Email 8.15.11

HOLY BUCKETS!!!
I have never been so tired in my life you ready for this..... Monday- Pday Tuesday- District Meeting, District Leader Meeting, A.P. Bridge Call Wednesday- District Meeting and Weekly Planning, Wednesday Night- 40 missionaries from casper and gillette zones stayed in gillette and we had to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable. Thursday Morning off to Rapid City for Tri-Zone. Right after tri zone we met our Caravan in Spearfish, SD in between rapid and gillette. and headed straight up to MINOT, ND it is a 9 hour trip to minot. We went through three states and two time zones but we arrived at 3 am in Minot and we crashed hard but to wake up and 6 am and get some breakfast and head out to work. We were in minot from Friday morning from 3 am to Sunday afternoon at 2 pm. We arrived back in Gillette at Midnight sunday night. We had to correlate all the zones numbers from a cram packed car in between cell service and good spots. I will kinda break all of that down..
Tri-Zone- It was so awesome. Elder Bruce D. Porter of the 1st Quorm of 70 is just amazing. He has a kidney deficiancy and has basically zero imunity and no one could touch him shake his hand, hug him nothing. So it was kinda a bummer as soon as he was done he took off and we were not able to talk to him.. darn. But he did the coolest thing. He did a Q & A for about 70 missionaries. All we basically did was ask him doctrinal questions like deep doctrine and missionary related and he would answer them. He taught on the doctrine of christ and went through the god head like I have never heard before! He went through god the father and all of his names and his orgins and everything and christ and why it had to be him and all of his names and what they mean and then finished up with all three of them together and explained more of their purpose and why its related to us. It was a spiritual feast. Tri Zone was awesome. I got to see Elder Hastings again. Havent seen him since he left wright. It was way fun though.
Minot- Honestly it was the hardest work I have ever done. I have sent some pics and basically what happened is imagine if our house was under water and everything in it got soaked and was water logged and the whole house had to be gutted. Thats what is happening in minot. We had to clean out sewer systems, carry out everyones lives basically and toss it into a huge trash pile outside so that a trash guy can come and scoop it up. Most of the piles were about ten feet high with debree. We even had to take down sheet rock, insulation roofs, some stairs, all of the kitchens. The only thing that was left was the studs. Everyone has to start at square one. Some of these houses that people pay people to help them do they charge about 16,000 dollars to clean it up. We cleaned it up in one whole day and it costed them nothing. Zero Zilch! I know alot of you had seen I am Legend. Basically thats what it looked like everyone just left their houses and left them deserted. It was way way sad! But These people are so strong and doing so good. Elder Hardwick and me talked and he said that these peoples hearts have softened so much. So awesome! :) They are teaching them. The Church had 400 Volunteers from all over the nation up there when we were there. I got to see people from all of my areas there. It was way cool. :) We all broke into groups and hit the ground running! :) Basically every house was a referral for the elders there. When I was there we had done like 100 houses that weekend. Our team did four.
I sat our missionaries down and opened up zions camp in the doctrine and covenants and talked with them about these being our zions camp and how awesome opportunity we have. It was just wonderful. Another testament to me of the pure love of christ and the truthfulness of the gospel! :)
I have never been this soar before. Man! Wow every part of my body just aches and when we got in last night I laid on the couch and did not wake up til 10 am. Good thing its pday today :)
Tomorrow we have interviews starting from president. On thursday we have another meeting with the new missionaries and their trainers. Us and President will be able to instruct them. It will be good. Then the beginning of next week we head up to sheridan for three days and the week after that we head to rapid again for ZLC. It never stops. I long for the days that I am a normal missionary.
It has been way great though. I am so grateful for my package mom. That is so cool. I have never seen that before. Its awesome!
I cant believe my brother in thirty years old. I cant believe I am almost 21! Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has a letter coming and a card. DOnt let him worry! :) I was sitting on a step in minot and one of the young men came up and was like man you have a ton of gray hair. uh oh! Since it was crazy conditions up their I didnt shave and this morning I had my full beard again. :)
I have never heard of a sister mcray. the only one I know was the one in my MTC district.
I love all of you so much.
Love,
Elder Michael Corey Rudd