Ancona!

So last week I got transferred to sere in the beautiful city of Ancona! It's an amazing city full of amazing people and after only a week here I can tell it is only going to get better! The city is on the eastern coast of Italy and is at the very bottom of the Milan Mission. It's a minor port city, mostly for ferries that will take you to a number of different countries around the Mediterranean. Too bad I have to stay here in Italy or else I might consider visiting Greece for one of my P-days! But anyway, Ancona is covered with rolling Hillsendales sand and open space, which is a big change from all of my previous cities. There is so much open air here and so many beautiful views of the sea and the land. The people here are amazing too! The city is very diverse and not too big. We are always on foot or in bus (Finally, no bikes!). The branch here is full of great people that are excited to be a part of the church and I am more than excited to help them in this beautiful city for the next few months!

My new companion is named Anziano Hansen and he is my first companion that has been in the mission for less time than I have, not by much though. He is very into baseball and is very dedicated to serving the Lord here in Ancona and also dedicated to eating healthily and getting daily exercise. He hopes to play baseball in college when he gets home and so he wakes up early to get extra time to train. His dedication to the work is equally strong during the day, taking care to be effective with his time and kind with everyone he encounters. He and I are getting along great and are enjoying serving in Ancona a bunch!

This week I spent a good amount of time studying Isaiah 1:18, which says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." I love the promise in this verse. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow". All of us have made mistakes from time to time in our lives, and many (if not all) of us have made some pretty big ones. Those sins weigh upon us like sandbags hung around our necks. They leave marks of scarlet on our consciences that we can't remove by ourselves. But Christ payed the ultimate price for us in order to remove those crimson stains. His atonement, if we turn to him with our whole hearts, can make our sins "as white as snow". He said once, "come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). That promise is still extended to us today! If we come unto Christ, he will heal us. If we let Him, He will lift from us the weights of sin and regret. What an amazing gift! I'm so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. Because of him, we can become clean, whole, and at peace.

Have a great week and remember the promise in Isaiah 1:18!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

The Gosepl is a beautiful thing!

(Elder Cummings)

 There is not a lot of time this week for writing.  Even if there was I do not think that I could write even a fraction of the miracles I have seen this week!  The hand of God is, in a very literal way, preparing the hearts of the people here for the gospel.  It is a wonder to witness!

We began teaching a very kind older woman this last week.  Her name is Kia, and she is the sweetest little Hmong lady you could ever find!  She is going blind slowly, and still full of energy!  She has attended a church in town for a while (doesn't know the name of it, she gets a ride with neighbors), but has not yet learned anything from the scriptures.  She loves it when we open up the Bible and the Book of Mormon and read to her the teaching of our Savior.  She has such great faith!  On Thursday we were talking with her about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  She gasped and said very happily, and in Hmong, "Isn't that wonderful!  He did that for us!"  I love her very personal take on the gospel.  It is always a pleasure to visit with her.

Last night we were watching the talk given by Bishop Gerald Causse in the April 2015 General Conference with a recent convert.  His talk, entitled "Is It Still Wonderful to You?"  is a powerful call for all believers everywhere never to take the gospel for granted.  It was great for her!  She will be moving to Utah in August for school, and it was just what she needed to here.  Elder Bagley followed the Spirit on the fly in playing the talk for her.  He is such a wonderful missionary!

One of my favorite things about being a missionary is that we get to spend so much time, hours upon hours, in the scriptures studying the basics over, and over, and over again.  I have been a member of this church my whole life.  For nearly half my life I have diligently studied the scriptures, but there are still new truths that God desires to teach me.  Truths that I had never before supposed! (Moses 1:10).  A month ago I finished the Book of Mormon once again, and someone keeps adding to it!  Every time I read it I find more!  There are always verses that get me thinking that I had never noticed.  There is so much truth to learn!

I know that the fulness of the gospel can be made known to all who ask in sincere faith.  God is our Father, Jesus is our Exemplar, and the Holy Ghost is our beloved Teacher.  I testify of a very real resurrection and of a Savior with a very literal body.  I know that He lives.

Let this next week be a great one!  Remember God in all you do and you will find true peace!  (Proverbs 3:5-6).

With love,

Elder A. Jared Cummings

A Igreja e Verdadaires!

(Sister Ellsworth)

Ola from the Portuguese District!!

