Transfer 12 Semaine 3 7/21/14

Dear family and friends, 

What a week this has been!!! In rain and shine we work! 

This week we worked a lot with Demila and Marie, who are each experiencing difficult trials in their lives. As a missionary, I mourn and sorrow with them, yet at times I feel little and helpless. What does bring me hope, though, is that God lives and answers prayers. I try to always remember, "with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible" (Mark 10: 27). Please keep Demila, her daughters, and Marie in your prayers. 

In a time of trial, we often ask ourselves, "Why me? Why this? When will it come to an end?" Considering many circimstances, I believe it is fair to ask such things. Let us never forget, however, that trials arise for a reason, and they allow us to learn and grow. Remember that some of the most difficult trials in life, with time, can become the sweetest memories because we look back and see that we did it, we overcame it through the grace and mercy of our loving Savior.

This week I read several scriptural passages that speak of trials. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, the children of Israel slaved under pharaoh's wrath, Abinadi was burned by King Noah, Nephi and Lehi were beaten in prison, and Moroni witnessed the destruction of his people. It is clear that although we may be disciples of Jesus Christ, we still have tribulations, but we have promises of protection and deliverance from all that may come. 

"For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds which have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth. And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves and the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come" (Ether 2: 24-25). 

Knowing it is Christ who saves us, how do we, then, become His disciples? We keep His commandments. When we keep the commandments, not only can we count on blessings of deliverance and protection, but we will recieve a fullness of joy in His kingdom. From the words of a living apostle, we learn, "the greatest test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God's commandments in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure the storms, but the choose the right while they rage" (President Henry B. Eyring). Everyone experiences difficulties, but it is those who believe in Christ and keep His commandments that recieve the greatest rewards in heaven. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 12 Semaine 2 7/15/14

Dear family and friends, 

Happy Bastille Day and Happy Tour de France! Soeur Trautman and I had the time of our lives yesterday.:) I dont think life can get much better than this.:) 

This week was another beautiful week! I love everything about my mission, and I cherish every minute of it. 

Demila and Marthe came to church!!! and loved it.:) Each of them have been investigating the church for about four years, and Sunday was the first time they came to sacrament meeting. What a blessing it was to sit next to them and feel the Spirit with them. We were also happy to have had several other investigators with us on Sunday. Each of them spent some good quality time with member families and are all planning on coming again next week! I have such a strong testimony of church attendance, and I know that as these amis continue coming to church, they will better understand the Gospel in its restored form and desire to become a part of the church of Jesus Chist. Please keep them in your prayers. 

This week I came across this quote, and it has been ringing in my ears ever since : 

Jesus Chist not only came to atone for our sins; He also came to show us the way. He is the Way. You not only may become like Him; everything is stacked in your favor to become like Him" (Lawrence E. Corbridge). 

Isn't that beautiful? EVERYTHING is stacked in our favor to become like our Savior, Jesus Christ. What we need to do to realize this promise is keep His commandments. But we need not think we are alone in that effort! Jesus Christ gives us all the strength we need in order to follow Him. Let us not forget the common words of Nephi, "...I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he has commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7). This week, after praying with a new investigator, she looked at us with tears in her eyes and said, "I feel stronger having just heard His name." And so it may be for us. Call upon His holy name in faith, and I promise you strength to keep His commandments. As we continue in this manner, we will, one day, become like Him. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 12 Semaine 1 7/7/14

Dear family and friends, 

Bonjour! Changes came today...and I am so happy to say that I am staying in Mulhouse with Soeur Trautman!!! The work is really growing, and I am so grateful to be able to witness the unfolding miracles.:) I couldn't possibly imagine a better way to finish my mission. 

This week we traveled to Paris to meet Président and Soeur Babin. They are incredible! As I listened during the conference, the Spirit confirmed to me that the Lord has called them to this mission and that they are on His errand.

I love them already. During their presentation of their objectives for their mission, President and Soeur Babin talked about the relationship we each have with Jesus Christ. They challenged us to strengthen that relationship and promised blessings of purity and strength. May we all strive to know him and to become like him. Let's regularly ask ourselves, "Have [I] recieved his image in [my] countenance? Have [I] experienced this mighty change in [my] heart?...if [I] have experienced a change of heart, and if [I] have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, can [I] feel so now? (Alma 5: 14, 26). Christ is ever on our side. I know that through him, we can be cleansed and fortified; one day, at that perfect day, we can become like him. 

