I Feel Excited and Ready to Work!

My MTC Companions a year later!

Hi Family!!

How is everyone? I had a great week! I am now serving in Las Caobas with Hermana Salazar!! She was in the MTC with me in Mexico! We're from the same travel group, and we're working Villa Aura to the ground.

Hermana Salazar is my second companion from the Federal District of Mexico, and she is a rock star. I am really excited for this transfer. Out of all my companions, she knows the Book of Mormon and Bible the best-- and that comes in handy here, because there are some really stinkin' stubborn people here! Everyone in the DR loves to hear the word of God and they are happy to invite you in and are very accustomed to missionaries from all different faiths coming and preaching to them. And everyone believes strongly in God and everyone prays, but no one knows the Bible! Until I got here. Now everyone wants to prove to us why they're right and it's very frustrating. We get into a Bible bash every day. Luckily, Hermana Salazar isn't afraid of anyone and she courageously speaks truth.

Jenna and Hermana Day

I have been thinking a lot about Bup in his new calling this week! I ate lunch with our Stake President of Las Caobas and asked for advice. He quickly responded that we should read the talk by Elder Renlund "Through God's Eyes". https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/through-gods-eyes   Everyone else is invited to read that, too.

My new area at night

I met a member of the Quorum of the Seventy this week. Actually two. We had a mission-wide conference on the day of transfers and it was a little crazy. Elder Godday talked about how we as missionaries (or stake presidents) have this big, big mantle/ calling placed on us and we really only fill a fifth of it. Inside, we're just little Jenna or little Daddy Bup, but on the outside, we're Hermana Ludlam or President Ludlam. As time goes on the Lord prepares us and gives us hard things so that we eventually grow and fill all of it. Then when we're all grown, the Lord calls us to do something else so that we can grow into the new position. Until you're big enough to be a mission president, Bup! I just wanted to say that I have full confidence in Dad Bup as our new Stake President and that I have been praying and thinking about him all week.

Ice cream: "Don't leave even a tiny bit" in Dominican

This week I felt really good in my new area. I feel excited and ready to work. It's not like any of my other areas (certainly the richest of all my 7 areas!) but I feel like God has been preparing me in all my other areas to be able to confront the challenges in this particular area.

I love you family! I hope you have a great week. Hermana Ludlam