I love my companion and I love my mission

Hello All!!!

Well another week in the books! Gotta cut right to the chase!

This week was crazyyy! And amazing at the same time. My new comp as I told you last week is Elder Morgan. We met each other in the MTC and became really good friends. He is such a good missionary and am truly beginning to love him soo much. We both have been out 7 weeks! It's crazy. We're "follow up training" each other. He's from Oklahoma, and went to OU, and then BYU for a year. He's 20, which means he's a lot more mature than me. hahaha...I came to his area here in West Lake Village. It's absolutely beautiful here and it's more inland so it's farther from the ocean but it's still awesome. The people here are very similar to SLO. There are actually a lot of Jews here in West lake. Oh, and by the way these people here are filthy RICH!! Like millionaires, and BILLIONAIRES. Some of the most crazy stuff. 

Back to the work. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways, and bestows power to those who He can simply trust. Elder Morgan and I are having so much fun...like I didn't think it was allowed to have as much fun as we do. But the best part is, is that it comes from being obedient. To the mission rules, and to the Lord. We both still kinda don't know what we're doing. (No missionaries ever do) so our motto is just to work hard, be obedient, and go by the spirit. We are both imperfect missionaries who are not perfect teachers. But all we strive to do everyday is to put forth our perfect effort. 

WE ARE HERE TO HARVEST: Our first week together we taught  a lady name Tida who is the sweetest lady ever. Her husband was a member who passed away not to long ago. Very sad, but she keeps on telling us that she thinks her husband is trying to speak to her to tell her to join the church. Which is true, and more than possible. We taught her the Restoration, and invited her to be baptized on October 15th and she accepted! WE WERE SO HAPPY! After we got home from the lesson we fell to our knees to offer up a much needed "gratitude prayer"...(we offer a lot of those)

How many gratitude prayers do you offer up each day? It's pretty self explanatory. I ask you to pray for Tida every day. October 15th will come quickly and we can't wait!! 

THAT'S NOT ALL: 2 weeks before I was transferred Elder Hales and Elder Morgan set a date with a lady who is very similar to Tida! Her name is Eva Key…she's Hispanic, and is wonderful. I am truly coming to love these 2 woman so much. As I teach them, serve them, and pray for them each day. I am so blessed to be put here in Westlake with Elder Morgan. We are 2 very similar people, who have truly grown to become the best of friends. We have a desire to find the elect, which is exactly what we do. As you strive to love the lord, and be obedient, you can never be too confident, or too bold.

We are so grateful for this chance we have to serve together. And KNOW that it is not by accident at all. The Lord needed work done in this part of the vineyard that could only be done by a Morgan and a Judd. 

I am coming to love my Savior, Jesus Christ more and more everyday. I know I say this every week, but that's because it is true. This morning a I studied a little in 3 Nephi 17...I invite you all to do the same. Here it shows the divine nature, and perfection of Jesus Christ. The Nephites beg for him to stay, simply because He is who He is, and he brings the spirit that He does. PLEASE READ THAT CHAPTER.

I love being a missionary more than anything in the whole world. There's not a harder thing I have done in my life, and at the same time there is nothing I have ever done in my life that has brought more satisfaction than preparing the world for the second coming of Jesus Christ. I love you all, and pray that you all will come to love your Savior, Jesus Christ more than ANYONE, or ANYTHING.

Endure.

3 Nephi 17: 15 

Love, Elder Judd

The mother of the elder in the middle posted this picture on facebook.  They live in the ward where Elder Judd is currently serving, and her son is entering the MTC this Wednesday.

Transferred and Training

Hola Amigos!!!

Week 6 went by SUPA fast! It's crazy that transfers are here...SURPRISE! I am getting transferred to West Lake Village! That's right next to Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks. It's all the way at the bottom of the mission . Apparently it's crazy wealthy. Which is crazy. Like really really wealthy. I've been talking to a lot of missionaries, and I guess that Sylvester Stallone, Will Smith, and the Kardashians live in my area! That's crazy. But I have heard about how awesome the ward is and I can’t wait.

I am very excited! My new Comp is Elder Morgan!  We are follow-up training each other! That means we both have been out 6 weeks, and President is putting us together!  I’m a little Nervous, but sooo excited!!!  I am so excited to be with Elder Morgan! I know we will do awesome together. We met each other in the MTC and became really good friends are were praying that we would be comps! 2nd mont in…look what happened!!  Another prayer answered!

I love being a missionary! Simply because of the spirit it can bring tp one’s life. We are all disciples! That means we have a life long devotion to our savior Jesus Christ. I invite you all to invite and share the Gospel with others. And pay attention to how you feel when, and after you do. You are acting as He would act, and saying what He would say. That is how you can test and measure your relationship with your Savior. It’s simply if you have a desire to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others...And you DO!

I loved that package so much!  Tell the fam I love them, and please tell Spence and Tay to email me??!!

Love you all, praying for you all.

Endure Always

Love, Elder Judd

Still SLO in the SLO

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Elder Judd here!

Hope ya'lls week was great! The work here in SLO was "SLO" once again. haha...

It's crazy to think I've been in the field for almost 6 weeks! It's crazy to think this is almost the end of my first transfer! Elder Christenson does not think we will be together because this next transfer would be his 3rd transfer here. Not gonna lie, the people of SLO California are really growing on me. My love for every person here grows each day as I strive my best to serve them day in and day out . 

SLO is soooo weird. It is definitely not Utah! Their are so many homeless people here it crazy. Everyday we have some of the funniest/strangest/scariest interactions!  We also had an encounter with a JW.  One word....craaaaazzzzzzaaaaaayyyyyy

Had some disappointing news this week...So remember Angela and her family from last week? We actually met with her this week and taught her the Restoration. The spirit was strong, and then her phone rang. She answered it and said it was an emergency and she had to go. So that made me a little bummed. After she left we got a really long text from her saying that she couldn’t meet with us anymore. Her husband does not like us, and hates it when any of his family talks about God. It's so sad. She had a miscarriage a couple of weeks ago right before we met. As we were teaching we centered all we said on the family. She got emotional, and the Spirit began to work. She was happy and relieved to hear what we had to say about eternal families. We just didn't quite get to the part of what her role is, and how to make that a reality. Then the phone rang, and we left. And then got the text. She's been married twice, and has two boys. She said her husband and the 13 year old boy do not get along. She told us that he goes to a class once a week to help with post traumatic stress. So that made us even more sad. Please keep Angela and her family in your prayers. And that her husband will have a change of heart.  

The Lord works in mysterious ways. It’s crazy to see all the different ways he works! So many tender mercies, and miracles that keep us going everyday. I love being a missionary, and love serving my Savior.  Sunday was great, and we had the wonderful opportunity to fast! We both bore our testimonies on member missionary work, and it was AWESOME!  

EVERY little thing you have in your life, including the Gospel of Jesus Christ, was given to you by God. He asks in return that you share it. 

I ask you to share it. One's true test of their own Personal Conversion, is based on their desire to share the Gospel of Jesus of Christ with others. 

The Lord CAN guide our footsteps. But only if we are moving.

I love you all, and am praying for you. Remember who you are.  I know Joseph Smith saw God the Father, and his beloved son Jesus Christ. Our unique message to the world is that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ restored this church through a boy.  Joseph also received Priesthood power, that same Priesthood power Christ used to do what He did.

The church is true.

Love, Elder Judd

A letter from Benji's companion