I Love Eternal Families

Hola Familia,

They are going to split the Chuburna area so we are all very curious about what the transfers are going to be next week. Hermana Wilson's and my secret desire is that each of us goes to a different part of Chuburna so we can stay in the same ward. 

This picture was taken at our  Noche de Hogar (Family Night) with the Familia Araujo (baptism this Saturday) with the Familia Poot invitado. It was FABULOUS-- we talked about eternal marriage and family history work. And because the Primary (the Children's organizationin the church) asked me to play that day, I happened to have my violin with me. :) The Poot family was sealed eternally in the temple a few years ago, and they shared a moving testimony of temples. Seated  around the table: Graciela Poot, Jose Poot, Suri Araujo, Armando A, Nayeli A, Dionisio, Yanet (niece), Marta (hermana), Lia, and Adrian Poot.

Dionisio said (with his Dionisio grin) "We haven't made covenants yet, so we could still work on Sunday," to build the table in the foto. They didn't have a table big enough for all of us, so he used a big piece of material from work (it is made out of the white bumpy stuff they use to make fridges) and nailed it on sawhorses. Not really a true principle, but at least they realize the seriousness of their covenants. :) 

 

And, Nayeli invited her sister and niece to the Family Night.  This means 2 more investigadores! I LOVE ETERNAL FAMILIES!

The Araujo Family

We are SO excited about the baptisms this weekend. The WARD is excited too, I think they are also a little baptism-hungry. They have been so good to the Familia Araujo.

Before this week, we had about 15 people with baptismal dates. After the baptisms, I think we will have 0. We lost about 10 people this week.

It's okay, though, I think Heavenly Father is just sweeping out our schedule a bit so we will have time to teach all the people we're going to find this next week. :) 

Love, 

Hermana Ludlam

He loves me that way

Hola Familia!

Thanks for the conference newspaper, Mum. What is fantastic is that I feel the same thrill reading those talks that I felt listening to them for the first time 3 months ago. I love truth... It's funny because I'll read a talk and think, "Hey, I didn't hear that the first time," and then I'll look in my notes and my exact same thought was already written down and I just forgot it. We need to review conference. :-)  You can listen or read here!

Also, Mum, thank you for giving me your Jesus El Cristo. I started reading it during breakfast about a month ago and it has significantly deepened my love for Christ. I think one of my biggest barriers to loving Christ is just knowing Him, and Jesus El Cristo is like a read-between-the-lines re-write of the New Testament. I've realized new attributes of Christ by seeing him more as a real person. I feel so much more love for Him when He is real.

I've been thinking about Heavenly Father's love for us, too. Lots of times I hear "Heavenly Father loves us," but that just doesn't trigger an emotional reaction. I loved that quote Mum sent* about our whole lives being designed for us by Him-- His love for us is current and intense and 'metido' (I don't know how to say 'meter' in English).

*This is the quote: "The joy that consumes our soul when we discover that missions – and life – were designed by a loving Heavenly Father to create opportunities to touch other lives and by so doing we forever change our own and there is no other way to become like God in that capacity–there is no other way.--J. Ritchie

 
He wants us to learn what He's learned, and He wants to teach us, individually, all of those things. He wants to be constantly involved in every line and precept that we learn. There is such an intense joy in realizing that He loves me that way.

I love you all.
Write down your propositos (resolutions)!

Love,

Hna Lud-lamanita

Best Nancy Drew Moment and Cupcakes!

Hola Familia,

I loved our phone call so, so much. At first I was tempted to complain that we only had 40 minutes, but afterwards I realized it was perfect. It meant that every minute was quality-packed. Every time I think about it I get all fuzzy inside.

And thank you for your display of song-writing and singing abilities-- clever little Lumsies.

After the call we ate a light dinner (en Yucatan that means a normal dinner) with la Familia Martinez and then they drove us home. Hermana Wilson and I were just full of happiness up to the chin. It was a really lovely Navidad.

Exciting events this week...

Best Nancy Drew moment! On Christmas Eve, Hermana Wilson and I (well, really just me) left our keys in the house and closed the door and were pretty sure we were going to have a rather unpleasant Christmas Eve because the dueños (landlords) were on vacation in Cancún and all of the cerrejarías (locksmiths) were closed because it was Christmas Eve. We tried jimmying the lock and busting open one of the windows, but we were rather fruitless.

And then (after a quick prayer), we employed an intricate, multi-window, multi-wall, PVC-pipe plan and actually got into our house! I’m not going to post how to break into our house on the internet, but we were pretty proud of ourselves.

 

Last Sunday, the bishop’s daughter (age 14) baked chocolate cupcakes and they decided to use them for the sacrament.

Oh, I just wanted to mention that I’m probably going to start writing an hour earlier on Mondays.

Livi, I know I promised to write to you but I am out of time. I will write next week!

