The Book of Mormon comes alive!

Dear Family,

 

It's week 6 here at the MTC. They count the first Wednesday to Saturday as a week. But in all reality it's only been like a month and a few days I think. So... I still have some time here. But it's been great so far! How are things back home. Thanks so much for all the letters I've received this week! It's great to get mail, honestly, it is. Nothing that big or great has happened this week. I feel I sort of say the same thing every time in my email home, but I honestly just do the same exact thing from day to our. Our schedule from week 2-9 is the exact same. Elder Evans and I are doing great! It's been a great companionship and tons of fun.

 

Someone ask, I think it was Mom if I had an leadership positions. And the answer is... NO! haha. I am senior companion, but that doesn't really mean anything here. I'm not older than Elder Evans either, I think they just did it by last names. Mom how was your cruise by the way?? I hope you had a lot of fun!

 

Right now I'm in Helaman 3. I finished Alma finally! So I'll finish the Book of Mormon some time this week. It's been an amazing read and I'm learning so much. It's like a real life book now to me, I can picture it in my head! I love the war chapters of course, and just thinking about how much planning and preparation went into to Captain Moroni's plans and such. The stories are amazing and they're meant for our day. In church yesterday our Branch President was talking about I think Mormon, and said that Mormon saw our day and they were not the people of his times. They were an industrious people and that the book was meant for them. THAT'S US! It's really interesting actually I was reading a chapter in Mosiah last week and it's all about corrupt government and leaders (as is a lot of the Book of Mormon) and I was like, "WOW!" That's totally our day. Just some insight on the Book of Mormon this week.

 

My scheduled departure is November 19. I believe it's a Tuesday. I won't have my travel plans for about 3 weeks though, so I'll let you know when I do get them.

 

Here at the MTC they do something called TRC. Meaning, Teaching Resource Center. BYU students pretty much come, they're all RM's, and they talk to us and we teach them just a basic lesson, and sometimes we just talk to them about the culture and things and what to expect. Well... this week was super interesting. Elder Evans and I walk in (it's all in Hiligaynon by the way) and we're like "Kamusta" (hello), Taga Diin Ka (Where are you from), and such like that. The guy looks at us like we're crazy and then we said something in English I think we were wondering how to say a word or a phrase. Anyway, this guy was like, I don't speak English. Elder Evans and I were sort of puzzled and then said, oh, where do you go to school? He said somewhere in Negros. THE Philippines, on my island. So he was pretending to be a Filipino guy. And so we totally didn't really treat him like one because we're not supposed too. This place is just so that we can practice our language and such. After the lesson he pulls us aside and proceeds to tell us pretty much how we're not where we are supposed to be in the language and that we pretty much were terrible. I was sort of upset because our language was actually GREAT! Then we asked well, "where should we be right now with the language?" He then said there isn't really a comparison because he learned Tagolog in the MTC so we're already further along than he was. So Elder Evans and I were like, "are you being serious?" This guy was getting mad at us and he even said we already knew more than he did when he was 4 months into the field. I was a little upset by this situation and it really ruined my whole day. But y'all know me, I got over it the next day and proceeded to have an enjoyable time.

 

The MTC mission president last night just changed the dress code from Summer dress to Winter dress... Now we have to wear suits, EVERYDAY! I have ONE suit! :) As does the rest of my district. We're supposed to get them dry cleaned, but I guess we can't do that now, so we're all super confused as to what to do. Also by any chance y'all wanna send me like 3 more ties? I have enough purple ones. I'm in need of like a red tie. Just wondering. There are people that go around and try and get me to trade my ties, I just tell them to go away. They're pretty annoying.

 

The temple this morning was FANTASTIC! So amazing. I love the temple. I'm so glad that they let us Missionaries go while we're here. It's so much fun and I learn so much each time. Mom and Dad, you have a copy of my blessing, go read the 2nd to last paragraph. It's amazing and I love it so much!

 

I know that this church is true. I'm so grateful to be a missionary! This is honestly the happiest I've been my entire life. It's weird, because there are certain times where I'm just like... ugh get me to the Philippines already! But then I know that we're here for a certain amount of time to learn things. Although they're cutting it by 1/3 now. So starting in Jan. I'd only be here 6 week. Grrr... Oh well though. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. He was an AMAZING man. I've started to study him more and wow, I can't believe a lot of the stuff that happened. This IS THE TRUE CHURCH. I love y'all. Hope to hear from you soon! If you Dear Elder me now, I'll get it tonight. Love you guys so much and miss you! Keep reading and praying!

 

Love,

Elder Ellis

 

p.s: I hope everything is going great. Sorry this email is sort of lame, there's nothing that big that happened this week.