May 18th

Hello Family!!! So we had President's Training this week and man do I love trainings!!! It seriously is so regenerating!! (is that the right word??) Something that I really loved from the training is that through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we can accomplish all that we are called as missionaries to accomplish- without that faith, I am just a poor American here struggling to learn Ilonggo.. haha.
But man is this work amazing!! Lately my favorite thing is meeting new people. That is something that President has really challenged us to do is to find new people every day. So Sister Cruz and I really took that challenge and we teach at least 30 new people each week! I don't know how we'll be able to fit everyone into our schedule each week to visit them all but everyone has their own story and some people that we've been finding have said that they've always wondered who we are and what we do. I am always so humbled to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each and every single one of His children- and through Him we can find these people that really have the desire to accept the Restored Gospel and feel the great blessing and joy that this gospel brings! I love this work so much and I've never been so tired in my life! When I get home you all might have to wait a week to talk to me because I'll need to sleep..
AH! GWEN IS GRADUATING THIS WEEEEKEND!! CONGRATS!!! I love you so so so so so so so so much and I wish I could be there to scream for you when you walk across that stage!!!! Send me pictures!!! And enjoy DISNEYLAND! (I still dream about disneyland- yes actual dreams while I sleep- on an average at least once a week!) So make my dreams come true and have a BLAST! I LOVE YOU!!!!!
And I got my package from Kort this week!! I already told her how much I love it but thought I would give another shout out to her! BEST MANHANG EVER! (manhang- older sister) :) LOVES!!!!!
So this week I survived my first earthquake!! It was a 6.3 (which I'm not sure what that even means- don't tell my natural disasters professor at BYU-I that though). We were in this house above the baybay (ocean) and Sister Descutido was saying the closing prayer for the lesson when the house started shaking. All the kids were so scared and crying but Sister just kept on praying! Sister Cruz and I both figure that the house was rocking and shaking for like 20 seconds (at least!) Then it started to rain like crazy afterwards but as far as we know there wasn't any damage or anything! When the zone leaders called they were confused why they were told to make sure everyone was okay because they didn't feel anything. Kinda crazy!
Also something funny that happened the other day- we were driving in a sikad and the sikad driver was really curious about us and so he was asking where we were from and stuff. Then he's all "and what about you? Where are you from?" so I answer and then he's like "Ohhh Americana. So how many kids do you have now?" hahaha I'm like "ME? Uhh none! haha" Sister Cruz and I were just laughing after that because the way he asked it was like he was soo sure I had children but the question was how many.. hahaha
So I'm excited to tell you all next week whether or not there was transfers!! I really feel like Sister Cruz will be transferred :( but you really never know!
Oh ya and I cut Sister Cruz's hair this morning!! Like 4 inches! Ako pa! (it means like GO ME!) :)
And have I ever mentioned how difficult it is to wash bed sheets by hand?? Not fun. But hey, at least I know that I'll never complain about doing laundry with a washing machine and dryer again! And if I for some reason don't have a washer and dryer some day too at least I know... well that's not very likely is it? I think I'm slowly forgetting how Americans really live. But it's good. That's what I've been praying for! I feel more comfortable here and though I still am not good enough at the language to make jokes that are actually funny here or even make sense to them... I can get by. That's my goal! To be able to tell a joke on a whim that makes sense and is actually really funny! I'll let you all know when or if that ever happens. :)
LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH!! Will you be in Mexico next week?? Send me something before you go if so!! Hope Mom is enjoying Shurtleff time (WAY JEALOUS!) and the others are sick? Get well soon! In time to go to Mexico and pahuway (nap) on the beach! Swim for me!! :) Also tell everyone I say hi!

All my love,
Sister Judd

May 11th - WE GOT TO SEE SISTER JUDD

WOW! I am on such a high from seeing all your faces!!!!!!! Skype was amazing!!!! They should let us do that once a month. Haha So I don’t have much time to write a letter this week- so sorry! I HAVE to write about our baptism from yesterday though! Brother Nonoy. So it’s so funny how we came in contact with him actually- we walk by his house A LOT because we teach people right next to him (investigators, recent converts, less actives and members) and one night he was drinking (as usual) and told us that he wants us to come to his house too! So we actually took him seriously and came back and he was soooo shy but of course let us teach. And now look- he’s baptized!! He completely quite smoking and drinking without any relapses and has such a strong testimony. He seriously is the best! He’s so shy so at times it was hard to know how he really felt about things but when we would ask him questions he has so much confidence in his answers that he knows this is the only true church and he was so excited for his baptism! Best thing ever to hear that from someone preparing for baptism. He’s 44 and he doesn’t have a family so he doesn’t have very much support but he has so much potential! He’s so so awesome!!
The Liahona Children’s Foundation came to our mission and weighed and measured children 6mon-5yrs and if they qualified they get vitamens for a whole year and deworming every 6months completely free! It’s a really awesome cause and we’re hoping to follow up with a lot of the nonmembers that went to find new investigators. You shouldn’t have seen some of these people crying from joy when their child qualified! I guess the Philippines is the lowest in the world for birth rate for members of the church. I’m so glad that the church is able to help these people and that we could attend this foundation event!

I apologize again for the short email! Mother’s day skyping was the best thing ever!!! Maybe for the blog mom or gwen or someone can write anything else to include is the blog post for this week? Just an idea :) Thank you all so much for your love and support! I LOVE being a missionary and even though I miss you all so so much I am so grateful to be here in the Bacolod Philippines Mission serving the Lord!
ALL MY LOVE!!
Sister Judd

May 4th

Hello family!
I can’t believe I will be skyping you all next week! I will also be sending an email about this same time as well and then we will travel over to where we will skype. So this week we had another baptism! Brother Julius! He is probably one of the happiest kids I’ve ever met! We actually met him one of my first weeks here because we were trying to contact his less active family members but he was the only one there.. he was SO shy and wouldn’t even answer our questions he was like terrified of us! Then out of nowhere a little over a month ago he approached us and said that he wanted to be baptized! So we started teaching him and he’s just the best! He’s 13 years old and lives with his aunts. His mom passed away but I’m not sure how long ago.. and his dad is not in the picture. I don’t know if he also passed away or is working somewhere or something. But anyways he is so awesome and has friends his age that are active members so it’s really awesome for him. I absolutely LOVE the spirit that is felt at baptisms. I can’t even explain how amazing it is! I love the opportunity that I have as a missionary to be a part of the work of the Lord and the work of salvation. Next month is my 6 month! I can’t believe how fast it is going!! I have to say again that I am serving in the best mission in the world! The vision of missionary work is incredible and the people and this country is absolutely amazing! There’s so many times throughout the week that I for a split second sit there and think “wow this place is amazing”. Sometimes it’s the glimpse of the ocean through someone’s home (through their wall.. haha), sometimes it’s the overwhelming kindness of the people here, but despite how challenging it is I am so grateful for this opportunity and for the experiences that I am having here.
The other day we were walking from an appointment with a recent convert and saw a woman laying on the floor of her home reading a restoration pamphlet. We automatically recognized the picture and text that she was ready so we stopped to talk with her. She didn’t know who we were and was actually really frightened at first because we really surprised her but she was laughing by the time we were able to explain that what she was reading was the message that we have to share with her. She invited us in and started telling us how her son had come home with the pamphlet earlier and he didn’t even know who gave it to him… someone before they got on a jeepney handed it to him and so he brought it home to his mom and they read it together. When we saw her she was re-reading it a second time. She started crying as she told us that she has been praying for help because of certain challenges that they are facing as a family right now and that she cried when her son brought home this pamphlet because she felt it was a direct answer to her prayers. WOW!!!!! And then we just “happened” to walk by at the exact time she was reading it facing it in a way that we couldn’t miss it! I was just blown away. Sister Cruz and I were so humbled and like every new investigator are excited to continue to teach her and her family!!
So random things- THEY USE CHARCOAL IRONS HERE! As in exactly what the pioneers would have used… metal irons with hot coals in side. And it weighs like 20 pounds.. crazy huh? Also I keep forgetting to mention but they play 80s music EVERYWHERE here! It’s like everyone’s favorite.. and it’s all English! Sometimes I just laugh imagining dad getting his groove on to “eye of the tiger” or “grease lightening”. So awesome. OH YA! And get this!! Sister Cruz named her dog after me!! How awesome is that! I didn't even tell her to! Haha the dogs name is "JUDDO" because that's what 90% of the people call me here! I was like so surprised and flattered and then thought it was hilarious when she told me how her mom is begging her to think of a different name because it's this cute little white fluffy girl dog but her name is JUDDO! haha So therefore I vow to name my next ido (dog) CRUZ! :)

Random question: Where did Aaron Judd serve in the Philippines? Also are we related to a Kevin Judd? My Stake President here right now- his missionary was a Kevin Judd and he was so sad that I wasn't confident that we are related. He said we have the same face even.. but they feel like Americans all look alike. Yeah right they all look alike! haha backwards. But anyways if we are related I would love to be able to tell him about it! He even named his first son Judd. And in Stake Conference this weekend he called me out at the pulpit as he told his conversion story. Also I have met 2 people now that said they served with a Elder Judd and I'm dying to know if it's Aaron! Both the brothers looked to be about the same age! Small world if so.

Pictures: CHEESE ICE CREAM! With Ube flavor as well as mango. It was so so so so good! I had eaten more than half when Sister Cruz told me it was cheese flavor and she was so happy that I liked it because I told her I don't like the cheese here.. but I guess I do? Maybe because it was paired with Ube and Mango. Ube is my favorite!! (the purple color) they cook lots of different kinds of breads with this fruit and I actually tried the fruit just plain one time and it's way good!

CHICKEN INTENSTINES! One of our recent convert's mom fries up chicken parts for work on the street in her purok (neighborhood) and she gave us this as a snack. I think I mentioned before that it's sister cruz's favorite. Well it's tasty!! It took me a second to get past the chewy-ness and the fact that I was eating intestines but I would definately eat it again.. tastes like chicken! (name that movie)

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! Can't wait to see your faces over skype next week!!

Happy Anniversary mom and dad!!!

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH LIWAT!
Sister Judd