12-14-2014 This is it... my last email ever to you.

Mother dear!!

Well this is my last email I'm going to be writing to you... dang its way sad and I feel like I'm not really leaving.. it still hasn't hit me... I think it might hit me when I get on the plane in a day or so... its sooo quick.

I have never worked harder my whole mission and this last Saturday 2 of my investigators, Netrine Jita and Jola William got baptized!!! It was definitely one of the most stressful days of my life because it was just out of my control and I didn't know if it was going to happen or not... we went to their house and they said they were ready then they would taxi there and I was doubtful if they would have money or just would come or not...  they said they would come at 6... 6 came...didnt come... 630 came nobody... 7..nobody... 715 they came!!!! I was about to say the baptism is cancelled but I just couldn't do it and didn't want to do it. I'm so grateful that they came and it was a wonderful program and I was so excited for them to be able to get baptized! The next day they came a little late to sacrament meeting but they got confirmed and sang with the youth in sacrament meeting. It was great! Extremely stressful but I'm so glad they got baptized and were ready to go!!

So yeah this has been a great way for me to end my mission. I know that it's because I worked really hard that Heavenly Father blessed me with progressing investigators to keep me going and positive. I'm so grateful for missionary work. I don't wanna say too much cuz I'll just explain everything in a few days... but I'm way excited to see you and hug you a bunch!!! You are the best and I love you so much.

I just want to end with my testimony that I know that what I have been doing for the last two years has been such a blessing to me and my family. I know that this church is true and that Heavenly Father loves us all. My testimony has increased majorly since I have been on my mission. I know a lot of people are worried about me coming home and screwing around, but if you guys have gotten anything out of my emails and the work I have done you all will know how converted I am and how excited I am to live my religion as just a normal person. I hate that I feel like you all think I'm perfect and some spiritual giant. I definitely know more but I'm far from perfect. I'm the same Dallin you guys all know! Just a little more refined and have a good knowledge of things and I'm more prepared to face this world. I love you all so much and I couldn't stand breaking your hearts. This is an eternal gospel and I'm gonna do my best to stand strong and continue in the faith. I love you mommy.

This is it... my last email ever to you. I love you so much and can't wait to hug you!!! Take care and see you in a couple hours

Elder Ingalls

12-7-2014 Love you bunches and be right back!!

Mom!

So these are my last couple of days! This is basically my last email to you guys! Next week I'm just gonna write out my testimony and give you the thoughts of a dying elder, then come home and give you the biggest huge ever! It's gonna be weird for you to not have a little boy out on a mission! It's been that way for years now! You'll get a little break before we get Conner out serving one! So anyways this week has been pretty lousy.. I have been way sick with stomach pains and throwing up cuz of bad food. Not really bad, but just I'm not used to American style food and it just destroys me whenever I eat it. Haha so in in trouble to go home! But I feel better a bit now. Regardless I have been working really hard and just been having a really good time! It's hard to not give up or let indifference come into everything. I just love these people and the members and my investigators. They are just so cool and I'm working hard just because I love to talk to them and hear about their lives and then teach them how to make their lives better. It's been pretty awesome. 

 

This last Saturday our 2 girls, Netrine and Jola, were supposed to get baptism but they fell through last minute. The font was filled and everything! It's a lot of pressure and they need more time. It's heart breaking because I don't have anymore time!! They will either get baptism next week or in the next couple if weeks. It's so sad that I don't have that time to help them more... But it's been alright and I'm Not getting too down on myself about it. I know that it's in heavenly fathers hands and that he loves these two girls and will provide a way for them to get baptized when it's the right time. If I can't get them baptized, at least they are coming to seminary and church and have received an answer about Joseph smith and know that this church is true. My patriarchal blessing kinda talks about people receiving the gospel during my service and after. Just didn't think it would be like that. But it's been comforting for are to have read that. I wish I could have done more or worked harder. But then again I don't know how I could have. I literally have given Heavenly Father 100% of my this last transfer. I'm showing him that my faith isn't the problem in the equation. All people have their agency and can do what they like. But in going to make sure my faith isn't the problem. 

 

So yeah being sick hasn't been any fun. Still working out though. I hope I can get a gym membership when I get home so I can continue on and work out and get ripped with you! I know you laughed when I said how were gonna get beach bods. I'm glad you got the laughing out of your system so we can get down to business and get ripped! 

 

Oh yes thank you for my birthday package!!!!!! I was so happy to get that and I shared it will all the elders and they were way happy about it as well! That was so nice of you guys! I didn't think I would get another package on my mission! I never got the scriptures and the pants... You guys should track it and see where it's at.. Way bummed. So yeah I definitely am gonna get a new pair when I go home. I'm not sure what kind I want so hold off on buying them if you can! I'm so sad I didn't get those.. Hopefully if someone took them they are reading them and gonna get baptized soon!! I haven't found any Marshallese nativities but I have a ton of crafts and souvenirs that people have given me and I've collected over the mission. I think you guys will love them! 

 

It's super hard to write good emails to you guys cuz I can just tell you guys everything in a week! So hope you don't mind too much. Next week will just be a nice testimony for you guys. It's been fun but I hope I don't ever have to go 2 years without seeing you guys ever again! I like you guys too much! You are my mom :) and I'm your favorite son! I love you so much and hope you know how happy I am and how excited I am to see you! Christmas will be a great time this year and I'm way excited to get the family all together for the first time in a couple of years!! I'll talk to you (in person) next week! If you have any questions just let me know if the next email! Just so excited to see you mommy!!!! Love you bunches and be right back!!

 

Love Elder Ingalls 

11-30-2014 Remember what they said in conference: stay in the boat!!!

MOM,
Sorry about not emailing you last week, we didn't have time because we took a boat to an outer island on the Majuro lagoon and went to a shipwreck! haha well it was a huge $400k yacht that ruined and got pushed to shore and we helped them and we got a ton of free stuff! I will have to explain it later in person in like 2 weeks!! dang!!! okay I really don't have much time to email today because we are going to a bbq.
So I just wanna end with a little pump up talk. sometimes we have ups and downs in life. I guess you could say all that life is ups and downs, but that was makes it so sweet. the hard times make the good times that much better. I know that Heavenly Father puts you through was seems like more than many but its just because he knows you need it and he knows that the lower downs will eventually and definitely bring you to the highest highs. Doesn't even matter what you are going through. Just like Nephi, but he had to take his family across the world with half his family hating him. I don't think anything we have in our lives has come to that. I want you to be stronger than you are right now. You are one of the strongest ladies I know and one of the greatest that I know too. I know first had because I have tested you out really hard and I think I will continue to test you when I get home! haha hopefully not too much!! I hope you don't think I have become perfect or some amazing person in these last two years. I definitely have improved but I hope the expectations are too high. I love you a ton and hope to be everything you have thought I was though! I want you to know that while I didn't email you last week I felt very pressed to pray especially for you this week. I didn't know you were having a hard week or anything but I know my mom and Heavenly Father knows us even better.
I want you to be stronger than you were yesterday and plan to be stronger tomorrow than today. I come home very soon and want you to know that I am working the hardest of my mission. I don't have time to waste and I feel so good about what I am doing. I'm giving everything up on the alter of sacrifice and I know that Heavenly Father will bless me as well our family for it. I love you mom and know that you are a strong woman and can do anything. Don't let temporal struggle effect your eternal desires. Love you too pieces. I apologize for a short email, but its packed with good stuff :) Remember what they said in conference: stay in the boat!!!
Love, Elder Ingalls!

11-16-2014 I'm so scared to come home!

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 the 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 doesn't like 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 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"