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
"What's your favorite fantasy universe?" (June 2, 2014)
Ok exchanges! Literally this has been the busiest transfer I have had in a while. FLYING HOW IS IT ALREADY JUNE.
Exchanges with this crazy Sister BLESS HER. Just never.stops.talking.
Laying in bed,
"So what is your favorite fantasy universe?"
wut.
in.
the.
Hilare.
OK BAPTISIMOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
So we are finishing teaching Dayton the commandments last week and the Deacons quorum here is just UNREAL??? Always want to come to be part of the lessons.
So James comes.
Susan (Dayton's mom) always there.
"James, can you explain to Dayton about Fast Offerings?"
-thinking he would explain the like role of a deacon in that.....-
"yes, we don't eat breakfast or lunch. so then you calculate how much money you would have spent for those meals to donate. So like if you have scrambled eggs for breakfast, there are usually 12 eggs in a carton... you divide 2 dollars by 12...which usually ends up being like 12 cents...then like one slice of bread is like 4 cents....plus any milk you might drink......oh yeah and then you just count all that out and give it to the church."
(Confused Susan:)
".............................so wait. What is the point of that?"
Ok yeah...maybe DONT just throw little Deacons under the bus and ask them to explain commandments in lessons with out prepping them. Lesson learned.
BUT these boys really do have like the SWEETEST hearts and are SO tight, it has been the sweetest thing on planet earth.
Exchanges with Sister Nash (WHOA FULL CIRCLE can't believe we have come so far...(MTC comp)
met this first ever like DEVOUT Catholic lady with 15 siblings.
fifteen.
I'm like WHAT THE. freak out about it.
Later in conversation shes like "yeah, it's sad that people have this crazy reactions when they found out how many kids are in our family, because it's just what God wants us to do."
Oh......yeah....I mean...like I wasn't REALLY freaking out about that....it was.....ok, yes, guilty.
Ok out of time, SKIPPING TO SATURDAY
well first FRIDAY.
Had a mini-mission thing and her very first night? Go to the "Riverfest"
Think like Freedom Festival on ACID!?!? like THOUSANDDDDDS of people in Downtown Wichita . Our whole zone AND Derby zone went down there and were challenged to each give out 100 Mormon.org cards. SO FUN. Like best night for sure....SUPER worldly like Sodom and Gomorra style but we had lots of work to do :)
CRISIS when our pones like shut.down. because of how many people are there.
And we are lost.
LONG STORY short...............still can't find n e one.
It's now 9:55.....our curfew is 9:30....and we are 20 minutes away from our house. WUT.
Start panicking.....
MILLIONS of tender mercies LATER.....(i.e. i get this random thought TAKE A PICTURE OF THE PHONE, do it......PHONE DIES one second later. WHOA Lord protecting us.)
It's 10:25........WE are still on the streets of Wichita.
FINALLY got through to the ZL's or are FREAKING out. who get a hold of the Hermanas (our ride) who FINALLY break through traffic and find us.
And we are home.
By 11:03.
WORST.DAY.EVER. poor little mini-missionary is like SCARRED FOR LIFE.
BUT I know that was Satan trying to keep us from having the BEST DAY OF MY MISSION RIGHT AFTER!?!?!
Saturday:
MONICAS BAPTISM!
We start out with an AWESOME church tour to a new investigator Sherry. Basically she has a break down in the Chapel and is sobbing, hasn't cried for over a year and just lets our EVERYTHING. Best moment, spirit so strong, leave her in there to start the baptism.
MONICA GETS BAPTIZED.
Thought she was going to drown so FLAILS like crazy first time she is dunked....does it again....still flails but guy baptizing her is prepared for it and like SHOVES her to the bottom.
But everytime, despite the ALWAYS crazy actual baptizing, you can still feel the spirit.
RIGHT after have ANOTHER church tour with TWO more investigators who randomly show up to the baptism?? SO GOOD! tells us she feels a warm feeling in her heart in the Chapel and really impressed by everything so far! SPIRIT ON FIRE!
THEN Monicas mom who has been like ANTI came to baptism and have spur-of-the-moment lesson with her at refreshments where she breaks down from feeling the Spirit and says she's been curious but didn't know if she was welcome or not. WHAT!? *inviting to everything*
NEXT
DAYTONS BAPTISM!
So.good. HE IS SO FREAKIN ADORABLE was like freaaaaaking out so excited! Like a little jumping bean going crazy.
