Elder Porter Ellis

Aloha 皆さん、   Join the Google photos fr(ノ-_-)ノ~┻━┻ https://photos.app.goo.gl/2tYzpjfjReZvcoCs7   This week went by so fast, not even gonna lie. Anyways a ton happened but in specific I was talking to one of the APs (Assistant to the Mission President) and we got on the topic of behavior which struck a huge cord with me. Before when I was up in Utah on my mission and even now I guess I write these emails with deep thoughts or insights. Then when I went home I was still me and I guess to my parents it seemed like I digressed in maturity (?) Because even though I have these profound thoughts or insights and I share some in my emails I'm still ME. I'm still a 20 year old man child that can certainly act like a child sometimes. And I kind of shared that thought with my AP, that it's definitely something I need to work on. Aligning my thoughts and actions, not letting waves of emotions control my actions. And he shared that that's what it means to change our behavior. Changi...

 Aloha 皆さん、 I didn't write my email on Sunday like normal because I was crazy busy so no super profound thought this week sorry! I will share a quick scripture and invite you all to ponder it :)  This is from Alma 38:1-6 please read as if they were talking to YOU!  1 My son (daughter), give ear to my words, for I say unto you, even as I said unto Helaman, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence.  2 And now, my son (daughter), I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end.  3 I say unto you, my son (daughter), that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy dilig...

Aloha 皆さん、 Today I want to talk about Pride, Ego and Humility. In Utah this was always a common topic for me to have in my emails because I think it's naturally the hardest for me but not for why you might think. Anyways during our last district council meeting our AP was talking about Humility and asked me what I thought it was. I answered back that it was not having pride or an ego. Because when we are prideful or have a huge ego that's when we start to compare ourselves to others and think of ourselves as better. We develop thoughts that only dig a deeper hole. And when we compare ourselves we can never be satisfied because we are looking externally for something we lack internally. Seeking external validation for internal insecurities. So when we are able to cast out that pride or ego then we can be humble and seek improvement and accept criticism. The AP agreed but also added that being humble is also being able to follow God's will. Which reminded me of what my ZL to...

Aloha 皆さん、 Join the Google photos album ＼(´Ｏ｀)／ https://photos.app.goo.gl/2tYzpjfjReZvcoCs7 “Preoccupied with a single leaf, You won't see the tree. Preoccupied with a single tree, And you'll miss the entire forest” -Takuan Soho Recently I've felt fixated on so many small things and I feel like I'm missing the bigger picture. When I first read that quote I never thought about how it ever applied to me and my life. I understood the concept of being preoccupied with the leaf and missing the tree, And being too focused on the tree and missing the forest. But I never thought about what my leaf was, what my tree was, and what my forest was. The more you think about it the more you wonder what the leaf, the tree, and the forest is. I feel like I'm rambling so I digress Alma 34:32 says For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. Throughout my life there's so many ...

Aloha 皆さん、 If you don't join my Google photos album you're an opp (ノ-_-)ノ~┻━┻ https://photos.app.goo.gl/2tYzpjfjReZvcoCs7 OK wow it's been a week already. Let's catch everyone up to speed. I was home for 6 months, half of which was a visa (skill) issue. I hit a 225+ bench while I was home which feels small after the fact (road to 315) but I digress. I was able to do a lot of things like go to the temple, work at the bishop's storehouse and spend time with family which was nice. BUT I am honestly so happy to be in Japan ITS GREAT. Everyone here is so nice, the members are awesome and the missionaries are all such hard workers! The mission here is a little different than in Utah. In Utah we covered two stakes and 18 wards and everyone had a basic understanding of Jesus Christ and who we were so it was very straightforward. Here though everyone knows Jesus Christ's name but not about why he's so famous or what he did for us. It's also super weird if we j...