Each of our investigators are doing well! Demila and her daughters are reading in the Book of Mormon on their own and will be coming to church this week! Marie is accepting every commandment and, as she continues to recieve answers to her prayers, has accepted to be baptized on the 20th of July. Marthe is moved in to her new place and will also be coming to church this week. She, too, is praying about baptism. Please keep each of them in your prayers. 

Last week Soeur Trautman and I found several new amies, several of which are already progressing. Titi is a young Muslim mom looking to convert to Christianity. She came to church this past week and loved it! We have lots of hope for her. Doina is a young Romanian woman living here and working. She also came to church for the first time and loved it. Keep each of them in your prayers as well. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart! 

Soeur Judd

Transfer 11 Semaine 5 6/23/14

Dear family and friends, 

I havent watched any soccer this week...but I sure have HEARD a lot of soccer!!! haha. I love being in Europe during the World Cup! Everyone who is anyone is talking about the games and making guesses about who will win the next match. During the day things are pretty calm, but we can hear the cheers ALL NIGHT! haha. France and Switzerland played the other day...and I knew that France had to have had at least four goals because we could hear a giant chorus every time they scored.:) haha. I LOVE the World Cup! 

On top of that party, there was also a Music Festival with bands playing all around the city. We didn't hear much (except the Gospel music provided by the Evangelicals outside our apartement haha), but we did go into the center of town for a minute to hear Demila's daughter, Sadiqua, perform few songs. By the time we got there, though, it was already 8h45, so we quickly informed Demila that we only had a few minutes to visit before we had to be back to our apartment. Without a minute to spare, Demila said, "Alright! Let me get you a little sandwich and you'll be off! You must be obedient like Nephi was and get back to your apartment on time! You know how Nephi blessed his entire nation for being obedient and going back to get the plates? You must be the same way! So get going!" haha. Can you believe that??? I love Demila so much! haha. Please keep her and her daughters (Sadiqua and Zarah) in your prayers. They NEED to come to church! 

This week we spent a LOT of time helping Marthe Mbala move to a new apartment. HOLY COW it wore me out! haha. On the first day, Soeur Trautman and I showed up and all we ended up having were grocery sacks and a bus pass. For several hours, we took sacks down three flights of stairs, walked them to the bus, took a ride twenty minutes across Mulhouse, walked to her new aprartment, dropped everything out at the new place, and went back to do it again. During that entire afternoon, I kept thinking to myself that there was NO WAY we could do this alone...and I prayed and prayed that the Lord would provide a truck and more people to help us. After a few days, we organized our efforts wiith the ward, and we were blessed to be able to finish everything up this morning! What a blessing a miracle it was! We are sure that Marthe, especially after having met so many members, is in such a good place to finally accept the Gospel. We will be working A LOT with her from here on out. Please keep her in your prayers! 

MARIE MONNIN RECIEVED KNOWS THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!! After many many prayers and a fast together, Marie recieved an answer that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. What stands in her way now is a testimony of Joseph Smith. As members of the church, it makes perfect sense for us that if the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith must have been a prophet of God, but Marie is still piecing it together and praying for a firm witness. This week we will be reviewing a lot about the Restoration. Please keep her in your prayers that she may recieve a witness and accept a date to be baptized. 

This past week, Soeur Trautman and I went to Paris for Président and Soeur Poznanski's last Zone Conference, and it was incredible. As they spoke, the Spirit was so strong and testified to me that this is the Lord's work and we are his errand. To thank Président and Soeur Poznanski, the APs put together a chain of musical numbers, and I was so blessed to be able to perform "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" with two of my greatest missionary friends. For the last verse we asked all of the missionaries present to stand and join in singing; the Spirit was so strong I could barely sing a note. What an incredible opportunity it was to put my testimony to a melody. Truly, I know that my Redeemer lives! 

There is so much I wish I could share from the conference, but what I wish to share most is a story about the temple being built in France. Président heard this story from Bishop Causée and shared it with us. It touched me so much and strengthened my testimony of the temple and the blessings we recieve as we make and keep sacred covenants: 

During a short business trip, a British member of the church recieved a phone call from his company's CEO inviting him to join him and some associates for dinner at a restaurant in Paris. Having accepted the invitation and arrived at the gathering, this Brisish member felt a little overwhelmed and intimidated. As he looked around the table, he saw numerous French politicians and the CEOs of France's most prestigious companies such as SNCF (the international train company) and AirFrance and asked himself, "Why am I here?"

