Sure we'll take an extra apartment

I guess it's Monday again and holy cow this week has flown by. As usual, Elder Deal and I have been staying incredibly busy. Ealier this week, we got a call and were told that they are shutting down our apartment so we have to move to one just down the street so basically the four of us have been living in two apartments for now which is super nice. Anyways, the work is basically the same as last week. The Lord has led us to lots of new people to teach, and we have had lots of amazing lessons. 

We have been seeing miracles every day. For example, our new ward mission leader is an avid rock climber and he has some pretty impressive trad gear (see below). On Friday, we got to take a recent convert to the temple for the first time and he loved it! That was one of the highlights of my mission so far. The other day, we were walking out of a lesson, and we looked down the street and saw a couple guys working on a car. We were just going to wave and say hi, becuase they appeared to have had a lot of a drink that is against the word of wisdom and the music they were blasting was definantly not missionary approved. But, the Spirit said we needed to talk to them. Amazingly, they were actually interested after Elder Deal testified of Christ so we are going back to teach them. I'll let you know how that goes later.

I have really had my faith in the Holy Ghost strengthened this week. In one of our lessons, we felt like changing plans mid lesson and teach the Doctrine of Christ instead of the Restoration. That wasn't something we had planned on, but the Spirit led us to know what to say and it was perfect for those people, and they almost accepted the invitation to be baptized. The scripture D&C 8:2 is so true. The holy Ghost will tell us exactly what we need to do if we are worthy of it. 

There is so much joy that comes from sharing the Gospel. You can all share the gospel too! This week, the challenge is to share something over social media with one person who the Spirit directs. You can share a scripture or something on LDS Media Library which has a ton of good stuff too. The goal is to reach out to one person. You will find so many blessings that come from sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

Love you all,

Elder Laudie

Sorry, we only carry four Book of Mormons but take a pamphlet instead

So like I mentioned last week, we had transfers so I'm now serving in the Highland Hills Stake with Elder Deal. I've got to say, this new area just amazing because so many people here are humble and ready to hear the message of the restoration. At MLC, President and all the Zone leaders were like we can be doing so much more so they set some really high goals as a mission. Elder Deal and I were like ok we can do more, so we prayed and felt inspired to set some super hard goals too. So far everything has been going great and I've even been able to use my new Spanish skills (like 20 words) pretty much every day! Mostly they just look confused or start laughing but it gets there attention long enough to hand them un espanol libro de mormon. 

This past week has really strengthened my faith. It has been amazing to see the Lord prepare people for us to teach. For example, the other night we were walking back to our bikes at about 8:45 which is about as late as we stay out, but we felt like we needed to take the long way around the block. There was this one lady out watering her yard (because they have to do that here in Vegas) and we started talking to her. Turns out, she has a nephew out on a mission. She wants to learn more about what her son is teaching people so we are going over on Tuesday to start teaching her. I can honestly say that coming on a mission has been the best decision I have ever made. The doctrine of Christ is so simple, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the only church on the earth that teaches it in its fullness. Watching people come to realize that for themselves is probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Love you all,

Elder Laudie

Sorry Mom, no pictures this week

Transfer Day

Hello everybody! It has been yet another great week in Las Vegas. I'm sending this on Tuesday because it's is yet another transfer day. I said a sad goodbye to the Gilcrease Ranch and Steeplechase wards and Elder Ellsworth, and now I'm in a new area with Elder Deal. To sum him up, he is basicly a super solid mormon kid from Utah, and this is going to be a great transfer. 

In my old area, we did a lot of work and things were really starting to look good. We had a bunch of people getting ready for baptism, and we had just found a couple new families to teach, but I guess that means it was time for me to move on so alas now I am starting over. 

Training is officially over for me so that means I should know what I'm doing. I will say that my testimony has really grown over the last three months. It's been hard, funny, and really rewarding. This has been the best experience of my life and I can't believe that I'm an 8th of the way through my mission. There is no question in my mind that this is the Lord's work.

