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
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
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.
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
Happy Birthday to me this week :) I'm feel'n twenty twooooo!!.. oo-ooh! :)
Sister Judd
Sunday, February 1, 2015
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:
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!
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
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...
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
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