Golden Families Make Me Happy!

Hnas. Harper, Ludlam, Torales, Janco at the temple

Hola Familia,

I don’t know what happened but it’s like every single person we are teaching is de oro (golden)-- practically ALL of our investigators are seriously progressing toward baptism. And there are like 10 of them! And we keep picking up more of them! AND we’re teaching our first-ever COMPLETE FAMILY (which practically do not exist here). Two parents and two kids! 

I love La Familia Lugo Diseño. The first visit, the Mom was telling us about how she reads the Bible and then just casually mentioned how she was applying some of the verses she read this week to her life, and then she showed us the inside cover of their family Bible where the Dad had been keeping notes on his favorite passages and keeping a mini Topical Guide of themes and references.

We met the Dad for the first time last night and he told us, “We have been looking at a LOT of churches as a family looking for something that fills, that satisfies us.” And then we sang “Las Familias Pueden Ser Eternas,” (Families Can Be Together Forever) and he says “Okay, I like this.” And then we started teaching them the first lesson about the nature of God and his plan for us and then about prophets and apostasy and he said, “I didn’t know it was possible to find a church that taught so much of what I already believed.”

AAAHHH… their family is the best. Families make me so happy, guys. 

Christian's baptism.  He is in the green shirt.

I don’t know whether all of this success is because Heavenly Father is making us better missionaries and so we are turning people into more oro-y (golden) investigators, or if Heavenly Father just trusts us and is just placing all these already-prepared people in our path. I’m a pretty happy missionary though.

Ooh! the baptism of Christian! He’s the one in green. There were so many people we could hardly fit in the room. He had THE BEST smile when he came up out of the water and we had three other investigators attending and it was a super great thing for them, too.  I'll have to send the picture in another email because it's not pasting,

Also, we did intercambios (exchanges) and had a little extra time before Christian’s interview, so we took pictures with Hermana Torales y Hermana Janco in front of the temple.

Love you guys,

Hna. Ludlam

Pictures, Baptisms and Pick Pockets

Lia and her mamey fruit. (old apartment)

Hola Familia,

Next week is the baptism of Christian, who’s 10 years old and probably our smartest investigator. The only kids in our primary are girls and they’re all younger than him, but I don’t think he minds it. His mom and her sister are inactive, his dad and step-dad are non-member, and there’s a non-member couple living in the house that work for the mom and it’s amazing to see how much his baptism is changing the dynamics in their house.

Then next week is the baptism of Maria, who is 23. She goes to church every week and then institute three times a week BY HERSELF. You should see her Book of Mormon, I think she’s marked more than I have.

Cleaning the new apartment.

Then the next week is the baptism of Georgina and Julio. We met Georgina on the street and asked her what the name of the fruit was that was growing in her yard. And we gave her a card with the address of the church on it. AND THEN SHE CAME TO CHURCH. She and her husband just GET everything; they are so cool. And I just like teaching young couples. The new mandato (rule) is that all of the investigators go to the Family History course instead of Gospel Principles, so now they all know about the temple and are stoked.

We moved into our new place.  You should have seen the fans before I cleaned them. They were black. The dueño (landlord) is kind of a crook.

Yamili knitted our colorful bags.  We braided each others hair!

Yamili, otra investigadora de oro (another golden investigator), knitted us both bags. The thread is the same stuff they make hammocks out of. Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all!

Somebody stole our phone this week on the street. I’m still not sure how it happened, but we were sitting in front of the chapel making phone calls, and we got up and started walking …60 seconds later I realized I was only holding my agenda and not the little bag that I usually put the agenda in that also holds the phone. So we walk back to the chapel and every couple feet we find the bag, then my pens, then my cards... and no phone. I’m thinking maybe someone pulled the bag off the agenda while I was walking and dumped out things one by one out of the bag?

Anyway, whoever it was ANSWERED THE PHONE when I called them. He was like "Oh, sorry, I’m already in Centenario right now.” And I said: “Hermano, you stole our phone. We’re missionaries. Can you please bring it back?”  “Sorry, I’m too far away (this was like 5 minutes after it was stolen.) I’ll have to come back in two weeks.” And I was like “Hermano! You’re still close! Will you please turn around and come back to the chapel?” And he’s like, “Hay recompensa? (Will there be a reward?)” And I said, “No.” And then he said “Okay then. I have to go.”  He hung up. And then I think he took the chip out.

It was really bizarre. It was like having a normal conversation except with someone that just stole from us 5 minutes beforehand. Oh Mexico.

Adios hermanos,

Hermana Ludlam

White and ready to harvest

Mom's interpretation of the field is white, ready to harvest.

Hola Familia,

The area of Garcia Gineres is very much white and ready to harvest. Every week we keep finding more super-potente people. GAH! They’re so cool. Three more fechas (dates) this week, and I’m really hoping they’re going to split the area because we can hardly teach them all. 

