Week 66 - 6/27/16

Aloha!!

This week was a true test of diligence.

we tracted into a lot of Athiests ... which I don't think is actually a thing, because c'mon, God is so real. It's so sad to see our brothers and sisters turn away from Him completely :(

we also had so much service going on I could barely keep up.

plenty of members decided all of a sudden that they have plenty of time to come out on visits with us & I almost lost track of everyone's schedules haha

& it seems like all of our investigators decided to stop reading & praying & decided not to come to church... so many appointments fell through and tons of people are out for summer (who stays home when there's a beach 5 minutes from home?!) NO ONE.

haha, but THERE IS GOOD NEWS :) we made it through the week. and I can honestly say my faith has been actually strengthened from this week.

truth is, we did meet a lot of incredible people in the midst of houses and houses of non-believers.

& we have been PRAYING AND PRAYING for service opportunities and for the members to make time for missionary work... GOD IS GOOD & ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS. almost too abundantly lol but hey, I'm so grateful.

also, it seems like things are looking upward now for our PEEPS, Satan got to them (and us) last week, but this week is a different story. I feel the angels around. good things are happening.

I know this gospel is true. I'm so grateful to be here, I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

keep pressing forward, brighter days are ahead!

Mahalo nui loa for everything you guys. I have the best family & friends!!!!

xoxo,

Sister Judkins

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Week 65 - 6/20/16

loha!! 

So here's the deal-e-o

we have some awesome peeps we're working with, and lots of good things going on here in OLOMANA :) this past week i learned a lot about adversity.

ouch.

we got locked out of our apartment & car, appt's canceled & all that...

but lo and behold!! WE STILL HAD A GREAT WEEK!! :)

here are our three progressing investigators.

Healani: hawaiian, we picked flowers with her, (sorry i can't remember what i have mentioned in these emails haha so sorry for repeats..), so we picked flowers with her, we talked with her, we made leis with her, and then we began to teach her. she started to read, she began to pray, and now she is enjoying the experiences of CONVERSION :) stupid satan tries to get in the way, but she is so strong and has a lot of faith & as long as she keep reading, satan can't even get near her.

Lester: hawaiian/filipino (i think haha!) and he is so great. his wife grew up in the church, and is semi-active at the moment. he's taken the lessons many a times, but now he is actually trying. he is reading and praying and we will be going to church with him THIS SUNDAY :) yay. it's all about that spiritual CPR guys!! CHURCH PRAYER READING.

Jonathon: he is part Haitian, part white haha, he's from New York, and he's so cool!! he is reading and praying and he's had some great experiences so far, he's only 38 years old and we are having a blast teaching him, it's seriously so crazy to see how much the adversary is trying to get to him :( but he's so much stronger. CPR guys! CPR!! 

anyhoo- i know the Book of Mormon is making all the difference in the people's lives. I know it's made such a huge impact on my life. I know that book is true. i know the promises found in it are SURE. God is good, he loves you all! please remember that, and give him the opportunity to speak to you through His holy scriptures <3

have a wonderful week!!!

Aloha <3

Sister Judkins

Week 64 - 6/13/16

Aloha!! ☀

So this week was pretty great :) the highlight was meeting an Apostle of the Lord, Elder Renlund. & his wife!!

so quick run-down of the week...

- Monday I got to do some family history work and I printed off a name to take to the temple!!! yay! I am sad to admit that this is the very first time I have ever printed off a name to take to the temple. But, I am pleased to announce it is definitely not the last time :) after finishing at the Family History Center last Monday, we headed to visit a less-active sister who just moved into our ward. when we arrived, we learned that she is on her honeymoon, and as we spoke with her recent father-in-law, it turns out HE'S AWESOME!! cool thing is that Bishop Durant and also the Relief Society presidency asked us to go THAT day in specific, and lo and behold, we met someone who the Lord really needed us to see. Team work, guys. God is good.

