I have the worlds most beautiful baby nephew!

mom! im so excited to email you!

i just love you so much! you are the best momma in the world and i thank God for you in every prayer. you are my greatest blessing and i wish everyone felt as loved and important as i did growing up. you give the best hugs and make the best cheesy potatoes. you are really athletic about laundry and taking me out for my birthday. i love you to the moon and back.

sorry, that rant is over. i have just felt so blessed lately to be in the family i have. especially now that i have the worlds most beautiful baby nephew! im so excited to kiss his cheeks. i have a testimony that i was his favorite aunt in the premortal life.

 

i cant believe alyssa is going to eugene! oregon rules. nothing compares! so this week has been really great. sister sparrow is an amazing missionary. she has been out a transfer longer than me and just got to the area too, so we're still figuring stuff out, but we are both really competitive and get pumped really easily about stuff so working with her is really fun, especially tracting. we had a lot of miracles this week and i dont feel like naming them all, so i'll speak of a few. but, first things first, i have to speak of my heroes, President C Jeffery Morby and Sister Connie Morby. they left this week and it was the saddest thing ever! i thought i had already said goodbye to them but nope! they popped up again at our zone meeting to say one last personal goodbye to each missionary. it was so sad! they are two of the greatest people i have ever met and i really want to be like them and have the glow they have. they brighten up the room when they walk in and every time they talk to you they make you feel like the most important person in the world. they are hilarious and spiritual giants! i got to hug them both before they left again and they were crying so hard to say goodbye to all the missionaries. they took pictures with each of us that theyre going to hang up at home. i just cant explain the love i have for this couple. president morby has been to almost every single baptism that has taken place in this mission the last 3 years. thats kind of unheard of and i really appreciate him for that. president ballard is here now and im eager to meet him this week.

 

so sister sparrow and i have both really wanted to find and baptize a family on our missions. i have found couples which is awesome, but one of my goals has been to find a family and help them grow closer through learning Heavenly Father's true plan for them. i have been blessed with a super close family and i want that for everyone i teach because it truly does bring me more joy than anything in the world. so we have really been praying to be lead to a family that is prepared at this time. but instead, God brought one to us! this lady named evelyn just moved here from south africa with her 5 kids and was looking for a church. she went to many churches but felt like there was something missing from each one. one sunday she prayed and asked God to lead her where He wants her to go and she said she followed what the spirit was telling her and ended up at our church building. she ended up staying for two wards because she liked it so much. thats six hours of church here people! she wasnt in our ward but she lives in our boundaries so we received the referral from a member of the ward she attended. we have talked to her on the phone and she is so excited for us to come by. she went to church yesterday too in that other ward and really really wants this for her family. im so humbled because i have realized that as long as im obedient and study hard, the spirit does the rest. i have nothing to do with the conversion of anyone, im pretty much in the audience while the spirit teaches these the elect of God. so we're pretty pumped to teach her tonight.

 

so remember how sister sparrow and i dont really know the area? yeah, we get lost a lot haha but sometimes it works out for us! we were lost in this apartment complex and we realized that there is a less active member that lives here so we feel impressed to go by. she was sick so we couldnt teach her. i was so bummed because i know that i had felt prompted to see her and i couldnt understand why God would bring us here for nothing. as we were leaving the spanish elders started calling to us and walking over. apparently they live there. they were like "sisters! perfect timing! theres this english speaking lady that lives next to us that wants to learn more. come teach her right now." so we followed them to her place and she let us right in and we taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ! it was so sweet! her husband wasnt interested but he was really nice. he gave us oysters which was a new experience. i loved them! he just kept giving me more and gave me a whole bottle of hot sauce to eat with them. it was so cool. so we taught Judy and she came to church! she loved it and cried in sacrament meeting. it was awesome. 

 

i met a guy in our ward that said he's related to an Ann Udall that works in a family history center in arizona. does grandma still do that? not sure. im sad to be missing the 4th! have a great time. i hope my Udall family survives without mine and savanahs amazing programs. i am so thankful for this country we live in and the freedoms that we enjoy. i love you all so much! work hard, pray hard!

sister udall

First Transfer! Aloha 2nd Ward, but she did not say what town she is in!

Hey family! 

So, i have good news and bad news, which ironically are the same news. I got transferred! I left my home in sherwood and am now serving in the aloha 2nd ward. I'm really excited to be here but sad to leave all the wonderful people of Sherwood. I'll be back to visit them though :) when we got transfer news our phone blew up with texts from the ward saying goodbye and planning a going away party for me. We all went to brother Adams backyard Sunday night and had a little get together. It was so great! So many people were there and they kept giving me hugs and presents and all manner of goodies. It was great! I'm going to miss them all so much! That was my greenie area so a lot of the women there call me their baby and they truly helped raise me into the missionary I am now. I will forever be grateful to the cedar creek ward and all they have done for me.

 I wanted to go out with a bang so I made the decision that I was going to set a baptismal date with someone before I left so that I could come back and visit. Well, we were able to do it! We had a lesson with the older Chinese man I was telling you about. We invited him to be baptized.  He accepted the date of the 19th so I will be going back for that.

