August 20, 2018 - Hardest thing I ever loved to do - Rochester, NY

Hello family, 

Alma 5:7 

"Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God..." 

My heart is full. He has changed my heart, and woken me up from a deep sleep. I'm grateful for his healing hands. 

He, him; is the Holy One of Isreal, Redeemer, Savior, Creator, Messiah, Lamb of God, Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ means; God is Help. Because of our Father in Heaven, we have help. Some one who can and will help as we call to him. He will do so "immediately". 

"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me" 

Helaman 5:12 

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storms shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless so, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." 

I'm grateful for the foundation of the Lord's restored church. As we face trials and tribulations we will not fall, because of the restored gospel and it's purity. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I know that Joseph Smith is the Lord's prophet in these last days. Jesus Christ is my master, whom I will serve for the rest of my life. I know him, and love him and will not deny him or his truth. 

Love, 

Elder Judy 

August 13, 2018 - Not Coming Home - Rochester, NY

Great news!!! I got approved to extend my mission for one more transfer! I'll be coming home in the middle of October. even tho that's a lie it truly is the desire of my heart. 

We started the week off with a 48 hour exchange. We drove to Buffalo and I dropped off Elder Beardall and Elder Jaynes, they stayed in Buffalo for the next 2 days. I brought Elder Lawrenz back to Gates with me. It was great time! Full of miracles. We found some wonderful people. Right after we exchanged back Wednesday night, Thursday morning we exchanges again with the Rochester Spanish Elders. Elder Winward from Preston,ID came with Elder Jaynes and I. We had a great time! We received a media referral named Dominic, he had met missionaries and they read him part of the Book of Mormon and stirred in his mind. He prayed and went to mormon.org and request a book and missionaries. We met him and taught him the restoration and he connected with the first vision. After we shared it with him he cut us off holding his arm in the air "I totally just got the chills" gave us a great opportunity to testify of the spirit and it's power to bring us to truth. We then passed him off to the YSA Elders. It was so great! We saw Dominic a couple days later and he had read 500 pages of the Book of Mormon!

Being able to participate in all these exchanges has humbled me. As I have been able to help other missionaries, encourage them to do their best, the spirit of Christ is always present and very powerful. I'm grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve among "strippling warriors". 

We have worked really hard in this area and have set the vision to baptize weekly in the coming months. It has the potential and we are seeing God bring forth the elect to make that vision happen. Last night while out and about we were working hard and trying to talk to everyone but the place we were at... no one was out and no one was answering. So, we decided to go contact a referral. Turned out the referral wasn't in our area. We prayed seeking guidance from God on what we should do. We felt we should go to Sister Darlene Baker. We drove over and began talking to people in the parking lot. We were talking to this big group of wasted people. I felt as if there was someone there that needed what we had. I saw this lady walking across the parking lot and felt that I had to talk to her. She went around the corner... I felt I let God down. As we walked to Sister Baker's we saw her again!! We talked with her, she is expecting a baby in November and wants to change her life. She invited us in her apartment. We taught her and her mother about the Book of Mormon and read a passage to help them overcome their needs. The spirit was evident and they are now on date for the 15th of September! I'm grateful, God is the director behind this great work. 

Elder Bennett of the seventy spoke in our sacrament meeting! It was great! He changed my life in October of 2017. It was great to see him again. I also had the opportunity to ordain and give the priesthood to Brother Charlie Kline. Cool experience. 

Things I've learned on my mission: 

1. The worth of my soul and all souls is great in the sight of God. 

2. The gospel is essential for happiness 

3. Trusting in the Lord, takes care of the problems (Proverbs 3:5-6)

4. You can never glory too much in the Lord 

5. Obedience, it's essential (not to rationalize) 

6. Faith is an action of commitment. 

7. Faith is a power that can cause things to happen that need to happen.

8. Repentance is always a positive action. 

9. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven 

10. The Lord is constantly laboring in the world and our personal "vineyards". 

Love, 

Elder Judy 

August 6, 2018 - Baptism^ "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" - Rochester, NY

Howdy!! 

