Package+Diarhea= Elder Ludlow left with mixed feelings

Well my package came last Monday!! So finally and it made me so so so happy!!! I was so pumped!! haha but like I said I have had diarrhea all this week.... and well I just haven't felt like eating all the candy, but I still have eaten some, cause how can i not eat it! Also last Monday to celebrate my comps last p-day we went and ate al paca, and holy cow it was so good!!! It was al paca cord on blu, oh man it was awesome!! I attached some pictures so you guys can see!

Well this week was kinda rough, my comp definitely got trunky this week, and like I said I wasn't feeling great, and ya so thats how this week went. There really isn't much to say about our week this week. I did think a lot about home this week cause ya my comp was super trunky, so ya I was a little trunky, but I'm focused again and I'm good and ready to go! If you wanted me to sum up the week in one phrase it would be i spent it all in the bathroom... haha but ya so thats what happened this week, sorry there really isn't anything to tell this week, cause i really don't remember what happened...

But changes are this week!!! I got a new companion obviously...and my new comp is a greengo. His name is Elder Card and ya Elder Bentson doesn't know him so we will see how it goes. Also Elder Bentson got a change, I am so so so sad Elder Bentson is going to valley sagrado, and I'm happy for him but i am gonna miss him like crazy! He is such an awesome zone leader!! But ya thats what happened for this week.. 

Just remember that the church is true! I love all you guys and miss you like crazy!! This week I completed 4 months in the mission and holy cow it has really flown by! I can't believe how  fast time goes! Everything about this work is awesome! i love serving the people here in Peru, but even more I love serving the Lord!! It's the best! I love all of you and hope everything is well at home!

Love, Elder Ludlow

MY FIRST. . . . VALENTINE'S DAY

Well this week was just awesome! And since we can´t chat I will try and be a little more descriptive. Just know that I probably won´t actually be that descriptive cause I can't remember a thing!

So Tuesday, we had an appointment with that 22 year old named Isis and her husband, who is a police officer, and he is super hard. That's not the funny part we brought an hermano from the ward cause she's likes to try to pull wikeke sneakies if you catch my drift. This hermano is named Aldo, RM, great guy, and she was like really interested and just really wanted him to come back, so that got us thinking oh crap, what is her husband gonna do. So we were telling the story to Elder Talavera, and Elder Miranda, Elder Bentson was on divisions, and we were like crap her husband is in the police, he's gonna kill us, then Elder Miranda says, "Elder Samaniego you don´t need to worry you will be gone in two weeks, he´s only gonna kill elder ludlow!" I was like crap.... I am gonna die!!! haha so ya theres that.

Then Wednesday we went to a less active members house to teach him in the morning and he gave us breakfast, we had fish for breakfast... kinda weird I know.... but it wasn't bad, it's called like jurel or something like that! Elder Talavera also told me that I was talking in my sleep, big surprise there... not! But he said that i was teaching a lesson, in spanish! and he said it sounded good! So how legit is that?? haha

Thursday I don't even remember what happened, Friday we had our noche misional, where we did a noche de tacos, for those of you who don't speak Spanish that's NIGHT OF TACOS!! We cooked tacos like all day. It was kinda cool and we cooked everything, we mad the tortillas and all. We had so much but i forgot to take pictures so ya my bad! But every one in the ward is super pumped, and we have like two more family nights this week where we are going to make tacos. A BOO YA! 

Saturday, was the first Valentines day that i have passed. And wow what a special day!! It was also my first baptism and we were able to do it in Charcas! (After a long dispute with the assistants) haha so we were supposed to leave at 9 in the morning, but thanks to PST (Peruvian Standard Time) We didn't leave til about 11:30. We were there until about 6 cause after which the ward had an activity where they played in the lake, which was straight torture for us cause we cant get in the lake. Anyway, back to the baptism, so we went off to some secluded place cause there was people and we wanted it to be better, so all the people were standing on rocks, after we climbed some to get to a secluded area. Then we went out and stood on some rocks in the water. Well when I went to do it my mind went blank and totally forgot what to say... Then i finally remembered and baptized him. As I put him in to water i had to take a step back to pull him up, well there wasn't rock where I stepped and I slipped and almost fell in the water all the way! haha it was funny but it was super cool as well!! The water felt so good, and it just made me want to go to Newport (Mom make note of that ;) ) 

Sunday was just a normal Sunday but we went and contacted families. We went in the night in a prime spot of town to find families, and the funny thing that happened is about to come. So we walked by this girl, just a 20 or 21 year old girl i think, and said buenas noches, and she was super excited to see us, we weren´t trying to contact or anything just said hi, but she was just so excited and wow it was kinda weird. Then we continued contacting and as we were contacting a family, about 15 minutes later, she came up tapped us on the shoulder with balloons in her hand and said, "Happy valentines day hermanos!" And then disappeared into the darkness of the night. It was really funny and made me feel good cause finally I got something for valentines day!!!!! haha we wanted to find her to try and talk to her to see if she was a member but ya nope.