This week I made the realization that even though I am enjoying my mission, I’ve been living it with the mindset of waiting until it’s over, so I can go back-- with the intent of still dedicating my life to serving God, but with being able to sing and dance and listen to music and hug boys -- and all of the things that make my life happy that I can’t do right now. I was thinking of it as fulfilling my duty to God because he asked me to sacrifice and even though I was happy doing it, I couldn’t wait to be even more happy when I got back.

But, I realized that this perspective is a great way to waste a year and a half. Probably when I get back, I am going to think, “Man, more than anything I wish I could go out and preach the gospel and do something so CONCRETE and HELPFUL for people and for God.”

I also realized that I am impatient to get back home and also to go back to my heavenly home with God that I forgot a little how PURPOSEFUL life is, even if you’ve already figured out what’s good (God is good.) Like the Nephites who said, when Christ asked them what they wanted, all they wanted was to quickly go back to live with God. But He made them stick around until they were 72!

So I’m trying to change my mindset and enjoy the great thing that I’m only ABLE to do for a very short period of my life. I still can’t wait to see you guys though. I have lots of airport-reunion envisionings.

Mamey, a fruit with a flavor unlike any other.

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys that I tried mamey and it is fantastic. It’s like the texure of an avocado but it’s a fruit and it’s orange. It’s got just a little bit of sweetness and it just mushes in your mouth. Hermana Harper and I have discovered that the mamey ice cream the heladeros sell on their bikes is even better that the fruit. :)

There are panaderos and heladeros and people who sell fruit (frutaderos?) and they all push their little carts in front of their bikes in the street all day. The heladeros use little bells to let you know they’re coming.

I was really impressed with this guy that lives close to the chapel-- I think he’s homeless because he stays in the same street corner to ask for money every day. But he shakes his money can in rhythms and is an INCREDIBLE whistler and even dances a little bit. It was like actually really good music. AH… I wish I had time to just sit and talk and listen to people!

Mmm, I wish you guys could try fresh mangos here too-- I've given up cutting them and we just peel them and eat them like bananas.

Hey, what do you guys think about family vacation trip to Mexico in December? 

Love you all,

Hermana Ludlam

Very Short, but Sweet

Ah 10 minutes to write!!

Luci, I loved the fotos of your baptism! I hope you realize what a big deal it is to be baptized!  You’ve made a commitment to try to become like Christ for your whole life. And it’s even better because when you keep the commandments and are nice to your family, Heavenly Father will give you instructions on how to have a happy life through the Spirit! You can ask Him about any question or decision and he’ll let you know the right answer through the Holy Ghost. It's the same thing as having Jesus next to you all the time to give you advice and make you feel good.

What did you think about it? How does it feel to have the Holy Ghost? Is it helping you be nicer to people?

Lia in el Parque de las Americas, Gineres

Here is a touristy picture for you all. This is a pool in El Parque de Las Americas en Gineres. It’s a pretty popular site for tourists and it has this really nice peaceful feeling. The pool usually has water squirting out of the jaguar’s mouths but there were people working on it.

Could you guys maybe send me conference ensigns in English? No rush. President told us that modern-day revelation from prophets was even more fuerte (powerful) than the canonical scriptures.

Aw man, I had lots to tell you, how does this always happen? 

I know I type “I love you” all the time, but typing it just doesn’t cut it. I miss you guys a lot. 

You should give the missionaries references.

Love,

Hermana Ludlam

Exalted at 19 or something...

Hola Familia,

Happy Birthday Luci!!! I love you. Your school pictures are beautiful.

I got Dearelders on Monday! Thank you. And Grant, I finally got a letter from you! Marlon, I got your letter but somehow lost your email address to write back to you. Can you send it to me again?

Mum, I had been thinking about the reunion theme before your letters came, and I was also thinking that the theme should be about family bonds. I’ve realized how strong the ties are in BOTH directions-- our ancestors are our family just as much as the ones that are living now and just as much as our descendents. We’re all sealed together to know each other and enjoy each other for forever! There’s a lot of merit in getting to know our ancestors on a personal level through family history, just like we get to know our family right now. I wish I could think of a catchy theme, but the only one is “Ties That Bind” and that’s already been taken... What are your recent thoughts?

Last week, I had an experience that changed my whole life perspective, but I didn’t even get to write about it. We had a zone conference (that they told us about the night before. We were also supposed to tell the ward council to attend) during an extremely busy week, so we got there and I was already a little stressed. Then conference goes on for 6 hours (with a 7-minute break in the middle) and so I'm worried about all of the many appointments we’re going to have to change and also the ward council members who not only came on very late notice, but were also not very involved the whole time and were missing their entire work day. And I kept trying to tell myself to calm down because it was a good thing and we were receiving instruction.

