January 30, 2017 - 5 Months!! - Victor, NY

Hello! Hope y'all had a great week!

Mine was alright, did a lot of walking around. Trying to find people to teach in this prideful area of Fairport and Victor. It's been really rough with the area and the companion. No one wants to listen to us. So it's been a very interesting 2 weeks. Haha

Monday was a really fun P-day! We went to the Palmyra church house and hung out and met all the elders in the zone. We played lots of basketball like usual and had a good time! We had dinner with the Halohans! Their super cool and we did family home evening with them, then a lesson with a recent convert named Thabisa.

Tuesday, was my 5 month mark! Crazy, one more month and I'll be 1/4 way done. Times flying! We did service for saints place with Elder Peterson and Elder Norr. We had a lesson with a less active and had dinner with the Broadbent family. The mother is 6 days over her due date. For her baby! Crazy! Haha we also do a scripture study every Tuesday night. It was a lot of fun! We only had one person show up. Haha

Wednesday was the day that changed missionary history. We had the worldwide mission broadcast and it was really good! They went over the training of teaching repentance and baptizing converts, then they brought out the big news! They changed our schedule and the key indicators, the numbers we turn in weekly. It is so nice. It's
wonderful. The new schedule is so awesome! And we don't have to worry about having 12 key indicators anymore. Now we just have 4. Not as much stress.

Thursday wasn't exciting at all. Tracted for 5 1/2 hours. Haha it was so much fun... we handed out 3 copies of the Book of Mormon but no return appointments. That just shows how hard this area really is. We are working with the members but they don't understand. For everyone please do you your best to be missionary minded and work with the missionaries and give them people to teach. Cause we literally tract at least 2 hours a day... because the members won't give us people to teach, so we have been working in getting members more missionary
minded, slowly but surely.

Friday we did weekly planning and had district meeting and had a couple lessons with some less actives. We had a dinner appointment with Sister Gilchrist and her sons!  She is from Idaho Falls! It was so awesome! She knows some of the same people I do! It was super cool to talk about home with a member. Haha tender mercies of the lord are so real! After dinner we had a couple member appointments and we taught them the restoration, I love the message of the restoration! You can never teach it too much! And it's so powerful! So powerful! And then we exchanged and I went up to Penfield with Elder Peterson!

Saturday I spent all day in Penfield and we went everywhere! We tracted, a little. Contacted potentials. It was a lot of fun! Then we went to East Rochester, and tracted part of the ghetto because we haven't been in the ghetto for awhile. I miss Medina and the humble people there so much.

Sunday was a great Sabbath day, the talks in sacrament meeting were amazing! And we had 2 investigators there! It was awesome. We had a couple lessons with members and had dinner with Bishop Maxwell and his
family! Then we texted all the potential investigators in our area book. Still trying to find new investigators. And then we went to go find less actives in the ghetto part of our area and we didn't have any luck, everyone was asleep! Haha

That is my week here in the Fairport/Victor area. Not a whole lot going on. We are struggling to find people to teach. It's really rough here. Defiantly my hardest transfer so far. But I'm still happy and trying to spread the joy this gospel brings to the prideful people here. Haha I know this church is true. I wouldn't still be out here if it
wasn't, and I wouldn't allow myself to struggle if I didn't know that I would be able to make it through the struggles. Fight every battle on your knees, you will always win. I'm grateful for every struggle I've had, it's shaped me into the missionary that I am today and I will only continue  to grow. I love you all. And hope you have a wonderful week! God bless!

Love,
Elder Judy

January 23, 2017 - Medina>Victor - Victor, NY

Howdy!

Well this week was interesting, I never thought it would be so hard to leave an area! I think it was harder to leave Medina then it was to leave home! Haha I loved Medina, I loved the people. It was an awesome area! I'm glad I got to start off there! Now I'm in the victor/fairport area and we are the only missionaries for the Fairport Ward. So it's stressful. We meet with the members a lot here. We do a lot of tracting... like 2 1/2 hours everyday. And everyone knows who we are. Everyone knows the Book of Mormon. It's a different world out in Rochester compared to Buffalo. I miss Buffalo a lot. Haha the work in Victor/Fairport is rough.

Monday was my last Pday in Medina! I finished packing and then we went down to Amherst to hang out with all the other missionaries! We played some basketball and hung out, like always. After Pday ended we drove back to Medina and I started say goodbye to the members. It was hard. I didn't cry until I had to say good bye to mike and Rebecca. Miss the members there so much!

