September 10th

This week was pretty slow, but still fantastic!

The main thing that happened this week was our exchange with the zone leaders. Me and Elder Loveland stayed in our area and we had Elder Johnson, elder Kemas trainer, come with us. He only has one more transfer left, so he has learned a lot, and we learned alot from him. We went to Live Oak and did a little bit of tracting and stopping by potential investigators. We really tried to be better at street contacting that day, so when we saw a lady come out of the house we just knocked on, we knew we had to talk to her. She was a nice lady who went to a popular non denominational church. She was very concerned for us and really wanted us to pray to know that what we are doing is wrong. She also told us that we were teaching false doctrine and we should consider the wrong things that we were doing. Elder Johnson, being known for handling bashers well said we didn't appreciate being told that our doctrine was false and that unless she was willing to read the book of Mormon she wouldn't be able to know that what we are teaching is false. Her non denominational church is also known for teaching classes about handling Mormons. Later that day we ran into a man who invited us in so he could read some things he heard about Mormons, we went inside hoping that we would be given the opportunity to teach about the Book of Mormon, but we were wrong. This man came out with anti-Mormon literature and started coming at us with all the Anti in the world. Elder Johnson was calm, cool and collected and we promptly left after he told us that he would never read the book of Mormon. Bashing situations are my biggest fear of being on a mission because I don't know how to handle them. Elder Johnson taught me the importance of bearing a sober testimony to them, he told me that even if you had all the answers to there questions they still wouldn't listen, but they can't deny your testimony. As long as you can testify of Christ with courage and soberness they won't be able to deny you. He shared with me this scripture

Doctrine and Covenants 18:20-21
20 Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil.
21 Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness.

I Leaned a lot on the exchange from Elder Johnson. Although it wasn't one of those exchanges with crazy miracles, we did see a few small ones, I was able to learn the importance of courage and standing firm as a disciple of Christ. My Christ like attribute this transfer is courage, and God has given me so many opportunities to be more courageous. I also love the scripture that Elder Johnson shared with Elder Loveland about having more courage.

Doctrine and Covenants 33:8-10
8 Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness.
9 Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you.
10 Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying: Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;

 I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost that provides me with the courage I need to be a missionary of Christ everyday. 

love,

Elder Judd