But people just keep on talking and talking and talking, and President keeps on adding more and more and more things that we need to start studying and doing and getting done, and because I saw the things that President was saying as commandments from God, I was trying to figure out how in the world we were going to incorporate all of them on top of what we were already doing to continue to be obedient. It got to the point that I was thinking: “There is literally not TIME to do all of this. It's not even possible.” I was wondering if they were even things inspired of God. And so that made me feel even worse, like I was not only incapable of being obedient, but that I was doubting the authority of my leaders.

Anyway, on top of it all I was feeling sick, and so at about hour 5, I just kind of gave up trying to listen and actually started tearing up--which usually is not how I react to things. I was sitting on the front row so President noticed, and afterwards he came up and asked what was wrong and at that point I wasn’t really sure, because I’m used to having lots of stress and it usually doesn’t even phase me. Pretty much all the time I am a happy and content person. My reaction seemed pretty irrational to me and so I didn’t really know what to tell him. And then, President, being the good person that he is, asks me to come to his office with him.

Anyway, through what I explained to President and what he explained to me, I realized I had been thinking a lot of incorrect things:

1. That everyone in the whole world was “saveable” because Heavenly Father knows everyone’s hearts and what and how to tell them things to change their hearts. So if He had a perfectly sensitive instrument, He could save everybody.

2. That the way to be a sensitive and a more successful missionary was to be exactly obedient like it says in the scriptures. Heavenly Father has already given us instructions of how to be successful-- which are the commandments-- so the more obedient we are the more successful we will be. An infinitely obedient person will be infinitely successful. They will also continue to grow infinitely in their personal development. So I should be as obedient as possible to the commandments, the missionary rules, what it says in PMG, and everything the prophets and my leaders say.

3. The other way to be exactly sensitive and obedient is to ask the Lord to direct me in everything. He is infinitely more wise and knows infinitely better than I do, so why not ask His advice and confirmation in every decision?

Well, that’s pretty much a recipe to go crazy. I never realized I was a perfectionist, but I realized that I wasn’t even allowing myself to feel good about what I was doing because in the eternal perspective, I had so much more to go. I think I was trying to be exalted while I was still 19 or something. Anyway, from President, and also from my scripture study the past few weeks, I realized some things:

1. Heavenly Father does know His children WAY better than I do and will certainly instruct me unto convincing them and touching their hearts. BUT, lots of people will receive a spiritual witness and still choose not to accept it. Heavenly Father won’t infringe upon agency. Even Christ, the most effective and sensitive missionary ever, couldn’t convert everyone.

2. Exact obedience DOES make us more successful and is necessary for our progression, but exact obedience is different than infinite obedience. Just like making a measurement in a science lab-- we need to make an EXACT measurement, but an exact measurement doesn't mean less than and it also doesn’t mean more than-- and it certainly doesn’t mean pouring and pouring and pouring. Knowing how to obey the commandments requires instruction of the Spirit. There is the RIGHT way to obey the commandments. Also, the missionary rules are not eternal truths meant to be taken on the same spiritual level as the scriptures. :)  I read a lot about the Jewish elders taking laws to the extreme and eventually worshiping the law more than God.

3. I should be constantly seeking Heavenly Father’s aid in all I do, because He DOES know how to live my life better than I do. But I also realized that a lot of things DON'T MATTER TO HIM. Yes, a lot of worldly occurrences fit into His grand scheme of things, but not everything. There are lots of instances in the D&C when he actually says “you can do this or this, it mattereth not to me.” Heavenly Father is so reasonable. :) Also, he wants me to be gaining wisdom as He’s guiding me so I can eventually be as wise and intelligent as He is, not so dependent on Him that I’m not thinking for myself.

There are some more reasonable ways of looking at things. I’m not really sure how I got convinced of my first conclusions-- I guess sometimes I get an idea and accept it as fact. Bup, it reminds me of that time when you told me that some people, especially in their study of doctrine, tend to black-and white things. They become convinced of something, and then everything else anybody else says has to fit in the confines of what they think or it must not be true. I realized I always have to be careful to be humble and be willing to change my opinions about the things that I learn from my personal study. :)  I also realized how stinkin’ sneaky Satan is, using a good desire to serve God and be obedient and changing just a few things to put you on a path that will deter your progression.

Anyway, I’ve relaxed a lot and even though I was enjoying my mission before, I've been taking things a lot slower (especially in my desire to learn everything.) I’ve been a lot more patient with my progression and realizing since I’ve got all eternity to get better and because Christ already atoned for me sins, I don’t have to figure everything out right now. I can take joy in the journey. Hna. Harper and I don’t feel nearly as stressed but, for some reason, we’re actually getting more done. Huh.

How was Luci’s baptism?!! Luci, can you write to me and tell me about it?

Much love,

Lia

Hermanas Ludlam and Harper Stay Together!

