Transfer 6 Semaine 5 11/25/13

Dear family and friends, 

I am so happy to say that Maggy's baptism was a success.:) She made it safely in and out of the water, and i am so grateful.:)

This week we will be doing a lot of finding, and please please pray for us so that we can be led to more people, more families who are ready to recieve the Gospel in their lives. 

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 

p.s. I will try to send pictures next week!!!!

Transfer 6 Semaine 2 11/4/13

Dear family and friends,

I am so grateful to have two companionships serving her in Blois!!! The work is pushing forward so fast here. Both companionships work very very well together, and we push each other positively. Although it is a little squishy in our apartment sometimes, I love rubbing shoulders with the sisters serving here.:)

My companion's name is Soeur Doyle, and she is from Herriman, Utah. She was actually trained by my second companion, Soeur Anderson, in Angers, so I had met her a couple times before. When I got the news that she was going to be my companion, I couldnt help but smile.:) She is dedicated, hard working, and very inspired. She is exactly what Blois needs right now, and I am so grateful to serve by her side.

The two other sisters serving here are really great too! Soeur Paxton is just starting her last transfer of her mission, and I am learning so much from her. She'll be outta town before we know it! The other sister is actually a visa waiter waiting to go to the Temple Square Mission. She is beautiful!!! and FRENCH! I love speaking with her.:) I am getting such good practice!

Our serious investigators are all progressing. Yesterday the famille Velija came to church and starting singing the hymns for the first time.:) Yesterday we went to their house and watched The Testaments with a member, and it was so uplifting for us all. Selvete, the oldest daughter, is progressing the most. She needs to be reading more, but her desires are so pure and strong. We hope to have a date fixed with her this week. As for the rest of the family, they are learning how to recognise the Spirit. With the language barrier, it is really hard, but we are making headway!!!

We recently starting teaching an old investigator named Nadiha Zarka. Soeur Mangum and I "accidently" knocked on her door a couple weeks ago, and since then she is progressing really fast to baptism. She doesnt have a date yet, but we hope to have one by the end of the week. Saturday night we had a wonderful family home evening with Nadiha at our stake president's house, and yesterday she came to church. We will see her again tomorrow.

Maggy Kerlo is progressing really well, and she attended church for the second time yesterday. She LOVES singing the hymns and is really sensitive to the Spirit. She struggles severely with her health and is hard to schedule with, but she is progressing well. Reading and understanding the Book of Mormon is the hardest thing for her right now. I know that when that testimony comes, Maggy will be baptised. Keep Maggy, especially, in your prayers.

Maria Poletto is progressing really well but, sadly, can only progress so much because she and Chris are not married. She is regularly reading the Book of Mormon, praying, coming to church every week, and she so desires the blessings of the Gospel in her life and in the lives of her children, Axel and Exaucée, but without being married, she cannot make that step. Chris will absolutly not budge on marriage, but we are praying. Maria, in fact, is thinking about moving to Bretagne to live with her mom and sister...and if that were to be the case, she could be baptised. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Mirian and Jennyfer have been progressing well since their baptism. Mirian loves visiting teaching! and is setting good goals like praying as a family every night. Jennyfer is anxiously sharing her testimony of God with everyone around her and loves teaching lessons with us. She has recently been spending a lot of time with Selvete and Suada Velija, and her support is really strengthening them. The toughest things for both Mirian and Jennyfer, though, is regularly reading out of the Book of Mormon. Truly, like us all, they need to be reading everyday so that they can see their testimonies continue to grow brighter and brighter. Please keep them in your prayers.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve as a missionary at this time, in this place, at this time. I know this is where the Lord needs me. Take the time to find out where the Lord needs you.

