Mom!!! 

   Thank you so much for the amazing letter that you sent me!!! That was really one of my favorites. I could really feel that Spirit of your testimony in it. I really could. I LOVED your scriptural insight that you sent to me. It's true that many things have already happened in the past and we can absolutely learn from them and apply them in our lives if we are looking for answers in the scriptures. I've have come to figure out that revelation usually comes most clear when we have a clear question or concern. If we don't know what we want out of reading His word, we won't know what to look for as we read His word, because all the answers we need are in there. Thanks again for your testimony Mom!!! You're the best!!

     A little update on what's going on around here!! I am finally getting transferred. To Visalia. A big town 25 minutes north of Porterville. There were a few tears shed by members and investigators here, which was pretty hard, but this is what needs to happen, because there are never mistakes in transfers. I learn that every time they come around. It's going to be really hard to leave all the things that are familiar to me, but in many ways it will also be a good thing. Elder Pace needed so extra practice, so we stayed in a few hours extra for a few days to help him out. And I could not believe that difference!!! He had an investigator, Chris, who had really started to stop progressing. She went on a church tour with us, and loved it, but just felt like we were pushing her too much. So he is leading the area this week and he had a SPECTACULAR lesson! He really helped her and her husband out. She actually came out of the house and swore at us because she was in a bad mood, but by the time we were teaching and reading, she was smiling and laughing. I just couldn't believe the turn-around!!! We have had a few lessons were I just had to turn and smile with how well he was teaching. I have had SUCH a great time with Elder Pace and I have made many great memories with him. 

But I am going to be a normal missionary for like the first time EVER!!!! No training! No leading! No nothing!!! I just get to buckle down with a missionary that I don't even know yet and do WORK. I am pretty excited!!! I've heard not the greatest things about him, but that won't sway my impressions of him at all and I will love him no matter what! 

This week we had a miracle!! We had someone that got married to a member, and wanted to get baptized!! He just wants to walk to the font!! I am so thankful for him!! He is the answer to many of my prayers and fasts. I won't be here to watch him get baptized, but Elder Pace will, and THAT'S what I care about! We've got high hopes for him! His name is Richy! 

My helmet was stolen off my bike. And get this, it was IN the church!! There was mutual going on and I put my bike right were I always put it, and for some reason someone steals it. But don't worry, I found a spare, so I'm happy! It works perfect! 

This week we went to a members house that made us a meal that was named the artery cloggger. yeah. clogger. I'll tell you about it later. 

This week I helped set a wedding that had 4 pizza hut pizzas and candy. Such as is life in Porterville. I'll tell you about it later. 

I gave a talk in Sacrament this week! SO embarrassing. I'll tell you about it later. 

Thanksgiving plans? I have none. I will be transferred to Visalia a week before Thanksgiving. So I hope my new ward is nice to missionaries!!!! 

I love you guys!!!!! Sorry I was late!!! We went to a indoor sporting place on Monday. But I love you with all my heart!!!!!! 

-Elder Dallin Judy

This is Romi and her family!! They came to church!! She was crying a lot because she found out that I was being transferred. She is such a nice person and I will sure miss her family!!! 

Holy! I'm gonna print that out and read it later!  wow this week's email is gonna suck!   haha!  I'm sorry, Tanner was on at the same time, so were you, so I don't have a lot of time haha.

I love when Alma says all things denote there is a God, and the fact that even In those times they knew the earth revolved around the Sun, not the other way around!  ALL things denote to god!

this week has been really great!  I LOVE the priesthood!!  I think it's one of my favorite things to give blessings now haha.  I don't solicit them or anything, but I love when people have the faith to ask for them, because then I get a little sneak peak into how much God loves ALL of his children!  I gave a blessing to a sister missionary, that was really amazing, because I don't even remember what I said, but that the spirit had filled my mouth when I opened it!

ok!  miracle time!  I decided to fast yesterday and consecrate it to the Lord to accomplish some (lofty) goals I have set for myself.   by like 2, I'm exhausted.  in this heat, biking at least 15-20 miles a day, takes it out of you in a hurry!  so I'm biking up this hill on 5th street (dodging potholes) and I look up and realize how easily I'm making it up this hill!  then I look down at my bike.. nope.. no one's pedaling for me, no motor, or anything.. look back up, ever so happily confused.   I almost wanted to stop to see if the bike would just continue going by itself, but something immediately told me that if I stopped, the help would stop too, so I hastened my pedals!  haha it was soo amazing!  it was like I could feel a crowd of angels, some on the pedals, some pushing the wheels, and some pushing my back, all helping me get up this hill!   I knew it was a miracle, because when I got to dinner that night, I was literally trembling with fatigue, and could barely stand, or walk.  I knew that there was NO WAY I could have biked all that I did without divine help!  what a testimony builder that the Lord will never leave us comfortless, and when we trust-fall completely into his arms, he will make miracles happen with us.  when we give him all of ourselves, he in return gives us all of Himself.

