So this week was such a fun week! Even though I have been thinking about home almost every day I have been trying to have some fun and focus on the work! We are dropping almost everybody in Limehall. They just don't have that desire anymore and they don't act on the commitments. The hardest part is that they lie to us saying they will come to church but they never do. Its frustrating. That's one hard thing here in Jamaica. When you teach lessons its hard for them to sit still and to listen. Most of them just love to chat! So they will cut you off and say "not to cut you" and they start talking for 30 min about what they want to say. I just want to finish the lesson and try to help them. So its frustrating but its okay. We will still be going up to see Brother Wayne and Humphrey and the Nelson family (they moved) up in Lime Hall. So its been going okay. As for my companionship we always joke and goof around its so fun! Don't worry we work very, very hard as well but there is always time to have fun. Remember when I told you we picked Ricardo back up? Well, he called us on Friday and told Sister Bailey that he thinks about her all the time and has feelings for her. HOW STINKIN AWKWARD! Mom its so hard to teach the GUYS here. Even when they are 40 and you think you are safe they end up not listening to the lesson but just think about YOU. Can I just teach the restored gospel please? Samrick is a really good investigator. He is actually reading! And this guy named Eli who works at the car wash is a good one too. Its just getting them to church, but once they have that desire they will come.
Thank you for sending my box I am excited to receive it! Sea World?! How fun! I am glad she got to go and have fun! I am also glad all of you are doing well and are safe! Sadly enough I don't have pictures to send home today . Sorry! I will try to take pictures this week though. Also, Brother James hasn't been coming to church...such a bummer. We went to teach him and he had a friend there. He (his friend) then started talking about his feelings about Americans and white people. I hear it all the time here. So I always have to stop them and talk about something else. Its annoying but oh well.. they all love me anyway. I just don't like hearing bad talk about the promised land:). But Ocho Rios is going good. I have been out for 4 months. Of course some days I feel like I have been out for years and am ready to come home but some days it feels like its flying by. I pray to focus on the work and not to get too home sick.
Last night I taught this lady about Lehi's vision and the iron rod. She had never heard of that story and she's a member! Crazy huh? But I really love that vision. You see how happy the righteous were because they held on to the iron rod and partook of the fruit. It was delicious to them, and they wanted to have their families taste of the fruit. Sadly enough some of them did choose to go into the darkness. They got lost and took part in the world (in the spacious building) and as we all know the people who chose the ways of the world got their reward. For they had Gods anger come upon them and the building fell! Thank goodness for the justice of God. But I am also so very thankful for the arm of mercy He extends to us each and every day so that those who do fall away can come back through the atoning sacrifice of our Savior. In Alma we read Ammon boasting unto God and not of himself! That is how we all should be always giving thanks and praising Him for everything that he has done for us. He is so wonderful and I am so happy to have this gospel. I thank you so much for raising us up in this gospel and for holding onto the iron rod. Let us keep pressing forward with faith in our Lord and Savior.
(Transfer calls are coming) Sister Bailey is ready for a new area. She has been here for a long time. I would like to go to Junction. They see the ocean too and its more country (bush area) and I like the bush. Its fun even though you sweat like crazy but that doesn't matter. So I would like to go to Junction or wherever the Lord needs me.
So my sisters ended up playing a prank on me but I didn't know. On Saturday it started to rain pretty hard and I was like, "Oh my gosh a hurricane!" and Sister Walker said "yea for real a hurricane comin man." and I was like "Sister Bailey call Elder Lee to see if he has heard of a hurricane". And she pretended to call him and she got off the phone and said "yeah its coming tonight! Its Category 6!" It sounded real so I really believed! They kept playing along with it all day! to where I even asked Eli our investigator if he had heard of the hurricane and he said "uhh hurricane? no". I looked like an idiot! but they finally confessed. So I thought we were going to be in a hurricane this weekend but thank goodness we weren't :) They are so cruel! I always say poor American girl and they think that is the funniest.
I will love my box. I love getting mail. I get my mail from the zone leaders and the senior couples. They pass them out during Zone meeting or District meeting sometimes. Our new senior couple, Elder and Sister Hardy, came last Sunday! So its been nice to have them! This is their first week out in the mission. This is their second mission. They served in Hawaii last time so they like islands :). They are a sweet little couple.
You mentioned the gift of tongues and you are so right on that. This language is definitely not English but I have been given this gift to understand what they are saying and I can speak back to them. A funny thing is that I speak patois and I don't even know it. We were at Burger King and I was so hungry. I started speaking patois and Sister Bailey has made it a joke. She's like "Sister Judd speaks patois when she is hungry!" Its funny cause I have no idea even when I am.
I felt bad for the new senior couple. We have been showing them around this area because there are no addresses and they don't know anybody. When we are in a lesson Elder and Sister Hardy are totally lost because they can't understand anything that we are saying. A member was talking to Sister Hardy and she would turn to me and ask me what she said. I remember when I was at that stage in my mission :) I am just grateful for the help I have been given from my Father in Heaven to do this work here in Jamaica.
Okay mom I am going to go now. I love you and all of you have a good rest of your day! Stay safe and have an amazing trip! LOVE YOU MY FAMILY :) AND I MISS YOU ALL!
-Sister Judd:)
