I'm not Lae-ing!

Ps note to my friends on facebook:

 See you guys all in 4 weeks. Try not to get too excited and focus in on all your finals... Haha What a pain. Love you all and hope you guys don't make fun of my accent or my English too much... Time flies that's for sure. Told you all I would be right back! Start the preparations.  - Elder Ingalls

Never thought that would have been said about me! 11-16-2014

Mommy!

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I actually had a great birthday dinner with the elders a guy that worked in the mission office! It's been a good week and we have been so busy. But I have loved it all and I really enjoy being busy like this. No signs of slowing down. As I told dad we have two investigators that are going to be getting interviewed this week and hopefully baptized in the next week or two! Way excited and we have only taught them for like 3 weeks now! This is easily the hardest working I have working my whole mission. I just understand my potential and know I can work at a higher capacity than what I have been doing before. It's been great but definitely exhausted!!

 

Training as kept me working hard and more obedient. It's cool that president told me last week I was a model for hard working and obedience in the mission right now! Never thought that would have been said about me! I work hard and try but I always feel like there was better. Some elder this week told me how I was their role model in the mission. That's so crazy that I remember the missionaries that I wanted to be like and how awesome they were, but now I'm being looked up to and I used to look up to those people. Way cool. Just makes me wanna go hard and finish strong. I'm so happy right now and so motivated to improve on everything. I'm trying my hardest to learn 15 new words a day, to read hard everyday and to lift hard everyday. I'm accomplishing a lot. My son, Elder Lesser is the man. He is th exact same type of elder as my trainer Elder Watkins. It's weird how alike they are. Starting and ending the same. He acts like he knows how to do missionary work and sometimes tells me what to do but I try my best to accept what he says and value his input. He's a goal guy and sometimes I feel like he's really frustrated with me speaking Marshallese half the time and just expecting him to speak it. In lessons he will teach then look at me but I just tell him to keep teaching which I know he hates but it pushes him. I know that he's gonna be a good elder, or at least I will have give him all the right tools and help to be a good elder. 

 

I'm so scared to come home. Doesn't really feel like coming home but more like starting everything over again. I'm so comfortable with missionary work and the islands. I feel like I'm gonna be weird when I get home. More than Tanner and Logan because they went to white people places and it wasn't 180 degrees different and they probably never had to sleep on the ground on their missions or literally fish to have food. Haha their missions are still amazing tho! It'll be fun to talk to then about it in the position that I am in right now! I emailed grandma and said we all need to bear our testimonies at Christmas in our mission languages! Dad, Tanner, Logan and me. And Conner in English :) I'll get him going don't worry. I think that will be a really cool idea! I think I am going to go crazy not being able to speak it as much as I want. But there are tons of people here that I can skype all the time and keep things going with and texting Elders in Marshallese and what not. I want to get even better at Marshallese after the mission. I'll be able to do it no worries. 

 

Sorry I don't have heaps of time to email this week but between yours a Dad's emails it's a good is amount so please read his as well! I love you so much I will write more next week! If there is any souvenirs you want me to get let me know! Love you so much mommy! Tell everyone yokwe for me

 

Love Elder Ingalls "La Tiemlo"

I know this church is true 11-9-2014

Mom!!!

Thanks for the great email! That's awesome that you woke up at 5 just to make sure I am written! Not being able to talk much these last couple of months has been difficult but just made me love you and appreciate you so much more. It's kinda therapeutic to get your emails and just see what's going on! Yes it will be weird to go home. I can't even handle 24 degrees Celsius with the air conditioning at night. I don't know what that is in Fahrenheit but I assume maybe mid 70s and that's death for me!! I have a sweat shirt and I just snuggle up with all my laundry covering me as a blanket! Doesn't help my companion wants to sleep it absolutely freezing temps!! And not having the water is going to be really weird! I have heard the ocean waves 24/7 for 2 years now and it'll just be so quiet without them!! And our lakes are good but... They might possibly be frozen! Haha I can't really imagine that. It's weird to think I grew up and moved away for 2 years and my previous 19 years are a blur! It will be hard to transition back too! 