I've got a testimony of "sacrifice" (even though when what we want is the Lord's will, not what we want, so it's not even a sacrifice) and consecration of ourselves is powerful.  this week we got to attend the dedication of the Phoenix temple (broadcast) and it really hit me that our bodies are temples, and we can dedicate our temples to the service of the Lord!  during that dedication I really took the time to re-dedicate my life to the Savior, and It was a very powerful spirit that was there! 

love,

Elder Judy

First things first.  i'll tell you about my son!  Elder Jacobson is a great missionary!  he already came out prepared and with SUCH a solid testimony.  he definitely knows why he's out here and it's been great to be his trainer!  it was really hard to say goodbye to my trainer.  it felt like someone popped my life raft in the ocean and said "figure out how to make a life raft with out your own" haha.  it was weird and hard at first taking the lead in lessons and leading a greenie around and stuff but as I've been teaching him, it's reaffirmed what I have been taught by my trainer so it's a blessing for sure.  a call to leadership is a call to repentance, so I've been focused even more on being the best I can be and being led by the spirit and striving for a "perfect missionary" example.  while still being Elder Judy of course.

great this week though!  we've done much tracting and working with members.  I decided to take him on a tour of the area our first day haha he's a construction site manager so he's not used to biking so that was fun haha.  he was in charge of managing 6 sites at once at times.  that's crazy and cool.

we got to teach Bhavish and his wife this week!  a little update: so she was a member till highschool ended then church wasn't a priority so she didn't go, not cuz she decided not to really just cuz it happened like that.  so we taught them the plan of salvation and it was a little rough cuz it was my first lesson leading out and taking control, but luckily he soaked it up!  he was making his own anaoglies to understand the doctrine, she actually was tearing up.  it was so it was pretty powerful.  im so glad to have the spirit and that it taught them something.

we've been working with a less active member, named Vicki.  she is kinda stubborn but she's had one heck of a history so I don't blame her.  she had cancer and her husband died then this and that and I don't wanna make anyone cry, but she's been improving a lot!  last month she was NOT gonna even read the BOM then we committed her to read and she did!  so we're very happy.

we taught Kenny again this week, and it went well!  we taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ and he was very receptive.  also the father and wife sat in for the first time and he actually had some good input!  he knows his bible and there is definitely something there.

I learned a ton in church!  i'll share a few qutoes: integrity is our relationship with God and how much we value it and how much we want to be true to it.

the Atonement extends to our infirmities so that in ALL circumstances we can become like Christ and he can say "I know".

making covenants is what yolk us to the savior.

MIND BLOWING COOL STORIES:

so I saw this lady at walmart  and I was nice and smiled and she shook my hand.  we started talking and she's a member.. then I told her I was from Idaho.. "oh what part??" "Pocatello" "oh really??  that's cool! I have a brother who used to own a dental practice there!  but he moved" "oh that's so cool! who is that?"  I don't know if you knew the McWorters?"   I MET CHASE MCWORTERS AUNT IN WALMART!!!!  my mind was sooo blown!!!  she took a picture of us and sent it to Rusty!! crazy eh??

ALSO! we had dinner with a family that I knew the dad had gone to highland which is wild!!  we were talking some and he told me about how he spent a lot of time in the canals on SIPHON ROAD.. CANAL SURFING!!  so my mind was hence forth blown again...

last one: IT SNOWED IN TEXAS YESTERDAY!!  I could NOT believe it!! the snow flakes were big too! I was soo happy cuz I had written snow off as something I would NEVER see again!  it was beautiful...

fantastic week this week!  I have felt the strength of many many prayers and I TRULY, really am eternally grateful.  I know that I could not do what im doing with out help.  I know that there is power in prayer and if we petition the heavens for our needs, desiring in righteousness, they will be given us.  my prayers were answered many times this week.  I know that the savior has provided a way to become sons and daughters of god.  "Becoming something new is what the plan of salvation is all about.  It is the desire of God that we all become new creatures so we can inherit all that he has and become like him."- President Ames.  I love my mission president.  i'm so glad he is so inspired and it so excited about the work!

