Hello again!!
OH MY GOSH!! Week one is in the books! I don't know where to start. I got to Ventura on Monday, and stayed at the mission home. Monday night me, and 3 other Elders slept at a members home in Ventura! They were so kind and we loved them so much! Tuesday I met my Comp! His name is Elder Christenson. He's from Salt Lake! He is the best trainer in the World. Tuesday afternoon when we were all done we drove to our first area! Which is in San Luis Obispo! (SLO) It's so beautiful here. It's more in the hilly parts of CA but is still really close to the Ocean! It's about 3 hours from Ventura. My whole mission is HUGE! And we're at the very top of it. We got to our Residence around 6 pm. Dropped off my stuff and ran and got the things I needed for that week. Like groceries and such. Then right after that we got right to work! I love being a missionary! The first day was but of a shock, but as the week went one it began to feel more and more like home. The people here in SLO are awesome! And I am really growing to love them more and more everyday as I strive to serve them more and more every day.
At the same time their are a lot of interesting people in SLO. For example...Wednesday afternoon (my first full day in the mission) we went to visit this potential names Allix. It's one of my first days so Elder Christensen was kinda showing me the ropes. Anyways we walk up to this door, and my comp knocks...no answer. After waiting about 30 seconds I then step up (thinking they will answer to me) I knock, and immediately after I'm done the door swings open with this woman standing their...Completely topless. Absolutely NOTHING on her top half! I was dead silent with my eyes shooting straight into hers. She then asked..."Can I help you?" I can't even remember what I said because, well ya know I was still in shock. Turns out it wasn't even Allix it was her roommate. That is just one of many weird things that happened this week.
Time is running short cause I'm a slow typer..I love every part of being a missionary. After searching, and searching, door slam, after door slam. We did find an elect. We simply were let in my a man named Joe. We taught Joe the Restoration, and the spirit was so strong. We could see the wheels turning in his head which is good. Which meant the spirit was working on him. More importantly Joe was LETTING the spirit work on him. This was simply a miracle passed down from the hand of God. Joe's wife had just birthed a new baby boy at the Hospital just 24 hours earlier. He has a 6 year old son as well. Long story short, we invited Joe to be baptized and he accepted! We are aiming for early/mid September.
Our purpose as missionaries are to invite and help ALL to come unto Christ. Through, Faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. How dare we not invite everyone we meet as missionaries to be baptized. And that is exactly what I do. They never let us come in, but for some reason we will stand on someone's porch for 45 minutes and they will simply just open up their deepest, and darkest secrets of their past. And then we simply bear testimony, as we feel prompted by the spirit to do so, then we invite them do be baptized. I can't tell you how many times we do that! AND!!!!! We have never gotten a no. It's always a "Yes"...or " IF I KNEW IT WAS TRUE." Then when we are done, we simply ask if we can come in and share a 15 minute message with them and they say "no."
Here are two very young teenagers who think they know a whole lot about life, going around asking people to let them into their homes and promise that they wont take longer than 15 minutes. And if you let it, this message will change your life. It contains EVERY answer you are looking for. And you accept the invitation to enter into that saving ordinance, and everlasting covenant. But you still don't want it.
We as latter day saints hold the greatest secret in the world. Which how to be happy. How dare you not share it? Sure it's scary. Sure you might be judged. Sure you might be spit upon. Sure you might be called a hiss and a bye word. But at that very moment. in the words of Elder Holland..."You are walking shoulder to shoulder with the most perfect life this world had ever seen. The most perfect missionary." Jesus Christ.
I love being a missionary. I am learning so much every second of every day. I am learning more, and more about my savior each day. He's my friend. I love him, and that love will only continue to grow as I do what I am doing every day.
Serving a mission is the hardest think I ever loved. I am working hard, and loving it. I have been set apart as a representative of the great mediator. And with that comes a required higher way of living. And in return, abilities indescribable. I love these people, I love the work, and I love my companion.
My gait is quick - my pace is fast - My goal is Heaven
Jeremiah 31:3
Love, Elder Judd
Elder Judd and his trainer, Elder Christensen
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