Love you all,

Elder Laudie

Using the LAPD to teach people

Hello everybody! it's your friendly neighborhood missionary once again. Lots of good things have happened over the past week, and the Lord is moving His work forward. For starters, General Conference couldn't have been better. It's hard to pick favorites, but President Uchtdorf's talk on our journey back home was amazing and Elder Oaks preached some fantastic doctrine on the family.

Both wards we cover have plenty of less active members and some boys getting ready to go on their missions. Elder Ellsworth and I came up with a brilliant way to teach them known as LAPD. Not the Las Angeles Police Department, but less active practice discussions. We ask less active people if we can give the guys getting ready to go on their missions some practice teaching the discussions, and it is amazing how many more people are letting us teach them!

Remember the lady we did the service project for last week? Well, we have been meeting with her for a couple months and every time, she has ended it with thank you for stopping by but I'm not interested in your cult. Well joke's on her because we arn't a cult. We stopped by this week and she was like, hmm what time does church start again? We taught her the restoration and she watched conference. Pretty neat how the Spirit works because her heart is finally softening. I know for a fact that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today. This is the best gift we can offer anybody!

Love you all,

Elder Laudie

80 Degrees is really chilly

Hi everybody! 

Las Vegas has officially broken daily highs of 100 degrees and now it is getting cold. Well we recieved vast amounts of very spiritual doctrine at this week's zone conference, and as of now, we will officially be using Facebook to spread the gospel. The main purpose is to reach out to those in our area who we can't regularly contact and teach. We also had some rain on Wednesday which is another very unusual occurance.

The work this week has been so much fun. To spice things up, we had a bunch of people tell us to get out of the gated communities, but then they take pity on us and offer us water and we teach them the gospel anyways. We did see one really cool miracle yesterday when we felt prompted to randomly go try visiting this one inactive family in the ward. It just so happened that they were home and the Dad was flying back to Ohio later that day. We started talking about church and he said he missed coming and wanted to come back. He had just enough time to come to Sacrement meeting, and he loved it! The work is moving forward!!! I have learned that it is so important for us to sacrifice our own desires and wants and give it all to the Lord. Then, we let Him build us up into the person he would have us be, and He can work miracles though each of us. 

With the best regards,

Elder Laudie

We also happened to see the rare Southern lights as you can see in the picture.

Sorry there is no title becuase my mind is still recovering from the shock that it is Pday again. It literally felt like 2 days ago that I was typing my emails. Anyways, how is everyone doing? Elder Ellsworth and I have had a great week here in Las Vegas. Things started out slow, but we set some goals and worked relentlessly over the weekend and ended up seeing some pretty amazing miracles. We found a few new people to teach, and there is no doubt in my mind that the Lord led them to us because they are ready to hear the message of the Gospel.

President dropped some of the spiciest of revalation as now the mission will be using facebook to share the gospel online. My mind is also still recovering from that outrageousness too. But... I know that President is inpired and I have no doubt that this is what the Lord wants us to do as we move His work forward.

As always, I love you all. Don't forget the potential you have to share the gospel, and may you see many miracles and blessings as you share the most important message the world has ever known. I know it is true, and probably the best thing about being on a mission is seeing people accept the gospel and then they are so happy as they bring their lives closer to Jesus Christ. Repentance is one of the greatest gifts from God that we have, because it is an opportunity for us to change and align our lives more with Christ. We are all on a journey here as we strive to return to live with our Father in Heaven one day. That would not be possible without repentance.

With my love,

Elder Laudie

No pictures again this week, sorry mom.

4455 Allen Ln Ste 140

North Las Vegas, NV 89031

Happy Labor Day

Holy Cow time flies as a missionary. I just realized I have been out two months which is one 12th of my mission! Elder Ellsworth is a great chef. We enjoyed Labor day with some of his wonderful cookies. Our food was running a little low so they were actually just sugar, flour, water, and margerine. 