God is good Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Judy

Elder Tyler's letter 11/11/2014

Dear Dad,

Wow that sounds like such a blessing having that golf trip!!  I'm so glad you gents were able to unwind for a season and enjoy each other's company and spirit!  That makes me so happy that you're getting a break every once in a while from your labors!  Tell the Bishop I love him and thank the Lord (almost) every night for him!!  He's truly an inspired man and has been a huge blessing and influence for good in my life!  He deserves a lot of love :)

I loved the quote from CS Lewis!!  What quote from him isn't good I guess is the question.  haha  And that thing about clouding our eternal perspective is so good!  That's a huge tactic the father of LIES uses!! He's constantly trying to destroy our agency I've come to realize while teaching people.  Take any sin, and I'll point out at least 2 ways it's destroying your agency.  This is God's greatest gift to us.  Even Eternal Life can't be granted.  Only through the gift of agency can we attain it!  I guess a really close second is the gift of the Holy Ghost and covenants, but they require agency on our part again!
 We had such an amazing lesson with this lady about the Plan of Happiness!  First, when I prayed to know what to teach her, I opened with prayer then started to ask what we should teach.  "Plan of salvation" I just wanna be sure... "plan of salvation" should we teach the gospel of Jesus Christ? " ...ABSOLUTELY nothing.  Couldn't even feel the spirit".  I thought, well I guess we're teaching the Restoration!  haha  We talked with her for about 10 minutes about her life (listening to the spirit).  When we told her how the Plan of Happiness would answer some of her questions and silence a lot of her worries about this life, we started!  When we told her that we used to live with God before this life, she was sooo surprised, but soooo excited!!!  She said it really, really made sense.  But she asked at least 100 times if we really did?!  Then, as we went step by tiny step through the plan (it took about an hour and a half of meaningful discussion to get tot he 3 degrees of glory) she was hyped on life!!  She couldn't believe what we were telling her!!  She loved it sooo much and wanted it to be true soooo badly!  It just really made me realize how we, as children of God recognize truth when it comes, because it's familiar to us.  It's a gift from God to be able to feel truth!  IT was amazing!

(to tanner)  The baptism went soo great!!!  ish...wow I just wish you coulda been there to see this!  I'll get a hold of the pictures next week, but Sydney asked me to baptize him!  What an honor that was!  So we practice the hand-hold and what's gonna go down in the font, but when I finish the prayer, and go to baptize him, he wouldn't go back!  Instead, he was fighting me to get on his knees!  I was like "oh man, he just wants to go in vertically!!  That still counts, right!?!?"  But he got to his knees, then went back, and I felt like I almost drowned him trying to get everything submerged at one time!  haha It was not your dream baptism, haha but then it was, because when I helped him to his feet, he turned and smiled a smile at me that I'll never forget.  Who knew you could feel the spirit from a smile??  haha  Then when we were getting changed, I asked him how he felt, and he said that felt whole, like a hole was filled that he didn't know was empty.  That was really profound.  What a blessing that was!

p.s. I love hearing updates about how Highland's doing!  So, even though I don't respond to them mostly (focused on the work/no time) I appreciate them!

Love

Elder Judy

Elder Tanner's emails 11/11/2014

So I just got a call to train this week!  I'm super excited but I'm also super nervous!  Elde4r Simmons has been such a great leader.  I don't know if I have the strength to lead a brand new missionary but I've been praying and the phrase whom the Lord calls, he qualifieth, so I'm about to put that to the test!  haha

Pretty great week this week!  I'll start with bad news.  The Severinos just dropped us :/  We got an 8 page message of thank you, but don't come back.  That kinda sucked cuz we had a lot of faith for them  but the counsel that came from it was priceless.  I learned a principle from a question:  The Lord's prupose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all men.  If everyone doesn't gain eternal life, did the Lord fail?  No.  A little deeper, if the Lord appeared personally to a man and told him to repent, and he doesn't, did he fail then?  No.   It comes down to agency.  So, I got another testimony of how much agency is a factor.

Kenny is progressing just as well as ever!  He brought up the word of wisdom on his own and said "I can't drink tea after I'm baptized, right?"  We said "no", then he was like "Ok, I can do that!" ...so yeah, his faith constantly blows my mind.  He wasn't able to come to church this week cuz of serious medical conditions.  He wasn't even able to come out to talk to us on Saturday, so we're praying for him.

Oh crap, my ride is here early.  SHOOT.  Well, I'll let you know how the Chaddas are doing (the referral) and Kenny and Shelly next week!

I love you and miss you all!!

God is good.  Hurrah for Israel!!

