July 25, 2010

Hey Mommy.

So this week I worked. I did the most work I have done so far in the mission. I like what Elder Machuca said that we are being sustained by the Spirit. I am really happy because now I know I can do it. ummmm this week we found some new people, and I dont know how many are going to progress to baptism. We will see this week and I´ll let you know next week. So miracles... We had two people (Mari y Marcelo) who were going to come to church. They didnt but the Lord blesses us when we work so we found two awesome new people who came to church with the elders quorum president. Super cool. Then we went and visited the Juarez family. They are like our adopted family. Hna Juarez knitted us scarves and we eat there each tuesday. well her husband Dante isnt a member and doesnt want to hear anything about the church, but with us he leaves and listens in the other room while we teach his family. Last night he came to us and talked about how he needed to repent because he had argued with his wife and he didnt want to do it anymore. It was a big surprise. So we talked and explained repentance and how he should pray with his wife. then we gave priesthood blessings to each one of the family so they could be more united and happy. They were all crying as we left. Yeah its amazing to have the spirit guide you in everything. My week was so good that the assistants called us. and then came to our zone for district meeting and had us explain to the entire zone how we did so well. weird huh. So thats what I am doing now. Gonna get Nicolas married friday and baptized saturday. Oh I have some fotos. Last transfer we baptized 22 (which the record in the mission for a zone, which we broke, was our own record of 21) so we had shirts made. Its way cool. check that out. Also a foto of Elder Machuca and I in our P-day clothes. Its fun ok. then one of the zone with P. Salas and another with me e. Machuca and Pte and Hna Olsen. Yeah thats about it. Quinceañeras are crazy. Eli Juarez(my little sister basically) had hers and she has photos and a video and a ton of little gift things. They go nuts for the quince´s

Yeah. Of course we have a ton of fruits and veggies. and of course grandpa had advice. Thats way cool about the new families joining from all over the place. Suggest to the Elders to give an English Class (Helps a ton). The package... well I have developed pacience for now. I love you mommy. Let me know when you do though. Sorry for being kind of short. I wrote to President and saved it in the wrong folder and had to go looking through every part of the cyber comp to find it. blugh. So yeah. Please send the story of Steve to everyone else who gets the letters.

Thanks

Con Amor

Elder Ben

PICTURE TIME!!!


Ben and his comp with the "old" mission president and his wife (President and Sister Olsen):

Now these dorks in their "P-Day clothes"


A bunch of missionaries with President Salas (the new mission pres) and his wife
[Ben is on the far right]:


22 Baptisms!!!

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

July 5, 2010

So this week was interesting. well really this weekend. I thought I was sick before, but that was nothing compared to visiting the hospital. Yeah I am sick. Its like the worst flu I have ever had. They took Xrays and I dont have any infection, I just have a headache, runny stuffy nose, cough, and a huge lack of energy. So I got to talk to Hna Salas, she is super sweet, and I have Zone Conference on friday so I will get to meet her. President Salas seems to have to great new things to teach us here( actually its worldwide for all the miss ionaries)Its really cool that we get to learn from our new president something that he just learned from President Monson. Yeah anyways back to the whole sick thing. I was super sick, and therefore stayed inside, and therefore had alot of time to think about th ings. I am really glad to be here in the mission. these last 8 months I have grown (and shr unk ) more than in my entire life. and really I am happy. sure I dont say much in my letters, but well im not much of one to s ay all that much an yways unless its really super important or bothersome. bu t yeah. Im still in ayacucho with Elder Machuca. this area is amazing, and so is my comp. but anyways, its great to think about how much I have changed, how my desires are the desires of the Lord, and how teaching what I know to be the true and only church of God brings me joy even if most people dont accept it immeadiately. I love the work, I love the calling, and I love the Lord.


No I know, and was looking forward to it, then I remembered that there are not fireworks. =( oh well life goes on.
Hooray you did it. your a big girl now. =)
You told me that but not about the reaching thing. HAHAHA I guess we will see friday.
Well Im out for now. I love you. I hear aly is enjoying taking a daily nap with the boys over in Hawaii, so enjoy the rest of your summer with her. hahaha.
Con Amor
Elder Ben


PS sorry for any typos with spaces, the keyboard is super sensitive

June 28, 2010

Hi mommy
Yeah I was kind of short for time last week, but yeah, doing great. This week was good, got a little Flu-like thing on friday and its hanging around Im taking care of myself no worries. You boob, we need to fix your whole crying when anyone mentions missionaries. Its not healthy. Well you can celebrate that you will see me in 16 months on Sunday. yeah 8 months. Im not counting, but yeah at the same time I am. Its been weird here in the mission for the last few weeks, because we dont know what is going to happen with President Salas, and we still have President Olsen, even though his authority is up here, he is still in charge somehow, and well, not that its bad, we just have everything delayed and all the missionaries are kind of holding their breath. Well I have heard from my little sister, tell Sarah its her turn. How is things for her? Well Im out.
Love you
Elder Ludlow


PS "But he wasnt in the Navy like I was..."

June 14, 2010

Hey
Check my bank account out. I am transferring some cash, because I am going to order the leather scripture covers (as his prices go up every month or 3 weeks) and it takes some time for them to get done. I also really am trying to save money. Here in Ayacucho we have 2 days that we cook for ourselves and its not cheap.