Hola Familia,

Patrice Bakery in Merida

Hermana Harper and I are staying together! We both really did not want to leave each other AND we have a ton of very-probable baptisms planned in the next month, so we are both very happy campers. Plus, we both like the bakeries in Gineres. :-)

Mum’s questions:

Tell me about your companion now that you've had a little time to get to know her! 

Hermana Harper is so wonderfully frank. She just tells it like it is. Coupled with that, she is very sensitive to the way other people think and how they receive what we’re telling them. She usually notices things or brings up ways to change what we’re doing to suit the people we’re teaching. She catches lots of things that I miss. Part of the reason I’m so excited we’re staying together is that not only are we always coming up with ways to be better teachers, but we actually IMPLEMENT the stuff that we talk about. I have changed a lot in my teaching skills. She’s really good at (tactfully) telling me her observations of how I should change (which, in case you are curious, usually are about talking less, or not being 'teacher-y' and condescending, or ways to rephrase things).

She's strikingly pretty and we actually start a lot of conversations with people who comment on her “ojos azules preciosos” (precious blue eyes). That is a normal thing to do in Mexico-- to yell at people in the street about how they look.

Even just this last week, we got a lot closer as a companionship. I love having a companion where we can just shoot the breeze together all day and talk about everything. It was great because on the way back from Izamal (Pascual’s family) we sat in comfy travel bus seats for an hour and a half with no pressures and nothing to do but just talk. We indulged and talked in English. :)  She is a really good missionary.

Sigh... I plan all week of what to tell you about the wonderful things I am learning and then I never have time.

OH!!! I got your package, Mum, with the sockies! Thank you!  I also got a package from the Young Women and it was like I just pulled out one extremely useful thing after another. Thank you so much.

Loves,

Hna Ludlam

Pascual's Baptism and a great week!

Hola Familia,

Hno Gerardo Herrera , Pascual, H Torales , Lia, & Hna Harper

Pascual's baptism was glorious. And a miracle. We had our interview the day before the baptism and the elders told us we’d have to cancel the baptism because of some problems.

President wasn't available for an interview. So we started walking back from the stake center wondering why God was making it all happen that way-- because Pascual’s wife was going into the hospital the next week and he was going to Samal to take care of her and wouldn't be able to be baptized for at least another month. I thought: “Well, we don’t have control over it so I’ll just trust Heavenly Father.  He knows what he's doing.” But THEN the Elders called us and said “Hermanas! Come quick! The President can interview him right now!” So we hustle it back to the stake center and then Pascual has an interview for like an hour while we wait in the offices.

And when he comes out, ne can not only get baptized, but President paid for him to go get his wife and sons to come to the baptism (that had been the plan, but Pascual hadn’t found work all week so he couldn’t afford the trip.) AND THEN President gave us special permission to travel to Samal (it’s a city a hour and a half away) to teach his family, who want to be baptized! It’s crazy! I can totally see Pascual being a super potente priesthood holder at the head of a happy eternal family. It makes me so happy.

The day of the baptism, nobody showed up on time, including Pascual. His wife couldn’t come because it turned out her operation was a week earlier than they expected, and he was pretty depressed and probably wouldn’t have come if we hadn't had called him. (“I don't have white pants,” he told us.) We also walked in the chapel to discover the entire building was flooded with a good 2-3 inches of water. Hno Alvarado had forgotten to turn off the font. But after everyone else showed up, it only took us an hour to clean the chapel, and once Pascual started working, he was fine and we had the service. It turned out that because the baptism was late all the people who showed up for the ward activity just came in for his baptism, so we had a full house. Hna Torales got to come because Pascual loves her!  And Hno Herrera who baptized him owns a bakery and brought empanadas filled with some kind of mashed green potato that Sister Harper didn’t like, but I thought were pretty good.

And he's so happy right now. I can’t believe how much he feels different. He just looks different. I wish I could explain it. His countenance is just cleaner, or more simple, or more alert or something.

At our English class, we had SEVEN students!  They ALL showed up a half-hour late, pretty much within 5 minutes of each other. :)

Our English Class

Anyway, it's been a great week. Next week I'll tell you about our investigator, Jesus. To answer Livi's questions:

1.  Do you read the Book of Mormon in order every day, or just bits and pieces?

That is a really good question. The rule here is that you have to read through the BoM for a half hour of your hour of personal study and we have a little marking system. There is a LOT of value in reading it straight through (I really missed doing that in the CCM) because you notice lots of examples or applicable things you never would have thought to look up. Then for the other half hour I go searching for things that will help my investigators. Studying for investigators is a very inspired process. Psh! studying is an inspired process. I’ve realized one of the biggest ways the Spirit instructs me is by priorities: “Studying this would be a better use of time than that.” “This is a better/more efficient way to do that” or “This is more important” and things like that. Or sometimes it’s just good ideas. Sis Harper and I came up with a great analogy about making cakes today.

