3rd Transfer: Week 5 ~ "This Mission Is A Wonderful Experience"

Me, Adam and Lauren traveled to Utah and Idaho to pick up Chandler from BYU Idaho and to visit with Brittany so I wasn't able to get on the computer that day. She sent me these couple of sentences and the rest was sent to her Dad. She continues to press forward with a steadfastness in Christ. While she is having some hard experiences her faith is strong and her love for the Savior is unwavering. She's such an inspiration. 

I know you all are on a fun road trip I pray that you guys get their safely! Please be alert and aware on the roads. Love you all soooo verrrryyy muchhh!!!! LikkleMore!

- Your Daughter
Sis Judd

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I am doing great Dad. This mission is a wonderful experience. I absolutely love Jamaica. I had a funny experience. We went to see this less active lady. Her name is Sister Whiley. She is hilarious. She had this beautiful picture up on her wall of a family! So I said "Oh Sister Whiley that is a beautiful family that you have! Who are they?" and she started to name them off. After I got done speaking with her I got up to go look at it more closely and the picture was a sample picture that came with the picture frame! I saw the 8 X 10 in the bottom right hand corner and immediately I started to laugh so stinkin hard! Once I start laughing I cannot stop! It was soooo hilarious! My companions started rolling to. We had to cut it short so we could leave because we just kept on laughing. I love Sister Whiley though. She is a very, very old lady and she worked in the temple over in England. She came back to Jamaica and she has been going to the 7th Day adventist church. I am guessing because it is really close by. She is so old she can hardly walk so I don't blame her. But it was a funny experience.

Also last night me and my companions were coming home and we passed by a pentacostal church. All of these churches have microphones and windows and doors open and the whole town can hear it cause it is sooo loud! We ended up stopping by because we hear them every Sunday night. We walked in and they were standing up and praising because they had the "Spirit". It was so sad to see! They got excited to see us walking in and they all were waving at us but these poor people actually think they are feeling the Spirit. It was sad to see that they actually think they are doing something good but they are totally confused. Satan is really working hard here on this earth. Him and his followers. Jamaica has so many different kinds of churches here. They are everywhere. I have never seen anything like it. But the work here is going okay. We have been feeling discouraged lately because the members are starting to become less active. We have to encourage grown adults to go visiting teaching and to call church members to check up on them to see how they are doing. Our investigators have been making excuses for us not to come by. We went to church yesterday and its like noone is coming to church. I swear less than 20 people were there to actually partake of the sacrament. Then the rest of the church members came in after the Sacrament. Why come to church if you missed out on partaking of the sacrament? That is the main reason why we go to church! It is just aggravating. It feels like I have been here for so long and I feel like I have done absolutely nothing. We work our butts off every single day. So i am getting very discouraged. Satan sees it and he has been putting things in my head. Last night I swear he put this in my dream. Someone (I don't know who it was) came up to me and said "Oh I only went on a mission for 6 months and then I just went home , it was no big deal." I don't know where in the world that came from it was so random. But Satan wants me to go home, and I have definitely realized it. But no worries I am very strong in this gospel. Nothing can bring me down. I just have to put my trust in the Lord and keep pressing forward. In the Lords time Ocho Rios will grow. I know that I have planted many seeds though which is good. If I leave this transfer I hope the other set of missionaries will know what to do. I have figured that this area is more about working with the members and getting referrals. You have to strengthen the members here in Ocho Rios then thats how this branch will grow. I know it will. But like I said, in the Lord's time it will. Ochi is the hardest area, thats what all the missionaries say and I agree with them.

Also, will you tell mom that I said Happy Birthday! I know her birthday is coming up! Thanks dad!

I love you very much and tell Mom, Adam and Lauren that I said I love them all and that I hope they have a wonderful time in Utah! Okay dad you have a good day. Love you! :) Likklemore!

-Your Daughter,
Sister Judd