Lot's happened this week, but it really is just the same stuff that always happens so I'll be brief. We were transfered into a new ward where the members' trust of us is pretty low, so we have been working extra hard to meet with and share a message with as many families as possible. We are very low on people to teach, but with the help of members that trust us, we will be getting lots more people to teach. We were able to help one person the past sisters were teaching to accept the invitation to be baptized. Our other person who is getting baptized on the 23rd is doing great. He is progressing so well and we can hardly keep up with him!

I love seeing how the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bless lives. By having faith in Jesus Christ, repenting of our mistakes, being baptized, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, we have so much joy and blessings just flow into our lives. Sharing this message brings that same joy into other's lives, and even more joy into our own. It is so sad when people reject this message because they hear bad things about the "Mormon church". I know that this truly is Christ's restored church on the earth today, and Christ has restored his church to bless the Lives of all of God's children!

Love you all,

Elder Laudie

I hear the solar eclipse is supposed to be amazing, but today is completely overcast and raining. Probably a good thing though because I don't have any solar eclipse glasses... It has been a super busy week full of lots of miracles and cool experiences. We got to go to the Las Vegas temple on Tuesday so that was a blast. 

This week has been probably the best week yet (I mean they're all amazing, but this one was extra special). We were able to commit someone else to baptism this week and he accepted the invitation with a beer in each hand. Not one hand, but both! We taught the word or wisdom yesterday, and he took it like a champ and is all in for baptism!

This weeks's email is pretty short because we have some appointments today, but I love you all and hope you are all doing well! If you give the Lord your heart and let him guide you, he can make so much more out of your life than you can. Proverbs 3:5-6.

Elder Laudie

The second picture is the view from the top of our area at the farthest North part of the valley.

The third picture is my new watch.

Hello friends and family! Here is just a quick update of the past week. Last Monday, I found some haircutting stuff and had the bright idea that I can save $13 a month by giving myself a haircut. I had to try about three times and it took about 2 hours, but it isn't too bad! Now that's $13 per month more that I can spend on protein powder!

This week has been full of miracles. Our goal from day one here has been to work really hard with members to find people to teach. We are finally starting to see some really big success with that and our list of people to teach is getting so big that we barely have time to eat! Most of that is thanks to amazing ward mission leaders and the tender mercies of the Lord. 

The other day, we met this one lady street contacting. She said we could come back, but not to come when her husband was home becasue that would be bad. To give you an idea, when we walked by her house, her husband was in the garage blasting heavy metal so loud it shook the street. I'm not kidding, it was crazy. Long story short, we went by a few days later and ended up meeting him by accident and now, somehow, he is interested and learning more with his wife! That was definantly a miracle.

I just want you all to know that Jesus Christ truly lives. By living his gospel (Faith, repentance, baptism, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end of your life), you can access the Atonement of Jesus Christ and find peace in life. I know that is true.

Elder Laudie

4455 Allen Ln Ste 140

North Las Vegas NV 89031-220 

United States

Rain in Vegas?

Hello from Vegas! Here is the email you have been waiting for all week, and holy cow this week has flown by. Time as a missionary makes no sense because each day is so long, but the weeks just fly. I finally got my own bike last week. Being on a bike is the best because when you are in a car, you pass so many people without talking to them, and when you are walking, most people can avoid you by running away. When you are on a bike, they don't stand a chance!

The members of the church here are amazing. One of our wards just started a 40 day fast for missionary work where each day, a different family fasts. For dinner, they invite their neighbors over and us and we all get dinner and we teach a lesson. The other day, Elder Ellsworth and I were on our way to an appointment. We were running just a couple minutes late and one of the members from the bishopric pulled up in his Tesla and offered us a ride. There's no way we could turn that down because I'm not gonna lie, it's a pretty sweet car. I think it goes 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds so we were right on time for our lesson.

