Greetings from Sheridan, WY

GREETINGS FROM SHERIDAN, WYMONING!!! Never in my life would I think that I would be living in Sheridan Wyomin!! So Crazy! But it is wonderful! At one point the city of Sheridan was named the number one western town in the united states. While I am here I will have the chance to brand cattle and eat rocky mountain oysters!!! (YUCK!)

Well I arrived in Rapid City on Monday. Met Pres. & Sis. Layton. Went to the MIssion HOme and relaxed for most of the day. Got introduced to alot of the mission rules and conduct. That night Pres. Layton sat the five of us down. That being Me, Elder Dahl, Elder Woods, Elder Kocherhans and Elder Getz and told us where we weree heading and who are companions would be. Elder Woods went to Detroit Lakes, MN about 22 hours away from Sheridan. Elder Getz went to Eagle Butte, SD about 10 hours away from Sheridan and Elder Dahl went to Casper, WY 2 hours away from Sheridan.Me and ELder Dahl are in the same zone.

So the next day Tuesday Elder Getz, Elder Woods and Elder Kocherhans loaded up on the transfer train. (okay its not really a train its a big chevy bus that holds about 15 missionaries and pulls a trailer.) They headed to eastern part of the mission. Since me and Elder Dahl are going to the west we stayed in Rapid with some missionaries and did work their for a day. The day we were there was great we got to teach lots of lessons. We taught a woman who had wicken beliefs and if you remember the sho "Hoarders" this woman is going to be on the next episode. You couldn't walk into her house. Her kids were riding the laundry mountain from the couch. Not even kidding. But food was just laying on the floor. Cockroaches and rats were present. That's all im saying. I don't want to scare you mom! But it went really well and the elders are close with here. After that, we went and talked to "spanky" he is a DJ on the radio and in a club in Rapid. So the elders found that out and sent me right over. It was great talking to him and I related alot of the lessons on DJ terms and he seemed to understand great! The elders there now have a baptisimal date with him! After that we went to a young woman named Kirstens house, she is about 21 and her and her husband just got married. Her husband is in the air force and is at Ellsworth in Rapid. We knocked on the door and her husband was the only one home. So we got to talk to him for a while then she showed up and we got to teach them both the 1st and 2nd lessons and they understood it great. But the entire time we were teaching him he was chewing tobacco and spitting into a water battle and his tabaccy jusice. Everytime he would do it I would turn and look at Elder Clark (My Rapid City Father) it was nasty! But Yes! Then we had dinner with some members named the Gerrards. Very nice family. Great food and then they took us out to DQ, it was great. I had a great day in Rapid City.

The following day Wednesday we loaded up onto the Transfer Train and headed to Gillette, WY first and dropped off elders there. Then we went to Buffalo, WY and there was a car there already that took Me and another elder to Sheridan, WY. It is awesome. When I got there I still haven't met Elder Anderson. He was in a dinner appt. So I went on splits with Elder Erickson and Elder Miller (They are the 2ndf ward elders) and we ate at a family named the Littles very nice young family and she made this delicious sweet and sour chicken so good! But then for dessert her 17-year old daughter made like 2 inches thick of a peanut butter dessert!! :((( Everyone knnow I love peanut butter. And of course they gave me 3 helpings. I was gagging it down. I would take a bite and drink some drink and swish it around. I was so full from dinner and they gave me that. Whew. I cant believe I got through it!

After that we headed to our appartment on 1st street and there I met my real father Elder Devin Anderon from Shrewsberry, Massachussets!!! He is an awesome guy. We have lots of fun together and we work and teach great together basically we just slid right into comfort with eachother. It was great.

