Week 61 - 5/23/16

Aloha!

This week... was AWESOME! some highlights:

- we had 3 chapel tours, 1 with a less-active YSA, 1 with an investigating family, and 1 with a part-member family. the spirit in the Lord's chapels is SO strong. It's awesome. My testimony is always strengthened when we take others on chapel tours :)

- we got to sing in the choir for Stake Conference, we sang secret prayer in Hawaiian and those who are called to labor, or whatever that song is :P I didn't know it before, and now I still don't know it...at least in English, but I could sing the Hawaiian version for ya! :)

- stake conference was AWESOME! we had some members of the Seventy visiting & I got to speak German with one of them. they had great messages to share of the temple & family & the book of Mormon <3 it was so great.

- one of our members in our ward taught us about fighting ghosts this week! it's crazy.

- I can't remember if I mentioned the car crash we got into two weeks ago? my first ever haha, and now we are teaching the lady! God is good :)

- there's always peacocks roaming around here, this week one came running across the street with us, it was like 1 foot away from me! :P

- I had my last interview with President Warner. Him and Sister Warner are headed home less than a month! :( i'll miss them for sure!!

- I finished the Book of Mormon again, haha :) I LOVE THAT BOOK.

- we had so many miracles happen this week. we were led to these two INCREDIBLE families that have been super prepared for the gospel. one of the families is a disfellowshipped family of the Jehovah's Witnesses, you can totally tell how that has prepared them for the gospel. it's humbled them and opened their eyes to the Goodness of God that is REALLY found in the gospel. THE CHURCH IS TRUE GUYS. God is good.

President Warner and I set my release date officially for August 31, which is CRAZY. I love my mission so much. I know this gospel is true. I am for sure looking forward to these next three months and what they have to bring to me and God's children here in Hawaii.

mahalo nui loa for all the prayers & support. the work goes forward. God is good!!!

Aloha,

Sister Judkins

pancakes with chocolate ice cream, brownies, cookie crumbles and chocolate syrup hahaha! only @ Zippy's :)

Week 60!! - 5/16/16

This week was one of the best on my mission thus far :) God is just so good, and we got a big taste of His goodness this week! here are some highlights:

- on exchanges with sister biggs (from Omaha, Nebraska), we picked up a mini missionary (Mackenzie is from Wyoming, but is here for an internship, and she came out with us ALL day Wednesday. it was awesome.) so then we headed out to change the world. And Heavenly Father really knows His children. we met a lot of wonderful people that day, including Fotu, who is a golden Tongan investigator :) too bad we can't really teach him, cuz the Tongan Branch elders will teach him. But still, SO GREAT!!!

- Thursday I got in my FIRST CAR CRASH. don't worry, no one is hurt and the cars are fine! just another way that God places us in people's paths (literally.) IT WASN'T MY FAULT THO. :) but yes, we are teaching that lady who rammed into us. God is so good.

- Also Thursday we got to go to Addiction Recovery Program class with two of our investigators. We are really excited they're working to overcome their addictions so they can be baptized!! so good.

- we finally contacted a referral we've been trying to contact for about a month. usually if we can't get a hold of them, we just count them as contacted after multiple times of trying them and then we move on... but we really felt like we just needed to keep trying. good thing the spirit told us to do that!! cuz on Friday we met Tyrone and he is awesome. we have a follow up appointment with him soon so we'll see where it all goes :) God knows his children.

- Saturday we saw  A HUGE MIRACLE. one of our inactive families allowed their 8 year old daughter to go to a stake activity!! and the lady who picked her up also brought one of our 11 year old investigators, and I guess they're like best friends now. haha, God is so good, right!? He set it all up & everything.

- we also went to contact a referral we received on Saturday and they ended up being pretty anti-God and everything :( so we were disappointed but THEN! God placed us exactly where we needed to be and we met with a former investigator who was pulling into her driveway as we walked by, and BOOM! we found out she was never given a Book of Mormon, and she was so excited to read it and asked us to come back Monday, so we'll be going there pretty soon :) exciting stuff.

- we're also working with a lot of other INCREDIBLE people. I just love it so much. Missionary work is the best. One of the members of the ward council told us yesterday after the meeting, "sorry sisters I wasn't able to come out with you this week. I'm so sad! I feel like I didn't get my missionary fix this week." haha :) brother hoopii is so funny!!

well anyways, I think why this week was so great is just cuz I really felt the spirit work within me and those we are working with. :) it is SO FUN to go out visiting PEEPS and it is so great to feel our Savior's love. everyone, please read the book of Mormon. it changes lives. and we cannot afford to not have that spirit with us. truly, it's the greatest!

and even when times get tough, we gotta push through because God has better plans, in fact, perfect plans, ahead of us. Hurrah for Israel!