Bishop Broberg welcoming him to the ward... "Church is the same everywhere, family anywhere you go now....I went to Mexico and find this tiny church building and I walk in...and you know what he said to me?"
Dayton: "Hola?"
dyingggggggggggggg
Mom Susan just emotional WRECK cause she is feeling the Spirit SO strong I KNOW it was testifying to her that she NEEDED to be baptized...has LOTS of issues so won't be for a while, but pray for her!
WOW no more time.
ENDING with unbelievable story from members last night.
Sister Beggs met Brother Beggs in high school. She starts dating, he goes home and asks mom "what do you know about the Mormons?" "well, we have their gold bible right there on the shelf if you want to read it!"
Starts reading it, Sister Beggs invites him to take lessons, he is baptized, goes on mission, comes back they get married.
THEN Brother Beggs FAMILY all joins.
His mom like 10 years later comes to visit them in Utah.
She gets that original Book of Mormon they had and finds missionaires name in it. Somehow finds out he is a tour guide on Temple Square so they drive over to find him.
He's not on duty.
They tell the guides why they are trying to find him and freak out, call the guy, he is over there in minutes!
Have an awesome reunion with him, telling story of how they all joined by Sister Beggs.
He asks her, well, were you raised in the Church?
"yes, my mom took the discussions from the misisonaries when she was pregnant with me, but got baptized like 2 years later."
Missionary guy freezes...."what was your moms name? That was me who taught her!"
This missionary had NO idea the success he had.
These two families lived in different towns like 15 miles away from each other.
One he left a book of Mormon with and never heard of again.
the other was an investigator that in his mind "ended up dropping them" but was later baptized.
NEVER KNOW the impact we have on people.
SO COOL!
LOVE YOU ALL
xoxox
Sister Murray
PICS:
1. Dayton and Susan!
2. MONICA!
3. Look who decided to show up! #Murrnia Reep'n the seeds she sowed.
Forcing McKayla to take a picture with us. Classic.
Exchanges with this crazy Sister BLESS HER. Just never.stops.talking.
Laying in bed,
"So what is your favorite fantasy universe?"
wut.
in.
the.
Hilare.
OK BAPTISIMOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
So we are finishing teaching Dayton the commandments last week and the Deacons quorum here is just UNREAL??? Always want to come to be part of the lessons.
So James comes.
Susan (Dayton's mom) always there.
"James, can you explain to Dayton about Fast Offerings?"
-thinking he would explain the like role of a deacon in that.....-
"yes, we don't eat breakfast or lunch. so then you calculate how much money you would have spent for those meals to donate. So like if you have scrambled eggs for breakfast, there are usually 12 eggs in a carton... you divide 2 dollars by 12...which usually ends up being like 12 cents...then like one slice of bread is like 4 cents....plus any milk you might drink......oh yeah and then you just count all that out and give it to the church."
(Confused Susan:)
".............................so wait. What is the point of that?"
Ok yeah...maybe DONT just throw little Deacons under the bus and ask them to explain commandments in lessons with out prepping them. Lesson learned.
BUT these boys really do have like the SWEETEST hearts and are SO tight, it has been the sweetest thing on planet earth.
Exchanges with Sister Nash (WHOA FULL CIRCLE can't believe we have come so far...(MTC comp)
met this first ever like DEVOUT Catholic lady with 15 siblings.
fifteen.
I'm like WHAT THE. freak out about it.
Later in conversation shes like "yeah, it's sad that people have this crazy reactions when they found out how many kids are in our family, because it's just what God wants us to do."
Oh......yeah....I mean...like I wasn't REALLY freaking out about that....it was.....ok, yes, guilty.
Ok out of time, SKIPPING TO SATURDAY
well first FRIDAY.
Had a mini-mission thing and her very first night? Go to the "Riverfest"
Think like Freedom Festival on ACID!?!? like THOUSANDDDDDS of people in Downtown Wichita . Our whole zone AND Derby zone went down there and were challenged to each give out 100 Mormon.org cards. SO FUN. Like best night for sure....SUPER worldly like Sodom and Gomorra style but we had lots of work to do :)
CRISIS when our pones like shut.down. because of how many people are there.
And we are lost.
LONG STORY short...............still can't find n e one.
It's now 9:55.....our curfew is 9:30....and we are 20 minutes away from our house. WUT.
Start panicking.....
MILLIONS of tender mercies LATER.....(i.e. i get this random thought TAKE A PICTURE OF THE PHONE, do it......PHONE DIES one second later. WHOA Lord protecting us.)
