Hello family and friends! Sorry I am writing so late in the day! I will explain why in just a second! This week was a pretty good one! Action-packed isn’t the word but definitely busy!

I don’t think I mentioned this but our times for District Meetings changed to Monday mornings to that is why I stopped writing in the mornings. Anyways after the last time I wrote, we played soccer Monday night which was fun as always, and then I went off with another Elder afterwards to do divisions in his area on Tuesday. I went with Elder Ruben to Canek, the area right next to ours. It was a good time! Nothing special just working! I love doing divisions because its like going through the process of getting a new companion after transfers and getting to know him, without getting to the part where you get annoyed with him because we go back to our normal companions! haha Although Elder Ruben is really cool! One of my many friends that I have made in the mission from Mesa, Arizona. (There are like 7 or 8 missionaries that went to the same high school in Mesa!)

Tuesday I was able to do a baptismal interview for one of their investigators. Her name was Naomi, and is 22 years old. It was a really good interview, and I absolutely love being able to see when people have felt the Holy Ghost testify that what we preach is true. When people open their hearts, and stop fighting and doubting, and denying, the Holy Ghost is a surefire way to convert people and change lives!

Also really cool from those divisions, the people that we were going to eat with forgot that it was their day so they took us to one of the malls nearby called Plaza de las Americas, and we ate at the food court (we didn’t break any rules!!). I just love going to malls because I feel like I am in America again hahaha.

Last week, a senior couple arrived to the mission and they are in our zone. They are the only senior couple in the entire mission so it was a pretty big deal to have them! Anyways, with every other missionary, when we first get to the field we have a trainer, and a training period, and just time to learn the ropes little by little. But the couple didnt have any of this, and in the district meeting last week they came up to my companion and I and kind of vented a little about how hard their week had been so we decided to go out and work with them one of the days this week. Friday we werent able to work in our area because we were in Centro the entire afternoon working with them. Even though we werent working in our area with our investigators, I absolutely love being able to work with other missionaries to try and help them be better. And I always learn so much from other people as well. Especially a senior couple who have a lot more life experience than I do haha.

Also this week we changed houses! I have changed houses so many times now in the mission! Normally people only have to do it 1 or 2 times throughout their entire mission but I have done it like 5 times! I hate it! Hahaha But our new house is super awesome. Way prettier than our last one! I forgot to send pictures but I will take some this week!

Anyways onto today, so at 4 in the morning we woke up to move all of our stuff to our new house with a member that helped us out, and then after that we had to go to Centro because we had a zone conference! President and Sister Garcia are so stinking awesome. From what I hear about the President before him, he didnt work very much with the missionaries, but President Garcia spends time every day working out in the field with the missionaries! He absolutely loves it and he is really good at it too! He has a way of working miracles. He shared some experiences similar to what happened in Escarcega a couple of weeks ago, where they went and baptized 10 people in 1 day in a zone called Ticul! He is amazing at getting to peoples needs and just transmitting the Holy Ghost!

The thing I loved most about what he said though, was from a scripture in 3 Nephi 20, when Jesus is talking to the Nephites about the sacrament and he mentions that those who participate of it, wont have hunger or thirst, and their souls will be full. He asked us what we think that means, and people gave some good answers but I love most what he replied about what it means to not hunger, thirst, and to have your soul be filled. There are millions of things in the world that damage our souls. Sins, trials, difficulties, pains, sufferings, everything that makes us resent or turn away from God. And all of them dig away at our soul, creating a space that we cant really fill. Some people try to fill it with addicions. Drinking, smoking, drugs. Whatever it is, it always goes back to this empty space that we cant fill. But part of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that promise that when we come unto Him, he will fill those holes. That those heart aches, guilty feelings, and pains will all be swallowed up by His holy sacrifice.

Even more than that, President Garcia went on to talk about how the ONLY way we can apply the atonement and fill these holes is by making sacred covenants with God, and keeping those covenants and the commandments. If we think that praying every day, going to church every week, and reading the Bible once every couple of days is going to really change our lives, we are mistaken. God has established the way to come close to him, and it is through making covenants, the first of which is being baptized by somebody holding the Priesthood. And where can we find the priesthood? Where God restored it through the prophet Joseph Smith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

He just makes it look so easy to baptize people! I admire it and try every day to help people realize the importance of following the example of Jesus Christ and being baptized into His church. I know it is a claim really big, but I have no doubt that this church is true. I love you all! But am running out of time! I hope you all have a good week!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Judd