It's been a super full week of miracles. It rained like all day Friday, and we met a ton of new people. We also found three new people to teach and our three golden investigators droppd us so I guess it evens out, but it's still super sad. We also helped to get two people back to church who hadn't been in years. We are teaching these three old ladies and they are the best. The best way I can describe them is very Southern. We taught them the restoration (for the fourth time) and right after the prayer, one of them looks at us and says, "you know what we need is a good Southern Baptist church!" Things went a little better though two days ago when we taught them the Plan of Salvation. I love the people here so much! Missionary work is a lot harder than I thought, but I love it! I can go around and tell people that I know that this is truly Christ's church on the earth today because I know that it is.

Love all of you,

Elder Laudie

La pimienta picante

Hola amigos! You may be thinking Elder Laudie you're not a Spanish speaking missionary, what are you doing? Well, let me tell you. We ran into some construction workers the other day and tried to strike up a conversation, but there was only one problem. I don't speak spanish and they no hablan ingles. Long story short, I was falling asleep during companionship study so I ate a really spicy pepper, and now I can say "Lee el libro de mormón!" 

Holy cow, this week has flown by. We were visiting one member's house and they were complaining about the new rule that missionaries can't have meals at member's homes. He said that missionaries can't cook very well on their own so Elder Ellsworth and I were like challenge accepted! Just look at the picture below. Yes, we made all of that. No, I'm not joking.

As far as missionary work goes, so much has happened this week. I decided that I don't like doors getting slammed in my face, but we did have some pretty neat experiences. Our mission president tells us to pray for miracles, and they definitely happen. We met this one guy last week after a long hard day that didn't seem very productive. We were both kind of discouraged, but this guy said that we could teach him later. We tried to get ahold of him all this week, but with no luck. 

Then, just last Friday, we met him on the street and had a good talk with him. He opened up a lot and told us that he had made a lot of mistakes and just wanted to start his life over. The thought baptism came to my mind and in about five minutes, we had him on date to be baptized. Already, he is starting to make changes in his life, and it is so cool to see the Atonement work helping him to find peace. Seriously, that is probably the most rewarding part of being on a mission. I know with all my heart that this truly is Christ's restored church on the earth, and nothing can change that.

Love you all,

Elder Laudie

Just in case you want to send me stuff, here is my adress:

4455 Allen Ln Ste 140

North Las Vegas NV 89031-220 

United States

A Pleasant 110 Degrees

Hello from Vegas! I know you have all been anxiously waiting to hear from me this week so wait no longer. Since I am in the field now, P-day will be on Monday for the next two years. I think that Las Vegas is actually just a giant oven. It is really hot all of the time here. My first area is the Shadow Ridge and Steeplechase wards, and my companion Elder Ellsworth and I are on bikes so that's loads of fun. The heat is both a curse and a blessing. Everyone takes pity on a couple of poor kids walking around in white shirts and ties so everybody offers us water. The members are super awesome here, and the missionary work is steadily getting stronger. 

One thing we do is pray in faith for miracles every day. Last Friday night, after a long day of referals and nobody wanting to hear our message, we were kind of discouraged heading back to the Casita (a one room house behind a members home where we stay). We met this guy named Marcus on the street. He said he was athiest but we got to know him a little better and he is really cool. We shared a brief message with him and then left him with a prayer, and he said we could come back, so we are teaching him tonight! 

The missionaries before Elder Ellsworth and I started teaching this one kid named T. He has been taking the lessons for a while now and would be baptized, except his parents won't let him so we need to wait until he turns 18 next year. He knows that the church is true and doesn't just come to church every Sunday, he goes to two three hour church services every Sunday! He actually gave a talk in the Steeplechase ward yesterday and did a great job. I know that this is Jesus Christ's restored church, and through the Holy Ghost, you can know for sure that it is true.

Love you all,

Elder Laudie

Bro

Two weeks down! First of all, I love the MTC and going on a mission is the best choice I have ever made. Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! So it turns out, you can't iron nylon pants on high. The iron actually melts straight through them in about half a second. There is this new Elder in our zone named Elder Casto. He's basically the coolest guy ever, and when you look at him, the first word that comes to mind is bro. We have this thing going where we just pick up random stuff, look at each other, and say bro really slow. I don't know why, but it is really funny. The food here is good, but just a warning, don't buy and eat a whole pack of duo mints because they actually have a laxitave in them. The breakfast burritos are good, but you'll probably pay for them later. They aren't worth it!

