April 13, 2015

Dear Mother,

  I first off just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your concern and your prayers. I have felt more spiritual strength than I ever have before, perhaps even in my entire life. I have been SOO incredibly happy this past week! It has been great! 

  Right now I am actually in Praia... just found out my companion has to get a root canal procedure done on two teeth... ouch! He doesn't know what a root canal is so I had to tell him that it will probably hurt a little. Yeah, we thought we'd just be here a day but it looks like will be here for at least a week.

  Boa Vista has some really good grocery stores, they even have shaving cream here! I've just been using ''some water on the face'' technique for the past while, haha. I've been eating a lot healthier to be honest (the picture I sent you is me in Tarrafal... I was barely puffing out, serious!) 

  Yeah, I love my companion! He is such a funny guy, basically all cape verdeans are really funny. Sometimes I lose my patience with him but it isn't because of him it is because of me. He has such a pure heart though.

  I haven't gotten the package you've sent yet but I will one day, haha. You don't need to worry about me, mother, I'm 19 years old. Today I wasn't even afraid to ask for directions when we were lost in Praia, haha, because I'm a big boy now.

  I've lost my voice because my companion loves singing and so we have been nonstop singing for the past few days. I'm dead serious when I say I've lost my voice. (it makes me smile everytime because my companion is tone-deaf, haha.)

  Love you all so very much!

Elder Judd

March 30, 2015

Hi Mom!

  How are you doing? How is the ward? How is our family? How is BYU? Is it warming up there? How is the house? Why is your jacket so big? (that last one was from the movie ELF if you were wondering, haha) Just kidding, mom, I would love to answer your questions.

-We will be broadcasting the womenºs meeting this weekend

-We get conference on the computer, download it, play it on the plasma TV we have.

-Branch of 50 active members and we meet in a nice rented out building.

-No idea on the Population but it is small when you subtract all the tourists, haha

-We run every morning (my companion used to run A TON before the mission so he works me well, haha), we study, teach in our area, have lunch, then teach in our area some more, then we go home, then plan, then sleep, and I LOVE every second of it!

-There is plenty to keep busy in our area! We donºt spend very long in the street because we usually walk a little ways and then we are in another personºs house teaching them. We have about 25ish lessons to investigators every week.

-I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my companion! He is such a funny guy! He cracks me up just thinking about him right now, haha. I love every cape verdean Iºve met. 

-Our apartment is great! It is on the 5th floor so the stairs are helping my belly and the view. It has a lot of broken stuff and we take bucket showers with no actually shower just the drain in the bathroom and we only have running water about half the time and light goes out sometimes but I still love it! My bed is super comfortable too!

-It hasnºt been hot, it has been perfect! I actually have worn my cardigan a few times already, never thought I would have to do that!

-No, haha, those were the shoes of a missionary who has already gone home, my shoes are still holding up like champs! It is way easy to walk in the sand and not get my shoes dirty too.

-Worst part of Boa Vista is personal problems and the best part is working in the Barraka. We find miracle people so often! It is so different and SO much easier in that sense than Tarrafal.

I am in need of three things

1. a 4g pendrive or an 8g pendrive (they are SOOO expensive here in Boa Vista especially)

2. A new Journal (yes, Iºve already gone through another one, haha, I hope youºll enjoy this next one)

3. and, if possible, some easy to ship magnifying glasses because I would say about 1\2 of our investigators have bad eyesight and donºt have the money to go get eye glasses. It would be wonderful if we could get quite a few because this will open up the door for a lot of people. 

4. Your prayers especially, Iºm in need of extra help to overcome something in my life.

March 23rd 2015

Dear Family,

  Week after week it never ceases to amaze me the love that I can feel from each one of you. I stand as a testimony that parents can say exactly what their children need to hear. It is incredible. Thank you Dad. Thank you Mom. This past week here in Boa Vista has been incredible and seems to have gone by faster than the 30 minute plane ride over to this island, haha. 

  I work in the Barraka... or the Hole, in other words. It is the shanty town, more or less, of the island but the hearts of these people are rich! Many people from mainland Africa, the island of Santiago, and tourists. They are all tied together by crioule...except the tourists... I need to love them more... it is just harder to do that, haha. 

