OI!

Hello family--
So...I don´t really know where to start. There is so much to tell!! My birthday was very fun. Thank you for all your emails, well wishes, packages, etc. I have such a loving family! I really don´t know how I got so blessed.
My District Leader and his companion made me cake and the other district leader (who has meetings the same time in the same chapel) made me pasteis. It was very nice. That was the PDay we played soccer and volleyball with the elders. :)
I woke up on my birthday and Sister Bulhões gave me a letter she wrote and earrings. Then we went to visit an investigator to finish teaching the 2nd lesson. He ended up telling us he was gay! Hahaha! I will never forget this birthday, that´s for sure! After that slight damper, we went home and I made pancakes. Then I opened my presents from Mom, Dad, Spencer, and Em. We enjoyed pancakes with peanut butter and nutella (it just doesn´t get any better). I made my twinkie cake following the instructions Becky gave! :) Our lunch appointment sang to me and had made flan (not knowing it was my birthday). That night, we taught some of our sweet recent converts and then they threw a party for me. It was so sweet. They don´t really have that much money--not even enough to get the bus from work everyday. Yet, they still bought two cakes and two refrigerantes for my birthday. They are so sweet. I´m excited for Mom and Dad to meet them at the end of my mission. Then we went to teach a menos ativo family. They threw another party for me. She wasn´t ready when we arrived and so she locked us out until she lit some matches and stuck them in the cake! Hahaha! They made this really good lanche with chicken and then we ate chocolate cake (after watching Together Forever and teaching about eternal families of course--we are setting goals with them to go to the temple). It was a wonderful day! I felt very loved! :)
In other news--I don´t know if I ever told you all, but in my group that arrived at the CTM together, there was an elder with the first name Dax. Here that, John and Laura?
Also, I don´t know if I mentioned it, but I walk around with my umbrella every day here! Hahaha!!! Not because it´s raining, but because the sun here is so hot, I can feel it giving me cancer! My companion has started following my example too. I still wear sunscreen too. Pretty intense, huh? I always thought it was romantic watching those old movies with the ladies with parasoles and now on my mission I walk around with one! How funny is that?
Sunday we had a huge miracle!! There was no water in the chapel. The ward mission leader informed us of that fact 1 hour before our baptism! So, we started filling up buckets of water with the filtered water drinking fountain. We took a break to take the Sacrament and then went at it again! When the drinking fountains ran out, we started carrying the buckets to and from a neighboring restaurant. It was quite the work out. Yet, the font was still not filling up quickly. Then, the released and newly called YM President both came running to help! They were answers to our prayers! They called the YM to help too. They grabbed trash cans and were using everything to fill the font in time. It truly was a miracle. The funny part of it all was that they had asked me before the meeting to lead the music. Then, they called my name in the meeting and I wasn´t there (because I was filling up the font). The best part of all was that President Milder (my mission president) was there! Hahaha! At least I was doing the Lord´s work.
Life is good. I´m learning a lot. Yesterday was our zone conference. I was humbled a lot. This morning I was humbled even more. What a blessing I´m here serving a mission. I think my future husband and children will be very grateful I served. I read in Hel 10 about Nephi. He was such a great example! I really need to start focusing my thoughts more on the work. I don´t want to miss any bit of revelation from the Lord that I could receive while meditating. There were other things too that I was humbled with, but I don´t want to go about airing my dirty laundry in front of all you. I´ll just suffice it to say I´m repenting and changing my heart for the better. I am doing my best to serve the Lord with my all. Thank you for your support and prayers. I am working hard to make you all proud. :)
Joy--Thanks for the package. I loved the little bag of makeup. That is so fun you are the ward organist! I LOVE ORGAN!! It is way better than piano. My advice is to not think of it like the piano. It is completely different. You don´t have the pedal to connect things, you have to do the fingering in such a way that there are no breaks. I would call Sister Flake if I were you. It is too hard for me to try to teach you to play organ via email. But, she helped me get started and I think she could help you too. Good luck! Let me know how it goes! I know you will do awesome!
Love, Sister Ellis III
P.S. Emily--could you pass along the message to Jenny Mobley that the address I left on facebook is my address and it is reliable? Thanks!