February 12, 2018 Good Ol' Oldham

Joseph Abram Ludlow <joseph.ludlow@myldsmail.net>	Mon, Feb 12, 8:26 AM
to Mama, Victor, Verna, Sydney, Vrichrubio, me, Melia, Mark, Marissa, Joshua, Jared, JJ, hyrum2nelson, Emily, Elder, Elder, Elder, Elder, chase.hales, stephensestes, Sister, glaziertyler

It has been a good first week in Oldham! It was really hard to leave Chorley and the members there and it’s been a bit of a hard adjustment but we’ve seen some amazing miracles and we are excited to see the work move forward in our area! We have a great friend Angelina from Portugal who has been taught almost everything and is just waiting until she is 18 in April to be baptised. We received a referral from Mormon.org named David and he is from Romania and we were able to teach him yesterday and he is halfway through the Book of Mormon and asked us some really good questions. He has lots of potential!

Our recent convert of 3 weeks Deborah is amazing and is doing lots of missionary work! Her sister and her sisters boyfriend, Mary and Dean came to church last week and we were also able to teach them this week and it was great. Deborah’s brother Brandon has always been in the lessons and he just laughs and asks unnecessary questions and it was quite annoying. But he came to church yesterday with his girlfriend and he loved it! He seemed to have a total change of heart and he asked us later if we would meet with him and he said he’s not ready to be baptised now because he needs to work on the commandments but what a miracle! My testimony of the power of attending church was strengthened even more from this experience. 

So just wanted to share a little bit more about Oldham! It is in the northern Manchester area and so because of that there are people from all around the world. The ward has just over 100 active members and there are some really solid members but also lots of old people. Our area borders the Leeds mission and has lots of hills and colder weather. I love the people and am excited to serve them! 

Random highlights: had MLC and is was really good. Also got to see my MTC President! He lives in the stake and is the high councillor over Missionary work!

-Elder Ludlow 

February 5, 2018 Jake Was Baptised

Jake Tatlock was baptised this week! It was a really special experience that really brought their family together. The service was great and everyone was super happy. John just kept expressing his gratitude towards us and what we have done for their family. It really has been the Lord but Elder Tuipulotu and I have come to realise that we stayed together for so long because we were meant to teach their family. What a huge blessing. 

The Hotchkiss family came to church and seemed really happy but then Bishop texted us today and said they don’t want to continue coming. It’s really strange but we will keep trying. We met a new friend Raymond at a street Display on Friday and he came to church! The Elders here will see him tomorrow and they also hope to see Savannah and John the member referrals in the coming week. 

So we received our transfer calls and sadly I will be leaving Chorley and transferring to Oldham in the Ashton zone! I will be zone leader there with Elder Robertson from Australia, he is half Chinese and we’re really good friends so it should be fun! He goes home at the end of April. I will be going from the smallest zone to the biggest. I will honestly miss Elder Tuipulotu. It has been so fun and amazing to serve with him. 

Hope y’all are happy and well! 

-Elder Ludlow 

January 29, 2019 Fun Week!

This week was full of miracles! The Tatlocks came to church again! Jake passed his baptismal interview and is ready to be baptised this week. Unfortunately the Hotchkiss kind of had a bad week and we don’t really know what’s happened with them but we have faith they will be okay! 

We got a text from a random number last week asking us when church started and so we told them just thinking it was a member and then left it. But then we realised that we never met a new person at church and so we texted them on Tuesday just asking if we had missed them and they said they weren’t able to make it to church but they were taught the first 2 lessons in Scotland and then moved down here and she was wanting to come to church! Her name is Savannah. 

The greatest miracle happened to one of the best member missionaries. She was walking down the street and someone randomly stopped her asking for directions and they started talking and she ended up bringing in the gospel and invited him to meet with the missionaries and come to church right then! There was some confusion with communication because he didn’t have a phone but gave the member his sisters phone number but the member eventually called and invited them both to church! Unfortunately on the day he had to go to the hospital for something but we will be seeing him on Wednesday! His name is John. Miracles are happening all around!