Tuesday was transfer day! We drove down to Amherst to switch. Elder Hahne headed back up to Medina with Elder Gwilliam. And I got in the transfer van and headed towards Rochester. I met my new companion, he's name is Elder Griener and he is from Palmer, Alaska. We have nothing in common... he thinks he's training me also and he's been out just barely 3 months. So it's very interesting. He loves Star Wars and that's about all he talks about. So I'm pretty out of my comfort zone with how many people are here and with my companion. Haha but we get along. I'm trying my hardest. We have 2 apartments... one in Victor and one in Fairport. So we lternate nights at each one. It's pretty annoying. Our area is one of the richest areas in the mission field. So I went for the poorest to the richest. Haha big culture shock. And the members here love feeding the missionaries, so we had 2 dinner appointments the night that I got here. Going to put an end to that. It's just ridiculous.

Wednesday was my first full day in my new area! I'm still adjusting to this area. Haha we do service for saints place every Wednesday! We spend most the day with them and they take donations of furniture and then they take it to refugee homes and furnish there apartments. So we go move furniture all day in Wednesday! We go into
down town Rochester with them also! Its pretty cool! We had a pretty crazy experience there in Wednesday in downtown Rochester.. haha it was weird but hilarious in the end! The mission office is our church building so we go there all the time! We had lunch and did our studies there after our service. A lot of our appointments fell through so we went to contact some potentials for the rest of the night.

Thursday was NATES BIRTHDAY!! Happy birthday big brotha! Miss you! And I'm still not sure what to think about this area, it's hard. And my companion is weird. It was and he was snoring and I asked him what he was doing and he said he was studying.. haha ya snoring while studying. This is going to be an interesting transfer. I feel like the lord is preparing me for something next transfer, like training or something cause there 8 or 9 elders coming out next transfer! That would be cool! I feel like I would be ready by then as well. We will see what the lord has in Store! We handed out 5 copies of the Book of Mormon as well! So it was a pretty good day!

Friday we did weekly planning and I had to take over the area practically cause Griener has no idea how to plan he told me... so with knowing nothing I planned out our week. It was interesting! Haha we also went tracting and a little old lady let us in! We taught her about the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy and her at home nurse a
copy! After finished with a prayer the nurse followed us out and said that the old lady has dementa so she won't remember anything that we taught her. So that was funny! Haha we ended the night with district
meeting.
       
Saturday we met with Joan Downey, she's one of our investigators who is super busy! He work schedule is nuts! And she's looking for a new job so we had her meet with the employment specialist in our ward and we taught her about baptism. She's super cool!! We did our studies and lunch at the mission office again because we don't have enough miles to cover our whole ward. So we do studies and lunch at the mission office a lot. It's pretty cool to be
so close to mission office tho! We tracted a little bit today. We handed out 3 copies of the Book of Mormon and got one solid potential. So we will see how that turns out.

Sunday I got to meet the whole ward! The ward is huge!!! After the block we did studies at the church and had lunch there as well. Then we had a couple lessons with a few investigators and we met with the schmul family, there a part member family that there kids are in baptismal date! So we are working with them. And our dinner
appointment was super awkward... the family was super antisocial. It was really weird.

So far I've been loving my new area! I'm still adjusting to it. But I know that good things will come from this transfer. And we are already a week through it! Crazy! I know this church is true! Even when people flip is off or cuss us out, I bare testimony to them and hopefully the spirit will work on them so that they can come to know what they are missing out in and come to feel the joy that this gospel brings! I love this work so much! Even if it's really hard here in the fairport/Victor area. I know that as I rely on the lord great things will happen! I love and miss you all. Once again HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BROTHA! Hope it was a great one! Love ya Nate and miss ya tons.

Love,
Elder Judy

January 16, 2017 - Transfers! - Medina, NY

Whelp... I'm depressed because I have to say goodbye to all the awesome members and people of Medina. I'm going to miss this place so much. There's nothing here and I don't know why I like it here so much. Probably cause it's my baby and all the work that I've put in the past 4 1/2 months. I'll be heading to Victor/Fairport area! I will
be 20 minutes away from the Sacred Grove and all the other sites. It's going to be a lot of fun! My companion is Elder Griener. He's from Alaska! Should be lots of fun! But I don't want to leave Medina. It's so awesome!

Monday was just like any other P-day. Basketball and chilling at the church with all the other missionaries!

Tuesday was a great day! We handed out 7 copies of the Book of Mormon out! We have decided that tracting in the poor and humble places like trailer parks are gold for Medina. We did a lot of door knocking and tried to just get ourselves out there and spread the gospel! We were also walking into a nursing home and this little old lady stops us and says that we could be her son. And she told us about her son. Then she saw my name tag and saw Jesus Christ and got super happy! She asked if I had an extra one... I told her no but I have something better! I
gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and she was so happy! It was awesome!

Wednesday we passed out 8 copies of the Book of Mormon! It was a really good day of walking around and talking to people and knocking doors! It was actually a lot of fun! Just gotta be yourself and not awkward and people actually listen! Haha we taught a couple of less actives as well!