God is good & he loves you dearly. As do I!! Choke mahalo's for all yalls do

choke=plenty

mahalo=thank you

 yalls=YOU, MY FRIENDS.

Aloha, peace n' blessin's, xoxo,

Sister Judkins

-- 

Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah for Israel

“This painting portrays Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball leaving for their mission to England. This was a significant event. They left when they were ill, and their wives and families were also sick. The images to the back and side signify the premortal spirits who watched this momentous event and pledged in the premortal existence to follow their example to fulfill missions and do the Lord’s work.” —Larry Wade

https://history.lds.org/bc/content/images/museum/exhibits/2005-international-art-competition/wade-hurrah-hurrah-hurrah-for-israel.jpg

Week 59 - 5/9/16

Aloha!

so, yes, I am finally learning some Hawaiian :) I almost have the most basic of the basics down. we'll see where it goes!

the subject line = happy Mother's Day!

I'm so grateful for the wonderful mothers who have shaped me into the person I am today. if it wasn't for each of the mother figures in my life, I don't know where I'd be. I have my soccer moms, my school moms, my german moms, my Virginia moms, my mission moms, my friend's moms, my Centerville 2nd ward moms, and most of all my mom!! (who is pretty much all the above as well haha!)

my mom is amazing. I'm so grateful for her compassion, love, and unconditional support in my life. I am so grateful for her testimony of the gospel.

this week we were able to do LOTS of service. it was great :) we also saw many miracles. one day an investigator took us on a walk, she needed us to help her pick something up from the store. so, we walked and walked and walked and talked about Christ and His gospel, and I think she got us lost or something, cuz I think we made a few laps around town by the time she finally said, OH this is the store!! :P

we also were able to go to an ukulele class with a family we are teaching... well we get up to the house the class was at (the family drove us in their car) - keep in mind this house was up the mountain, practically in the middle of nowhere on this tiny island - and nobody was there :| oops, I guess the class was canceled & nobody informed us :P it's okay, we had a great time once again talking about Jesus :) and hey, adventure is out there!

we have great plans for this week :) I'm pumped!! & this morning we got to go to the LAIE TEMPLE!!!  yay :) I missed it. It was just a wonderful experience & I'm just so grateful for the temples & the gospel & the book of Mormon & eternal families and ahh the gospel is true guys!!

keep the faith <3

Aloha,

Sister Judkins

Week 58 - 5/2/16

aLohA!

This week was amazing you guys. nothing too exciting happened, but it was just a blast to feel the spirit and to see the miracles happen :)

we went to contact a less-active family on Tuesday and as we were walking up the road, there was a lady getting into her car. We approached her & she said, "Oh hi! Let me go get my daughter, she used to meet with you guys." We taught the 13 year old daughter and she's awesome and we set a return apt for this week :)

Wednesday we went tracting and at one of the doors, a lady answered and just started to cry and say, "I know, it's not my fault. But, I don't know how to help her..." She was talking about her daughter who is hooked on all sorts of drugs, and we were able to go at just the right time, because I think she woulda had a mental breakdown, she was so stressed over how to help her child. it made me really ponder on how much our Heavenly Father loves us and hates to see us struggle, but yet, He is always there even when we're too stupid or prideful to turn to Him. 

Thursday we learned a really important lesson: where there's a will, there's a way. And our way will NOT work out unless it is strictly aligned with the Lord's way. :) God is good you guys!! just trust Him & His plan.

Friday we met with our two cute investigators, Jen and Nessa (I know, I call them Jenessa some times cuz I think it's funny! ). We had a really great conversation about the Plan of Salvation. They're only 11 years old, but they seriously had such great insights & questions. It was great!

Saturday we got to hang out with Sister Char, doing service at their ranch :)

Sunday we were led to visit a part-member family after church, and though the parent weren't home, the 26 year old son was just getting to the house as we did. We started talking with him and he basically said, "wow, it's crazy that you guys showed up just now... I was just debating on if I was going to drink or not tonight." See!? God is good. He totally knows that kid. He knew we needed to show up to remind him that God knows him and loves him. :)

My testimony grew this week of the Plan of Salvation, Obedience, Charity, Humility, Diligence & God's infinite unconditional love for each of His children. He lives, all glory to His name!!! :)

Have a great week, happy mothers day to all the wonderful mothers out there & hbd to my cousin monica & everyone else who has bdays this week :) loves & hugs.

xoxo,

Sister Judkins

ps. ponokea can mean righteous white person. so, all you haole's out there, BE RIGHTEOUS.