"God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles"

Happy Thanksgiving, Family!

GREAT week. 

On Monday night some of our plans fell through, and long story, but we were biking and a taxi pulled over beside us. The driver asked if we were missionaries. Then he asked if we could meet with him this week. Found out he's a member of the church and has a lot of struggles and hasn't been to church in a while. God places us right where he wants us!

District meeting on Tuesday. It's funny because our district is just the 4 of us in 29 Palms, and we live together. But we still have district meeting at the church, because we are dignified. and we all love 29 Palms. It's a great district.

Thursday morning we went to Desert Hot Springs and helped feed the homeless at a nice church of another Christian faith. We had Thanksgiving dinner with the Panzarella and Tavai family. Just one dinner this year, and it was great. We also dropped off thank-you notes to families in the ward during the day.

Really Cool miracle on Wednesday. We were biking down a main road and passed an Auto Zone parking lot. We saw a man and woman fixing an Astro van. We had almost passed them, but something urged to us to pull over quickly and offer to help. We started to talk with the woman and she recognized us as being from the Mormon church. I had a hunch she was Samoan. She talked a lot and we listened and asked questions and she said she used to meet with missionaries about a year ago and was baptized in Samoa as a child. (Sadly, she speaks very little Samoan) Her name was Ti. She wanted to meet with us. Her name was really familiar to me.
I thought a lot about it, and at night I looked for an old letter from my good friend Sister Morris, serving in Reno, Nevada. I found the letter, and it confirmed that Ti was meeting with Sister Morris and her companion in Nevada, but then moved to somewhere in California.  Little did we know it was 29 Palms! There are no coincidences! I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has been merciful enough to send me to the desert to 29 Palms and help me and my companion have the faith to open our mouths about His gospel! I love this place! And I know that God is mindful of me. And I know that God is mindful of you! None of us is lost to him. 

Jesus said:

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he cometh home, he calleth his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Everyone should watch He is the Gift. Do it! Share it. It's great. You're great. You'll love it. 

#ShareTheGift

Love,

Elder Judd 

"that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd"

Malo soifua!

What a week, I tell ya. Many blessings and counting.

Tuesday, we visited some less active members, Waikiki and Koko. Really cool folks with really cool names, but I'm still confused about who was who. I think the husband was Koko. I think... They were super kind and started to bring food out to us as soon as we sat down, which isn't uncommon here. Samoans are SO generous!

On Wednesday I went on an exchange with Elder McCall from Seattle. I LOVE this guy. He has always been a missionary I've looked up to and just really respected. Working in his area was awesome. We went and visited this guy named Dave who hasn't been to church in years. He spends most of his time working on this old workshop (kind of like a baby Home Depot that's privately owned). We helped him with side jobs and just talked for a bit. I could tell he was from Texas from his accent. Found out he's from Carthage! Like the movie, Bernie! He wasn't too interested in religion, but I know the Lord is working in his heart. 

We also had dinner with the Land family. Brother Land is the stake patriarch. The spirit was so strong in their home. It just felt like a home of a family built on love. AND, I found out the Lands have a son in MCKINNEY, TX! Coincidence? I think not! It was just a Texas day, because later we visited a family in the ward and I found out the wife grew up in Plano.

And while I was out with Elder McCall, his companion Elder Owens worked with Elder Aguilar in Samoa. And Elder Owens is Samoan, so you better believe they had a powerhouse day. He and Elder Aguilar were able to get a lot of work done, and he gave us names and addresses of other Samoans he knew in the area. It was great. 

Thanksgiving day was great. Had lots to eat. Taro, fa'i, crab, turkey, rice, and more. Much to be grateful for.

Friday was probably my favorite day ever. We brought Bro. Tia out with us and went to teach Jake. But he wasn't home. So we went through back up plan after back up plan. Nobody. I was getting sad for Bro. Tia because we had brought him an hour away from his home to see people. BUT, as we were driving away towards our last back up, I had a feeling to stop by this apartment complex full of Samoan families. We go by every so often, but most of the time everyone just scurries inside and closes the doors. So we drove to the complex, and found some Samoan women sitting outside whom we'd met before. We talked with them, then all of a sudden one named Sofia was like, "Oh, you should visit Joe!" 

Then another said,"Yeah! Go to Joe!"

I'm thinking, "Who's Joe?" 

Then asked, "Who's Joe?"

They told us that Joe just moved in from Long Beach and is Mormon and has been looking to come back to church. Sofia got up and said she'd introduce us. She knocked on his door and we met Joe. It was one of those moments where the world feels exciting and you just know that something amazing is about to happen. As soon as I met him I knew that Heavenly Father's hand was actively working in Joe's life. Joe was young and much thinner than the stereotypical Samoan. He was quiet and very polite. He told us that he'd been away from the church for a long time, but felt that it's time he came back. He said he never lost his testimony. He said that his mom has always told him that it's still not too late to serve a mission. I felt deep peace as we spoke with him and knew that the Savior loved him so, so much. Maybe more powerfully than ever before as a missionary, as I sat in Joe's place, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be on earth at that moment. There was nowhere else I would have rather been. Bro. Tia gave him a hardback copy of the scriptures and he said he'd read Alma 36. I am so excited to meet with him more this week.

What I love about the gospel of Jesus Christ is the knowledge that God is literally our Father in Heaven. He cares about what we care about. He hears our prayers. He answers them. I don't know everything, but I do know that this is true. I have felt His love by the power of the Holy Ghost enough times to know that He is there.

So friends, if you haven't prayed in a while, please do. Open your heart to Him. Pour out your soul with your concerns and worries. He understands. He's there.

He has promised:

"I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led."

Love,

Elder Judd