Letter #29

October 18, 2010

Friend’s family,

I got transferred to Collage Station!!! Packing my place is crazy!!! ..... I just sit on the floor with a bunch of stuff and cry....and then I get up and try again. The new address is:
Oh I'll give it to you in a bit!
Wow an eventful week this has been for both me and my family. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own interpretations. Mom I love you so much, I wish I could be home for a day and just let you and dad and the kids know just how much I love you and miss you and how hard it is to trust in the Lord sometimes. But I have to understand that he knows just how I feel, and I can pray for answers and he will listen and then lead me....I don't HAVE to listen, but I do want to, because he is the one that knows how to give true happiness! And I trust in my savior because I know he lives.

This week was full of changes and following the leadership and council of our priesthood leaders and understanding that Heavenly Father knows and trusts his children to follow him when he leads them gently by the hand. My heart has truly been broken with the news on Saturday that informed me that I will be transferred and be leaving my area here in Tomball and I will be going to Collage Station. It's when you know what you want and you know what the Lord wants and when you feel your heart hurt because you are giving up what you want (even when both are good) for what the Lord wants.

It makes me think. When we want something do we listen and are we prepared to listen to the promptings of the still small voice even when it's something we DON'T want to do? But remember this: what is the plan that Heavenly Father Has for us? "The Plan of Happiness"....yes that's it....so why don’t' I trust him to know what is going to make me happy in the end? the Lord knows that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will make all of his children happy in the end....and yet we disregard it as not because we are happy now, with what we have and were we are...I want to stay in this pig poop because it's warm and feels good, it kind of smells bad but other than that I'm happy, what do you have that can make my pig poop better? ..... we don’t' know at first that after sitting in the pig poop for a long time it will eventually put toxins in our body and kill us by degrees, no we are fine where we are at. But if we would have just had a little faith to pray and clean up and walk out and up on the hill we would be able to see the beautiful hot springs that sparkled the area. Why is it that sometimes we just don't want to.....

.....just don't want to follow the prophet.....
.....just don't want to listen to my parents who strive to be good examples.....
.....just don't want to grow up and live up to who I am....
.....don't want the gift that my brother paid with such a terrible price!


I want you to know that "Just don't want to"....is going to happen all the time....I really don't think anyone just can't wait to get home to fold the 50 loads of laundry piled on their bed ...no....but we do it, because when were done we're happier. I know that this is a true principle and I love how Nephi says: I will go and do the things which the lord has commanded, for I know...." he didn't say "Oh boy, I can't wait to go get the plates and have people come try and kill me and my brothers hit me over the head with a big stick!!! Ya baby, I can't wait"....no, that's not what he said. He followed because he loved his father in heaven and trusted him. How are we on this? I have a looooong ways to go, but I am "going and doing" and that's what matters.

This week Sister Petersen and I have worked hard to find and teach and follow up with appointments. We have a new baptized member Juan that came to church this Sunday and we went and taught him and eddy his friend, he is awesome. I think he really is interested, he's not happy with his religion (Baptist) and any really, he's had a really hard life. But we talked and I ended teaching the restoration and a little about the temple and the fruits of the church!! WOW!!! So awesome, he said he's read the Bible and I asked if he'd read a Book of Mormon if I gave him one, he said yes. We gave him one and Juan tolled us Sunday that they continued to talk for 2 hours after we left!!! WOWOWOWOWO!!!! So amazing that is for sure!

Elder Costa said to follow the spirit and when he says "Testify and leave the family" follow....don't finish your chocolate cake, just follow the prompting and come back latter. Let the spirit have time to work within the people's hearts. Sometimes we all need time to let the spirit work on us, as missionaries you see it all the time you find yourself as a child of God. You have to, because you don't belong anywhere for 1 1/2 years to 2 years. literally you have to feel how others feel when you don't belong.....because those who don't know that they are a child of God and he has a plan for them and they lived with him before we came here and that's why we want to return to him, feel that longing and desire to just belong.....we have that truth....you do and I do....open our mouths and let them know. What an incredible experience.

The missing mom was found and now they want to be taught too!!! SO COOL! and a member we've been trying to get a hold of to meat with her friend to teach found us on Sunday and so that we can go teach her friend too...well not me but sister :Petersen! She will do great and her new companion Sister Taylor will be wonderful and will truly be good together.

My new companion is sister Craimer and she seams......umm......sweet.....quite a ruff sense of humor, I think she'll be great....pray! But the Lord knows me and knows his children and so things will work amazing, because he is the master teacher, not me! but I will be in an all BIKE area (YES.....I"M going to totally die!!! but hopefully I'll lose these 20 pounds I've gained!) and I'm in the only apt with 4 sisters!!! HA HA!!! WOOT WOOT that is going to be so fun and crazy I think!!! And I hope they don't get sick of me too soon! NAH! it will be wonderful because I'm supposed to be there!!! umm....Christmas is coming up and it will be my 1st one without my family!!!! Its interesting mom and dad, I didn't think I'd have to leave family while I came out on my mission, but leaving Tomball there are some incredible people that my heart breaks for because I feel like I'm leaving family!!! But ya know absence makes the heart grow fonder....ha ha! It will be ok!!! I have high hopes and a broken heart.....but I can feel the spirit!

I love you and pray for you each day!

Love you from here to Heaven
-Sister Judkins