​La Familia Tzab-- we ate lunch (the main meal) with them on Christmas. (Caldo con (broth with) add-it-yourself carne, lechuga y tomate (meat, lettuce and tomato).

​

​ This is the lawn of a neighbor a few blocks from our house. Just the stable wasn't sufficient...didn't cut it.  That's the Sea of Galilee, with fish, underneath the table, and then the rest of the citizens of Bethlehem.

We are also trying to train the ward how to use ward council, missionary coordination, and the progress reports, and we made a visual:

I love you.

Love,

Hna Ludlam

It's a Date! Christmas Day, 8 pm EST!

Hola Familia Hermosa!

I get to SEE you in... TWO DAYS!

Sorry I didn’t write yesterday. We had our devocional navideña (Christmas Devotional) and they moved our p-day to Tuesday.

La devocional navideña was Hermosa (beautiful)... I really enjoyed it. The highlight was the choir that came (Our President’s counselor has a nationally acclaimed choir of about 10 people, mostly his family) and they came and did a half-hour performance. They brought an INCREDIBLE violinist!  That violinist did something for my soul. I think I have been a little bit good-music starved. Are you guys going to sing me something? :) The videos of our duet, unfortunately, are too big to send. I have a clip of the choir that I'll have to show you later, too.

This is the grandson of our President.  They came to the Devotional.  We finally got to take our picture together.

Gloria, our investigator, was really sad that she didn't have money for a Christmas tree. Missionary Sisters (and Bodega Aurrera, a little shop) al rescate (to the rescue)!... also our agendas that we covered. Thank you Familia Mecham for the card last year! And to Sue White for the very cute advent calendar. :)

The Sisters and Oolibama. She is reactivating (the only one in her family) and goes with us on appointments. She is a professional model... suprise!

Our Christmas cards we made for the Chuburna Ward members.

Hermana Margarita, cocinera extrordinaire and EXCELENTE misionera. She has bad knees and can hardly leave the house, but somehow manages to have more missionary opportunities and references than practically the rest of the ward combined.

This is an average Desk of a Missionary.

(Right) Mexico en la noche... there were a bunch of silhouetted kids playing ball in street and we tried to capture the moment.

The Familia Polanco fed us Ceviche con Pulpo (OCTOPUS). I thought it would be really icky to have all the little suction cups and spines in my mouth and I would want to swallow it as quickly as possible, but I actually liked the texture.


Dionisio and his family are PROGRESSING, and we are so happy. The changes in their family dynamics changed drastically even from the first day we started teaching them. We’re also happy because at first their son didn’t want to listen, but this week he came to church with them and is already involved in the Young Men Christmas service projects. They are a FAMILIA COMPLETA. :)

We have been finding other families too... that is what we have been praying for-- for a long time-- and all of a sudden all of these families to teach come out of nowhere--bloop bloop bloop!-- and they are accepting FECHAS (commitment dates)!

Okay, the time of my call should be 7:00 pm my time on Thursday. We’re going call from the house of la Familia Martinez.

Mucho amor,

Hna

Some Christmas Cheer

Hermana Wilma, Hugo's little brother, Hugo, and Yolanda.

Familia Mia que está en los Estados (Family of Mine that is in the States),

Here is some Christmas cheer from the Chiburna Ward:---->

We had a stake activity of villancicos navideños de los niños (Children's Christmas Carols). They asked me to play the violin for “La Nochebuena” and it turned out well. I did some pizzicato stuff. Sister Wilson and I wore blue hats and scarves too.

I have been using my violin a ton these past few weeks. Our President's family came into town from Cincinnati and wanted to baptize their grandson here, and they asked me to play. We had the service at 7:00 in the morning. :-) I liked hanging out with their family.

I’m also accompanying our zone for our choir in our misión Christmas Devotional, and Hermana Wilson and I will be in the talent show. I’ll try to take a video. And lots of caroling. We’re going to go out with the Bishop on Thursday to carol for his neighbors. It’s amazing how even without practicing I can play decently well. Gifts of the Spirit, I think.

Sister Wilson and I are so happy because we have a FAMILY that has come to church for TWO WEEKS now. The Ward is doing it’s job so well-- to the point that it might be overwhelming them. The family is Dionisio and Nayeli, with their daughter Suri. I think I love them so much, not just because they are such sincere people, but because they are really a “diamond in the rough” find. We just started talking to Dionisio outside of his house one night and kind of pushed a lesson on him :-). He has very typical Yucatecan problems.

But the first week we passed by to pick him up for church, he was READY and WAITING for us (that NEVER happens) and LIKED church and since we gave him the Book of Mormon he stays up all night after work reading. He said “I would try to go to sleep and then I would wake up again and start reading.” (He is a construction worker.) His wife at first didn’t want anything to do with us, but started listening and told us, “In just one week my husband has changed into a completely different person.” She has changed a lot, too. They went to the Christmas Devotional and Suri sang with the Primary in the stake activity.

