Dear Elder Dudley,
Welcome to Sao Paulo, Brasil!!!! Can you believe you’re finally there??? We hope your flight went well. We can’t wait to hear all the details! We’re curious to know who you sat by on both legs of the trip, what Miami was like and if you met other missionaries there, and how you did through the night in your middle seat. I’m guessing you didn’t sleep at all. You must be exhausted! But the Lord will give you strength. You’ll also have adrenaline as you go about your first day in Sao Paulo and at the MTC. I can see your eyes wide with interest as you travel through Sao Paulo to the MTC. I can picture your excitement at the MTC as you learn about your new surroundings, schedule, and missionaries in your zone! I bet the Spirit there is amazing! Oh, and I bet you’ll like the food there as well. If you have time, please fill us in on details!!!
We’ve been tracking both of your flights all through the night and this morning. Right now, you have 37 miles / 27 minutes to go. We think and pray for you constantly.
We are commanded to pray always. “But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.” (2 Nephi 32:9) As you are prayerful throughout each day, I know Heavenly Father will guide and bless you in your diligent efforts to be a great missionary, to learn how to teach the Gospel, to learn Portuguese, and to get along with your companion and your zone.
Never has the scripture “Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening” (Alma 34:21) meant more to me than now. We prayed for you so much last night. You were the first thing I thought of when I woke this morning. I dropped to my knees and prayed fervently for you. A prayer for you will be on my lips and in my heart all day and all night every day while you are on your mission. We all love you so much, Warren!!!
Our little family will write to you every week. We posted your email address to Hangouts, so you’ll start getting emails from extended family as well. You DO NOT need to respond individually to my or anybody else’s email. (You can if you want, but no expectation there.) If it’s easiest just to write one email, that’s just fine. Also, when you email us, if you ever want to write anything private that you don’t want to go out to the email distribution list we’ll create for extended family/friends, just indicate. We won’t share anything private you don’t want going out to everyone. We can even email you back the version we send out so you can see it if you’d like.
Well, you landed 12 minutes ago. This is going to be one of the best days of your life. We couldn’t be happier for you! We miss you terribly, but I won’t get into that. I know you miss us as well, but as you fill your days will focused effort, your heart will be filled and you’ll be happy. Prayer really works! Just as Samantha was protected and not in much pain after her fall (I believe due to the prayers of so many who love her) you too, will be lifted up, comforted, and strengthened because of the daily, constant prayers of so many who love you!!! I love you. I love you. I love you.
LOVE YOU, ELDER DUDLEY!!!
Momma
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Elder Dudley,
Welcome to Brasil! I can only imagine how excited you must be to finally be in Brasil! We are so happy for you.
We LOVED having a missionary in our home the last few days. Your goodness and willingness to serve the Lord brought an incredibly peaceful feeling in our home. Although it was hard to say good-bye, I will always remember these last few days as being days filled with tremendous, unforgettable spiritual experiences.
As soon as we arrived home last night, we pulled up the flight tracker and watched your little plane track from Virginia to Miami. We woke up this morning, and immediately checked the flight tracker to see where your plane was. (You flew right over Colombia!) At this very second, you are flying over Brasil - scheduled to land in 30 minutes. I can picture a flight attendant announcing to the plane in Portuguese that you are in your final descent to Sao Paulo, and you wondering if there will ever be a day that you could actually understand what the flight attendant just said. You will! You have been blessed with the gift of tongues. Trust the Lord.
I hope that your first few days in the CCM are great. I hope that you have a wonderful companion, a great district and inspiring teachers. You are in one of my favorite places on earth. Love these six weeks!
We love you so much. We are so proud of you. We are so happy for you.
Love,
Dad
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Dear Warren,
Saying goodbye to you and watching you leave was the hardest thing I have ever done. Even though I was sad when you left, most of all, I felt proud of you. I think this is what it felt like in heaven when you came to earth first. We were so happy for you, but we missed you a lot. I am excited to hear all about the MTC! I know you are going to be a great missionary. I will pray for you every day that you will be safe, learn the language, and find people to share your testimony with. I love you, Warren!
Love,
Emma