Well there's the weekly report, hopefully this was enough cause this truly was a struggle to try and remember all of this!! haha One point of advice, if you guys would like it would be cool if you sent pictures in your emails!!!! por favor!! haha well the church is true, I love it here, and I'll see you in a little less than two! ;)

The weekly report (cause I couldn't think of a good name this week)

So this week as I said last week elder Bentson was going to Cusco and he was going to look for my package for me. Well, he got back on Wednesday and still no package. Which really just made me sad... But mom before you call Vanessa and get really mad at her, continue reading. haha so we had a multi-zone conference on Thursday, with presidente and the assistants and some zones. So on Thursday elder Bengtzon, the assistant, told me that my package is in the office. So eventually it will be sent here, I just have to wait longer, but now we know where it is, so don't worry!

Anyways a kinda weird, funny story, so the bishop gave us this reference of a menos activo who lives by him, we went and visited her one day and only her husband, I think they are married, was there. He isn't a member, he looked to be a little older kinda what I expected. So when we went a day or two after, with a member, of course, she answered the door and wow not what i expected.... she was super super super young!!! haha with a kid. And she is from lima so she is really different from the rest of the people here. Elder bentson saw her and said it perfectly, she's like a blonde Peruvian, now obviously she isn't blonde but acts like blonde girls from the states, or just girls from the states in general I don't remember what they're all like. But the funny part is she is 22... and her husband is 49!!!! It was awful to hear.... I wanted to cry, her husband has been in the police for 27 years... so ya that's just awkward.

Well then we had our zone conference which was really good, I left feeling uplifted, and that I just love our mission president, he is so funny and so awesome!! and Hermana Harbertson is awesome too!! oh and ya I learned that we can't do the chat, so just make sure you ask all your questions in the weekly email you send me and I'll respond and we will talk the next week.

Then Friday was just a normal day and Saturday came, the baptismal interview for litter. Holy cow was I nervous, it was like I was getting interviewed, we had a lesson right before just to see how he felt and we had to teach one last thing, after the lesson i just felt really good. And he did pass and so he's getting baptized this Saturday, in Lake Titticaca!!! I am so pumped!!!! I have never felt so much joy than after this time! t was awesome! the picture i am sending is where he will be baptized!!

We also are working with a menos activo maybe I have told you, his name paul, and he is awesome! He is preparing for his mission and every day he tells us something i wanna cry cause I just feel so good! He's been reading preach my gospel and the scriptures, which is way better than I was! haha but ya that was awesome!

This week I am just really grateful to the lord and my parents for raising me in the gospel. I love the gospel it brings more joy to people's lives than anything else. I don't know why I was blessed so much to be born in the gospel and to be born into the best family ever but I'm doing my best to try and share my blessings with the amazing people of
Peru! I love all you so much and miss you so much!!!! Hope you all have a terrific week!

Elder Ludlow

Where are you package? Why can't i find you.. :(

Well, this week was a huge learning experience for me. And it was awesome!! On Tuesday, we did work divisions within our district, I was with an Elder named Elder Barber, he's from Texas has a little less than a year, but his Spanish is still maso menos. So we were still in my sector, so I was leading all the lessons, and all the walking around. I was a little bit scared at the start but once we started it was awesome!!! Then Elder Samaniego had to travel to Lima this week to do paperwork so he can go home..... :o So I was with the zone leaders, Elder Bentson and Elder Talavera, and that was awesome as well! Because we were working with two sectors we had like full appointments, and we worked so hard! It was great!!! And always when I am with Elder Bentson we just talk about great things, I have learned a lot from him as well. Also in Elder Samenigo's absence I got to be District Leader for like two days. So.... you could say I got a taste of power, and I liked it..... A LOT!!! haha no it was cool just to kinda get me prepared for when I get a new companion, which was perfect for me this week. Then came Friday.....

So my package was supposed to come Wednesday, when we dropped Elder Samaniego off, well it wasn't there, so I asked Elder Samaniego to bring my package back with him... well I think he got a little confused, but he brought back lots of packages for our zone on Friday... but mine still wasn't there. So that kinda bummed me out, although I did receive some letters which was good. But then he came back and I dont know what happened I think he just wanted to annoy me for the rest of the night. He was getting on mine, and Elder Bentson's nerve. We had our activity this Friday, that was already stressful enough cause like nobody showed up, but Elder S just kept gettin gmore and more on our nerves... So you could say friday wasnt a great day for me. Saturday was better, and Saturday we went and contacted families right on the coast of Lake Titticaca. That was awesome! We contacted 14 families and holy cow it was wicked!!! Things have since gotten better and everything is going well.. Hes only got three weeks left of his mission which is crazy!! But hey I've only got 20 more fast sundays :) Time flies and its crazy! I love it here.

So probably the coolest thing is we are teaching the less active 17 year old kid. After the first visit he told us he wants to serve a mission. He pretty much is active again, he is going to the temple with the youth in a week or two, and he is going to be starting his papers pretty soon here. HOW INCREDIBLE!! We had a fhe with him last night, with two other young men who are getting ready to serve missions and it was so cool! We just talked about the mission and man its a really awesome thing! He is so dedicated and just wants to serve and its awesome! Not to mention hes so chill and its so awesome!!

Well I guess there's the weekly report for yall! Voy a ver quien puede entender eso, sin google translate! Si se puede, quiero que ustedes escriban una correo a mi, solo porque quiero mas cartas! haha Love all of you guys and just love serving the lord as well!!

Love, 

 The package missing elder, 

  Elder Ludlow

PS. My Spanish still could be totally bad, so if you understand it, and it's bad, SORRY!!