Thursday, we had district meeting and ward correlation! So not too much happens on Thursday cause of the drive down to Lockport then the meetings take the rest of the day! But something crazy happened before we took off down to Lockport. We were walking back to the apartment and I got a text message from a less active, Rebecca. We are teaching her husband Mike. And she said that Mike was hit by a car while he was on his bike! So we called her and she told us to come to the hospital. We showed up and he was in X-ray. We gave him a blessing and had to leave to go to Lockport. She texted us later that day and said that theywere home and all he had was a pinched nerve in his back! Pretty lucky.

Friday we did weekly planning and did more tracting and walking around! We wanted to do the best we could this week! We handed out 7 more copies of the Book of Mormon! In the trailer park! Every door we knocked on we got a lesson! It was so awesome! We put a ton of work in with tracting and handing out Book of Mormons, I'm tired... haha.

Saturday we helped Stuart and Jessica find their dog. It had been missing all morning and they called us to help. Elder Hahne and I said a prayer than started walking and we found it some bushes back behind theire house a little ways! Power of prayer! They took us out for pizza afterwards! Then we went and walked around more and handed out some more books! Then we drove up to Lyndonville to see Scott Smith, he's headed to college this week so it would be my last time up to see him. Kinda sad. Ganna miss him! He was my first baptism! And he wants to get set up with the church down in Florida so we have been working on that.

Sunday was a long stressful day waiting for transfer calls. Scott came to church. And there were a bunch of less actives that showed up! It was awesome! Mike and Rebecca came! We asked Mike Saturday if he was going to come to church, we didn't expect him to after his accident. He said. Oh ya I'm coming to church. So awesome! This gospel is true!!

Well, that's my week and my last week in Medina. I cried a little bit when I found out I was leaving. I love this place so much, but I know I'm on to bigger and better things. I'm excited to see what the future has in store for me! So exciting! Love you all and I'm grateful for your support while I'm out here serving in the cradle of the
restoration. I'm a special witness of the power of the grove! And I get to testify boldly of Jospeh Smith for the rest of my life! And I couldn't be more grateful for that opportunity!

Love,
Elder Judy

January 9, 2017 - Medina, NY

Hey y'all!

This week was great in western New York! A great way to start the year! I hope you all found joy in the new year and had a great holiday!

Monday was Pday and we went to Niagara Falls with half the zone! It was a lot of fun! And there is a guy in a ward in our zone who works for border patrol. He met up with us and took us out in to rainbow bridge! I got to step foot into Canada! Haha it was pretty cool. We had dinner with bishop and we made a connection with family!
He knows the robertsons! He knows Bruce and Deana, he knows Bruce's older brother Scott? Mom you'll have to change that. I can't spell there last name they live in bone. Haha

Tuesday we saw a lot of less actives and worked on a list that we have of less actives. We were only able to get in contact with a couple of the, sadly. We also got to see mike and rebecca! Mike wasn't feeling good so we got to give him a priesthood blessing! It was pretty cool. Then we showed them the promised blessings talk by Thomas
S. Monson from this past conference, they loved it! And I got to hold there snake!! It was sketchy! Haha

Wednesday we gave Rebecca a blessing in the morning to help her quit smoking! And it worked! She said she can't smoke or she gets sick now! She told us that on Sunday! After we gave her that blessing we had interviews with president Evans. The night before interviews I was reading my Patriarchal blessing and had some questions with some things concerning my mission so I brought it with me and read some of it with him, I'm so glad I did! I have such a greater understanding now! Then we had exchanges and I went down to Lockport with eEder
Marks! We went and did service at an animal shelter and we fed a bunch of horses apples and petted some goats and things for a couple hours. It was pretty fun!  Then we went street contacting! I handed out 6 copies of the Book of Mormon and invited 2 people to baptized on the street. It was a really cool experience. Never thought I would be asking people if they want to baptized right after I meet them. It's so awesome.

Thursday's are pretty relax.. we have district meeting that takes up all afternoon and then ward correlation that takes up the rest of the night after dinner.

Friday we got to go to the sites with mike and Rebecca! It was so fun! Quinn Biesinger and his family of 10 came with us! It was such a fun trip. It was very cold as well. Cool experience that happens while we were in the grove was we had mike say a prayer, and he did. After he said amen he said I'm hot... I'm not cold. I feel him. He's
here. And then we asked him some of the baptismal interview questions and we asked if he believed Jesus Christ and god the father appeared in this grove. He looked around and said "now I do." Haha mike is so awesome. The spirit was so strong in the grove. As soon as you walked in the cold went away and it was warm. It was crazy. Just shows how sacred that place is. Then we did studies and weekly planning when we got home.

