5th Transfer: Week 4 ~ No Car and Conference

So this week has been wild! As you see by the subject title we no longer have a car! Woohoo! I don't know if I told you this, but when we had a flood here in Nassau, Sister Woolf went over a speed bump and broke the stuff under the car. I just took the car in so they can fix it and we don't get it back until Wednesday! So that means.....walking and taking buses tomorrow! Pray for us!

I forgot to tell you that along with our English class I have been teaching Lisa how to play the violin :) She wanted to learn so for her birthday her husband bought her a violin. I am now teaching her how to play it. She is a fast learner. She always makes sacrifices for us

My violin lesson with Lisa and her
cute little boy Dre.  

missionaries. She has a little family and she is so very young. She is busy with work but she always finds the time to serve us. She cooks for us, and she comes out teaching with us and she is all about missionary work. She has signed up for us 3 times this week so we can be fed. She is amazing!

We have 4 new investigators this week. They are awesome. Their names are Beverly, Kevin, Esther and Jerome! Beverly and Esther are referrals and Kevin was a referral from a tourist. He is a taxi driver. Then Jerome we found in our area book and picked him back up. Jerome is awesome and is so very prepared! So I am excited to work with him. He has 2 sons and really wants to know the truth so he can raise his 2 sons in what he knows to be right. So I am excited for Jerome. He is a nice guy! I had a spiritual experience with Jerome that I forgot to tell you about. He has so many questions. He has read the Bible and so have I. He started talking about the Savior and when he was crucified and the 2 thieves, one on each side of him. The one was not to nice to the Savior but the other one next to him, had compassion on him. The Savior told him that he would be with him in paradise. Continuing on.. Jerome started to say that, that tells him that now he can go out and do whatever he wants and he will be able to be forgiven and live with Heavenly Father again. As I was sitting there... Mom.. it was the craziest thing! Talk about the Lord putting words into your mouth. My mouth just opened and I began to talk but I was not the one talking. The Spirit was filling my mouth with words. The Spirit was so strong in the room and his question was answered. He didn't say anything else about the matter. He wants us to keep teaching him. He is awesome! He is really prepared! I just know and can feel that He will accept this gospel. The LORD wants HIM to come back unto him. What I said in that room... I myself would have not thought to say. It was wonderful.

Me and Sister Dill outside our little
apartment before conference 

CONFERENCE was absolutely amazing! I teared up the first session of conference. It was so spiritual. I loved the talks where we had translators. I loved Elder Hollands talk, Elder Bednars talk and...well all the talks were amazing! It really made me start thinking that following the prophets counsel, no matter what the law may be or go on in this life, is necessary. So that is telling me that something bad is coming soon. I looked at Sister Oman and said " I think they changed the age for missionaries not to only hasten the work, but for the young women and young men to learn what will be necessary to be great mothers and fathers to the children who will be coming into this world. They will be going through so much tribulation because they will be in the LAST DAYS. The time is near!" I feel that something HUGE is about to happen. It's going to get bad. We just need our faith to be strengthened so we can be prepared for what will be coming but we don't need to fear. We will know that we will dwell with our Father as long as we follow the prophets counsel and live righteously. So this conference was amazing. It opened my eyes. I am grateful for a living prophet and apostles in these days! Thats for sure.

My favorite talk was Elder Holland's. He talked about the poor and needy. It made me tear up to hear of the LOVE that he has for the people as well as for our beloved prophet Thomas S. Monson. I don't know about you, but I have seen so much poverty, to the point where I have gotten used to it. I have little clips in my mind and some ideas about how America is... but the thing is, what I think may look nice may not be the same for you. With us walking around here in these areas we see so much poverty. So much. We see them helping each other. Even when they have NOTHING they still try to give and to help their neighbors and friends. So MUCH I see people walk past someone who is in need of help. They just pass them by like they are nothing. I loved how Elder Holland said We are "HYPOCRITES" if we don't help those in need. We make assumptions like "They did this to themselves". We ALL NEED HELP! So let us help each other! Lift up the arms that hang down, lift up those with feeble knees! HELP one another and show our love for them by SERVING them! That is HUGE for me. The compassion that Elder Holland had was touching for me. In Jamaica I saw the poverty every single day and even here in Nassau....I've gotten used to it. At times people walk past and ask for a dollar. I even find myself blowing them off. But during that talk I remembered an experience that I had back when I was little and still living in Japan. We were in a pet store. A woman dropped all this dog food on the floor. I stopped what I was doing and went over to help her pick it up. It is NOT in my nature to blow those in need off. It is NOT in my nature to give what I have to the poor and the needy. Satan was working on me in that area and now the love that I have for people even surprises me. By being out here in these needy areas and being on a mission doing the Lords work, the love that I have for people has grown so much. My patience has grown so much. I have learned so much and now I know why the Lord needed me to come out on a mission. To not only help those in need of hearing the gospel but for ME to change by serving others and showing my love for them. I love this gospel and I love my brothers and my sisters. I strive to serve them in any way that I can. And as a missionary that is MY challenge to all of you my family :) To find someone that you can serve this week. It is fun! It's loads of fun! :) But that was my favorite talk !

A couple of days ago, I thought about my reaction when I was being called to the work! They didn't call my name or anything but I knew at that exact moment that I, Mackenzie Judd, was being called to the work. I was reading my patriarchal blessing the other day. I always read this part but it didn't really sink in til now. It says that "I will be lead and guided by the Spirit in accomplishing the things that my Father in Heaven has planned for me to do". I knew at that exact moment I was being called to the work because the spirit led and guided me and confirmed in my heart that my Heavenly Father was calling me at the exact moment. It was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget.

Patriarchal blessings are amazing but they don't just tell you the future and what is to come. It's a guide for you to help you accomplish the things that Heavenly Father has for you to do. As you act in righteousness and strive to do the things that your Father in Heaven has for you to do in this life, you will find happiness in this life and in the life to come. :)

Me and Onise! She will be starting her
papers to serve a mission!

I miss picking up kidsssss.. I just kneel on the ground and hug them that way. I have found myself really loving children since I have been out on my mission.  I can just see the Lord laughing at me because I remember myself as a youth. Children kind of annoyed me.. but now.. MANNN how I love kids! Shows me that Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself. I have not been able to give out stickers lately because we have been working with grown adults but when I see a little one then I will give them stickers. :)

Me and Sister Dill found a Daiquiri stand. They are between 1 and 5 dollars. We try to get one every time we pass by. They fill you up.

 An ants nest up in the tree. Isn't it huge?! We have ants the size of dinosaurs here....

So this is my last picture. It makes me laugh everytime!! This was us this morning.. we randomly had what felt like a hurricane this morning and so Sister Bailey put trash bags around her shoes hahahaha! So did everybody else that we passed by. LOL

Hey MOM! My time is about up so before the sisters get here to come pick us up.. I just wanted to tell you BYE and that I LOVE YOUUU ALL!! Take care of yourselves!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU ALL BYYYYYEE MY FAMILY!!!

HAVE A FUN WEEK NEXT WEEK! I can't wait to hear all about your camping trip the following week! BYE MOM! LOVE YOU SO MUCHHHH TELL EVERYONE THAT I MISS AND LOVE THEM ALL!! BYE!!!! :)

-Sister Judd