As the night went on, conversations turned about the table. Considering the political influence and interest of the group, it wasn't truly a surprise when they all began talking about Mitt Romney and his race for President. Very quickly the comment came up that Romney is a Mormon, and the whole party, as though they were a chorus, said, "What is a Mormon?" It was then that this "seemingly insignificant" British member realized why he was there that night. He took his chance, raised his voice, and explained nearly everything therer is to know about Mormons and what they believe. Every member of the dinner party became so intrigued to know that they asked all sorts of questions and made comments, and, for several hours, he answered. What an incredible missionary experience it was!!!

Later, the conversations split off into smaller groups. Not being able to understand to French, the British man turned to his employer and asked what everyone was discussing. To his pleasant surprise, the employer smiled and said something like this: "Each of us have another associate who is not here tonight that is the Mayor of Yvlinnes (the district of Versailles). He is very against the construction of the Mormon temple and had asked each of us to support his cause of ending its construction once and for all. Many of us here were ready to support his disapprovals, but after what you just shared with us about Mormons tonight, NONE of us believe the construction should be terminated. We all support the building of a Mormon temple." 

To everyone's surprise, several days after this dinner, as the apostle Neil L. Anderson stepped onto the temple site, ALL complaints and complications of the temple's contruction in Versailles were dropped. Not a single thing is stopping it now! The temple is now OFFICIALLY being built. 

How wonderful and beautiful it is that the prayers of thousands were answered through this British member. Because of his position and his worthiness, he was put in a place to accomplish the will of the Lord. Very often the Lord, through small and simple things, accomplishes that which is GREAT in His sight. Just think of all those who will be blessed-both here on earth and those who have passed on-because of this temple being built! And now it is FINALLY underway. 

Remember that you can make a difference wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart! 

Soeur Laura Lee Judd 

Transfer 11 Semaine 4 6/16/14

Dear family and friends, 

When I first found out I was coming to Mulhouse, everyone told me that it is soooooooooo hot there! and up until now I didn't believe them...BUT NOW I DO!!!!! haha. IT IS SO HOT!!!!! But I love it when the sun is out because that means the French are out too!!! haha. 

I LOVE DEMILA!!!!!!!! We had been so worried about her lately because we had been out of contact, and when we passed by her house yesterday, she was finally there!!! She recieved us immediately and said that she missed her sisters so much! Demila also said she had been reading out of the Book of Mormon with her daughters AND friends and said she tells them that she knows it is a true book of God. In all reality, Demila has only read a few chapters of the Book of Mormon, yet the testimony she has of it is firm and steadfast. She is such an incredible example to me. As we sat and visited with her, we read in 1st Nephi together, we talked about Nephi and the trials he faced, Demila likened his experiences to her own and connected all the dots. Because the Lord answered Nephi's prayers, met his needs and gave him strength, she knows the Lord will do the same for her as well. Her insights are so profound. 

As we continued teaching, we spoke of the blessings we recieve as we keep the commandments of the Lord. Soeur Trautman and I each took turns testifying of obedience, and as I felt the Spirit fill the room, Demila's countenance completely changed. After we spoke, we let the Spirit work, and Demila turned to us and said, "Sisters, I have been thinking about baptism... I have been baptised before...but I know your church is the true church of God and that being baptised again would mean I become a part of God's fold. I want to join myself to this cause by being baptised." Isn't that incredible?!:) How blessed I was to have been able to testify to her afterwards and promise that the Lord, as He did for Nephi, will guide her path and prepare the way for her to be baptised. Please keep Demila and her daughters in your prayers so that they will all prepare to enter into the covenant of baptism together as a family. 

This afternoon I was so blessed to be able to read Alicia's email, which spoke so much of the temple. What a blessing it was for her (and for our family!) to go through the temple in preparation for her mission. Cherished memories and sacred thoughts of my own temple experiences came to mind, and as I read, and I was reminded of a quote given by Elder Anderson this past General Conference: "The way you feel in the temple is a pattern for how you want to feel in your life." Isn't that beautiful? I hope we all desire to pattern our lives in that way. Let's live in such a way that we always worthy of a temple recommend. May we stand in holy places and be not moved. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 11 Semaine 3 6/9/14

Dear family and friends, 

I am so happy to have received so much good news this week!!! Congratulations to Jessica and Drew, Ryan and April, and Alicia! I am so grateful to see the many blessings our family is receiving. 