Yesterday, we got about 50 new missionaries in our zone and now we are at a record high of about 90. It's huge! when I got here, there was only 36. We are basically a whole mission becasue there are so many new missionaries and they all are super cool. 

Amazingly, I am still learning so much. I think I have learned more in two weeks here than in 12 years of school. The Spirit is just so strong here. Yesterday, Elder Sonnenberg and I were teaching this one person. We taught her on Monday as well, but it didn't go very well because we were just trying to teach her and not listen to her concerns. We decided to take a step back in our lesson yesterday. We were planning to teach about the plan of Salvation, but we realized that she needed  to learn about the gospel of Christ and Faith. The Spirit just told us so clearly what she needed as we taught, so we just followed the Spirit. It was exactly what she needed and the Spirit was so srong. I know with all of my heart that this is Christ's restored gospel. God, the literal father of our Spirits, has blessed us with the Gospel as a way to return to live with Him some day. If you read the Book of Mormon and pray about it with a sincere heart, God will tell you by the Holy Ghost that it is true, and I know that it is absolutely true becuase He has told me. 

Love y'all

Elder Laudie

Isaac Needs New Socks

Hello Everyone!

One week down. First, I should explain the subject line of this email. Right before I left home last Monday, I grabbed some last minute ahtletic socks out of Isaac's drawer. They all have massive hole as you can see in one of the pictures. I also have learned that dove shampoo works great as laundry detergent in the sink becuase I havn't been able to do laundry for almost two weeks.

I'm having the time of my life. I can't believe how much fun I'm having while learning so much. My companion is Elder Sonnenberg. He and I get along so well and we are on fire when we teach investigators. Elder Nelson, my district leader, is also super cool. Elder Nelson's companion, Elder Ellis, is by far the funniest person I have ever met. You can probably figure out which one is Elder Ellis in the pictures, but if you need help, he is the one with a flower in his hair. We started making a quote book for things Elder Ellis has said because he is so funny. Here are a few: "About halfway through that lesson, I put on the full Southern charm with a good mhmmm hhmmmmmm". Heres another: "I decided that she needed the bad cop experience so I was like faith without works is dead!" -This one was after Elder Nelson had tried to help an investigator who was not keeping their commitments by showing love (the good cop). On the second day, our district was on the way to class. We passed some Korean speaking elders and started talking about their nametags. I had the bright idea of what do ASL missionaries have on their nametags? Elder Sonnenberg was like "wouldn't they have brail?" We all had a good laugh over that one and now it's a really funny inside joke. 

On a spiritual note, I have learned and progressed more in the last week than ever before. I feel like a completely new person. Serving a mission is, by far and without question, the best decision I have ever made. The spirit is so real and will guide you whenever you seek it. I'm already teaching several invesitagors and I love it. The most satisfying thing ever is getting out of a lesson and knowing that I followed the Holy Ghost and taught what Heavenly Father wanted me to. There was one lesson where Elder Sonnenberg and I had planned out the whole Restoration and we were like ready to convert this guy. About ten minutes in, the Spirit was like STOP! You are teaching the Plan of Salvation. I was like "but I don't even know how to teach the Plan of Salvation yet." The Spirit didn't care so we taught the Plan of Salvation and it was one of the most powerful experiences of my life and it was exactly what this guy needed. We were all tearing up as Elder Sonnenberg bore his testimony of Heavenly Father's plan for us. One of the biggest lesson I have learned here is that this work has nothing to do with me and everything to to with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know without a doubt, that this is Christ's restored church. I have been humbled so much over the past few days, and the Spirit has taught me so much. Always remember that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you can overcome any challenge or trial. I love the Gospel with everything in me, and I love ya'll!

Elder Laudie