That was my answer

Made it the Temple!

Dear Family,

Hermana Granados was my companion this week. It was a crazy week, needless to say. I feel bad for her because she was originally in the 3-week Latino program, but due to medical reasons, she ended up staying here for 7 weeks! On Saturday, she broke a chunk of her tooth off and we were worried that she'd have to stay even longer (the same thing happened to her old companion, and she wasn't able to get her tooth fixed for 4 weeks). But we got a priesthood blessing and then Granados and I were off to the ER! (I LEFT THE MTC! I WAS IN REAL LIFE! And I was alone in the lobby for several hours!)

We just had several adventures together all week. All too soon, she left for Mexico City North, and I'm back to three companions. She's going to be an amazing missionary. She listens so well and she's so full of wisdom. She was a big help to us STL's (Sister Training Leaders) -- and speaking of which! Eight new girls!! It reminds me of the craziness that happened my freshman year of college when there were that many of us in one dorm.

 Moroni with Plates

Visitor Center

As Sister Training Leader's, we have to interview our girls one-by-one each week. I enjoy getting to know the girls, but it also means I have zero personal study time! Which is my favorite. But, oh well. I'm still ahead of my class for number of words memorized. There was one sister I interviewed who was frustrated because she was a light sleeper and there was a heavy snorer, so she got no sleep at night. LUCKILY, my magnificent mom packed some ear plugs in my first aid kit! So Hma Granados and I sprinted back to the casa (it's 9:25 pm and you have to be in your houses at 9:30) to get the earplugs and then we had to sprint to the new sister’s house, then back to our house. We made it on time, because we're just so exactly obedient. Also sprinting at 10,000 feet above sea level is not easy, and we were laughing the whole time.

Guess how many new girls we're getting this week! SIX more!! Personally, I'm super grateful for all these new girls. I think it's God's way of answering my prayers for more charity and patience, and for more opportunities to serve. This week was tough mentally, but when I felt bad, I just prayed to know how to help my new girls. For anyone who has watched “The Character of Christ” by Bednar (this link is a written version) where he talked a lot about how Christ was so selfless and was constantly turning outward. I'm trying to do the same.

My companions and I had to give a tour to 20 new Latina hermanas. My Spanish was intelligible, and I understood half of what they said. Gift of tongues, dawg.

I've been learning a lot about how I receive personal revelation. I recognize 95% of my answers in things that people say. My answers are usually not thoughts that pop into my head. Except one night! I was praying for a particular sister that was causing a lot of hard feelings in her district, and I wanted to know how to help her. I waited a few seconds after my prayer to see if I felt anything-- and I was reminded of a lesson that was given in an STL training meeting! (You can listen or read the story here). This guy, Ensign Blair, is on a boat and they're in a storm, and they only have half an engine or something. He prayed to know what he could do to help. He felt that he should walk around the ship and gather more information. And that was my answer-- gather more information. I just need to talk to this sister more and hear more of her side of the story. I'll have to let you know how everything turns out, because this has been a problem all week. It's kind of stressing me out.

Mexico City Temple

I just went to the temple! Everything was in Spanish, but I wore a headset so I could try and catch all the changes. I got pictures! This temple is the largest in South America and their Moroni is one of five in the world that is carrying the plates!

Mexico has some crazy drivers, and I've heard the DR is even more lawless. An elder in my district said his brother couldn't even walk on the sidewalk because drivers just... go everywhere.

OH! And JEFFERY R HOLLAND spoke last night! Well technically he was in Provo, but it was a live broadcast! And it was awesome. He just wants us to be good, obedient missionaries. Also, he's funny and it's too bad you can usually only see him during General Conference. The 12 are a lot less stiff when they're giving devotionals. He tried to tell us that we share similar callings. Then, he looks at the camera and throws in, "except I'd have to die to get out of mine."

During this lovely devotional, we sat behind some... singers. We had just had our new mission president tell us that we need to be more reverent. Then we start singing the opening hymn and I thought, "Wow, there's someone else singing alto" and then I thought, "I can't even hear myself sing alto." But she wasn't even singing alto, she just sang whatever she thought would fit. So she jumps between tenor two octaves up and then bass and then... searching for the note for like five seconds... It was wild. Also, she was loud. It was like a bagpipe drone right in my ears. No emotion or anything, just solid shoving air out her pipes. Me and my companions tried so hard not to laugh. Then we sang the second opening hymn, Called to Serve, in English (we were trying to kill time since we were waiting for the broadcast to start) and we start singing, except then Hermana Bagpipe's companion says, "Okay, let's just sing as loud as we can" and now I have two bagpipes behind me. Also, there was an elder somewhere in the corner who would throw in a very loud "WO-AH!" after ever "forward, pressing, forward." Hermana Day, my comp, was laughing so hard from everything that when she gave me back my himnario, it was wet with sweat. After our song, Hma Bagpipe II says to Hma Bagpipe I, "Wow, singing in English is so fun!" And they sang like that for every single song.

