I was the little, scared, crying sister missionary in Talanga that wanted to go home.

This is who we sent to Honduras! Lucky Honduras!

If there's anything I hope to teach my dear sweet companion is to pattern mix and not shave her legs... and guess what everyone? It's working! She's great. We're not the same, and there's a lot of things that we don't do the same way, but I love her so much. Hermana Bradshaw is me 1 year ago. Struggling to find a reason to want to be here, but working on it everyday. Does anyone remember back to one year ago from this week? Probably not, because I only sent out two emails. One, to my mother informing her that I was so sorry, but that I was going to come home because I couldn't handle being here, and the other to Chris Bennion basically saying the same thing. I would like to thank you all for your prayers, emails, letters and thoughts that week, now, and all the time that's passed in between. Every one of those has helped me through the hard moments that I've accumulated in this short time of being here in Honduras. Thank you all for willing me to stay here on what's been the best, hardest, most amazing adventure of my entire life. The mission really is so amazing, and I'm so glad I'm still here working, struggling, and enjoying every minute of it.

 

This week was great. Lot's happened.
-Rootbeer (which I didn't even like that much before the mission) for the first time in 14 months. You really learn to appreciate those little things like rootbeer, nutella and peanut butter.

-Going to 3 birthday parties of which only one of them we knew about and planned on being there for. (So much cheap, nasty Honduran cake)

-Having interviews with President and not even crying. (big accomplishments) No but really I love interviews. President Fortuna really is such a great man. He talked to me a lot about how far I've coming since I was the little, scared, crying sister missionary in Talanga that wanted to go home. He also told Hermana Bradshaw that she will be training this next transfer, which sadly for  me, means leaving Tiloarque next month. This is such a good area and the members are so amazing and pumped about the work. But, that just means if my next ward isn't the same, it'll be up to me to help them. Change is good. It's hard, but it's good.

-Familia Ochoa is rockin` strong and giving us a ton of references that we've been working with this past week. One of which is Digna. She's super great. We had a family home evening with her and her kids with Family Ochoa and she accepted the challenge to be baptized. Now we just need to work on her husband and getting them to church.

Anyway. I'm doing great. Just here, jammin in Honduras.
I love everyone. For real though!

Take care of each other k? And be good.

 

Hermana Ludlow

 

Dan!!!! I sent you a letter this week! Hope you get it soon!

Niels. I literally had a dream you were two towns from me. Got to sleep spent the whole night running. But for real. It was a Blind Pilot moment for sure.

LOVE YOU ALL:

 

Sorry bout the fact that there's no photos. I'll send extras next week.

Seriously time for new shoes!

This week was super great. We had a conference with Elder Ochoa from the 70 and that was super powerful. He then choose one sister and one Elder to give a talk about faith leading to repentance that we had all prepared, and guess who? Yours truely. That was a little scary, but it was a good experience. He mostly talked about our purpose here as missionaries really just is to baptize and retain. We can love everyone here, but if they don't get baptized, what's the point? At first when he said that, it kinda freaked me out a little bit. But its so true. We are giving these people the gift of eternal life, the chance to be with their families forever and to return to live with God. If we just visit them for 3 1/2 months and they don't take the gift we´re offering, we have to let them go to find the people who are ready. I always remember something Niels said in one of his emails too. "Everyone's ready, just some more than others." We're here to find the people that are ready. (Like the Ochoa family. They were so ready and are so amazing. I love them so much.)

 

I'm finding that time is flying by faster and faster and now being here with Hermana Bradshaw reminds me of how far I've come in these past 14 months. The gospel is so good and so true and will carry us in the moments when we are too weak to walk. (Sometimes literally...) I'm grateful for the little everyday miracles and always try to look for them. For the way that God makes constant daily connections in our lives and that every experience really is for our benefit. Wow. I sound like a sister missionary....

 

Times up. As always.

But I love you all.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUTS TO MOM AND MAYSIE. Love you both.

 

Take care of each other and BE GOOD.