This week was great! and I am so grateful to be in Mulhouse. I have loved it since I got here, but I really feel like this is home now. I love seeing familiar people on the street; I know them, they know me, and I love it!!! 

Yesterday, Soeur Trautman and I visited Robert and Fabienne, and it was such a joy to be with them again. The Spirit is very welcome in their home, and I feel it RUSH in the moment we pray together. Although they are both very devout in their religion, Robert and Fabienne could feel the Spirit as we shared the story of the First Vision of Joseph Smith, and they readily accepted the invitation to read the Book of Mormon. Please keep them in your prayers this week that they may act upon the promptings they recieve from the Holy Ghost. 

This morning I read the address that was given by Elder Nelson this past General Conference, and it pushed me to study the topic of courage even further. It led me to Joshua 1:9, "...Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest" and 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Every day, we must be courageous. It is not easy. There may be some trials along the way. But let's always remember that, "Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval...Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with faith have courage as well." 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, Soeur Laura Lee Judd 

Transfer 11 Semaine 2 6/2/14

Dear family and friends, 

This week was pretty bitter sweet... I went to Paris to drop off Soeur Gordon (who was transfered to Lorient) and picked up my new companion, Soeur Trautman. I feel as though I say this with every companion...only because it is TRUE!!!:)...but I feel as though I have known Soeur Trautman my entire life! We get along so well and I love so dearly her already. Soeur Trautman is from Idaho and is just beginning her fourth transfer (she served her first three in Belgium), yet she already speaks French like a champ and is an incredible missioinary. One of my favorite things about Soeur Trautman is that she is always smiling.:) Although two little blond girls look a little strange walking around Mulhouse, no one ever doubts that we are two HAPPY little blond girls walking around Mulhouse.:) 

I am so excited for Jessica and Drew today! My thoughts and prayers are with you.:) Also, congratulations to Alicia for recieving her mission call! Spain!!! I can hardly believe it.:) My our family is sure blessed.:) 

All of our amis are doing well. I wish I had more time to explain, but I'd ask that you would please keep Isa and Luc in your prayers this week. Their baptism was originally fixed for this weekend, but it will be postponed for a later date. Please pray that we may fix a new date and that they will recieve the witness and testimony they desire. 

This morning I recieved the Ensign for this past General Conference, and I have hardly been able to put it down! I love re-reading the talks, remembering the good counsel given by our leaders, and then trying to apply what I've learned. I invite you all to do the same! Today I read the talk given by Elder Hales called "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments" and was really touched when he said, "Obedience makes us progressively stronger, capable of faithfully enduring tests and trials in the future." May each of us resolve to be more obedient to EVERY commandment given by the Lord; they are not given so that we may pick and choose which we want to obey. Every commandment has eternal consequences.   

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 11 Semaine 1 5/26/14

Dear family and friends, 

It was another beautiful week of work in Mulhouse!!! As I look through my planner I am still thinking, "How in the world did we do this week?" haha. It was a great way to wrap up the transfer. 

I don't even remember who and what I have told you, but I'll do my best to update you on some of our investigators. 

Isa and Luc Vallet are progressing towards their baptism, yet they are each still waiting for a final witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We went through the baptisimal interview questions with them a couple of weeks ago, and as we talked, Luc said that he couln't answer for sure that he knows Joseph Smilth was a prophet because he doesn't fully believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Isa, too, is a little unsure, yet they both want to be able to answer positively and with vigor as they are interviewed for baptism that they know the Book of Mormon is true. I am confident that because they are sincere, they will recieve their witness. The key is keeping in tune with the Spirit. Please keep them in your prayers. 

