Remember that time we had to pick up the new missionaries and it was 114 degrees with like 60% humidity and everyone got heat stroke as we went out and tracted for 2 hours and I awkwardly danced in front of a car thinking it was Sister Bell.....and it wasnt Sister Bell....? And how I awkwardly avoided my new comp cause we still had another days till i was "supposed to meet her" and I didn't know what to do and then President awkwardly introduced us cause he ALSO didn't really know what to do about that...?
And then that time later I took brand new Sister Eyre out tracting and met a Southern Baptist man from South Carolina who told me I was a sinner for saying that the Mormon Church and Baptist Church have a lot in common so I asked if I could leave him with my Testimony and have NEVER said this before in my life to someone on a doorstep but told him he would come to closer to Christ by reading the Book of Mormon than by any other book?
*cue freak out by angry old black man and us scurrying away*
I mean there is a first time for everything even being chased by Baptists....mine happened to come my last transfer of my mission....Sister Eyres happened to come her 3rd hour in to the mission.
Remember that time I got called to train Sister Palmer and she is TOTALLY AWESOME from Sugarhouse and we are re-opening an are called Park Hill so this week was just full of us getting lost on dirt roads and being attacked by angry grasshoppers?
or the time that we LIVE WITH SISTER SMITH AGAIN BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY DONT HAVE AN APARTMENT YET UNTIL AUGUST!?!?! <-----------I KNOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!
ok sorry gotta go.
LOVE YOU ALL!
Sister Murray
Sunday, 3 August 2014
YEAR LONG WICHITA FEST. (July 21, 2014)
So...............
Tranfers this week.
Due to certain circumstances thought I was staying.
Until this last week when I RANDOMLY got a package in the mail.
From the mission office.
I'm like what the? They sent us another Ensign?
Training Packet.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
but yes.
But whaaaaat???????? last transfer?? I'll only get to train her half but WHAT!?!?!?!?
Ok so then I'm like YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY IM GOING IN TO RETIREMENT!!!! Not going to lie, my engines were starting to run on empty with the whole STL thing. I learned SOOO much about myself this past year, all the extra work involved made it SO worth it. But glad to see it go :)
SO now I'm training.
Where you might ask?
Some where new? Somewhere OTHER than Wichita?
Nope.
Now going to the North side.
LITERALLY can't.ever.leave.this.place.
So if I ever come visit my mission it will be........................a very short tour. 3 of my 4 hours are within a 10 mile radius of each other.
HILARIOUS.
Super weird thinking about that cause in mission life, different zones, its like ETERNITY'S away. but its actually not.
So yes, BACK to the Derby Stake.
Pray for me and Sister Heidi Palmer from SLC. We need it out in Park Hill!!!
Ok.
Went on my last exchange (horrah!) with a Sister who is .............an herbalist? Getting ready for bed, when you have to pack for 24 hours.....you realize how high maintenace you are. So she whips out this little vile of POWDER puts it on her toothbrush and waters it down.
*quizzical stares*
"Its baking soda and nutmeg. what?"
VOM VOM VOM VOM VOM.
Then she washed her face with baking soda and.................VINEGAR?
"Its fine. I'll take my counter full of chemicals. NO.THANK.YOU."
Out street contacting had stopped by this house before and the kids loved us but the dad said they werent interested. HUGE like big fam reunion outside. we're walking by. HAVE to stop. "prove your faith" just like over and over in my head for the obvious awkwardness we were getting ourselves into.
SUPER awkward like small talk, what are you doing here again type chatter. Finally getting to the non-awkward look we're actually normal convo------
When a truck comes FLYING up skidding all over on the gravel road. Screeches in to the driveway.
"HOWS IT GOIN LAAAAAAYYYYDIES?????"
We turn slowly.
Brother Shinn.
The ultimate red-neck.
"COME N' SEE MAH HOG!"
Has a pet pig he has just finagled from someone... in a dog carrier.
*people* "you know him?"
"Yeah he's a mem.....ber......of......the church...you should totally come to......?"
But it worked out because they already knew each other as crazy neighbor and the bonded over the times growing up as hicks. Let them bond over animals as we walk away, a lasting comment:
"You ever fry a rooster?"
LOVE KANSAS.
Gotta go pack.
ridiculous.
xoxoxox
SISTER MURR
Tranfers this week.
Due to certain circumstances thought I was staying.
Until this last week when I RANDOMLY got a package in the mail.
From the mission office.
I'm like what the? They sent us another Ensign?
Training Packet.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
but yes.
But whaaaaat???????? last transfer?? I'll only get to train her half but WHAT!?!?!?!?
Ok so then I'm like YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY IM GOING IN TO RETIREMENT!!!! Not going to lie, my engines were starting to run on empty with the whole STL thing. I learned SOOO much about myself this past year, all the extra work involved made it SO worth it. But glad to see it go :)
SO now I'm training.
Where you might ask?
Some where new? Somewhere OTHER than Wichita?
Nope.
Now going to the North side.
LITERALLY can't.ever.leave.this.place.
So if I ever come visit my mission it will be........................a very short tour. 3 of my 4 hours are within a 10 mile radius of each other.
HILARIOUS.
Super weird thinking about that cause in mission life, different zones, its like ETERNITY'S away. but its actually not.
So yes, BACK to the Derby Stake.
Pray for me and Sister Heidi Palmer from SLC. We need it out in Park Hill!!!
Ok.
Went on my last exchange (horrah!) with a Sister who is .............an herbalist? Getting ready for bed, when you have to pack for 24 hours.....you realize how high maintenace you are. So she whips out this little vile of POWDER puts it on her toothbrush and waters it down.
*quizzical stares*
"Its baking soda and nutmeg. what?"
VOM VOM VOM VOM VOM.
Then she washed her face with baking soda and.................VINEGAR?
"Its fine. I'll take my counter full of chemicals. NO.THANK.YOU."
Out street contacting had stopped by this house before and the kids loved us but the dad said they werent interested. HUGE like big fam reunion outside. we're walking by. HAVE to stop. "prove your faith" just like over and over in my head for the obvious awkwardness we were getting ourselves into.
SUPER awkward like small talk, what are you doing here again type chatter. Finally getting to the non-awkward look we're actually normal convo------
When a truck comes FLYING up skidding all over on the gravel road. Screeches in to the driveway.
"HOWS IT GOIN LAAAAAAYYYYDIES?????"
We turn slowly.
Brother Shinn.
The ultimate red-neck.
"COME N' SEE MAH HOG!"
Has a pet pig he has just finagled from someone... in a dog carrier.
*people* "you know him?"
"Yeah he's a mem.....ber......of......the church...you should totally come to......?"
But it worked out because they already knew each other as crazy neighbor and the bonded over the times growing up as hicks. Let them bond over animals as we walk away, a lasting comment:
"You ever fry a rooster?"
LOVE KANSAS.
Gotta go pack.
ridiculous.
xoxoxox
SISTER MURR
Heartland Heartbreakers (July 14, 2014)
OK.
Went on exchanges this week to the Spanish branch. HOLY ES-THPAN-EESH OUT MUh-I EER-Z.
Numero Uno: Comically preparing for a lesson.....in English....and i'm like cool I got this. wait.....I don't know any of this in Spanish. #SWERVE You teach all of it Her-mayne-uh.
But freakin WHOA. Spanish areas???? like basically the Exhaltation of Lamanites left and right??? Basically every door we knocked, new investigator. I also am like a WIZARD at picking out Hispanic houses: red drapes, plants outside, colorful house paint, billions of cars parked--or just one parked out on the grass, lack of American paraphernalia on lawn, dish satellite...etc. WIZARD I TELL YOU.
So like ULTIMOS MILAGROS but i'll just highlight una:
Randomly stop by some investigators because Hermana Valdivia felt prompted to. They are apparently never home and we pull up, door open. YES. They invite us in, just sitting down to dinner with like whole family extended fam etc. Sister Valdivia is a champ and just took on the whole lesson single handedly. Taught them all, one guy there was her brother, asking TONS of questions, from mexico just there visiting, said he'd seen the boy missionaries in mexico all the time. just like SO enraptured in the Restoration. Sister (one being taught) accepts baptismal date. Asking Julio when he leaves to go back to Mexico on our way out......"in an hour"
WHAT the fact that we were randomly able to catch him at his Sisters house for the SMALL time he was even there, and the fact that they wanted to be taught while they were having their last family dinner together, and the fact that Julio asked to have missionaries come and visit HIM in Mexico??? Definitely part of the elect.
We sent in the referral "Don't mess this up. This man is straight ELECT." .............hopefully the Elders there speak English.......?
Dinner with their Ward Mission Leader who has been re-activated for all of two months. He is super old and partially blind and deaf.......and likes to tell stories. So basically we are sleeping...and he's still talking to us.....and then he asks us a question......look down to for 1 second to see how to say it in Spanish.......look up. He's asleep.
HYSTERICAL. oh I mean humorouso.
As we sat down to eat, Hermana WML puts pile of plates down.....pauses as she stares at what looks like a stray black bean...its actually a dead fly. Flicks it off onto my skirt.
No bid deal.
Yeah, I wanted it there.
Leavin' it the whole dinner.
Because im traumatized i'm going to offend the entire Spanish population of the world including the State of New Mexico with one wrong move after being prepped for 1 second on Hispanic Etiquette.
The rest of the week was full of THE SEDGWICK COUNTY FAIR.
This ish is real.
Painting the picture:
cut offs. shorts AND shirts....cowboy boots, beers, belt buckles, and barns.
In fact, I think I may make that a t-shirt.
"Boots, beers, n' buckles. Yeehaw."
IT.WAS.AWESOME.
So we had a family history booth, Sisters went ALL out on it. Old tree filled with colorful picture frames of ancestors, TV playing how-to videos on loop, homemade bread and CHURNING BUTTER FOR THE KIDS? aaaaaaaaaand a Polynesian Elder playing the uke. Can't get more missionary than that.
.....So the geriatric population of Cheney, Kansas' missionary work is ON FIRE. ...................as for everyone else.....they really enjoyed that bread.
OH YEAH and my birthday. It was so birth'y!!!! Loved it. Got to go to the fair too, so that made everything worth it.
So much more to tell, but alas, no time.
Hasta luego.
Herman Murray
La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias
Soy Missionario.
Gracias
Feliz Navidad.....Cumpleanos.
Mucho Amor.
SHOUOUTS:
Holy of Holies THANK YOU: SERIOUSLY WANTED TO CRY FROM ALL THE LOVE!!!
TAWNI GEORGE: thank you SOOO MUCH for the recorder and silly string (courtesy of Jack) and all the nice B-Day notes! little did you know we are making a mission cd and so the recorder...A HIT!! ...............also.....YOU HAVE LIKE FOUR KIDS!?!?!?! WHAT THE HECK?????????????????? so out of the loop.
JESSICA RANDAL: THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE! Seriously like the nicest thing EVER! little did you know I freakin LOVE POPCORN!?! couldn't get over how nice that was. CD on repeat!
CHAYLA!!! omg. THE CARDS! I died. as always. cause I died last year. CANT BELIEVE IT. thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu LOVE YOU
DIANA! wearing my horoscope bracelet AS.WE.SPEAK. LOVEEEEEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JEFF CROOK????????? omg if you could have only SEEN our reaction when we opened your gift. haha THANK YOU!!!!!!.....I think? :)
BOB AND BEV MURRAY! um, THANK YOU for the my card n cash! :) loved hearing the update on the fam!!! CANT WAIT FOR MY RASBERRIES THANK YOU!
Aunt Holly and Burdette! Thank you for my sweet card!!! always can count on your birthday cards every year!! MAKE MY DAY!
SYLVIA!????????????????????????????? thank you for birthday love x 4??????hahaha dying at all of your SUPER old letters....no explanation.....just really old...but TOTALLY APPRECIATED no matter when they were written. LVOE YOU
JESS LEAV!?!?!? best.card.EVER. you KNOWWWWW i'll be in NYC to hit you up, don't even worry! thank you!!!
ERICA TANNER!?????????????????????????????? HOLY THANK YOU YOUR CARD WAS LIKE FREAKIN SHOCKING I WAS DYING SNEDING YOU A LETTER STAT.
SUSMSIONS! don't worry. I TOTALLY am finding Ben a wife on my mission....as in....I may or may not have given out his address to one of the Sisters and am forcing them to create a TOTALLY eye-single-to-the-glory-of-God romance over letters???? THANK YOU FOR MY CARD!!! loved the pics of Chloe! She is like the cutest Sister missionary EVER! THANK YOU
DANITA MORTENSEN! holy crap. haha YOUR CARD WAS THE BEST I died. LOVED IT THANK YOU SO MUCH so thoughtful!!!
last but not least....
MOTHER!you.have.NO.idea. CANNED PEACHES!???????????????????????? i.DIED. literally died. BEST EVER! and the necklace! SO CUTE IM WEARING IT RIGHT NOW! and the pics of the trip!...........................mainly was just looking at everyones cute outfits!!! LOVED thank you!!!!!!!!!
PICS:
1. Surprise B-Day party with the Cardons. LOVE THEM
2. MY BIRTHDAY CAKE #cottagecheesenpeaches #HEAVEN
3. America crew from MLC's. GODBLESS
"Bring your sins to the altar of the Lord, and drop it like its hot!" (July 7, 2014)
A literal sign on their front lawn^^^. West Street First Evangelical Free Christian Church. killin it.
4th'n IT!!!
Can you tell I love America? How about Jesus?
4th of July was epic. A lot of 4th'n it. (forcin it).....since the Heartland has like NO sort of organized worship of God's Country gaining their freedom??? Pfffffft.
We were invited to help out at an Old Person 4th of July Celebration. um, yes?!
Get there, they are running late, old man named Clay sitting at little round table all by himeslf looks up, "well, you came down to play cards with me? well heck, grab a chair!"
.................um...................................................
*ok pulling up chair now we don't have time for this, ok you've already started dealing, count us in*
?
HOW DO YOU SAY NO TO HIM?? you know the part on Shrek where the little cat like gives the puppy-dog eye look and everyones like ok fine we will now give you our first born child in the wilderness?
That is Clay.
Kings Corner. OBSESSED with that game. He is a literal wizard at it. Would get mad every time we messed up. Hilarious.
Also semi-he-was-cheating but its fine.
Went to the Sedgwick County Park with some of our Zone for a finding activity.......chalked up the plan of salvation with little children and played sand volleyball with some families, AWESOME..............except everyone that goes to the public park on the 4th of july is Hispanic.................so the Spanish Branch was loving their 3-million-referral lives....................
Then went to the Cardons (WML) (who literally fed us Tuesday....Friday, Saturday.......tonight....LOVE them) for the 4th and had their children give us the most hilarious display of cheap fireworks that they dropped in the gutter full of sprinkler water as we were walking out.....while it was still light outside...since we had an early curfew.....but they insisted on us seeing explosions.
And then we sat on our brick wall in our backyard of our apartment and planned as we listened to World War III begin in Wichita. ALL fireworks/dynamite/TNT is legal here in the great state of Kansas so its like LITERALLY Stadium of Fire....every way you look....and its just chaos sounding everywhere since EVERY neighborhood has started their own show from their roofs....it.is.AWESOME. and its all so flat you can see EVERYTHING. Literally only in Kansas....
MOWED A LAWN FOR THE 1st TIME EVER????
On exchanges, Sisters are in a wealthy area so they are in to showing up at Less Actives houses and just doing service for them. LA lady they had tried like 12 times and was never home had grass up to your knees........so had their WML who is nick-named the "villiage idiot" bring his lawnmower.....that took 5 people to fit in to his van......who told me I needed to work on my mowing form.......came.
It was like so hilariously fun for like 10 minutes................and then I just wanted to die. Like clogging EVERY 5 seconds...WML just so hilariously old and out of the loop........LA lady walks out......right as we are like half way through....clumps of grass like ALL over...as I am SHOVING this lawn mower over what I now realize is actually her "flower bed".........
"Well I have mine in the garage if you want to both use one"
Sure!
Hers is even worse....clogging every 2 seconds.........we're almost done. Elders are now here in their pros clothes helping us un-clog them after we do one stripe...Hilariously old WML has somehow found a weed-whacker.........
Garage opens.
She rides out on her riding lawn mower
"I'm just going to do the back real quick!"
........................................................................
.......................
...................................................
..........
(Elder) "Wait....but why are WE here???"
Classic.
They also started a family history class at the public library every Satruday.
Girl shows up. Kinda confused. Sit her down, set her up on familysearch....."um something popped up"
"blah blah need Parents consent for patron under the age of 13...."
wait HOW old are you???
12.
Ohkkkk?? HOW did you even get here???
She has a choclear implant so bonded because of the Kirts (shouout to da Crooks!!)
Mom's not answering so we teach her through ours.......comically knows NOTHING about her family.........not even her mom's maiden name....so we are like..........super stuck.
But had like MILAGROS out our EARS as we somehow miraculously found all this info on her deceased grandmother....so she'll be back next week....hopefully with her whole family. #findagrave #savinlives #punny #causeitsagrave
ENOUGH ABOUT ME.
But one last thing about me.
Had to give my departing testimony on Tuesday....sittin right next to Sister Nash...funny how that comes full circle. We died inside. But mainly it was just akward cause I couldn't stop laughing cause it was SO unreal...just how the scheduling worked out this was our last zone conference but we still have FOREVER left...so it just was hilarious. and sad. and I died inside.
BUT LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!!
SHOUT OUT TO MAH HOME GURL JONATHON TAYLOR THOMAS!!!!!!! HAPPY BDAY BONNIE 20 YRS OLD WHA WHA!?!?!?!?!?!??!
And Marchiggle. 23??????? WE ARE SO OLDDDDDDDD HAPPY B-DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxox
Sister Murrrrrayyyyy
I was going to send pics but this computer is possessed...more next week.
4th'n IT!!!
Can you tell I love America? How about Jesus?
4th of July was epic. A lot of 4th'n it. (forcin it).....since the Heartland has like NO sort of organized worship of God's Country gaining their freedom??? Pfffffft.
We were invited to help out at an Old Person 4th of July Celebration. um, yes?!
Get there, they are running late, old man named Clay sitting at little round table all by himeslf looks up, "well, you came down to play cards with me? well heck, grab a chair!"
.................um...................................................
*ok pulling up chair now we don't have time for this, ok you've already started dealing, count us in*
?
HOW DO YOU SAY NO TO HIM?? you know the part on Shrek where the little cat like gives the puppy-dog eye look and everyones like ok fine we will now give you our first born child in the wilderness?
That is Clay.
Kings Corner. OBSESSED with that game. He is a literal wizard at it. Would get mad every time we messed up. Hilarious.
Also semi-he-was-cheating but its fine.
Went to the Sedgwick County Park with some of our Zone for a finding activity.......chalked up the plan of salvation with little children and played sand volleyball with some families, AWESOME..............except everyone that goes to the public park on the 4th of july is Hispanic.................so the Spanish Branch was loving their 3-million-referral lives....................
Then went to the Cardons (WML) (who literally fed us Tuesday....Friday, Saturday.......tonight....LOVE them) for the 4th and had their children give us the most hilarious display of cheap fireworks that they dropped in the gutter full of sprinkler water as we were walking out.....while it was still light outside...since we had an early curfew.....but they insisted on us seeing explosions.
And then we sat on our brick wall in our backyard of our apartment and planned as we listened to World War III begin in Wichita. ALL fireworks/dynamite/TNT is legal here in the great state of Kansas so its like LITERALLY Stadium of Fire....every way you look....and its just chaos sounding everywhere since EVERY neighborhood has started their own show from their roofs....it.is.AWESOME. and its all so flat you can see EVERYTHING. Literally only in Kansas....
MOWED A LAWN FOR THE 1st TIME EVER????
On exchanges, Sisters are in a wealthy area so they are in to showing up at Less Actives houses and just doing service for them. LA lady they had tried like 12 times and was never home had grass up to your knees........so had their WML who is nick-named the "villiage idiot" bring his lawnmower.....that took 5 people to fit in to his van......who told me I needed to work on my mowing form.......came.
It was like so hilariously fun for like 10 minutes................and then I just wanted to die. Like clogging EVERY 5 seconds...WML just so hilariously old and out of the loop........LA lady walks out......right as we are like half way through....clumps of grass like ALL over...as I am SHOVING this lawn mower over what I now realize is actually her "flower bed".........
"Well I have mine in the garage if you want to both use one"
Sure!
Hers is even worse....clogging every 2 seconds.........we're almost done. Elders are now here in their pros clothes helping us un-clog them after we do one stripe...Hilariously old WML has somehow found a weed-whacker.........
Garage opens.
She rides out on her riding lawn mower
"I'm just going to do the back real quick!"
........................................................................
.......................
...................................................
..........
(Elder) "Wait....but why are WE here???"
Classic.
They also started a family history class at the public library every Satruday.
Girl shows up. Kinda confused. Sit her down, set her up on familysearch....."um something popped up"
"blah blah need Parents consent for patron under the age of 13...."
wait HOW old are you???
12.
Ohkkkk?? HOW did you even get here???
She has a choclear implant so bonded because of the Kirts (shouout to da Crooks!!)
Mom's not answering so we teach her through ours.......comically knows NOTHING about her family.........not even her mom's maiden name....so we are like..........super stuck.
But had like MILAGROS out our EARS as we somehow miraculously found all this info on her deceased grandmother....so she'll be back next week....hopefully with her whole family. #findagrave #savinlives #punny #causeitsagrave
ENOUGH ABOUT ME.
But one last thing about me.
Had to give my departing testimony on Tuesday....sittin right next to Sister Nash...funny how that comes full circle. We died inside. But mainly it was just akward cause I couldn't stop laughing cause it was SO unreal...just how the scheduling worked out this was our last zone conference but we still have FOREVER left...so it just was hilarious. and sad. and I died inside.
BUT LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!!
SHOUT OUT TO MAH HOME GURL JONATHON TAYLOR THOMAS!!!!!!! HAPPY BDAY BONNIE 20 YRS OLD WHA WHA!?!?!?!?!?!??!
And Marchiggle. 23??????? WE ARE SO OLDDDDDDDD HAPPY B-DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxox
Sister Murrrrrayyyyy
I was going to send pics but this computer is possessed...more next week.
ALL IS WELL IN ZION (June 23, 2014)
OK. So there is this FREAKY phenomena here in Kansas of getting personalized license plates. I kid you not, I would say it is probably like 60% of cars. This is literally just a list we started making last Tuesday.....and I didn't even write them all down. WUT.
So while ya'll have been gallivanting off in foreign lands......I am here. In Kansas. With these license plates. LOVING MY LIFE. F'real. Wouldn't trade you in a second.
BOSS302- Bossin' it here in West-Side Wichita.
WUSHOCK- shocker. I almost held a 40 pound baby.
4SUMMER- it is officially summer. And that is weird.
TIMPY- Reminds me of Timpview....which reminds me of High School.......which remind me of how we are forcing the only high school aged laurel in our ward to be friends with our investigators daughter Sabrina so that she will make friends in Maize and want to stay here for high school and thus want to be baptized and live for eternity yesssssss...........so yeah I may or may not have thrown her under the bus and started inviting randoms to her "party" she is throwing tonight...? ITS FINE. it's totally timpy. (new adjective as of NOW)
F2SPEED-as were were HAULING to get to our dinner with the Bishop we were late to, I realized, "hey, I should probably learn patience when driving so we don't kill someone as were are hauling around these dirt roads because one day when I have children, i'll probably be late like all.the.time" and then I FREAKED myself out for even having that thought....so we gunned it up to 50mph.....jk....but really.....
KICKNIT- kickin it this week cause everything fell through. Been finding a lot.....*yay*
IM4WVY - we have just been waving like ALL the time at random people, as we pass them in the car...on the street......in the store.....but like the "OH MY GOSH I KNOW YOU" wave...and its SO classic....we have yet to find a new investigator that way......YET. But it will happen. it's genius.
KOOLHUH- it's not even that hot yet. Kool huh? <----SAID NO ONE. EVER. I'm melting.
CRPNGRL- .....I also have no words for this one. But I held a tarantula......and was almost a crpngrl.....but kept my cool. and it actually was awesome?? IM TOTALLY getting one cause apparently they let off a stench that wards away any other spiders??? MAGICAL.
ABSOLUT- my testimony of "as soon as you are comfortable, God is going to change something so that you're not, but thus, you will grow" is ABSOLUTE now. I'm currently in the "growing pains" stage, but freak, I've learned more in the last WEEK than I maybe have my entire mission.
TRVLJKE- Jake is so trivial. "Who is Jake?" no idea.
CHICANA- we now currently cover like THREE wards unofficially because the rule in our mission is you can't teach people of the opposite sex, and the 2 wards bordering us don't have sisters.....so we get pass-off calls a lot. Went to one at the EDGE of our zone.....(across the street was Bel Aire RIP) and the appt cancelled.....so we are like 20 min away from our area....so we're like we have to talk to SOMEONE...walk across the street.....NEW INVESTI named Maria who is SOLID and has like 7 children..and the best part is?? we get to have a pass-off lesson with none other than Sister Runia. MURRNIA REUNITED...if but only for an hour.
ANGELS1- Little girls sang "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" from the YW General Broadcast 2007 version in Sacrament....... CAN YOU SAY FLASH BACK!!?? Sounded like angels....and then I told them I sang in that broadcast..............*cue them making me feel like ANCIENTLY OLD that I was even alive in 2007.....*
IMSAVD- the classic here in Non-Denominational Mega-Church land. Because actually.........no....you're not.
LVGARMS- if you are talking about Garmins? then yeah. LUV THOSE TOO. Been like hope..less...ly....lost the last few days it's fine....GPS'n it.
ZPDDODO- I've always hated that song. Just fyi. Almost as much a Jai-Ho (shout out to Gracial....jai-ho....unison clapping......)
RATBABE- .................................................got nothing. It was an old man driving.
SWPTAWY- this one killed me. but last night we had dinner with an old man who claims he has a spiritual gift of reading clouds....so we took him up on it as it was a beautiful clear night with clouds on the horizion. "could be forming into tornado clouds, but we'll for sure be getting rain" yeah right! ................1 hour later..............FREAKIN HURRICANE 60 mph WINDS. That man has a gift.
SALLGUD- This email is super long and pointless. S'all good.
UR DUMM- people who have these license plates. UR DUMB.
MUCH LOVE FROM THE HEARTLAND.
aka God's Country.
'Mericuh
aka 4th of July countdown is ON!
xoxoxox
SISTER MURRAY
Pics:
1. Cross eyed cat.
.JPG)
2. Tarantula.
3. 40 pound baby.
So while ya'll have been gallivanting off in foreign lands......I am here. In Kansas. With these license plates. LOVING MY LIFE. F'real. Wouldn't trade you in a second.
BOSS302- Bossin' it here in West-Side Wichita.
WUSHOCK- shocker. I almost held a 40 pound baby.
4SUMMER- it is officially summer. And that is weird.
TIMPY- Reminds me of Timpview....which reminds me of High School.......which remind me of how we are forcing the only high school aged laurel in our ward to be friends with our investigators daughter Sabrina so that she will make friends in Maize and want to stay here for high school and thus want to be baptized and live for eternity yesssssss...........so yeah I may or may not have thrown her under the bus and started inviting randoms to her "party" she is throwing tonight...? ITS FINE. it's totally timpy. (new adjective as of NOW)
F2SPEED-as were were HAULING to get to our dinner with the Bishop we were late to, I realized, "hey, I should probably learn patience when driving so we don't kill someone as were are hauling around these dirt roads because one day when I have children, i'll probably be late like all.the.time" and then I FREAKED myself out for even having that thought....so we gunned it up to 50mph.....jk....but really.....
KICKNIT- kickin it this week cause everything fell through. Been finding a lot.....*yay*
IM4WVY - we have just been waving like ALL the time at random people, as we pass them in the car...on the street......in the store.....but like the "OH MY GOSH I KNOW YOU" wave...and its SO classic....we have yet to find a new investigator that way......YET. But it will happen. it's genius.
KOOLHUH- it's not even that hot yet. Kool huh? <----SAID NO ONE. EVER. I'm melting.
CRPNGRL- .....I also have no words for this one. But I held a tarantula......and was almost a crpngrl.....but kept my cool. and it actually was awesome?? IM TOTALLY getting one cause apparently they let off a stench that wards away any other spiders??? MAGICAL.
ABSOLUT- my testimony of "as soon as you are comfortable, God is going to change something so that you're not, but thus, you will grow" is ABSOLUTE now. I'm currently in the "growing pains" stage, but freak, I've learned more in the last WEEK than I maybe have my entire mission.
TRVLJKE- Jake is so trivial. "Who is Jake?" no idea.
CHICANA- we now currently cover like THREE wards unofficially because the rule in our mission is you can't teach people of the opposite sex, and the 2 wards bordering us don't have sisters.....so we get pass-off calls a lot. Went to one at the EDGE of our zone.....(across the street was Bel Aire RIP) and the appt cancelled.....so we are like 20 min away from our area....so we're like we have to talk to SOMEONE...walk across the street.....NEW INVESTI named Maria who is SOLID and has like 7 children..and the best part is?? we get to have a pass-off lesson with none other than Sister Runia. MURRNIA REUNITED...if but only for an hour.
ANGELS1- Little girls sang "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" from the YW General Broadcast 2007 version in Sacrament....... CAN YOU SAY FLASH BACK!!?? Sounded like angels....and then I told them I sang in that broadcast..............*cue them making me feel like ANCIENTLY OLD that I was even alive in 2007.....*
IMSAVD- the classic here in Non-Denominational Mega-Church land. Because actually.........no....you're not.
LVGARMS- if you are talking about Garmins? then yeah. LUV THOSE TOO. Been like hope..less...ly....lost the last few days it's fine....GPS'n it.
ZPDDODO- I've always hated that song. Just fyi. Almost as much a Jai-Ho (shout out to Gracial....jai-ho....unison clapping......)
RATBABE- .................................................got nothing. It was an old man driving.
SWPTAWY- this one killed me. but last night we had dinner with an old man who claims he has a spiritual gift of reading clouds....so we took him up on it as it was a beautiful clear night with clouds on the horizion. "could be forming into tornado clouds, but we'll for sure be getting rain" yeah right! ................1 hour later..............FREAKIN HURRICANE 60 mph WINDS. That man has a gift.
SALLGUD- This email is super long and pointless. S'all good.
UR DUMM- people who have these license plates. UR DUMB.
MUCH LOVE FROM THE HEARTLAND.
aka God's Country.
'Mericuh
aka 4th of July countdown is ON!
xoxoxox
SISTER MURRAY
Pics:
1. Cross eyed cat.
Bible Ba-sh-ecreting. (June 16, 2014)
I've been thinking a lot this week about being fully "consecrated". HOWWW. I don't know if I'll EVER feel like I've done enough, given up enough, sacrificed enough, until I realized.
We never can.
The Lord has provided us with SO much, nothing will ever be enough. That is what is so ironic about a mission I think, we do this "sacrifice" for the Lord, bur really, the blessings we receive, the change we find in ourselves, FAR outweighs any sort of idea of "sacrificing" anything for the Lord. We will always be in debt. So we just keep on being grateful, and remember who's in charge.
#preach
This week has been full of bash-a-thons. The thing that Kansas is known for? Ba-sh-ecreting. aka Secret Bash's.
You can talk to anyone, they are super nice. but then you walk away and realize they were totally bashing you, but kept a smile on their face so you're like "yeah 70 year-old Pearson who is "working his mini field" as a hobby and has the sweetest southern accent and is basically the twin of the guy who is like blowing the horn on those rice commercials? like "zat-a-ran" or something? (does ANYONE have any idea what i'm talking about? has like that raspy blues voice? ok yes him.) Yes, we LOVE the KJV....and yeah I love that verse in Corinthians, and no we sure don't believe in Holy Rollin'...and yes we'd LOVE to hear your questions on Joseph Smith and...and see, yes, God IS the same yesterday today and forever so there MUST be modern day prophets....and no sir, I do not have 7 mothers....and no we don't believe that angels created Adam and Eve or that Lucifer is the one that put the sign of Christs birth, the star, in the sky, but we sure will help you out on your farm any day of the week! just give us a call......." wait WHAT.
If anything I learned to rely on my testimony of feeling the Spirit. We can talk ALL DAY LONG about verses, he said, she said, I learned, you learned, this is right, but it all comes down to if they are WILLING to open their hear to the Spirit. That is what truly teaches us.
Had an awesome lesson with a new YSA investigator we found. I knew a country song she was singing and she freaked out "you can LISTEN to that stuff?" not on the mission but at home....
"oh, I thought it was only Christian music, ever. But I still LOVE Christian music, so uplifting, brings the spirit"
No way! really? that's awesome, we LOVE Christian music.
"yeah yeah, like Backstreet Boys, Maroon 5, and ZZ Top! ZZ Top's my favorite."
Oh........................so like not Hilary Weeks? or.....?
Lastly ended with an awesome lesson with Cathy. New investigator, referral from the Elders, brain surgery lady? did I tell you about her?
Well go over with the RS President.
Teach Plan of Salvation because all of her questions were about that and trying to encorporate the Resotration was just not.working. so we flipped.
AMAZING. she knew like EVERY.THING. cause she LOVES "spiritual" books and has basically read everything there is to know about Heaven. down to 'I know there is a spiritual and a physical death, I just can't quite figure out how they are connected....." #winning #resurrection #atonement
So its going like so well, we're like cool, baptism invite.
Oh no. I can't get in water. No, no no can't.get.in.water.
Ok *blah blah details*
And then she presents us with this dialogue. Straight faced. that is highly unexpected and borderline, this is either like SUPER dry humor and you're hilarious.....or................its not.
"Well, I know I've needed to get baptized I've been feeling that for some time. I was thinking I'm just going to get my bottle out of my garage...oh what is I called. Sprite? no...GINGERALE. yes my ginger ale bottle...fill it up with some water...I'll have to go to the park really early in the morning like 6 or 7 or some people might think i'm strange....and you know. just dump it on myself...baptize myself...I mean i'd say in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost....I mean I know I won't feel anything, it won't really do anything....but I need to be baptized."
........................
oh.
Ok.....well SO many things we need to address in that monologue but we actually have to go so we are going to leave all of these crazy ideas unaddressed............and briefly emphasize authority....but we'll cross that bridge when it comes.
PRAYERS.
LOVE YOU ALL!
Missions are the greatest.
Amen.
LOVE
SISTER MURRAY
We never can.
The Lord has provided us with SO much, nothing will ever be enough. That is what is so ironic about a mission I think, we do this "sacrifice" for the Lord, bur really, the blessings we receive, the change we find in ourselves, FAR outweighs any sort of idea of "sacrificing" anything for the Lord. We will always be in debt. So we just keep on being grateful, and remember who's in charge.
#preach
This week has been full of bash-a-thons. The thing that Kansas is known for? Ba-sh-ecreting. aka Secret Bash's.
You can talk to anyone, they are super nice. but then you walk away and realize they were totally bashing you, but kept a smile on their face so you're like "yeah 70 year-old Pearson who is "working his mini field" as a hobby and has the sweetest southern accent and is basically the twin of the guy who is like blowing the horn on those rice commercials? like "zat-a-ran" or something? (does ANYONE have any idea what i'm talking about? has like that raspy blues voice? ok yes him.) Yes, we LOVE the KJV....and yeah I love that verse in Corinthians, and no we sure don't believe in Holy Rollin'...and yes we'd LOVE to hear your questions on Joseph Smith and...and see, yes, God IS the same yesterday today and forever so there MUST be modern day prophets....and no sir, I do not have 7 mothers....and no we don't believe that angels created Adam and Eve or that Lucifer is the one that put the sign of Christs birth, the star, in the sky, but we sure will help you out on your farm any day of the week! just give us a call......." wait WHAT.
If anything I learned to rely on my testimony of feeling the Spirit. We can talk ALL DAY LONG about verses, he said, she said, I learned, you learned, this is right, but it all comes down to if they are WILLING to open their hear to the Spirit. That is what truly teaches us.
Had an awesome lesson with a new YSA investigator we found. I knew a country song she was singing and she freaked out "you can LISTEN to that stuff?" not on the mission but at home....
"oh, I thought it was only Christian music, ever. But I still LOVE Christian music, so uplifting, brings the spirit"
No way! really? that's awesome, we LOVE Christian music.
"yeah yeah, like Backstreet Boys, Maroon 5, and ZZ Top! ZZ Top's my favorite."
Oh........................so like not Hilary Weeks? or.....?
Lastly ended with an awesome lesson with Cathy. New investigator, referral from the Elders, brain surgery lady? did I tell you about her?
Well go over with the RS President.
Teach Plan of Salvation because all of her questions were about that and trying to encorporate the Resotration was just not.working. so we flipped.
AMAZING. she knew like EVERY.THING. cause she LOVES "spiritual" books and has basically read everything there is to know about Heaven. down to 'I know there is a spiritual and a physical death, I just can't quite figure out how they are connected....." #winning #resurrection #atonement
So its going like so well, we're like cool, baptism invite.
Oh no. I can't get in water. No, no no can't.get.in.water.
Ok *blah blah details*
And then she presents us with this dialogue. Straight faced. that is highly unexpected and borderline, this is either like SUPER dry humor and you're hilarious.....or................its not.
"Well, I know I've needed to get baptized I've been feeling that for some time. I was thinking I'm just going to get my bottle out of my garage...oh what is I called. Sprite? no...GINGERALE. yes my ginger ale bottle...fill it up with some water...I'll have to go to the park really early in the morning like 6 or 7 or some people might think i'm strange....and you know. just dump it on myself...baptize myself...I mean i'd say in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost....I mean I know I won't feel anything, it won't really do anything....but I need to be baptized."
........................
oh.
Ok.....well SO many things we need to address in that monologue but we actually have to go so we are going to leave all of these crazy ideas unaddressed............and briefly emphasize authority....but we'll cross that bridge when it comes.
PRAYERS.
LOVE YOU ALL!
Missions are the greatest.
Amen.
LOVE
SISTER MURRAY
Pichaz (June 9, 2014)
Transfers this week. WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?
I'm staying hurr in Maize. New comp named Sister Heger. she played volleyball in college. Good thing i'm like SUPER good....like super good...........................................
We are trying to get a lot more involved in the community so we went to city hall and found all these service opportunities.
Rest home looking for "buddies" for the old people who don't have visitors.
Kinda just called the number without even thinking....
"Hi, um ya....we are looking to be a friend with an Elderly person...?
"Ok...um...Who is calling??"
"Missionaries.....we're Jehovah's Witness....."
Jk. no.
but seriously.
NOT the most tactful approach......
Played bean bag baseball at a rest home behind our apartments.
Big black lady in charge just starts like waving to us like mad when we show up.
"SISTERS i'm so glad you are here! we've been waiting for you!"
*neither of us know her*
"where you been gurrl?? when you stopped by my house i was SO sick but I was wishing you would come back! we have missed you! they are all waiting for you!"
just like ULTI-confused. But we just go with it.
Old man Charles "Sister Murray! You're hair has gotten so much longer!"
At this point I'm just like. CRAP. I have amnesia. I'm losing my mind. When was the last time I fell off of something..............never.met.these.people.
just went with it, had their number already in our phone?? FINALLY figured out Sisters used to go like every week and were teaching the black lady?? MIRACLES.
Sunday, we are WAY below our goal for finding new investigators. Pray super hard all day that we would be able to find.
Find out we have to give TALKS in the singles ward that we randomly just unofficially double cover? Bishopric calls us to give talks, we're like "um...we are not even assigned to your ward? we just teach all the females" "yeah that's fine! see you at 11:00"
WHAT.
so had NO time after double church.
1 hour left.
Find some former investigators. 3 all live in the same house. have a really good feeling about it.
start driving there. Realize its like WAY across town??
Show up, its a girls home.
Amy answers door.
We're looking for Veronica, Sarah, and Marissa?
"They don't live here. But Veronica is like my best friend, she moved to the East side."
All clicked.
Does she live here?
Yeah!
TAUGHT HER ON THE EAST SIDE!?!?!?!
Tender mercy since because I "knew" her Amy starts talking to us, roommate Savanna comes out. Just moved there and was so excited to find a new church? BOTH NEW INVESTIGATORS!?
Lord provides.
LOVE YOU ALL
xoxox
Sister Murrr
PICS:
1. Zone P-Day bowlinggggggggg
2. We have to correlate with the Zone Leaders every week so for the Newton Zone we have a "tiny" meeting...Wichita Zone's "giant" meeting.
HA we're so punny. .... such missionaries.
GOSH this is what entertains me now. so pathetic. #conforming
1. Me and mi companera for the last time. Sister Dean
2. Last Zone meeting with Newton Zoneeeeeeeee
I'm staying hurr in Maize. New comp named Sister Heger. she played volleyball in college. Good thing i'm like SUPER good....like super good...........................................
We are trying to get a lot more involved in the community so we went to city hall and found all these service opportunities.
Rest home looking for "buddies" for the old people who don't have visitors.
Kinda just called the number without even thinking....
"Hi, um ya....we are looking to be a friend with an Elderly person...?
"Ok...um...Who is calling??"
"Missionaries.....we're Jehovah's Witness....."
Jk. no.
but seriously.
NOT the most tactful approach......
Played bean bag baseball at a rest home behind our apartments.
Big black lady in charge just starts like waving to us like mad when we show up.
"SISTERS i'm so glad you are here! we've been waiting for you!"
*neither of us know her*
"where you been gurrl?? when you stopped by my house i was SO sick but I was wishing you would come back! we have missed you! they are all waiting for you!"
just like ULTI-confused. But we just go with it.
Old man Charles "Sister Murray! You're hair has gotten so much longer!"
At this point I'm just like. CRAP. I have amnesia. I'm losing my mind. When was the last time I fell off of something..............never.met.these.people.
just went with it, had their number already in our phone?? FINALLY figured out Sisters used to go like every week and were teaching the black lady?? MIRACLES.
Sunday, we are WAY below our goal for finding new investigators. Pray super hard all day that we would be able to find.
Find out we have to give TALKS in the singles ward that we randomly just unofficially double cover? Bishopric calls us to give talks, we're like "um...we are not even assigned to your ward? we just teach all the females" "yeah that's fine! see you at 11:00"
WHAT.
so had NO time after double church.
1 hour left.
Find some former investigators. 3 all live in the same house. have a really good feeling about it.
start driving there. Realize its like WAY across town??
Show up, its a girls home.
Amy answers door.
We're looking for Veronica, Sarah, and Marissa?
"They don't live here. But Veronica is like my best friend, she moved to the East side."
All clicked.
Does she live here?
Yeah!
TAUGHT HER ON THE EAST SIDE!?!?!?!
Tender mercy since because I "knew" her Amy starts talking to us, roommate Savanna comes out. Just moved there and was so excited to find a new church? BOTH NEW INVESTIGATORS!?
Lord provides.
LOVE YOU ALL
xoxox
Sister Murrr
PICS:
1. Zone P-Day bowlinggggggggg
HA we're so punny. .... such missionaries.
GOSH this is what entertains me now. so pathetic. #conforming
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