May 4, 2015

Mother!

  It will be so great to hear all about womens conference during Christmas... because we canºt call anymore on motherºs day, sorry.

Hahaha, Iºm SO mean! Just kidding! So Iºm thinking that we will be doing skype at around 3 our time which should be around 10am your time, I believe. Life sounds light it has been more than crazy. But it makes me SOOOOO happy to hear that Womenºs conference was such a good experience. (Elder Conway just told me that his family told him that Sister Nelson talked about his brother in her talk. When she was talking about a missionary from Armenia that is Elder Conwayºs brother... so many connections!)
Anyways, Life is great with me. My comp. Elder Fontes, has great health now and is happy in Praia. Then my new companion is relatively new in the mission and has just completed his 12 week training. Iºve grateful for this opportunity to be senior companion and even though it is my first time having a responsibility like this it has been such a blessing. Elder Hughes and I have gone through really similar life experiences and are already really great friends! 

 
  My new comp, Elder Hughes (from Las Vegas), is really into running so Iºve been going for early morning long distance sprints with him. I just love how relaxing it is to feel like my legs will fall off or my lungs will burst into flames, haha. So I would like to share a scripture or two with you, mother, that applies to how crazy life has been lately. It is like running a race!

-1 Corinthians 9:24-27 really we can all win the prize and it just matters that we cross the finish line. 

-In a talk by Sis. Dalton(?) she talks about her running a race and her recieving the rally cry of ªgo Utahª,ªyou can do it Utahª,etc. and isnºt it such a blessing to have great support groups?? 

-In this race Christ is running right next to us, helping us along. Some people think that when we canºt go any farther and fall that he will pick us up and carry us through the finish line. But this is Not how it works, Christ doesnºt just make up the difference... he makes all the difference. ºBy grace we are saved after all we can doº does not mean at the finish line. If all we can do is take one more step this is when His enabling power (grace) will be sufficient. By grace we are saved after each step in the race.

Love your little baby,

Elder Judd

April 20, 2015

 Dad,

Marriage is still the biggest problem. People here in Boa Vista are from all over Africa and everywhere really so some of the people from mainland Africa are more humble and get married easier but their documents are super hard to get over and so Cape Verde government makes it really hard for them to get married, ugh. The islands are quite different though, yes, and I love the diversity here though, it is definetly not as catholic as Tarrafal was but there are a lot of muslims here. It is funnier that my comp is a cape verdean but it can be harder at times too but I would say overall it is easier that he is a native. 

  Please pray for Du and Natalino because they are preparing for marriage but making these changes in their lives is a big deal. Please pray for Parker and Harrison with more hope and frequency. Please pray for my companion, Elder Fontes. Please pray for the other elderºs investigator, Antonia, that she may be comforted in her decision to be baptized. That is the most help that you can do for me, Dad. Thanks so much Dad! I love you soooooooooo much!!!!!

Your #1 fan, 

Elder Judd 

April 27, 2015

ºGod is a God of miraclesº as Iºm sure we have all heard many times: itºs true. I heard something else though that we donºt hear very often we, as missionaries, are Godºs investigators. ºOurº investigators are not even ours but are also Godºs, haha. I learned this lesson this past week in a way that I cannot and will not ever forget.
  Having the amazing opportunity to be on the tiny island of Boa Vista is such a blessing but on the downside it is very isolated and ºout-of-touchº with the rest of Cabo Verde. Everything was going great until my companion started having tooth pain, which is one of the reasons this miracle happened. We had to travel to Praia, the capitol city, where there are 200,000 people, half of the whole nationºs population. Itºs a big city in perspective. So we got there not knowing with whom we would be spending the night (nor did they). We then got the results that my companion would need 2 root canal surgeries... haha, the miracle isnºt about him having his teeth healed but something that happened because his teeth were destroyed.
  That night we found out where we were staying and split up with those elders working in that area. I had already known that Elder and so we went to our appointment... but he just had this smurk on his face like he was hiding something. When we got to the house the lady kindly let us in with her crioule distinctly from the northern islands. Anyways, after a minute of small talk she asks if she should call Jacinto in.... then I knew why this Elder had the smurk on his face. Jacinto. One of the Lordºs Recent Converts that I was blessed to help to baptism in Tarrafal. My best friend in all of Cape Verde! He came walking in the door to see me in his sisterºs house and what a miracle it was. He lives 2 hours, by car, from the capitol and would only be spending one day there. We had come many many hours from Boa Vista and I would only be spending one day there as well! And we just ºhappenedº to go to the same house within 5 minutes of each other without the knowledge of the other! There are miles and miles of apartments stacked next to each other on top of each other and every which way. Literally 1 in 100 million chance, maybe more. I could go on and on but it sufficieth to say that this lesson was the most spiritual lessons I have ever had the priviledge of feeling in my life. The Elder told me that it was all just one of the Lordºs ºcoincidencesº He makes, haha. I had never gotten to say goodbye to him and give him my tie he asked for because I had to leave in such a hurry so as we were sitting down in that lesson I took off my tie and fulfilled my promise. The rest of the night I had no tie but people wouldnºt notice, my smile was too big and too distracting.

  Then this Elder took me up to the highest point in Praia and didnºt allow me to see the night view until he sat me on a ledge of an abandoned building with my feet hanging hundreds of feet above the houses below. When I lifted up my head I saw all the lights but as we began talking the lights became blurred as tears filled my eyes. This Elder thanked me for my help and example and told me he was talking to some other missionaries the day before about the most wise things he has ever heard. He told the others, ºIt was what Elder Judd told me when I asked him how he was doing, really asked him, he said with a smile, ªBetter than I deserveª.º We prayed over the city. Full of sin and confusion but so full of great people and laughter.

Elder Judd

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