2. Do you want a companion that speaks English like you?

Well, when you need to communicate really clearly and efficiently, like during planning, it’s a dream come true. Most of the time we try to talk in Spanish though (even though that really wears you out.) You guys, it’s so great. I can pretty much understand what people are saying to me. Sometimes I even forget Spanish is a problem.

3. What has been your favorite thing so far about Mexico?

Sister Harper and I have developed a very bad habit of buying pan from the panaderos that ride their bikes in the street (the bike has a huge cart in front of it that is full of 'pan' which is not bread as we think of  it, but all sorts of pastry danish-y conch-y things.) They have these obnoxious squeaky horns that they honk incessantly so you always know when they’re coming. The kind that I always get is called “budín.” It's like a really dense, bready-like custard that comes in bars. Sister Harper thinks it’s gross.

You guys, I eat so much. Ava, you would be proud of me. I ate a hamburger for a bedtime snack the other day.

4.  If you could go anywhere in Mexico where would it be?

Well, everyone says that the Cenotes (caves) are their favorite, so I want to see those. I also want to go to Cancún at night to see the phosphorescence in the crystal-clear water under the moon. If I come back though, I’m not crazy about doing the touristy things. I kind of just want to visit my people. 

Thanks, Livi. I’ll answer your questions next week Mom.

Much love,

Hermana Lia

Woot-woot! + bonus MTC video footage

We just received a bootleg MTC video from Lia's cousin, Brooke, in the MTC.  She recorded Lia (accompanying on the violin) with her cell phone.  Not the best quality, but we loved hearing her play.  You can watch down at the bottom of this post!  Thank you, Brooke, all the way in Korea!

Hola Familia,

Woot woot!  Baptism this week too! Pascual will be baptized on Ava's birthday and his FAMILY is going to travel to come see it and they want to hear the discussions, too. Which is new.  Pascual gave me the phone last night because his wife wanted to talk to us but we ran out of credit before she could get to what she wanted to say. But we'll talk at the baptism. 

EEE.  We're really in miracle mode. I didn't even have people close to baptism in Madero, but here practically all our investigators are the real deal (and there's a good 6 or 7 of them). They actually WANT to listen to us and have baptismal dates and everything. And all of them are such cool and such different people and I wish you could meet them and that I had time to tell you about them. We'll have to have storytime every night when I get home or something and we can go through my journals.

About a week ago we ran into a family sitting outside their house in the street just having a good time and talking, and they all wanted to listen, and so we set a date with the mom, Juliana, and daughter Maria who live in our area (and passed the other references to the office). We visited them yesterday and only Maria had time to listen (she’s 23 and has a punk-stylish-short-cropped hair-do and usually a neon-pink forever 21 shirt). She opened the door and didn't seem that excited to talk with us, but we sat down and lo, and behold, she had READ the folleto (pamphlet) and THOUGHT about it and TOLD US THE THINGS SHE HAD LEARNED ABOUT IT. That’s very atypical, guys. And the whole lesson we were missionaries on fire, applying everything to her personal life and involving her and asking great questions. At the end, we invited her to be baptized and she was thinking for a long time so we were worried. And then... she just sort of shrugs her shoulders and nods like she’s admitting something. And then she smiled.

Hassiby came with us (she’s 16 and was accompanying us as a member). She had been telling us about this girl that passes in front of her house every day that she didn’t know, but who she felt like she ought to stop someday to talk to her about the gospel. And during the lesson with Maria, Hassiby bore her testimony in the middle and then said “Actually, you've walked past my house a ton and I’ve always wondered who that girl in the neon-pink camisa (shirt) was and felt like I ought to talk to you.” You can imagine how Hassiby felt when we knocked on the door and Maria was the one who opened it. :)

I don't know why Heavenly Father is putting so many prepared people in our path. Teaching-wise and Spanish-wise, we are not very skilled missionaries, but we DO push ourselves to have a crazy amount of faith that Heavenly Father wants EVERYONE to be baptized-- so he will direct us how to touch EVERYONE'S hearts to make them understand. And we seek his direction in every aspect of every part of our work. We’re still not very good at doing either of those things yet, but I think he gives blessings to people who try.

Can you send a thank you to the beautiful family of the Bishop for their much-appreciated package of goodies? It's brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people and I LOVED the letter and card.

Also can you thank Grandma for the letter too? I just got the one from Christmas about spending it with Dave and Susan's family and I read it in bed and it made me feel all cozy inside like I was with my family. :) We have a cool family guys.

OH. And I got the Christmas card and just sat there staring at the pictures for probably a good 5 minutes. There were only two normal-family pictures on there, I noticed, and the rest was very typically Ludlam. Thank you for your letter Mum.

Hermana Harper and I are doing a pretty good job fighting the language battle and temptation to speak English. We're in spanish probably 85% of the time.

