December 6, 2010

The Best Two Years,

Yes i can honestly say in my heart that this has been the best two years of my life. I have learned more here then i could have ever hoped to have learned in my life and i know i will just continue to learn more and more. The greatest lesson i have learned has been within this my last area cocoa. I have learned what the meaning of love is and have seen how it really changes people. Sure i was always taught this before by my parents but as we all can relate with the real teaching comes through the experience just as a testimony is not gained on the knees praying for it but in the bearing of it.

Well just to recap you all on the wonderful week of miracles we have had we will start with Vernon Christine Ronny and Tanya. They are all very neat and have come a long ways. This week we've been working a lot with them and Ronny and Tanya will be getting baptized this Saturday and boy are we excited for them. It's really neat because of some of the circumstances that they have, they have really stregnthened my testimony of the gospel and how god is no respecter of persons. Ronny has beeen listening a lot to the Book of Mormon on tape and you can see him just filled with the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Just as Christ said to Peter upon this rock i shall build my church the rock of revelation. For the spirit has witnessed to Ronny and Tanya of the truth, and they really have a sincere desire to enter into the waters of baptism and become clean. How great to know that it is not the doctrine of the church that converts someone but the spirit of Christ. This gives me so much hope for any sincere seeker of the truth for they will know by the power of the Holy Ghost the truthfulness of these things.

Our other miracle this week was logan Fabien. Logan is ten years old and his mother has been inactive from church for several years but now has the desire to get active. She was the one who had called us and we had ran over to and told us she wanted her son taught. Well when we went over not just did she have a desire for her son to learn but he had a sincere desire to learn himself. Logan is amazing and came to church yesterday and will be baptized Janruary first which is the day we set with him. I've trully come to know that this is the work of the Lord and he's preparing people everywhere to accept his gospel especially at this Christmas time. How grateful i am to be his servant and to see all of the miracles i have seen, i considered myself so blessed.

Thankyou all for the support you have given me and my family for the last two years. This has all meant the world to me I know this is the work of the Lord. I know this is the lord's kingdom on the earth today restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know the Book of Mormon is true and i know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Christ the Savior of the world. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Forever Love Elder Judd

November 29, 2010

Dear Family,

Well this week has been a good one but we've been tried really hard and i'm afraid at some points we gave up a little but i guess that we have learned a lot Humility over the last week. We are trying to get ourselves refocused because we have a lot of people to work with. Just this week we set a baptism date for Ronnie Harville and we are so excited for him. He has been listening to the Book of Mormon on tape and one day he was like prophecying to us and you could really see how the spirit had come into his life. And then he started talking about all the ways the Lord had blessed him and it was just so great to see his enthusiasm. So we wasted no time in inviting him to follow the example of Christ and be baptized.

We also had another cool experience this week where we went to an appointment we had in Titusville and of course we had a no show, not to surprising. So we went to our back plans and started finding in the apartment complex and after about twenty minutes from across the parking lot we heard someone yell missionaries. So of course we immediately stopped what we were doing and ran over to Shanna. Shanna is a less active member who was seeking to get back into the church. We didn't have any records of her in the ward so we didn't even know about her. She told us also that she has a ten year old son who has questions and she would really like us to teach him. So crazy but i love it i love the way the lord works cause he works in mysterious ways. Well don't have too much more to write so till next week and my last email good bye.

Love Elder Judd

November 22, 2010

Mixed Emotions,

Yeah that's right all this week and transfer have been mixed emotions about coming home and staying focused. I won't lie it has been real tough. I love my mission so much and i have really met some great people out here that i will remember the rest of my life. Than i also know there are things that i need to do outside the mission now but i really don't want to.

Anyways away from the junk and into the goods. This week was tough for us and truly we had our dissapointments but we know the lord is sustaining us. We had 0 investigators at church this week which is very uncommon for us in this area. We have not had a Sunday where we have not had someone at church since i've been here but i guess this is the way the lord is humbling us and making us turn to him.

Well we sure are. Just this sunday on the other side of things Brother Bullock who just got baptized recieved the priesthood that was so great. He is also doing a very good job at being a member missionary, they have already been bringing some of their friends to church who we will be teachin here soon. We went over to his house this last week and the spirit that is there is just so great and his understanding has just began to soar.

My companion and myself have been working really hard, and know that we still have a lot of Room to improve. Hopefully i'll have a lot more to write next week but untill next time see ya.

Love Elder Judd

November 15, 2010

Hello everybody,

It seems so boring to title each email the very same so i try to switch it up every time. I don't even know why i felt like i should say that i just really feel like being random today i guess. Well we have had a good week with its ups and downs but when you are grateful for everything you are givin the ups always outweigh the downs adn that is the same case here.

Downs of the week:

Eduardo called us Thursday and told us he's had a mighty change of heart and he doesn't want to be baptized on Saturday. We believe it has something to do with his ex girlfriend Spring who's a less active member of the chruch.

We dropped Brother Seawright because he just doesn't have the desire at this time to know if the things we are teaching and the church are really true.

Finding people seemed so overwhelming and our nightly planning has been really tough in deciding what to do. Cause i can plan out a day easily with effective things to do but it just seemed extremely hard.

