Judd's Tampa Mission

BLOG #31

SOME WHERE ALONG THE LINE I HAVE MESSED UP ON THE DATES AND BLOG #'S. SO I WILL TRY TO GET IT STRAIGHTEN OUT-- BUT REST ASSURED ALL THIS INFORMATION DID HAPPEN.

 ELDER JUDD: This semester is quickly coming to close with only two weeks left before the Christmas break. It has been a busy week and my classes have been fun to teach. I am really enjoying teaching the life and ministry of the Savior. There are so many valuable insights that come as we discuss each verse of what the Savior both said and did. Every now and again one or two students makes and audible “Aha!” or “Wow!” or “Mmmm!” or they raise their hand with an insight that they had never had before. Then we talk about what they have discovered. Often, that insight or discovery enlightens the rest of us in the class and we all share in the light that has come as we focus on the Son of God and His tenderness and infinite love both to those He ministered to then and those He ministers to now---us. 

Wednesday was a busy day for Sister Judd as she worked on the menu for Thursday. On Tuesday, she made those famous rolls(5 dozen) of hers. Then she made a cookie that looked like a pilgrim hat, about sixty of them. She has baked two turkeys and boned them out for the meat that she put into a Thanksgiving dinner casserole. She also made two cookie sheets of a pumpkin cheesecake bar.  It all went over very well with the YSA coming back for seconds. It all tasted great and everyone had a great meal. And of course a lot of conversation…

THIS WAS OUR TROPICAL STORM

Also on Wednesday Sister Judd and I went to our first senior missionary in-service meeting with all 6 couples in the Tampa Florida Mission with Pres and Sister Cusick. From 10 to 12 we learned more about the mission and how it works. We were instructed to be helpful to the Wards mission leaders working closely with them. Pres Cusick was very informative. And we were grateful that we could learn more about this work. We then had Lunch with Olive Garden as the caterer. It was good and we were able to chat with the couples that we did not know very well = Serevinson, ,Ainscough, Smiths, Healey, and Salmons..  We then went to the afternoon portion of the meeting and learned about the Metro Training Center- Elders Hawks and Neilsen(AP) explained this portion--It is to help teach the missionaries how to approach people how, to  exercise and take care of themselves, how to manage their time, and how to prepare their food etc.. It was very informative.  They are really being trained for life in general. 

Sunday was a great day and the first one in a while that we were able to relax and just enjoy the spirit.  NEXT WEEK IS THANKSGIVING!! HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

ONE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING#30

THURSDAY I REALLY WANTED PIZZA ,ICE CREAM AND COOKIES. I TRIED TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT WAYS TO PREPARE IT MAKING IT HOT, GOOD AND OF COURSE COST EFFECTIVE FOR THE BUDGET I HAVE. THE ONLY WAY I COULD MAKE IT WAS WITH FRENCH BREAD (WALMART SPECIAL $1/LOAF) CUT IN HALF AND THEN INTO 8 PIECES, PIZZA SAUCE, CHEESE, PEPPERONI, HAM AND PINEAPPLE. ELDER JUDD AND I MADE AN ASSEMBLY LINE OF INGREDIENTS AND THEN I WOULD RUN IT DOWN TO THE OVENS. ( THE OVENS ARE IN THE MAIN PART OF THE BUILDING JUST ACROSS FROM THE GYM.IT IS NOT FAR FROM THE INSTITUTE ROOMS SO THAT IS WHERE I DO ALL OF THE BAKING.  LOTS OF  WALKING, GOOD FOR ME‼!)) WE MADE IT A FUN MEAL FOR THE STUDENT. THEY ATE ALL 11 LOAVES OF PIZZA BREAD. IT IS AN EASY WAY TO MAKE IT –I THINK THAT WE WILL BE HAVING PIZZA  FRENCH BREAD AT OUR HOUSE WITH THE GRANDKIDS. 