Sometime, I'll have to send pictures of the incredible number of combinations we've made in the morning with platanos, hojuelas de maiz, y avena. (bananas, cornflakes and oatmeal.) We get pretty creative. 

Multi-ward Council (see accompanying paragraph caption)

We had a reunion last night for all of the ward councils in the stake so I aproveche la oportunidad (took advantage of the opportunity) to get picrtures of all the people I never had time to say goodbye to. I don’t really know the first three people, but the smiling guy in the green tie is Bishop Garcia, then L t R Hno Manuel Chi, Hno Pool, Hna Espinosa, the two kids of Hna Zuli, Hna Rita of the Fabulous hair (you can’t see it in it’s glory with the flowers and everything), Hna Magi and Hna Zuli (who teaches ballet in her house.) I still need one of Hno Matey, the ward mission leader. He's one of the main people I want to see when I come back someday; he's a very special person.

I didn't get to your questions, sorry, but it's on my list. :)

We’re going to the offices right now to check for mail...

Love,

Hermana Ludlam

 

The Gospel Changes People Deeply!

Hola Familia Increíble, 

Marta's baptism was beautiful. She was so happy and so angelic in white. She has been radiating all week. The Holy Ghost is so real.  AND Pascual's baptism is scheduled for next week! AH! He is so happy too. YOU GUYS-- the gospel CHANGES people deeply!

Marta's Baptism Day

And in OTHER joyful news, I got a huge stack of DearElders!  I got two from Mom, two from Ava and one from Livi and the Agee letter. Sometimes, I think that “Oh, maybe my dreams of how it's going to be when I get to be with my family and how happy we're going to be and how much I'm going to love them are exaggerated because I've been away for so long.” But then I read your letters and remember how completely wonderful you are. I think “Naw, Satan, you ain't nuthin but a fibber.” I love you all.

And in OTHER joyful news, I was calling the materials secretary about some stuff we’re buying for our house and he happened to mention, “Oh, and you have a package here...” YES!!

Do you know if other people are DearEldering me?

Both Livi and Mum sent me some fabulous questions that I completely plan to answer but don't have time this week. 

Shoot! I had so much good stuff I wanted to tell you all. 

In front of Hna. Magali's store with some dulces.

Every morning we help Hna. Primavera (our neighbor with the restaurant) to deliver her food to Hna. Magali's tienda. Hna. Magali is in a wheelchair but still is a very active member of the ward. We decided to buy lunch there today since it's p-day and bought mainly dulces. :)

We took a picture with our ward mission leader, Hno. Alvarado. Oh boy I love him. I will write more about him later.

Oh! In a February package: can you send greeting cards and pens in multiple colors that are not gel pens? And a 3-ring 1-inch or 2-inch notebook?

Oh... sad news. 'The Beast' (suitcase) is on it’s last legs. It has a hole in the bottom and does not travel well, even though I duct-taped it up good.  Can you send some dinero to buy a replacement?  Thanks for asking.

Hno. Alvarado, our ward mission leader

Also, if there's anything you guys want me to bring home from Mexico tell me so I'll know what to bring you. It'll help if I have more time to look and can pick things up as I go along.

Love,

Hermana Ludlam

Marta to be Baptized on Wednesday!

Querida Familia Mia,

Our house is the door on the left.

We... are going to have a baptism! La Hermana Marta is 62 and has been seeing missionaries for a good eight months and has a lot of sass. She's been in and out of the hospital for the longest time and even though her husband was in perfect health, he died two months ago in the middle of a conversation while they were both sitting in their hamacas. Wow, she really is an example to me of letting affliction turn you to Heavenly Father and not away from him. She is really excited for her baptism. It will be a trick to do the ordinance without getting her dialysis tubes wet.  And eeee… it's my first! It's this Wednesday!

We also have another PROGRESSING INVESTIGATOR with a BAPTISMAL DATE, named Pascual. We couldn't teach him for the longest time because he is a very, very serious alcoholic and couldn't go without drinking long enough for us to teach him. But-- we stopped by his house about a week ago to leave him a pamphlet, and he told us he hasn't had a drink in a week! It was so incredible to actually talk to and get to know the real Pascual. He really is a good person and wants to get back to his family so bad. And he loves coming to church.

I have some good news. I had my interview with President and he asked me what I had heard from my family recently, and I told him I hadn't heard from them in a while because email time is short so they write DearElders, but they don't come very reliably. And wow, my mission President really listens to me! He gave me a few suggestions.  My interview with him was beautiful. He gave me a lots of specific advice about what I should do with specific investigators and what I should focus our teaching and time on. 

Mom, could you send me pictures that I can print and paste in my "Mi Familia" pamphlet? I need pictures of you, Bup, my 4 grandparents and my 8 grandparents? They don't need to be in color or anything fancy. I finished your letter today and bought stamps!

