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 

July 2, 2018 - HOTTTTT!!!! - Niagara Falls, NY

Howdy! 

In the words of Elder Hershey.... 

"It's hot. Its so hot. It's so ridiculously hot that it blows my mind. You could fill a pool with the amount of liquids I've sweat out this past week! The weather has been consistently in the 90s, plus super humid. Combine that with collared shirts and mini scarfs (neck ties) and dress slacks, and you got a big ole walking sponge with a nametag that says Elder Judy. It's hot."

I had to keep asking myself if I was laboring out of duty or love. Some moments it was out of duty. But the majority of the week I felt love for God and the people we talked to! 

Ether 12:34 

"And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father." 

I don't know where to begin... not a whole lot changed this week. It was a normal week in The Falls!  We are still teaching some fantastic people!

Monday we spent getting haircuts because President Evans gave me some council on my hair. He was right so I cut it all off! Wahoo! 

Tiffany is progressing slowly but surely. She is trying her hardest at living the word of wisdom! We are having a heck of a time trying and getting her to church again. This past Sunday we had a ride for her and he went to go pick her and her son Calvin up. They didn't answer the door... depressing. 

We had a heart to heart lesson with Calvin this week. He broke down and told us how he believes God is mad at him and he lost it and cried. We sat in silence for 10 minutes. Bore testimony after and the spirit was so strong. It's amazing what the spirit can do when you give it the reigns and follow it's direction! 

We went on 2 exchanges this week! South Niagara Falls, I went there and helped the missionaries. We found tons of people and even found a member of the church who has been inactive for many years. We invited him to church and he came!!! Brother Congi, we were teaching his nephew a few months ago so I knew of him but never met him! It was super cool! 

We had exchanges with the Lancaster Elders. Elder Norr came to Niagara Falls with Elder Hershey and I! We had a good ole time! Exchanges are my favorite part of being a leader. Being able to give the little knowledge I have to others to help them and minister to their needs! Makes my feel good and happy. 

Our mission recently, the last few weeks has been really pushing being a "celestial" mission and being "celestial" missionaries. It's been cool. The way we have measured is upon 4 different pillars:

1. Work Ethic

2. Obedience 

3. Gospel knowledge 

4. Attitude 

As I have strived to improve these pillars each day I realize how far I am from being good.... but as a companionship we have been able to strenghten ourselves and have seen celestial things happen in our area. For example; Karen Henry... As we taught her and she was baptized you could tell a difference in her life. She was evicted on Monday and the ward jumped in and helped her move to a new place... We saw her later in the week and she was the happiest I have ever seen her! It was a blessing. 

I love being a missionary. Jesus Christ is written upon my heart. I love him and his words. I'm excited for the next forever I have to serve him. 

Love, 

Elder Judy