It's 10:25........WE are still on the streets of Wichita.
FINALLY got through to the ZL's or are FREAKING out. who get a hold of the Hermanas (our ride) who FINALLY break through traffic and find us.
And we are home.
By 11:03.
WORST.DAY.EVER. poor little mini-missionary is like SCARRED FOR LIFE.
BUT I know that was Satan trying to keep us from having the BEST DAY OF MY MISSION RIGHT AFTER!?!?!
Saturday:
MONICAS BAPTISM!
We start out with an AWESOME church tour to a new investigator Sherry. Basically she has a break down in the Chapel and is sobbing, hasn't cried for over a year and just lets our EVERYTHING. Best moment, spirit so strong, leave her in there to start the baptism.
MONICA GETS BAPTIZED.
Thought she was going to drown so FLAILS like crazy first time she is dunked....does it again....still flails but guy baptizing her is prepared for it and like SHOVES her to the bottom.
But everytime, despite the ALWAYS crazy actual baptizing, you can still feel the spirit.
RIGHT after have ANOTHER church tour with TWO more investigators who randomly show up to the baptism?? SO GOOD! tells us she feels a warm feeling in her heart in the Chapel and really impressed by everything so far! SPIRIT ON FIRE!
THEN Monicas mom who has been like ANTI came to baptism and have spur-of-the-moment lesson with her at refreshments where she breaks down from feeling the Spirit and says she's been curious but didn't know if she was welcome or not. WHAT!? *inviting to everything*
NEXT
DAYTONS BAPTISM!
So.good. HE IS SO FREAKIN ADORABLE was like freaaaaaking out so excited! Like a little jumping bean going crazy.
Bishop Broberg welcoming him to the ward... "Church is the same everywhere, family anywhere you go now....I went to Mexico and find this tiny church building and I walk in...and you know what he said to me?"
Dayton: "Hola?"
dyingggggggggggggg
Mom Susan just emotional WRECK cause she is feeling the Spirit SO strong I KNOW it was testifying to her that she NEEDED to be baptized...has LOTS of issues so won't be for a while, but pray for her!
WOW no more time.
ENDING with unbelievable story from members last night.
Sister Beggs met Brother Beggs in high school. She starts dating, he goes home and asks mom "what do you know about the Mormons?" "well, we have their gold bible right there on the shelf if you want to read it!"
Starts reading it, Sister Beggs invites him to take lessons, he is baptized, goes on mission, comes back they get married.
THEN Brother Beggs FAMILY all joins.
His mom like 10 years later comes to visit them in Utah.
She gets that original Book of Mormon they had and finds missionaires name in it. Somehow finds out he is a tour guide on Temple Square so they drive over to find him.
He's not on duty.
They tell the guides why they are trying to find him and freak out, call the guy, he is over there in minutes!
Have an awesome reunion with him, telling story of how they all joined by Sister Beggs.
He asks her, well, were you raised in the Church?
"yes, my mom took the discussions from the misisonaries when she was pregnant with me, but got baptized like 2 years later."
Missionary guy freezes...."what was your moms name? That was me who taught her!"
This missionary had NO idea the success he had.
These two families lived in different towns like 15 miles away from each other.
One he left a book of Mormon with and never heard of again.
the other was an investigator that in his mind "ended up dropping them" but was later baptized.
NEVER KNOW the impact we have on people.
SO COOL!
LOVE YOU ALL
xoxox
Sister Murray
PICS:
1. Dayton and Susan!
Adam-bi-Diana (May 27, 2014)
SO.MUCH.TO.SAY.
Buckle up.
Beginning with LAST Monday. After we emailed we went to the ZOOOO for P-Day.
Holy Turkey Darlin'. <---new investigator TRACY from Nashville, best accent, trying to quit swearing, comes out with JEWELS like all.the.time.
Had like a spiritual experience....with a gorilla.
ok ok ok. So we go to the Zoo. I'm like wow, why am I not at the Zoo like on the daily??? FREAKIN LOVED IT.
So we go to the gorilla exhibit. This GIANT like Planet of the Apes style King Kong one just all of a sudden, like out of a movie, runs across the whooooooole mini jungle banging his chest and jumps on this "throne" rock and just stares at me. Literally, it was almost weird, I'm like...I think he is a human in costume.
