Baptism! & Effortless Investigators & See Their Change & Make the Most of Your Dash!

Hello Family!! What a roller coaster of a week. As. In. But let me tell you the highlights :)
We had a baptism!!! Ryan, Angelyn and Angelica! Last transfer (at the very end) we were walking out of this neighborhood and there were these parked sikads and this man yelled out to us that the old woman sitting outside her house next to us is a member. So we stop and talk to the grandma and she told us that the man that yelled is her son and their family was taught by missionaries a loooong time ago and she and one of her sons were baptized. They lived in the bukid (it's the middle of nowhere) and missionaries hadn't gone there but her daughter had been baptized in the city and sent the missionaries to her home in the bukid. Well many many years later they end up here in Talisay and have been less active for a really long time. They're shy to talk to the missionaries and shy to go to church because they don't know anyone. Well.. we met their families and they just love the missionaries! Sister Maricar is the young girl (still in highschool) that sent the missionaries to her home in the bukid back then and now she's pregnant with her 4th child. Ryan is 10 years old and is her oldest child. Angelyn and Angelica are cousins to Ryan and we are teaching their parents (they are also in the picture on the side of sister hermosura). These 3 kids are the shyest little things in the whole world and the sweetest. They love to read the Book of Mormon and I love their families so much! I'll try and get pictures with them all these next weeks. Thank goodness for Ryan's uncle that called out to us that one night!
Another exciting thing is that we're teaching a part member family. We are sooo close with the Altamera family here (I just love them like crazy) and the oldest sibling of that family had been taught by missionaries more than 8 years ago but had never gone to church or anything. We met Christine a couple of weeks ago and this week we talked about that night that we met her and asked her if we could teach her family and she told us that she had been praying for a sign to know which church is true (yea.. like Joseph Smith) and she said that she was so happy when we asked to teach her family and was like even trying to hide her happiness and excitement so that her family wouldn't tease her.. haha she's this funny and outgoing person (it's refreshing for me to meet someone outgoing here) and we are just so excited about her and her husband Christopher because they really want to get baptized and are really searching for the truth. Christine's younger sister will leave on her mission next month and one of her brothers is also preparing to serve a mission. The awesome part about all of this is that Christopher said that he wants Christine's father to join them in investigating the church and get baptized with them so we went and taught Brother Altamera and found out that he's been waiting for us to teach him!! We extended him baptismal date and he asked if it has to be so far away.. he wants to get baptized sooner! Wow! That's the first time that I heard that reply from a new investigator! It just goes to show how Heavenly Father is truly preparing the hearts of these people. I feel like it was effortless.. we just started teaching and they're the ones telling us that they've been praying, searching for truth, feel like this church is true (from what they've heard and seen from their family) and can't wait to get baptized. Can a missionary's life get any better than that?? :) It's all so exciting! Sister Christine's son is a recent convert- he was baptized with Christine's mother back in January and he is the smartest 9 year old I've ever met!!! His name is Chi-an. He's so cute when we teach his parents. He's the one to tell his parents that it's their turn to pray- his dad was so shy when Chi-an picked him to pray! So Chi-an offered to let his dad follow him in the prayer (like you do with 3 year old that don't know what to pray for).. so that's how the lesson started and it was just too sweet!! I love their little family so much!
This week Sister Davenport gave a training at the mission home with 2 zones and with President and His wife and other visitors. It was nerve racking... our hands were shaking so bad hahaha but we just followed the plans that we made for the training and we were both confident that it was such an inspired plan and the training was overall great. It just FELT great! It was strong and clear and hit home for all of us. We taught about the sacrifices as missionaries but how the sacrifices that we are making is nothing compared to the blessings that we will and are receiving. This work is the work of salvation! We talked about how we all have a start and end date. Just like on a tomb stone Dec 4 2013- June 4 2015... and that little tiny dash means EVERYTHING! We challenged them (and ourselves) to focus more on the dash than the end date and to MAKE THE MOST OF THE DASH!! It was in that point of the training that I got emotional really feeling like my end is coming quick... my dash means everything in the world to me!!!!!!!! When I gave my departing missionary testimony later that afternoon after President Ferrin's training I didn't feel like it was real and was trying to feel the "holy crap I'm going home soon" feeling but I just couldn't feel it. I'm waiting for it to hit me... maybe before we get on the airplane or when we land.. or I don't know when.. all I know is it hasn't hit me yet! I'm just taking it day by day trying to help me and Sister Hermosura accomplish all that we need to do here in this area. Staying busy really is the best medicine for trunkiness- no time to think about yourself!

We had a hard let down this week with one of our awesome investigators that can't yet get baptized because he's having a hard time quitting smoking. He was hopefully going to be able to get baptized my last week here.. but now it won't happen. We were all disappointed at first but after such an awesome lesson and then after the lesson I just felt so much happiness as I watched Brother Marcel take his Libro ni Mormon and sit outside his house and read the assignment that we gave him while we chatted with his wife. From where I was sitting I could see him sitting on their tay2x (little bridge to their house) and realized this incredible change in Brother Marcel from when I first met him! He was so nervous and terrified to join the lessons when we were there and then step by step we started teaching him more regularly. But he would drink every night and when we would follow up about his reading in the Book of Mormon he was tell us that he read but while he was taking shots. Now... he can't wait to read again the verses that we talked about in the lesson and when he's done reviewing the verses he comes back inside and shares us what he learned and is just so pumped and excited! His smile is bigger than I've ever seen it before and even his wife is surprised! It's little moments like that... I can't explain my happiness to see and realize this HUGE change in these people after weeks of teaching them. Applying the principles of the gospel in our lives creates a natural change in our countenance and behavior that brings us true happiness and helps us feel closer to the Savior! I see that in Brother Marcel. It's even noticeable in his face! I no longer feel this disappointment that I won't be here when he's baptized.. all I know is how happy I am that I've been blessed to be here to see this incredible change in him. The best part of missionary work!!

Gwen's video clip that she included in her letter really hit home for me!! Thanks Gwen. We've done a lot of service this week trying to get community service hours to get a wheelchair for Bishop's mother! I love service! It really feels so good to serve :)
Blooper for the week: What I said- "Biskan lip-ot lang nga pangamuyo" (even just a short prayer) What they thought that I said- "biskan ipot lang nga pangamuyo" (even just a poop prayer). them- "ipot!!! hahaha" (poop!! hahaha) me- "ano ang ipot man??" (what's poop???) hahaha oh how those kids laughed at me!

love you all!!
oh ps we might email super late next week because we might be doing things in the morning next monday..

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hasta sa wala'y katapusan
Sister Judd

Crazy Busy & Charity Never Faileth

Hello Everyone!! I'm so happy that I was able to skype with my family this morning! It's crazy how fast a half hour goes by!! But it's okay we have hours on end to catch up in just a few short weeks (CRAZY!). Sorry family I really felt super awkward and wasn't sure what to say but all I can say is I felt SO HAPPY to see your smiling faces and hear your voices.. my brother's now have man voices.. and I'm happy that I could see Kort and Jeremy as well! I miss Gwen!!! But it's okay.. there's still Christmas :) Something that was weird about this time skyping you all is that instead of crying because I miss you all.. I cried that I will miss this place!! It's sinking in that I will have to say goodbye to all of this here and it's not easy to cope with that because of how much I truly love it!!!
This week has been CRAZY BUSY. So busy you can't even remember details from the last day.. and this week will be just as busy! I already know by next week I'll be saying "what a crazy week" again and then I only have 2 more weeks left! All I can say is I don't feel ready yet! I still feel like there is SO much for me to do here!! I hope I can accomplish all of it before my time is up. But I am relying on the Lord to help me and I will just do my best until the very end.
I don't have much to say about this week other than the fact that my pictures tell the stories. I was so happy to see Sister Snow this week (for the last time before we go home.. leave home? I don't know which one is more correct).. Missionary Leadership Council was so inspiring and EXACTLY what I needed. Sister Davenport and I gave a training this week and what we did differently from the last time was that we kind of "let go" a little bit and just followed the spirit and it was much more effective than the last time! I saw a HUGE difference. We had a hard time cutting off the missionaries because we were out of time. We were so so grateful that we all really got something out of the training and we felt like it was because we put more trust in the TRUE teacher (which was NOT Sis. Davenport and I). They showed us a video at MLC that I want to share with you all because it's so awesome!! It's in Tai.. and despite the fact that it's an insurance commercial it's so great!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=632CHpeHYZE

I know that when we serve selflessly miracles happen!! Doesn't this video just tug at the heart strings?? If only we could see the immensity of the simple ways that we can reach out to others around us every day. Be the Lord's hands to help those in need! :)
Moroni 7:46 " Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all..."

I love this work so much! And I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Sister Judd

Manny Pacquiao & The Restoration & Let's Lean on Him

Hello Family!!

It's been a busy week! And a great one!

