December 25, 2017 - Phone Call Home! - Canandaigua, NY

Elder Judy didn't email this week because Christmas fell on p-day and rather than emailing we got to talk to him!  It was awesome!!!  He looks and sounds great!!!!  Sure miss him!

December 18, 2017 - 6 Month in Canandaigua - Canandaigua, NY

Hey y’all! The latest news, got our transfer calls this morning from President and Elder Churchill and I will be staying together in Canandaigua! 4th transfer here! Not sure how I feel about it because I've already tracted this place out a couple times. Going to be hard to keep the faith that God is preparing people in places I've been a million times! I love the ward and we should have 2 baptisms this transfer! 

Monday, it was great day until our most progressing investigator texted us and said “the mormons are not for me.” We dropped everything and went and talked with her, turned out she fell into temptation and smoked over the weekend and was thinking she wasn't worthy. We prayed with her and she asked god if he wanted her to be baptized and after the prayer she said her heart felt light. And committed to continue meeting with us. Thank goodness.

Tuesday, was a day full of finding in 6 inches of snow! We did lots of tracting and didn't find a soul... we had a lesson with Sarah, a lady that we found a couple weeks ago, we taught her the gospel and she committed to come to church. And to end the night we tracted in 10 degree weather from 8-9!

Wednesday, we had exchanges and I went to Geneva with Elder Emry. This is his last week in the field and he was super trunky. But we still got stuff done! We put one of their investigators on date and found a couple people to teach! It was great! And we also got to go to Cam’s Pizza in Geneva... I ate there a year before my mission! Crazy! Haha. We had a lesson with their recent convert Jack. I had the opportunity to interview Jack for baptism. It was good to see him again and see the progress he's made since he was baptized! 

Thursday, first thing we had district meeting. I trained on testifying to peoples needs through inspired questions. It went really well. My district is just so awesome. It’s been a great transfer. After district meeting we came back to Canandaigua and finished up studies. And we had a half hour before a lesson so we prayed and had God lead us to an apartment building and the first door we knock on we met Sam. She was very open and accepted the invitation to meet with us! That was awesome! She seems really interested. We had a lesson with Chris. I’m worried about her... we had dinner all our appointments fell through so we ended up finding from 6-9...

Friday, we had a great weekly planning session. We had a lesson with Colleen and we had President Pitts come along and we put her on date for January 4th and committed her to live the word of wisdom. I think she's got it this time. We did some finding until dinner. Did some more finding after dinner and ended the night seeing Amanda Steele. She’s progressing really well! Its been cool to watch! She’s on date for January 6th. 

Saturday, we had a lesson with Nichole Lapointe. She’s 17 years old and has been taught by the Sister for a while. She comes to the Canandaigua Ward. She’s awesome. Just waiting to turn 18 to be baptized. We also found all day today... I also got to FaceTime to my first area and talk with Mike Gates because he got baptized today!!! Exactly a year after we started teaching him is the day he gets dunked. Super cool. Mike is the man.

Sunday, we had 4 people at church! That was awesome! Had a great block of church. After church we planned out our day then hit the pavement. We went to Bloomfield and did some door knocking. Had dinner then stayed in Canandaigua for the rest of the night.

The theme of this week was flakey appointments. We had lots of growing time. I loved it, even though it was really hard to tract in 10 degrees. My body was freezing but my heart was full and warm. I love being a missionary. 

Mosiah 28:3

“Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.”

Love,

Elder Judy

December 11, 2017 - What a Week! - Canandaigua, NY

Hello friends and family!!

Another week gone and closer to Christmas! I love being a representative of Jesus Christ at this time of year! There is just a bigger meaning to the words JESUS CHRIST. I LOVE it! 

Monday, we had dinner with the Record family. They are my favorite by far! They invited me to come back after the mission to go hunting with them! I think dad would love Craig! He reminds me a lot of dad. He actually served in Milwaukee and everything! Pretty cool! Afterwards we had FHE with a less active family the Labombards! They fed us some deer tenderloin! Missed it. We did some finding in Manchester... (yes my area has the village where some of D&C was revealed) literally do god's work under the shadow of the Hill Cumorah. Pretty awesome. We had a lesson with Christine. She seems to be progressing really well. It is really cool to watch through just prayer and reading how much a person can change.

Tuesday, was a tough day. It was pouring rain ALL day long and we only had 2 appointments. We had lots of rejection but found a cute little family at the last minute before we went and saw Amanda Steele. She is still searching for an answer. It’s been tough to find different ways to teach the Holy Ghost. Seems to be at a stand still now. We will do everything we can to help her! Also today was the day Colleen quit smoking! She went all day without a cigarette! So proud of her!

Wednesday, we had district meeting in the morning. I trained on teaching and testifying immediately of the restoration. Felt like my district liked the concept and will implement it! Hope so! We did some country road tracting. It was really cold and every door that opened was a Jehovah Witness... Awkward. Haha! That night we did some tracting and we met some really cool people! We met Shawn. Elder Churchill drew down the powers of heaven and testified of the restoration and he let us right in. At the end of our lesson he said “I believe this.” Super cool. Sometimes I forget how powerful and important our message really is. BE GRATEFUL!

Thursday, we started the day off knocking on doors and met Kristin, a young mom who once she opened the door said she's been on the search for a true church. That was cool. Had a lesson with Chris Ketchum. She opened up with her concerns with the temple and baptism... she's waiting to be approved by the church to be baptized but hasn't been to church in 2 months. We had dinner with the Weed family in Manchester! They. Are. Super. Cool!  Brother Weed works in Idaho mainly and travels back and forth. That night we did some more finding in Manchester then saw Colleen. She has continued to quit smoking and is getting really excited for her baptism on the 23rd! Her interview is tomorrow! 