Bup, could you send me a story or two about my four great-grandparents on your side? I'm filling in my "Mi Familia" pamphlet with stories and things I remember about the past three generations. Sigh, I miss you... I haven't gotten mail in forever and so I'm hoping sometime in the next month I'll hear from you and how you're doing.

And to the family: What do you think about dedicating our house? I've been thinking about it a lot. I don't have to be there for the house to be dedicated, and it would help to bring more unity and love into the home and help us all to center our lives more on Christ. ¿Qué piensan ustedes? (What do you think?)

Oh, you guys, I love you.

(Referring to the picture) Our neighbor upstairs takes nice care of the plants that he keeps in pots and cans in the entryway. He's young and single and... drinks, so once again we have to buscar casa (find another place to live).

Usually the sky is not gray and you can see how colorful the street is. I'll have to try again to take a picture so you can get a better feel for how the city looks.

Being a missionary is really good.

Love,

Hermana Ludlam

I Love Gineres!

Hassiby, Lia, H' Harper & Vanessa at Centro Cathedral

Sister missionary attire?  Not so much.

Hola familia,

I'm actually doing it! We're being missionaries even when I'm in charge! Every time I think about that it surprises me again. We already have THREE new fechas fijas (fixed dates) from this week. Heavenly Father really can do miracles.

I LOVE Gineres. It's got a very cool ancient-city feel to it, but it's not touristy like Centro. I thought the people here would be colder to the gospel because it's in the city and the people work more and have bigger houses and everything, but there are so many people we meet on the streets that want to hear what we have to say. And we meet many people on accident-- because I bump into their door when I trip or make a phone call under their window. Heavenly Father can make use of all types of instruments, even the clumsy and the socially indiscreet ones.

My ward is really fantastic. I LOVE them and I've only been here one Sunday. The ward mission leader (I'll have to get a picture with him-- he's very much his own person) is SO dedicated to the work and so is the bishop and the ward missionaries. I think people will actually do what we assign them to do.

I actually did something frivolous with my p-day this week-- I think it's the first time. Sister Harper and I went to pasear (similar to hang out) en Centro with the two daughters of the Relief Society president, Hassiby and Vanessa.

I ate on the street for the first time in a little restaurant called Gorda Gorditas-- gorditas are thick tortillas cut open and stuffed like pitas with whatever you want.

I hope you all are delighting and feasting on the scriptures. I've realized that any time in my life that I didn't LOVE the scriptures, when they weren't BURSTING with life and things I needed to know, was because I didn't understand them. You guys, the scriptures are the most wonderful things ever. If you want Heavenly Father to direct your life, he already gave you directions. Reading the scriptures is like getting directions for how to have a successful life. If you don't understand them (because you can't without the Spirit), all you have to do is ask. They will flood your life with understanding and light.

Heavenly Father has also used the past couple weeks to teach me about gratitude. I never realized how true it was when President Monson said 'gratitude was the parent of all virtues.' President Monson says a lot of true stuff that I never appreciated before. He knows what he's talking about.

It reminds me of those stairs that they make on steep trails with planks cut into the hillside: If working out salvation is like climbing a mountain, engendering and expressing gratitude is like making a staircase behind you as you climb up. Each time we realize what we've already been blessed with, it's like setting down another plank solidifying our progress. And we can turn around and actually enjoy the view and our progress the whole way up.

I like analogies.

Our Mapita.  We still haven't recovered the lost map!

I've realized that any time I am doubting or anytime I am not happy, it's because I've forgotten all the other times that Heavenly Father has filled me with peace and comfort, or all the ways he's enhanced my abilities in the past. Being grateful for what he's done (and usually what he's doing currently) is really all I need to be happy.


Merida culture tid-bits:

*  To say 'yes' while they're talking on the phone or thinking about something else, the people wiggle one finger (like we do when we make air quotes but with only one finger).

*  Popcorn is "palomitas" which means "little doves." Palomita is also the word for a checkmark.

Have a great week. We get mail every Monday night. Eeee...

Love,
Lia

Bonus Letter: A New Companion and No Map!

Meet my new companion!

Hermana Harper, la NORTEAMERICANA!

I definitely wasn't expecting a paisana. :) (a girl from my country)  Hermana Harper is lovely. She wants to work and has a beautiful spirit, and absorbs everything I tell her really quickly. She is 20, from Orem, Utah, and a nursing student.

Well. Yesterday I entered the chapel feeling great, but I realized when we got to our house that I had no idea what to do. I had no idea what to plan for since we are opening the area.  I hardly know how to be a missionary and somewhere in between the offices and the taxi we lost our huge map that we use to mark all the people we need to teach. I really didn't think I was up to this.