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

Letter to President Poznanski 10/21/13

haha i probably dont have the best grammer or spelling in the world haha but here is a little miracle from the week that i shared with my mission president. hope you like it.:) 

Je souhaite qu'il y aurais des indicateurs clés pour tous les portes et tous les personnes avec qui vous parlez parce que ces moments sont souvent les moments que nous voyons les plus grandes miracles. Après un repas que nous avons eu, Soeur Mangum et moi attendions à un arret de bus à coté de chez nous. J'était nerveuses un petit peu de parler avec la jeune dame à coté de nous, mais j'ai commencé un conversation avec elle en disant, "J'aime bien vos chaussures!" Après juste quelque phrases, nous étions en train de parler au sujet de l'Evangile. Quand le bus est arrivé, nous sommes monté tous ensemble continuant de parler. Nous avons montré nos cartes de bus au conducteur, et, toute suite, il a commencer de parler avec moi au sujet de Salt Lake City. J'ai resté avec lui d'expliquer ce que nous faisons en tant comme missionnaires, et pendant trente minutes dans le bus, nous avons parlé au sujet de l'Evangile rétablie. Avant de descendre, je lui ai donné un jaune carte avec notre numéro. Quand nous venions de descendre le bus, Soeur Mangum m'a dit qu'elle a parlé avec la meme dame avec les chaussures toute au long du temps dans le bus. Elle lui a expliqué ce que c'est Le Livre de Mormon, et quand Soeur Mangum lui a offert un copy, la dame était vraiment touché. Elle lui a demandé d'écrire quelque chose de dans, donc, Soeur Mangum a écrit son temoignage. C'était vraiment un miracle, et je crois que c'était le plus miraculeuse expérience que Soeur Mangum a eu pendant sa mission. Quelque heures après ces expériences, l'homme avec qui je parlais nous a envoyé un SMS demandant pour un rendez-vous. Nous allons le voir demain soir. C'était vraiment miraculeuse. Et tous ça a commencé en disant, "J'aime bien vos chaussures."

Soeur Judd

(Basically, she is doing amazing and miracles are happening all over the place   -Alicia)

Transfer 5 Semaine 5 10/14/13

Dear family and friends,

I have to start by apologising for not getting a word off last week! After I finished writing President Poznanski, the stake presidency here has a conference skype with Salt Lake City, and I had to let them use the computer. So sorry about that. You'll get to hear about lots of good things this week, though!

Since their baptisms, Amandine and Jennyfer have been progressing well. Amandine lives in the countryside where no busses go, so it is tough to ever see her during the week unless they come into town, but we have seen her on Sundays, and she is just a little ball of sunshine.:) Jennyfer just recently started going to seminary and loves is already. Reading the scriptures daily has been something kind of hard for her, but the seminary challenges of reading and memorizing scriptures is really pushing her well to do that. The other day Soeur Mangum and I went to Mirian and Jennyfer's house and made African pastries (sorry i can only say it not spell it haha) and a fish dish. It was sooooooooo good!!! there. Jennyfer also read all the way though the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, started applying the counsel inside, and shared it with a friend!:) She teaches with us regularly, and her prayers are more sweet and tender every time. It is truly such a blessing to know her.

We are meeting with a few other investigators quite regularly. I may have mentioned some of them before...so I'll do a little update on a few.

Selvete and Suada Velija and their family are progressing well right now. They are a young family who moved to France from Kosovo in February, not knowing any French at all! Since then, though, they have progressed a lot, and, after meeting the missionaries, starting coming to church in about April. Although they are not practicing, their Muslim background has been making it fairly hard for them to be taught, but they are so humble and have a desire to know that what we have to share is true. Each time we are there we read 10 verses out of the Book of Mormon in French, and after each verse, Selvete or Suada reads it outloud again in Albanian. It is slow, but it is incredible how much they are able to understand. Although it is tough to read themselves, each of them prays to know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and whatever subject we discuss in the name of Jesus Christ. Although their belief in Christ is not that strong, they are the best example of faith and expressing a desire to know the truthfulness of these things. They have accepted the invitation to be baptised when they do know that the Book of Mormon is true, so PLEASE keep them in your prayers so that they will set a date with us and progress towards that covenant of baptism.

Horchidet is a referral we recieved from a recently activated member, and although we are having to teach a little bit slower than normal, she is progressing along just great. She LOVES church and sings all the hymns (even though she is pretty off key haha). Mirian is reaching out to her really well too.

