Hello everyone!!!

What a great week! 

So we got our 2 new sister missionaries on Wednesday!! We have Sister Durrant, who is from Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona. She looks like Rach and it's so crazy because sometimes I feel like I am hanging out with Rach back home and it's awesome! S/O to the best sis-in-law everrrrrr! haha and we also have Sister Vorkink, who is from Cedar City, Utah.  They are literally the best of the best!! They have so much "greenie faith" as we like to call it and are just super excited to jump in and work hard. And that's exactly what we are doing. Diligence + obedience = Miracles!! And we are seeing nothing short of miracles over here in the Parkland ward. We actually have 2 elders back in Parkland ward as well, so we've got a nice crew of 6 full time missionaries in our ward. We're about to tear this place up ;)

Our day with Sister Ritchie this past week was the best!! We got to go do yard work with Wanda one last time before we lost Brookdale. It was the best! I love Wanda with all my heart! She is just a ball of sunshine. 

We are teaching Maggie, who is 8 years old and neither of her parents are members. They are super supportive of her enthusiastic desire to come to church each week and to be baptized. She is the cutest thing in the world and is being baptized in October. Sister Durrant and I went to a lesson with her this past week. I love the faith that children have. Maggie is amazing!

We are still working with the Russians. There are some complications...but they are still fighting anything that gets in their way of being baptized and are working towards a baptism date in October as well.

We've got a very large teaching pool right now and are running from appointment to appointment. And now we have 2 extra missionaries so we are able to cover double the amount of appointments in one day than before. 

This week as a mission, we read a talk called "It Isn't a Sin to be Weak". In it, it says, "Nowhere is God's love, wisdom, and redemptive power more evident than in His ability to turn our struggle with human weakness into the invaluable godly virtues and strengths that make us more like Him." I have a strong testimony of this principle talked about in Ether 12:27. Just like with Moroni, sometimes God doesn't offer to change our weaknesses, but to change US. In the talk, it says, "By tackling the challenge of human weakness, we can learn charity, compassion, meekness, patience, courage, long-suffering, wisdom, stamina, forgiveness, resilience, gratitude, creativity, and a host of other virtues that make us more like our Father in Heaven. These are the very qualities we came to earth to hone, the Christlike attributes that prepare us for the mansions above." As hard as it is to say it, I am grateful for weaknesses. It is my weaknesses that cause me to humble myself before the Lord and allow His grace to change me and to help others change to become more like Him. That is the reason we are on the earth, isn't it? I love it!

I love being a missionary and focusing solely on the most important thing we can do here on earth...gathering Israel!!! #WEIT (Whatever It Takes!!!)

Have a great week!

xoxo

Sister Ellis

Also here is more about when President Nelson visited us: https://www.lds.org/church/news/president-nelson-shares-5-lessons-life-has-taught-me-with-49000-in-safeco-field?lang=eng

The Uhls came and visited us from Bainbridge and took us out to dinner!!!!
I LOVE MY MISSION FAMILY!!!

Lunch?

Mission Home!!

Ritchie, York, and I @ the Parkland wall

Me, Durrant, Vorkink, York...we're in love <3

Lakewood Zone with Pres Marchant :)

Tasty Tri-Tip

I got this yummy recipe from the "Keeping Up" cookbook (sequel to the "Favorites" cookbook).  I didn't have tri-tip so I substituted flank steak for it and it was SO good.  This one's a keeper!  Enjoy!

2 1/2 pounds tri-tip steaks
1 large onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
1 cup terriyaki sauce (we use Kikkoman)
3 T. chopped garlic
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 (12 oz) can Sprite

Stir together oil, steak sauce, teriyaki sauce, garlic, hot sauce, and Sprite.  Pour marinade into a large Ziploc bag, then add steaks and onion. Marinate overnight.

Remove steaks from marinade and grill for 5-10 minutes on each side.

Fresh Peach Crumble

6 cups peeled sliced ripe peaches
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 T. flour
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest, grated
1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
14 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

Heat oven to 275.  Put peach sliced in greased (buttered), shallow 11x7 baking dish.  Mix brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, peel and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the peaches.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.  Stir in egg until mixture is coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over peaches.  Drizzle butter evenly over topping.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.  Serves 10.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Forgive my photo, believe me it doesn't do this salad justice.

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cooled (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)

8 cups romaine lettuce), thinly sliced

1 medium red pepper, cut into strips

1 medium yellow pepper, cut into strips

½ c. green onions

½ c. sesame seeds

1 can mandarin oranges

1 ½ c. chow mein noodles

Dressing: 1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. salt

1 t. sesame seeds

3 T. soy sauce

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 t. sesame seed oil

1 t. fresh garlic, minced

Warning, this recipe makes enough for a small army.

I served with warm parmesan breadsticks.

Gooey Bars

For those of you that already have this DELICIOUS dessert recipe, shame on you for keeping it from me for so long! I am inlove!

Mix: 1 c. flour, 1 c. oats, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 3/4 c. brown sugar, 3/4 c. melted butter and a pinch of salt. Mix well and press HALF of this mixture in the bottom of a 8X8 greased dish (I line it with foil and spray it with cooking spray) Bake 10 minutes in 350 degree oven. Take out and then.....
Sprinkle 6-8 oz. chocolate chips over crust and then sprinkle 1/2 c. crushed walnuts or pecans over that.
Mix 1 c. caramel ice cream topping from a jar with 2 T. flour. Stir well and pour over top of choc chips and nuts layer.
Take the rest of your left over crumb mixture and sprinkle over the top evenly. Bake 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely (I let it cool overnight) so that it firms up before cutting into bars.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Warning: These are extremely low-fat!

11 oz butter (2 3/4 sticks)
10 oz bittersweet chocolate
6 eggs
6 egg yolks
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 c flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. I always use ceramic ramekins which I think are 6 or 8 oz. Grease ramekins and set aside. I use soft butter and "paint" them with a pastry brush.

In a bowl over saucepan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. Melting chocolate can also be done in the microwave but the trick is to do it slowly.
Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yoks, and sugar. Whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture after it has cooled. Then whisk in the flour.
Fill ramekins with batter and bake for 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove immediately from oven and turn upside down. Cake will be gooey in the middle. Serve with vanilla ice-cream or whatever sounds good.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
2-3 T olive oil (enough to coat potatoes)
1 lb peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices


Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add olive oil. Put in large ziploc bag with sliced sweet potatoes and squish bag so potatoes are thoroughly coated.
Spray roasting pan with cooking spray and spread potatoes out and roast in oven for 5-10 minutes or until done.
These are soooo good and easy.