Then we got home and I forgot my skirt wasn't stretchy and I tried to climb into my top bunk and I hear a giant RIP and now I need to mend that skirt so it fits missionary standards again :) Also Hermana Day just got a package from home full of lots of goodies and ginger ale. She realized that she opened her box upside down so she flips it and opens the top. It was covered with pretty scrapbook paper and stuff. Then it's time for bed and Hma Day tries to move her box that is now open on both sides and everything crashes out and the ginger ale cans go everywhere. I felt bad for laughing so hard, but she was laughing, too. The end.

Also, I heard the basement caught on fire back home! All the exciting things happen after I'm out of the house! :(    I hope everyone has a fantastic week.

Love,
Hermana Ludlam

Hermana Ludlam, the Leader, Emerges

Jenna's new companion for the week, Hma Granados

Fact: I came on a mission because that's what Ludlam chicas do when they turn 19. I also came on a mission because I did not like to study scriptures or pay attention to talks-- but I wanted to learn how. I thought going on a mission would help me gain appreciation for the churchy stuff.

Fact: My testimony has already grown as much as I thought it would throughout my whole mission. I already enjoy scripture study as much as I thought I would after my mission. So that is a good thing. I still think I have a long way to go, even though all my original goals for appreciating the gospel have been accomplished. Love that stuff.

Which shirt?  Short sleeves for the DR or baseball for home?

Fact: I had a rough start to the week. I felt overwhelmingly discouraged and discouragedly overwhelmed. I prayed about my feels for 15 minutes, going on about how miserable everything seemed. I also thought about how the DR has everything I don't like (bugs, tarantulas, humid heat, unintelligible Spanish) and I also felt bad because I couldn't show my companions how much I appreciated them. No bueno all around. I prayed for lots of help. I woke up the next morning, feeling sick, and I just felt as mopey as the night before (I guess I thought God would bless me with a good attitude. Not so.) I went to my training meeting after I got ready (because guess who got called as an STL, aka Sister Training Leader!) and all they talked about at this meeting was serving people.

P-day Fruitloops

Then I got to class and we had to find a scripture about how to deal with stress. While I looked in the BoM, I was still waiting for God to bless me with a good attitude, and to magically know Spanish, and for someone to tell me that sisters don't actually serve in areas with tarantulas (I'm kidding. I don't know what I expected my answer to be). Then I found Alma 17:11.

"Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."

Then Hermama Geddes (my companion) indirectly told me, "Yeah, you can't just focus on all the hard things." So those were my 3 answers: 1. Serve people 2. Patience and long suffering 3. Stop focusing on the negative. Find positive. For some reason, these were not the answers I was expecting. (Also, I've never been able to recognize answers so easily. It's a missionary thing.)

Bottle tops improved

I've got great companions! Hermana Day is from Oregon, and she doesn't have much Spanish experience, and so she's more timid when it comes to speaking, but she does great whenever she opens her mouth. She studies our Basic Core diligently. Hermana Geddes is always ready to go. She somehow gets dressed and showered at the speed of lightning, but I also mean she's always ready to get focused and study and plan lessons etc. She was also the fastest girl in her high school in track and cross country. I guess I just like fast friends. ha ha

Also in case anyone wanted to know, I got the highest score on a grammar placement assessment in my district (77%). Hmo Mun (morning teacher) didn't believe me when I told him I knew grammar. Honestly, I didn't either, but I just really didn't want to study. Also, 77 isn't very high and I have a long way to go.

Our service project this week was folding the clean bed sheets in this industrial laundry room. It was so much fun and we were so fast and efficient. It reminded me of my Dirt Diva days. We even sprayed smelly on our folded bundles of joy :')

This Sunday was so fantastic! I highly recommend “Character of Christ” by David A Bednar. It's muy bueno whether you're a missionary or not. Watch it for FHE or something. Anyways. Sunday always helps me remember why I'm happy to be here. Also, the tri-panionship fasted this week and got priesthood blessings for the gas to keep cruising during our last weeks here!

    King Lamoni= King of Rohan, Ammon = Aragorn, Abish = Êowyn.   LOTR = scripture? 