Well I've reached my halfway mark (in the MTC...) and I think I've finally figured out the trick to falling asleep immediately, knowing which lunchline is the fastest, and when to do your laundry! Haha! This week has been quite a bit calmer than the past two. We're more in a routine so there isn't too much to talk about.

We did have a little pranking back and forth between my district and the district across the hall. They started it by putting smiley face stickers all over our classroom. Then a few days later we "BOM"ed them with Book of Mormon stickers that we got from the book store. In retaliation, they put crickets -- yes crickets-- in our room. They were dead "edible" crickets which was enough to make one of our sisters gag. We gathered all the crickets up and put them in a baggie to which we taped to their whiteboard and said "Temos nao medo!" Which means "we have no fear".

My companion and I had a really good lesson with one of our investigators this week as well. One of the best things about teaching the Gospel in Portuguese is you have to be super simple. Simplicity helps so much when teaching because the Spirit testifies so strongly of the simple gospel truths like Heavenly Father loves you and we can be with our families forever because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

We also get the opportunity to watch "movies" on Sunday nights, which are usually gospel movies like Meet the Mormons or old devotionals from the Apostles. This sunday we watched the Joseph Smith Restoration movie and I hope that everyone gets a chance to watch that move with 300 missionaries. There was a part where Joseph kisses Emma for the first time and the whole auditorium went absolutely nuts. My companion leaned over to me and commented that that one very chaste kiss was all the action we were gonna see for a long time.  After the movie was over someone started singing Praise to the Man and all of us joined in. That was one of the most powerful moments I've ever felt.

One of my goals for my mission is to develop Charity. I'd love your support and feedback with scriptures or quotes! Some really good scriptures I've found about charity are Moroni 7: 45-46 (though that whole chapter is the bomb.com) 2 Nephi 32:2-3, D&C 42:6, and D&C 4:5. Charity allows us to feel Christlike love for those around us and nothing could change the world faster than some charity!! I love all you guys and I hope you're well.

very generous and nameless package came! The district might have eaten all the candy in less than a day... whoops! :D

We walked up to the Provo Temple and we lost half the Elders by the time we got to the top... :)

Minha Companeira!​​​

We bought all the ice cream in the vending machines and had an ice cream party! BYU ice cream is the bomb!!

Stay classy!

Tudo Bem!

Love,

Sister Ellsworth

p.s. sorry if you go this twice... i added a bunch of contacts that weren't saved so I wasn't sure who had gotten it. Hope we can still be friends!

Because of Him

(Anziano Wilkinson)

This week Anziano Te Maari and I had and will continue to have a great Fourth of July week. Starting on Monday, we were invited to eat over at the house of a half-American half-Italian family (the husband, Peter, is American and the wife, Fausta, is Italian). They made all kinds of American food that I hadn't had in forever; everything from guacamole to ribs. My companion is from New Zealand, but since they eat similar foods as we usually do in the states he was equally excited to celebrate our Independence Day. Today we had a zone grill out to which a bunch of missionaries in our zone came (it was a lot of fun). And on Saturday we will have a ward grill out. So basically the only thing I'm missing about the Fourth of July this year is the unending fireworks. All this American style food has been/will continue to be amazing. You would be surprised about how rare some foods are in Italy that are typical for us back home, like peanut butter, bacon, and barbecue sauce. I'm always very appreciative whenever I get to eat these things, because after a while, you begin

to miss them haha.

We also got to meet our new mission president and his wife, the Allens! They are extremely loving people and from just the two hours that we were there together with them I could tell that they are truly

seeking to follow the example of Christ. I'm excited to work alongside them in this wonderful country!

Anziano Te Maari and I found ourselves using a particular video a lot in our lessons this week and watching it so much has given me a broader perspective on it. The video is called "Because of Him" and is

all about what is possible for us because of what Jesus Christ did. Repeatedly I have been touched by the power behind the words in that video. Among other things, it talks about how because of Him, "we can start again." Because of Him, we have "clean slates" and "new beginnings." Because of Him, "Guild becomes peace, regret becomes relief, [and] despair becomes hope." I am unbelievably grateful for the gift that Christ gave to us. He gave us His own life so that we might live. He took upon Him the spiritual pains of sin so that if we looked to Him, "he might blot out [our] transgressions." And He took upon Him the physical pains of mortality so that He might "be filled with mercy" and be able to "succor his people according to their infirmities" (Alma 7:12-13).