....which led to a whole debate with one of my Zone Leaders, Elder Heath (who RANDOMLY was in Aunt Holly's 4th grade class????? SHOUT OUT TO THE WESTONS)
about evalution.
So I have a pretty convincing theory about Science and Religion arguing the same thing just using different terms...so I'm explaining this to Elder Heath....he's not buying it. Blah blah blah.
THEN. We go inside. It's like this fake African safari tent with windows all around, fake birds chirping, like you are living with the gorillas. One is leaning against the window.
I go up to it.
Sit back to back with it.
Have a mini freak out cause I've never been that close to a gorilla.
T I M E S L O W S D O W N
And the gorilla turns.
We are now FACE TO FACE, faces smashed against the glass like a little 4 year old toddler drooling looking into a fish tank.
And we just sit there.
And stare at each other.
For a SOLID 20 seconds.
................and I can't really explain it, but all I know is that he spoke to me telepathically and confirmed to me that my theory about evolution was true.
So I told Elder Heat that I was going to teach it as part of the Plan of Salvation if that was ok................."WHAT? No!"
Obviously he didn't have a spiritual moment with a gorilla. OBVIOUSLY.
Ok next day went on a 3 day exchange with my favorite Sister in da zone. HOW did we swing that, we.will.never.know. She was trained by Sister Runia...and Sister Bell was there for a meeting we just had.....so she may or may not have taken us to the edge of our zone so we could have a rendeveous with Sis Runia????? I DONT KNOW. It all happened so fast....Sister Hymas was crying...HILARIOUS. But it was the GREATEST. Miss that lil munchkin. #Murrnia
OK.
Me and Sister Hymas. Going to dinner appointment. Literally like FAMISHED because we spent the like million hour long car ride talking, spent ALL of our energy.
Show up.
Single old lady.
"I know its SO hot so I wanted to make something light.......haven't made this for a while, its a gelatin dish..."
*quizzical looks*
*trying to define gelatin in my mind*
..."ok so its tuna, lemon jello, whip cream...miracle whip, .....oh yeah, and walnuts! served over lettuce."
Before I could contain it just word vomit, "Well, wow! Those are all of my favorite things!"
*Wut.*
#Biggestserving #VOMMMMMMM
Street contacting afterwards. Felt impressed to try this house with people out on porch. Awkward chain link fence that is LOCKED....they are watching us just awkwardly stuck there...not moving....."can I help you?"
NOT a good sign.....millions of awkward comments LATER our mission decided to REALLY humble us and requires us to be rejected THREE times before we can leave????
"look, there no real easy way to say this........no."
"mhmm ok...bye."
#Humbling
Our investigator Dayton's little sister McKayla has down syndrome and is freaking ADORABLE. She always asks me to braid her hair....and in return braids mine...which is fine....until she just got back from playing in the MUD and has it all over her face and hands....and comes up and braids my hair....just washed it....it's fine.
They have this AWESOME little baseball league called "the Miracle League" for kids with specials needs to play on a team. Went to her last game, seriously best atmosphere, such a special spirit around these kids, LOVE THEM.
MIRACLE SABBATH:
Tammy and Teah didn't come to church which means they can't get baptized Saturday. :( We had this MISSION WIDE FAST for miracles in May and Saturday is the last day so we were SUPER bummed to end on such a sad note.
NOT that its for the numbers but we have this specific goal we have been trying to hit as a mission for MONTHS and we were DETERMINED May was going to be the month, and with our investigators on date we were going to hit it! But I prayed super hard the night before and felt like total peace about the whole situation.
After Church we were all worried Tammy and Teah had been anti'd because we had like 4 different appointments that week that she canclled on. Show up to her house that night, ready to just drop her basically, turns out she has been hard to get a hold of because she has been having massive head aches from trying to keep the Word of Wisdom!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?! like WHO ARE YOU WE ONLY MENTIONED THAT IN PASSING NOT THINKING YOU EVEN REMEMBERED YOU HAD TO QUIT ALL THESE THINGS!?!?!
Set for June 7th. HOLY PRAY FOR THEM.
NEXT Miracle,
Monica.
Was supposed to get baptized May 17th and a bunch of CRAZY weird things happened where she was coerced to postpone (lamest) so she prayed and felt like June 7th was better.
Goes to Missouri this weekend with the Singles Ward for a conference.
Calls us Sunday.
"Ok, this is the LAST time I'm changing it, but I need to be baptized May 31st"
Jaw. Dropped.
WHHHY.
"Went to the Temple and since I couldn't go in I decided to sit outside and PONDER the whole time and I asked God to show me a sign if I should switch it, few minutes later my boss called me and said they had to switch the schedule and that I couldn't have next Saturday off but I had the 31st off."
YEAH LORD ANSWERS PRAYERS because she was ready for either date and her salvation was the same but the Lord cares about a tiny mission in the middle of Kansas reaching their goal they set for People saved in the Heartland.
MURRCLES.
Classic quote of the week from Monica:
"So basically, now I want to become homeless and live by the sacred land, Adam-bi-Diana or get a box to live in outside of the Temple."
The New Jerusalem is hard to spell. I don't blame her.
Lastly, Ward Council. The Elders are teaching someone from Syria named Sylvia. #thatshard Ward Mission Leader loves to mention the fact that the only time he met her she was smoking a Hookah.
*Cue 5 min long conversation of the Bishop and Elders Quorum President explaining in detail to the Relief Society President what a Hookah was.*
"Ooooh, so it's like an e-cig?"
What.the.unexpected.
If I could relive any moment....THAT would probably be one of them....
I feel like I've SUPER slacked in detail lately so there is enough to basically fill you until I get home. Sorry about the novel! Expect an extremely crappy letter next week.... with my track record....its bound to happen. #sorrynotsorry
LOVE YOU ALL!!!
xoxoxox
Sister Murray
PICS!
1. First encounter. *realizing the monumental occasion
2. ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE
*Due to the sacredness of the occasion, no documentation could be recorded of the encounter*
3. Afterwards....I like this shot of Tyson the monkey pulling away because if you tilt your head and squint a little bit, it is as if our souls have been combined for a split second and my image is super imposed onto him; and it looks as if he has become a missionary.
THIS ONES FOR THE BOOKS PEOPLE. For.the.books.
AFTER the event with the monkey. I turn back around. And part of my soul had been left on this animal.
FIRST POSE HE DOES.
Holy of holies this ish is real.
stole.my.move.
Buckle up.
Beginning with LAST Monday. After we emailed we went to the ZOOOO for P-Day.
Holy Turkey Darlin'. <---new investigator TRACY from Nashville, best accent, trying to quit swearing, comes out with JEWELS like all.the.time.
Had like a spiritual experience....with a gorilla.
ok ok ok. So we go to the Zoo. I'm like wow, why am I not at the Zoo like on the daily??? FREAKIN LOVED IT.
So we go to the gorilla exhibit. This GIANT like Planet of the Apes style King Kong one just all of a sudden, like out of a movie, runs across the whooooooole mini jungle banging his chest and jumps on this "throne" rock and just stares at me. Literally, it was almost weird, I'm like...I think he is a human in costume.
....which led to a whole debate with one of my Zone Leaders, Elder Heath (who RANDOMLY was in Aunt Holly's 4th grade class????? SHOUT OUT TO THE WESTONS)
about evalution.
So I have a pretty convincing theory about Science and Religion arguing the same thing just using different terms...so I'm explaining this to Elder Heath....he's not buying it. Blah blah blah.
THEN. We go inside. It's like this fake African safari tent with windows all around, fake birds chirping, like you are living with the gorillas. One is leaning against the window.
I go up to it.
Sit back to back with it.
Have a mini freak out cause I've never been that close to a gorilla.
T I M E S L O W S D O W N
And the gorilla turns.
We are now FACE TO FACE, faces smashed against the glass like a little 4 year old toddler drooling looking into a fish tank.
And we just sit there.
And stare at each other.
For a SOLID 20 seconds.
................and I can't really explain it, but all I know is that he spoke to me telepathically and confirmed to me that my theory about evolution was true.
So I told Elder Heat that I was going to teach it as part of the Plan of Salvation if that was ok................."WHAT? No!"
Obviously he didn't have a spiritual moment with a gorilla. OBVIOUSLY.
Ok next day went on a 3 day exchange with my favorite Sister in da zone. HOW did we swing that, we.will.never.know. She was trained by Sister Runia...and Sister Bell was there for a meeting we just had.....so she may or may not have taken us to the edge of our zone so we could have a rendeveous with Sis Runia????? I DONT KNOW. It all happened so fast....Sister Hymas was crying...HILARIOUS. But it was the GREATEST. Miss that lil munchkin. #Murrnia
OK.
Me and Sister Hymas. Going to dinner appointment. Literally like FAMISHED because we spent the like million hour long car ride talking, spent ALL of our energy.
Show up.
Single old lady.
"I know its SO hot so I wanted to make something light.......haven't made this for a while, its a gelatin dish..."
*quizzical looks*
*trying to define gelatin in my mind*
..."ok so its tuna, lemon jello, whip cream...miracle whip, .....oh yeah, and walnuts! served over lettuce."
Before I could contain it just word vomit, "Well, wow! Those are all of my favorite things!"
*Wut.*
#Biggestserving #VOMMMMMMM
Street contacting afterwards. Felt impressed to try this house with people out on porch. Awkward chain link fence that is LOCKED....they are watching us just awkwardly stuck there...not moving....."can I help you?"
NOT a good sign.....millions of awkward comments LATER our mission decided to REALLY humble us and requires us to be rejected THREE times before we can leave????
"look, there no real easy way to say this........no."
"mhmm ok...bye."
#Humbling
Our investigator Dayton's little sister McKayla has down syndrome and is freaking ADORABLE. She always asks me to braid her hair....and in return braids mine...which is fine....until she just got back from playing in the MUD and has it all over her face and hands....and comes up and braids my hair....just washed it....it's fine.
They have this AWESOME little baseball league called "the Miracle League" for kids with specials needs to play on a team. Went to her last game, seriously best atmosphere, such a special spirit around these kids, LOVE THEM.
MIRACLE SABBATH:
Tammy and Teah didn't come to church which means they can't get baptized Saturday. :( We had this MISSION WIDE FAST for miracles in May and Saturday is the last day so we were SUPER bummed to end on such a sad note.
NOT that its for the numbers but we have this specific goal we have been trying to hit as a mission for MONTHS and we were DETERMINED May was going to be the month, and with our investigators on date we were going to hit it! But I prayed super hard the night before and felt like total peace about the whole situation.
After Church we were all worried Tammy and Teah had been anti'd because we had like 4 different appointments that week that she canclled on. Show up to her house that night, ready to just drop her basically, turns out she has been hard to get a hold of because she has been having massive head aches from trying to keep the Word of Wisdom!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?! like WHO ARE YOU WE ONLY MENTIONED THAT IN PASSING NOT THINKING YOU EVEN REMEMBERED YOU HAD TO QUIT ALL THESE THINGS!?!?!
Set for June 7th. HOLY PRAY FOR THEM.
NEXT Miracle,
Monica.
Was supposed to get baptized May 17th and a bunch of CRAZY weird things happened where she was coerced to postpone (lamest) so she prayed and felt like June 7th was better.
Goes to Missouri this weekend with the Singles Ward for a conference.
Calls us Sunday.
"Ok, this is the LAST time I'm changing it, but I need to be baptized May 31st"
Jaw. Dropped.
WHHHY.
"Went to the Temple and since I couldn't go in I decided to sit outside and PONDER the whole time and I asked God to show me a sign if I should switch it, few minutes later my boss called me and said they had to switch the schedule and that I couldn't have next Saturday off but I had the 31st off."
YEAH LORD ANSWERS PRAYERS because she was ready for either date and her salvation was the same but the Lord cares about a tiny mission in the middle of Kansas reaching their goal they set for People saved in the Heartland.
MURRCLES.
Classic quote of the week from Monica:
"So basically, now I want to become homeless and live by the sacred land, Adam-bi-Diana or get a box to live in outside of the Temple."
The New Jerusalem is hard to spell. I don't blame her.
Lastly, Ward Council. The Elders are teaching someone from Syria named Sylvia. #thatshard Ward Mission Leader loves to mention the fact that the only time he met her she was smoking a Hookah.
*Cue 5 min long conversation of the Bishop and Elders Quorum President explaining in detail to the Relief Society President what a Hookah was.*
"Ooooh, so it's like an e-cig?"
What.the.unexpected.
If I could relive any moment....THAT would probably be one of them....
I feel like I've SUPER slacked in detail lately so there is enough to basically fill you until I get home. Sorry about the novel! Expect an extremely crappy letter next week.... with my track record....its bound to happen. #sorrynotsorry
LOVE YOU ALL!!!
xoxoxox
Sister Murray
PICS!
1. First encounter. *realizing the monumental occasion
*Due to the sacredness of the occasion, no documentation could be recorded of the encounter*
THIS ONES FOR THE BOOKS PEOPLE. For.the.books.
FIRST POSE HE DOES.
Holy of holies this ish is real.
stole.my.move.
Ok pics for real now.
1. Me and Sister Dean with McKayla at her baseball game! Obsessed with her.
2. America house. Seriously WHAT THE. I.love.America.
3. The gelatin concoction. Delicious
Brush up on your Bible, it prevents Truth decay (May 19, 2014)
Born again Christians. Gotta love 'em. ^^^
Only in Kansas/the Bible belt will someone accept to be BAPTIZED before they will commit to come to church.
WHY IS THAT HARD. they are willing to make ETERNAL COVENANTS WITH GOD? before they will walk in to a Mormon Church and test out Relief Society.
Yeah, milestone commitments are hard.
NOT.
It's because we don't sell Coffee and give out free doughnuts and have blue lights on our steeples and electric marquees outside our churches....but hey. We're fighting back the competition with hand made "church tours HERE" signs on the front lawn..............THAT and the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ which leads to your salvation....I mean..........."you still don't have free donuts..?.."
*sigh*
Monica.
Postponed baptism because the family that fellowships her hates America.
TERRORISTS of SALVATION.
ToS's.
THEY told her she wasn't ready yet.
Which whatever, I'm not reopening the wound....but she is back on date for June 7th.
So we are teaching her, reading the Book of Mormon yesterday.
1 Nephi 4 (HARD....Nephi kills a person....)
"So does that make sense Monica?"
"Yes, totally."
"What did you learn from Nephi's example?"
"Yes, like if there is a party pooper somewhere, you know that one person that just sucks out all the fun, just get rid of them! cut them out of your life, destroy them, like whatever it takes! Just keeps you happier....."
"..........................................................................yes. that is right....................................."
Tammy and Teah.
BOTH getting baptized May 31st (ULTIMATE PRAYERS NEEDED)
Tammy has to keep living the WofW as of.....2 days ago to make it on her date....but we have faith!
Took her on a Church Tour with a lady in the Ward, had to go on splits because too many appointments. (SHOCKING that even is a problem. always laughed at the white handbook when they give the requirements for that....#Hastenin'datWork) she served a mission back in like 1837 so was PUMPED to be my companion. Love her. <3 <3 <3
LOVE Church Tours cause i'm like FREAK OUR CHURCH ROCKS like we have EVERY.CONCERN.COVERED. always. auxiliaries out of our ears. Walking around, Spirit so strong, just hit the baptismal font, they both agree to be baptized....right on cue....Sister Bennett...."and HERE is the Mothers lounge.....my favorite room....where if you get kind of tired or like overwhelmed, just come in here, SUPER comfy chairs...take a nap...... "
...............yes and HERE is where the Spirit just left....
Haha so classic.
Go to the Chapel, SPIRIT LIKE ON A HIGH best ever, Joseph Smiths First vision, everyones emotional..........
Sister Bennett...."and if you would like to check out the bathrooms, they are also really well done.....I don't know, I always like to check out the bathrooms in a place... "
And as weird and random as I was.....SHE WAS PERFECT! Tammy and her like BESTIES of all time.
And you know what, she LOVED those bathrooms.
*EDITORS NOTE: as we were taking them through the Chapel, explaining the sacredness of the Sacrament and showing her the Sacrament table....crumbs...everywhere..from Sunday. Sp sloppy. It was Wednesday. SO disappointed, she was like "oh....hm...looks a little dirty..."
PREISTS: ALWAYS clean up. everytime. even if there is a Ward after you. maybe even go at the end of the day and make sure it looks nice. SERIOUS buzz kill but Spirit was still there, saved us.
DAYTON! like SUCH a champ. He is literally worlds-cutest-12-year old of all time. He is just like single handedly hossing his family around in the gospel. HE comes to church. every week. BY HIMSELF. because he loves it. AHHH I love him. Teaching him about Priesthood and his duties, Sunday just like BEAMING as he is watching the Deacons, leans over, "that will be ME!"
Heart.melting.
LORD is seriously Hastening HIS work. PRAY FOR THEM PLEASEEEEEEEE
love you,
love me.
PICS:
1. Lunch is hard. We tried to make a green smoothie....but we didn't have ice....so it was just luke-warm blended spinach and blueberries smoothie.......and burnt sandwich.
2. ...........So now we live on Cuties............. #literally
.JPG)
Only in Kansas/the Bible belt will someone accept to be BAPTIZED before they will commit to come to church.
WHY IS THAT HARD. they are willing to make ETERNAL COVENANTS WITH GOD? before they will walk in to a Mormon Church and test out Relief Society.