Adalaide Moret is progressing REALLY REALLY well. We saw her twice this week (before it was absolutely impossible to fix a rendez-vous with her), and both times she noted the Spirit that was with us. She takes in information like a vacuum! and asks very good questions. This week she noticed that we dont pass around a basket asking for money during church, and asked if we pay tithing. We took a minute right then to explain tithing, and she said, "Ok good! The reason I ask is because I always feel so good whenever I pay my tithing, and I notice that the Lord blesses me every time I do so. I will be so grateful to be able to pay my tithing again." She is so prepared!!! We have talked a lot about baptism, and she has accepted the invitation, yet she says she needs to get a confirmation from the Lord about a specific date. This week we want to try and fix for her to be baptised on the 28th of June. Please keep her in your prayers as well so that she will recognize this date as the day she needs to be baptised. 

Marina and Nolo Babayan and their family are also progressing well. In our lesson yesterday afternoon, we invited the entire family to come to church together next week, but we found out that Nolo cannot leave the apartment due to legality problems. They have been in France for five years already, yet they still haven't recieved their papers, so Nolo is in dager of being arrested if he is caught by the police. I know that the Lord would protect him and his family if he came to church, so we are looking for any way that we can get him to church. Please pray for that. And hey hey! A really incredible thing happened with Marina yesterday at church. Before coming, she prayed asking the Lord if it is His will for her to come to church with us. She had questioned the Book of Mormon a lot, yet she knew that if the Lord confirmed to her that coming to church is His will, she will follow it. As she sat in Sunday school, the Holy Ghost touched her heart and said, "It's true. Go. This is my will." What a testimony this was for me of the holy role of the Holy Ghost. He is the Lord's messenger, and he speaks to all who will listen. Marina then confidently proclaimed, "I will be coming to church with my children every week!" 

One last miracle of the week happened last night while Soeur Gordon and I were knocking doors. It was just about time to go home for the night, yet we decided to ring one more doorbell, an intercom, of an apartment building. Throught the speaker, Soeur Gordon asked the man that answered if we could enter and leave a blessing in his house. Immediately, he said in return, "Second floor" and opened the door. To our greatest blessing, Soeur Gordon and I prayed with this beautiful family: Robert, Fabienne, and their brand new baby boy, Etienne. They, like us, were each touched by the Spirit. We'll be visiting them again later this week. As we left and started walking down the stairs, Robert came and stopped us saying, "My wife saw that book you're holding...and was wondering if she could have one... ? Would it be possible for you to bring her one the next time we meet?" Then we said, "You can take it now!!! We'll explain more about it later this week." haha. It was true miracle.

I remember that last week I shared some of what I have been studying about gratitude, and as I studied that even further this week, I ran across another quote that I want to share with you: 

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it" (William Arthur Ward). 

As I thought about this quote, I began to recognize the many of the blessings I have recieved from our Heavenly Father throughout my life. I made a list of things I am grateful for, but then I realized that expressing gratitude is even better. But how do we express gratitude to the Lord? 

This morning I came across two very poignant ways in which we can express gratitude to our Heavenly Father: 

1. In your prayers, pour out your heart to your Father in Heaven in thanks for the blessings you have recieved. Be specific in thanking Him for His goodness, for your family, for friends, for leaders and teachers, for the gospel, and for His Son, Jesus Christ. 

2. You also express gratitude to the Lord by the way you live. When you keep His commandments and serve others, you show that you love Him and are grateful to Him. Express your gratitude to others for the many ways they bless your life. 

I invite each of us to put both of these ideas into practice so that we may more fully thank the Giver of all blessings. Let us follow Alma's counsel: "That ye contnd no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye recieve it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you" (Alma 34: 38). As we do so, we will experience a change of heart, and we can be confident that we are following the counsel of the prophets today, those of old, and (most importantly) the counsel given by our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 10 Semaine 6 5/19/14

Dear family and friends, 

Another great week has come and gone! Soeur Gordon and I cannot believe how quickly this week passed. 

This week we began teaching a new family, and they are incredible! The parents (Nolo and Marina) are from Armenia and have been in France for about five years now. They have four beautiful children and a whole lot of faith. Yesterday Marina and the two older boys, Rouslan and Roustom, came to church yesterday and loved it. After the first two meetings, Rouslan asked me, "When can we go to Primary again?" When I told him that it is every week, he said, "There is church every week?! We're going to come every Sunday!" haha I love them so much already. Nolo told us several stories about prayers he has offered in his life, how the Lord answered them, and the many many blessings they have recieved because of their faith. I was awestruck. The Lord has truly watched over this family. The hardest thing for Nolo and Marina right now is accepting the Book of Mormon...and having to explain it in such limited French is a little difficult. Please keep them in your prayers so that their hearts may recieve a confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and keep Soeur Gordon and I in your prayers so that we may be able to understand them and be inspired to know how we can meet their needs. 

