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!!!!
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