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