Livin' the American (Girl) Dream

New Comp. New Transfer. So stoked.

Aloha Family a me Friends,

A email from me not on a Wednesday?! Dont freak out. I'm not a disobedient missionary lol. Our preparation days have now changed to Mondays!

People of New York are so interesting. I love going outside and on public transportation because you never quite know what you are going to see or who you are going to run into. Lessons are all around us as we heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

One afternoon we helped a hispanic mother and daughter onto a train as she had many belongings and her six year old daughter was crying a lot. We sat down. Across from us was a young girl around the age of 10 or so. She stared at the crying hispanic girl for a moment. Then proceeded to unzip this bag she was carrying. In it were two beautiful American Girl dolls and the girl starts to dress one of the dolls. I sat there in awe and thought: "Was she really going to give this other girl an American doll?? They are SO expensive". I felt as though I was watching a movie and the climax was about to happen.

The girl was just about finished with dressing the doll...when the Hispanic mother and daughter got up and left at their stop. The girl looked up and saw that they were gone and she became SO sad herself.

Though the girl wasn't able to give her other doll, there's still a lot to learn in this situation.

In Matthew 18:3, Christ teaches:

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Little children are humble, meek, and submissive. This young girl saw a need and desired to fill the need. The American girl doll is expensive but that didn't stop her from wanting to give it away. Money is nothing when compared to the happiness and love you can offer to another. This young girl desired to do everything and anything she could to brighten someone else's day. She acted immediately.

I, myself, am guilty of not acting quick enough, for allowing an internal debate to go on as time goes by, and for not always opening my mouth to talk to others. May we act quickly with unwearingness, strive to become true disciples of Christ, and seek opportunities to bear another's burden. As we do so, our burden's will be lighter and our joy will be immeasurable.

Randoms:

1) Sitting in a lesson with a Nigerian family and the mother starts telling me the crazy ways of the "American people". For awhile she didn't believe I was American as well haha

2) Went to look up a referral that we havent been able to get in contact with. See a lady struggling with groceries on the street. We help her to her building and later to her apartment. By divine coincidences Sister Felix and I were heading to the SAME apartment this woman lives in. How crazy.

3) Taking Sister Felix to get her wisdom teeth out tomorrow. Pray for a fast recovery lol

4) Played ultimate frisbee today. Three missionaries had their wallets stolen as we played. One of the Sisters said that she was sad that she lost everything but all she could feel is love for the teenage boy who took them. #CharacterOfChrist

5) Learned that pidgin English in Nigeria is very different than the kine pidgin I grew up with in Hawai'i lol.

6) One of our investigators won a rap battle at a school talent show. Made him spit some fire. Not gonna lie...it was pretty good.

Me ke aloha,

Sister Ellis

Believe Believe Believe