Our appartment is weird to be honest. We live on top of an insurance firm in which we rent from. To get to our appartment we have to hike up these old rickity stairs and at the top is us just one door with a picture of Jesus on it. We call it the stairway to heaven. :) but its funny it is such an old school appartment. Its way cool though. All of our stuff is from Habitat for Hummanity (We give service there every saturday. wich is lots of fun) But, we have old rickity recliners and couches with holes in them!! I know its awesome but the best thing about our entire appartment is our kitchen table you will never guess what it is!! Its an OLD MCDONALDS BOOTH!!!!! its awesome. :) I love it. The appartment is totally me. Just the most random things you can think of just thrown into an old rickity appartment! I love it! We live with the Sheridan 3rd ward elders Elder Davis (Sandy, UT) & Elder Hilbun (Edgewood, NM) They are lots of fun, but Elder Hilbun hates music and everything fun so I see a problem there. Me and Elder Davis get along great though! But yes Me and Elder Anderson are the 1st Ward Missionaries. The ward is great, we get fed every night. One night we got Papa Murphys!! Yup there is one here!! Sheridan has about 15,000 people here. The ward has about 200 in it and about 100 show up every Sunday. So alot of our work is with either Part-Member or Inactives. Alot of the ward members have offended alot of people. Even though it shouldnt matter we deal with that alot amongst them. But the ward is great. Dad, the bishop is Bishop Brinkerhoff his wife is Joann Brinkerhoff or Joann Pearce she grew up with Shauna in Mesa and she went to westwood. Tell AUnt Shauna and tell her she says hi. Crazy how small the church is. Alot of the members are from either Arizona or Utah or born and raised in Sheridan. One older gentleman Bro Raush went on splits with us one night and he has lived in Sheridan for 87 years. Crazy! I konw! But yes, Great members. I love the ward. But, we also have another responsibility. There is a town called Ranchester, WY and its about 20 miles away from Sheridan and they have a branch there. Me and Elder Anderson also cover that branch. The branch building is about the size of the garage and the living room put together. Its tiny!! But there are about 50 members in Ranchester. We head up there usually atleast once a wekk and talk to the farmers and the less actives and go tracting. Bro Trimbath used to be the Branch President up there and he drives us up there every week. But, another crazy story! I was telling him where I was from and what I did and things like that and he said "hmmm Mesa, I have a grandaughter who lives there. I said cool he said yeah her husband teaches seminary there, I was like hmmm whats the last name. Maybe I know him? He said "WESSEL!!!!" I was like you have to be kidding me!!!! He taught me seminary last year!!!! They are coming up this summer to visit him so, I will prob get to see Bro. Wessel because I should be in Sheridan for 6 months! It is so crazy how small a world we live in!!

Me and Elder Anderson are teaching about 50 investigators right now. Only about 30 are really interested we might have to drop alot because of not holding commitments. But we also teach about 15 part member families and less actives.

We teach Amy and Bobby-Joe(both women and bobby-joe is a member) at Wystar its a drup and alcohol treatment facility. They are great. Amy wants to get baptized after she is out. But she will prob have to wait a little while but she is okay with that. After we were done teaching her we prayed with him. They wanted us to all hold hands in a prayer circle and we did. Usually thats what they do. But yes, it was a very spiritual experience i felt the love for them i want them to feel there saviors love so much.

The first night we planned Elder Anderson was telling me about the Perry family(Troy, Ivan and there two kids Chancelor 18 & Heartly 17) I felt such a connection to this familyI want them so bad. Troy is a member but he doesn't want to ruffle and feathers by going to a church when his wife and kids dont want to. But, the kids are really big into a church group in town that does alot of fun things. But, we have enlisted members who are friends with Heartly and chancelor to bring them to mutual and members to be friend Troy and Ivan. Oh we have a plan and they will come to church and they will be BAPTIZED!!! I love the family they even have us over for dinner!! We came and talked to us for a while. Oh this family will be members!! I want them to have the happiness our family has!

There are much more people to tell you about. Also I love the blanket! It means a lot! Thank you everyone for signing it.

My time is running short. Letters on the way today so be looking for them. Also I am sending Pres. Smith's to our house because I don't have his address with me.

And, oh yeah elder anderson might have to have surgery with his knee, so yeah. Bummer but good news because of that WE GOT THE SHERIDAN CAR and because he cant drive guess who drives you guessed it ELDER TOTAL PACKAGE hahahaha yes well time is cutting me off here at teh Sheridan Library. I love you guys soooo much. The work of the lord is going for it will penetrate every continent and it will visit every clime and by golly it will sound it every ear til the purposes of god shall be accomplished and the great jehovah shall say the work is done.

I love you momma!!!
I miss you!

Love,
Elder Michael Corey Rudd

Airport

I have been trying to get all the pictures from the airport from everyone but it just hasn't happened so it's a little late but here are a few pictures from when Elder Rudd left to the MTC.

