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