- Tuesday was really amazing because we had two members come out on visits with us, and we saw miracles happen!! team work, once again :)

- Walking Wednesday rolled around, and we headed out to work & tract all day. But, the Lord had other things in mind... we ended up spending every hour of the day in someone's home. each hour a different family. God is good.

- the rest of the week went like this: Thursday, zone meeting. Friday, Zone conference. Saturday, mission conference.

Although we were out most of the day at these meetings, we were still able to see huge miracles in our area :) we met some awesome people, a single mom with 3 kids that is super ready for the gospel, the Lord has prepared her. A less-active family that took huge steps to coming back to church!, Jonathon who is progressing quite well, he is so awesome!!!, and Sam who READ & PRAYED about the book of Mormon and is excited to keep learning :) and oh, just so many things I don't have time to write.

- we also spoke on sunday in sacrament meeting :)

sorry if this email is confusing :P

at Zone Conference on Friday, I bore my dying testimony. This is because it was my last zone conference i'll have on my mission. SAD DAY. but, I still have plenty of time :) I learned so much as we listened to Elder & Sister Renlund teach us. They are incredible, humble, dedicated servants of our Lord. They are truly called of God. I know that this gospel is true. Families are forever. The only way to do the Lord's work is TOGETHER. God is good. :)

go out and do good this week!!! :) shout-outs to my cousin Alex & my good friend Megee for finishing up their missions this week. they served well, I'm proud of them :) time flies too quickly, tho.

LOVE YOU ALL XOXO,

Sister Judkins

ALSO SHOUT OUT TO MY MISSION PRESIDENT <3 they go home in two weeks. I got to bear my dying testimony alongside with them.

Week 63 - 6-6-16

Aloha All :)

So I hope you all know how much I love being a missionary... cuz I truly do cherish it <3

and one of my favorite parts of being a missionary is that we automatically always have a connection with everyone. I'm serious, whether they notice it or not, people make a connection with us from the second we see them. that is the LIGHT OF CHRIST!! it reminds them of who we are and who we represent. they may not always have a positive reaction to that connection, but hey - God still gives it to them. And I have truly seen miracles happen because of it ... hearts softened, doors opened & fonts filled. this is truly God's work. He is here with us, and He knows His children far better than we do... we are merely just His hands here, He doesn't need us, but He allows us to partake in it, because He knows WE NEED HIM.

anyhoo- this week was great :) of course!!!

here are some highlights:

- Aloha 'oe to Sister Frost :( and ALOHA to Sister Karitea :) - my new comp. she is from Kiribati Island & is a convert of 5 years. she is the only member in her family & she is AMAZING. this girl truly does have a very special spirit, and I'm so pumped to work with her :) from the first half an hour we spent together, I could already tell that this transfer is going to be one of the most spiritual transfers I have ever had. :) so great, guys. God is good!

Sister Frost finished up her last night strong here in Olomana, and then headed to my greenie area ALIAMANU <3 we spent the hours of 7-9pm out street contacting! & we found some new investigators and some VERY interesting people... I just love talking to strangers & helping them to feel that LIGHT OF CHRIST. it's so fun.

- our first day together, Sister Keahiolalo (a member in our ward) gave us mountain apples! yum. BUT then a spider crawled out of mine when I was only half way done eating that thing... made my stomach turn a little.

- we were able to take the Dugan family to LAIE TEMPLE VISITOR'S CENTER!! YAY! that was a miracle. they are so fun! we had a good time @ lunch & the VC & roaming around temple grounds.

- we finally caught Tyrone @ home again. HE IS AWESOME. we introduced him to the book of Mormon, he's pumped to read :) such a great family.

- a couple weeks ago we got lost in the backroads of Waimanalo & pulled over to ask a guy for directions. He was excited to see our name badges & asked if we could come back to answer some of his questions about the book of Mormon. so we met with Jonathon on Saturday & HE IS SO COOL! turns out his best friend is a member on the other side of the island & had just given him a book of Mormon not too long ago. he's practically Mormon already, he just hasn't quite accepted it :P we look forward to teaching him again this week! last time he had food and drinks for us haha he's so great.

