Be a Good Branch

Children in the English class

Dear Family,

This week started out really good. I had lots of animo (enthusiasm) after talking to the family, specifically after my chat with Lia and Mom. Thanks guys. I could tell my animo battery was way low by Saturday. I'm back for a recharge.

I went on an intercambio (exchange sompanions with other missionaries), watched my comp spray Raid on the most enormous spider on the ceiling (big enough to be a tarantula) and then we squealed when it fell to the floor and ran around and then died.

I invited so many people to General Conference. Woo!!! And I am super excited for this weekend (click here to connect to Conference info). I'm trying to set up a way for me to listen to the conference in English. We also finally got some shelves so I don't have to live out of a suitcase! Thanks to the Elders in our ward who helped haul those big boys up the stairs.

Sometimes I feel like I still have no idea what these Dominican people are saying. If I didn't have a fluent comp, I would be stuck. There's a lot of Haitians too. Their Spanish (even though it's really good) is another level. "Ahora" becomes "ahola" and "sobre" becomes "somble" ha ha so interpreting what they say is just a big guessing game.

My Hermana leader (Hermana Hill) taught me a new perspective on the Jacob 5 Olive Tree Allegory (here). She had to give a talk yesterday and she wanted to talk about member missionary work and ministering. She said, "If we're a good branch, the Lord can chop us off and put us on any branch and we'll still bring forth good fruit." 🍎  And I like that.

I love you all! Have a great week.
Love,
Hermana Ludlam

Love our Lula

Hello Family!


We had some adventures this week. For district council, we had a potluck and played UNO and dominoes. Lots of rain this week! Super muddy. We went house hunting and found some new people to teach in the process. We also went to Jose's house (not in our area) to eat Kipes or something. (deep fried rolls with cheese or chicken inside)

Bowling with Sister Day!  Hurray!

We also picked cranberries in his front yard to make juice and played with the kids. Some other ward members came over and we had a good time. Everyone decided my name is pronounced Hermana Lula.

We saw a shooting star! ✨My first time seeing one! Jose's wife started squealing and jumping! "A shooting star! Right over my house!"

We also ran out of water on Sunday, and it only came back as we left the house to write today.

I saw the first episode of the Book of Mormon movie (click here to check it out)!  An elder in my district played a part in a King Benjamin episode, which won't be released until April, but he shared lots of behind-the-scenes info. He explained why they didn't choose a Nephi that was large of stature--they even gave this one a personal trainer :/  They just better not mess up big boy Ammon...and heaven forbid if Chief Captain Moroni is anything less than a masterpiece. No pressure.

I have been trying to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish for a while now and even though I understand it, it's very draining, so I haven't been making much progress. This week I decided it's time to get into it for real, and I just love that book. I wish everyone could understand how much of a gift it is and treasure it up.

My first brownie in a very long time.  Dreamy look...

Have a great week!

Hermana Lula

 Dominicans collecting rain water so they don't have to carry it back from the closest water source.  A lucky day!

Our house flooded.

This white kitten tried to keep up with us for a whole block. At least someone wants us.

Mercedes is kindly holding her cat for me so I could take a picture. 

Off to Los Alcarrizos

♥ Hermosa Hermana Jenna ♥

Streets of Los Alcarizos, DR

 Family!

I am writing to you from Los Alcarrizos!. I'm in the capital, but also out in the sticks. It's one of the most ¨dangerous¨ areas in the mission. The members give us boches (chastizments/ scoldings) every week at church about how we CANNOT be in this neighborhood, or that neighborhood, or that neighborhood at night. So basically I can't be in my area past 6 pm, according to them.

Sticks

My house is in the Elder's area, and the chapel is in the other sister's area (Hermana Geddes' area!), but the elders and us are in the same ward. I'm going house hunting this week to find a house that's in our area. The roads are super hilly and busted up/ rocky so I get to go hiking everyday.

I am prepping for General Conference! I was in training when we had the last one, and I thought the next one would be so far away. Now it´s already here! I cannot wait!!

Mariposa, Paulino, Sister Ludlam farewell

M & P made Jenna some special food

Last precious memories with Hermana Earl

 

Scenes from Madre Vieja

We had an English class this Saturday. Hermana Geddes and her trainee are in charge, and they run a good show, but there's a lot of rowdy children there, so I was glad we could help with crowd control. We were able to split the class into people who know nothing and people who already know the basics.