Anyways the zone now knows about your warning to never ever ever offend or disappoint President Salas. We actually got to see a picture of the family at Zone Conference. His daughters it appears are married to the sons of Elder Zivic the 70. Yeah. So I am excited for him to come so I can meet him and ruin his hopes and expectations of who I am (cuz Im definitely not as good as Dad, Sarah, Alyson, and Mom)

"WHOA! Alyson, how'd you DO that?" very Tate and Porter... Congrats kiddo. "Oh remember my son and learn wisdom in thy youth, ye learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God."(for a translation from Spanish I hope thats right) I actually this week went through my old scriptures and marked the scripture masteries in my Spanish set along with other good ones, and stories and stuff. I love the Book of Mormon. I love Ether 12, Alma 37, 42, 32, 2nd Nefi 2, 9, 31-33 Mosiah 2-5... yeah. It was really interesting the things that I had marked in my old scriptures that I had never even remembered marking. It was a very revelating experience. Right now I am working on finishing reading in Spanish, and then I am going to go through and really study deep the book of mormon. I think that this is what is meant by the secret treasures that we can gain by reading the words of the prophets. Its not just to read its to scan and think and feel what they meant when they wrote those words for me.

Wow these past two have been kind of preachy. but Its what I am feeling... I dont know. Could be one of those great changes

Well family this week was kind of low, because I was sick for two days, and had the crud afterwards. Its not swine flu, it was just a cough but you get the idea. Its gonna be great to baptize this Saturday, cuz thats about all that we did this week was work with Facundo. Yeah. but this week we have to work a lot more because we have to make up for this last week. Well gotta go work
Love you all
Elder Ludlow
PS Alyson dont forget to take lots of pictures in Hawaii

We got me meet Ben's future mission president!

Each mission gets a new President every third July (generally). This July, Ben's mission will be getting a new leader and it just so happens that [the future] President Salas is a good friend of Brother Dan Lang in our stake. They served together in Rosario, Argentina when they were young missionaries and have remained close ever since. Anyway, when the Langs heard that the Salas's were coming to visit (they live in Buenos Aires, I believe), they called us up and asked if we'd like to meet them. Well heck yes we did!

So despite a long day without much food, our family headed over to the Langs' this afternoon and got to spend some time getting to know Brother and Sister Salas. Brother Salas speaks very good English, but it was fun to listen to him translate for his wife. They were excited to hear that not only did our dad speak Spanish, but that Alyson and I knew a little as well. I was of course, too embarrassed to try to speak with them, but I was glad to find that I understood what they were saying.

It was adorable: Mom doesn't speak any Spanish, and Sister Salas doesn't speak much English, but Mom embraced Sister Salas and asked her to pass the hug along to her missionary son (even if she would have to reach up to hug him). Despite the language barrier, the message was quite clear.

It was a very nice evening and I'm glad that we got to spend some good time with good company. President Salas is a great man and the Argentina Cordoba Mission is lucky to have him. They will be in good, strong hands.

--Sarah

Mom and Dad with President and Sister Salas

The whole gang

June 7, 2010

So not much time to write this week. but I am doing great here in Argentina, and I am gonna baptize in 2 weeks, this way cool 15 year old kid named Facundo. He was catholic and we explained the restoration to him and explained that the power to act in Gods name was not on the earth for almost 1800 years, and he said. "Well that explains alot, now I understand lots of things." It was a great moment because he, after that was very accepting of every thing and now knows that the Church is the one true church of God. I love that moment that everything just clicks with the people I am teaching. I am doing great with my comp, even if he calls me "cuñado" (brother in law) sometimes. Please send me an "ugly picture" of my sisters =P I have been thinking about doing something to help you out in Primary, and to help me with my Spanish. I can prepare a little something, and translate it into English or Spanish. Fun? I dont know, just thought about it. Well yeah. I am really just happy to be here. I love this place, even if its cold one day and hot the next. Its a great blessing I have to be able to serve Heavenly Father and bring His children home to Him. I know that this work is His work, my words are His words, and my actions His actions.(lots of responsibility but it comes with the plaque that says Elder) I wasnt really as prepared as I could have been (I am not Stephen, thats for sure) and I admonish (look big words) all of the young men in the ward to really pay attention in Seminary, and in church, and to take every chance to help the missionaries in the ward to work and prepare themselves. Its really the best way. I am not saying to go about with a Book of Mormon in hand every day, but that to have that Book of Mormon so well marked up and so well read that it falls apart. I am always amazed at the things I learn from other missionaries. There are some amazing missionaries here in Argentina, and every time I sit there in awe, its because I am wondering why I didnt think of it first. Look for every chance to read the scriptures. If you dont like to read, do it anyways. It doesnt matter what we like to do, its whats necessary, and trust me when I say it is necessary and when we do what is necessary our very nature changes and we find that we enjoy the things we didnt like before. I loved to read, but I would just read. go beyond it, think, feel, listen(most imporatntly to the Spirit) and do what you feel think and hear. Yeah.... Impressions of the Spirit in a crowded Cyber. well I am gonna go now, because its really late, but I love you all and feel that even if my address is mistyped in the ward bulletin, you all love me too. =)
Con Amor
Elder Ludlow

PS Happy belated Anniversary Mom and Dad