Friday, we had some good planning. First one that Elder Churchill didn't have a anxiety melt down so that was good!  I had a district leader conference call with president! That was super cool. We do that every Saturday or Friday morning. We had a lesson with Brother Schwab. We did some finding in Farmington and found a guy named Micheal, he also let us in and we taught him the restoration and he was so engaged and excited. He said his first ever prayer with us at the end. He is really sincere about learning. We had a gritty lesson with Amanda. We asked a bunch of inspired question figuring out where her heart and intent is behind meeting with us. It was cool to see her realize how god has answered her prayers and that this is true. We fasted with her this Sunday for a confirmation. 

Saturday, was a sloowww day. We had finding all day long and until 9 after dinner. We did talk with everyone and we saw miracles from it. Elder Churchill had a melt down in the middle of the day... its hard. It’s mentally draining trying to help him. But because I love him and this work I will do anything I can to help him. We had dinner with the Aldrich family and had a good night of tracting!

Sunday, we had Amanda and Nikki at church along with 3 less actives! That was really cool! I gave my testimony, it was the first time I've cried while doing it since I got on my mission. But I felt like I needed to share something that was close to my heart. I read Mosiah 18:30 and talked about my “Waters of Mormon” and how we will all have a place and time where we will come to the knowledge of our redeemer and sing praises to Him forever.  It turned out a lot of people needed to hear it in the ward! Super cool!  We did some finding before our dinner appointment in Farmington. We found 3 people! That was a huge miracle! The Maloy family had us over for dinner. They are great! Sunday night was really tough. We knocked doors for 1 1/2 straight and every door opened... and every door we either got cussed at or told to leave the church. It was frustrating but we had a great lesson with a guy named Esteven to end the night! 

This week was great, there was so much opposition and persecution, but so many huge miracles. It is hard. The past month of my mission has been the hardest yet but I have loved every second of it. I've grown so much. Through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our weakness can become and made strong. Ether 12:27

Love you all!

Elder Judy 

December 4, 2017 - Interviews! - Canandaigua, NY

Monday, was a great day! All of our appointments fell through so we spent a couple hours knocking doors in a ghetto trailer park! Haha good experiences found in trailer hoods.

 

Tuesday, we started off with district meeting! I gave a training on being an extraordinary missionary by helping our investigators over come barriers and resolve their concerns. We did exchanges right after and Elder Kelly came to Canandaigua with me  for the day! We had a lesson with a new investigator, Charles.  Not too sure about him and his progression. We will give him a chance! Haha We did some finding and the first door we knocked on it was a guy named Rudy and he invited us in and we shared the Restoration with him! It was great! 

Wednesday, we exchanged back in the morning and Elder Churchill and I went out to the country part of our area and did some country road tracting! As we were knocking a New York State trooper pulled up the drive. Someone called the cops on us at 11am! Haha!! We got a call from a former, Deongela! She wanted us to come say hi and teach her! That was super cool! We had interviews with President, I’ll talk more about that at the end of this letter. We ended the night teaching Christine Pasquarrel. She had some really bad things happen to her this past weekend, she basically told us how god isn’t real and how prayer is dreaming and all these things... it was really sad. We committed her to pray to know if god is there for her during this trial. 

Thursday, started off with weekly planning! And then every appointment canceled and we found for the rest of the day. Haha Brother Simpson was with us when our appointment fell through so he drove us all around the city contacting less actives. We finished the night tracting from 8-9. Those are the miracle hours!

Friday, I got invited to attend Missionary Leader Council! It was good to see all my best friends again and President! At MLC we talked a lot about being a Nephi Leader and developing the attributes Nephi has. We also were trained on giving loving correction, something I am horrible at... but now I know and will apply! Friday night as Elder Churchill and I rejoined each other, we went tracting and really put effort in praying and seeing where God wanted us to be. We felt a certain pull towards an inactive family. They ended up not answering so we did some door knocking on their street. Nothing was happening and the things that went through my mind is what am i doing wrong?!? I knocked on this door and as we were waiting for it to answer I told Elder Churchill “what do we need to be more obedient in so we can see more miracles?” Then the door opened and Sarah said hello. Sarah meet with missionaries 4 years ago and wasn't ready for the gospel then. She is now on date for December 30th! :)

Saturday, we had lots finding during the day. Found a nice lady who just had a baby and is looking for a church! Her name is Grace! Saturday night we had a lesson with a less active. We applied help and she will be coming to church this coming week! :) We also got to see Christine, we followed up with prayer and she said she has felt someone is there for her as she has done so! Gave us an opportunity to testify to her of God's love and support for her. We had a wonderful lesson on faith and repentance and she accepted baptism!

Sunday, we had stake conference and we had 3 of our investigators there! The talks were all centered on families and the power of Christ! It was great! We did some finding afterwards until dinner and after until our lesson with Colleen. Today was one of the first days that I really felt an over whelming feeling of power and authority with my calling. It’s all worth the sacrifice. I LOVE being a MISSIONARY!

D&C 84:88

“88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”

In the past 15 months never have I felt more fully this scripture than I have in the past month. Since I really have given it my all I really feel the spirit of Christ in my heart and I feel my angels bearing me up. I shared this scripture with president in my interview, it was a powerful experience and we both wept.  I’m so grateful for my guardian angel that pushes me each and every day. Thankful for this Christmas season and the opportunity I have to remember her and her life. 

Love,

Elder Judy