Email 2.28.11

Hey!
Well very very very eventful week we have been running around like crazy. First off to answer questions. Driving privliges not given back yet mbut might at the end of the transfer. Knee doing alot better. Keeping an eye on it and making sure that nothing goes wrong with it. My districts year mark just passed I know. But my year mark I have no Idea probably like may 10th. No clue over here. But oh well I'll get home eventually. :) But not for another year! I love it! But can you believe it is basically a year!!!! Holy moly!! Time flies! I knew Elder Foulger from school he lives like over by aunt patty. But. Elder Simpson was not trained by elder Hilbun. Elder Hilbun trained Elder Callister and Elder Hill.
We learned how to do Balloon animals from Brother Lindholm, he is a ward missionary and he is a professional balloon guy. It was alot of fun. Tonight we have dinner with them. We will learn more! :)
But yeah. I think those are most of the questions.
Melissa, we had to push her date back to March 26th. The same date as Kelly, Sierra & Kane. But we will work it out. We need to get all of them to church first. So we will be working on that for sure and helping both Melissa and the burkes prepare themselves not only to enter into the waters of baptism but to wear a different kind of white when they enter into the temple.
We had a crazy week.
Monday president layton came to town and did interviews before zone conference on tuesday. I finally found good mexican food (I say good meaning decent) So I wanted to take president there so he and sister layton would get some good stuff. They loved it. Finally they found good mexican food in the SDRCM. Honest to goodness the closest thing to good mexican food is TACO BELL!! But the place is called Guadalajara its really good food. But me and elder hilbun had a scheme that we were going to pay for them. The bill came to me but president demanded it and was like "i will send you home" I said "well I have already been sent home once, whats the hurt for another time." But president got the bill!!! :)
Tuesday was Zone Conference. Oh man! What a wonderful day! Me and Elder Hilbun got to give just a awesome training on working with members it was a blast! I love zone conference. I got to see my boy. Elder Hammond came down and I love that kid. It was awesome. I love it.
On saturday Gene & Nancy Hanson from wright gave us a call and took us out to eat for lunch. It was so good to see them!! It was so awesome! I loved it. We got to reminise. Nancy kept telling me "elder rudd changed my life" I was in tears! Gosh. we were at a restaraunt no need to get mushy! :) But I love these people I have met on my mission! I cant wait for all ya'll to meet them. They are so great. I miss wright most days. But my love for casper keeps growing and growing.
The bertanogles in the ward here im casper (bishop bertanogles brother) are on their way down to phoenix this coming weekend. I gave them my card and told them to look my family up. They might do so. So might be getting a call. just fyi. By the way can you print off a list of some awesome restaraunts in phoenix and mesa and send them to me. They are looking for awesome mexican food. Addresses too. Thank you! But they are excited. They seriously might look ya'll up. :)
The Apostle will be awesome to have in our mission!! After this transfer I honestly think Elder Hilbun might go AP. So either way he will be leaving casper. But then I will probably have one more transfer here and will probably end up in Rapid City. Just how the zone leaders are going. But who knows. It will be alot of fun. every time before transfers its always exciting you could be going to minot you could be going to fargo, sioux falls. Wherever its awesome.
The weather has been awesome here only got below zero a couple times. I just shaved my head. Not completely but pretty short. I thought I was using a three but ended up being a two. Its was a huge difference. But my head gets so cold now. :) I love this mission. Elder Laufenberg is always talking about brazil and all. I know how bad I wanted to go to a foreign speaking mission. But holy moly I am so foreign. I am such a city boy. Now I am being turned into a cowboy. Its funny how I speak. I always worked on my speach for radio and being a DJ. But now I am as redneck as they come. :) I know all these things about branding. horses, drillin, mining, and chew and everything. I tell ya I have been transformed into a Wyoming Cowboy. :) There is a belt buckle in gillette I want to get. it says Cowboys of Faith. :)
I want each and everyone of you who is a member of the church, investigating the church, not as active as you should be to read my words:
Next to the atonement on jesus christ the most important thing that has ever happened on this earth is the restoration of the gospel of jesus christ through the prophet Joseph Smith.
On a spring morning joseph smith went into a grove of trees and knelt down and asked god for the truth on how he could follow him best.
He said:
I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head
above the brightness of the sun
which decended gradually until it fell upon me
When the light rested upon me
I saw two personages
Whose brightness and glory defy ALL description
standing above me in the air.
One of them spoke unto me
Calling me by name and pointed to the other saying
"this is my beloved son here him"
In that instance jospeh learned three things about god the eternal father and jesus christ. 1. They are real. 2. They are two seperate beings 3. They have bodies of flesh and bones.
At the age of 14 years old joseph smith received an answer to his prayer like all of us can.
Jospeh Smith was a prophet!!! today Thomas S. Monson is a prophet!!!! The true church of jesus christ is on the earth. Today we are lead an guided by our savior. How comforting it is to know that a prophet is on the earth!! What a blessing that is! Next question: Why are we not listening to his counsel?? Brothers and Sisters his counsel is christs counsel. I love knowing that.
What a blessing it is to proudly wave the banner and stand as a witness that Jesus Christ lives!! His church is here! Joseph Smith is a prophet! DO NOT BE SHY ABOUT THIS MESSAGE!!!!!!!!! Every HAS to know. Brothers and Sisters missionary work is not a suggestion, ITS A COMMANDMENT. Open your mouths! Open your mouths and in the very second your mouth will be filled with what to say. Please help heavenly father in gathering back his children. Please help all of us in returning to be forever and an heavenly and eternal family.
Its true brothers and sisters. What else matters -Corey Rudd :)
I know it to be true with all of my heart.
I love you all very much. Please never forget what is most important.
Love,
Elder Michael Corey Rudd