 

And congrats for Dalton going on a mission. His family needs that. I know he will do great! Hopefully I see him before he goes so I can pump him up and tell him how awesome mission life is! Good for him. Glad our ward has more people wanting to serve! Is there anyone else that's coming up? I don't know the youth in our ward at all haha

 

Don't worry about Conner. When I get home were gonna be best friends again and I'm gonna be stronger than he is being right now and I'm gonna make the best example for him ever. I pray hard for him and pray mostly to know why God wants him to have these trials. He needs a stronger testimony and the only way I see him doing that is for him to see both sides. It's too bad but I know one day he's gonna come back with a stronger testimony than any of us!

 

Glad you liked my pic of me shirtless :) [Only MY son would send me a shirtless picture of himself while serving on a mission! He wanted us to see how muscular he's become since living on the islands and eating healthier and exercising more. It really has made a huge difference! I hope he can keep it up when he gets home!]  haha I will send some more out to you hopefully today if I can get it working again!! I'm getting into shape and everything is great. Definitely in the best shape of my life and eating well and just feel good. I'm gonna be your personal trainer when I get home so be prepared for that!! [Good luck with that!]

 

This week we have done a ton of finding and just trying to get new investigators. I've been doing pretty well with it and it's basically just me and the spirit because my companion doesn't really do much. Well, can't do much haha it's good tho. I have really had to pray and rely on the spirit to help me find people to teach. Almost everyone we talk to we have had positive contact with.  I haven't had too much of a problem finding people and keeping busy. Life is good and I'm happy to walk out of the house each day. Not just happy but excited and pumped up!! 

 

I've considered going back out to school in January but I think I'm gonna work. I really want to work for dad's company and make bank for awhile and save money for school. I don't have money for school right now and I need to not use you guys. I owe you guys too much money as it is! I definitely don't think I'll last long in Minnesota but I would like to try and get good jobs in Minnesota and if not go to Utah and be there. Still trying to come up with a plan. And school 3 weeks after being home would be so overwhelming and idk if I could transition that fast. I'm definitely still thinking about it though. 

 

I know I got about a month left but this is honestly the hardest I have worked my entire mission and easily the most obedience I have ever been it's been great and I love it. No signs of slowing down until I'm on the plane home. Just so excited about missionary work right now and just the chance to do this great work. I love my language capacity and I love how outgoing I have become with these people. These are some of the best people in the world and I'm gonna miss this place so much. Words can't even begin to describe that. 

 

Just so happy right now. Lae really changed me and I have really let myself become the man that God wants me to be. I'm still the same semi-immature Dallin but I think you all will notice a difference. Especially when it comes to church things. 

 

Just now wanna say how much I love you and I am getting the best Christmas present ever by getting to come home and spend it will you!! You are my mommy :) I love being around you and just having the best parents in the world. Can't wait to come home and getting ripped at the gym with you and dad!! Change begins the moment you think about it. I know this church is true and I'm happy to be in the Marshall's right now. I don't really think there is a better thing I could be doing with my life and being a missionary right now! I'm not perfect, even though most of the time I think I am.. I'm trying my best and trying to be like out savior Jesus Christ. Only a couple more weeks! I promise to work as absolutely hard as I can and come home exhausted! Love you mommy :)

 

Love Elder Ingalls 

 

Ps you're pretty :)

I love teaching people about prayer 11-2-2014

Mother dear :)

How are we this fine morning? Sorry last week was short! I didn't have any money! But we're good now. Just want to start my letter and tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I know you and dad need blessings and that's why I'm working so hard. Even when my mission is ending. I'm working like I'm getting paid a thousand bucks a day to do it! So happy to be a missionary right now. I told dad how much I missed Lae and how much I learned and grew there. I gained the most knowledge and the most gain in my Christ like attributes. I'm far from perfect, but closer than I was. And these last two months I'm gonna try to be even better. Lae helped me gain the knowledge, here in Delap training Elder Lesser is my application. I want to be known as a rock star here. And to do that we just have to work hard and try our best. Our best along with preach my gospel and the spirit, there is nothing that can stop us. Lae changed me so much and so many people have noticed it. It's great. I feel like a new person. I'm so happy and motivated. I've prayed so hard to have that motivation and Heavenly Father has definitely answered my prayers. I know that prayers are definitely answered and helpful. I love teaching people about prayer. It's my favorite thing. Just because I know it works. I makes more sense than 2+2. Definitely know more about the gospel and have such a deeper testimony than before. My testimony was wet concrete before but it's hardened now. But still be adding too. 