Maggy is an older French woman we have been teaching for about 12 weeks. We met her though an inactive member. She has never accepted the invitation to come to church, but she understands baptism and has accepted the invitation, but not yet a date. She is reading the Book of Mormon and likes the stories inside, but she is nervous to because she isnt very confident in her reading skills. She prays in the manner that we do when we are not there, but has never prayed since when we have been with her. She keeps her word, though, and I am confident that she will accept a date soon, but the big thing really is getting her to church. She really struggles with her health...she is in and out of the hospital A LOT! So I think that that holds her back from leaving her house, but I know that that will be the deciding factor. Please keep her in your prayers so that she will come to church!!!!!!

 

This past week I got the opportunity to go to Paris for an exchange with Soeur Roney, and it was so incredible! Soeur Roney is finishing her mission soon, so I was so lucky to be able to do one of her last exchanges with her. She is such an incredible missionary, and I am so grateful to have learned so much from her. The biggest lesson I learned while I was with her is following the Spirit. Contacting in Paris, as I am sure you can imagine, can be kind of overwhelming.:) haha. There are millions of people to choose from! So truly, like in all missionary work, following the Spirit is key in choosing who to talk to and what to say.

Sorry I just ran out of time! But I love you so much!

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 5 Semaine 3 9/30/13

Baptisms of Amandine and Jennyfer!!!

Sorry I have no time to write right now, but for now you can enjoy looking at the incredible week i had!!!!!!!:) 

there can be miracles when you believe.:) 

i love you with all of my heart! 

Transfer 5 Semaine 2 9/23/13

Dear family and friends, 

I am so grateful that we didnt have to do any moving or exchanges this week! This was the first time on my mission that the work continued on smoothly though week 1. Before I have had to bring in new companions or get transfered, and going to Paris with a million pounds of suitcases is always a drag. This week was golden, though. Soeur Mangum and I really kept the work flowing, and miracles are coming from all directions. 

This week we were able to meet twice with two new investigators named Horchidet and Vivienne. 

Horchidet is a member referral from a recently activated member, and is progressing well. She recently moved here from Congo Braza-ville and is living with her sister, but has been struggling because she lacks guidance from God in her life. Sharing the background and story of Joseph Smith really struck a cord with Horchidet, and she said that she feels very much like he did as he searched for the true church of Christ. Yesterday, Horchidet came to church, and I think she really enjoyed it! Having Karine there for support is really huge for her, and I know that as she prays to know of the truthfulness of the things we share, she will come to a realization that they are true. Truly, this is the path that God wants for her in her life. What a blessing that we are able to have contact with her. 

Vivienne is a young mom from Togo that we met on the bus about four or five weeks ago. She was really open and willing to learn when we first talked to her and gave us her number, but because we have been so busy for the past weeks, we didnt call follow up until this past week! She immediately remembered who we are when we called, though, and we got to see her the next day. The first lesson was so spiritual, and it was very clear that she is ready to accept this message into her life. Saturday we were then able to teach with the relief society president here in Blois, and it was one of the greatest lessons I have ever had on my entire mission. Vivienne had read all of the introduction to the Book of Mormon like we asked and had also read the testimonies of the three and eight witnesses. We gave her a soft baptisimal invite, and she accepted to do so as 

she comes to know these things are true for herself. She asked all the right questions and listened intently to every answer. At the end of the lesson, which only really ended up being twenty or  twenty-five minutes long, Vivienne said the prayer, and it was the most humble and sincere prayer I have heard from an investigator. She thanked the Lord for what He does for her in her life, gave a brief summary of the things she learned during our visit, and directly asked for the Lord's guidance on knowing the Book of Mormon in true. Although she wasnt able to come to church yesterday, Vivienne immediately scheduled another rendez-vous with us. I dont know what her time frame will be, but I know that Vivienne is ready to hear that which we have to share, and I know that even if it takes some time, she will be baptised. 

Please keep Horchidet and Vivienne in your prayers this week! 

At the end of this week we have two baptism scheduled. One is for a young girl named Amondine Grither, whose parents are both converts but have been in and out of activity for the past couple of years. Although I have not had a lot of opportunities to teach Amondine, she is under our wing because she is nine years old. She is active and ready to be baptised, so I am not worried about her date, but please keep her in your prayers so that it can all go smoothly and according to plan. 

