HE IS EVERYTHING

An Emily sighting on the way to the temple!

OH MY Oh My, Hello Family!

Highlights of the Week:

1. GUESS WHO I GOT TO SEE ON EASTER MORN? Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They never announce who speaks at devotionals until it starts (for their protection?), but we all could feel that one of the Apostles was going to speak. We could just FEEL it in the air. He testified of Christ in a way that shook my soul.

Back story: I had a very strange and negative experience on Wednesday, that left Sister Peck and me in a funk. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't going away, but it made me really start to ponder what was missing in my life. And something was, indeed, missing. I am going to be very honest and admit that I realized that I do not know Christ. I realized that intellectually I know Him very well, and that if I was asked any question about His nature, His purpose, and His life, I would give the right answer in a heartbeat.

I realized that HE IS EVERYTHING, and I barely know Him! If He were to actually ask "Sister Ludlam, lovest thou me?" as He did Peter, I would probably fall to my knees and cry out in shame. What have I been doing in my life until this point? Anything besides declaring His name and striving to be like Him is a waste of time! Yes, I knew that this is His church, that it is HIS name on my nametag, that His name is mentioned over 30 times in my patriarchal blessing, and thousands of times in the scriptures, and that I could not return to the presence of Heavenly Father without His sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the CENTER of this gospel, and should be the center of my life. His name should be on the tip of my tongue, and I should live how He did so that I am worthy to bear His name on my tag. Elder Ballard bore his apostolic witness that He lives, and that he. is. everything.

I am so privileged to be here at the MTC and could not be happier, but I need to "wake up and do something more than dream of my post-mission life!" I love my God, and I love my Savior and Master, Jesus Christ. Now begins the lifetime pursuit of coming to know Him. It has only started a few days ago, but it is the most gratifying and joyous pursuit I have ever undergone. I cannot wait to do this for the rest of my life.

The beauty this is Harlan's Easter Egg made it to Ava in time!

2. HARLAN SENT ME A GIANT CHOCOLATE EGG IN THE MAIL! I was with my district when I opened the box, and we all wondered, "How are we going to get it open?" Clearly, the elders had the right idea to crack it open with their heads -- like a karate table snap. I got it on video and half of campus saw it, but the file is too big to attach. Many people enjoyed that egg, Harlan! Thank you for making Easter very sweet at the MTC! I also got a box from the Garners that was chalk full of my favorite snack bars. Todd Garner knows me too well. THANK YOU ILENE AND TODD! <3 I also got your package, fam!!! Thank you for the letters, the camera charger (atta girl, Jenna! Just as my camera was about to die!) the cookies, and MOST OF ALL Mom’s fig bars!

3. Sister Peck has been having these coughing fits, so I demanded that she go to the doctor because it was scaring me to death! Turns out the Medical Center was closed because it was a Saturday, so they emergency shuttled us to the BYU Health Center--off the MTC campus. ;-) Turns out Sister P has an upper-respiratory virus and needs medicine they only had at the local pharmacy. BUMMER! Sister Peck wanted to go to Rite Aid to get Dr. Pepper. I never thought I could get so excited about going to a Rite Aid.

Sisters at large in Rite Aid

4. I feel impressed to share something a member of the branch presidency, Brother Williams, told us this week. Brother Williams is hilarious because he, like President Uchtdorf, was a pilot and literally every talk he gives has a flying analogy. I LOVE IT! And this one changed my life. SO! 85% of our zone got their Visas to Portugal and all the people who I have grown to love just up and left and took part of my heart with them. This is basically what Bro. Williams said to them: "As you fly across the Atlantic Ocean on your way to Portugal, you will hardly ever be on course. The winds are extremely powerful, and you are traveling at hundreds of miles an hour. Yet you know you will make it to your destination! And in all my years of flying, not ONCE did I miss my destination. How is that possible? It is because all along the way, the pilot is making slight course corrections. If he is off course for 1 minute, he can easily correct it. If he doesn't correct it, he will land miles away from his intended destination. You can read or listen to Elder Uchtdorf's powerful talk here.

So please, be patient with yourself if you find that very rarely are you living the way you know you have the potential to and are continually having to make small changes to stay on course. With the opposition we must face in this life, it is no wonder we are constantly making course corrections. If you continue to make those small choices, you will reach your destination of living with our Father in Heaven again, and you will reach your potential. Please do not hesitate to make those corrections, as frustrated as you may be with your inability to "get things right." The longer you travel along the trajectory, the harder it will be to get back on track. AND no matter how far off the intended course of travel you find yourself, it is NEVER too late. The pilot can't throw his hands up mid-flight and say, "UGH, I GIVE UP!" and go sip ginger ale in First Class. You can't give up either. You must continue to press forward. Press forward with faith in Christ, and you will be guided with divine aid."

An Emily squeeze before she leaves for Spain!

Okay, he didn't say a lot of that, but I just wrote down what I heard in my heart. It gives me so much peace to know that it's okay if I am constantly having to get back up and try again. I just have to keep making course corrections.

I love you all so so much and please DearElder me and I will write you back within 2 business days! Wish I could tell you about the additional miracles I saw this week, but I am out of time!

Love,
Sister Ludlam

(P.S. Mom, is Levi out of the MTC already? I didn’t think he was leaving so soon, but I haven’t seen him all week. I usually see him twice a day.)