Going through security.(what a cutie)

Week 2!!!

Hello mi Familia! Yes I know I am not learning Spanish but it is still very much fun to speak it. Wow I have been out 2 weeks already! how crazy is that! Again, theses keyboards are not good at all! They stink! I want to start off with thanking everyone who writes me. It is the best in the world to open that mailbox and see Elder Michael Rudd. I love it. When I don't' get a letter it is like darn!!! But its good stuff. I love letters so don't stop sending them. I don't know if you have gotten one of my letters yet. But! On March 15th 2010 Elder Michael Corey Rudd lands in South Dakota, Rapid City!!!! I leave the MTC at 6 am! It is so surreal! I finally get to go to work! I am so excited to get out there and serve the Lord with all I have! The church is true!!! So true! I want you all to know that I know with all my heart that the church is true!!! I had two amazing experiences in the Referral Center Yesterday and on Friday! On Friday I called a prior investigator and asked him if he had received his Book of Mormon he had ordered through the church and I got to teach him the first discussion!! He was so overwhelmed and wanted to hear more about the church. I was so sad that I couldn't be there to teach him in person!! I so wanted to! But anyways, as I taught him he t0ld me he hadn't received his Book of Mormon!! I told him well let me re-send that to you. He said okay. Then the next thing I know is I am checking where he lives and his address and guess where he is living. NORTH DAKOTA!!!!! Guess What!! As soon as I get off the plane I am having the Mission President call the Elders in that area and getting him a book of Mormon!!! Who Knows!! That could be my first area!!! How cool would that be!!! It was such an awesome experience. So, I told him tell you what I can personally tell you that your book of Mormon will be there with 2 representatives for the Church and I am actually one of them going to be serving in your area. He was so excited!! I sure hope I get to serve in his area!!! I can't wait to get out and serve!!! The Church is true! I want everyone to know it! I want to shout it from the rooftops and tell everyone of the message I have for them!!! I love the Lord! I am so overjoyed and so happy!! There is no greater place that I would rather be!!! The other story is about a 17 year old girl named JoyAnn from Cleavland, Ohio. How I got to talk to her was through mormon.org. If you go to there you can talk to someone from the Church and they will help you with problems you have!! So, I got to talk to her. She doesn't believe that her Heavenly Father loves her and she doesn't believe that she can be forgiven of her sins. I talked to her for an hour and a half!!! The conversation went on and on and the Spirit was so strong just like over instant messaging! That's so crazy!!! I was so excited I couldn't wait for her to respond after I would show her of her Heavenly Father's love and of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how she can be forgiven of her sins. She would type and say I don't know why I am crying. You Mormons are awesome. The conversation ended with two missionaries being sent to her house with a book of Mormon for her!! I am so sad I can't hear about her progress! I love this work!!! Another story!!! On Monday me and Elder Dahl were teaching an investigator in the TRC (teaching resource center) Most of them are members but the one we had was actually an investigator! How cool is that!! He is a Catholic and would ask us about this doctrine and this doctrine. But me and Elder Dahl would throw this at him and show him the truth!! He would say dang!! You Mormons have all the answers!! You two 19 year old boys have the power of God and you have convince me it is true. I hope something happens with him!!! I love this work!! I am so excited to be here as a personal representative of Jesus Christ!!! Also as a ANNOYER OF THE ADVERSARY!!! I love it! I want to annoy the adversary for the rest of my life. I love you guys so much! Thank you for all you do for me! I miss you. But my purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ and give them the same happiness that I have. Thank you sooooo much! I love you sooooo much!

Love,

Elder Michael Corey Rudd

P.S. The next letter will be from SOUTH DAKOTA!!!!!

MTC Pictures

Elder Rudd sent us some pictures. Looks like he is having fun!

Right before he went in, Mom says the picture doesn't do it justice for how cold and how much snow was coming down.

Elder Rudd and Elder Woods. Elder Woods is from Arizona, Michael helped him at Pomeroy's and now they are in the same district. :)

Elder Dahl(companion), Michael, Elder Woods, Elder Cocherhans, Elder Getz

Elder Dahl & Elder Rudd

Elders Cocherhans, Woods, Getz, Rudd and Dahl.