  My comp, Elder Fontes, and I have become super great friends already and I know that this companionship is going to be awesome! I played soccer for the first time on my mission just a few days ago. The outcome was very predictable in that I was terrible but it was equal in that it was terribly fun. Then I got to teach the English Class of about 15 people. We played head, shoulders, knees and toes at the end, and even though Iºm not very original it was still really fun! Before it started this european showed up and began talking to me (english with a Czech accent) telling me that he found a couple cape verdeans that would like to learn english so he brought them to the class. He then told me that he brought food for the class too! My companion has been here for 5 months and hasnºt ever seen this guy. The thought came to my mind: whether this guy is sent from God or not he is still an angel to these people. He was taught english in the Czech Republic by Elders and then came here to try and help out others and even though he isnºt a member of the church yet he is an incredible man with an incredible story!

  

  So much sand here, but to say, ºthis island is only sandº would be unfair, there are a few trees. They dig their roots below the sand into the fresh water that is all over this island, just buried. Something nobody would ever think. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 (please read) we can see that these trees will be able to withstand the scorching sun that beats upon their green leaves. They will stand unfazed, healthy, and as testimonies of the living water buried under the things of the earth. The roots must push past the tough things of the world to reach the water. As must we. And it all starts with a seed. The seed(personºs faith) must study the holy scriptures, pray, and feel the spirit in church or it will be like the seed in Alma 32:38. It must stand in holy places, (and regardless of where we are in the world we can do this) or it will have the same fate as in verse 39. With patience, verse 41, this simple seed can grow into a tree of life. With its sweet fruits bringing joy to all those who taste them.

  But seeds are so small, so cheap, and not indespensible at all. How do they have worth if not in large numbers? ~ºCompared to God we are nothing but TO God we are everything.º (translated from portuguese, sorry) -Elder Utchdorf.

  Even though this world seems to be falling to ruins, becoming desolate, there are green trees everywhere. We need to get our head out of the sand and enjoy the beauty of the good people that are all over the world. They are the green trees. 

I love you all!

Elder Judd

Contact info

Cape Verde Mission Office Address(letters)

Elder Chandler James Judd

Cape Verde Praia Mission

Caixa Postal 420

Praia, Ilha de Santiago

Sao Tiago

Cape Verde

Package address

Elder Chandler James Judd

Cape Verde Praia Mission

Rua Povoacao Velha #17

Palmarejo, Ilha de Santiago

420 Praia

Cape Verde

Transfers to a crazy Island and PICTURES finally!!!

Hello Mom!

 Iºm in Boa Vista right now! I just flew out of Praia a few hours ago and now am in a new world. This is my first time being transferred and when I heard I was coming here I was overjoyed!! Even though I already miss my family in Tarrafal I have already fallen in love with this place. 

  Boa Vista is just a big beach: all sand! Really flat. Really different. Really beautiful. There are a lot of tourists from Europe drivinº around on their fourwheelers... so strange! The thing about Boa Vista is that you rarely meet someone that was actually born and raised here. People speaking all types of crioule, with a lot from mainland Africa too. Yeah... I donºt really understand very many people right now at all. At least it will be easier to learn and adapt than the first time, haha, Iºve already been through it once. 

  I am one of the 4 missionaries on this Island and with how uncommon it is to serve here it is even more amazing that Elder Conway, my AWESOME MTC Companion is here too!!! My companion is from Assomada on the Island of Santiago. I love that city! It is great to have a native speaker with me but the thing is that people donºt understand portuguese at all here. We arenºt allowed to speak crioule in lessons but Iºm going to have to begin learning to survive everywhere outside of lessons. I thought that with all this change that it would be harder to adjust but it has been tranquilo. Sorry for my Portuglish mixture. Iºve always been told by everyone that has served on a small island that small islands break you, break you completely and then help build you back up...Great, haha. Iºm really excited for this opportunity to practice my agency, like all of us I need a lot more practice. It is my prayer to be the window and not the source of light so that Christºs light can shine through to this people. 

  I love you so much mother! Thanks for being the window so that Christºs light can brighten the 37th ward as well as our family. It is good to hear about the good and bad that happen in our ward and Iºm really glad for Parker sticking it out with tennis, he is so excited to be there to see his own progress. Those will be such great memories for him. You better know that you have probably the best husband ever. He is the best Dad that I could ever ask for.

Love forever,

Elder Judd

Boa Vista

Boa Vista

Terrafal

Terrafal

Boa Vista

Terrafal

Bishop in Terrafal

Ward party in Terrafal

Elder Judd

February 23rd 2015

Sorry that I didnºt email this past week! These weeks have gone by so fast that it feels like it hasnºt even been one week yet! So much has happened though, ranging from the best day of my mission to the hardest day of my mission.