We were in charge of some fun activities this week. We ran an American Night for the youth and we did American football, basketball and a relay and had hot dogs and milkshakes. Then we did a minute to win it night with the YSA and both were successful with non members and less actives coming! 

There are exciting things ahead! I love being a missionary. 

-Elder Ludlow 

January 22, 2018 The Tatlocks Came to Church!

It has been a good week! The Tatlock family finally came to church! Unfortunately the mother wasn’t able to make it but the father and 4 of the kids came and they absolutely loved it! We were able to walk around the temple with them and John the father took Jake to the baptismal font and had their own moment there talking to him about it and that was really special. The sisters were so happy at church and Jake is so excited to be baptised! 

The Hotchkiss are doing super well. They continue to become stronger and stronger each week. We always go away from their home feeling uplifted. This week we had a miracle where their grandson expressed interest in coming to youth activities and we were able to teach him and he is great! His name is Kyle and he is 11 almost 12 and has lots of potential as well as his 16 year old sister Katie.

We have really been pushing with members to set specific days to talks to their friends or invite them to certain things and we’ve seen lots of success! We also have been focusing on asking the 3 big questions (any recent move ins, births, deaths) and that has been very successful. The culture is changing! We also were able to have a sports night with the YSA and two non members and a few less actives came! 

I love being a missionary and pray that y’all are able to have missionary opportunities! 

-Elder Ludlow 

January 15, 2018 Service

This week was good. We were able to see the Tatlocks with their main fellowshipper and it was great and they had everything planned out to come to church and again it fell apart last minute. We won’t give up though! The Hotchkiss family continue to progress. There are a few member families who are progressing with their friends that they are working with. 

In Elders Quorum in ward 4 yesterday we had an amazing lesson on service that kind of opened my eyes. The President mentioned how everything that is worth something involves service and also how every ordinance we do involves service. We either covenant to serve or we help others by doing the ordinances for them. He mentioned how we need not come to church thinking what can I get out of it, but instead who can I serve? Lastly in one of the talks in Ward 2 this was said: “The darker the world goes, the brighter the church glows.” The church is true and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve the Saviour and the people in the north west of England! 

-Elder Ludlow 

January 8, 2018 Prayer

This week was a good one, they continue to go by quickly. The Tatlock family was doing really well and were excited to come to church and another thing came up. It’s pretty annoying that this is a reoccurring cycle but this next week will be the one! Gavin and Cassandra continue to progress towards being rebaptised. Member work continues to move forward really well. We found some new families and followed up with others who are working with friends. Lots of potential ahead, we are super excited!

We had some fun miracles happen this week! We were able to reestablish contact with Marcella who was the one who we cleansed her house and had very powerful spiritual experiences! We taught her with the same fellowshipper and we should be seeing her this week. We also reestablished contact with a mother and son who Elder Tuipulotu found in our first week here (4 1/2 months ago). 

Highlights: went to MLC which was good. Georgina, Emma, Lyn and Mick all spoke at the new member fireside yesterday which was in Chorley this time. It was really fun and was a super powerful and uplifting meeting.

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about prayer and we’ve been reflecting on how many amazing experiences we’ve had with prayers answered. We aren’t alone in this work, the Lord wants to hear from us and talk to us. One of my favourite scriptures is Helaman 10:4-7:

4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.

6 Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.

7 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

I hope one day the Lord can have so much trust in me that He knows that anything I ask Him will be according to His will and He will grant it unto me. I love Nephi’s faith and obedience.

-Elder Ludlow 

January 1, 2018 Happy New Year!

This week was good, we’ve seen some great progress in the area. At the beginning of the week Sister Tatlock dropped Jakes baptismal date but then when we went over he explained that he was thinking about his baptism and felt like he wasn’t ready yet. So we presented January 13th to him and that felt right to him. He has really been trying to listen to the Spirit which is amazing. Gavin and Cassandra really progressed this week and they met with the bishop yesterday and are on track to be re-baptised! Super excited about that. We weren’t able to see the Heyes but we saw some progress with Tom. The work is really moving forward but we need to find more people to teach. We are very excited to find those people who are looking for a fresh start in this new year!

-Elder Ludlow