January 28-Long nights and Empty Nets

All is well in San Clemente. We are going into the last week of the transfer with no idea of what will happen. I think that Elder Whitchurch is leaving and I will be staying, but I've learned that you really have no idea what will happen. But, as always I will go where the Lord wants me to go.

Elder Whitchurch and I have been struggling to find people this transfer, in fact at the begging of this week we haven't found a single soul in our area who has interest in coming closer to Jesus Christ. Let me clarify, We have seen success as we have gone to other areas to help find, we have seen many miracles in the other areas, and we are grateful for the descent sized teaching pool that we have which has mostly come from member referrals. But in our own area, we have had many "long nights and empty nets". We have tried countless times in different parts of our area but no no avail. We got discouraged and have had less motivation to go out and grind. On Friday we decided that things need to change. During our weekly planning we took turns giving each other blessings. Our blessings included many words of encouragement as well as bestowing each other with a greater desire to go out and find, if we have faith in Christ. The spirit was in the room and afterwards we were renewed with strength and vigor. That night we found 2 new people! We had to end our finding session early to go on exchanges with the ZLs.

Exchanges were awesome! I got to go to the Spanish area with Elder West. It wa a blast! I didn't understand 90% of the conversations Elder west had with street contacts. A few of them I did get to pitch in though. It was such a good day. Hispanics are so much nicer when they reject you. I learned how to say "Yo sé el libro de Mormón es verdadero." or I know the Book of Mormon is true. We (mostly elder west) found 8 new people and he set one person on date! I want to resigned to Spanish work. While  I was in the spanish area, Elder Whitchurch and Grahm found 5 new people in our area! It was a day of miracles! One of the best days of the transfer for sure! 7 new seekers of truth! On my mission I have come to find that "success" is not and should not be determined by numbers, but by the effort put in to become a greater follower of Christ. So in all cases, this week was successful. I have gained a greater testimony of having faith in Christ. Faith is always the key to success. There are prepared and elect people everywhere, even in San Clemente California.

this week was a great reminder of the importance of working hard even when things don't go our way, and finding hope in our trials. I often find inspiration from Elder Holland in his talk "Missionary Work and the Atonement" he gives this testament about missionary work:

"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?
You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.
For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul."

This mission has not been easy, I have had countless trials while being out here, but still I ask God every night for more trials, and more reasons to be humble. The trials I faced on this mission have lead me to Christ. My relationship with Christ is the greatest gift my mission has given me. That Is why God gives us trials, so that we can look to him in our pain, suffering, and anguish and know that his son, Jesus Christ, has felt it all. I know that I still have so much to learn and experience here, but I am grateful for every moment, especially the moments I hate. This Mission has taken part of my soul, but it belonged to God in the first place. 

I love this gospel, I love this mission, I love Californians, and I love my savior Jesus Christ.

Stay Excellent

Love,

Elder Judd