  Before Carnival (Brazilian Holiday) we were told we wouldnºt be allowed to go outside at all that day. Tarrafal lucked out because our ward was doing an activity all day that we would be allowed to attend. It would be held out in the wilderness outside of the city, far away from the parade of worldliness, haha. It was so great to be out in nature in the world but not of the world. It was a pretty ºtechnicalº hike even for experienced hikers so I got to help an older sister in our ward get there alright. It was amazing to see the unity we had as we all helped one another. Jamilla, a wonderful recent convert, was lifted up into a boat as well as her wheelchair and taken to the activity by boat. After we all pushed it out to sea her support group waved to her from the beach. What a touching sight it was to see.

  We learned that Libat, our nigerian investigator, is practically in servitude to those who paid for his travel to make it to Cape Verde. The owner calls himself ºmasterº and requires that Libat does the same. He is completely under their command for the next 5 years until he has paid his debt off. We learned that his name, Libat, is Ebu for Liberty. Liberty is the only thing an 18 year old boy wants in his life. The irony of the matter is that the ºmasterº does not let him use that name but rather the name he was given by the dominant church in Nigeria, which is Peter. I will call him Liberty every time I see him, that is the name he wants to go by.

  

  This past week God blessed us with almost 10 different investigators in church and an attendance of almost 90! I have been here it Tarrafal to watch it grow from being a ward of 40 members to turning into a branch of 60 then growing to about 90. Too much to say, too little time. While reading the Liahona today I could clearly see the revelations the apostles and prophets recieve for us in these latter days. The Lordºs work cannot be stopped but will grow until everyone shall understand the veracity of the message. Every knee bow, every tongue confess. I am so grateful that I WE have this opportunity to be a part of the greatest movement the world has ever seen. ºGreatest movementº because of its size, truthfulness, and especially because it is a movement towards personal perfection. I love seeing the change that the Gospel brings in peopleºs lives. I know, I testify that we can return to God after this life but happier than before, and more like him than before.

  May Jeppson is continuing in the love of our Father. Iºm so happy to know about the resurrection made possible by Christ that she will once again be able to enjoy running, dancing, seeing, and hearing as she did when she was in her youth. I love you all and am so grateful for the support I always recieve. I love you family!

Elder Judd

PS. From Mom:  I have delved more into the situation and he is there on his own will not under forced labor. But for a week I was worried to death and did a ton of research. There are currently 21 million people in the world in forced labor (slavery) right now. About half are sex slaves. This is a great cause to learn about and get involved in.
http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htm
https://www.ourrescue.org/

February 16, 2015

This past week has been full of change which is usually the only thing constant in our lives. New companion, Elder Stratton, (really motivated and ambitious) and amazingly still in Tarrafal, my first area, and every new day brings new lessons. I have said it before but I wouldnºt mind staying here my whole mission, the people here are incredible! 

  This past week this 18 year old young man from Nigeria made a truly perilious and inspiring journey all the way from the heart of Africa to here in Cabo Verde. As we conversed in English we learned a lot about the story of his life and his beliefs, but all throughout he was smiling and laughing. He knows basically no one and doesnºt know how to speak portuguese or crioule therefore making him virtually alone. He smiles and laugh because he is friends with God. Truly inspiring and what an amazing experience it was to be the first missionary to talk to him.

  2 weeks ago I got a small little feeling like I would want another English Book of Mormon, it kinda made sense because my set is pretty old and beat up, so I called up Praia and they said they would get it to me as soon as possible. Really something pretty strange though but I didnºt think much of it afterwards. I got it and the day afterwards we met Libat, the 18 year old Nigerian boy that can only read English. I hadnºt even opened it yet but instead gave it to him, it now makes sense why I needed the book because he needed it. It was truly a miracle to help the spiritual journey along that Libat didnºt realize that he was on.  

  Also, we have found 2 more couples that are already married!... that last sentence canºt really be appreciated like it should but nobody gets married here! Yeah, they are married! Anyways, that was something really amazing and the number one thing that brings the most joy in my mission: seeing happiness as a family. Cute little kids getting there clothes all dirty playing marbles in the dust. The grandparents being cared for in the house of their now adult children. And the parents being married and helping reach the dreams that their best friend and spouse has. The family unit really is eternal in two ways: that it will continue growing and increasing and that we can live with those who we are closest to forever after this life.

  Yeah, life goes on, it Always will. For this I am grateful that we have the Son to brighten our days. He always will. 

Elder Judd