March 24, 2014

 

This week was nuts. To start Elder Robles got the stomach flu on Wednesday so we were

stuck inside all day... soooo boring. I finished reading Our Heritage (good book lots of good quotes) the next day we stayed in for half the day. Friday I got the Stomach flu... the night before we were going to the temple with Alfredo. I said I would have to be on my death bed to miss that and this flu wanted to put me there. I slept 2 hours that night and most of it was trying to sleep in the bathroom... woke up that morning and felt exhausted and disgusting. I received a blessing and we Left for the 3 hour car ride to Memphis. My back was hurting, my stomach churning, and could hardly stay awake. When we got to the temple and as we started to help Alfredo get his initiatory work done I felt energy in me again. The session was in Spanish and I could understand most of it. It reminds me of the people of Alma. God did not take away the fact I felt like crap and was sick, but he made it so I could take it and that I could be with Alfredo in the temple and see how happy he was. When he came into the celestial room after me I gave him a hug and asked if he had any questions he told me no, I asked how he felt and he responded with “peaceful”. That is what missionary work is about.

Dora got baptized but it wasn’t easy. We came to her house the Sunday morning that she was going to get baptized she came out of her trailer and told us that she could not get baptized that her old pastor was inside and told her that they would help her with her bills and get a car but if she wanted their help she could not get baptized. We shared scripture and testimony, then went inside and just stood there as the spirit took care of the rest. The pastor was super scared of us. We just stood there as some lady from a radio program said that she would help her out no matter what religion she was a crazy. She overcame that and now she is baptized. 

My companion Elder Roble went home today and I am with Pinnacle Mountain Elders until Wednesday when my new companion will be here.

Love y’all,

Elder Ludwig

March 17, 2014

Mom said I need to write more in my e-mails so I will try to write just basically whatever comes to my mind today. 

So we have started what I like to call “operation reactivation” we are trying to go and see the less-actives in the Spanish branch and bring them back to church. Which is a lot of work more than it should be but I am hoping that we will have some success from it and also get some new people to teach at the same time. Dora is as crazy as ever and we love her. She is a lady who we are teaching she is about 37 years old and was a referral from Alfredo (who is a boss). Her "husband" just randomly went missing one day and she has 4 kids 11, 9 ,7, and 6 the 6 year old is named Marci.... very wild that one but always comes to church and pulls my hair when I go over to their trailer. I very rarely teach in homes now days. Like Alma I go to the poor and the humble. Dora is going to be baptized this Sunday if we can teach her everything, she just really, really likes talking and I have to find out if she still thinks we gave her the priesthood.... we gave her a blessing not the priesthood. But she is super nice.... she fed us menudo... Never going to eat that again.... it is cow intestine and the texture is just as it sounds... there is like some nasty stuff inside it.  Dora wants us to help get her 11 year old girl to come to church and get baptized, which will be a challenge in itself. 

Saturday I had a chance to attend a Quinceanera for you who do not know what that a quinceanera is, it is a really big Birthday party for 15 year old Hispanic girls that their families give for them (like a wedding reception). They have Performances, Beer, salsa picante, beer, 2 to 3 hundred people, full film crew, and it does not end until midnight. It was crazy, But we got to talk to some of our investigators, our branch mission leader brother Foster was there (he is Alaskan) with his wife from Honduras (RS pres), Beatriz who is the Aunt of the Quinceanera girl, and we took Alfredo.. Like a boss.

Had Exchanges with the Zone Leaders so for the first time from the start of my mission I got the chance to teach in English... it was weird but I gave a JW a book of Mormon and he said that he would read it, and got a referral for the Spanish South Elders. I also got to meet Brother Turnbul who is actually the Grandpa of one of the kids that I knew from High school Chris Turnbul. 

I tried Purple Drank... (It is a relaxation drink opposite of an energy drink.) That was an experience. 

I am teaching a clown we met at a party last week and he recognized us. Elder Robles had taught him a year ago when he was in the area before; it is actually going pretty good. I had Cha Paras which are like tamales with beans and sugar, and stacked on top of one another, not bad kind of raro but not bad. 

Elder Robles cried at specialized.

I was so excited to hear that Josh Card got his mission Call to D.F. sur which is a cool area. Lots of cool people from La Ciudad but it is a pretty dangerous area as well. No worries God is on his side. I have worked in the 2 most dangerous cities in the US for 4 months and nothing happened to me. (highest Murder rate, that a boy Memphis)

Well I have lost any ideas that are coming to my mind so Love yall and stay skrate (Kev told me “skrate” is some kind of street lingo)

March 10, 2014

Hispanics when they are here live to work. That is what they pray for, what the dream of, what they strive for... Work. Alfredo is here working so he can get money for his kids and his wife in Michoacán, Mexico. I have heard some pretty scary stories of them when they were crossing the border.

William is still holding strong he came to church yesterday and gave me a lot of support when I had to give a 15 min talk in Sacrament meeting. I found out I had to give this talk the night before so I was grateful for William help with some translation.



The picture was at the Herrera family home. Sister Herrera is super cool they took us to pizza after that. They are some less- actives that are in the branch.

The 22nd Dora is getting baptized and I will be Alfredo’s escort that day as well at the temple.

Walk week.... first it was the snow and ice so we could not use our bikes....then we lost a tire. So we walked a lot this week.

D&C 78:19

I am excited for the new bishopric!

Love, Kevin

March 3, 2014

The baptism of William will have to wait a little bit. I talked to president about his.... circumstance and he is going to have to talk to some people first. We are going to work until he is baptized. It is just going to take much longer then we wanted.

So we got snowed in today. We had another ice storm hit we have an inch of ice on the ground. We got into the church so we have the chance to email.

Love ya 

happy mardi gras tomorrow.