 

Hermana Ludlow

Hey America! (And Chile, and Argentina, and Spain and Nicaragua and Japan, and anyone else reading this)

Hey America! (And Chile, and Argentina, and Spain and Nicaragua and Japan, and anyone else reading this)

We had TRANSFERS this week. I'm still here in Tiloarque with Hermana ALEANNDRA BRADSHAW. Shes cute and nice and from Ogden (well South Weber... but no one probably even knew that existed so she always says Ogden.) She just finished her training so has the time that I have left. So crazy. I'm starting to feel old here. But the best part is that she totally reminds me of myself 10 months ago. She had a rough time in her training and wanted to go home. (Ring a bell anyone?) So, now its my turn to be the companion Hermana Gallardo (shout out) was for me. President thinks he so tricky like that. But no, I'm super excited. She's super great. And I have an American companion for the 4th of July everyone. (God even anwers our selfish prayers. :))

The Ochoas got baptised this week! AMAZING experience. They were so happy and Lisandro (the 4 year old wanted to get baptized too. Bless his heart) But no, the service was amazing and tons of the members came to support. Then after the baptism German (the dad) was like "This means we get to wear white shirts and ties to church now right?" Love them. They are so great and were so prepared for this gospel. 

Gotta go. 

I love EVERYONE. 

Be good. 

Take care of each other.

Hermana Ludlow

 

 

 

This week was a good one.

More than anything the best news is that Leticia and German are now married (only after living together for 15 years and knowing eachother for 18... Good one Honduras.)

Though it was hell getting all the paperwork together and running from bank to bank and to the mission office a million times, it was worth it. Their baptism is tomorrow night and the whole ward is super excited because it's the first full family to get baptized in almost 2 years. 

Attatched are some photos from this week:

The wedding... (outfitt shout out to some favorite RM's... Hermana Watts and Hermana Gallardo. Love you both.) 

My watch that broke this week. Major bummer since it only needed to hold out a few more months. But then to my suprise I got a package from LOGAN HALL that had a new watch in it. Thanks a million Logan! That was definately inspired! It's crazy how much the mission makes you realize all the little blessings and tender mercies in life, and Gods hand in LITERALLY EVERYTHING. 

After being frustrated with my companion, tired from moving all our stuff from our wet appartment to our new, dry one and just being tired because its a normal part of missionary life, I went to the fridge and to my surprise found the last peanut butter egg that I hid from myself in the freezer. So that was another tender mercy and yes I did cry with joy while eating it.

 

 

Like mentioned by Tan and Bay, the mission life is so so GHETTO and so so GREAT. 

I'm just jammin here in Honduras like it's nothing. 

Transfers are on Wednesday... already. So that's crazy, but also good news. Its time for a change. What that change will be, who knows, but I'll make the most of it whatever it is. 

Love you all. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, letters and emails.... Feel free to send more letters since they all got wet. :) 

Be good

Take care of eachother. 

Hermana Bek

PS. Got your packages Mum. Youre the best. My district loves you because I always share my treats (besides the peanut butter eggs, those were not to be shared...)

As mentioned above, got your package too Logan. Thanks so much!!! Youre the best! 

All I'm going to say is CHRIS and NIELS. 

This week was NUTS.

This week was NUTS.

The mission is for sure full of its ups and downs.
MONDAY, down... We didn't have Pday since we were going to go to the temple on Thursday.

TUESDAY, normal

WEDNESDAY, normal

THURSDAY, up Temple trip! It was so great to finally go back to the temple. We were going to go to the 8:00 session with our zone but since we had a member drive us, we got there late and had to wait for the 10 session which turned out to be better because we were in the same session as three of the sisters from my goup that I havent seen in like 3 months. President also was in our session too so that was another bonus. He's such an amazing man.
My temple day was amazing. It was mostly full of thoughtful prayers for all of you (mostly my family) and I felt so much at peace with the things that I prayed about. I love being in the temple so much. Its such an amazing opportunity to just be in silence (pretty sure its the ONLY place in Honduras that's quiet) If you didn't take up my offer and go this week, GUESS WHAT? I'ts not too late. Go this week!

DOWN.... That night when we got home our house was FLOODED from the excessive amonts of rain. At 9:30pm we grabbed what we could and headed for the sisters house in Roble Oeste (close to the temple) and slept there for the night. It was super wierd because 1 year ago from that day I was sleeping there my first night here in Honduras.

Anyway. I'm out of time, as always, but the moral of the story is that the mission and life are full of ups and downs and rain and storms and things that suck, but then we just pick up, and start over again.

 

God is good

The Gospel is true.

Love you all.
Be Good.

Stay safe

& take care of eachother.

 

Hermana Ludlow