Most of our investigators came to church on sunday to say goodbye to me.  Each speaker talked on the restoration and the spirit was amazing! Laura was there and I am so excited about her. She's the one that takes notes in our lessons and marks her Book of Mormon. That lady is the definition of the elect I'm telling you. Also among the church goers was Tom White! He is an old country boy and served with a Udall on his mission in Central America. He calls me his "Arizona Girl" and we just get along so well! He has been less active for quite sometime.  His last piece of advice he gave me before I left was "wear sunglasses and check your DNA" which is an inside joke. I love that man.

I was sad to leave but happy to be with my new companion, sister Phoenix Sparrow. Cool name right? She is from Utah and she played softball in college. She's the real deal. We talk softball all the time. What's cool is I came out the transfer right after her and we have been good friends my whole mission so I'm so excited for this transfer. We had a super sad meeting though. It was President and Sister Morby's last transfer meeting. Crylie showed her true colors in that one. We sang the fey medley and God Be With You Till We Meet Again which just isn't fair. It's so hard saying goodbye to them. They are regulars in my life. I see them at least once a week and talk to them almost daily. They'll either text or call to check up on all the missionaries. Coming out here, I didn't know that I could come to love my mission president and mission mom so much. They are like parents to me! President Morby hugged me after the meeting and he told me that he loves me and is proud of me. I guess since he's leaving he's allowed to do that but I didn't expect it! It was awesome. It's the best feeling in the world knowing someone so great and influential is proud of you and I can't even comprehend the joy that will fill our hearts as we hear those words from our Heavenly Father. 

I'm excited about Christies baby. Oh and Trevor's. Yay for Kendall and Stella and Trayser! They are all so cute in the temple. I can't believe that chantz is already home! I hate saying that time flies because then I sound like dad when he says morning comes early, but both of those statements are true! I've learned them the hard way out here haha. 

I'm so happy for Dustin! I've been thinking about her a lot lately because really funny things keep happening that I want to tell her. I sent Christie and Kate packages this week so they better be nice to me. I'm so thankful for you and aunt Becky sending me stuff!  I love you all so much and I love our savior Jesus Christ. I know that He is mighty to save and He loves us so much. We've never gone too far to feel His love and apply His atonement. I love you all so much! Work hard pray hard! 

Sister Udall

Dance Festival in Hillsboro this week!

President Morby, Sister Udall, Sister Morby

hello there family! 

poor baby kate! tell her i'm sorry about her ducklings and i wish the cows would've died instead.

This week has been stellar! we have just been finding like crazy! we taught a lady named Laura Taylor this week about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. it was amazing! the spirit was there so strong and you wouldnt believe how amazing this woman is. she is an honest seeker of truth and i just love her! her book of mormon is all marked up and she is always cross referencing between that and the bible. 

This weekend the entire mission came together and went to a dance festival in hillsboro. in the middle of it the director had planned for us to walk in singing  "to bring the world His truth" but he didnt tell anyone about it so it was a huge surprise. it was so awesome. 275 missionaries walked in to the gym and sang to the very people we serve. it was really cool. a lot of people were crying and they all stood and clapped a lot for us. the spirit was so strong and its times like that when i really really love being one of God's missionaries. a few ladies came up to us with tears in their eyes and told us that they have children on missions and thanked us for coming. it was such a cool experience and to top it off i got to stand by President Morby as we sang and we were on the big screen! it was weird. the camera man was all up under my face! we had 4 performances to do so we had to stay in hillsboro all day which was really fun. president morby got a wild hair and decided to let us watch the saratov approach! it was sweet! 

I wish i could tell you more about what happened because we teach so much in this area! we teach over 25 lessons a week and i only ever tell you about a few and in very small detail. theres just so much to do here that i dont have much time to email. we actually are teaching a lesson in half an hour to a lady we tracted into this week named besse so im going to have to make this even shorter than normal.

I will just tell you one more story. so yesterday we got cancelled on all day long! it was terrible. both of us were frustrated and the spirit just wasnt there. so we decided to kneel down together and say a prayer to know 1 thing that we can accomplish today. after the prayer we both had the distinct impression to visit our apartment manager, who has rejected us on countless occasions. so we went and knocked on her door and she let us right in. we started talking about her life and that led to her faith in Jesus Christ. we ended up teaching her the restoration. there is nothing that compares to sitting knee to knee with the elect, looking them in the eye, and reciting the account of Joseph Smith's first vision in his own words and then hearing the girl to your left bear witness of the savior and his actual appearance to the prophet Joseph. our apartment manager began to cry and expressed her own love for Jesus Christ. i know that this is God's church. He is a God of love, miracles, and order. the organization of this church alone bears witness of its truth. transfers are this coming week and im really stressed that i'll be leaving since ive been in sherwood for six months now. i really hope i dont! i love it here so much. anyways, i really have to go. sorry my emails are so short compared to rulons and macys! i love you all! happy birthday in a few days baby kate! work hard, pray hard!
sister udall

Of all the other titles that He could have used, He chose to be called Father

                 Looks like she is still mentally 11 years old and mayber her companion is too!  She is definately a child at heart!
                                                                   But also wise beyond her years at the same time!!