So it's ting ulan (rainy season) right now.. lots of adventures in crazy pouring rain! I love it!! :) It's just crazy hot and humid (like hard to breath humid) before and after the rain.
Let me just start off by telling you all how much I love my last transfer! My companion is the best! The are is great! And I looove the ward/members!! We have some great investigators. We're trying to work out the people that want to get baptized these upcoming weeks (my last couple of saturdays..) lots and prayers and fasting that all works out!!!! :)
Yesterday was "THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY" Boxing: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (pronounced pok-yaw) Pacquiao is everrrryyyyyooonnne's favorite here in the Philippines because he's Filipino and a super good boxer. The sad part about all this is that the fight was shown on the TV Sunday morning... soooo there was like no members at church. haha then Pacquiao lost. So everyone was in a bad mood that day and super drunk. Manny Pacquiao is a huge deal here! Even though he lost the fight.. in some ways he still won because he stole the members and all of our investigators from going to church..
So what else happened this week....
One of the very challenging parts of Missionary work is teaching less actives. We had a powerful lesson with a loooooong time less active this week. There's this SUPER awesome nanay in the ward that does her own visiting teaching (because she's the only one) and she told us about a sister that she hasn't figured out how she can help them and wanted us to try and visit them. With hope that we might be able to find new investigators there we went and found the family and taught them. Sister is going to church at another church now and just like everyone else here thinks "Dios man gihapon." It basically means no matter where you go to church, Jesus Christ is the same. This is an idea that comes from a lack of understanding about The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With less active we usually teach very boldly and testify that we are baptized members of the one and only TRUE church of Jesus Christ. I know that this is so true! Baptism is a saving ordinance so that we can return to live with our Father in Heaven again and it has to be the correct way. The only correct way is by a person holding the authority of Jesus Christ which is the priesthood authority that was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith. After discussing about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the sister was quiet and so we closed the lesson and asked her to say the closing prayer and in her prayer she prayed that Heavenly Father would help her return to Christ's true church. The reason why she became less active is all "social" concerns (very common).
I'm grateful for the testimony that I have of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this is Christ true church! I'm grateful to be here in the Philippines doing the Lord's work... with HIS help.. teaching these wonderful people. I love them so much. (Maybe I won't come home...) Just kidding :)

I found a great quote this week! (sorry... I LOVE quotes! maybe next week I'll take a picture of my quote wall)
"Is there not wisdom in a Heavenly Father giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified? If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith." - President Spencer W. Kimball
I know that all things happen for a reason. We just need to work in our life to overcome our trials by exercising our agency wisely! Let us walk by faith and lean on the Savior no matter what we're going through in our lives! Here... for moms and dads that have to tell their hungry children over and over again that there's no money and no food.. and that have to watch their children with sicknesses just get sicker because they have no money to pay for a doctor visit or medicine... OR if it's at home... moms and dads trying to help a wayward child.. death in the family.. sickness and balancing life. Whatever it is.. it's part of His plan for you, me and us.. so that we can grow in our faith and turn to Him for help and comfort.
I love my Savior and I know that He's there for all of us whenever we need Him. Kaya nya tanan.
Love, Sister Judd!!

Yay Baptism! & He's clearing up our Schedule

Hello family! I agree with Gwen.. this week has FLOWN BY! It's been a roller-coaster week. LOTS of ups and downs..
This week our golden family investigators dropped us, this week we taught a pastor for the 7th Day Adventist church, this week we attended a funeral, this week I got lice, this week I saw a rat the size of a cat and I screamed when I saw it just inches from my head, and this week we finally had another baptism!!! Not to mention transfers! I'm so sad that Sister Respicio transferred. I really love her and had such a good time this transfer with her! We all knew she'd transfer though because she's been here for 6 months (her first area). I just found out this morning that I will train! I will get my new (brand spank'n new) companion this thursday! So Sister Davenport and I (she is my STL companion) will be together until Thursday. My stomach hurts from anxiety when I think about how this is my last transfer.. but that is reality! This will be my last companion. This is for sure my last area. I am starting my last transfer! Bring it on! :)
The Baptism of Tatay Bornes was so awesome!! You can just see in his picture how excited he was! He kept saying over and over that he felt like he was in a dream and that it didn't feel real! He even said that he couldn't sleep the night before because he was so excited. He is the best ever! He is 63 years old and his wife Sister Norma is (was) a less active (loooong time member) but now is active again as she's been coming to church with her husband! Their 3 children are all also members and Sister Norma always cries as she tells us that it's a miracle that her husband has decided to change and loves listening to the missionaries when back then.. he wouldn't even join the lessons and wanted nothing to do with it all! I wasn't here when the missionaries first met him but his testimony is so amazing as he explains when he first met the missionaries he just felt in his heart that he needed to listen and he came to church right away and hasn't missed since! He loves to tell stories about all the times that God has answered his prayers from saving one of his grandsons from dying, helping him support his children to graduate from college and the dreams that he's had that has strengthened his testimony that God really exist and communicates/reaches out to us. No matter how many times I've heard his stories.. (he likes to tell them over and over again) I realize how much he has been prepared by the Lord to finally accept the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. He also had a looot of Word of Wisdom problems when we met him. He went from smoking a pack of cigs a day to only 5 for 3 days and then 1 for one week and then none! He also used to drink whiskey every night and coffee sometimes up to 10 times a day! He has so much drive- I've never seen someone change so much in just one month! He's the one that threw his cigs out the window when we taught him about the Word of Wisdom :D hahaha. Oh brothers I just love him! He's on fire and has so many people that he wants to introduce us to "so that they can also feel the happiness that he feels" :) it's just like 1 Nephi 8:10-12 (we haven't even read that section with him.. it just goes to show how true it is!). Sister Respicio and I have seen baptisms fall through over and over again this transfer but we were both so grateful that we were both here still when his date finally came :)
Speaking of baptisms falling through and investigators dropping us.. oh brothers has this transfer been FULL of rejections. #rejection (every missionary knows how this feels).. but something profound that really hit me about all of this was "maybe Heavenly Father is clearing up our schedule to fill it in with the people that we need to meet and teach..". I've never thought of rejection that way and I know that this was inspiration received from on high the moment that I needed it the most. My testimony has been strengthened that the Lord has a plan for each and every person that we are teaching and is waiting for us to meet the other people that are ready to accept the restored gospel! We have to give up our own will and accept HIS will... and just continue in this work. I know that this is HIS work. These people that we are teaching are not just our investigators.. they are HIS children that He is preparing to return to live with Him again. This work is so important and the best thing in the world. Despite the many challenges from this week.. there's been many miracles. (it's just like President Eyring taught in the Women's Mtg. this past conference.. joy follows sorrow! Not that I feel sorrow.. but for me right now as a missionary this helps me to know that joy and happiness and miracles follow disappointments and challenges.. IF we face them with the right attitude and strive to build our faith.)
This week Talisay ward hit it's ALL TIME highest attendance at church of 280 members. This work is hastening and progressing and I want to do my 100% best to continue to help this ward progress pa in these next/last 6 weeks that I have.
I love you all so much!
I love how Gwen and I both eat crispy pig skin off the roasted pig and we're not even in the same place.. :) Yay for missionary sisters!!! It makes me so happy :))))
PS. It's ridiculously hot here. My tan lines are so funny. I wore a black cotton shirt the other day and you could see my sweat soo bad. All the people were like "abaw sister judd.. grave ang bal-has mo vah!" (wow sister judd.. you're sweating soooo much!) ha..ha.. embarrassing! haha
PPS. We had a ward activity and ate lunch at the church and there was mountain dew.. I kept emptying my cmall plastic cup and then refilling it and then drinking it and refilling it over and over again until the 2 liter was gone and I saw this Relief Society sister watching me from across the room and read her lips as she said to herself (i kind of heard her too) "palainom gale sya soft drinks"- while smiling (ohh, she's always drinking soft drinks)- like she was so surprised to see how much soda I was drinking. hahaha I just laughed to myself and tried to find if there was any more mountain dew to drink some more! We can't buy ourself soda but we can drink it when it's given to us.. i'm just trying to make up for all the times I crave soda and can't drink it! :)

Thank you for all of your support and love!
Take care, and stay safe always!
Sister Judd

GenCon & BOM is true

Hello family!!!!!!!!!! What a great week! I sent a lot of pictures with captions of some of the high lights..sorry kind of picture over load earlier. I get excited to send you all pictures! Hope you don't get sick of them. If it makes you feel better there's still toooons to look at together when I get home. :)
So we watched general conference this weekend and I was in heeeeeaveeeeennn!!! I LOVE general conference! I'm not going to lie I thought about crepes a time or two or three. But some of my favorites from conference was Elder Wilford W. Anderson's talk with the analogy about dancing without music. I was blown away with his talk. I even printed it today along with President Uchtdorf's talk so that I can reread them because I can't wait until the Liahona conference session comes out. (you are all so lucky that you have lds.org at your fingertips!) I also LOVED Elder Gerald Causse's talk about never tiring to discover gospel truths. He testified how the gospel is like a fountain that never runs dry.. if we diligently seek to learn from the scruptures or from sacrament meeting or any other church setting that we've been in more than a billion times... we will FIND. I'm so grateful for the scriptures that CONTINUALLY open my eyes to gospel truths and help me better know the Savior. That is also what Elder Kevin W. Pearson taught about. He taught that the Book of Mormon is essential for our spiritual survival! Something that I realized as I listened to His talk is that I never want to miss a day reading the Book of Mormon for the rest of my life. Wow that's a statement! But it's TRUE!! "Daily enduring to the end determines our eternal destiny" is one of the things that he said that has helped me feel even more determined to set goals for myself and follow through with them when I get home. I also realized as a missionary that this should ALWAYS be our focus.. even though sometimes we get a little tired of hearing ourselves ask the question in every lesson every day all day "kamusta ang pagbasa mo sa libro ni mormon?" (how was your reading in the book of mormon?). A LOT of the times many excuses follow but there are also many many times that we get to hear what they learned in their reading. Instead of focusing with the less actives why they aren't coming to church and how we can get them to church this sunday.. maybe we'll focus a little bit more on their scripture reading. Elder Pearson taught that anyone that has lost their way and that starts reading the Book of Mormon will find their way back. The Holy Ghost will open their eyes and guide their life! That's the same promise for all of us whether active members.. investigating members.. new members.. long time members that go to church... long time members that no longer go to church and everyone in between. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of this religion and it is true! It guides lives and WILL change our lives. I'm so grateful for the testimony that I have gained of the Book of Mormon here on my mission. I remember in college I took religion classes and even though it was part of my grade.. I STILL had a hard time reading the Book of Mormon every day. I always thought I was way too busy or too tired. I understand those people that we teach every day that have these excuses too. Let's face it every member has or is facing this challenge. But I know with all my heart that sincere study of the Book of Mormon can give us so much peace and happiness! We will better understand the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and how we can return back to live with our Heavenly Father again! I add my testimony to Elder Pearson's.. we need to Book of Mormon to spiritually survive!
I love this gospel so much! I loved how much the brethren talked about families. I look forward to someday having an eternal family of my own. I also am so looking forward to being able to spend time with my family again!! Families are the best. MY family is the best :) I love you all SOO so so so much. Thank you all for your love for me!!
Keep the faith! I pray for you all every day!
All my love,
Sister Judd

