July 19, 2010

Hola mommmy

So I promised to write and fill you in on everything. I guess I should explain everything that I have been up to. Lets start with who my comp is. His name is Elder Aaron Felipe Machuca, he is from Viña del Mar, Chile. He is probably my favorite comp so far, but I will probably say that with each new comp. He and I get along great and even though he speaks English(and wants to be my brother in law) I have almost lost the ability to speak it while I have been with him,(since May) and I have learned un montón(a ton) from him. I have learned how to work with everyone and to always have a story. Something that is really fun about him is that he has a story for everything. Like Steve and the pushups, or the bag of diamonds and the angry man. Its just a lot of great analogies and things that keep the attention of the people. He also has the philosophy that we should enjoy the mission. If you are always being obligated to talk to the people and keep everything in order you aren’t going to do it, you´ll just sit there and be grumpy. I don’t like it. That’s why I didn’t fall well with Elder Velasquez. So now I have to work hard and do it for myself and I actually do it. Oh and President Salas is here now. He says hi and that my sisters are very interesting. I had my interview with him, and I will tell you the same things I told him. I have 8 months in the mission. And when I hit that mark I was sick. So I had a ton of time to think or sleep. (Its better to have a missionary in bed than half a missionary in the street) So I thought about what I had done here. I have brought 3 people to the Lord. I have learned another language(like 95%) I have developed my testimony of my Savior as my Friend, Brother, and Redeemer. I have read the book of mormon 3 times. I have read Jesus the Christ 2 times. I have learned to love the people(and been loved back). I have lost 30 kilos. So I kept thinking about that, I thought about where I had been in the mission. How I had been happy and how I had been sad, and what I was doing at those times. I thought about what I wanted to do with the next bit of time I have left. Its not much. Its 16 months. Its nothing in the eternal perspective. The mission is like a mini life. We are born(cuz very few babies know how to talk) we grow up, we have children(we train other missionaries) we work hard for our “family” (the missionaries that we know and love in our zones and districts and the Lord) and then we get old, and we think about going home to our Father, and then we die(go home). Kinda cool huh. Well yeah. So I shared the fellowship of the unashamed (which he loved) and then I let him talk. He asked me about my area(its great, kinda slow because we left all our investigators that weren’t going to progress at the beginning of the transfer then we both got sick) how is your comp(awesome) What you need to do is set a goal. Its not that I want you to just think about numbers because numbers are not fun, but I want you to have a vision for the … 16 months you have left. I want you to set a goal and covenant with the Lord to do all you can to do it and I know He will help you to do it. So that’s what I am going to do. I am still thinking about how many people I want to bring to the Lord. I am going to fast and really think about it(for august) Oh and I saw Elder Jensen. Hes super skinny too.(first MTC comp) and I saw Elder Waldron today in Centro(which I ran around looking for that razor part but didn’t find, Braun doesn’t exist here) He seems to be doing really good. Yeah. Way happy. Ummm ok so the changes that the First Presidency(therefore the Lord) want to make are like this. They want us to be better teachers so that we can baptize more. In Dads time it was all about quantity. Many were baptized, and inactive the next week. Then Preach My Gospel came, and they wanted quality. Well now the Lord is looking for the both. Quality and Quantity. Its really something that makes a lot of sense. Yeah so that’s about it.

I love you mommy. Its ok about the razor. I survive here with the Mach 3 (I got one of the power ones and it works way good) and I have enough money to buy the cartridges since they come in a 4 pack for 30 pesos(way less than you will ever find in the states) I love the pictures from Yosemite(and so did my cuñado) Elder Machuca says he loves Sarah. *rolls eyes* hahahaha. Yeah so Im gonna go now. I love you all and send my love to everyone who gets this. Next week I am going to tell you about Steve and the Pushups. Its a great story. Well Im out

Chaucito

Con Amor

Elder Ludlow