Home Stretch: Last Weekly :')
Aloha ko'u ohana a me ko'u hoaaloha!
It feels like it was just the other day I was looking up all the "New York" songs on Spotify to get excited to go on my mission. And now, with less than two days left, the least I can say is "I <3 NYC" (and Bermuda and New Rochelle ;). I hear that time flies when you're having fun. But when youre doing the Lord's work, I feel like there honestly is no concept of time at all. I had no idear what happened this past week. But that is ok!
Thank you to all those who have followed along with me on this journey these past 18 months or so! Your prayers, emails of love, support, and encouragement were greatly appreciated. Each area I served in, each companion I had, and each person I had the opportunity to teach were each according to the Lord's will. I have loved every minute and moment of my mission. Triumphs and trials have refined and shaped me into the disciple that I know my God wants me to be. His ways are always higher and when we sincerely internalize this truth we allow Him to make us greater than we could be on our own. When we have confidence in the Lord, we are calm and we allow the clarity of the spirit to direct our every day actions. We can have the calm assurance that we will one day return with our loved ones and we will see the face of our Savior with outstretched arms. Yes, ending a mission is a very strange situation to be in...but for some reason today has been one of the least stressful preparation days in my mission and I am just overwhelmed with so much peace and love.
About 18 months later, I still do not know everything. I do not know the doctrine behind Kolab or exactly how grace works or why bad things happen to good people. I still have a lot of unanswered questions. But I do know, that I know enough. I know enough and have seen enough in my life that I can press forward relying on my Savior and the merits of His atoning sacrifice. I know that we are each on our own covenant path back to Him. I have come to the conclusion that we will never know what is ahead of us, we will feel ill-prepared for what is in store; however, we don’t need to allow these thoughts to overshadow the faith and trust we have each so diligently strove to grow. Conversion is a process not an event or a checklist type of deal. It continues to go on, every single day and will continue until the day that we meet our Maker. And oh, what a joyous day that will be.
Like the Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things" (1 Nephi 11:17); yet "my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard" (2 Nephi 4:16)
I never quite understood what people meant when they would say they couldn’t put their feelings into words. But now, I do...the least I can say now, is “my joy is full”.
Homecoming Talk:
622 North Judd Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
Sunday, July 14, 2019 at 8 am
Randoms:
1) Had Mission Leadership Council on the Fourth of July! All the STLs wore red, white, and blue and I was literally SO incredibly happy !
2) President Teuscher doesn't know why....and neither do we completely understand...but he has decided last minute to close our area and move Sister Reed over to Lynbrook to be with Sister Dyreng and they will continue to be Sister Training Leaders of the Sister Training Leaders. It has been a roller-coaster of passing all of our people off to the Assistants but it will all work out :) Once again, the Lords ways are higher than our own.
3) On that note, not a lot of our people and ward members have been that happy...ahh..we have been rushing around these pass couple of days letting people know and saying bye and taking pictures! Funny thing is, a lot of our people we have been meeting with just now are picking up with their progression! The work certainly is hastening!
4) Got Mister Softees one last time today. Sister Reed and I bought matching dresses to wear to transfers. Almost got shirts that said "Just a Kid from New Rochelle"...too bad they were only in 2T lol
5) A lady in our ward has called us three times today asking about what we will be doing with our extra food in our apartment
6) Cool miracle story: A few weeks back our ward council gave us a list of "unknown" households. We go look up a part member family who used to be taught. Meet the 23 year old daughter. Teach her a few times. We decide she needs to go to YSA in Stamford, CT. Have a pass off lesson. She accepts a date to be baptized on August 10. She goes to the YSA ward and bears her testimony that she was just starting to pray again and asked God to send her help...and that same day we showed up at her door! We love Hilary and her so excited for her!!!
7) Started meeting with a former who, too, just starting praying and wanting to get into a church...and we call her up! All by divine design! She too, wasn't too stoked that we were both leaving :/
I love you all so much!! :-)
Sea you soon!
Me ke aloha pau ole,
Sister Ellis
Believe, Love, Do