Elder Budge is PREGNANT?!

Hey Parents! Brother! Sisters! Aunts! Uncles! Cousins! Cousin-in-laws (including the new one!) and friends!

It's good to hear from so many of you today. I love hearing about all your awesome spiritual experiences you've had during the week. What a blessing it is to have the Restored Gospel in our lives! Yeah!!

I can't believe John's married! That's crazy! He didn't even wait for me. Lastima. I received some emails about how "Kristen went through the temple" and "we went to Kristen's endowment" and things like that...and I thought..."Who on earth is Kristen?!" And then I read mom's email and she was the only one that explained that it was John's wife. But anyway, Muchas felicidades!! Congratulations! I love eternal families. I am so proud of all of my loved ones that choose the path that our Savior has taught us...now matter how narrow and strait that path may be. It's tough but I'm so sure that it's worth it.

This past week has been a blast. On Tuesday night Elder Tanner and Elder Ramos (from the next area over) came and stayed at our house because we had Zone Conference really far away and really early in the morning on Wednesday. We had a pretty sweet PJ party. Elder Tanner finished his mission last week, so it was a good opportunity to ask him a bunch of questions and talk about the mission in general. He was and is a way good example to follow.

So on Wednesday we had our last Zone Conference with President Bulloch. His parting advice was simple but a lot more profound than I had thought initially: Be like Christ. I really think that's all that needs to be said. God doesn't give us commandments that we can't fulfill...and He has commanded to be perfect. So work at it! And I will too.

So my companion headed home on Friday, and they put Elder Ramos and I together while we wait to get our new companions tomorrow at the Changes Meeting. We had a crazy time trying to cover his appointments and my appointments on Friday and Saturday...but we got it done and we've gotten along really well. On Sunday, we baptized a young man named Alan, one of Elder Ramos' investigators. It was a really sweet baptismal service.

On Sunday night I reported to my District leader like normal, and he asks me, "So Elder Budge, I hear you're having a baby!" I started to laugh and tried to act like I didn't know what he was talking about (my Zone Leader had already told me that I will be training this Cycle). He started to laugh too. So yep, starting tomorrow I'm going to be a Daddy! I'm pretty sure my kid will be from Peru; they said that the majority of the Elders that are coming in are from Peru, and 8 more americans will be coming later on in the cycle. I'm way grateful for the trust the Lord has put in me.

So that's pretty much all the news I have for you! Have a great week and go to the Temple often.

Elder Budge