Don't sleep through the Revolution!

Hola Familia,

One day, in my very first few weeks in the mission, Hermana Torales went on exchanges and Hermana Carr (from the CCM—Mission Training Center) came to stay with me for a day in Madero. And while we were walking and talking, we were dreaming and made plans that one day we were going to both be Hermanas Capacitdoras (Trainers) and be companions and change the whole mission. 

Lia's current companions: Hermanas Lugo and Carr

Ta-da!  Hermana Carr is my companion! And we are both Lideres Capacitadoras. And I am going back to Barrio Mulsay, just in a different area. We’re in a trio with Hermana Lugo, who is from la Republica Domicana.

This week, Elder Benjamin de Hoyos (Area Authority in Mexico) spent all week training the different zones. I LOVE being in the presence of cool people. And I realized that just in these last few months a dramatic revolution has been starting and WE (you guys) are the ones who were chosen to get it started. We’re finally moving onto the next step in la Obra de Salvacion (Work of Salvation), when instead of missionaries contacting all day and finding maybe 1 in 50 people who are ready to accept the gospel, the MEMBERS are going to start being the ones to find because they know the people. So the missionaries can start teaching people all day who have already been filtered and baptize maybe 1 in 3 people they teach instead of 1 in 50.  

Lia's last Preparation Day with Hermana De Leon en Centro

Elder de Hoyos also got us started on teaching in multitudes-- if you are teaching an investigator, invite the investigator to invite two more families to the next lesson. Teach three families at once. I realized that Christ didn't have time to go house to house, person to person to teach the gospel. 

We also find a lot of members who say, “I don’t have any referrals, I’ve already tried with all my neighbors and they don’t want anything.” Instead of visiting your neighbors and asking them if they want to hear the missionaries, INVITE them into your home, let them get to know you, invite them to non-threatening activities. And then instead of sticking the missionaries on them, invite them to meet with the missionaries in your home.  Everyone should read Preach My Gospel on “Finding People to Teach; The Importance of Members.” I don’t think these ideas are new, we just haven’t been doing it.

Four Trainers: Ludlam, Castro, Torales, and De Leon

Maté a mi mama... Torales goes home Thursday!

Walking out of the conference, I felt so excited and optimistic about missionary work-- I thought, “This is doable. This is going to happen.” And I realized that’s not just an unrealistic attitude after getting pumped up by a General Authority, that’s how I feel when I’m feeling the Spirit, that’s me looking at the situation the way Heavenly Father is looking at it. That’s how I feel when I have faith.  When I feel depressed and looking at all of the obstacles and all of the things I’ve tried doing in my areas that didn’t work, I’m not thinking with faith. I appreciate a lot more the quote from President Monson:
 “The future is as bright as your faith.”

Go be member missionaries!  
Don’t sleep through the Revolution!

Much love,

Hna Ludlam