Saturday we did some street contact but had no luck. Haha the cold weather brings out the worst of the people here. We finished up weekly planning and found some investigators in our area book who had an email. So we put them all in a big group email and sent an email to all of them asking if they are still interested in our church. No
replies yet. Haha we got to teach Debbie klatt the restoration. And when I finished reciting Joseph smiths account I paused and she said "I just got the chills!" It's so cool to see the spirit work on the people that live in this humble village. She also excepted baptism! We had dinner with Jessica and Stuart Durant. They are my favorite. They're so cool! Haha they told me that there going to buy a van to get more people to church. SAINTS. So awesome.

Sunday was probably the most spirit filled Sunday's I've had on my mission. It was fast Sunday, so it most likely being my last time baring my testimony in the Lockport ward I went up. Then I sat down and Rebecca, the lady we have been teaching stands up and bares hers! Then she sits down and mike stands up and bares his testimony! It was so awesome! The spirit throughout that whole meeting was amazing. Then we had the Medina meeting! And it's a fast and testimony meeting and mike stood up there and bore his testimony again! It's so cool. Mike also had his baptismal interview today! He passed! Now it's just the waiting game. Kinda stinks but he's okay with it! All that matters.

Well I know this church is true. Every time I go to the sacred sites the spirit testifies to me that this is the only true church in this earth, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of god. I know that god the father and Jesus Christ appeared to him in that grove of trees. If it's negative something outside and you feel warm... I don't know what else could convince you. The power of the sacred sights are life changing and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve right next to them so I can take people to were this church was brought back. It's such a privilege. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. I don't want it to end. I love all of you and miss ya tons! Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Judy

January 2, 2017 - It's Been A Year! - Medina, NY

Hello everyone!

This week was crazy! Got to move on to another year! Crazy! Monday was just another Pday. We did some shopping for new clothes with Christmas money and went and played basketball with all the other elders in the zone! It was a lot of fun! And we set up chairs for a less actives funeral Tuesday morning.

Tuesday, I woke up and did not feel good at all and was coughing up my lungs and felt like I was going to like so I slept all day long. It wasn't fun at all. It was super boring. 

Wednesday,I felt better so we went out. We taught Jeremiah. Read the Book of Mormon with him and taught him about family history and little things of that nature.we did a little bit of tracting in Middleport and Medina. We had dinner with a less active and her nonmember husband mike. They feed us all the time now. And now mike is on date for January 14th! So awesome! We went to the Bible study like always! They invited us to there 11  New Year's Eve bring in the New Years Service. So we told them we would come! I was so excited tell we found
out it was at 11 o clock pm... haha we didn't go.

Thursday, we saw Brother Luthart in the morning and he lives in an assisted living and we are his inky visitors... feel pretty bad for the man. After lunch we went down to Lockport for district meeting and ward correlation. That's usually all Thursday consist of. Haha  

Friday, we did weekly planning... so much fun! We had 3 hours of finding.... and we both got burned out of tracting after an hour so we went and tried finding some less actives and no one was answering the doors. And our area book wasn't updated at all so we went to the library and just started updating our area book. We spent about an
hour doing that and didn't even make a dent! Then we wen to a less actives home Sister Venille and taught her the plan of salvation and asked her if she knew of anyone who could benefit from our message. She gave us a name. It was one of her friends. Her name is Debbie. Then we went to Susan McFarland for her 2 year olds birthday party. And then we went and saw a member named Gary lane. He's a sweet little old man.

Saturday I entered the new year 2 hours before y'all! Haha super weird to be in 2017 never thought it would come. We did some more cleaning up of our area book and finding less actives today. We also got to be able to contact the referral sister venille gave us. We went and saw Debbie and taught her the plan of salvation and we showed her a video and she said a lot of the things in the video hit home. She loved it and invited us back! She's a very sweet lady! We taught Mike the laws of tithing and fasting and chastity. That was fun. He accepted them all and said he will live them! That night mike asked me if I would be the one to baptize him. Pretty sweet!

Sunday we got Mike and Rebecca to church, it was Rebecca's first time partaking of the the sacrament... so awesome. Rebecca was so happy to at church! She came up to us and thanked us for finally getting her home. I couldn't help but to tear up a little bit. I love those guys. Sunday night we taught mike and Rebecca the laws and
ordinances and asked them the baptismal interview questions. Mike is 2 weeks away! So awesome!

Mike was a man who would pray every night to god and ask him to take his life while he was sleeping. He hated life. He didn't want to live. But there's a purpose for him here. And one of those purposes is to become a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mike tells us every time we are there that he's finally done chasing his tail and he has found direction in his life and he's finally happy. All this happened for him reading the Book of Mormon and aligning his will with gods. Through Christ we become happier and have just a glimpse of eternal joy. I can't wait to see what the future holds for my mission. I'm loving seeing the growth in people and how
people come closer to Jesus Christ. It's a privilege to be a part of.I'm grateful for every second I have to be in western New York wearing the lords name on my chest. This is my testimony and And I leave it with you in the name of our savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Love you all,
Elder Judy