Jesus Christ is our Savior. He lived a sinless life, taught His gospel, and led His followers. He took upon Him our sins and

infirmities in the Garden of Gethsemane and then was betrayed and sentenced to death by His own people. He died on the cross. Three days later, He rose from the dead. He lives today. How grateful I am that we have a savior. Because of Him we have second chances and "there is no such thing as the end." Let us go forward rejoicing in this simple truth!

Go watch this video that I've been talking about. It's truly fantastic! The name is "Because of Him" and you can find it at this website: http://www.mormon.org/becauseofhim . It's only two and a half minutes long and I promise it is well worth your time! Have great week and spend some time thinking about what is possible for you personally "because of Him."

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

American-Italian Family 4th of July Barbecue Zone grill out

President Allen and Sorella Allen

Week Two: fireworks, long lost cousins and the church is still true!

(Sister Ellsworth)

Happy 4th of July!

Well I made it. Woot! Everyone told me the first week was hard but they didn't mention that it would feel like it last 6 months! We've hit our stride, learning Portuguese out the wahoo and teaching investigators in another language. We pray, sing, and talk in class in Portuguese pretty easily when it comes to gospel related topics. 

So super weird thing... .I met two long lost cousins this week!! Both are descended from Edmund Lovell Ellsworth (Thanks Grandpa for teaching my my family History). I think it was an amazing blessing to have family alongside the work with me. Sister Ellsworth (not me) is going to the Philippines and she's from Arizona. I didn't catch where the other is going but she has the same red hair I do! 

On Saturday night they let all 2000 of us missionaries out into the parking lot to watch the fireworks. We sang songs and had queso, chips, oreos, and lots of junk. It was great to see the fireworks.  :) 

Everyone has asked me about the MTC food and honestly it's not too bad. The eggs are probably the nastiest thing ever but I usually prefer just to get a salad and fruit bowl. Even then, there's a lot of food XD Something interesting that happens here is that people sing and harmonize while they are getting ready in the morning. Our room is across the hall from the showers and bathrooms and we woke up this morning to the national anthem ringing through the halls. Everyone has such a brilliant light of Christ about them!

We got to clean the Temple and go on a temple walk which was a great experience. I have a great district (or group of people I learn with) who are all so nice and dedicated to serving Heavenly Father and sharing the happiness that Christ brings. 

Something I loved this week was a devotional given by Jolene Swenson. She talked about mistakes and how they are a part of out lives. Can you laugh at you mistakes? Being in the MTC i make more mistakes in one sentence than i have in a very long time. It's very humbling to ask for help and to take advice from someone who knows more than I do. Mistakes change us and help us learn. Act for yourself and don't be acted up. You have the freedom to choose, thanks to the free country we live in and to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Have the faith to throw yourself out of your comfort zone, because refusing to progress because of fear of change is the worst thing that can happen to someone. We are here to learn, progress, grow, and have love for each other. You are free to change into something better. 

My cousin, Sister Ellsworth!! 

​I have the best Companion, Sister Johnson!

​We both struggle with Portuguese... But Tudo Bem!

​Getting all Artsy Fartsy. This is one of my favoite pictures!

​The sisters in my zone.

​Our district mascot!

​Our zone on 4th of july

​

Tudo Bem!

Much Amor,

Sister Ellsworth

More pictures: 

My awesome companion

terrible picture but this was our "we are not impressed by these fireworks" faces

There are nearly 2000 missionaries at the MTC right now!!

Learning By the Spirit

(Elder Cummings)

We got transfer calls last night and Elder Bagley and I will be staying together for at least six more weeks!  Our area has so much power in it!  The branch is cozy now in the summers with only around twenty making it out to sacrament meeting each week.  All of the members love the missionaries, and are very happy to help us in any way they can.  I absolutely love it here!  I can consistently find ways to grow and improve myself as a disciple of Christ.  Elder Bagley and I have started studying paj lug, literally translated to "flower words."  Paj lug are poetic couplet phrases and speech patterns that show the highest respect that can be given in Hmong culture.  Elder Bagley and I have been implementing them into our prayers.  It has been a wonderful experience to learn better how to address my Heavenly Father in love, in Hmong.