SATURDAY WE FIXED A BREAKFAST MEAL FOR THE SEMINARY IN-SERVICE GROUP. IT WAS MUFFIN QUICHES, CINNAMON, BLUEBERRY, MORMON MUFFIN, AND OF COURSE FRUIT, MILK AND JUICE. THESE EARLY MORNING SEMINARY TEACHERS COME FROM 5 DIFFERENT  STAKES IN THIS AREA, SOME DRIVE FROM FORT MYERS IN THE SOUTH, BROOKSFIELD IN THE NORTH, ST PETE IN THE WEST AND LAKELAND IN THE EAST.  IT IS A LONG DRIVE FOR MANY OF THESE FAITHFUL SAINTS, WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR TEACHING SKILLS FOR THE YOUTH OF THE CHURCH IN THE SEMINARY PROGRAM. THEY GIVE THEIR TIME AND MONEY TO HELP THESE GREAT YOUNG PEOPLE.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON ELDER JUDD GAVE A TALK AT KODY DAHLKE’S BAPTISM. THEN ON SUNDAY HE GAVE A DIFFERENT TALK AT JIA ZHANG BAPTISM.  HE WAS REALLY GOOD TALKING TO TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE MEETING THEIR OWN NEEDS AND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO HEAR. BOTH OF THESE YOUNG ADULTS WERE SO HAPPY AND WE COULD SEE A LIGHT IN THEIR EYES THAT WAS NOT THERE BEFORE.

SATURDAY WAS ALSO TEMPLE DAY FOR THE YSA WARD. WE HAD ABOUT 25 YOUNG ADULTS COME AND DO BAPTISMS AND CONFIRMATIONS  FOR THE DEAD. THEY ARE SO EXCITED TO COME AND DO THIS FOR SOMEONE ELSE-SOME EVEN BRING THEIR OWN FAMILY FILE.  THE OFFICIATORS ASKED ELDER JUDD TO OFFICIATE AT THE FONT AND I WAS ASKED TO SIT IN THE YOUNG WOMEN’S CONFIRMATION ROOM. WE WENT TO THE TEXAS LONGHORN FOR DINNER AFTER. SOME WENT TO A CHINESE PLACE AND OTHERS WENT TO A SANDWICH JOINT. ALL IN ALL IT WAS A FUN EXPERIENCE.

ELDER JUDD AND I WERE ASSIGNED TO GO TO A YSA FIRESIDE IN PLANT CITY WHICH IS ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF THE INSTITUTE BUILDING. OUR ASSIGNMENT WAS TO TALK TO THE YSA ABOUT COMING TO INSTITUTE CLASSES HERE IN TAMPA.  WE TOOK THE INSTITUTE PRESIDENT-JACQUI SHELTON WITH US AND ALL OF US BORE A TESTIMONY OF THE VALUE OF TAKING INSTITUTE TO STRENGTHEN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOSPEL. IT WAS GREAT EXPERIENCE.

ELDER JUDD AND I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING AN ELDER THAT WE BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH EARLIER THIS YEAR.  HE IS FROM FIJI AND HAS THIS WONDERFUL SMILE AND HAPPY ATTITUDE. HE WAS RECENTLY TRANSFERRED TO NAPLES THE SOUTHERN POINT OF THIS MISSION. OF COURSE WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT HIM BUT WE RECEIVED A NOTE ON MONDAY INDICATING THAT HE WAS DOING OKAY AND THAT HE REALLY WAS ENJOYING HIS NEW AREA AND COMPANION. WE ARE RELIEVEDTO HEAR HIS GOOD NEWS AND CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR HIS SUCCESS.  WE,ALSO, RECEIVED ANOTHER NOTE YESTERDAY, MONDAY NOV. 17TH WHERE HE WAS BACK TO HIS HAPPY SELF-- MAKING JOKES AND TALKING  ABOUT FOOD AND HOW MUCH HE MISSED US AND ALL THE GOODIES THAT I MADE.  WE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR HIS SUCCESS DAILY.