This week was defiantly one to remember!!! 

As assistants, we also have the calling to travel the mission. We go to areas of the mission that are training or have newer missionaries. While on these exchanges we set bold goals and send them to President Evans, he keeps us accountable for the goals and our work ethics! This week I had the opportunity to go back to Canandaigua! Oh my Lanta, I loved the 48 hours I spent there. It brought back so many memories. I was with Elder McCune and his trainee Elder Cowles! The three of us had a good time! We found some wonderful people and even got to go and see Deongela, a lady I previously taught! She was interested in being taught again. It was wonderful! I loved being in Canandaigua again! 

This week the 3 of us will be traveling the mission in the Buffalo Zone! Wahoooo! 

This week we participated in a Book of Mormon experiment booth at the Monroe County Fair. If there is one thing I learned this weekend it is that New York cannot plan a fair. When we signed up for the fair and we were told there would be 30,000 people to talk to. Well there was a whopping 200 at most and every single one of them had the opportunity to read a page of the Book of Mormon. It was sweet. I'll send a video to tell you all exactly what the Book of Mormon experiment is. Things to know about; it was A TON of fun. 

Brother Charlie Kline entered the waters of baptism on Saturday! It was a very spiritual meeting.... It really helped me understand the worth of souls and the perfect love God has for us all, no matter our personal challenges. I love Brother Kline, he is a huge example to me as in being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. He is a modern Peter. As Christ's church called out to him to "follow me" he dropped his "nets" immediately and fell in love with the gospel contained in the Book of Mormon. He has opened my eyes to a whole new way to look at life. I'm grateful for that. 

Friday night we were on Cloud 9... the spirit was felt and followed all night long! It was so great! We were teaching in a apartment complex parking lot. There was this lady in an upstairs unit looking out the window. Turned out Elder Beardall knew her. We started talking and she felt really overwhelmed with life. She invited us in and we taught her. She was looking out the window "pondering" on what she should do next with her life.... She had the scriptures opened on the window sill and was praying fervently to God. Humbling experience. She felt the confirmation of the spirit as she read the Book of Mormon and came to church on Sunday. She will be baptized September 8th! 

Kara from Niagara Falls, a teenager I found and taught there will be interviewed for baptism this coming week!!! So exciting!!! Her baptism is scheduled for August 18th!!! 

I'm loving the Gates/Rochester area. It's been a blessing to serve here. I love serving the Lord. I love him, but he first loved me. 

John 15:9

"9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." 

Love, 

Elder Judy 

1. Brother Kline's baptism 

2. Book of Mormon Experiment 

3. Exchanges with Canandaigua Elders 

July 30, 2018 - Not Enough Time... - Rochester, NY

Going to be brief with the events that happened this week.... 

This week was Zone Conference week... We were like chickens with our heads cut off. It was great! Tuesday was Palmyra, Wednesday was Buffalo, and Thursday was Rochester! 

Funny story, while driving to Buffalo it was pouring rain and there was a loud unusual noise coming from the car... We didn't know what it was and we questioned to pull over. So we drove a little further and the noise got louder. We pulled over and we had blown a tire! We drove with it like that for about 10 minutes.... learned available lesson. In the rain, might I add while wearing our suits we changed the tire. While in the middle of changing the tire a semi truck pulling a mobile house drove right pass us in the lane closest to us. Needless to say we had a mini tsunami engulf us... We were drenched!!! Haha!

Being part of all the conferences was super cool! The spirit defiantly is at the head of these meetings. 

We didnt have a whole lot of time in our area this past week. We had meetings and lessons for every hour. It was crazy. 

Brother Sam Pearson is progressing really well. He came to church for the first time yesterday. He is the man that met missionaries a while ago and read the whole Book of Mormon. We talked to him in the parking lot of Subway last week and have helped him repent and he is excited for baptism that last week of August! 

Brother Charlie Kline is doing awesome! He is being baptized this coming Saturday. So excited for him! We found some true seekers of truth with the little time we had in our area! So awesome!!! We have the goal to have 15 people at church the last Sunday of the transfer and we are well on our way! 

