I Sang A Solo For One Of The Twelve Apostles

Ok let me explain that title real quick

So for the actually quite high percentage of you who are not members of the Church, you might be confused. "Elder Ebbert, the twelve apostles died like 2000 years ago! You couldn't have sung to them!" First of all: fact check. John the Beloved and the Three Nephites baby. Second of all, an explanation: the calling of the Apostleship was restored along with the Christ's Church in 1830 (actually I think the first new quorum of the twelve was organized in 1835 but I digress) so today there are 12 Apostles and a living Prophet, the same as the ancient church!


Anyways, onto the story.


So this is actually kind of funny because I have since learned that my former companion and the absolute rat himself Elder Staker is responsible for recommending me but at the time we just randomly got a call from our Zone Leader, Elder Awerkamp, and he asked for me specifically. So, my comp turns the phone towards me.


Act II, Scene II: The Phone Call

Elder Awerkamp (sternly): "Elder. Do you sing?"

Elder Ebbert (a little confused and trying to be humble): "Uh... kind of."

Elder Awerkamp (without hesitation): "Elder. Do you sing?"

Elder Ebbert (not wanting to explain that he took voice lessons and was a vocal captain in one of the best highschool choirs and show choirs in the nation): "I mean I guess."

Elder Awerkamp (with finality): "Elder.... Do you sing?"

Elder Ebbert (resolved to his fate): "... Yes. I sing."


Woah. Not sure where that came from.

But anyways, I had myself a little bit of a 'Simon-Peter" moment there with the three questions, and I eventually learned that Elder Awerkamp's district and (thanks to Elder Staker) our companionship was asked to sing a special musical number for our upcoming mission devotional with the Apostle Elder Stevenson. Oh yeah- we had an upcoming mission devotional with the Apostle Elder Stevenson. I didn't mention that. So we practiced like twice and the number itself went way better than it should have but there were two solo parts at the beginning, one for a Sister and one for an Elder. And they had a couple people do the Elder part and then it was just... given to me? Before I even tried it? I had literally never heard or sung the song and it was in portuguese (which I'm pretty sure we just homebrewed the translation ourselves because I can't find it literally anywhere?) but peer pressure is a heck of a drug so I ended up doing it. So that was fun. But as I said the number went very well and the devotional was AMAZING. Elder Stevenson is a legend and I truly learned what the special witness of his calling means. Strongest I've felt the Spirit... ever, maybe. So overall, an extremely solid if highly stressful experience. Also, Elder Staker believes that Show Choir is real now, so it was all worth it.


Home of the Brave

We had transfers this week (transfers is when a bunch of missionary assignments get changed around), and I thought this would be the ideal time to fix some of the problems I've had with our house and companionship. I had a lot of fun doing it actually: I came up with a very special solution to my problems with the house. Basically, I just George-Jefferson-Hancock-founding-fathered that son of a gun and BOOM! House. Constitution. Baby. You want to be a rule-breaking fubeca? You want to leave dishes in the sink? You want to keep the house messy and dirty? You can! But the soul crushing authoritarian hand of LIBERTY is going to come down on you with the force of a medium sized aircraft and you will face the consequences of the PENAL CODE. You want to dismantle the constitution? Consider the following: DEMOCRACY. By the pen of a Son of Liberty this constitution has been brought forth from the obscurity of creation; even those principles of arbitration and agency with which our God has seen fit to endow us; and by those same principles, by the rule of majority, it SHALL be maintained.


Ok I'm maybe being just a little overdramatic, and the new elder in our house is super chill so we haven't really had any problems. But it's still nice to have the certainty of some order and freedom, as well knowing that at any time I can invoke the provision which gives me complete emergency executive powers. Just kidding! Probably.


In terms of my companion, he's now a District Leader! But he asked me if I wanted to be trained on how to be a District Leader and I was like "yes" and he was like "Ok. You are now my Oliver Cowdrey." So I'm basically doing 100% of the reporting/clerical work of a District Leader now. It's awesome! I freaking love google spreadsheets. I spreadsheeted our whole district and color coded it which I'm pretty proud of, and I love managing all the little boxes. Happy neurons :) Shoutout to Elder Azavedo's companionship for being the only one that actually reports their days correctly and on time.

It's also fun cuz I get to attend all the leadership meetings for our mission now and I'm also gonna participate in a ton of divisions with other missionaries, which is gonna force me to be more independent and basically lead our area while my comp is gone, so that's an awesome opportunity!


Closing Thoughts

Wow. One week without mentioning Cradle. How self defeating that in order to congratulate myself on my self restraint, I must do exactly that which I am congratulating myself on not doing. I'm sure the gnomes will have something to say about this.

In summary, this week was dope. Also, exhausting. But dope nonetheless. I am very excited to make this next week a good one, and I hope you all make it a lovely week as well :)


God is good,

Elder Ebbert


Definitely not a link to the google photos. You shouldn't click it. Don't click the link. Why would you click on a link you don't know that's so dangerously irresponsible of you. But it's also a little exciting, isn't it? Maybe you should click the link. You can trust the link. Click it.

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