Isa and Luc are progressing well towards their baptism. They have been taking the lessons from the missionaries for several years now, so we've been doing a lot of reteaching, but what we finally figured out this week is that their biggest hold up is the Book of Mormon. They read it every day, but it is still hard for them to believe that all of it was translated by Joseph Smith and that it is relevant for our day. They are so sincere and are praying to recieve a confirmation to know that it is true. I am confident that the Lord will reveal the truthfulness of it to them. Yesterday, Isa asked me if I could organize for her to recieve a Priesthood blessing to help her to quit smoking, and it was a beautiful experience for her. What faith she has! Please keep them in your prayers so that they may recieve a witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and continue to keep the Word of Wisdom. 

Marie-Louise is doing well. We visited her again yesterday and tried to fix a date with her, but she got really caught up on being baptized a second time... She is reading in the Book of Mormon and knows that Joseph Smith had the First Vision, but she is still having a hard time making the connection. She is praying to know if it is the Lord's will for her to be baptized again. We'll follow up later on in the week. Please, please keep her in your prayers. 

This morning I read two talks that mentioned gratitude, and I thought to share a couple quotes from them with you: 

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven" (Pres. Monson). 

"The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy" (Pres. Uchtdorf). 

I feel so much truth when I read these quotes, and I know that as we live with an attitude of gratitude, we are happier. The Lord has given each of us so many blessings! Let's take a step back and begin to count them. 

What I know to be true and for what I am the most grateful in life is the love and everlasting sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know He lives. Because of this knowledge, I know that we can be cleansed and recieve divine strength to keep His commandments. Because of Jesus Christ, we will all be resurrected and will stand before God. Because of Jesus Christ we have the opportunity to eternally live with Him, the Father, and our families. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, 

Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 10 Semaine 5 5/12/14

Dear family and friends, 

Happy Mother's Day! It was so fun for me to speak with you yesterday! Y'all made me smile and laugh, and i love you for it. Thank you for all the news and stories you shared. I sure love hearing about all you are up to. 

We met with Demila and her daughters, Sadiqua and Zarah, several times this week, and they are doing great! We read all together in the Book of Mormon, and Demila bore the strongest testimony of the truthfulness of it to her daughters...you would have thought she's been a member for years!!! As she held the Book of Mormon in her hands, she said, "This is a true book. God gave us this book to help us understand God's path for us. Read it and follow it." Demila even called us this morning to say hello and to say that she knows the Book of Mormon is true and that is blesses her family! She is incredible. I have so much faith in this family, and i love them dearly. What is keeping them from being baptised right now is coming to church and keeping the Word of Wisdom (for Demila). Please, please keep them in your prayers so that they can overcome these obsacles. 

Yesterday, we taught a woman named Marie-Louise, a woman we contacted right outside our house a few weeks ago. As we taught the message of the Restoration the Spirit was so strong. She commited to pray about our message and read the Book of Mormon, and then she shared her testimony with us. It was the most heart wrenchingly spiritual testimony I have heard out of a nonmember. Her testimony was so simple yet so sure in Christ that is brought me to tears. Marie-Louise knows God is there and that He hears he prayers. From all that she has experienced in her life, she will never deny His existence. Please keep her in your prayers this week so she may be able to attend church with us this next week and that she will receieve the divine answer of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile. 

I love you with all of my heart, 

Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 10 Semaine 4 5/5/14

Dear family and friends, 

Thank you for sharing all the stories and good news! How blessed our family is! The greatest news I heard this week is that Alicia has turned in her mission papers.:) Congratulations, bud! I am so happy for you and cannot WAIT to hear where you are going.:)

This week was another good one in France except even better because we burned SO MANY CALORIES!!! haha. May 1st is France's labor day, which, in French...means nobody works day! haha. There were no trams and no busses. But I am not complaining! I needed a little bit of help burning off a little extra stuff from all those French patisseries I've been eating.:) haha. 