Ups of the week

Vernon Quit drinking and has been off alcohol for three full days now

Christine is really trying hard to quit herself and we also are figuring things out with her.

Brother Bullock was confirmed and brought Two of his friends who have been to church already to church again with him this week.

Brother Wiscombe a less active member came to church this week after not setting a foot in the building for a year and he brought his girlfriend who wants to learn more about the church and they asked us to come over this week.

Theresa Beaughs mom and dad have both been baptized in Louisianna

WE found eight new investigators this week

I really like my companion a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and any one who has served a mission before will completely know exactly what i'm talking about.

Well that's what is happening here in the beachs of Florida just a lot of fun. Vernon also has a baptismal date for this week so we'll see what happens the lord is really working miracles here it is so sweet.

Love Elder Judd

November 8, 2010

Hello Everyone,

How's everyone doing we are just having a wonderful time here in Cocoa. My new companion Elder Mangelson is so great, he's from Sandy Utah and he's just fresh out of the Mtc. You should have seen him here in Florida his first day. He was completely shell shocked, he's never been outside of Utah. However the next day he completely broke that shell and just jumped right into the work. He really is the best teacher that i have every been with and i'm very lucky to have him. He's very humble and sudmissive and is trying very hard to learn how to do the work so he'll be very teachable.

This week we've really got out to work and have done a good bit of tracting. And our weekly numbers show the work that we have put into it. This week for Eduardo was really hard and we appreciate the prayers that yall have prayed for him because there have been times when he has really needed it. This week he completely broke his tie to the less active which really needed to happen. I'm so glad that he had the stregnth to do that. His testimony is a testimony to me and shows how important the gospel is that he would give up such a relationship for it. I know he's happy with the descion he has made and we are extremely proud of him. At church on Sunday he really had just the biggest smile on his face and i know that he was really sincere. Later that evening we went to a members home and watched the testaments with him and really just enjoyed his company.

Well as for brother bullock we've got some bad news, he bailed right before his baptism on Sunday. That day he even came to church and callled him right before the baptism however i guess from what the members told he had talked to his parents that same day and they told him they would disown him if he joined. It's really sad to see but we can't do anything about their agency. Well if you fell for that one hahahahahahahahaha, brother bullock was baptized on Sunday and it was the greatest thing in the world. HEs such a champ and i'll post a couple of pictures to show him and the family they really are great.

Well we have also beeen teaching Theresa beaughs husband Joe and he came to chruch this Sunday. The Lord is really going to have to help us out there becasue he was really open up to us for whatever reason. But he really is a great guy and with all the miracles that the lord has done in this area getting joe to open up will be almost nothing. I guess just the faith we have in the lord is just been increased so much it's wonderful. Also good news for Thereasa her mother and father both were baptized this week, wow if that doesn't make me feel liked i accomplished something. Her brother also has a baptism date for the sixth of December.

Well last but deffinetly not least is Christine and Vernone Harville they are still coming along slowly but surely and we are really excited to work with them. WE are focusing on the small and simple things, just getting them to read and pray each day because we know that will help them build more faith especially in baptism. We are hoping to set a date with them for the 20th of November. I know they can do it i just pray they will go through with it and that they will keep their commitments because that will be the deciding factor in their lives. THey are great they are wonderful and i have really grown to love them.

love Elder Judd

November 1, 2010

Dear family,

Wow what a week. Well we had some great things happen this week and some saddening experiences to. Elder Jensen is being transferred this week and i will really miss him because we really did make such a great team. We taught very well together and complimented each other very well i will greatly miss him.

Eduardo's baptism has been moved back to this weekend. He's struggling a little bit with one of the commandments but we have a lot of faith in him and you could really see how much godly sorrow he had. We just visited one of our member families who bought him a quad but are planning on giving it to him at his baptism we are really so excited for him.

Now for the great news. Brother bullock set his own date this week for the seventh of november. Yes for those who are thinking about it that is this Sunday we are so excited for him. The only concerns he really has right now are his family they are really causing a lot of problems for him right now. He told us that he wasn't even going to tell them that he's getting baptized because of all of the crap that he's dealing with right now. We are really praying for him and for his family to soften their hearts so that this miracle can take place. Miranda his wife is so excited for him and has been waiting a very long time for this baptism.

Well that's the work i'll send a couple of pictures so you can see our halloween party. Check out our ties.

love Elder Judd

October 25, 2010

Well everyone,

How's it going, i would first like to thank you all for your prayers on our behalf the blessings have been flowing into this area and really has lifted us to another level. This week Wanda Derosa and Violet Harville both were baptized and it really was a great week. We also have Eduardo Sultan for this coming week and Vernon and his brother Ronnie Harville for the week after that so the work is really flowing now.

Cool experience to is that Brother bullock accepted the invitation to be baptized he just hasn't committed to the day yet but i don't have a doubt he will. It's either going to be the sixth of november or the twentyth of november, what a great birthday month you have to admit.

Well i'm exteremly tired because we went golfing today and just finished 18 holes so i really don't feel like writing a whole lot more.

love Elder Judd