April 25, 2011

Hey mom!

Yup I'm probably gonna be tighter than Mr. Scrooge. He actually has something. Um I also did some counting the other day. 8th of May. Mothers day. Call home!!! last one... oh snap. umm second. from that call I will have 183 days in the mission. I am at this moment working so hard to get every last person into that baptismal font and I am so focused on it that when I get that last few minutes of peace before bed, that those things come into my head. We have 10 baptisms planned for May!!!! 10!!!! that's insane for this area. We are getting some very good people ready and seeing some amazing miracles as we apply new teaching techniques and ideas. Every missionary has new ideas. Elder Gallacci is a machine. He rocks this missionary work thing especially for as little time as he has. He reminds me a bit of myself at his time. Just really determined to get everything in his power done. So right now lets think about the mothers day call schedule. It wont be the same as last time, because you will have church in the morning. So it will be about 4-5 here. then its gonna go a little later. So after 12 until 5 pm. So all of your nap time. sorry.

On other notes. I assisted in a murder this week. We killed chickens. There is this crazy hermana that always has us come and do service because she is lonely, but she tells us to do stuff and then redo it because we did it wrong, and its just pretty hilarious. I swear I laughed myself to about a 4 pack that day. Anyways we were going to have fish sticks... gross another one of those weird semana santa traditions that you aren't allowed to eat meat because Jesus shared food with 4000 people and it was bread and fish. (speaking of that ask/help grandma and grandpa send me a few pictures from Jerusalem, i am still waiting for those.) But anyway I was like, nuh uh "I'm not eating fish sticks that are older than me." So my comps and I asked her what happened to the chicken she promised us. She said, well you got here a little late so we cant eat the chicken. I wont have time to pluck them........Chan. So she says but if you really want to you can go ahead and kill them for me and take some home with you. OK so snap the necks get it over with. Nope. She comes out with a cutting board and a 4 pound butcher knife. there were only 3 chickens, and unfortunately I lost the coin toss for the last one so I didn't get to kill one, but I held it. Apparently its quite hard to chop off a chickens head. Only one of us was successful in completely removing the head in one. The others left a piece or two attached and tried to saw it off or chop is repeatedly. So sick. I will get pics at some point. Camera comes in may! perfect. with six months to go.

This week things were tight so we ate nothing but Potatoes and Eggs. Fried, boiled, baked, I have had them all. and with like nothing to condiment them. I don't really want to see much of potatoes for a while, but things are still gonna be tight. Gonna keep combining money though.
We are all working together as a pension to keep things clean, to help each other do things on time, and even each day we do an exchange and do comp study with that comp. We are learning so much from each other and seeing the results of each one of these exchanges.

I really feel happy with the work I am doing here in Chilecito. Its hard sometimes, like this week I could not get a single appointment to follow through. Way tough- but I find new ways to work and new people to teach instead.

This week I read in Alma 37-42 the counsels of Alma to his sons. I really like at the end of 37 when he talks about each of the objects that he is giving to Helaman. Its powerful as he says, It is so easy to pay attention (its a rough spanish to english translation, ok) to the Words of Christ, that they can take us from this valley of pain and sadness to a better land, even a promised land. Then as Alma talks about Justice and Mercy. I just like the logical spiritual reasoning that he makes for why God is merciful and why the atonement had to happen and how we can truly be relieved from the burden of sins that we have because without Atonement there is no reason to repent, and without repentance there is no reason to sin or have agency at all.

I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I see His hand of mercy daily as I work with the people of Chilecito. I know that He lives. I know that He took upon Him my sins, and the sins and pains and sicknesses and problems of everyone who is willing to accept Him and His requirements of Faith, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. I know that if people start on that straight and narrow path, they will be challenged and often distracted from their end goal. Many have fallen from the path. Trust me when I tell you that it is NEVER too late to come back to Him. He loves you. He knows you, and knows that you have weaknesses, He wants you to recognize them and go to Him and He can and will lovingly HEAL YOU. He is our Older Brother, our Best Friend, and our Father. Many of you who are now reading this have taken upon you His name. I would like you to think now with this Easter that has passed, what have you done with His name? I think every once in awhile what it is that i have done with His name. I am still trying to make up for it, but I know that He will still accept me and love me as I strive to keep His commandments and to do what He would have me do. My words are His words, My thoughts, His thoughts, My actions His actions. I am doing my best to be His Hands here in Argentina. I know that the Lord is pleased, but not done with me and that I still have a lot more to do. They say that as you get older in the mission the urgency to work increases as you realize all the time you have spent wasting trying to figure things out. I have not finished figuring things out, and wont until the day that I die, in fact I am really just beginning. I know that I have to much to improve, but I go every day to the Lord and because of His Atonement, I am able to have my weak things be made strong things for me, and I see a difference daily. I challenge each and every one of you to take the time to do that personal inventory that everyone has to do at some point in their lives and look for your weaknesses and fix them with the Lord. "The Road of Discipleship is not the the faint of heart." I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully he profers me. I know that He is my Savior and is the Savior of the world. This week I would like to hear from those of you who didnt respond to my call last week, and to hear your personal testimonies of the Savior. Its to great to hear from all of you each week as you write me what has been going on in your lives and I really appreciate it. I love this work, and know that it is God´s work.

