February 9th

Hello Family! I’m trying to focus on this letter knowing you’re at the computer right now… haha So first off we had our first baptism this week! So awesome! Winston (sorry if I already told you all this) is 20 years old, from Manila and is living in Bacolod to try and find work. He is living with members in the ward who are the referral masters. So naturally, he goes to church with them, gets interested and we started teaching him! He was actually the 1st lesson I ever went to. He mostly speaks Tagolog which Sister Cruz speaks (her first language) but he understands a lot of Ilonggo and some English (from college) so we taught him between those 3 languages and he would either reply in Tagolog or English most of the time. He’s sooo funny and just so awesome! He is always so excited to learn more and will be receiving the priesthood next week! The ward here really needs active priesthood holders. This week the Bishop almost had to pass the sacrament.. is that allowed? And there is a big number coming for next week with how many baptisms we have this Saturday… boy oh boy am I excited!!! I will reveal the news next week and tell you all about it (: Sister Cruz and I are working our tails off and it’s nice to see the fruits of our labors and our joyful investigators.. the Lord is really blessing us putting awesome people in our path!! For example we met this woman names Alicia. She is househelp (maid) at a members house in the ward and has been coming to church without the missionaries knowing that she is investigating the church! We thought she was a member always greeting everyone and just the sweetest happiest person in the world! So we visit her and teach the doctrine of Christ, I invite her to be baptized and she pauses , thinks really hard, makes us really nervous and then throws her arms to her sides and excaimes “sige! (okay) I’m ready!!!” and has this most joyful look on her face ever! Like the difference between that reaction and the normal reaction here is night and day. I just love her!!!!! There is so much love an happiness as we teach her and it’s the perfect setting for the spirit as we teach her about the restored gospel. We just started teaching her son yesterday too so we’re way excited!
So the funniest thing happened on Saturday. We were in a meeting with the bishop after the baptism and I got distracted (not being able to understand all that is being said but trying to still be sincerely engaged.. so hard) and started thinking “why am I craving a cookie like so bad right now?” and realized that it’s because usually after baptisms there’s sweets! Which made me chuckle because it’s soooo different here. Some people can’t come to their own baptism because they can’t pay to travel. Then in the midst of these thoughts this little girl comes in the bishop office and puts this box of chocolate cookies on my lap and whispers something in Ilonggo to me. The bishop counselor looks at me and explains that’s his daughter and that means his wife is here (supposedly she always buys cookies for the missionaries). I was sitting there in serious AWE. Like WHAAAT? Cookies like this exist here?! And Oh my gosh can I eat these all RIGHT NOW! I waited 5 hours to eat them as they sat in my bag but I was okay because I was just so grateful that Heavenly Father loves me and helps me even in the most ridiculous ways J Best cookies ever.
So Megs and I are in the same district!!! She got transferred and now I’ll see her every Tuesday for sure at district meeting and hopefully Mondays at the shopping center. Best thing everJ We rode a Jeepney together (with our companions of course) this past week at zone training and we just couldn’t believe it.. it’s really serial. (spell check?)
So Sister Cruz I noticed alwayyyyys as in always wishes people happy birthday and at first I was like so impressed “how does she remember all these people’s birthdays? That’s awesome!” and then I started to catch on.. wait we just met this person right now and they just acted really awkward about her wishing them happy birthday. So I asked her about it and she said if you wear red here there’s this joke that it’s your birthday so she uses it as a way to talk to every person wearing red as like a convo starter. Haha brilliant and so funny to me now.

I had so many little things to tell but no time!

I’m sooo behind on emails it’s ridiculous. I apologize to all that email YOUR MESSAGES MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME! I’m such a baby I don’t know what I’d do without email time- so don’t think I don’t read your messages because I DO! I just can’t find the time to email back. SO SORRY! I got Dear Elders from when I was in MTC. Shout out to Autumn Halls and Family… I love you all so much!!! Hi BROD!:) Lavonne thank you for your messages and sweet words! You rock! Grandma Marilyn love ya!!


LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
SISTER JUDD

Some more pictures! 

the beach a block from our apartment! We went there last monday during some Pday time- I was in heaven! The people here don't even notice these sun sets and the beautiful water!

our apt- sorry no time to send the inside pictures. but out apt is ginormous (supposedly) we house the SDLs (sister leaders that travel to mission home and zones) and our apt is I guess the most expensive in the mission? So I'm in for a wake up call come transfer time!