I feel today that I should expound upon and share my testimony of the premortal existence  and the worth we have as children of God. 

This has been a hard concept for me to grasp and wrap my mind around. There are days I don't feel as if I am worthy enough to be a "son" of God. I have become a very self critical person while serving my mission. I try to do everything perfect and when I fall short, I strap myself to willing post and let loose. I know that is not of God. He loves and cares for all of us no matter what we have done or what we are doing. 

"Considering where you came from, you should be a lot better." - President Eyering 

I need to be A LOT better. We have royalty bold. We are sons and daughters of a living God, And brothers and sisters to a King. 

Proverbs 8:24-27

"24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there..." 

Love, 

Elder Judy

July 23, 2018 - Dream Team - Rochester, NY

Hello Family,

WOW, where do I even begin??? My testimony of the church and truthfulness has grown lots this week. 

One of the greatest weeks of the mission for sure. 

Started the week off with transfers. Had the opportunity to ride the transfer van to Rochester! Got with my new wonderful companions! And the assistant calling started immediately. We gave two trainings in the first day. One to all the trainers and setting the expectations for the coming transfer with their new missionaries. And we spent the evening with the new missionaries! We picked them up at 4:50 and took them all to downtown Rochester and did some street contacting with them! That was the coolest experience ever.  We had dinner with President Evans and the new missionaries at the mission home and ended the night giving another training! It was a great day! 

We are teaching some awesome people here. There is a man named Charlie Kline who is stellar. He is a manager for the ICU at Strong Hospital. He has been taught by the missionaries for a few weeks and was interviewed for baptism by President Evans and passed! He will be baptized on August 4th. He also has a huge lake house in Canandaigua Lake!! He is legit. We have received many pageant referrals and we are teaching this awesome family about the church because of it! The Rileys! They're the best! They have been slacken off with commitments and we had a throw down lesson with them. We have seen miracles this week! We found 13 amazing people. We are so excited for the baptisms that will take place in the coming months. 

Some cool experiences:  Friday afternoons we meet with President Evans. the spirit is crazy strong. We planned zone conference and also discussed a little bit about how we will be traveling assistants. We will be going into more detail next week. We are having zone conference this week! I'm excited to train and help the other missionaries! 

Matthew 15:9-14

"9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." 

I LOVE Jesus Christ and his grace is sufficient for us all. He is our friend, let's love him as he loved us. 

Have a great week! 

Love, 

Elder Judy 

July 16, 2018 - BIG NEWS - Niagara Falls, NY

Hellooooo! 

This week was HOT and STICKY. I took a shower Monday morning and haven't been dry since! Lol. I love New York. 

This past week I have never worked so hard. Okay, maybe I have, but I have never been so tired in my life! Pounding the pavement mixed with 90+ degrees takes a toll on the physical and mental state of your body... haha we saw miracles for the work we put forth. I'll tell ya about 2!:) 

1. Free slurpee day (7/11) we were out street contacting on Niagara Falls. We got our slurpees and started talking to everyone. We went to the neighboring gas stations and started talking to people pumping their gas. We talked to this girl named Kara. KARA is a member of God's Elect. We taught her right there and she was excited to come to church. Invited her in the first contact. We met with her later in the week and she had bought church clothes before we even taught her the full restoration. We had a great first lesson with her. The spirit was the strongest I have felt in a long time. She said she knew the things we taught her to be true because of how she felt. She came to church and loved it! 

2. We have been really working hard at setting BOLD and faithful goals in finding people to teach, then doing all we can to accomplish them. We had set the goal in a 20 minute window to find someone, get in their  home and teach them. And that is exactly what we did. As soon as I stepped out of the truck I saw a women walking down the road. Something told me to talk to her. She was a ways away.... I looked at my companions and said "her" and he started to run. We caught up to her and she expressed the desire to come closer to Christ. Just so happened that we had caught her right before she walked in her house. She invited us in and we shared the restoration with her. She loved the feeling she had and is excited to come to church soon! 

