May 6-Scoobie doobie down 2 Ruby's

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This was a spectacular week! I can't believe I've been out a year. No doubt, it has been the best year of my life. It felt like the blink of an eye. We had some wonderful things happen this week, I'll hit you with the top 3...

1. On Tuesday we met with the some young recent converts, they call themselves "Yung Bloods" we meet with them every week. We have had some of the most spiritual lessons of my mission their. This week we taught them about the atonement, more specifically the difference between a Savior and a Redeemer. We taught them that a savior cleanses us from our sins and gives us peace, but a redeemer changes our nature. We read a couple stories with them and highlighted Alma the Younger's conversion experience. It was really interesting to help these young converts understand the nature of repentance and the love of Christ. It helped me realize how little I know about the atonement, or anyone for that matter. It is so much deeper than I think it is. I don't think I will ever understand his grace fully, but I know he loves me.

2. On Friday Elder Burrows had the impression to go visit a potential that he helped move in a couple weeks ago. We knocked on the door and the brother answered. He is in his early 20s and super nice. He is one of the most spiritually sensitive people I have ever met. We talked for a bit and promised to come back the next day and show him something super cool (The plan of salvation). We came back with a recent RM and had a spirit filled lesson. The day before we invited him to pray to be spiritually prepared for our lesson. What was cool is that after explaining it he didn't even realize that it was anything different from what he believed growing up. I believe that every man and women already know the plan of salvation, and the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, because it was taught to them by a Heavenly Father before this life. 

3. For the last couple of months elder Burrows has been suffering from a spider bite on his foot, because of that we have had to go to the CVS close to our apartment. Over the many vists we have become aquainted with a young, mid 20s, cashier. Eventually Elder Burrows, because he has known him longer, invited him on a bro date of sorts to go to breakfast at Ruby's Diner on Saturday morning. He was totally down! We went to Ruby's with one of the coolest members in the ward, Doug. they hit it off and we had a ton of natural conversations about many aspects of the gospel like, family history, callings, missions, and more. This guy is totally interested! We joked about wanting to change the ward mission plan to "bring investigators to breakfast with Doug". We felt like God gave Burrows a spider bite just to lead us to this guy.

There are so many more miracles I want to share but I don't have much time. 

It is so crazy to me that I have been out for a year! It feels like I was in the MTC yesterday! I have learned so much. They say that every 7 years your body has regenerated the cells of your body, so you are practically in a different body than your were 7 years ago. IDK if thats true but I feel like I have spiritually regenerated all my cells and I am a completely different person than I was when I entered into the mission. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am to my God for this experience. I have seen and felt things that all the weekly emails in the world can not express. It has been hard, really hard at some points but those are the parts that I value the most because I learned the most. It has been a whole lot of fun as well, sometimes too much fun. I can't even imagine what this next year holds in store.

I have 2 quotes that I have thoughts a lot about this week:

The first is some advice that Dad gave me before I entered into the MTC that has stuck with me this whole year 
Alma 17
22 And the king inquired of Ammon if it were his desire to dwell in the land among the Lamanites, or among his people.
23 And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.

This is a poem that my trainer wrote when he was a year out
Elder Kema
It's time, today is the day!
Don't wait for tomorrow, Never Delay!Run, SPRINT, give it your all!One day you won't have this Holy call! 

These have been on my mind all week. I want to serve like Ammon, That's what I have wanted my whole mission. To serve without any other intentions, to give 100% to the lord. I have this next year to become that genuine servant! I only have one year left to have this "Holy Call" to preach to people as a representative of Jesus Christ. I still have so much to learn, but I know that if I rely on Christ I can become the missionary God wants me to be.

Stay Excellent my friends

Love,
Elder Judd

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