Jesus Christ in Wichita! But this past week, we just talked to so many people about it and handed out flyers for them to join it. 

I'm totally out of time! I hope everyone has a great week!

Sister Ellis

P.s. the title of the email is when sister bybee couldn't get her package because she had to be 21 to sign for it and none of us were 21. 

The one where I got TWO new companions

Good-bye Andover District

Hello Valley City!

 My first transfer is over! Times flies here on the mission. It is the craziest thing. I'm currently in a trio serving in an area called Valley Center. It's about 20 minutes from where I was recently serving. I miss Andover so much but Valley Center has so much work to do. I'm super excited!

I don't have much to say about this week. I've just been trying to get to know know area and my district! The members here are super nice! I can tell that I'm going to like this place. 

New companions Sister Bybee & Woodin

One of my best friends from high school came to Kansas this week!! She got temporarily reassigned here and I'm super excited because we are serving somewhat close to each other!!

Spiritual thought:

I posted on Facebook about favorite scripture stories this week! I thought I would share mine in my weekly email. My favorite is the stories about Ammon and his missionary work. I love how he didn't just teach the people right off the bat like we see most missionaries in the Book of Mormon do. He lived and served among them, and then taught them. This is an amazing example of why I want to be like Ammon and I strive to every single day!

The one where the little girl drove her Minnie Mouse car into her house

 I hope you are all doing well! I hope that everything in life is going well! I love each and every one of you!

District prayer

Before I begin, my niece Cami turned 1 this week!! Happy Birthday my little Cami Mae! Aunt Sydney loves you so much!

Car selfie

This week we did a lot of service! This was the last week before Transfers. Wednesday is Transfers!! I've already been here for 6 weeks!! Crazy stuff!!

District meme

We had a lot of meetings this week. With our district, zone, and the KWM office staff! I love being an office missionary. It's super fun! I love all of the senior missionaries! They are the greatest people ever!

Officially an Office Missionary

I've been studying Joseph Smith and the Liberty Jail. Joseph Smith suffered so much in his life. As humans, we ask the question "why do bad things happen to good people?" This was the case for Joseph Smith. 

Joseph asked, "Oh God, where art thou?" 

I think all of us ask this question multiple times in our lives. I certainly have. But I love what the Lord says back.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes"

 Bad things happen to us because we are meant to learn something from that specific experience. But it will be for a small moment and will be for our good. This is so true. Life is hard. Hard things happen, but if we turned to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we will he able to endure it well and have peace with is always.

Phil....enduring well!

P.s. the title of the email happened while we were walking a neighborhood. A little girl was driving her Minnie mouse car around her driveway. Then she ran into her house and kept trying to drive. So all you see is the little girl trying to get the car to go forward through the wall. It was really funny!!

The one where the Prophet spoke to Kansas

 Hello everyone! I hope you all have had a great week! Here is a lowdown of my week.

Monday: We ran into the AP's and the social media missionaries at Walmart. It was kinda funny! I played a lot of games with my district. I have the best district ever!! I love them so much!! 

Tuesday: I finally got my driving card!! I can drive now!! Tiwi is not my friend. I do not like her but what missionary does. We were also under a tornado watch! The storm was insane and it was loud and a lot of lighting. Crazy stuff!!

Wednesday: We had a meeting with out district. Then later that day we had training from the AP's. It was a really good training. 

Thursday: We had some service with some of the ladies we were teaching. But we decided to drop them this week. They aren't interested in learning more but we are still serving them. 

Friday: Benton Day! We went to the little town of Benton to see some of our friends. My district leader asked me to see the two ladies they are teaching because the Elders had car problems and they weren't able to see them. They are the sweetest ladies ever!!! I love them!!! They are learning a lot from the Elders and they are definitely progressing which is good! 

Saturday: Andover has a festival called Greater Andover Days. 6 of us missionaries helped with the parade line up and it was super fun!! It was also freezing!! 

Sunday: The Prophet spoke to Kansas and Oklahoma! It was a really amazing experience. President Nelson talked a lot about the book of Mormon! What the purpose of it among other things. It was amazing. I loved it and it was a revelatory experience. 

The one where I ate "better than anything" cake

 Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well and that you've had a great week! Here is a breakdown of my week.

Monday: I played some sand volleyball with my district in the morning. Then I played some basketball with the Elders in my zone. So fun! Then I got to talk with my dad for a while. I love him!

 almost our whole district. Missing my district leader and his companion

Tuesday: Knocked on a lot of doors and got some referrals! It was really hot that day! It's not cooling down in Kansas at all. 

Wednesday: We had a mini birthday party for my district leader's birthday. That's where the title of the email comes from. He made his own birthday cake and called it "The better than anything cake." I thought that was really funny. The cake was the best thing I've ever eaten in my life. And I've eaten plenty of good food in my life. 

Thursday: We went to a local charity and worked in their pantry. It was really fun! We volunteer there every now so we can help our community all that we can. Later that day, we found a new friend! She is super curious about the gospel and wants to learn more. I'm super excited to be able to help her learn and grow!

Friday: I was really sick on Friday so we didn't go out. We did lots of Facebook work. 

Saturday: We went to Benton to see some of our friends. Nobody would answer their doors. So that was really fun. 

Sunday: Met with a lot of members and had some meetings with the other missionaries and the ward leaders. 

I'm sorry I didn't take many photos this week! I always forget! My mom hates that I forget

found this photo board at the church