Week 22 - 8/24/15

This is part of Brigitte's email we received late last Tuesday.  She usually sends a family one and one for everyone else.  But last week we just got one short note.  

Hey momma :)

wow, your week sounds so super great!!! i'm so happy. hello to heather :) I did get my hair cut last Monday, and since my hair has become so super blonde, I will be dying it next week. there's a super nice lady in our stake who has been happy to cut and dye our hair for free and we are teaching her :) she's so cute.

it's crazy landen is already headed out, didn't he just get his call like last week? haha super cool :) ah, 15 of us out on missions. wow.

mom, these past 4 days have been exactly what I needed, as we did lots of missionary work on Friday, service all day Saturday, and Missionary Leadership Council (MLC) on Monday, temple today, AND THEN on sunday we had a bunch of less-actives show up and the meetings were incredible and we were able to sit down with bishop and his wife and they are just the sweetest things ever and we were able to talk about the different families and individuals in the ward, as well as just life in general :) so great.

so yeah, today we were able to go to the temple, and yesterday we had MLC and I apologize if I didn't mention that last week that we were going to have pday on Tuesday haha love you so so much though and i'm so grateful for you and your example and testimony <3 5 months in.

xoxo,

brig

Week 21 - 8/17/15

Aloha All,

So this week was hilarious. seems like we didn't stop laughing.. even when I was sick for a couple days, sister mason and I were able to have a good time with everyone this week :)

it all started with fhe last Monday with 3 young families. The two year old, Sam, decided he liked the one-month old baby. Sam began to rub the baby's tummy that was in his cradle. we were all like, "awe sam, good kid." and we looked away for only a second, when we looked back, Sam had picked up this baby by the onesie and thigh and was carrying him like a doll haha it was so scary, but after it was all taken care of and the baby was safe, it was funny. :)

well, then we were able to spend a day at the mission home with the funniest senior couple ever, the Gardeners, some of you may have heard of them from ksl news or whatever. haha they are great :)

we also have this thing called "Walking Wednesday" where we take a fast from our car for a day. This week we got SO SUNBURNED in just two hours of tracting. Ah! Welcome to Hawaii, friends. But, we were able to meet some really amazing people, so it was totally worth it :)

so yes, transfers were last week, and LUCKY ME!! I'm staying here in Aliamanu, Hon-West with S. Mason! Yay. I love this ward so much. we have also been called as siter training leaders as well, and we are just really excited for everything coming up this transfer :)

so yes, last week, COURAGE WAS BAPTIZED!! She is amazing <3 the work is moving forward and although I was pretty sick this week, we were still able to have a successful, glorious, fun time.

the lord always finds a way to do his work. I am grateful for this opportunity to be his hands in this gathering and strengthening work here and now <3

i'd like to invite all of us to try this week, instead of asking Him to help you, ask Him how you can help.

we all have a role.

Aloha <3

Sister Judkins

ps. nobody kill me, but my camera lost ALL OF IT'S PICTURES. trust me, no one is more distraught than I am. so, my apologies for no pictures this week and last :/

Week 16 - 7/13/15

Aloha All :)

So this week was absolutely amazing.

sorry I dint say much about sister mason last week...

...I figured you all know her

I guess yall don't know her?

you should.

she's awesome.

she is number 3 of 9 children, born and raised in Utah.

her family currently resides in Elkridge, Ut.

she is 5'11'' and is GORGEOUS.

she has a passion for missionary work.

and it is incredible the miracles we have had already in this transfer!!

we work hard. we love the people. we love the work.

and it's moving along :)

the members are helping us,

the people we are teaching are progressing,

the work is good,

the love is real,

the church is true.

This week I've been studying about conversion. I was reading in Mosiah of the story of King Benjamin. I find it inspiring to read the peoples' conversion story. I came up with "5 steps to a great conversion" :

1) Having the desire to learn

2) being taught by the spirit, whether it's by personal study or from other ways we build our testimony... (church, others, etc)

3) Having faith that God has delivered (the spirit), and will continue to deliver you.

4) Making covenants, or promises, with God. Once we have been taught and the spirit has born witness it's true, and we have faith to continue, we can then make promises with God to do so.

5) Through Enduring, we are promised that we can live with our Father in heaven again. Because we are CHILDREN OF GOD.

Wherever we are in our conversion, we always have room to grow our testimonies and to become more converted to the gospel. I invite us all to do so.

Mahalo nui loa fur alles <3

xoxo

sister j

Week 20 - 8/10/15

We received a short message from Brigitte this week along with one picture.  In her personal email to me, she said she and Sister Mason are staying in Honolulu West and have been called as the Sister Training leaders, which means they are overseeing 4 other companionships!  She is very excited about this opportunity, but mostly excited about remaining with her current investigators.

"Courage was baptized on Saturday!!! She is amazing. a single mother from Chuuke and her baptism was absolutely beautiful <3 it was a miracle that it all finally came together... she had four different companionships working with her, because the elders left that were teaching her, then s. mason and i stepped in, then we transferred her to the Micronesian ward because we thought she would progress more fully there... but then she decided to come back to us, but by then the elders had stepped back in ahhhhh poor girl haha but she was really flexible and held firm to her testimony of Jesus Christ and never lost sight of her goal of baptism and the temple. she is going to be a wonderful member of the church <3

xoxo and much aloha,

Sister J"

Week 19 - 8/3/15

Aloha All!

This week was difficult, but amazing. The adversary is working extra hard on everybody, including us. but, that just means incredible things are about to happen :)

I think I mentioned last week about all the awesome folks we have been meeting, we are teaching 2 single mothers, as well as a soon-to-be married couple, that have all been SO prepared for the gospel.

...exciting things coming up!!

its so cool to hear and learn of their experiences that have shaped thie rlives and led them ot the true restored church of Jesus Christ! What's cool is that all of these folks found us. We were in the right place at the right time and they all approached us... God good, folks. God is good.

one comment I heard at church yesterday was "this gospel is for everyone. because it is perfect. this church is for everyone because it is organized perfectly." so, we need to teach EVERYONE and help ANYONE. Cuz, like I said, God is good! and he wants ALL of his children to return to him. So go out and serve those around you and help anyone in your path. cuz you can and will make a difference!!

have a great week and happy august (crazy how fast time is flying...!!)

mahalo nui loa and much Aloha!

sister jay

ps. hurricane is coming, but no worries I think i'll be fine! just pray for the other islands.