Appril 5th racles with the Drillon Family! & Love this Easter

Hello Family!!
I’m almost out of time but I want to tell you all about my week! Sorry if it’s not super exciting…haha I’ll just try my best to keep it interesting!
So the highlight of my week was with our investigator family Drillon! They are so awesome and we saw so many miracles with them this week! The first one was with the Book of Mormon. People here (just like most everywhere else in the world)..it’s hard for them to accept the Book of Mormon because they are so converted to the bible. Brother Drillon is the one that I mentioned a couple letter back how when he was a kid he’d climb up a coconut tree and read the bible for hours. Well we taught him about the Book of Mormon and committed him to read and we thought all was great and dandy and then we came back and asked how his reading was and he didn’t read. He is afraid to read the Book of Mormon and only wants to read the Bible. So instead of just moving on with what we planned to teach we taught him again about the Book of Mormon and this time he actually got it. He understood that through the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ Heavenly Father reached out in love to His children and gave us the Book of Mormon because He didn’t just communicate and show himself to one part of the world…He did the same thing in America after He was resurrected. This time he really committed to read the Book of Mormon.. the next time when we followed up he was serious. He read the Book of Mormon. He prayed about it and he had a dream. When he woke up from the dream (all he really remembers is that he was at the Mormon church with his family) and he said “matuod sia gale..” which means like “oh. It IS true…” He accepted baptismal date and we were stoked. Then we came back and his wife who is Iglesia ni Cristo (very verrrry popular church here that hates Mormons) she usually joins the lesson but doesn’t want us to focus on her. Well we taught about the plan of salvation and they were loving learning about how to enter into the Celestial Kingdom. We extended baptismal date to Sister Drillon and she had sooo many questions! It turns out that she’s having so many doubts about her religion and she wants to be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. What an even greater miracle that happened this week with Sister Drilon! We actually were on splits and me and a sister preparing for her mission taught them. When we told Sister Respicio what happened she almost didn’t believe us! I know 100% that it was a miracle. Heavenly Father truly has a plan for this family!! I hope that I am still here when they are baptized. But if I’m not.. I’m happy as long as they are baptized so that they can start preparing to go to temple and be an eternal family!
The woman’s meeting was soooo goooooooood. Me and Sister Respicio couldn’t hold back our tears when they played this movie/song

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-03-0002-musical-presentation-the-family-is-of-god?category=general-womens-session-march-2015&lang=eng

I KNOW that families are sent from God and that they are our greatest treasure! I miss you all so much and I felt the spirit sooo strong while this video played because I know that “this is how God shows His love..” through families :) LOVE YOU FAMILY!!!!
Also I hope you all had a happy easter!!! For all those who haven’t seen it.. I’m in love with the Easter video that the church has put out. We celebrate that He lives!

http://www.mormon.org/easter?cid=HP_SA_4-4-2015_dMIS_fMRMN_xLIDyMSTHD1_
The culture here (catholic) is to celebrate his death. There’s parades and people acting out his crucifixion… I’ll show you pictures when I get home because it’s kinda sac-religious. But I’m grateful for the knowledge that He died, He rose from the dead, and He still lives to give His love and support and help to each and every one of us when we seek him!

Ps. It’s weird to commit someone “Brother, will you only smoke 30 cigarettes tomorrow??”…. only? But it’s a challenge for him. A REAL challenge!
Pps. Gru will not get the shrink ray…
Ppps.  I love you more than you all know!

The heat is ON here in Bacolod. People think we’re crazy walking around in the heat and then they let us stop and share with them so it’s all good in the hood for us :)

Until next week!!!! Halong kamo pirme! Palangga ta kamo!
Sister Judd

March 29th Trainings, an Example to her Father & Persevering

Hello Dearest Family and Friends!
What a week! I was able to attend my FIRST Mission Leadership Council (MLC as we call it) with President Ferrin, the Assistants to the President and the other Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders in the mission. I learned SO MUCH! And it was a very humbling experience. We changed the name to Mission Leadership Chastisement because it was to kind of wake up the mission. Numbers have been declining LIKE CRAZY here in the mission. The number of baptisms and every single other number that we count here is lower than it has been in years here in this mission and for some numbers lower than Bacolod Philippines Mission HISTORY! It was great to receive trainings about Our Vision here in the Bacolod Philippines Mission to help the many many new missionaries and the many old missionaries here in this mission remember what our goals and expectations here in this mission. I felt so pumped and refreshed from the trainings and felt like running from appointment to appointment the rest of the day and the days following. Then Sister Davenport and I (she is my Sister Training Leader companion but we are in different areas with different companions..) were able to get together and plan our training that we gave on Friday. It was such a cool experience as we experienced an over flowing of revelation and help from on high on what and how we could deliver our training on. It was such a cool experience. The training we gave felt awesome because of the help we received in preparing! We trained about CHANGE as missionaries and in reference to our investigators, and about what kind of "soils" we can choose to be as missionaries in reference to the parable of the sowers. We testified about the vision, about our potential as missionaries and about how important it is for us to always be repenting and changing. It was a great experience and I more than anything learned A TON!
We also had a baptism this week!! Sister Glaycel Pabora is 11 years old (almost 12) and was referred to the missionaries by her mother who is a returning less active member. Sister Glaycel is a giant compared to the other 11 year olds here and she's so mature for her age too! She loves to read the scriptures and wants to set a good example for her two younger siblings and her father. We are teaching her father.. slowly yet surely. They come to church as a family every week! Sister Glaycel's testimony at her baptism was just the cutest things ever! She added at the end of her testimony about her father and she cried as she said "I want my dad to change and be baptized like I did. I want him to stop smoking. No matter how many times you tell him not to buy cigarettes and drink he still buys them!" haha it was so cute she was like all out of breath from being nervous and getting worked up about her dad that we all couldn't help but laugh. She's such a doll and I just love their family! You can see in the picture that her dad is handicapped from a fishing accident. He got caught in the engine of the fishing boat. He can't move his right arm but he drives a sikad (bicycle pulling others in a little side car) and also carries water from the well (with one arm of course) for people and then they pay him. They are a sweet little family and with all their trials and challenges in their life I know 100% that what they need is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It heals us and gives us true peace and happiness in our lives and in our lives to come no matter what our challenges and trials are in our lives.
The quote that helped me this week is found in this last month's Liahona from Elder Ulisses Soares: "Recognizing our dedication and perseverance the Lord will give what we are unable to obtain by ourselves. He will shape us because He sees our efforts to overcome our imperfections and human weaknesses."
I know that if we just try our best and have the right desires of our hearts, then Lord can work miracles in our lives and our weaknesses can even become our strengths. Dedication and perserverance are two things that I am try my hardest to apply to my mission right now. It's not easy. This is the hardest thing ever but the promise is that we will be shaped to SOMEDAY be the people that He sees/wants us to be.
I love this work so much and know that I will miss this SO much someday. It's summer time here right now. School is out and the heat is ON! Maybe I'll get a tan before coming home:)

PS. There is an Elvis impersonator here in the ward. I can't wait to show you all his moves that I captured on my camera :))))

PPS. Gwen! Study PMG pg5 (the activity) it blew my mind this week I love it so much how it applies to missionary work!!! Love you SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Sister Judd

OOPS Feb 15th Happiness, Teaching the Restoration & Weird Life

Hello everyone, big sister here, sorry it looks like I missed posting this one. I am soooo sorry. Enjoy a belated letter :)

-Kortni

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb.15th

 