- Waimanalo ward (the ward we share our meeting building with) is CAMPING for two weeks @ bellows! man, it's so cool, they camp in luxury LOL they have water heaters they have brought over and LONG LONG extension cords so they can have tv and all that jazz :P so funny. we had fhe there last night, so fun.

- this week we will be having Elder Renlund and a couple of other general authorities meeting with us!! I'm excited to learn :)

I got a surprise visit from THE LOO'S yesterday!!! Oh my goodness, they are my mission parents from Honoka'a Ward on the Big Island. I was shocked to see them, I couldn't hold my tears back :P they took us to bfast this morning, they're here visiting their niece for her graduation. man, i died. (mom - don't tell sister loo i told you!! lol, i told her i would let her tell you tomorrow, but I JUST COULDN'T HELP BUT TELL YOU ALL!!) :)

Their visit plus knowing I only have 3 months left on my mission really made me reflect. I know I have changed so much out here. & I love it. I know this gospel is true, and that's what has changed me so much is coming to know my Savior more personally & helping others to do so as well. I know He lives. I am so grateful to be here, although i miss you all, there's no where else I'd rather be at this time. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL.

have a wonderful week! xoxo,

Sister Judkins

Week 62 - 5/30/16

In her letter to us, she mentioned the Halford family who she taught on the big island.  The Halford's apparently moved to Phoenix last month and a guy Brigitte graduated with, Dallin Parker, is serving as a missionary in their new ward in Arizona.  Small world.

haha, jk i'm not going to Maui, but hey maybe that caught your attention.

ALOHA!!

Last week we sat down with our Ward Mission Leader and decided on a new game plan. there are so many less-active families here in our area, and we have decided to focus on contacting them, teaching them and getting them introduced to their home teachers to pass them along to the ward. It seems like the ward just needs to be a little strengthened before the Lord will bless them with converts.

We have already seen huge miracles with this new perspective. Solid new investigators have come in to our teaching pool, and we have contacted some super cool families that are ready to come back to the fold. We are so excited!!!

One of the less-active families that our Ward Mission Leader asked us to contact ended up being a part-member family and the sons are interested in getting baptized! God is good you guys! God is good.

Anyhoo- sorry nothing too exciting happened this week :P we did see a lot of miracles & we did have really funny experiences, but yeah.. you'll just have to take my word for it :P

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. oh yeah, TRANSFER NEWS!!! turns out, my comp sister frost is going to ALIAMANU!!! (that's my greenie area, or the first area i served in)... she's gonna love it. and i am staying here and getting a new comp from MARSHALL ISLANDS!! I'm super excited to meet her, i love the marshallese people. & i love this ward, so i'm pumped to stay and to continue to work hard here in the Olomana ward <3

One thing Bishop Durant shared yesterday in Ward Council was Matthew 11:28-30, talking about coming together to share the Lord's "yoke", he talked to us about how the Lord's "yoke" is still a "burden" but not the kind of burden that brings us down... it's work & responsibility but it's something that actually makes us lighter, happier, and brings us together as a team as we share the "yoke" and experience the joy that comes from living the gospel <3 so sweet.

keep sharing the yoke. take upon yourself His yoke & share that with others. it's a team effort here, no child of God's left behind!!!

love you all. mahalo for everything <3

xoxo,

Sister Judkins

oh yeah, we tracted into a lady on saturday and she was super nice but said she's super busy, so we asked what we could help her with & she was all, "well, i could use help making leis for my daughter's graduation". so she took us around, picking plumeria & teaching us the Hawaiian way (there's very specific things you need to do in order to pick someone's flowers & make leis...) and then WE MADE LEIS!!! :) so cool. now we are teaching her :) she's so amazing.