As for me, the lord is treating me well. I have a great passion for the work. I love the Niagara Falls people and area. I will miss it so much.... I had a great run for the past 4.5 months. I defiantly came to a greater knowledge of the love and mercy God has for me and my brothers and sisters here.

Saturday morning the zone leaders and district leaders were invited to a meeting with a member of the Seventy! Elder Sitati and his wife from Kenya Africa! It was a very spiritual meeting. It was held in the amphitheater of the sacred grove so that made it that much cooler! He talked a LOT about finding joy in the things we can control instead of getting down on ourselves over rejection and things we have no control over. 

I know I'm embarking on the last 6 weeks of my mission. With all respect and love in the world for you all. Please.... don't bring it up. Thanks. 

Oh, and this week I had the gnarliest bloody nose of my life. I got one every night because of the weather.... it was great! 

As we were knocking doors the other day Elder Hershey and I walked into someone's garage to knock on their door. Elder Hershey was going to knock on the door, but pushed the garage door opener thinking it was a door bell... needless to say we almost got shut in their garage! Haha 

Elder Hershey also knocked on a door that had 3 massive hornets nests in the corners... I ran off like a little girl and Elder Hershey got tagged by one right in the hand. It was hilarious. 

Now, here is the big news.... the prophet directed the mission that missionaries are no longer allowed to attend pageant. Sad, but totally worth the blessings of staying within our area and not leaving! AND I'll be ending my mission in the Rochester area. Gates/Chilli area. There I will be serving as an assistant to President Evans. I couldn't sleep last night because of the nervousness. But I know whom the lord calls, he qualifies. And I'm excited to fill the shoes of this calling! Pray for me.... 

Mosiah 14

"3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

I couldn't be more grateful for my Savior. I love him. Through him we are healed. He cares for us all, so we can put our cares on him. 

Love, 

Elder Judy 

July 9, 2018 - Wweee - Niagara Falls, NY

Well, this week was HARD. 

Words of Elder Hershey 

"Ya it was hard..."

Not a whole lot to explain about this week.... We spent hours teaching people on the streets... We were having a very hard time finding those who would receive us.  And it was HOT!!  My soul would shrivel in heat as we would talk to people. It was great growing experience. 

I have never been so hard on myself than I was this past week. Questioning and pondering.... I found comfort in the Book of Mormon but it was hard to keep on track throughout the day. 

We had MLC on Friday and it was very inspiring. We talked a lot about the Doctrine of Christ and how we should all be masters of it. Then we spent 5 hours speaking on the subject of exchanges and how we can make them culture-changing. It was very insightful. It was my last time seeing Elder Shaw. He goes home next week. He is a great missionary! He's baptized weekly for 2 months... the mission will miss him! Right after MLC we exchanged with the assistance's. Elder Beardall came to Niagara Falls with Elder Hershey and I. He humbly rebuked me for my doubtful thoughts of myself. We made the commitment to have faith and not doubt people and the potential that they have as sons and daughters of God. We had faith that everyone we talked to would be a covenant keeper. We saw miracles! We found 7 people this weekend. And they are all God's elect children. They are committed to come to church and they will all be there this coming week! Exciting things are going to be happening in Niagara Falls. 

Two of the people we found this week were next door neighbors. Clare let us in and we taught her then asked her for referrals and she sent us to her neighbor across the street. We taught Laura and she is really interested! It was great! We will be meeting with them both tonight. 

We also spent some time giving training in a few districts in our zone! It was a grand time! 

The 4th of July was the hottest day this week and we had nothing planned. We found a lady named Heather who is a lawyer and interested in learning! We taught her on Sunday and she opened up a lot and is looking and seeking for truth! Very cool! No exciting events for the 4th but some sore feet and drained energy by the end of the day! It was great! 

The Hill Cumorah Pageant starts this Friday! Wahoo! Super excited to watch America's witness of Christ. 

Sorry for the short letter. I'm doing great! I became a diamond out of the rough. Proud of my companions and the support we all gave each other this week. We took it like champs! 

I love the lord! And feel it a pleasure to serve him. Gathering Isreal is my favorite activity. 

Love y'all, 

Elder Judy