Con amor y un abrazo grande
Elder Ben

April 19, 2011 --- Tell Ben about your personal scripture study!

Hi family!
So this last week we got transfers, My comp is Elder Gallacci, from Mattawa, Washington. Hes way cool. He was at BYU-I last fall and says its looking way good now. It got me thinking about getting in contact with them maybe and seeing about getting back in for next winter/summer so I can work and pay off a bit of the debt I am working up as I stay on the mish. Its cool though. Thats for another time. This week I got to have an interview with Pres, and it was great, he just was very happy to see me and told me that my last few letters were great, and that I am finally discovering my potential. I feel good. Last week I had 7 people who were getting ready for their baptism. 7!!! thats unheard of here in Chilecito. So that was a big high for me. I got Elder Gallacci and we started just working. unfortunately no one was home like all week until the very end of the week, after church. So this week is gonna be an amazing week. So I am looking forward next week to what you all will have to say. I want to know what you studied in the scriptures this week, and I will share mine with you. By you all I mean each and every one of you who is reading this right now... yes You. I am working a whole lot harder to write better and to keep better track of my money and to just do everything better. I will have a full account next week. I am already taking notes on what I want to talk about. Like tomorrow we have like 6 appointments with those 7 people this week, and 6 of the 7 are families. Im super stoked.

Love you all so much
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU READ THIS WEEK
Elder Ben

benjamin.ludlow@myldsmail.net

Elder Benjamin Ludlow
Gay Lussac 5270, Villa Belgrano
Apartado Postal 49-X5009ZAA
C.C. 17 Suc. 9
Cordoba - Argentina

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

One of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's performances from the April 2011 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

"The Spirit of God"


Gives me chills, every time.

April 4, 2011 --- General Conference

hahaha I figured with 7 months to go I should probably start writing good letters. WHOA!!! Time is flying like no other. Its kind of freaking me out man. Well just gotta work harder I guess. I guess I understand. Thats like stone age style though.

I dont know what she was trying to get at. Its one of those perversions within the religion. Like true Catholicism believes in the God, and that the Virgin is the messenger to my understanding. The problem comes in when people devote themselves to a certain apparition of the Virgin, or Saint, and start building shrines, and taking pilgrimages to see the original site. Its how we get the shrine to the potato chip that looks like the Virgin. Yeah and all this after in conference we are told to not make fun of others religions. Its not to make fun of, its just a huge misunderstanding. I want to find a good devout catholic that can explain it to me. I just know that the Church´s standpoint is that she was a chosen vessel to bring the Lord of Lords into this world in a tabernacle of clay. The earthly mother of the Son of God. Thats it.

This week was a great though. We had a good start, where the ZL´s came and visited and we had an exchange, where we invited 2 key investigators to be baptized. Then the next day my comp and I set a date with two more. One who is a pro boxer. I have pictures to send but this cyber is way lame and wont let me. Also Peacock in Spanish is Royal Turkey (Pavo Real).

Conference: Look if you are taking notes you dont fall asleep. Try next time going to the chapel to see it. I know its fun to sit at home and to make pancakes and stuff but we lose a lot of the potential learning and as President Uchtdorf said we cant see the whole picture if we dont give our part, or follow the impressions of the Spirit, He stops talking as loud. Normally I wouldnt be so hard on ya, but what we went through to get conference this time was well...a lot. We bought a mobile internet card, and charged it with 185 pesos of credit, then payed 400 for the large screen and projector rental, we didnt even get to see Priesthood, we had patchy signal, we would see parts, then have to reconnect the internet and have to find the part where it cut, and worst of all in front of the members that came to see it. We also pissed off the one side group/following of an hermana that claimed to not know we were watching conference, even though both sets of elders passed by each of those members and gave them schedules for the afternoon (cuz it all starts at 1-3 then 5-7) and they ignored us and wanted to have sacrament at 9. When no one showed up they called the Branch President and got all mad at him and blamed us as missionaries. Please pray for us here, but especially the members of this branch. They are starting to go straight up apostate... Its like we have the church of Hna tanto and the church of hno blaeh and the church of bob, when its really just one church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I love you all. Thats why I am saying this. As Elder Christofferson said, The Lord disciplines those that He loves. we have to accept the correction, repent, be purified of our past, and reorient ourselves to the path that the Lord would have us follow. The Church is here to perfect us. Its hard, and sometimes we have to pass through the fire, and in the moment it hurts, but in the end it makes us stronger and better as we learn. (Elder Paul Johnson) Thats what I got out of from conference. I am still missing President Monson´s talk from priesthood, but I have heard it was harder on all of us than I have just been. So I am gonna go listen to that and hear what he has to say. I love you and really want to see you all receive some kind of change like I have. I also want to be able to help you now so that I dont have to do it all at once when I get home. I also really liked Elder Lynn G Robbins talk. To be or to do. or to change who we are until we do both. Intense.

Ok I gotta go get to work. This may be my last week with Elder Castillo, so I gotta put the pilas in and get things done. =)
Love ya
Peace
Con Amor
Elder Ben