Also, my district is 12, and we like to pretend we're in the Hunger Games. Lots of cannons go off throughout the day. The oldest district (12C) left this week so we're the oldest now, but the “Blanquitos” (12A) are the ZL's (zone leaders) and some people are SALTY. Also, this week, us STL's are expanding our kingdom/ gaining power this week. EIGHT new blanquitas chicas to rule over! They are affectionately named after the dorky white sticker on the newbies name tags. That's 12 girls total to take care of!! Also, STLs get phones, but our branch president can't find the one to give us. That's okay. They're the kind that are 80% brick and can crack coconuts. (Fatimah from Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon might be interested #nancydrew :)

From the Dr.  What is this Dad?

Anyways. Sorry for a long boi. I just had some adventures this week.

Love,
hermana ludlam

Mexico MTC is the only MTC that...

Mexico MTC is the only MTC that..

• Teaches missionaries how to find interested people by introducing them to family history! This is now an authorized way of contacting, says President Bennett (MTC president until Friday! Then I get a new one). Missionaries can ask people they find on the streets about where they are from, and if they'd like help finding ancestors or learning about where their last name comes from. Also did you know converts can now receive their temple recommend one week after baptism? When I set baptism dates for people, I now set two. People get so happy to take their own family names to the temple.
• Teaches missionaries how to find interested people by using the Self-Reliance Classes taught by the church! If people don't want to hear about "our bible" then we help them understand we're also here to make sure everyone has enough for their family, and we ask them if they're interested in attending some classes. The stats for number of converts from these initiatives alone are awesome! 80% of converts who take a name to the temple within 2 months of baptism stay active in the church for life. Yay!
• Has a priesthood cat. Yes, there's a stray cat roaming the CCM that has been given the priesthood by some elders. (Which is funny, but also not. Those elders were sent home. I really wish I had a picture of it, but I can't find that cat.)

Everyone says that Week Two is much easier, but, pienso que no (I think not). It's as hard as last week, except I'm more tired and I find it harder to stay motivated throughout the whole day. It's like being at BYU Education Week-- except 24/7 plus also trying to learn Spanish. But also for the first time in my life, I am able to sit and read scriptures for long periods of time, and I don't want to stop. That is a blessing. Also, I can remember scripture references! I've been trying to do that my whole life and I finally know some good ones! Also, I am the memorizing queen! I can recite the First Vision and Moroni 10:3-5 and some others.

Still rashy and swollen

If I did not write about my teachers, I might as well not tell you anything else about the CCM because my teachers-- have made my experience here! I love them!! They make me want to be a teacher. Hermano Mun is my morning teacher, and he's the one that sings softly to himself while our district learns spanish in the computer lab. His eyebrows are very expressive, and even though he's not very good at English, you can tell that he loves us. Who could not? He tries so hard to pronunciate and spell English words, and it's entertaining.

Then there's Hermano Flandes. He is a gentle giant who is only a giant in height and in spirituality, but not in width. He's very good at English and he loves teaching us. He's so good at feedback and keeping us on track. He's a lot more calm and prepared. Mun likes to go with the flow. They're very different but I love them both. I wish I had pictures, but I can only take pics on Pday and Pday is their day off. :(

 My new himnario.  My favorite thing.

 I taught a lesson at a zone meeting with my compañeras on humility. Someone said humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking less about yourself. I also learned why missionaries have to drop investigators if they're not progressing. I used to think that was terrible! And that as long as they were willing to listen, you might as well try to help them. But the Lord has already prepared people to hear our message, and they're already willing to make changes. I'm on the Lord's time, and that means I don't have time to waste. "No time to waste on petty disobedience or being discouraged," says Hermana Bennett (MTC president's wife). She said to look in the scriptures and find where it says it's ever okay to mope around feeling discouraged. Uy!

Elder Chappell (Chappie) in my district is trying to break the binding on his Biblia Blanca (missionary handbook) so that it will always open to page 33 in case it "accidentally" falls. He practices throwing it across the classroom to see if it's working. (page 33 is about no flirting.) He thinks it's funny, but the hermanas do not. None of the guys in our district talk to us because they don't want to get 33'd. I keep thinking I should tell them to knock it off, but the problem goes away every time I have an opportunity to bring it up. I don't know.

Also can someone send me a copy of Elder Bednard's talk on Meekness through the care package? I'd love a printed out version. Thank you! And also send me scriptures that you like!! I want to make a big collection.

Have a fantastic week!!!!
Love Hermana Ludlam

 

A treasured kiss!

Spanish and PMG Notes

Weekly Schedule