Decmeber 4, 2009

Hola Familia!
Como estan? Me encanta esta semana. I hope you got my letter in the middle of the week. I did use personal study to send it, but I was also studying and rewriting notes from that talk(thats one I want parts posted of too) I love you all and miss you. This week we began teaching more about the Plan of Salvation, and Word of Wisdom(still in English until next week) The temple is so amazing and the chances I have to have my prayers answered as a missionary and as a child of God are so eye opening. I love prayer. It is such a blessing to be able to talk to my Father in Heaven and tell him how my day has been and how I have used his time. Now I have another letter which I hope grandmom and grandpop won't mind me sharing part in the general email. This week Elder Gilbert, Elder Jensen, and myself taught a lesson on Hope(one of the Christlike Attributes in Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel) it has a different definition than you are probably used to of hoping for "that check to come" or "that someone doesn't get hurt". It is optimistic outlook and faith that the blessings the Lord has promised and promises us will be fulfilled. Romas 15:4(yes I want you to get your scriptures out and turn with me) gives us hope that the scripturs were written for our days and taht by reading them we can receive comfort and develop patience, which are two sub-attributes of Hope. 2 Nephi 31:20 promises us that if we perservere through our trials wih Hope in Christ we will have Eternal Life. 1 John 3:3 says "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." To me this says taht we must simply hope to be like Christ and we will start on a path that leads us that way. The last thought I have to share with you is a quote from Elder Neal A Maxwell "Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who for whatever reason, have 'moved away from the hope of the gospel"(Colossians 1:23). Let us reach to lift hands which hang hopelessly down." I first of all love Elder Maxwell and second I know that this message I am going to share is one of Hope. I have Hope that I will learn this language well enough to communicate this message of Jesus Christ to the people of Argentina, and hope that when even that is enough, the Lord will grant me a portion of his Spirit to teach these people by that power. This Hope is especially important now in the holiday season and in our current economic state because we must persevere through our challenges and the Lord will bless us. He wants to bless us and all he needs is to have us ask. It is the same with the Nephites of old, who hoped for Christ to come into the world, and when Nephi went and prayed the Lord said: "Fear not for on the morrow come I into the world." I love this gospel and the chance I get to share it with the people even here in the MTC. I love what I have learned and love that I can still learn.
I love you all!
Con Amor, Elder Benjamin Foster Ludlow

PS Grandma and Grandpa Ludlow- Thanks so much for the christmas pillowcase! Its nice to have a reminder of the season. Miss you too. =)