Email 1.11.12

Mi Familia,

Elder Rudd would like to formally apologize before all of you that my emails have been horrible. I do apologize but today I would like to entitle this email AWESOME EMAIL.

Momma, I am totally down working a catering when I get home. I would love to do that. No better way of family bonding than what we do best. :)

I can not believe that Greg is enaged. So weird. Crazy stuff. That is way cool to hear that there is a SDRCM facebook page. I do know Josh Figeroa from sports and stuff. Super cool though. I will be able to see alot of friends there.

So this past week has just been the sweetest party ever. Me and Pape have told everyone if we had to describe our companionship it would be one word.... PARTY! :) We literally have so much fun together. It is really going to be hard to take him to the airport. Nonetheless, it will be Elder Horrocks and Elder Barker too. I am sad to see so many of my favorite companions go. I think Elder Pape has been my favorite companion though. I love him. But we have literally changed this mission and President is on board. He told us the other day, he said: "You elders just like to party huh?" we said oh yeah. Because we want to get away from being the robot missionaries! Lets go tracting for 9 hours. Not COOL! Missionary Work is so much fun. So President was like, just run with it Elders. So he gave us free reign on this portion of the mission. We are so stinking excited.

This week we had Zone Leader Council where President, Sister Layton and Us train the Zone Leaders. It was a ton of fun. The training went really well. We basically brainstormed how we could get away from being robot missionaries and #1 letting the spirit actually be involved in the work. #2 Having a stinking blast being a missionary. So we rebuked the zone leaders and told them hey, it starts with you. So it was really good.

This week President & Sister Layton and Us traveled down to Casper to have a Specialized Training like I did when I was there. Me and Elder Pape trained on the fun of missionary work. Told alot of experiences and had a ton of fun. President trained on Inviting Investigators to baptism and the real purpose of it. Went really well. President and Sister Layton took off to Rapid but we stayed behind and did a exchange with the Zone Leaders. Elder Pape went with the Zone Leaders and I went with the 1st Ward elders. We got to go and see Charly Unegsk who I taught when I was there. They didnt have dinner so, I called up the Cunninghams and we went over there and then went over to the Burgess family. It was awesome so much fun. Very happy to be apart of Casper still! :)

On the way home from Casper it was 76 degrees and guess what it was colder in AZ than it was in the SDRCM! It has been crazy weather. The weather is so abnormal here. It is back down to the 20's but right now its bright and sunny but tomorrow it could be 8 feet of snow. Its crazy! :)

Another Super Fun thing we did this week was Djaye and Joe Hansen's wedding reception. Djaye asked us a couple months ago to speak at the reception on why they chose to go to the temple since none of her family is members. So Elder Pape spoke on that but she was super stressed out about the whole deal and freaking out about the whole ordeal and was like I dont know what to do. And she was like I wish someone knew how to throw a wedding reception and I thought and thought and thought and thought and finally figured out OH WAIT I DO!!!!!!!!!!! So guess what Total Package Entertainment and the Total Package came out of temporary leave and you guessed it I was the DJ. Lets rephrase that I was the DJ voice. Someone else played the music. But, HOLY BUCKETS it was so much fun. Me and Elder Pape had to just sit on the stage and take pictures and all. But, yeah it was so much fun!!!! I loved it! I got to help Djaye and Joe with a Sand Ceremony which is the two sands coming together ordeal. They really wanted their family to apart of the wedding so it went really well. Want to know the really sneaky thing me and elder pape did though. For Elder Pape's talk on the temple we wanted people to see pics of the temple so they can see for themselves what it is about. So we put a Temple Ensign on each table and during his talk he said will you turn with me to page 12 of the temple magazine on your table. It was awesome. Like during the reception you could see about 5 or so people sneaking a peek at it trying to make sure no one was watching them. It was hilarious. We had about 4 people come up to us and ask us if they could take it with them and then about 5 just steal it :) Our devious plan worked muahahahaha :)

Best thing that happened this week for sure is what happened today at church. We had Ron & Wendy Beaumont there and they are doing so well. Ron has been having some trouble just focusing and figuring out some things about the gospel. So for Priesthood we grabbed a couple of members and I grabbed the key to the bishops office so we grabbed Bro. Blackhurst (Ward Mission Leader) & Sister Mclaws (Bishops Wife) and Ron & Wendy and just Spirit Bombed them. The gospel principles lesson was on The Lord Covenant People and for a investigator that is alot of info. So Ron was like explain it to me. So we went into the bishops office and kind of turned into a intervention which then in turn turned into a Testimony meeting in which Ron & Wendy both bore their testimonies and are now getting baptized on SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY BUCKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So cool!!!! But we cant tell Jordan & Dallas her daughter and son in law. So, yeah. So dont tell them. But holy moly going to be the best Saturday ever!!!! So Ron, Wendy, Connor and Kassi Blue are all getting baptized on Saturday. Ron, Wendy & Connor at 11 and Kassi at 1. The whole ward is coming because there will be a luncheon in between. So sweet!!!! :) HOLY BUCKETS!!!. Me and Elder Pape have been so happy. We have been on Cloud 9 all day. :) Ron & Wendy started breaking down crying when they were talking about how much we meant to them. They said they adopted us as Sons. Meeting the Beaumont family has made my entire mission worth it. You say your whole life I know there is someone out there who needs to hear what I have to say someone who I have to meet who only I can connect with. So, that is the Beaumont family for me. They are so wonderful. And they said that they are planning a marriage in the temple on January 14, 2013 in Mesa, Arizona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) how cool is that!!!! I am so excited so Elder Pape is going to stay with me and all and holy buckets!!!! I am so excited!!!!! HOLY BUCKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :)

I would be remiss at this moment in time to share with all of you my testimony of my savior Jesus Christ and of his true restored church. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that he has died for my sins but more important than that I know that he has risen from the tomb and lives today. I know that he will come again. I know that Heavenly Father is a gracious god who loves me and knows me and you and wants nothing more than for us to be happy. He has given us the ways to be happy. Because he loves us he has given us a Prophet for us to hear his sons words today so that we can be guided and shielded from all of the fiery darts of the advesary. I know that because he is a gracious god he restored his church back to the earth. After centuries of being lost original truths of Jesus Christ have been restored for us to learn more about him and to come closer to him. I know that a young boy namely Joseph Smith had a simple prayer and that simple prayer consisted of wanting to know how to best follow Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He went into a grove of trees to pray and ask his question in that instance Joseph Smith was indeed visited by God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. I know that they live and they love us. I know that families can be eternal. On that doctrine alone I would join this church. I love knowing that no matter what happens I have an eternal family. I love this gospel and this church with all I have and will always proudly say that I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know who I am and I know gods plan, I will follow him in faith.

I love you all so very much. Be Strong and Believe

I love you,
Elder Michael Corey Rudd
Assistant to the President
South Dakota Rapid City Mission

p.s. the only reason I have this signature is because we have to email people in the church and people in the stakes in the mission. But mom, I loved your signature. love you momma!