With over half of the branch out of town for the fourth of July, this week could have been a slower one in teaching, but we have powered through it.  We have been led by the Spirit to neighborhoods, and then to streets, and then to doors that have been ready to receive the message we share.  The Lord is so merciful to us.  He speaks to us "according to [our] language , unto [our] understanding" (2 Nephi 31:3).  He wants to be understood!  He wants to teach us!  

One of the people we have been teaching is preparing for baptism later this month.  Years ago he overcame cigarette addiction, and more recently he has conquered alcohol.  As we were visiting him this last week we began to talk about repentance.  As we discussed he was taught new truths by the Holy Ghost and became aware of additional steps he must take to be completely free from these past transgressions.  He had to pray for forgiveness!  The Spirit taught him as we talked.  God spoke to him through the still, small, voice.

I have felt that teaching influence all through my life.  It is an incredible blessing.  He will teach you all if you listen for it.  He will teach you as you attend church, as you pray, and as you study His holy words.  He will teach you in a way that you can understand!

I pray that you will all have a wonderful Fourth of July!  I love living in a nation where men and women are free to act and believe.  It is truly a blessing from God.

With love,

Elder A. Jared Cummings

The Truth About Miracles

(Anziano Wilkinson)

This week was the last week in the mission for President and Sister Dibb; their spots have now been taken by President and Sister Allen. While we're sad to see the Dibbs go, I can't help but be excited for what's the fresh new mission president and his wife will be like and how their strengths will continue to enhance this mission even more than ever before. I am hoping that their fresh enthusiasm will inspire us to greater commitment levels and greater success! We will get to meet them on Tuesday and I'm sure I'm not the only one excited to meet them!

This week I stumbled across a poem that really struck me. It's called "Student" by Jessie Eastman Holt and it talks about the speaker's hunt for knowledge. It's goes like this:

I set a snare for knowledge

On every epic page;

Pursued the word of wisdom

Up and down an age;

Poet, saint, and wise man

Stealthily I stalked;

Listening, I followed

The very ways they walked.

But soon I stood astounded,

For every path they trod

In the end curved widely,

Swiftly back to God.

I like that it starts out sharing the story of the speaker's educational journey and then wraps it all back in at the end to share with us his most important discovery, the one he never really expected to find, that each school of thought he explored lead him to the same realization that God was the mastermind behind all of it. I love this concept because one of the truths that a I hold most dear is that all truth can be grouped together as one great whole. There is no truth that does not complement and support other truths. Whether we're talking about science, philosophy, or religion, what's true will always supports other truths, while what is not true will never consistently support untruths. This doctrine brings a lot of peace to my mind because even though it's slightly obvious because it shows to me that our Heavenly Father is not a father of confusion, but rather a Deity of harmony and logic. He never works beyond the realms of what is true, or, in other words, He is not a God of magic. Even the most unexplainable miracles are subject to this truth, from turning water to wine, to raising Lazarus from the dead, to the miracle of the atonement. None of these miracles were done by magic, but by quite logical and true means that we simply don't have the knowledge and understanding to explain yet. Understanding miracles and the influence of God like this does not diminish their grandeur, but instead helps us to realize and appreciate the incomprehensible wisdom of our Heavenly Father and His supreme influence over the elements. Many things that we can accomplish today would have been considered miracles decades ago. For instance, with a few taps we can use a smartphone to instantly video call our friend in China from anywhere in the world to wish him a happy birthday. Is this not miraculous? Let us not forget that the heavenly gift of greater enlightenment was never intended to make us think less of God, but instead cause us to marvel even more greatly at the beauty and wonder that is so prevalent in the universe He has created for us. When we take a step back and see this life for what it really is, we realize that truly everything around us is a miracle, from friends and family to a nice comfortable home to the stability and safety of an organized government. Quite easily we could say that all of the instances of the hand of the Lord in our lives are, in their own ways, miracles.

I'm so grateful for the many miracles in my life that inspire me to greater gratitude and greater desires to do good. I'm so grateful that truth is truth no matter where you find it and for the inspiration that it gives me to never stop learning. This week, ponder the miracles in your life; look for the blessings, even the small ones. Then, ponder on how you can invite the hand of God into your life even more. The words of the Book of Mormon prophet Moroni might be of assistance. He says, "it is by faith that miracles are wrought." Increase your faith, see miraculous things. As you look for miracles in your life I am certain you will find them and as you nurture your faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, I can promise that you will see even more.

Enjoy your week and all the miraculous blessings it will bring!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson