Aug 11th

Hello Family!!! This week was VERY challenging. We all have times like these… it just makes the good times much better! Instead of focusing on the negatives I will share about (despite the hard times this week) we had some great experiences and tender mercies from the Lord! Satan tries to make them not noticeable through the trials that we go through but just as dad said in his last email (and I completely agree) we just have to look and we will see those tender mercies! First would be the baptism of Sister Lilibeth and Sister Mariel!! I am excited to share about their conversion stories- they are so so very special to me!!!
Sister Lilibeth was introduced to the church by a member- a friend that she met at the school of her son. They sit for hours waiting for their children to get out of class and the member began to share with Sister Lilibeth about the church. They became very very close and Sister finally invited her to come to church with her and introduced us to Sister Lilibeth at the church one Sunday. In the first lesson Sister Lilibeth accepted a baptismal date. She was burdened not sure if she would wait for her husband to return to the Philippines before she would be baptized because she wanted him to be there to witness it and investigate the church with her. Her husband will be retiring this October and is living in Nevada right now. He has worked for the air force for years and grew up in New York. They met in Manila and were married last year. But Sister Lilibeth’s desire to be baptized was so strong and firm she knew that she didn’t want to wait. Her husband (though he is not a member and not yet an investigator) has been so supportive of her decision which has been a huge blessing!! Something particularly interesting and special about sister Lilibeth’s conversion story is that she has experienced dreams about her deceased grandmother and grandfather that has always left her confused and discouraged why she always dreams about them and what the dreams mean. When her friend shared with her about baptisms for the dead, she immediately was interested. Her dreams did not stop and she felt so strongly that this is the reason for her dreams! She is so excited to go to the temple and yet again it is a tender mercy that she is in a situation right now where money is not an issue and she can travel to Cebu soon! (hopefully) Her desire to learn about the gospel and her open heart is proof that Heavenly Father is truly preparing His children to receive the blessings of this restored gospel! Sister Lilibeth is sharing to her entire family and even Sister Mariel was baptized (her cousin 12 years old) because Sister Lilibeth invited her to come to church with her. Sister Mariel’s mother passed away when she was 4 years old and her father is working in Manila. She has been raised by Lilibeth’s family and is just the sweetest thing ever! I love these sisters so so much!! One day I know Sister Lilibeth and her husband will come and visit Arizona and you will all meet her!!! She is really funny too:) I feel so grateful for the opportunity to meet Sister Lilibeth and Sister Mariel and they really hold such a special place in my heart!!


So you just never know who you leave an impact on... we were walking down the main road one night and it was pitch dark. A man on a bicycle road by and called out my name. We started talking from across the road and he started to explain that he lives in Bacolod (describing my last area) I was so excited to find out who he was! I took out the cell phone out of my bag and shined it in his face and was so surprised that I did not recognize him! I was so disappointed thinking my first thought "you've got the wrong sister, brud" (that happens all the time to the american sisters I guess we all look the same). But after more explaining I found out that I taught one of his daughters for a couple months! I could never forget his cute little daughter (dempol)... the little girl who couldn't get baptized because her drunk father would not let her... wait that was him!? He was this kind, genuine, friendly, smiley man that miraculously recognized me in the dark. He also is the brother in law of one of my recent converts there! I've never talked to him face to face and I would have never recognized his face! But he shared how his daughter is still going to church sometimes and that she will be excited about our encounter. I invited him to let the missionaries teach their family again and he agreed. I was so taken back by this random encounter and it helped me open my eyes how sometimes as missionaries we are "planting seeds" and influencing people that we don't even know because they know and they know that we are servants of the Lord!
So I got kissed! Don't anyone freak out or anything it was nothing too exciting- only SUPER GROSS!!! Remember that deaf old man that I told you we are teaching? He was baptized by the missionaries before us and is about 999.9 years old. Well we were going out of his house from teaching and I turned my back as he followed me out of his house as he laid a big fat toothless kiss on the back of my neck!! I turned around so surprised and thoroughly grossed out and he just gave me a huge toothless smile and waved goodbye saying he'll see us next week! I didn't know what to say feeling so awkward half of me wanted to scold him "indi pwede brother!!!" (not allowed brother!!) and the other half of me wanted to just run away. Sister Manosig was clueless and the brother that works with us promised to scold him the next time we go back and to always be the last one to leave the house. haha Crazy Brother Serio! I just remember Sister Manwaring's sharing about her experience with a crazy old man that kissed her too... whelp now she can laugh about this experience of mine too next month when she goes home and reads this. (I LOVE YOU MEGS!!!)

So I will get a new companion tomorrow! Sister Manosig left Cadiz this morning- she's going home!
Funny moment: I always get these words confused in this language "dulom" and "dalum"
DULOM means DARK (opposite of light)
DALUM means DEEP (for example- a "deep word")
I ALWAYS get them mixed up and people get a good laugh at me. I did it like 3 times in one day this week! Maybe one day it will click and stick... maybe not... haha.
Funny moment: I don't really have time to explain but I didn't realize that I needed to explain what alcohol is to a 28 year old male. He told us he has no problem with "alak" (alcohol)... well come to find out after naming off different brands of beers "oh that one's my favorite!!" uhhhhh..... brother..... 6 weeks now and we thought it was a miracle that he had no word of wisdom problems (huge problem here)... NOPE! I guess he was confused.. either that or drunk when we explained/taught word of wisdom to him.


CAN'T BELIEVE YOU STARTED SCHOOL! SEE YOU IN THE SUMMER! :))

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! UNTIL NEXT WEEK! Keep the prayers come'n.
Sister Judd