May 23, 2010

Again, Ben is responding directly to his mother's email. The parts in italics have been copied and pasted from Mom's email for clarification.



Love the pictures, and my missionary mommy. Thats way cool about the primary activity, and I hope that those missionaries used that opportunity to talk with the parents. From what the stake is telling me(they send us a letter each month) Newbury Park is about to take the top off and will see a lot of success in the missionary department.
Still havent heard from Deb, and I am waiting on a few other emails from everyone else.
Oh President Brimhall! Hes awesome. I cant believe how big everyone is. I sound like a grandpa, but really Ty is huge and so is Kyle. Its hard to tell. You sent them in the SUPER SMALL format, but its cool I can just wait until the package comes with the prints. =)


People are way freaked that you've lost so much weight...it IS just because you're eating differently and being much more active, right? I won't worry as long as you don't lose too much more.

Ha ha I am kind of freaked out even if you arent. I plan to gain back some of this weight, but in muscle. Even funnier than me playing futbol is me doing situps and pushups and lifting weights. HAHHAHA. Its weird, but very um enlightening... wow bad pun. Seriously now I am kind of cluing in to the "you need a bigger size elder ludlow" thing when we were shopping.


I told Nick that, 24 years ago, it was just about this hectic, but with different faces, when I got married there. [Ben's cousin, Charlotte, got married on the 15th. This is Ben's mom referring to what she said to Charlotte's new husband, Nick]

Yeah can you believe that next year you are Dad will have been married for 25 years? that I will be 21 next year, and that Alyson will be 16, and Sarah will be...old....=P Yeah its crazy how time flies, but trust me its all over in a moment. I have kind of a mini-life here in the mission. Its like I get married and divorced every 6 weeks and my investigators are like my children. even if it doesnt make sense it does in my mind so dont judge me too much

Well this week was a week of many different surprises. We had our interviews with President (our last ones with P. Olsen) and our last Zone Conference (again last, so it was in the mission home which is beautifully designed by Elder Scott) In our interviews President gave each of us a blessing. It was super powerful, and believe me when I saw that I know that Heavenly Father loves me. The Zone conference we talked about how Preach my Gospel is the tool we are have to use every day to really be effective. I have to repent a little bit, because for the most part my studies have been to read the book of mormon in spanish, so I am finding amazing and wonderfully powerful doctrine to use and help the people here in Ayacucho. We also talked about partiarchal blessings. That was Presidents Final Thought for the conference, because he said he was giving us the same thing he gives to all the elders who finish their missions. It was very cool because there are 3 parts (and it helps to read it and make a list of these things) blessings, warnings, and gifts and talents.(Sarah try it) Yeah way cool.
Yeah and then we worked this saturday with the young men and brought 2 investigators and they joined right in, they are so awesome. Facundo and Andres are gonna get baptized. Elder Machuca is teaching me tons of ways to talk to and work with the people and I notice more and more the sharp contrast with Elder Velasquez. Its great to be here and work. I love you all and hope all is well (well I see things are well, but I hope that things are as good as they appear). I know this work is the work of God, and that I am serving Him and doing all I can to help the people here. I know that Jesus Christ lives, is my Savior, Redeemer, and Friend. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it contains the gospel in its entirety. I love you mom. keep up the good work. I know you all are being blessed.
Love
Elder Ludlow
PS
Ether 12:12