Hello Family!! It's been another challenging week which means I've been learning a lot! The Lord is truly continuing to humble me and teach me! Sometimes we have to try not to be overwhelmed by our weaknesses but find the balance of seeing our weaknesses in order to change. I've been learning so much here on my mission.. I've started a list titled "100 Things Learned on my Mission". I'll complete it before coming home.
I about died from happiness reading GwenElise's email this week. I seriously have felt new levels of happiness here on the mission than I have ever felt in my life! It's not the same happiness that you feel when you step into Disneyland.. (even though I love that too..) it's like these deep eternal happiness that I have that is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ. For example.. my heart wants to explode as I read how much Gwen loves being a missionary and the love that she feels for the people that she's meeting and the spirit that she feels. It's the best thing in the world! I feel so much happiness helping others come closer to Jesus Christ... so much happiness is in store for all of us from serving the Lord!
Let me tell you about a theme from this week and it's more like a theme from my mission... teaching people about the restoration of the church of Jesus Christ! I will tell a couple short stories from experiences from just this week (many many and hundreds and hundreds from my entire mission) but I'll stick to just this week :)
Sister Racial: Sister Racial is a fairly new investigator of ours that is the sister-in-law of one of our investigators that is soon to be baptized (Sister Marilyn). Sister Racial is very shy and just so sweet. She is a young mother (I think we're the same age but she has a baby so I feel like she's older than me.. story of my life here) ANYWAYS! This was a highlight of my week.. us teaching Sister Racial. She is a member of a really small church here that I forgot the name of and she loved coming to church the other Sunday with us because she said that bearing your testimony (it was the 1st sunday) and the classes are sooo different from their church where you just sit and listen to the pastor. As we taught about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ she had a good understanding and was really listening even though there were a ton of distractions and I could see in her eyes as we taught that she felt the spirit (that is one of the best things about missionary work!!!!) We testified boldly that the church that we represent is guided by a living prophet and 12 apostles and has authority from Jesus Christ. People don't know that the churches that they attend are factors of the great apostasy where many churches arose when the church of Jesus Christ was no more. But the same church that Christ built when He was on the earth has been restored. I've found these truths to be true for myself and that's my desire for everyone that we teach!! Humility plays a HUGE part in conversion. Sister Racial's heart is so open and receptive!
Brother JollyBen: Brother JollyBen is one of my recent converts here and is such a rock. He has only gone to school up until about 3rd grade so he sometimes struggles to understand the principles that we teach but we are working with him. The famous saying here is "Dios man gihapon". It means "God is the same". The explanation is that "no matter where you go to church, if your faith is towards Jesus Christ, then the church is correct". The difficult part is to help people understand that this statement is not completely true. There is only one Jesus Christ, which means out of all the thousands (millions?) of churches on this earth.. only one should be true! As we took some extra time to really explain this to JollyBen it was like a light turning on in his head. It takes some time to fully understand these principles and that is exactly why we as missionaries continue to teach the people that have recently been baptized FOR UNDERSTANDING. Baptizing has nothing to do with adding numbers to the church. It has everything to do with the fact that it is a saving ordinance and necessary for us to return to live with our Heavenly Father again. Nearly all churches have a form of baptism. But we need to be baptized the way Christ was.. by someone holding authority to baptize :)

Well there is a long list of other stories and people that I could continue to explain but I feel like my letter is getting really boring for you all. I'm sorry I feel like I'm running out of the "exciting/crazy" stuff... this is all that's in my head.. teaching these people! But that's our calling as missionaries and I am so grateful for all that I've been learning through these teaching experiences.

My Birthday was really really great! I sent lots of pictures! I'm afraid that maybe in my next area I might not be able to send pictures.. but I'm taking advantage of pictures uploading here in 2 seconds and there are absolutely no viruses on these computers. So picture overload for now. Everyone keep sending pictures to me too! Because I just love them :)

The other day we were on our way home after a long day in Cabanbanan and our recent converts that walk us the long walk to the tricycle that waits for us.. they gave us sugar cane stick (tubo) and I was gnawing on this sugar cane riding past caribou and rice fields and candle lit homes at 8 o clock at night and it entered my mind how weird my life is here right now. But it's normal to me! I love this place so much and feel so so so blessed to be serving in this absolutely amazing place.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy belated Valentines Day! Buy some on sale "after-valentines day" chocolate for me please! But don't send it to me just save it for when I come home :)
All my love!
Sister Judd

March 22 My Calling & Exciting Investigators & Bloopers

Hello Family!!!

I'm super pumped about emailing today!
So this week has been really great! But I won't hesitate to tell you all how exhausted I am! I don't feel shy saying that or admitting that any more when I came across this quote from Elder Holland: "You only get one chance to serve a mission. It is your responsibility and duty to use it to its fullest, to give every last ounce of energy until you collapse in exhaustion at the end of it..." it's a long quote with a lot of awesome promises but I'll just share that much for now. And let me tell you the long walk home every night I feel like my body might collapse! But if I didn't feel this way would I come home and feel like I've done enough? I hope I can feel the peace and comfort that I've given it my all. I still have 2 months... my goal is NOT to collapse in the middle of it or on the walk home to our apartment.. but maybe just the 20 hour plane ride home :)
This week we've had some AMAZING teaching experiences and I've really seen the Lord answer my prayers even just in a goal to find 8 new investigators in one day.. it felt impossible especially when it was about to get dark and we still didn't have any new investigators and then badaboombadabang it just happened. Before my mission I would probably say something like "wow we are so lucky!" but now I realize it's more like "the Lord's hand in my life is real". And of course that is true because this is HIS work. He leads and guides His work through missionaries. Introducing ourselves to these new people that we meet I love even more than ever before to say "Kami ang mga missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gintawag kami sang Dios para mangin mga instrumento nya.. nga magpaambit sang mensahe nya parte sa kon paano kita makabalik sa iya liwat." (We are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are called of God to be His instruments to share His message about how we can return to live with Him again.) These statements that we use every day has so much more meaning to me right now in my mission than ever before. I know that as a missionary I am called of God to be one of His instruments to bring to pass His will and purpose so that all of His children can find out how to return to live with Him again someday.
One of the best things that happened this week was with our new(ish) investigators Bro. Drilon. Sister Respicio and her last last companion here (about 3 months ago now) met him and his family and they are just so awesome! They didn't really focus on them a bunch but we followed up and I was just super super pumped about them as we were teaching! As in. I was like loving teaching them so so much. They had such awesome questions and were so attentive and were really taking in what we were saying. And the best part is that they were able to understand it! The spirit was strong and the lesson was totally jiving. When we left we were dying because our legs were asleep from sitting on the cawayan floor for so long and then we realized that we were there for almost an hour! It didn't feel like it at all!! The best part of the lesson was the very end (we taught about the Restoration and Joseph Smith). We were explaining how they can find out for themselves if the message that we are sharing is true and before I could finish my sentence Bro Drilon announced "I will come to church this Sunday. What time?". haha we were so surprised!! Usually we hear all the excuses in the book but he invited himself! haha It was awesome!! And the best part (this really is the best part) is that he really did come to church yesterday!! He's so awesome. He said that he would climb up in a tree when he was a kid and read the bible for hours. What kid does that?! He's way awesome and totally prepared by the Lord!
Something super funny that I said this week (I alwayyyyys have bloopers with the language). I told an old grandma "You need to BEHAVE GRANDMA!" but what I meant to say was "You need to take a REST GRANDMA!" She was going on and on about how tired she was and we were about to leave and me and my big mouth nearly shouted this and she looked at me like she might wet her pants when I said that. It's like what you say to super annoying kids while the missionaries are teaching a lesson so I hear it all day every day. "paymuyong"(behave) and "pahuway"(rest). I couldn't stop laughing at myself that I accidentally said that. I apologized so many times to nanay.. I don't think that she really understood and didn't think it was very funny. haha OOPS.
Another investigator that I'm way stoked about is Bro. Bornes. He's this old man that is SO HILARIOUS!!! I just want to record him whenever we visit with him because he's so funny. When we taught him about the word of wisdom this week he took the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and chucked them into the mucky water under his bamboo house. First time that I saw/experienced that!! My jaw dropped and I just wanted to give him a round of applause. So instead I gave him a high five. (They love high fives here). Basically he's the best and I have a long list of ridiculous things he says and does like running to the church from his friend's house yesterday because his wife and him got into an argument before church and he told himself he wouldn't go to church then he changed his mind last minute and sprinted all the way to church. We saw him come in right after the sacrament and I just watched him cry the entire meeting. His such a soft-hearted old man. He even cried when we gave him a Book of Mormon. I just love him!!
I could go on for another hour about these amazing people. I feel a real pain in my heart when I think and remember how soon I will say goodbye to these people and this place.. I can't believe it's almost April!!
Thank you all so much for your love and support! I love you all so so much and feel your love and prayers!
Palangga ta kamo!
Sister Judd

PS. I met someone that knows Keethan (my cousin)!! He is from here in Talisay ward. He saw my last name and immediately said that he knew an Elder Judd on his mission! Then he explained that he served in one of Keethan's areas in Ilo-Ilo! When Keethan was there it was only a branch but now it's Manoling Ward in Roxas Stake. Then he also explained the connection between him and Keethan when he was a missionary.. Keethan's trainee was named Elder Romanillos and then Elder Romanillos trained an elder named Elder Lopez and then Elder Lopez trained Elder Bianan who is now Brother Bianan living in Talisay :) Small world! Go Keethan! He had so many good things to say about Elder Judd :) I can't wiat to speak Hiligaynon with Keethan when I come home!!!!