Hi mama!

Sounds like dad is really milkin it right now. Tell him to man up!
Just kidding, love you dad. So Kate is a chip off the old softball block eh? She rocks. And I'm proud of the baby boey for being such a cute, tiny trecker. 

 

This week was great! We were able to teach a part member family that is super interested! The little boy is nine and he was begging his dad to take him to church at the end of our lesson.

Children are so Christlike and I see that more and more as I teach them. We also taught the girl that is my kindred spirit this week. We brought sister Dillon, a convert that rocks, to the lesson and she told her conversion story. She related so well with Riley and the spirit was overwhelming. She admitted that she knew everything was true, she is just scared to be a member of the church and all that it entails. She is so sensitive to the spirit. 

 

It was really funny because she told us that if this church wasn't true, no one would join. No one would believe that God appeared to and spoke to a 14 year old boy. No one would go to church for 3 hours each Sunday. No one would give up coffee, tea, alcohol, cigarettes, immodest dress, and everything the "world" esteems to be right if it wasn't for the spirit testifying to their hearts that it's all true.

 

I want those of you who went on the trek to reflect on the spirit you felt there. Think of how exhausted you were and how hard you worked. The want for food and water alone would be enough to leave this gospel if it wasn't true. I know that the pioneers had firm faith and they crossed the plains because it was a commandment from God through His prophet. I love the pioneers for their unwavering faith because I can't imagine the struggle they endured, but that struggle strengthens my testimony that this is Christ's church on the earth today. As true followers of Christ, we have to expect to pass through trials and hardships just as He did, but we can "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope" (2 Nephi 31:20) knowing that just as He was, we can be resurrected and reunited with our families.

 

I know that this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God and I know that our Heavenly Father looks forward to that meeting very much, because above all, I know that He loves us with a perfect love. "Of all the other titles that He could have used, He chose to be called 'Father.'" President Boyd K Packer. President Packer also says that "Your secret yearnings and tearful pleadings will touch the heart of both the Father and the Son." Pray to God. I challenge each of you at this time to read the Book of Mormon, ponder the message it contains, and then ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if the book is true. I bear my witness that I know it's true.

 

We taught a Chinese man this week that we call Peter. He is in his 80's, is basically deaf, and speaks little English. I'm in my teens, am basically deaf, and speak little English too, so you see the problem that arose as we began teaching him. Luckily I have learned that I'm not the one teaching, the spirit is. The spirit was undeniable as we relayed Joseph Smiths vision, in his own words, to Peter. He told us that he feels good in his heart, that God led him here, and that he knows it's true. I promise it's true. It's as true as I am short. I love you all with my whole heart! Work hard, pray hard!
Sister Udall
Sent from my iPad

weirdest and hardest weeks

I had the weirdest and one of the hardest weeks of my mission this week. there were so many miracles and so many heartaches I can't name them all! But I'll name a couple of each. 

 

So we received a referral this week at one of our dinner appointments ( members should give referrals at every dinner appointment. It helps) and we went immediately to contact her. She is a pretty young girl dating a very less active member of our ward. We went and talked to her and she was so open and awesome! We were able to teach her the restoration of the gospel but the real kicker was that she found out that her old neighbor and role model was a member of our ward! She is deceased now but it was such a miracle! I am so grateful for the amazing legacy that woman left and that she is still doing missionary work even now that she is passed! 

 

We also taught a woman in her 50's this week that we have been teaching for a few weeks. She is so sensitive to the spirit and is an honest seeker of truth and I love teaching her. We taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ but she was so hung up on the fact that we have the Dead Sea scrolls on the earth but not the gold plates, so in her mind the Book of Mormon can't be true. I was silently praying the whole time she was telling us this to know what I can say to help her feel the spirit and recognize the truth. Suddenly, it came to me! I read her the scripture in John 6 where the people are saying that Jesus can't be the Christ because they know Him and His parents. But then I showed he scripture in Matthew 16 where Peter claims that Jesus is the Christ and that God revealed it unto him. It was so awesome because I could feel the spirit testifying through me.

 

On Saturday I went on an exchange which really took a toll on me. I was paired up with sister Lawson again which was great! We planned a lesson that morning for a less active lady in her ward. We got to her house and pounded on the door. No answer. Her neighbor came over and said he hadn't heard from her in a couple days and he was worried because she was sick. She was 65. Being from a small town, my instinct is always to walk in without knocking, so we did and searched and called for her. As we looked around we were quite upset to find her laying on her bed in an unnatural position and not breathing. She was cold, pale, and lifeless. I couldn't believe it. The rest of the day was spent talking to police and trying to contact her family. 

 

I was really not prepared for something like that and when I told my ward mission leader about my experience he offered to give me a priesthood blessing. I thank God daily that He loved us enough to restore His priesthood. Later one of my best friends in the world, Elder Austin Davis from St. John's, got permission to call me. He bore his testimony of the power of the atonement and I know Christ's suffering covers everything. I am so grateful for my family and the knowledge that we can live again and be together forever. I love you all so much and I love my mission! Work hard, pray hard!

 

 Sent from my iPad