Hello Family!! What a great week! I'm exhausted- and that's a good thing- missionaries should be SO WORN OUT! Let me tell you all about my new area! CALUMANGAN! It is half city and half bukid (the opposite of city in every way). It's actually surprisingly more bukid than our area in Cadiz! I was really surprised because I though I was going back to the city but not so! We are surrounded by rice fields and lots of sugar cane fields (just like in Cadiz). And we have the ocean still! It's really suuuch a beautiful area!! I have so many pictures I want to send:) As for the work it is really great! I have already grown to love these people here that the missionaries have been teaching sooo much!! One of them is Brother Julie. He is just AH I can't put into words! He is amazing. He is deaf- he cannot hear, he cannot speak (obviously), he cannot read very well, he only understands very little english and doesn't undestand Ilonggo at all. So what are we doing? We're learning American sign language and teaching it to him as well! But basically we just play sharades all day with him! He is the most smiley, joking, happy person I have ever met. We are alllwaaaays having a good time when we're around Brother Julie! He is 22 years old and has come a long way with missionaries in stopping smoking and drinking. I will luckily be here when he is finally baptized! He is so awesome and even though his family is really against him being baptized he is old enough to choose for himself and has finally committed for a day to be baptized!
So the ward here is just a baby. There are a lot of members around 500 I think but only about 60 members on average at sacrament meeting every week. There is no elders quorem and a very very small amount priesthood holders. I was so surprised to come from a branch where the attendance is 150 to a ward only 1/3 of the size. Let me just say that we have A LOT OF WORK to do here in Calumangan!! That's is our purpose though- to help build and strengthen the wards and branches that we are assigned to. The members are really great though. They have a lot of love for the missionaries and I've actually met the bishop and his entire family before when I was in 5th ward! Because one of my recent converts Sister Erika is the daughter-in-law of the Bishop here in Calumangan :) It's really great and I'm really really looking forward to seeing the growth in this area!
OH! And I'm in the same zone as SISTER SNOW!!! YAYYY!!!!!!!! It's the special to see her after so long! We will be able to see each other at least once a month here and I'm just such a happy camper! I've missed her sweet face so much! (companion in the MTC).
Many funny moments this week... the one that sticks out most in my mind is when a little girl asked me "Aswang ka kon gab-i???" ("Are you a witch/devil when it's night-time???) uhhhhhhhhh ouch! hahaha We have an area here where I am the first American that they have ever met. It's really new that missionaries have gone so far into that area (they are really really far away) and the people are awesome. They are so far but they still come to church! They are so receptive and I just love them! The children are scared of me though... (hence the reason why that little girl asked me that...) she was genuinely serious!! I actually have to explain to the people that Americans are also people and that we are the same as them just born somewhere else. It's weird to have a conversation like that yes... I just can't fully explain how weird it is to be an American here... (Sister Manwaring.. Megs.. you understand). But despite the weird attention and awkwardness the work is amazing and the people here are so humble!!
I was so sad to miss the baptism of the 3 young men that Sister Arcinas and I found in Cadiz. The two of them are twins and then their friend was also baptized with them. I will send a picture that I took with them before I was transferred.
Sister Rey is so awesome!! She is so so kind and she has a really good relationship with the members and there are a lot of Single Adults and Youth that love working with us! It's so great! I'm really enjoying this area!
Thank you all for your support and love! I can't believe how close the end of the year is.. Gwen will leave on her mission before we know it. I am so grateful that I have this gospel in my life! I am eternally grateful to have been raised a member of this church and that I am here serving a mission. It's the best decision that I have ever made and I am so looking forward for Gwen to serve and for the 3 boys to follow in the future! Missionary work is amazing and life changing... and tiring.. and life changing! Love you all so much and I hope you don't get sick of me saying these things over and over again every week.. because we still have another 7 months :)
Have an amazing week everyone! And don't forget to read the scriptures!
All my love,
Sister Judd
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