 

So yeah this week was pretty good. Weird having to do so much and my comp is new so everything is on me. It's hard to start over in an area but it's a good challenge and I like it. Really gets me out of my comfort zone and helps me just improve on everything. I really push Elder Lesser to learn the language and work hard. Hopefully he doesn't hate me too much right now because it'll only help him later. I wish I had companions when I was young in the mission to push me really hard. Never really have. We were always evenly motivated or me being motivated more. I think he gets frustrated when I talk to people and don't really include him. It's hard trying to involve him in finding but I just take it away. I have high expectations though. It's good. I'm happy to train. Lae gave me knowledge, and Delap is giving me application. 

 

(Elder Hix says hi heather and he can't wait to meet you when he comes to stay with us in Minnesota! And stay sweet!)

 

I'm so excited for you to get my letters I wrote to you in Lae! I'm gonna send them off to you this week! Basically everything I did out there! I can't stop talking about it with all the elders! To be honest Majuro is very different and I still haven't got used to the air conditioning or white people or the English yet... Don't know if I will. I'm so cold at night and my companion says how hot he is so yeah, I basically freeze!

 

It's crazy how much I have grown in the mission and how different I am now. I even notice the change in myself. My studies are so different. They used to be so general now they are extremely specific and I get so much out of them. I'm following the rules in the best way I can. I'm not perfect but I know that I'm doing a good job. I feel good at the end of the day and completely exhausted from a hard days work. I'm so excited about missionary work and I hope to help the elders out a bit when I go home! 

 

Well, I will write more next week when I have a bit more time and hopefully more stories to be told! I love you mommy and I'll be right back!!

 

Love your son

 

Ps I'm so excited to just tell you everything in person and just hug you. I'm focusing way hard on the work. All the missionaries are shocked by it and I really think I'm setting a good example. 

 

Pss I realllllly love you and you're going to love your Christmas present

 

Psss hope I'm not annoying with will how much I talk about my mission... Haha love you babe

The Other, Other Side of Heaven 10-26-2014

Mommy!

Well I'm finally back on Majuro and boy it's it just a shock to have air conditioning, see cars and drink cold water! It's been so weird I can only imagine what it's like when it is an even bigger shock coming home! The mission should have given you my flight plans looks like I'm flying in at 10pm at night which is a bummer!! But whatever it's alright. 

 

Boy do I miss Lae. Never realized how much I learned out there and how many stories and experiences I had there! I'm a little weird but I'll be normal soon. My language is fine but I used so much Marshallese words and usually just speak to the elders in Marshallese. My son is great. His name is Elder Lesser. He's the man. He lived in Singapore for 5 years before his mission. I'm gonna work him like crazy. I'm so stoked about missionary work and just gonna finish absolutely drained!! I reached ultimate nerd status in Lae and never realized how much of the gospel I know and how great I've become at the scriptures. It's because of hard work and the spirit. I have an absolutely incredible amount if motivation to lift, study and teach right now. It's been great and I don't have any time to waste!!

 

Lae was an amazing experience for me and I feel like I gotta have a separate journal for all the stories. Maybe a "the other other side of heaven" book coming out. I never realized how patient I have become and just loving people. I am so talkative and can't shut up because I really didn't have anyone for 4 months to talk to! Lesser is probably hating me but it's funny. 

 

The mission is coming to a close and I'm just so happy about everything. Gonna be exhausted when I get home and that's how it needs to be. I love you and I will write more next week because I have to pay for email now and I have no money :( but I love you. Take care and I'll be right back!

 

Love Elder ingalls