7th Transfer: Week 1 ~ Trials and Lessons Learned

My sisters! I just love them!
Sister Bailey and Sister Dill

Hey my family! I hope you all had a wonderful week and are staying healthy and safe. The weather is not getting any cooler.... which stinks. People are actually decorating the palm trees with Christmas lights lol. It's so funny.

My week was hard but the hardest of times is when we truly do see the hand of the Lord in our lives. As we humbly accept our trials we can learn what the Lord is trying to teach us. This is how we progress in this life. Trials help us to become more like our Savior so that we can once again be able to dwell with our Father in Heaven. We all definitely have lots more to learn. Even when we think we are doing all the right things, there are more things that the Lord requires of us. Just like when the rich man came to the Lord and said "I have been keeping the commandments , what more do I need to do to have eternal life?!" The Lord then told him to sell what he has and give to the poor. The rich man was sad because that (I guess) was very hard for him to do. But just like this man, even if we think we have read the scriptures 20 times and keep the commandments, the Lord still requires us to do more in order for us to keep progressing spiritually. What we think is hard is really not hard, the natural man just kicks in. If we all remembered the premortal life, we would not think of these tasks to be so hard. I always think to myself "These worldly things are just distractions keeping us from holding onto the iron rod". When our Savior was on this earth, Satan was doing his best to try to tempt him, but the Savior was not of this world he was too perfect for this world. He is our example. Just as he asked his disciples to follow Him we, too, need to keep striving to be right behind him in all things. We need to become that witness at all times in all things in all places! Just like at General Conference they said, "The Laws here on this earth can change. But God's words will NOT CHANGE." Whatever the Prophet counsels us to do here, is FROM the Lord. We always need to keep striving with an eye single to the glory of God. The Lord always looks at our actions in certain situations. He wants his saints to be great examples. We have taken upon ourselves His name.

I caught myself really counting down the hours of the days this week. I found myself becoming just physically, emotionally and spiritually DRAINED. I know that Satan is working very, very hard on me. I don't know if I have told you this before, but before my 6 month mark I would have these dreams of a random person (that I have never seen before in my life) coming up to me and saying, "Oh its okay, when you reach your 6 month mark you can go home. That is what I did." As I was getting up to my 9 month mark I had a dream about this guy coming up to me and he said "Just go home when you reach your 9 month mark." It's ridiculous! I don't think about home. I do my best to focus on the work but then I get these random dreams and it plays with my mind! Satan is horrible. It just makes me sad to think that he is just so miserable!

Me and Sister Dill with the sand
castle the Mormon tourists left us:)

I was told something about the Jamaica Kingston Mission. When they dedicated the lands for missionaries to come (I forgot who it was who did it) he said, "Wow. Satan is working very hard on these islands". Mom, it is just so true. So many churches are here. Priestcraft is so prevalant here it is ridiculous. There are even people in the Caribbean that do voodoo. I have never seen such a thing in my life. So much confusion, so sad to see. I have also learned that missionaries came to the Bahamas before they went to Jamaica. Jamaica now has 1 stake and in the Bahamas there are only 2 church buildings in all of the islands. Ours here in Nassau and the one in Freeport where the 4 Elders are. Satan is working hard here in the Caribbean.

Me and Sister Oman:)

There was an experience that me and Sister Dill had yesterday after church. We were walking and we found this guy. His name is Zach. We asked if we could come by again and have a lesson with him and he agreed and gave us a time on Sunday to come back to visit with him. When we went, he was the nicest guy. He told us that he doesn't go to church and how he left his Baptist church at 14. As we were going into the lesson he interrupted us and told us to turn to a scripture in Revelations that talked about the 144,000 having a mark on their foreheads. I then looked at Sister Dill and we both were thinking the exact same thing. I then asked Zach, "so you say that you don't go to church?" He then told us that "Well, I will tell you guys something but you probably won't come back if I tell you this." and I said "go for it Zach". He said in a high and mighty voice "I am one of them, YES I AM A JEHOVAH'S WITNESS!" It was so CREEEEEEPYYY! It was like he was keeping it a stinkin secret! I asked him

This describes me and
Sister Bailey's friendship:)

why he didn't just tell us that in the first place? I asked him if he has ever heard of our church before (already knowing the answer) and he said, "yeah of course I have!". Then he asked us questions and I even asked him questions. He didn't even bow his head or anything when we were saying a prayer because he said that "he already had his personal prayer". And when I prayed he said, "So I noticed you mentioned Heavenly Father" I said "yes" and he said "hm, thats interesting." Anyway, at the end of this "lesson" I tried to hand him a restoration pamphlet and it was like he was disgusted by

So fun!

it. He didn't even grab it from my hands! So I put it on the table and he gave me one of his pamphlets. So anyway, to make the story short I asked him when we can come by and see him again and he said Saturday at 2:30. So we will be sure to meet him on Saturday. He is a really nice guy. As a Jehovah's Witness, he also goes door to door. He even likened me and Sister Dill to Saul! How Saul was a wicked person because he was so diligent in doing bad and then he went on the Road to Damascus and the Lord appeared to him and he changed. When he told us that I got

heated. But don't worry my appearance didn't show it I just sat there patiently. Usually in lessons I am guided by the Spirit in knowing

My coffin!

what to say, but with Zach, I just felt as if me and Sister Dill were not supposed to say anything. We were to let him tell us these scriptures and other things, and we needed to sit there patiently until he was done. When he was done we then gave him a pamphlet. It was a pretty amazing experience in helping me more recognize the Spirit. So even though he was "in a nice way" trying to bash with us, we just didn't entertain it and sat there patiently. It will be sad in the Millennium when he comes to know that this gospel is true. So many will be looking towards the saints to help them. But we will still be working with Zach. With God all things are possible. After we pray about him this week and see him on Saturday we will know what to do.

Sister Dill and I get along so well. Sister Bailey will forever be my best friend, I tell you what. I consider her my sister. She always tells me that I am a white version of her. It's true. She cracks me up. I have to go back to

Sister Bailey will forever be
 my best friend:)

Jamaica to visit her. I tell her that I am going to go into her town and ask the people where my sister lives and when they ask me who my sister is I will tell them "Suzanne" and they are going to tell me where she is! and Sister Bailey was like "Nosa!, They gonna look at you and be like No mon. You are not her sister." HAHA! Poor Sister Judd, just because I am white!! ROFL! But seriously though, the towns are so small and noone drives. They all walk. So if you go into a town and ask where a person lives they can tell you. Sister Bailey has a WONDERFUL new companion!! Her name is Sister Lewis and she is the sweetest sister!! She is from Southern Utah, a small town called ENOCH. I laugh every time I hear that. SHE IS THE SWEETEST THING! I just love her!

Also, we are going to the caves again today and going to Paradise Island to show Sister Lewis around. I am going to be sooooo sad to leave the Bahamas and to not be around

these sisters anymore. But I'm not going to think about that right now:)

Our view of the beach on
Paradise Island

Well my time is about up and the sisters will be coming in to kick us off the computers soon, so I just want to say I LOVE YOU MY FAMILY!!! BE SAFEEE! LOVE YOU!! MEEEERRRRY CHRISTMASS TO YOU TOO MY MOTHERRR!! I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!! STAY SAFE AND BE HAPPPPYYY MY FAMILY!! :) LOVE YOU!!

-SISTER JUDD

My sisters!

We found a bottle! 

We thought it would have a note in it, but it was a beer bottle. Sister Oman was going to put a temple pass along card in there and throw it back out to the ocean. I reassured her that, that wouldn't be a good idea to put a temple pass along card in a beer bottle. HAHA!