Ensign State Of Mind

Aloha family a me friends, You probably know its about time to leave the Bronx when ... 1) You can get around without using area book or google maps to figure out which bus to take or which stop to get off at  2) People ask you how long you've been here and you tell them "Since February!" and they tell you "oh youre practically a Bronx child already" 3) You start eating all your chicken to the bone like all the Africans here 4) You become friends with the fruit stand and tamale and meat truck and deli guys 5) You can pretty much successfully deduce which African country people are from and they without a doubt guess youre from China If I had a choice I wouldn't mind serving in the Kingsbridge 2nd Ward in the Bronx for the rest of my mission ha ha. But luckily I don't have a choice and the Lord's plans are so much greater and exactly what I need.  Tomorrow  I am getting transferred to the big big island of Manhattan and wil...

Technology wasnt being my friend last week and for some reason only my pictures went out...oops. So heres my email from last week because I love my two parentals and I know they would want to hear what went down last week :)  Aloha Family a me Friends, This past week President Smith (our mission president) has been placing a huge emphasis on being ALL IN for the Lord and for this work. We must be all in physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally so that on the last day we may stand accountable to the Lord for all of our actions here on Earth. And so that at the end of the night we may each earn that pillow. When the Savior performed the Atonement He was ALL IN for us and for that reason I will be ALL IN for Him. On Saturday , Sister Felix and I decided to be a little more creative with some finding. Since people wouldn't let us in to their homes, we went to the people. We went to the busiest road here, Fordham Road. We stood there with Restoration pamph...

Aloha family a me friends, "I know...that I am here". Ahh...the words that literally came out of my mouth during the testimony meeting at Zone Conference this past  Thursday . Pretty obvious fact right?Initially I was like wow I shouldve said that I know that I am in the right place or something else. However, what I said is what I know and what I know is not an opinion, it is a fact. I am here mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally...yeah you get the deal.  Here. I know who I am as a daughter of God. Here. I know the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Here. I know my identity.  Knowing your identity is a topic that has been imprinted on me from a young age. Distractions of the world often clouds one from learning more about one's spiritual and genetic DNA. It is imperative for one to know their identity by first knowing their history.  Yesterday in church, our talks in sacrament meeting and lessons were centralized on the history of...

Aloha family a me friends, Wow. What a week. Or should I say what a weekend?! Starting with the Church's "Be One" celebration  on Friday  night (to commemorate 40 years of Africans having the Priesthood) all the way to the moving youth devotional urging youth to do what is necessary to enlist in the Lord's batallion. Wow. Sooo good. My heart couldnt take it all so I'm gonna share some of my takeaways. But like Elder Holland has said before...good thing President Nelson's a heart surgeon. ;)  **(I urge you all to go watch both of these programs if you havent! Lds.org ! Check em go check em go) The time is now. The time is now to know your worth, know what necessary changes are to be made, know your personal mission and what the Lord would have you do today. Many times we feel inadequate to fulfill such missions from the Lord or fail to even recognize our divine potential. Maybe that's not you but I can tell you that it's been me many time...

Aloha family a me friends, Hawaiian and reggae music to Hawaii is rap and hip-hop music to the Bronx. Bread to me is the joy I felt  on Saturday  when our sweet Marisol stepped into the waters of baptism :') For those of you know me, bread is a big deal so you can kind of get a feel of how much this baptism meant to me lol. To see this woman from day one when Sister Combe and I delivered her Bible all the way until her baptism has just been incredible.  I can honestly say with my full heart that I am nothing...but merely an instrument in the Lord's hand. Marisol was so prepared from day one. So ready to change her life and give everything to her Savior. It was in this pivitol moment I knew it was all worth it. Everything I do and have done and sacrificed was worth it. For the "worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (D&C  18:10 ). There really is no greater joy.  Often times I worry too much. Naturally, I worry a whole ton about our inves...

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...

Aloha Friends a me Family, Crazy roommates I tell ya The big, dreaded "C" word in Sister Ellis' vocabulary...change. I'm not a big fan of change especially right when you get comfortable with where you are. Officially out of my training and had to say adios to my trainer Sister Combe *big fat ugly teardrop*. An area in my ward has been dissolved and now Sister Felix (from Nigeria) and I are taking over the entire West side of the Bronx. Two phones, two sets of keys, two areas, two bathrooms in our apartment, two extra beds in our apartment, and two crazy 5'3 missionaries just tryin to preach bout Jesus! Double the trouble lol.  Nevertheless, change is always good when it is alligned with the will of God. Thus to overcome the stresses and mixed emotions that come with the "c" word, God has given us a greater "C" word and that is Christ.  Christ carries us, bears our burdens, and loves us perfectly.  It is through His Atonement ...