Y'all know about Jennyfer Ntambwe, and she, too, is scheduled to get baptised this week. Her baptism will be such a strength to her family, and she is as ready as anyone I have ever known. Her faith is rock solid, and her testimony of the Book of Mormon is unwavering. She is so devout, and I know that she will do incredible things for the building up of the church in her lifetime. Tonight we are going to have a family home evening with Jennyfer and her family, and we are going to watch the Restoration, eat popcorn, and have Dominoes pizza (which, btw, is WAAAAAAAAAY better in France than it is in America haha). I am so excited for Jennyfer and incredibly grateful for the decision she has made to be baptised. She is one of the greatest friends I have ever had, and she will forever be my sister. I look forward to telling you all about the baptisms next week!!!:) 

Thank you so much for your love and support of me serving a mission. There are so many miracles happening around the world as the Lord pushes His work forward, but...the best miracles are happening in Blois.:) I am so grateful and so blessed to be serving the Lord in this capacity. 

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 5 Semaine 1 9/16/13

Dear family and friends,

Good news!!! A new transfer has begun, and I get one more in Blois! I don't know why, but I was pretty nervous that I was going to have to leave, but I am happy to say that I get to stay.:) Truly, there is more for Soeur Mangum and I to do here together, and I am so grateful to be able to start strong. In the immediate future, we are looking forward to Jennyfer's baptism on the 29th. She is ready and continuously progressing towards that date.:) Getting to spend so much time with her is so much fun! It's like we've known each other for years and years. I love her so much.

Yesterday, we had the biggest blessing to go to a conference where Elder Oaks spoke. Although we didnt get to have a special conference with just the missionaries, the meeting we had yesterday was all in celebration for the new stake in France that was just created. Pretty historic day! In France, there are no longer any districts, only stakes.:) And the new stake president who was chosen to preside is actually a memeber of the branch here in Blois named Frère Liebard. He is an incredible incredible man, and I have been so blessed to be able to rub shoulders with him and his family. Hearing him speak yesterday, along with Elder Oaks, was such a treat, and I know that Frère Liebard was chosen of God to lead this new stake.

This week, we were also able to celebrate attaining the goal the missionaries set as a mission. Two transfers ago, to celebrate the welcoming of Elder Oaks, the mission set a goal to have 100 baptisms. It took a lot of prayers and a lot of work, but this weekend Président Poznanski announced that, in two transfers, the mission as a whole had 115 convert baptisms. We are all thrilled.:) I am so grateful to have been a part of this effort and for the continuing efforts there are here by the missionaries and our leaders here in Paris. The work sure is going full speed ahead here, and it is such a joy. Look forward to hearing more miracles!!!:)

Also, this week, Président announced to us that the temple grounds in France have officially commenced! It is going to take a while for the temple to be built-no earlier than the end of 2015-but it has begun.:) Elder Oaks talked all about the temple in his address yesterday, and he cheerfully announced that the temple is ready to be build because the French members are ready to fill it with the Lord's work. What a blessing it is to announce all of these French miracles!!!:)

Soeur Mangum and I are busy and anxious to continue working here this week and this transfer. We know that there are many more people out there who are ready to accept the message that we have. We've set apart a lot of time this week to find, and we hope and pray that those we have already contacted and those we are yet to contact will accept that which we have to share.

This morning, I again had the opportunity to finish the Book of Mormon, and it was such an incredible testimony building experience. As I read through the last pages, I was awed at the strong witness of Moroni about Jesus Christ and desire to have the same conviction. In the first chapter of Moroni, he describes how the Lamanites put to death all the Nephites that would not deny the Christ, yet he said, "I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ." Are we able to say the same? Let's reflect upon the testimony we have, of the covenants we have made, so that we can have this conviction. I can personally bear witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I know that it is the word of God, that it pushes man to do good, and that every man will draw nearer to God by reading and abiding by its teachings. I know that Moroni's promise is a promise of God. We can all know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that it is true. Read it. Pray about it. It is true. This witness and this testimony I am sure of. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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

P.S. I got to see Soeur Anderson and Alexandra at the conference yesterday. Sorry it is not that great of a picture...but it was the best day of my life!!!!!!!!!!:)