That May Day we visited Demila, and it was wonderful! Sadly, she wasnt able to read any in the Book of Mormon because she cant read!!! haha. No yes she can...her glasses just arent the right perscription and she cant get an appointment at the eye doctor for four months!!! Yeah...bummer. But we read outloud together, and she LOVED it! I have never had an investigator that loves the Book of Mormon more than Demila. We read one chapter, and then she said, "Please stay longer! Can we read another chapter together???" haha. She is really loving it and knows it is true. Please keep her in your prayers and also her daughters Sediqua and Zarah (who we havent been able to see for a while because of vacation) that they will come to church SOON!

Sorry I havent been able to give any information about Mother's Day yet, but I got it all organized yesterday. I am pretty flexible...but I will probably make the first call at about 5:30pm in France. I believe that means it will be 9:30am for you in Utah. Is that right? Mom told me that her church starts at 11:00, and her sacrament meeting is last, so there is no overlap there, but I do not know what time dad's church is. If dad's church starts at 9:00, maybe it would be best for me to call mom first so then dad could go to sacrament meeting and then be back to skype by about 10:30? I am not sure what you think about that...maybe you could all coordinate together and then send me an email that day telling me who you would like me to call first? It doesnt matter to me who I talk to first, just as long as I get to say hello to everyone.:) Let's just say I will be available to skype beginning at 9:30am Utah time, and you'll surprise me with whoever I'll talk to first.:) I cant' wait! 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart!

Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 10 Semaine 3 4/28/14

Dear family and friends, 

What a pleasure it is for me to write to you again! This week just FLEW by, and I have many many lovely experiences to share with you.

We saw Isa and Luc again this week, and they are progressing well towards their baptism. Together, they are reading the Book of Mormon daily and ask lots of great questions. This week Isa asked several questions about the sacrament, and after having responded to them, it was so special to watch her partake of the sacrament in preparation for her baptism. I think that one of my favorite feelings on my mission is the relief and the peace I can see come into the hearts of sincere investigators as they take the sacrament. It is a beautiful sight to see that they can already feel the Atonement of Jesus Christ work in them. 

This week we weren't able to meet with Sediqua and Zarah, but we were able to visit with Demila Abduikadir and read together out of the Book of Mormon. At the end of the introduction, Moroni gives his promise about praying to know if the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and as we read it outloud, Demila stopped us and said, "I already know that the Book of Mormon is true!" haha. I couldn't believe it!!! We congratulated her and said that because she does, she also knows that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was his prophet, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of Christ established upon the earth today. What a blessing it was for Soeur Gordon and I to witness this miracle, that He has again manifested the truthfulness of these things through personal revelation. Because she recieved this witness, she will be led to even more and more truth. At the end of the rendez-vous, Demila prayed and thanked the Lord for having sent the missionaries to her home, for having revealed the Book of Mormon, and asked that He might grant unto her an even deeper understanding of the truthfulness of it. Please keep Demila in your prayers that she will continue to read in the Book of Mormon and that she will understand and be led to all truth. 

I told you about Marie Monnin last week, right? She is doing well. On Thursday she had just finished Ether 7, so we believe that by the next rendez-vous she will have finished the Book of Mormon and that we can fix a date with her! She used to be a Jehovah's Witness...so she is still hung up a little bit on some "doctrine", but she is sincere, and we trust that she will be led. One thing that she is struggling with, thought, is asking specific questions in her prayers. She hasn't yet directly asked to know that the Book of Mormon is true. She won't get an answer until she asks, so please keep her in your prayers so that she will have the courage to ask!

This week we worked with several new investigators named Marthe Mbala and Jacqueline Porretti and Marie Louise. Each of them are also beginning the Book of Mormon and praying more regularly. We are also working regularly with some less-actives named Beaud and Kizigira. Please keep each of them in your prayers as well. 

I wish I had time to communicate more! I really appreciate the prayers and love you express for the people I am interacting with here in Mulhouse. Truly they are precious. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, 

Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 10 Semaine 1 4/14/14

Dear family and friends, 

The Gomilas are baptized! and what a wonderful miracle it was.:) There is no way I could possibly explain the beauty and magnitude of it all...everything was perfect. The setting in which the baptisms and confirmations took place wo welcomed the Spirit, and everyone who attended, whether they were member or non-member, could feel it. What touched me the most, however, was the interactions I saw between Josette and Léah: the smiles, hugs, and words of love. How dearly I love and admire each of them. 