March 15th Manila & Talisay heaven

Hello family!! This week has been insane so much has happened there's no way I can to you about it ALL! But let me try my best here...
So I went to Manila for a day! They sent us there to do fingerprinting for our visas or something like that. The church is so organized. They just text us telling us to get pictures taken. Then they text us that we have a flight on Saturday. They pick us up, take us to the airport hand us our ticket and traveling money and say they'll see us when we get back! We flew to Manila around 8am on Saturday and got back around 7pm the same day. We got to go to the Manila MTC and take pictures on the MTC grounds with the temple in the background. Then we got to go to a WW2 Memorial site.. This is where President Hinckley dedicated the Philippines for missionary work. We even read the prayer that he gave dedicating the Philippines for missionary work and it was amazing. So many of the promises that he gave have come to pass and are the miracles that we see in this work in this country every day!!!
Here's more info about the site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_American_Cemetery_and_Memorial
It was such a cool experience. There was this incredible peace and reverence felt at this place! I didn't want to leave!! I feel really grateful to have had that experience going there!!
Flying on an airplane to Manila felt like torture because we all knew and were fully aware how quickly it will come when we fly to Manila again and won't return to Bacolod.. it was like they were tricking us that we would be going home!! Not going to lie a cried on the plane. haha How much more when it's the real thing??! But overall it was a great experience. It felt SUPER weird to get a one-day vacation from missionary work.. even though it was more tiring to wake up early and travel.. but it was really great. I really really really enjoyed the time with Sister Snow!! We laughed, we cried, we cried so hard from laughing and it was a good way to start this last leg of my mission. It's like the last 15 minutes of a soccer game when it's tied... the most intense and harder you've ever ran in your entire life. That's kind of how I feel :)
So let me tell you all about TALISAY WARD!!!!!! It. is. amazing!!!!!!!! I can't tell you all how happy I am that this is my last area!! It blows all the other wards out of the water in terms of organization, support and direction of the bishop and there are soooo many Return Missionaries! The ward is just SO SO strong!! I feel like even though this should be the most stressful time of my mission my stress level has decreased so much!! The Bishop has meetings with the missionaries every Sunday early in the morning and told me his expectations here for me in this ward and I was just smiling so big! It's so great to be in a ward that knows how to help the missionaries, has their own goals for missionary work and depends on the missionaries to help them instead of it all being the opposite like my past areas. Sister Respicio is so lucky that this is her first area!
Oh! Speaking of Sister Respicio! She is THE BEST!!!!!!! Seriously I can't tell you all how blessed I feel this transfer!! She is (of course) Filipina and this is still her first area but she is sooo good at the language and teaching it doesn't feel like she's a new missionary! She's 25 years old and she has a twin sister! She has this contagious awesome laugh and I just love her personality!! She is so sweet and funny and the members just loooove her. Seriously missionary work is amazing-er than ever this transfer!!!
The last thing I want to add is a quote that hit me hard this week:
"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of them than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their visions, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends and pour out peace." -President Ezra Taft Benson
My mission has changed my life and is still changing my life. I've experienced a whole new LEVEL of joy and peace even among the hardships and trials. That's what we can ALL feel in our every day lives as we focus on sharing the gospel with others, serve others, and serve God!

PS. I almost forgot!! I got another package from Grandma Barbara! She sent TWO! One got here 2 weeks ago and the other got here the next week. Everyone in the office was like "Sister Judd you get the most packages. You are very loved and missed at home." I SERIOUSLY FEEL SO LOVED!!!! You all are seriously theee beeeest!! Macncheese.. granola bars.. those fig bars are better than chocolate cake... and I forgot all about beef jerkey- so goood!! Oh and those melt-away-mints. YUM! Thank you again grandma!!!!

Love you all more than I can even explain!! Many many MANY of my prayers have been answered this past week. Thank you all again for your prayers, support and words of love and support pirme.. i mean.. always!

LOVE,
Sister Judd

March 8th Transfers! & Special Baptism

Helloooo Family!!!!!!
Wow my mind is just a tad scrambled right now because I am transferring today! This will probably be my last area. I am going to Talisay Ward in Bacolod North Stake. My first area was 5th ward also in Bacolod North Stake! I am excited because I've heard really great things about Talisay! I reallllllly wish that I could have taken my companion with me to this area. I love Sister Silos so much and I will miss her like crazy!!! My new companion's name is Sister Respicio (I don't know if that's the right spelling because I can't currently see her name tag.. haha) but she is sooooooo sweet!! I am seriously SO BLESSED with companions. SERIOUSLY!!She is also Filipina and she is a new-ish missionary and this is her first area still. This is a weird transfer for me because I am going to be an STL (Sister Training Leader) with a JR companion.. it will be interesting because I don't know how to be a Sister Training Leader... it's like Zone Leaders but for the Sisters.. and there's only one of me for a zone of sisters. But I'm excited for the challenge and opportunity. Sister Snow is in the same boat except she will be training a brand new missionary. GO Sister Snow!! :)
It was sooo good to see missionaries that I haven't seen in a long time! Like Sister Snow (can't wait to be at BYU with her!), and Sister Arcinas (my companion in Cadiz.. she is going home this week and I was so grateful to give her a hug before she went home). I have made so many close friends here and it is hard to say goodbye when there's a small chance that we will see each other again. But I am so grateful for these friendships and memories!!!
So a lot of great things happened this week. I have so many pictures that I want to send home but I can't send pictures here in this computer shop... I'm hoping I can next week. We were spoiled with the best computer shop ever in my last area so I don't know how often I can send pictures home now but I will just try my best. It's not worth all my pictures getting lost.. but we'll see!!
I received my "trunky letter" (that's what we call it here but I refuse to be trunky) telling me to finish strong until the end of my mission and with information about coming home. Then today I got my itinerary for my flight to come home. It's all becoming pretty real and it's kind of freaking me out. But I know that there are still many many things for me to experience here:) I'm so excited for my next area and can't wait to get to work!
This week we had a baptism! I am so sad I can't send pictures. This baptism meant soooo much!! Sister Mira is the daughter of a long time less active. I think I've told you about their family before- the Abesar family. Bro. Abesar and his wife and his children were sealed to them in the Manila temple about 6 years ago.. soon after that Sis. Abesar passed away. She had a lot of medical problems and had been confined to a wheel chair for years. Mira was not yet 8 years old when her mother passed away and that was her wish to her husband that Mira gets baptized when she turns 8. Well, I met the Abesar family because for years and years missionaries have been visiting them. Bro. Abesar is now active and through him we met Mira. She is 15 years old and just the sweetest. She started coming to church and brought her 2 cousins with her. They all 3 were baptized yesterday :) It was such a spiritual experience!!! Emilio Abesar is Mira's older brother and is preparing to serve a mission. He was also less active when I first got to this area. Now he is our Ward Assistant Mission Leader and almost done with his mission papers!!! He was able to baptize his younger sister and 2 cousins. I just know that Sister Abesar is so happy in the Spirit World because her family is really doing their best to prepare to return to be with her again. I know that they will someday be reunited again as an eternal family and I am so grateful for the blessing to have met this amazing family.
This work is just so amazing. I have seen so many tender mercies.. more than I can even count!! I think that that is one of the biggest lessons that I have learned here on my mission.. obedience, prayer, fasting, scripture study and a desire to serve the Lord is the way to TRUE happiness and peace and more blessings than ever imagined! I have seen Heavenly Father immediately and directly answer my prayers not only these past couple of weeks but throughout my mission. I KNOW that He is close and aware of each and every one of us.
Oh we also had Zone conference this week. I learned SO MUCH! We have such awesome Assistants to the President!! They were so inspired in their trainings and it was really refreshing to be with such focused and dedicated missionaries.

I also got my package from Grandma Barbara!! THANK YOU SO MUCH GRANDMA!!!! The dried mangoes are almost gone.. OOPS! haha SO YUMMY! And the train mix and dried fruits are the best! I made the mistake (not really mistake) of sharing with a member the trail mix at church and they all raided me and went a little crazy eating my food haha they looooved the dried fruit and trail mix.. almost as much as I love it! :) But I was happy to share. Everything in the package was perfect. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!

This week I ate pig feet. It was seriously so good. The members are so good at cooking. They made it with jack fruit (langka) and I don't know what else but I was just in heaven.
I also ate a lot of sea food this week. It's so awesome you just pull whatever you can out of the water and cook it up and it's like the best tasting food ever. Shells and clams cooked and uncooked, crabs (lots and lots of crab), shells (the little tiny shells that kids play with because they move... turns out they taste super good!!!) and of course lots of fish. Pictures to come next week.

I love you all so so so so much!!!!!!!
Until next week!

Sister Judd

March 1st Friendships through this work, Obedience & Diligence is not easy

Hello Family! It's been a really great week. Highlight from this week was Shein (the aswang) coming to visit me from Cadiz!! Shein is a great friend that I have met here and she is one of the many examples that has strengthened my testimony that missionary work is not ONLY about the people that don't know about the gospel.. it's also about the members!! When we had Mission Tour a couple months ago I remember President Ardern telling about his experience as a young member in New Zealand and how a particular Elder took interest in him and encouraged him and helped him to stay strong and active in the church. He is just as thankful to this Elder as to the Elders that taught and baptized his family. He encouraged us as missionaries to find youth to encourage to serve missions, return to activity and reach out to members. Well when I met Shein she was less active because of her job but didn't hesitate to make the sacrifices to come back to church.. she just needed a push! Up until she decided to quit her job so that she could continue to come to church every Sunday. She would work with us often but I was transferred pretty quick after that. She has been close to the sister missionaries that have taken our places and is a huge help to them. She is preparing to serve a mission and I couldn't be happier for her! I'm so grateful that I met her and for our friendship! There really is so much joy in helping others come closer to Jesus Christ. That is the main goal in being disciples of Jesus Christ. It's not the main responsibility of the missionaries.. but the members! This has created such a great friendship and I know that there are so many people waiting for us to reach out to them.