Elder Judy

Dallin's email 11/11/2014

Dear Family, 

    Thank you so much for the letters that you guys sent!!! All those experiences that you shared are very inspiring and uplifting and awesome!!! I have the BEST family in the WORLD!!!!! :)

But as far as winter stuff, I'm great! I have a great coat, gloves, and an AWESOME scarf from lest year that I kept! I'm all set! And actually this year, it might be better if you didn't send me anything. I have everything I need, and I don't want to make it a big thing for you guys to have to send so many boxes. If you happen upon a cool cheap sweater, I would love some variety, but you really don't send a lot. I'm not going to be out here for much longer anyway. 

But Jazzmen didn't make to church again. She's going to be dropped if she doesn't make any progress soon. I'm kinda tired of her anyways. 

But transfers are on the 19th! It's kinda lame that it is so close to Thanksgiving, so if I end up getting transferred, I'm going to be with a new ward that won't even know me! But I've been here for a long time, and tons of people ask me when I'm going home hahah!

But I haven't quite gotten the box, but if you said that you put some clothes in there, I am SO much more excited to get it! Sometimes I get sick of the same few shirts and shorts I have.

But all the spiritual experiences that you guys have shared with me are very inspiring!!! Mom your faith in prayers is just motivating and unmatched!! The verse that comes to mind when I think about your faithfulness in in prayers is Alma 31:38. With faith in prayers, all things are truly possible. 

And Dad, I love what you said about the CS Lewis quote! I have studied happiness a lot lately and I have found that some people think that when you get things, your happy. Getting an A in class, winning a game, going on a date, things like that. But if that's true, then the opposite must be true right? Statistically, missionaries have 99 bad things happen to them before we get a "yes" or something good. Which is SO not true! I'd say we are the happiest saps in the world!!! We just immerse ourselves in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and that's what brings lasting happiness. (Mosiah 2:41). I also learned that paraplegic people are just as happy as lottery winners!! Isn't that crazy? It is my hope that I can categorize every one of my desires, and repent of the bad ones, and keep the good ones! It's pretty hard though. The natural man is a pretty hard one to kill. But I'm sure that when I do, I will be the happiest person alive!!! (Moroni 10:32-33)

But me and Elder Pace are doing pretty good, we have been working really hard, and we actually broke my lessons taught in a week record! But we still don't have an investigator that is really progressing well. One thing that I learned this week is teaching with charity is everything. If you don't have charity, you are truly nothing. You're just a "tinkling symbol". And I learned that on the path to gain charity, it all starts with prayer. With the way you pray for the gift of charity and also by the way you pray for others. Which is something that I will be doing this week. 

  Well!!! I'm out of time!!!! I love you guys so much!!!! Have a great week!!!! 

-Elder Judy

Elder Dallin's email 11/2/14

Dear Family, 

    Hey guys!!!! It sounds like you guys had a really great Halloween!!!!! We had a party that our ward put on and it was actually very cool! Instead of a trunk or treat (because here I guess we get some unwelcome guests) we had a little carnival thing! They had made a spook alley and had food there and stuff, it was very cool! I had lots of investigators come and they said that they had a pretty good time! 

    I've been very stressed lately because I still feel this area is struggling even though we had more lessons this week than we ever had together, but we still don't have anyone really solid yet. Romi is progressing very well, and as you can see in the texts she sent me, she found and talked to her birth mom for the first time in like 45 years! Which was like a huge miracle to her! And since she's Jewish, I did some studying on the Law of Moses, and we were really able to teach her to her understanding. She promised to read from the BOM, and promised to come to church next Sunday, as this Sunday she was down on the coast with her mom. 

   Me and Elder Pace are doing great though! He is honestly the funniest person alive sometimes. He says the darnest things. He would rather talk about cartoons and farytales rather than sports and hunting and stuff, but we're finding a happy medium! He is by far one of my favorite companions!! 

But Dad, I loved what you said about being with the Lord face to face and just having no one to blame but ourselves. It makes me want to be a better person and  develop myself and be a person that would be comfortable in the presence of perfection. 

But earlier this week, President Clark came to one of our zone meetings that just so happen to be in a members home, and gave us some very good counsel. But you are right about this ward loving me and me loving this ward! I know everyone and many know me! It's really a lot of fun to be on such a personal relationship with so many people and have so many friends! 

  The Kirkendalls sent me a wonderful package with a SWEET tie that I look forward to wearing! I have a meeting on Tuesday that I'm doing to be flashing it around at!! I love them so much and I'm going to try and write them back soon!!