Sisters Gandolph (NC), Concer (NY), Mcrae (UT)

First Letter (My Dearest Family)

HEY!! Okay these keyboards are ridiculous!!! You cant press the return key!!! Its Wednesday! MY PDAY!! Awesome I know! I love it here!! Of course my first couple of days were really really hard adjusting to the missionary lifestyle but I love it!!! My district is awesome. My companion is ELder Dahl from (Oak Harbor, Washington). He is a little guy 5'8" about 120 lbs!!! Imagine me and him companions! haha he is an awesome guy!! Its been hard getting used to him. But its getting there. I wake up every morning at 6:30 no problem though. I have adjusted to the time very easy! IT feels great going to bed so early! I probably should of tried to do that before! It's awesome! :) I can't tell you how much I have learned. I am just itching to get out there and serve the Lord!! I am so glad I am an English Elder because I am only here for 2 1/2 weeks!! My departure date is weird! They tell me either the 15th, 16th or 17th!!! I want to know!!! But yeah I was conducting my district meeting the other night. Wait why would I conduct a District meeting?? Because I was called as District Leader!! :) I love it! Such an awesome calling. My district consists of 8 people. 5 elders all going to South Dakota. Me, Elder Dahl, Elder Woods (the guy from Phoenix), Elder Kocherhans (Orem, Utah), Elder Getz (Tree Mtn, Utah!!!) Elder Woods is a funny guy. Elder Kocherhans and me have so many things alike. We have the same Ecco Shoe, CTR Ring, Basketball Shoes and we are both the youngest! So cool! Elder Getz is a good ole farm boy!!! He lives on a farm about an hour from here. Nice guy. He is an auctioneer!!!!! He talks so fast!! He has the coolest accent!!!! So cool! I love the gospel so much! Last night for our Tuesday devotional a General Authority came!! Guess who came?!?!?!?! Richard C. Edgley!!! The presiding Bishop of the Church!!! How awesome is that!!!! He gave such an awesome talk!!! I go get the mail and I am so excited everytime I get a letter so far I have got letters from Pres. Smith, Brynae (kymber's sis), Whitney, Chelsey, Lee Anderson, Dad and today Mom I got your package!!! Lets just say I needed it! :) I love it! Our Zone (or branch) has people going to Tacoma, Washington, Hungary, Albania and SDRC!!! (South Dakota Rapid City) I am so excited to share the gospel to all the world. Today we got to go to the temple! How awesome is it!! The Provo temple is so different than either Salt Lake or Mesa. Nothing compares to the Mesa Temple to me though!!!! Family & Friends the gospel is true! I am here as a PERSONAL representative of Jesus Christ!!! To teach and preach the gospel to all the world! I am here for a purpose and I know I am here. They keep you so busy here!!! I am running all around. Being DL I am in tons of meetings plus my classes and breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food here isn't that great. Its edible but its alright, but not amazing. Every now and again there is something good, but it is a huge adjustment to eating 3-square meals a day! Oh by the way I have lost 4 pounds here! haha Sometimes I don't eat dinner because I am so full or in a meeting. Its not a big deal they give you soooooooooooo much food. But they give you a 30 min timer on email and I am going crazy typing. I hope this all makes sense, but I try and write as much as letters as I can. I write them whenever I get a chance. But let people know I am always wanting a letter. Either through Dear Elder or just mailed. That Dear Elder is a huge thing though!!!!!! Mom, I lover you so much!!!! Dad, I love you so much!!!! I love life!! I am so excited I don't know if you are getting that yet!!!!! Well I just want you to know I am doing great! I love you all so much!

Your Elder,

Elder Michael Corey Rudd

Open House

Elder Rudd right after he was set apart waiting for his Open House to start.

The family picture with our friend Randy.

Farewell

The Rudd and Smith Families who came to the farewell

Corey Rudd Family minus a few!

Michael, Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa Smith

Chelsey, Michael & Mark

Kymber, Whitney, Michael, Mom & Chelsey

Whitney, Michael, Mom & Chelsey

Whitney, Riley, Michael, Cayden & Kirk

Cayden, Michael & Whitney

Dad, Michael & Mom

Brother Whetten, Michael & Sister Whetten

Michael & the Whetten Clan

Michael & Kymber

Grandma & Grandpa Smith with Michael

The Smith Family

The Lewis Family