One of the challenges from this week was our investigator Sister Marilyn and her daughter QT postponing their baptism. They've been interviewed and were all set but of course the adversary swept in and found a way to put lots of doubts and temptations in their way. From the beginning, it's been a bumpy road with Marilyn but I've seen the blessings of being patient with investigators and not giving up on them. I've learned so much and have grown to love her and her family so much. I don't know if I'll still be in this area when she's finally baptized but that's okay with me. I guess you never know.. I could be in this area until I come home! haha
So the mission has been undergoing MANY challenges since President Lopez and Sister Lopez have left us. The missionaries (most) have pretty much thrown out the window all the guidelines and rules that President Lopez has set for this mission because he is no longer here. It's been challenging for me and my companion to hold our ground and do our best just to continue. It's pretty heartbreaking to hear about the many things that are going on around the mission. I know that President Ferrin is great- I look forward to our training with him this week. When President Lopez was here the disobedient missionaries stuck out like sore thumbs and it wasn't favorable to follow the things that they were doing. Now.. it's the opposite. If you are trying to be obedient you stick out like a sore thumb and missionaries wrinkle their noses at you. These next 3 months will be a challenge for me but all I can do is focus on what the Lord expects of me personally and our companionship. I so blessed with a understanding and hardworking companion! She seriously is the beeeeest!! :)
This week I found another scripture in my studies that spoke directly to me: Moroni 9:6 "And now, my beloved son [daughter], notwithstanding [your] hardness, let us labor diligently; for is we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to preform whilst in this [place], that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God."
No matter how difficult our path is to eternal life, I know that He is by our side and He will not cease to labor.. neither should we. I know that with the time that I have left here.. there is a work for me to do! Someday we will all rest our souls in His kingdom with Him if we are diligent in the things that He has asks of us.
I love this work! I miss you all! My heart is full today. I KNOW that Heavenly Father answers prayers. He protects my family and blesses them incredibly. And He really has a plan for us. We can help Him bring to pass His plan for each of us and seek His will through prayer. I love you all and continue to pray for you!

Until next week!
Sister Judd

Supernatural Beliefs & Opposition in all Things 2/22/15

Hello family!!!
This will be a short email. Sorry!
This week we met the Ferrins this week! Our new Mission President and his wife. They are so so sweet! It was enjoyable to meet with them and get to know them. They are very kind and it helped to be reassured that we are in good hands :) I miss President and Sister Lopez so so much but I look forward to maybe seeing them sometime in the future. President Lopez is working for CES writing material for teaching seminary/institutes worldwide! He is fighting cancer but doing better.
This week I got a package from Marissa!!! It also had a letter from Eryn. It made me smile and laugh so much reading their letters and seeing their pictures. They seriously are such great friends- love them TONS!!! :)
Sister Silos and I are just so stinkin pumped about the baptisms that are coming up this next week and the week following!! I so so look forward to telling you all about them and sending you pictures of them. They are so awesome and really made me and Sister Silos realize how much Heavenly Father is helping us in this area because of the amazing people that we are teaching! They are preparing to be baptized and are so so solid! I know that through faith and hard work this work is full of miracles and tender mercies.
One of the funny things that I learned about the culture this week is the things that they do and believe in when someone dies. You aren't allowed to shower for 3 days.. you aren't allowed to sweep your floors for 3 days... and you aren't allowed to eat certain vegetables for 3 days.. they tried to explain to me what kind of vegetables but I don't completely understand.. haha it has something to do about the way the roots or stems grow or something? anyways I try to keep a straight face as they tell me the things they believe in about witches and ghosts and supernatural things and healings and spirits and the mile long list of superstitious beliefs.. I have never believed in that kind of stuff but it's just a part of their culture here! I don't want to offend them by laughing but sometimes it's hard to tell if they're serious by some of the stories they tell!! They keep their small kids from leaving the house at night time by scaring them that there are ghosts and witches that will take them at night time.. and they really are afraid!
I also had someone ask me this week... "Americans don't sleep, right??" I thought he was kidding. Nope. Dead serious.
Well I'm hoping and praying for a "normal" week this week without any surprises like these past couple of weeks. It's been a bumpy road but I know that the Lord is always there to help, comfort and guide us in the easy and hardest of times. There must be opposition in all things:) Because we have felt upset, we can understand what it feels like to be happy.. because we have experienced sickness, we can appreciate good health and strength... and because we have been given trials and overcome them, we can recognize the blessings that the Lord showers upon us and His hand in our life to strengthen us! Hebrews 12:1-2 teaches "...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...". This is the part in my mission that Dori is singing to me "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming... [what do we do? we swim. swim. swim]" and then I giggle to myself remembering Finding Nemo quotes. So it's all good :)

LOVE YOU ALL! Like. A. Lot.

Keep the faith!!
Love,
Sister Judd

Atubang sa mga Challenges with Faith & Power in the Scriptures (Feb 8th)

Hello family!!! I am loving reading your letters today! Thank you for the love for my birthday!! You've put an extra big smile on my face today :) Also reading my sister first email as a missionary just made me so so happy! Yay for Sister Judd(s)!! I’ll be 22 this week and it doesn't even feel like February. I feel like it’s still January. But it’s not. Of course. Time is just continuing to disappear here! I guess when you’re busy time really does fly by! This week has been full of challenges. Which means I’ve learned A LOT this week. I feel more exhausted than usual but I’ll wait until I get home to rest. This ward here in Calumangan comes with a lot of challenges as a missionary. Last week a brand new missionary came here from Mississippi. His first Sunday here in the Philippines was not the “relaxing, spiritual experience” that he was hoping for.., in our Zone Meeting last week he stood up and explained how blown away he was and it was everything he could do not to pull out his hair. He complained for a good 10 minutes and all of us missionaries just tried to sympathize for him buuuut we’re right there by his side experiencing the exact same thing. We all kind of mentioned to him that he’s just going to have to accept and get used to this because if not it’ll be a looooong 2 years for him and yesterday he got a little heated talking to me and says “NO! I better not get used to this. Because this just isn't acceptable!”. The poor guy. I remember feeling a similar way my first Sunday or two here. Let’s just say it will be interesting to attend what Elder Pierce and I call “normal Sacrament meeting and classes” at home again. I’m surprised when Ilonggo comes out of my mouth before English and I have to think harder to speak English.. I know is that the Lord has really worked miracles in my life as a missionary. I never thought that I’d learn the language. I never thought that I’d adjust to the way things run here. I never thought that things here would turn into “normal” for me… but of course I was proved wrong. But it didn’t happen until my doubts turned into faith. Faith brings miracles!! I’ve learned more about Faith than anything here on my mission. For example, I have learned not just to have faith in the Lord for my own life, challenges, problems and weaknesses… but for my companions.. for the people that we are teaching… for the recent converts here… for the less actives here… for the ward… for all things that are unfair that I see here… FOR EVERYTHING!
Sometimes it’s through the challenges of missionary work that I see a small part of Heavenly Father’s timing and plan for these people and even for me! Through all hard things that we experience I firmly believe that they are “for our good” and there is something to be learned. I'm making it seem like I've been a total rock my entire mission and my entire existence and know how to deal with all challenges and all trials that come my way with grace and unwavering faith... and that is just FALSE! I'm not a Book of Mormon prophet.. haha but I have seen my understanding change and my faith grow here as a missionary. And for that, I am eternally grateful :) But in the same breath abaw I have a looot of room for growth still!
I want to share a cool thing that happened this week. Not going to lie it took me a good chunk of time this morning pondering what I could share in my letter today that isn't all about the negative things that happened this week or about the people that would cause a wayyy too long explanation with too many personal details for it to be plastered on my blog.. so what I remembered (and am glad that I remember this tender mercy- that meant a lot) is about our investigator Sister Lendi.
We met Sister Lendi before Sister Silos got here but she just barely started to come to church and it hasn't been one of those "we met this completely prepared person that is dying to be baptized!!" instead it's been a long and slow process with us really trying to teach Sister Lendi to help her understand and progress towards baptism. Well we've kind of hit the pause button in teaching the normal sequence of lessons and have been reading the Book of Mormon with Lendi and focusing on teaching principles slower and more based on where her questions and doubts lie. In this process we've seen something amazing happen! Sister Lendi has started really reading the Book of Mormon and better understands the importance to truly find out for herself whether the message that we are sharing with her is true or not. That's the challenge for all people that we teach. Not just to sit down and enjoy hearing two young girls speak Hiligaynon and bear testimony about Jesus Christ. It's more than "bible study".. it's acting on the invitation to pray, read, attend church and seek for personal revelation and confirmation that what we share is true. And let me tell you.. when they finally understand this and DO IT 100% of the time they will be baptized and come closer to Jesus Christ. Lendi's starting to understand. She recently had a dream about the Book of Mormon after praying to know whether or not she should be baptized and when we came back (not completely sure what we would share) we started reading where she left off last night in the Book of Mormon. This lead us eventually to 1 Nephi 15:11 :"Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?- If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you." Now this was a powerful answer to Lendi's prayers AND to me and my companion's prayer. Nephi teaches what the Lord has taught us about receiving personal revelation:
1. Don't harden your heart
2. Ask in faith
3. Believe that ye will receive an answer
4. Be DILIGENT in keeping commandments
and SURELY these things shall be made known unto you. I believe in the Lord's promise and in this surety that He answers the prayer of faith. This can be applied to ALL of our lives no matter who we are and what we are asking for from Heavenly Father!
This was a great testimony builder to me and I just had the hugest smile on my face as Lendi read this verse and looked up at me and I just said "He's helping you RIGHT NOW :)". The scriptures answer prayers. Heavenly Father is mindful of our prayers. He will help us know truths for ourselves if we do our part. And the Holy Ghost is the REAL teacher as we feel power in the scriptures based on our personal needs.