But. Prayer works. We called the bishop and the Relief Society President to meet with them tomorrow, and we used a little piece of cardboard to make a mini-map to plan the next day. We used our exercise time to find a grocery store, and today within three hours of leaving the house we already have 3 citas and 2 new and very prospective investigators. We feel like good missionaries. :) Heavenly Father really will take care of everything if we rely on Him. 

Next door to us is a member family that owns a restaurant, and Hna. Primavera (la mama) came over to give us empanadas for breakfast this morning and gave us directions to all of the stores we need. She also fed us lunch in her restaurant. Their whole family is just fantastic.

I have some pictures from my last night in Madero, with the Can Castro family, who invited us to come cut the ‘rosco’ with them (it's a special croissant/danish-like cake in a long skinny ring with little plastic dolls inside) and hot chocolate. It's for some holiday but I still haven't figured out which one. We gave a short lesson on La Familia to their non-member friends and family, and the members there gave some incredible testimonies.  

Los Can Castro:  Hna. Fheve, Isis, Yvanna, & Hno. Miguel

 

 

 

  They are our member neighbors in Madero. One of the twins plays violin (we did a duet for the Christmas activity that hopefully Hno Miguel will be able to send to you, I gave him your email address) and the other plays piano, and the older sister plays flute. It's pretty unusual to have so much musical talent in one family because hardly ANYONE takes music lessons here. Their house is really nice for a house in Madero.

Hermana Kim is a ward missionary and has a daughter, Suri, that just left on her mission.  Her husband is always smiling--except in this picture!

Hermana Kim and husband 

I have heard that after you get home from your mission, they delete your email account. Can you look into this? Or maybe a way to salvage all my emails? I have some beautiful letters from members that I want to keep, plus all the mass missionary emails that I'd like to read later. Plus the emails from you guys.

Oh, another miracle-- my violin is fixed! One night, I had the impression that I should play the violin for H' Torales before we went to bed, so I got it out of my case-- and the pegs moved! It had been unusually cold the past few days and the next day it returned to being hot and heavy, so now my violin is stuck in tune. 

I love you all.

Mucho amor, 

Hna Ludlam 

Lia the Trainer Opens a Brand New Area!

Hola Familia,

Pues, two grande noticias (big news items)…

UNO, your package came!!! From the 2nd of December!!! It only took a month to get here which is amazing. Thank you for the goodies, mum (only the almonds made it in recognizable form but everyone loved them) and I LOVED the CDs. They worked! And your letter was wonderful, mum, thank you. I've gotten a few other letters from the beginning of December, too. It seems like sometimes the hand-written ones get here sooner than the dearelders. I don't think I've gotten any dearelders from December yet.

Can you please tell Sally thank you for the card and gift $?  I needed it to buy a new watch and it saved my sanity. :)

TWO, we had transfers today and... I am a trainer!! I am going to open the area of Gineres, which is the residential area attached to Centro, so it's a pretty city. I know it a little bit because we had been going there when we had references, but I still don't know where anything is. The blocks are HUGE city blocks so I will definitely get my workout. And we won't waste time traveling between Madero and Gineres!  Hna. Torales will stay in Madero and we're in the same stake so she'll be able to fill me in on all of our investigators.

I've been feeling everything in the past 24 hours... at first the news didn't even faze me, but then as we were going to the trainer capacitacion (training meeting) I was suddenly filled with dread.  But I realized that Heavenly Father called me to do it because he will completely enable me to do it. There is no reason that it can't be an incredible experience. I have no idea what it's going to be like or what in the world I am going to do, but I feel very peaceful right now that Heavenly Father will help me do whatever He wants me to do. 

You guys will get to meet my “hija” (the “daughter” she will be training) next week. :)

To the left is my birthday present to Hna. Torales, because one time I played hymn this at a baptism and it happened to be the song she had been looking for since she heard it by the MoTab. There's a small quote from it in Spanish in our missionary manual, but the rest of the song is only in English so I translated it. I also wrote out the English with the pronunciation guide we've been using. 

 This is the pronunciation guide we've been using-- with the signs from my dictionary but with words she already knows how to say. We didn't get to finish it before transfers. :(

Ah, I wish I had time to write everything I planned to write!

Well, one thing is my realization of the reality of Satan and the way he has permeated my thinking my whole life in ways that are so very subtle-- and so very much an impediment to my happiness. He is so sneaky. Being a missionary is a CONSTANT battle to recognize that if I am lacking faith or feeling despair, it's him, and I just need to pray and pray and pray that Christ will help me to 'hedge up the way of my enemy' and ‘not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me' (can't remember how it's phrased in Nephi's psalm but it's something like that). Neph's psalm explains how I feel so perfectly I just want to read it out loud. 

Thank you to mum and Grant for writing out the instructions to the DearElder. Lots of people have been asking for the instructions in Spanish.

Mom, I wish I had time to write and tell you how perfect your quote was. Thank you.

Love,

Hermana Ludlam