He's been out for a month!

Waddup Fam!
Whats the good word in AZ? Life is going good out in Searcy! This week had been pretty rough though actually. For some reason our some of our top investigators were just falling off the face of the earth. Thats the frustrating part about missionary work. We have been doing more finding than teaching this week because we haven't been able to get a hold of a lot of our investigators. I know its going to turn up though! We were talking to Bishop Mcgrath about it to see if there was anything we can do better and he said sometimes we just have those weeks. I know it was just a trial of our faith but Elder Tate and I are doing everything I can so I know it will get better! I did have one awesome experience last Tuesday night though! So we went on exchanges and so I went to Heber Springs with Elder Parker who I was in the MTC with. We were both only 2 weeks out! Anyways we went to this girl named Bobby who is about 60. She is awesome and super humble. We taught her a little of the restoration and she told us how she feels different every time we come over and talk to her about the Gospel. She said that she wants to feel that way all the time! We explained to her how it was the spirit and how she can have the constant companionship of it after baptism. She was still skeptical about getting baptized so we tried "Pray Now." And we asked her if she would say a prayer right then to know if this church was the true church of Jesus Christ here on earth today. She told us she didn't know how to pray and so we told her to just say whats in her heart. The spirit filled the room! Her prayer was so sincere and afterwards we told her to decribe how she felt and she was at a loss of words! It was the craziest experience I ever had. I know without a doubt the spirit was speaking to her. Its hard to describe but I could just kind of feel how much Heavenly Father loved her. Elder Parker and I are no where close to being good teachers but when the spirit came into the room a miracle happened. Being out on a mission really gives you a different perspective on life. It shows you whats really important and what is a waste of time. Anyways how was your farewell Macy? I am so excited for your to go into the MTC! You are going to love it so much. Its like disneyland for missionaries. but out in the field is way better! Christie I am so jealous of you for going to Yellowstone. Cammie write me a letter! Can you believe I have already been out for a month? This is going by way to fast already. I still have a lot to learn but I am having fun learning it all. Dad-did you go to the broadcast thing last night? It was awesome. Its so cool that you and Mom are ward missionaries. They are seriously so important. Mom- your the best mom ever. Thank you so much for that package! That was just what I needed! That seriously made my entire day so much better! Elder Tate and I finished those oreos in like 2 seconds. Anyways you all better write me and tell me how everything is going! Remember to take time out of everyday to do the IMPORTANT things. Study the scriptues, say family prayers, all that good stuff! I can't meet with Bobby again! Because I was on exchanges last week and thats not in my area! Im like in depression about it! I love her and only knew her for like 20 minutes! I am definitely going ot her baptism though! Mom I am going to send you a picture of these 4 kids that Elder tate and I freakin love. We are teaching the Mom right now. Her kids absolutely love us. Sunday morning we went over there and woke her and her kids up and helped get the boys ready. Let me send some pics.

SEARCY!!

Dear Fam,

How the heck are ya?! Man do I have a lot stories to tell you from this last week!! I love being in Searcy! I am having such a great experience. One thing I did not anticipate about missions is how stressful it can be sometimes though because we will have our day planned out with all the investigators we need to go see but it can be disappointing when we have a lot of lessons falling through and when our investigators come do not come to church. Times like that can be really hard but I am having the best time out here. I am able to see miracles happen almost everyday. I am finally starting to learn how the spirit speaks to me and it is amazing to see how much Heavenly Father is involved in our lives when we let him be. Sometimes Elder Tate and I will multiple appointments fall through so we do what we call spiritual harvesting. Its not tracting. We just pray and ask where we should go. Every time we have done that we have found someone to teach. Seriously I have so many miracle stories to tell you about that, but it is for another time. Elder Tate is probably the coolest dude ever. He has been out for 5 months and he is a hard worker and we work well together and have so much fun. So I guess I am President Petersen is planning to keep me in Searcy for a while. He told Elder Tate to train me up good because he wants me to stay here and take over the area in the future.....pretty crazy stuff. I love it here though. My ward is awesome! So many people from here have been to Eagar!! Small world. Word on the street is this is the toughest are in our whole mission because of Harding University. Its like the BYU but for the church of Christ. So pretty much everyone here is a stout member of the Church of Christ and....ya lets just say they are not exactly inviting the missionaries over for dinner every night. They do not like us very much. I love the missionary life though. I love meeting everyone around here. This past week was bike week for Elder Tate and I and man let me tell ya...Arkansas is hot and HUMID. You're sweatin by the time you walk out the door and searcy has a lot of hills so were getting our work out in. Bike week has been a blessing though because we made a goal to stop and talk to EVERYONE we see. I was nervous to talk to people at first but now I love it! Once you realize how much people need this Gospel it is so easy and you can share it with a sense of urgency. People can really feel how the spirit when you share in an urgent way too. So this morning for P day we woke up at 4 45 again and went fishing at a members pond. We did not catch as much though because there was a big storm last night. Funny story: we were riding our bikes two days ago in the middle of the afternoon and we saw this old black lady that couldn't get her car started. So we rode over there and I asked of I could try and she let me. So I got in and right when I turned the key it started right up! she was freaking out and she asked if we were angles and I said "Yes and we want you to join our church!" So she is letting us come teach her tomorrow. Dalton- Thanks for the letter in the MTC man. I hope your doing good. Stay strong my friend. Race- That was the first letter I got out in the field and I really needed that.  Thanks that great advice. Kate- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!! I can't believe you are going to be 7 years old. ha ha just kidding I know your going to be 8! Write me and tell me what your doing for your birthday and how everythings been going. You the coolest littlest sister I have ever had. O and Happy Fathers day Dad! Last night some members had us over for fathers day dinner. The Footes actually. He knows Charlies. Anyways Elder Tate and I shared with them a spiritual lesson about fathers and it was really awesome. I love families. Especially mine. I know they can be together forever. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and the Book of Mormom is the word of God. I love this Gospel and would be completely lost without. Never take it for granted. Use the atonement everyday. It will bring you so much happiness!! Remember to write!  I want some paper letters too not just emails. I can't hear enough from you guys. I miss you so much but not nearly enough to come home. ha Mom I love being a missionary. I love being able to receive spiritual promptings for other people. I hope you are remembering to have family scripture study and home evening all the time. Remember that one Christmas where we wanted to read the whole Book of Mormon by Josephs Smiths birthday? I love that we stayed up late to do that. We need to keep that stuff up because I have been able to notice a huge difference in peoples homes who have the gospel and the spirit and homes that don't. I love member homes. In Nonmember homes you can't feel that same spirit. You feel distanced from it. I have just really come to know out here how much Heavenly Father loves families and how he values them. Mom I love you so much and appreciate all you do for me. you and dad should read 2 Nephi 9. Its kind of a long chapter but its gives you an eternal perspective and its awesome. have anymore questions for me?