I love this work and I love this gospel! AND of course, I love you all :)
Happy Birthday to me this week :) I'm feel'n twenty twooooo!!.. oo-ooh! :)

Sister Judd

Jan18th No more President:((, Elder Bowen- Eternal Families

Hello Family!! I have so much to share with you! I've been praying for you all and thinking about you because I know Kort and Jeremy are visiting Gwen's farewell was today (yesterday for us.. basta) I am so ridiculously excited for Gwen!!!!! Yay for 2 Sister Judds serving!!! :))) More about that next week because she doesn't leave until next week.
So let me first tell you all the big news. And it's not good :(( (and you probably found out already through facebook or something) We got this email this morning:

Dear Bacolod Missionaries,

On Sunday, President and Sister Lopez returned to the United States so President Lopez can receive urgent medical treatment. It is not anticipated that they will be returning to complete their mission.

We ask that you join with the Area Presidency in prayer and faith on their behalf.

Arrangements are being made for a couple to be in Bacolod to lead the great work you are doing. In the interim, Elder Mower who serves in the mission office will be able to respond to your immediate needs.

Sincerely,

Philippines Area Presidency

Our lives are just a little crushed. Oh how President Lopez will be missed!! We obviously don't know any other details. Yes Sister Silos and I both cried a little. haha I can't explain how much I love President and Sister Lopez. I'll never forget the way I felt and when President Ardern (of the Area President) said that we as missionaries must have done something in the premortal life to serve under President Lopez. What a statement. I know that President Lopez was and is called of God to guide this work here in the Bacolod Philippines Mission. I don't want to accept that there will be no more mind blowing trainings and humorous jokes from this "little-man genius" that we like to refer to him as sometimes as missionaries :) But seriously I'm so sad. Maybe he can train us over skype in the middle of the night there in America until July (when he's supposed to end his term). I don't know. But we sure are praying for him and his wife for whatever they are facing right now! I LOVE THEM SO SO MUCH!!!!!!! They will seriously be missed.
KAAAAAAAG ano pa. I GOT MY PACKAGE THIS WEEK!!!!!!! It's sooooo awesommmmmeee. The letters were the best part!! I was so happy to read those letters and got such a kick out of the letters from the Shurtleff kids and Hebey. I will eat the MacnCheese every day until it runs out and for dessert.. granola bars. I'm in heaven!!! Thank you thank youuuuu!!
This week our recent convert "Lola" (grandma) worked with us! Let me remind you all that she is 85 years old. Seriously she's the best. EVER. They feed us dinner at least a couple times a week too. It will be extremely hard to say goodbye to them when the time comes.
Oh well we basically had General Conference yesterday and Saturday. Elder Bowen of the Seventy (also a member of the Philippines Area Presidency) came to the Bago Stake and we were so blessed to receive trainings from him. And OH BOY WAS IT A TREAT!! Let me tell ya. It was amazing!!!!!! I really feel like I was attending General Conference.. in a some ways. haha Let me share with you a fraction of the things that I learned!
1. I was touched by what he shared that President Eyring said to him when Elder Bowen was called to his calling as a member of the Area Presidency by President Eyring. He said that President Eyring told him with tears in his eyes: "You will love the Filipino people. They are the most kind, generous, faithful people that I have ever served with." Well I can add my witness to President Eyrings! 

2. Elder Bowen encouraged our prayers (as members) to change from not only "please bless the missionaries that they may find the honest in heart".. to... "please bless me to help my friends and family to accept the gospel and return to church."
3. Do we realize how special we are to know what we know from the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ??
4. The Holy Ghost instructs, edifies and sanctifies to help us become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We have to become like them to be able to live with them.
5. Elder Bowen shares a story about a friend in their ward that was a less active member and their family started inviting this family to their home for Family Home Evening. Overtime, they returned to activity in the church and one day Elder Bowen asked his friend why they are not sealed in the temple. His friend said that they cannot pay tithing. Elder Bowen bore his testimony to his friend that a mere 10% temporal sacrifice is nothing compared to the blessings of having an eternal family. After some time, his friend called him and said that they worked things out and will be sealed as a family. Elder Bowen and his wife were blessed to be there. [It was so touching as Elder Bowen shared this experience...]. Now fast forward years and years, Sister Jones gave "still birth" to twin boys. Elder Bowen comforted his friend telling him "you have not lost your boys" because of the temple blessings. Now fast forward again.. [Elder Bowen shared this small part of the story in the October 2012 General Conference. I remember this talk and I even went back and found it and reread it. Way good.] 8 month old Tyson Bowen aspirated a piece of chalk and passed away. Well Bro. Jones was the first phone call Elder Bowen received.. now it was his friend's turn to comfort him. Elder Bowen shared his testimony of the blessings of the temple and of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will all live again and these angel little children around the world that are taken from families can be and will be reunited with their families for time and all eternity through the blessings of the temple. Now the Jones family is serving in the Philippines and one of their sons also served in the Philippines.. that son was just sealed in the temple to his new wife (the same temple where his family was sealed) by Elder Bowen. Everyone was in tears as this story was told by such a tenderhearted man.

I learned SO much from Elder Bowen and wish that I could share it all. It was cool to get the more detailed version of this General Conference talk given in 2012. I hope in SOME way you all too were touched by this very personal story retold by Elder Bowen to us. I am so eternally grateful for eternal families. I can't wait to have an eternal family of my own. I know that temple blessings are real and only possible through the priesthood of God that has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I love you all SO SO SO much! have a great week!!
Sister Judd

Jan 11th. Preparing Their Hearts, Blown Away By Their Faith!

Hello Family! So I don't have a lot to write this week but let me tell you about the baptism that we had yesterday!
Sister Joeralyn is so awesome!! She is 14 years old but you wouldn't believe it after seeing her picture.. she is a huge athlete and actually goes is this cool highschool here just for athletes (she is a jumper in track) and she has been taught by missionaries for a while now. Her parents are super awesome but have not yet come to church (her mom came to the Christmas party though) and we're working with her dad as well. 2 of Joeralyn's siblings are members but they now have families of their own and one of them (her brother) actually just passed away suddenly. He is the oldest of their siblings and it has been really tragic for their family. Sister Joeralyn's mom is very supportive of Joeralyn being baptized and becuase of her son that just passed away (that is a member) she shared that she knows that he would want all of them to get baptized.. so even though it is so sad what they are going through I know that this is one way that Heavenly Father is preparing their hearts. At her baptism, Sister Joerlalyn's testimony was so sweet how her greatest desire is for her to someday have her family join her for them all to some day be converted. She wants to serve a mission (and wishes she didn't have to wait years haha) and is excited about someday going to the temple!! I'm so grateful that I have met these faithful people in Cabanbanan and am so inspired by their conversion stories!! For example, one of our investigators from Cabanbanan.. his name is Brother Andrew. He's 16 years old and he has such great faith! Yesterday he walked ALL BY HIMSELF the entire way to church. He had no money and even though he is SO shy he didn't use the excuse that others use "I had no one to go with me" or "I had no money". There's no excuse for Andrew. Sister Silos and I were a little bit blown away by Brother Andrew's faith yesterday. Sometimes it's a wake up call to us as missionaries.. "Look at his faith! Let's do more and even more to help him continue to grow in his faith!" Brother Andrew's potential is so great.
We also have another investigator (also from Cabanbanan) and she keeps giving away the Books of Mormon that we give her!! It's so awesome! So many of the people that she or her husband knows are curious about the "mormon missionaries" visiting them and sayang not all of them live in our area.. but it's so awesome that so many other people will meet missionaries and find out about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ through the best witness that there is.. The Book of Mormon :)

PS. On Christmas our mission had a total of 205 baptisms! In one day! Christmas miracle indeed.. or 205 miracles. :)
PPS. I sent a picture.. I got gma's package :) All the other packages are stuck in Manila! We're all still [im]patiently waiting for them to arrive and get to us! :) Maybe right in time for my birthday :)
PPPS. They eat this snake/eel type thing from the rivers here.. I can't wait to try it next time they go and catch a bunch of them again. It's kind of hard to catch them I guess and they also bite so it's not fun but it was not the first time I saw people gutting snakes to eat for dinner...