I'm looking forward to this transfer. It will be hard but I'm excited to put in practice all the things I learned from last transfer.

I love you, Family!
Hermana Ludlam

A Great Last Week in Madre

Hi Family!

I had a good spiritual week. An American guy was driving next to us and said, "Hey where are you from?" And we chatted for a bit. He gave us his number and invited us over for a BBQ/ home cooked meal or something and we were like "Yeah! We'd love to come over and share a message with you and your family--!"

"NOPE! Don't you even think about doing that preaching stuff. I was two weeks away from being ordained a priest, and I've studied theology for years." Went from being super friendly to super aggressive. And we ask about if he believes in God, and he's like "Nope, I don't think I do." And I was so confused! Like how? I didn't process that whole conversation very well. It's kind of like when a guy tried to tell us that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon. It's like "What? That's absurd, and honestly harder to believe than just believing it's the word of God."

We also dropped Miguel (with every intention of going back to him in a month or so) and I left with tears in my eyes. It's really hard to not feel like there must have been something we could've said that would touch his heart. He's just is scared to leave his other church because they're very possessive. I also cried this week when I watched Pres Nelson's 95th birthday (click here) at our lunch with members! I also cried when I bore my testimony after giving a talk in church. I've been so good and not crying these whole 8 months and now I'm a leaky faucet.😢

Anyways. We keep meeting really cool and interested people. I like feeling like we're finally reaping some rewards! We really worked so hard this transfer. I'm excited to have people with genuine curiosity and a desire to know the truth. Praying that they'll be able to receive a confirmation from the Spirit that what we say is true.

Haiti Temple

I gave out my first Restoration pamphlet in Creole! Mayori speaks Spanish well enough, but she wanted the Creole one.

Also we finally made a copy for our key! (it broke a few weeks ago) and now we are not at the mercy of our neighbors to leave the gate unlocked. I like feeling self reliant.

I love being a missionary and I love my companion. I like being so confident that what I'm telling people is true that I can tell them to ask God about it. Because I'm also so confident that if they ask in faith, God will answer them. :)

Have a great week.
Love,
Hna Ludlam

I hear a voice whispering to me

Hi Family.

We just got back from a mission-wide bowling activity in Piantini! I saw all my buddies. It was fun.

This week was mas o menos, but in some aspects it was mas menos que mas (more less than more). Hermana Earl and I had another adventure! We left the bomba (a water pump) on for too long and when we got back from writing last week, our neighbors weren't happy because there already wasn't enough water for this week, but we used up what was left. So we didn't have much water this week. It wasn't all that bad because we had just bought a bunch of big water jugs that morning in case the forecasted cyclone made us lose water.

DORIAN REPORT: Also some of you heard that we were supposed to have a big storm this week. Our dique (supposed) cyclone was actually just two minutes of heavy rain y ya.

But blessings! Because a lot of the new people we're teaching have enormous amounts of potential! We keep meeting lots of super interested people.

I was reading a General Conference talk called The Atonement of Jesus Christ (click on title) by Elder Ted Callister. That is a whopping talk! I thought it was super interesting how he talked about how we can avail ourselves to the enabling powers of the atonement through saving ordinances, and gifts of the spirit. I had never thought about the latter as having anything to do with the Atonement before, but it makes a lot of sense. The gifts of the Spirit are attributes of God. The scriptures invite us to seek those gifts.

So it was cool for me that in Sois el Cuerpo de Cristo (this week in our Come Follow Me New Testament reading assignment) we read in 1 Corinthians about the spiritual gifts! I like when my studies all match up.

Also I keep forgetting to write about my "the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour" experiences. Pretty much in every lesson, I have moments where my comp turn to me when it's my turn to talk in the lessons, but I don't necessarily have anything to add or I don't know where to go with the message we're sharing. But I just start talking and somehow I always think of something to say. And I think it's the HG putting words into my head. I hear a voice whispering to me what to say, or I think of stuff that I know for sure wasn't my idea. The Spirit is just super subtle.

I am writing at the internet cafe that is also a big gaming center. Their games are so loud and violent that I decided to turn on TCATS (The Choir at Temple Square). Homeward Bound (click on link for a listen) has a fun flavor with gunshots in the background.

I love you all very much. Hope you have a great week.
Hermana Ludlam