Elder Judd in California

Hello everyone, this was probably the best week of my entire mission! There were so many incredible things that happened. Here are the highlights...  1. First I got to go to the Baptism of my good friend Alejandro in Newport Beach. He and his family are some people I found my last week in that area. They progressed so rapidly in a week and it was amazing to see that my second transfer. I drove up to the baptism with Elder Kema and Burrows (who I was with when we found them). His family happened to live right across the hall from us. At the End Elder Kema, Burrows and I got to bare our testimonies to the family. It was a super spiritual experience. It was so incredible to see this young boy beaming with excitement to be baptized. Afterwords the rest of the family said they felt the spirit very strongly. The mom got up and bore her testimony and said "I have had many missionaries teach our family, but it was those 3 crazy boys in the beginning who came with their hearts and thei...

It's always sunny in San Clemente! Not really, its been raining like crazy! Quick update because I called home this week. We had a lesson with the Brazilian family and taught the word of wisdom with President Clark. It was awesome. They committed to trying it for a week and seeing the spiritual blessings from it. We also promised to stay away from sugar for a week, and President Clark promised not to eat any chocolate for a week. It was super fun. Miracle! We walked into a gas station where one of our seekers of truth worked and she said "After a year of my own study, I want to be baptized!" we were pumped! We set a date and she came to church again this week. She had been taught for a while from sisters and been super fellowshiped by some members and now she is ready! I was bit by a dog on a split with some elders in our district. I tried to shake a ladies hand and her dog did not like it. It didn't hurt my hand that bad but it scared the heck out of me. ...

Sweet friends of the Earth! The first week of the transfer has been superb, Elder Cox and I became great friends immediately, we are two peas in a pod. He is the funniest guy I've served with but he balances it with a great desire to work hard and to be obedient. We are going to see so many great things this transfer.  Not much to write about this week. We have been able to have some awesome contacts, and some super awkward contacts. One guy we talked to said he would like a Book of Mormon but when we reached out and handed it to him he just stood there, and did not take it. after repeatedly telling him that he could have it was a gift for him and that it was for free he took it. We had pretty good laugh about the whole confrontation for the next couple days.  our Brazilian Family accepted a soft baptismal date for March 16. They want to be baptized, but want to pray to know if it is the right time. They are Golden. I am glad that they are taking baptism so seriously....

San Clemente is the best I love it here! I am so happy I get to stay another transfer, I wish I could stay my whole mission here! This will be the longest I have stayed in an area so far, I am just so pumped about it! Elder Whitchurch is going to RSM with my friend Elder Arner. I am getting Elder Cox from Montana! He came in the transfer after me. I don't know him too well but I have heard he is a super hard worker and super funny, it is going to be great! We had an amazing week! We went on two exchanges. On the first one, I went with my old companion Elder Edwards, I love that guy. We had an awesome day, we found two new people in there area! it was super cool. One of them was a homeless man who lived in a glorified ditch on the side of the rode. He was super positive about his situation and asked us a ton of questions. The other guy we met at a park and he was super interested. We taught him the restoration on a bench looking to the ocean, it was super cool. He was smoking po...