During both Léah's and Josette's confirmations, Brother Morrell mentioned how the Lord is proud of their decision to be baptized, and as they are worthy, they are promised to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. He mentioned that no one is perfect and because of that they will need to again use the cleansing power of the Atonement through repentance. Although this counsel was given to the Gomila's, I know it is also applicable to us. None of us are perfect, so not only has God given us baptism, but He has also given us the ability to repent. As we repent and partake of the sacrament, we can be as clean as we were the day of our baptism. Think of that. We can be as clean now as we were the day we were baptized. What a blessing. 

Well the big news since the baptism is that I AM GETTING TRANSFERED TO MULHOUSE!!!!!!! right next to Strausbourg. Oh I am so excited! I am practically in Germany! right on the boarder.:) haha. I have always wanted to serve in this area of the mission... I have heard so many incredible things about Mulhouse. How blessed I am! 

My new companion's name is Soeur Gordon, who is actually related to Jeannie Woller!!! haha. Small, small world.:) Every single interaction I have had with Soeur Gordon has been happy and sweet, and I am so blessed for the opportunity I have to serve with her.:) I am so excited!!!

This will be my new address.:) 

Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Les Soeurs Missionnaires

35 Engel Dollfus 

68200 Mulhouse 

France 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart! 

Soeur Laura Lee Judd

Transfer 9 Semaine 6 4/7/14

Dear family and friends, 

Wasn't General Conference incredible? I am so grateful for this opportunity we have to listen to a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know, with all of my heart, that he is the prophet, called of God, in this latter day. I know that as we follow his counsel and advice, we are following the will of the Lord. Bouncing off of that, I think we should all consider reading the notes we took during the talk President Monson gave at the end of the Sunday Morning Session of Conference that is all about charity. When I first heard that that was his topic of discussion, I thought to myself, "I already know what charity is, and i know it is important! Can't the prophet talk about deeper doctrine or something more specific for me?" How wrong I was to think that! Because the prophet chose to talk about charity, it is because it is charity is something that I need to work on. We can all grow in our understanding and capacity to love as the Savior does. In addition to the comments that were given by our loving prophet about charity, I love the instruction and counsel we recieve from Moroni in the Book of Mormon regarding this subject: 

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provokes, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail-But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found posessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him" (Moroni 7:45-47).

We all search to have that kind of love. I guess we could all ask ourselves the same big question: How do we get it??? The answer, too, is given to us by Moroni. He said, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, PRAY unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, that ye may be filled with this love, which he has bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ" (Moroni 7: 48). As we desire to be filled with this love, pray for it to enter into our hearts, and display our devotion to the Savior, the Lord has promised to fill us with this love. Since I have left on my mission, I have put this sccripture to the test. It has changed me. The Lord has granted unto me an increase of love, and I only wish you could see for yourself what that love has pushed me to do on my mission. I pray that this love will be ever-growing so that the Lord, through me as His servant, will show unto others the love He deeply has for them. I testify that as you do the same, as you desire to love, as you pray, and as you follow Christ, you will see a similar change in you. So let's begin by saying a prayer now-in our heart-that we will be filled with this love, "that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure (Moroni 7:48). 

In addition to General Conference, we had an exciting week! We met with the famille Gomila yesterday for the last of the missionary discussions. They are all set for their baptism on Saturday!!!:) Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this week. 

I cannot remember if I have ever told you about Luce, one of our investigators. She has been meeting with the missionaries for about a year now, but just until recently, she hasn't been progressing too quickly. When we met her this week, she proclaimed with a resounding, OUI!!!" that she had read the designed chapter in the Book of Mormon and prayed about Priesthood keys being restored. Falling perfectly into place, we then had the opportunity to teach Luce about a living prophet and apostles. She loved hearing that! I have never seen an investigator get so excited to hear that in this latter day, the Lord has given us a prophet who recieves direct revelation Him. Even better, we got to tell her that the prophet was going to be speaking to us THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND! The timing couldn't have worked out any better.:) She was overjoyed. What an example she is to me of the gratitude we should have to the Lord for again calling a prophet upon the earth. 

EASTER FINDING continues to be a success in the mission! In just the short time period since the announcement was made, there have already been 16 of the 125 baptisms we are working towards. PLEASE keep the Paris France Mission as a whole in your prayers during these next few months so that we may attain our goal before the end of June. 

Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help and always, always remember to smile.:) 

I love you with all of my heart, 

Soeur Laura Lee Judd