 

 

Elder Udall

 

 

 

Searcy, Arkansas!

Waddup Family!,

Hey so Bishop let me use his laptop so I am going to just write you right now!! Arkansas is where its at! I love it here. Its so green and there is trees everywhere. My companion is Elder Tate from Utah and he is a stud. He works hard, he's black, he is a baller on the court and knows the gospel really well! He has been out for about 5 months, not 6 weeks like I said earlier. Bishop Mcgrath, the bike city guy, is awesome too! He is the spitting image of Steve Martin! In looks and personality. He is so into missionary work and does everything he can to help us out. I have had so many awesome experiences this last week. Funny Story: A couple of days ago we went to our investigators house to check up on him and his a this big black dude. Anyways we walk up and he is running into his door and trying to knock it down because he got locked out and at this point he is pretty close to knocking the door out. So he took a break for a minute and I just walked up to the door and turned the knob and it opened! My companion and I could not stop laughing! we told him it was the power of the spirit. Spiritual Story: 2 days ago we knocked on this one ladies door and started talking to her about the restoration. She went off about how she had already been baptized and her dad is a preacher and stuff like that and she was not listening to us. Anyways her daughter needed help with something for a second so she left and Elder Tate and I said a prayer together that her heart would be softened. (And then we said about 50 more prayers in our heads) When she came back it was like she was a completely different person. After talking a little more I asked when she found out the the Book of Mormon was the word of God if she would be baptized by the proper authority and she said yes!! Miracles. Anyways I am starting to find out that the stereotypes of Arkansas are the truth!! The lack of teeth in this area is pretty spectacular. ha ha So for P day this morning Elder Tate and I woke up at 4 45 and went fishing at this members pond!! I caught like 7 bass. It was sweet. I love it here. The people are so nice. They feed us almost every night. Even the non members are nice for the most part because they recognize we are representatives of Jesus Christ and they always tell us they appreciate what were doing. The south is legit.  Hey also there is a person in my ward related to the Sherwoods that knows Larry and goes to the Sherwood reunion in Eagar all the time! there is also a guy that is related to Charlie Foote and knows him pretty well! I'm in Searcy!!! Its the coolest place ever!! that's where the bike city bishop is!! Funny story: the first door I knocked on out in the field was a members house but i didn't know that. My companion set it up that way. When I knocked on the door the guy came out with a machete and was like "get away from me you bicycle bishop!" it scared the crap out of me!! but then I figured out it was a member and him and my comp planned the whole thing!! it was totally believable though because he just looked like a redneck dude and he didn't have hardly any teeth.  I got to go Mom but I love you so much. Thanks for all you did to help me get out here. I know it will change my life and others. You're the most amazing mom ever. and I miss our family too. Tell them all I miss them. remember to write me. I will send you the address later.

Elder Udall

ARKANSAS!!

Dear Brother & Sister Udall,

 

Your Missionary has arrived safely!

We are so excited that Elder Udall is here. We truly look forward to working with him. What a blessing to have a son on a mission. We will do everything in our power to watch over him while he is in our care.

Thank you for taking the time to write some thoughts about your missionary, it is very helpful for us to know more about him. What a wonderful missionary he will become! He was thrilled to receive your first letter when he arrived at the mission home.

Missionary work is so rewarding and miracles happen on a daily basis. We are anxious to get him to work so he can experience what sharing the gospel and serving others is all about. Thank you for sharing your son with us for a short time and for letting us love him for eternity.

Blessings will come to all of us as we strive to be obedient with exactness and love the Lord with all our heart. What a blessing it is to share the gospel and serve the Lord every day in every way.

With Love and Gratitude,

President and Sister Petersen

P.S. Here is a photo as your missionary arrived at the mission home excited and ready to serve