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
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
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