"Ponder anew What the Almighty can do"

Dear family,

Great things are happening here. 

Last Monday night we went to pick up a young man to come with us to a lesson. Sadly, the young man wasn't home. But on the way, we met his neighbor, whom I'll call Job. Job was unloading large pieces of an shed he is going to build. We offered to help later in the week, and he accepted.

When we got to the appointment, our friend that we were going to teach needed to reschedule. At the same time, our next appointment texted and cancelled too. This left us with just over an hour of open time. 

What a blessing! Because in our hearts we had wished that we could have helped Job right when we met him! So we went back to Job.

We helped Job and his wife carry the rest of the large metal pieces to their backyard, and while we worked, we talked. We learned that Job was a pastor in his faith for 30 years, and that he had met with missionaries years ago in another part of California. He has read the Book of Mormon. He and his wife were very grateful for our help, and Job said he would be willing to meet with us again. 

We taught him the next night. Job has many great questions. We love teaching him. And we love him. And we feel a great love the Heavenly Father has for him, so we're excited to teach him more.

We had several exchanges this week, which were really fun. First, I went with Elder Pierce (side note: his first companion was Elder Langi, whom I love) in his area. We taught a man from Myanmar-Burma. He is eager to learn, but unfortunately there is not yet a Burmese translation of the Book of Mormon or other church materials and he still has great difficulty understanding English. He showed us his English-Burmese dictionaries--three thick volumes. And nobody else around here knows Burmese--only his son, who only understands just a little. His son told us:

Thank you for visiting him. He loves it. He talks about you guys all day.

Our hearts were pulled for his situation. I just felt a lot of love for him, so I wanted to write about it.

I love to think that if somehow I can feel great love for people that I don't know very well--how much more does our Father in Heaven love us?

He knows all things!

I love you all,

Elder Judd

"For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them"

Talofa family,

There is so much good happening here.

On Wednesday I went on an exchange with Elder Langi, who's serving in San Bernardino now. I love that guy. It was an awesome day. We taught Henrietta about scripture study and prayer. She's been struggling. She told us that she feels good whenever we come, but the rest of the time she feels like Satan is weighing her down and tempting her hard. She hasn't been reading though. She recommit to reading everyday, and we're arranging with some of her friends who are members of the Church to read with her during the week.

Scripture power! Keeps us safe from sin!

It's true. Life is better and we are stronger when we diligently study the scriptures.

On Friday, while planning for next week, our plans for the evening all fell through. We weren't sure where to go, so we prayed. We continued to plan, then noticed a name on one of our white boards. A guy named Peleti. He was a referral from some folks in Eastvale with just a phone number. We couldn't get ahold of him several weeks ago. So we called again and he said we could come by that evening. And we went that evening.

We caught him and some friends in the middle of a bible study, and they welcomed us in. It was a great experience. The Bible is great. I was impressed by their kindness and by their sincere desire to become better Christians. After, we spoke more with Peleti and his wife and found out they had met with Sister missionaries for a long while, but the sisters suddenly stopped showing up. They're a young couple with 2 baby daughters. And they're open to have us visit and teach them more. It's a miracle. It's amazing to think that Heavenly Father prepares and directs all these miracles.

Heavenly Father loves us so much. He teaches us how to be happy in the scriptures, especially in the Book of Mormon. Read it! :)

Alofa atu,

Elder Judd

"And their hearts were swollen with joy ... because of the great goodness of God"

Malo!

I get to stay another transfer in Samoa with Elder Aguilar! And I've already been serving as a missionary for 6 months! Time is going by way too fast.

On Wednesday I went on an exchange with Elder Langi. I love this guy so much. Out of all the missionaries I know in this mission, I've probably served around Elder Langi the longest. By the end of this transfer we will have lived in the same apartment for 6 months. Yeah, it's almost as if we're friends or something.

Anyway, our exchange was awesome. We brought Ross out with us and worked in San Bernardino. At the apartment complex full of Samoans that I mention all the time (which we just refer to as, "The Complex full of Samoans") we met a young guy named Satili. Just moved from Samoa. We think he's the grandson of this less active woman we've been trying to track down. But we're excited because he said we could stop by again to get to know him more. 

We also went to Loma Linda and met Spencer. Remember Skyler from a few weeks ago? Whom I recognized as soon as I met him? Well, Spencer is his brother. This family is supposed to hear the gospel, I know it. Spencer is super prepared. He's been to church many times in the past with his friend Casey, who is a member in our ward whose family started going to an English ward because the drive is too far. So basically, Spencer said we could come by again soon.

Later, we taught Nerissa and Ioga and their kids again. We were really hoping to have Sai come out with us to visit them, but we couldn't get ahold of him. We talked about covenants. It was so great. Ioga is totally warming up to us. He has so much faith in Christ. We asked him when he's felt the spirit in his life, and the moment was just sweet. It got quiet. He told us that in the moments when he's trying his best and doing everything he can during a difficult time and things still don't seem to be working out, he's felt a peace come to him and say, almost as a whisper, "Everything is going to be okay." 

It's true. The Savior has promised: "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." He will come to us as we come to Him.

Thursday was awesome too. MLC. Always the best thing ever. Then, in the evening we stopped by Sai. We found out that he had the craziest night on Wednesday, which was the reason we couldn't get ahold of him. On his long way home from work a police officer pulled him over for DUI, though he hadn't been under the influence of anything. He told the officer that he doesn't drink because he's a Mormon. the officer didn't believe him. after a breathalyzer test and everything, he proved to be clean, but the officer still arrested him. Sai told us how wrong it felt to be handcuffed, then ordered around and mocked by the officers at the station. He felt alone and mistreated and misunderstood and falsely accused. But then in a small moment during all of this, he told us, everything seemed to still as the thought came:

"This is how He felt."

He explained that more powerfully than ever before, he knew that the Savior knew him. He knew that He was there. 

I know He is there. You are never alone. I can add my personal witness to the truth the Elder Jeffrey R. Holland stated:

"However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."

I wish I could express every amazing thing that happens each week, but I'm out of time. I love you all. :)

Elder Judd

p.s. Elder Aguilar gave a powerhouse talk about covenants in Sacrament Meeting this Sunday. :)