I love Christmas.

La llamada (Our phone call) this year... is only 40 minutes. :( But it will be on the 25th. They haven’t told us what our day will be like yet, but next week I’ll give you the horario (schedule).

Mucho amor,

Hna Ludlam  

Full of Rejoicing

The sisters taught the youth how to study like missionaries!

F e l i z !

I love Christmas a lot.

People really like caroling. It’s not a very big thing in Mexico, so when we go and sing for people, it really touches them. I love how people answer their doors in the usual apathetic, uninterested, brusque Yucatecan way-- usually: “Quien.” (Who?) -- but after we start singing they turn into real people. Love is a converting factor. :) Maybe we can’t always serve people by teaching them the truths that will change their lives, but at least we can help them feel loved.  I like singing with Hermana Wilson because we blend perfectly.

Setting up their Young Women class display.

Abril y Luis fell away. I’m not even sure how, but this week we found in the street the coolest family. We almost passed by Gabriel y Jimena because they were working in their garage, but the way that Gabriel said “hi” to us when we passed was so unusually friendly and familiar.  After a couple seconds I turned around and went back. I don’t think we even said anything to them and Gabriel invited us into their house to meet their two kids and see their baby (this is very unusual behavior, usually the rest of the family tries to hide.) Their house and family are strikingly beautiful, but what impressed me the most was the feeling I had when we walked in their home-- it was feliz. They are a genuinely happy family. I hadn’t felt that in a home for such a long time that it really impacted me.

Gabriel and Jimena are Christian but bashed on their church the whole time. They built their entire house themselves and do all of their projects by hand. They don’t go to church, but are constantly helping people out (like letting people live in their house, paying for other people's hospital treatments, etc.)  Not to mention they are both young and gorgeous. All their kids have crazy beautiful eyes.

Flor, the coolest ever,  is going on a mission in January.

We sat down in their garage and taught them while they were painting their do-it-yourself deck and they were totally on board with the Restoration and then... THEY CAME TO CHURCH THE NEXT DAY. Yesterday was a Christmas miracle. For this entire transfer, we haven’t had a single investigator come to church but yesterday we had SIX.

In response to Mom’s question: 'Dádiva' means 'gift'. It's like 'regalo' means 'present', 'dàdiva' means 'gift'. I have talked to like two people here who know what 'dadiva' means. :)

Hermana Wilson and I are going to stay together in Chuburna for another transfer! We were full of rejoicing. I'm really excited to spend Christmas in this ward. I love Barrio Chuburna, there are a lot of solidly good people in this ward.

Much love,
Hermana Ludlam

If I Weren't a Missionary, I Would Dance!

The Mexico Merida Mission

Hullo Fambly :-)

I just watched this beautiful Christmas video on the christmas.mormon.org site and I am in a good mood. You can feel the Spirit when something is true. 

People should use this page to talk to people about the church. This worldwide initiative is a big deal; please use it. It is the only time the Church has emailed me about something. It’s kind of exactly what I asked about in my last letter-- how can I help people want to know more about God?  Ta-da!  The answer handed to me in the form of an internet site.

I’ve been trying to make Christ a more living part of my life. I KNOW a lot about Him, and I even am using the Atonement in lots of ways. But my connection with Him is more of an appreciation for what he did-- I am receiving these blessings because of something He did, something done in the past, that He was more of a piece that I am using in a plan. But from thinking about Christmas and taking the sacrament and reading Jesus the Christ and reading the Book of Mormon with this question in mind, I am slowly coming to feel that he is my daily bread and living water. I found great insight in the hymn, “I Know that my Redeemer Lives” (this link is a lovely rendition with Lindsey Sterling and Lexi Walker) which talks about all of the things that Christ is doing, not did.  He didn’t just make salvation possible, He is saving us. 

If we know how to come to Him.

Abril and Luis are emerging from a rocky lifestyle.  They didn’t come to church and Luis had some word of wisdom crashes-- but still excited. I couldn’t believe it. Yesterday we were talking about the NEED to take the sacrament and how they could pray so that it would come to pass. And I asked, “So, what can you do to ensure that you guys come to church next week?” and Abril (16) says, “Make a covenant.”

*?*?*?*

I don’t think we taught her that.

Thank you for the fotos, they brought me much felicidad. :)

Our prayers are being answered! We are finally finding people to TEACH! You know what, when people say that the happiness you feel on your mission is the happiest you will feel in your life, they are talking about the happiness you feel when someone is actually receiving the message. If nobody’s receiving it—it’s not so happy.  But when even just ONE person is getting the point, there is a surging, all-day joy that is just hard to contain. If I wasn’t a missionary, I would dance!

Note: The people who we are finding who are receiving are almost all FRIENDS or FAMILY of CHURCH MEMBERS, who the members have prepped beforehand to talk to us. There is something to be applied there.

Go make friends! ;-)

Love,

Hermana Ludlam