Instead of ending on a note about snakes.. I will add that being a missionary is such great opportunity with such a great responsibility! Sometimes Heavenly Father reminds me of this responsibility by putting along our path people that are so so interested and willing to hear about the message that we have to share! For example just as simple as a tricycle driver that we see at least a couple times a week and we often pay him to take us to Cabanbanan.. well this week he asked if there is a fine to go to our church.. we surprisingly told him no and that any one is invited and he asked what time and was disappointed that this Sunday he has work but is planning to come "observe our church" this next week! Why didn't I invite him to church these past 3 months? That's what I mean. There are people all around us looking for the truth or willing to learn about what we believe.. let's just be more diligent in taking every opportunity to share the gospel! This is one goal of mine before I go home- talking to EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE about this good news- The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ :)

I know that this church is true and that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us so much!!!!
I also love you all SOO much!! Have a great week!! Gwen... it's coming so quick!!! :)))))))

Sister Judd 

New Years- Take His Hand & Baptism ni Lola Deling

Hello Hello family dear!
So what a week! Now that I'm sitting here it kinda feels like a blur. We've been so busy and it makes the weeks feel like days and the days feel like weeks. Oh ya it was New Years this week. Well the people just continue cooking from Christmas and just don't stop! So much food! Thankfully there is a family here in the ward that graciously fed us :) Oh speaking of which the people are SO hospitable!! They felt so bad that News Years morning (the people of Cabanbanan) that there was nothing left of their "feast" last night so they gave us the only food they had.. bread which they buried in mayonnaise (they loooove mayo here) and warm, flat coke. They can't stand to NOT feed their guests- especially on a holiday! Another house gave us cold spaghetti at 9:30 in the morning (we proselyted in the morning for the first time ever) and this delicious frozen salad thing that is my favorite here. That's something that I just adore about these people is how kind and giving they are!!! Sometimes no matter how much you don't want their food you don't even think about turning it down because they're so happy to GIVE!
I actually lost my voice this week and no matter what I couldn't convince the people that it was NOT because I stayed up late on new years and sang karaoke ("the ancient chinese art of ka-reoke") like all the other people.. I've never lost my voice before so it was a weird experience for me.. Sister Silos kind of had to take the reigns and even though I sounded horrible I felt okay so we just kept being busy and I realized how hard it is to be a missionary without a voice. haha
But even with no voice we had a wonderful baptism on New Years day! Lola Deling :) (lola means grandma). Sister Candilaria is her real name and she is 85 years old! She is just my absolute favorite!! Oh how I wish I could just pack her in my suitcase when I come home and we could just adopt her as a 3rd grandma :) It was a special baptism. Her grandson Brother Junide baptized her. He has been a member for a little over a year now and it was his fist experience to baptize someone. He is preparing to serve a mission and WAIT you all met him! haha He was at the computer shop when I skyped you all on Christmas! Ya so that's him. Well Lola's testimony was so sweet. She shared how happy she is that her grandson (that she raised as her own) met "that tall, skinny american" and was baptized and she's really seen the change in him and that's what gave her the desire to take the missionaries more seriously. She also shared how supporting Junide with his desire to serve a mission used to be difficult but now that she has come to know that this church is true, her idea about missionaries has changed and she loves the gospel. She's such a rock! She used to be SO active in the Catholic church (she was a teacher for the Catholic church for sooo long) and she's come a long way as we've taught her. She has chewed tabacco her entire life (since she was 8) (no wonder why she has no teeth) hehe:) and has been drinking coffee since she was a toddler (that's normal here). She is raising 3 more of her grandchildren (ages 9, 7 and 5) by herself (with Junide's help) and they really live in humble circumstances. Brother Junide is so pisan nga magwork sa amon (always works with us!) and we've just grown so close to their little family I just love Lola so much!!
One of the miracles from this week was finding a new family!! They are from Cabanbanan and they just came back from Ilo-Ilo. We found out that Brother Sanchez (the father) was baptized in Manila years ago and though he is less active now he was ridiculously pumped to see missionaries in his home village of Cabanbanan and automatically his wife and 3 children (above 8) and the baby were all equally excited as well!! They all want to be baptized and Brother Sanchez (he didn't have the money to send his entire family) so he sent his 2 oldest children (age 14 and 13) to church and is so excited for them to be baptized. It is really a tender mercy to meet this golden family that has full 100% support from the father of the family. This is the first time I've ever seen this! I'm so excited to see brother make the changes that he needs to make in his life to return to activity in the church and bring his family into the waters of baptism! Someday.. they will be sealed in the temple :)
Another tender mercy from this week is the FIRST return missionary from Calumangan just got home from her mission this week! The members are so inspired by her and I know that she will be just what this ward needs to step it up and make 2015 a "changing" year for this area. No pressure for her or anything:) But really, she's awesome and like a legend here.
This change in the year is exciting and the message that I want to leave with all of you to help us this new year is something that I found in my studies. Mormon 5:23 "In The Hands of God" - Elder W. Craig Zwick
"Everyone one of us needs to know that we can go on in the strength of the Lord. We can put our hand in His, and we will feel His sustaining presence lift us to heights unattainable alone. How do we learn to extend our hand and connect to the comfort provided by the Lord?... learn, listen, seek the spirit and pray always. The Lord will provide sustenance and support if we are willing to open the door to receive His hand of divine assistance. Imagine the wounds in His hands. His weathered hands, yes, even His hands of torn flesh and physical sacrifice, give our own hands greater power and direction. It is the wounded Christ who leads us through our moments of difficulty. It is He who bears us up when we need more air to breathe or direction to follow or even more courage to continue. If we will keep the commandments of God and walk hand in hand with Him in His paths, we will go forward with faith and never feel alone".
With our many desires and goals this New Years- let us not forget to take the extended hand of the Lord into our own and rely on Him. We cannot fail if we do this :) I love the Savior our Redeemer! He is so willing to guide us, lift us and comfort us if we simply turn to Him and SEEK. I am so grateful to be a part of HIS work here in the Philippines. And I know and receive comfort each day knowing that He is also protecting, helping and guiding you all at home. Love you all so so very much!!!
Happy Belated New Year :)
Sister Judd

Dec. 28 Christmas Baptism! & Noche Buena

Hello Family!! This week has been great! People are on vacation (no school and some no work) so we've been able to teach a lot this week! We even worked on Christmas! While the ward was having their Christmas party at the church we went out in the rain and found some members that were too shy to go to the party and taught them and then brought them to the church and then went around wishing a lot of people Merry Christmas. haha It wasn't ideal but President really pushes us to work no matter what- even Christmas :)
I wish I had miracle stories to share from this Christmas but it was a pretty normal week this week!!
If your interested to know how the people here celebrate Christmas it's ALL ABOUT FOOD! Pork is a luxury, lots and lots and lots of chickens are killed and cooked up and they make this ridiculously yummy (and so bad for you) "fruit" salad. haha it's my absolute favorite! So the people cook all day Christmas Eve until midnight Christmas Eve and then right at midnight it's feast time! No one sleeps. They call it "noche buena". Then Christmas is all about party, family, food, kareoke, and allllooootttt of drinking. We were given a roasted chicken from the relief society president in the ward and I feel like it's Thanksgiving eating it plain out of the fridge the last couple of days. YUM! That's been a tender mercy for me :)
Oh! I guess I can inform everyone that I was able to skype my family on Christmas and it was such a special experience for me!!! My brothers are ginormous I wanted to die when I saw them.. and it was very special to say goodbye to GwenElise who will leave in a couple of week on her mission! The next time we will be able to skype is Christmas 2015! I am so extremely excited for her to experience being a full-time missionary and that she will serve in New Zealand! But of course I will miss her so so much!! Love ya GwenElise!! It was so great to talk to my family and answer some of their questions like what "a normal day" as a missionary is like, to share with them a letter from one of my recent converts, to tell them about the amazing people here from Cabanbanan, and to pray with them in Hiligaynon. I was so touched and overwhelmed with love and gratitude as a was praying I was trying to keep myself together but couldn't keep myself from crying. I was worried that because I was crying they wouldn't be able to understand what I was praying for but then they reminded me that they couldn't understand me anyways- they only caught the word "missionary". haha But I am seriously so blessed with such a supportive family. I felt overwhelmed with love as I was skyping them! Hence the waterfall tears. haha Mother's Day again :)
So our Christmas Baptism was great!!! (with a lot of bloopers that I think I will just wait until I get home to tell you about. just remind me :) haha)
So Brother JollyBen (yes that's his real name) is 20 years old and is on fire! He's so talkative it's so awesome. He LOVES coming to church. And he can't really read (he only went to school until 3rd grade) but his testimony is so strong! He's been taught by missionaries for about 4 months now. He is the oldest in his family and all of them have stopped going to school after about 3rd grade because they live so far away from schools and really struggle financially. Brother JollyBen is such a hard worker and for years now has helped support his family and younger siblings. He's such a rock!
Brother Sanny and Brother Charly are brothers! Their mom was the first convert from Cabanbanan. They are cousins to Brother JollyBen. Brother Sanny (26) and Brother Charly (18) have come a really really long way struggling with word of wisdom (cigarettes) but the long wait and struggle has been well worth it! They are both working also in the rice fields to support their family and make huge sacrifices to come to church on Sunday. Brother Charly also has a huge group of friends that we are also working with trying to teach step-by-step but I really think that Brother Charly is the beginning of a long chain of converts from Cabanbanan! Brother Sanny wants to serve a mission but he is over the age limit.. he will be a great leader!
Sister Angelica is the niece of Brother Sanny and Brother Charly. She is actually legally adopted by her grandparents though. She is 9 years old and hasn't had very much schooling. We're trying to teach her how to read. She has many friends at church and loves primary!!

So I feel like I've literally squeezed my brain right now and have told you all that I can think of to tell you all :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! Mom and dad don't worry about us this New Year, we have to be home by 6pm on the 31st and 1st because it's a "zombie town" of drunks here and President is worried about "flying stray bullets". Sounds like I'll finally be able to get caught up on my journal this week with the "free time" at home this New Years! Stay safe everyone!! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Sister Judd