Almost Two Months

Isnt it crazy. The Total Package has almost been out for two months. I have been in sheridan for almost a month as well. The work is going great! The Becklund Family (Shawn & Ashely who are on date for May 15th) they were supposed to come to church yesterday. But they did not come. They will receive a stern rebuking! :) Also we have a less active Tiesha Abeyta she got baptized about a year ago and started not coming to chuch we had a really powerful lesson with her and she was in tears and promised us she would come to church and we even stopped by an hour before church and she said she would come but! did she!! NO! oh by golly wolly she will receive a super stern rebuking! :) Mary Witworth in Ranchester. She is doing great! She is still smoking which is ugh! but anyways. She doesnt want to seem like a hipocrit about being baptized and smoking which we were going to address anyways so! It will be good. We are going over there on Thursday and give her, her very own stop smoking plan and set a date with her to work towards. So we will have three on date and also we will probably set an date with Manuel Merange. Manuel's sister is Sis Byington, she was baptized about a year ago. She married a member he went on a mission and all. Awesome family but her brother Manuel lives with them and now we are teaching him and got him to really really pray to know. Elder Anderson went to Ranchester last thursday night and i stayed in Sheridan and went on splits with Brother Anderson. But Manuel is real close he is 14 by the way. Elvin Slack. wow! So, Elvin is about 48 he is a hippy basically. We went to his house this week and when he opened the door the smoke just billowed out. He was high as a kite. He told me he loved me like 5 times. But we came back on friday when he was actually able to talk to us. His big problem is that he doesnt pray for himself he thinks he doesnt need anything else in his life. But he is so lonely and he smokes, drinks, chews and drinks coffee and tea so he is 5 for 5 which he doesnt see the need to change anything. He has been taught for a year. We are working really hard on him, it looks like we will have to drop him which is really hard because he is such an awesome guy! :( But we will work real hard on him. The Perry family they are a part member family Troy the husband is a member. Evon & Chancelor & Heartly are not. Evon is troy's wife an chancelor just turned 17 and heartly is 16. The whole family loves us. We are so close with them they have taken us out to eat and fed us like 3 times already! Troy is an amazing chef. Me and Elder Anderson made Chancelor a birthday cake and brought it to them and chancelor whenever he see's us gives us huge hugs. Heartly tried to once but we were like ahhhh.. hahaha. SDRCM Missionaries are the best (South Dakota Rapid City Mission) Troy is an awesome cook he made bacon wrapped shrimp and deep fried. oh man! so good. elder anderson freaked when he found out that they were in beer batter, dont worry mom I cleared it up :) but elder davis doesnt see a problem with buying beer on a mission. Oh elder davis what a crazy. But to fix that elder anderson bought soda today and made a soda batter which was actually really cook. We fried Okra, Cheese, Brownies and leaks. Really good. Clair Bourke basically the missionary mom of sheridan. especially 1st ward though. She was baptized about a year ago and she is awesome. Next week we are going to make shirts at her house that say "I served in sheridan" on them. She is so awesome. She has a major rocky past and me and elder anderson go and see her like 2 times a week because we are worried about her and want to make sure that she is doing okay. She started a new job at the holiday inn here and hasnt been able to come to church. But we are working it out so that she can. She is awesome.

Today we had district meeting we have it once a week. There is a town about 30 miles from here called buffalo and there is a set of missionaries there (elder dean and elder christiansen) they are in our district. But today i taught district meeting. It was really good we talked about when it was necessary to drop someone and to use the spirit of discernment. District Meetings get really heated sometimes. But its good. To drop someone it is really really hard but! it's necessary! Also, our district is putting on a youth MTC this wednesday. President Layton will be coming from Rapid. The gillete spanish speaking elders will be here. So the youth will learn how to teach in spanish and english. We made real call letters and all. We delivered them to our youth yesterday there should be about 70 youth there on wednesday. it will go real good. I will be teaching the restoration and how to teach it. After they will go through and teach it. president will be one they teach it too and we are bringing people from the wards to act like people. It will be real good we are really excited for it. Me and elder anderson are putting on a member mtc for the 1st ward in may. (Transfers are at the end of this month. he thinks he is getting transfered i highly doubt it! he has doctors appt's and physical therapy here, i dont think that president will transfer him, but the lord is the one who will do it so idk.)

Me and elder anderson are getting along so well we love being here. Elder Erickson (2nd ward) goes home at the end of the month and elder anderson has 4 months left. I know my time will just blow by. I have already been gone for 2 months! (basically) Its insane!! Mom, you should be getting something from me today check the door step and also something left today for you. I hope you like it.

The work here in sheridan is great. I am so excited to work. I am so excited that i have time and to get the lords work done. I made a missionary pledge for myself.

"For i am a missionary, I am called as a personal representative of jesus christ. he has entrusted me with his work. As a missionary I will work everyday and every night. I promise to work with all my heart, might, mind and strength. the lord has called me to do his work and his work i will do. I will live worthily to be lead by the spirit to teach and preach in his name. I will keep an upstanding image with me every day i work. For i work for the lord. I will be all that i can in the time that i have FOR I AM A MISSIONARY"

The church is true i am so excited to work in the lords errand. I can promise all of you as you follow the savior he will not lead you astray. Follow him.

I love you all so much. Happy Birthday Mom, Whitney, Chelsey, Brylee and Kirk.
I am so thankful each and everyday that i grew up in my family.
I am so thankful for all of you and all the letters they are much appreciated!

Love,
The Total Package
(It just needs to be there)
Elder Michael Corey Rudd
Sheridan, Wyoming (Or God's Country) :)