Letter #30

October 25, 2010

Family and Friends,
I am in College Station 1st ward the address is:

2701 Longmire Dr.
Pepper Tree Apt #204
College Station, TX
77845

Oh wow this week has been full of incredible miracles and miraculous blessings! I am now in College Station and I do love how much work there is to do here! More than I have ever seen on my mission! We have 15+ Investigators 4 progressing and 2 with a baptism date! This all happened this week! My heart is so full with the ultimate desire to serve with all my heart and give all of me to these people, to find how I can bring a little bit of home to them and share with them who they are: Children of God. What an incredible gift we have to know we are children of God, he is our fathers....some don’t know that....how heart breaking it is to not know. But how uplifting it is to share and let someone choose for themselves to serve and follow Jesus Christ and be baptized to follow their savior and receive the Holy Ghost by a worthy man that holds the actual Power to act in God's name!? ISNT" THAT INCREDIBLE! ....and yet why is it that those of us who've known it our whole lives and have been taught by goodly parent’s tent to forget or take it for granted? The spirit is to be our constant guide to lead us to truth to guide what we do. He will tell you all of that I have said and I will always be with you! Why wouldn't I want that with me every single day of my life? I know I am not strong enough or happy enough to try and go through out the trials of life with out this gift. And to share that with those around me and those I love like my family and friends is a precious gift I treasure.

Jackie is 21 and goes to school here. 6 of her guy friends just came home from missions and she has always been around the church, she came 2 weeks ago to ask for the missionaries to teach her, she wanted sisters and so then I got to meet her my 1st day in college Station. And WOW! I felt inspired to tell her to forget about the baptism date that was set for her Nov 27th and to pray about the book of Mormon and Joseph Smith Specifically. And she did and the next meeting (2 days latter) she tells us how her anxieties left when I tolled her to forget about the date for now and just pray. She said she wants to get baptized as soon as possible. We met with her 5 times last weeks and took her to a baptism and she went to church and saw him receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and wow! She was so happy. After the baptism she and I and Sister Cramer sat and talked and I cried with Jackie as she expressed her concern for how she has not tolled her parents that she was taking the lessons let alone wanted to get baptized. she wanted to push her baptism so she could tell her parents in person they live in Austin (2 hours away) after crying with her and holding her I asked: "Jackie, I don't think you should wait to tell your parents, because this weight on you is more than you have to bear, give it to the Lord, have faith in your parents and your father in heaven to help you!" she said "I want to tell them tonight. she was so scared and nervous because she wants her parents to love what she is doing and wants them to know the truth and not think she is crazy....she called her parents Saturday night and called us right after and I talked with her on the phone and asked how she felt, she said it was everything she though it would be, but she feels so much better! :) Her worries of loosing her friends and family were scary to her, but when she came to church on Sunday her prayers and ours were answered as she felt like she belonged with her new friends in the ward. She is incredible and will be baptized in Austin with her family there and her lds ward she grew up with going sometimes. we can't go because it's out of our mission, but wow, she just needs this gift, her life is about to be filled with the Holy ghost. I love her with all my heart.

We are designated the Asian teaching sisters.....ha ha....ya right!!! Can’t speak anything! But there are so many Asians we are teaching. 1. Yao and Hao (Yao came to church on Sunday all 3 hours as well as Ha Kyu and Rosario and her family and Shirley (who we are teaching tonight, she is so cool, she said straight up "I'm not getting baptized though"...that's ok it's not us that converts it's the Spirit of God like a fire that burns. 2. Ha Kyu Lee he's getting baptized Nov 20th and going back to china the 23rd. 3. Yidi (we just got last night she is an exchanged student and the member came up to me after and whispered in my ear "you were the 1st missionary brave enough to ask her to take the lessons") AMAZING!!!! Can you feel how much excitement is in me!!??? A LOT! ....so much potential so much work!

I love the work, I am trying so hard to memorize the 500 members we have in the ever changing family college ward and I think I'm doing pretty well so far. We BIKE EVERYWHERE, but the members also help and drive us which is great because we get LOTS of members to come with us to lessons! This is a blessing for sure! How grateful I am for this ward and the referrals that they give and the trust and push they have on the missionaries to teach their friends. WOW! I loved church we talked about how patience is essential to becoming like our Heavenly father and how yes it's so hard, but it's all worth it.

I love the gospel I love my family!! John congratulations, but I'm really sad that you didn't write me yet. Please take some time out and write me and if Jen could write me too, maybe I will tell you what your sister thinks about her. I know you love me and will write me and have Jen write me too. John I appreciate you, know that you are loved beyond measure by me and mom and dad and the family. But especially me! So please don't leave me hanging me want to know how it all happened.

Mom and dad thank you for your letters I can't tell you how much I needed them and how my heart was filled with love. I love and appreciate you with all my heart!

Katie....what can I say....ever faithful ever true, Best friend. Thank you I love you!

I love you all from here to Heaven,

Sister Judkins