Yeah, milestone commitments are hard.
NOT.
It's because we don't sell Coffee and give out free doughnuts and have blue lights on our steeples and electric marquees outside our churches....but hey. We're fighting back the competition with hand made "church tours HERE" signs on the front lawn..............THAT and the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ which leads to your salvation....I mean..........."you still don't have free donuts..?.."
*sigh*
Monica.
Postponed baptism because the family that fellowships her hates America.
TERRORISTS of SALVATION.
ToS's.
THEY told her she wasn't ready yet.
Which whatever, I'm not reopening the wound....but she is back on date for June 7th.
So we are teaching her, reading the Book of Mormon yesterday.
1 Nephi 4 (HARD....Nephi kills a person....)
"So does that make sense Monica?"
"Yes, totally."
"What did you learn from Nephi's example?"
"Yes, like if there is a party pooper somewhere, you know that one person that just sucks out all the fun, just get rid of them! cut them out of your life, destroy them, like whatever it takes! Just keeps you happier....."
"..........................................................................yes. that is right....................................."
Tammy and Teah.
BOTH getting baptized May 31st (ULTIMATE PRAYERS NEEDED)
Tammy has to keep living the WofW as of.....2 days ago to make it on her date....but we have faith!
Took her on a Church Tour with a lady in the Ward, had to go on splits because too many appointments. (SHOCKING that even is a problem. always laughed at the white handbook when they give the requirements for that....#Hastenin'datWork) she served a mission back in like 1837 so was PUMPED to be my companion. Love her. <3 <3 <3
LOVE Church Tours cause i'm like FREAK OUR CHURCH ROCKS like we have EVERY.CONCERN.COVERED. always. auxiliaries out of our ears. Walking around, Spirit so strong, just hit the baptismal font, they both agree to be baptized....right on cue....Sister Bennett...."and HERE is the Mothers lounge.....my favorite room....where if you get kind of tired or like overwhelmed, just come in here, SUPER comfy chairs...take a nap...... "
...............yes and HERE is where the Spirit just left....
Haha so classic.
Go to the Chapel, SPIRIT LIKE ON A HIGH best ever, Joseph Smiths First vision, everyones emotional..........
Sister Bennett...."and if you would like to check out the bathrooms, they are also really well done.....I don't know, I always like to check out the bathrooms in a place... "
And as weird and random as I was.....SHE WAS PERFECT! Tammy and her like BESTIES of all time.
And you know what, she LOVED those bathrooms.
*EDITORS NOTE: as we were taking them through the Chapel, explaining the sacredness of the Sacrament and showing her the Sacrament table....crumbs...everywhere..from Sunday. Sp sloppy. It was Wednesday. SO disappointed, she was like "oh....hm...looks a little dirty..."
PREISTS: ALWAYS clean up. everytime. even if there is a Ward after you. maybe even go at the end of the day and make sure it looks nice. SERIOUS buzz kill but Spirit was still there, saved us.
DAYTON! like SUCH a champ. He is literally worlds-cutest-12-year old of all time. He is just like single handedly hossing his family around in the gospel. HE comes to church. every week. BY HIMSELF. because he loves it. AHHH I love him. Teaching him about Priesthood and his duties, Sunday just like BEAMING as he is watching the Deacons, leans over, "that will be ME!"
Heart.melting.
LORD is seriously Hastening HIS work. PRAY FOR THEM PLEASEEEEEEEE
love you,
love me.
PICS:
1. Lunch is hard. We tried to make a green smoothie....but we didn't have ice....so it was just luke-warm blended spinach and blueberries smoothie.......and burnt sandwich.
This one goes out to da Muders (May 12, 2014)
Ok I feel like I told you everything yesterday.....BEST EVER!!!!
HIGHLIGHTS:
-exchanges to Pratt. Middle of NOwhurr. Senior Couple driving us out "gotta run a few errhands..."
#HobbyLobby
We are in the Hutchinson "MALL" which includes Hobby Lobby...if that fills you in on the caliber....so somehow the rest of the mall which EVERY store is closing or shut down except for the token pretzel place--is connected to Hobby Lobby. so we get our stuff...she needs to run to "Penny's"...so we just walk through this glass tunnel...shopping cart in hand....into the mall?? Cruising the mall. With a stolen shopping cart from Hobby Lobby. All wearing missionary tags.
She has NO idea.
Leaving JC Penny's....."just leave the cart by the door. They can figure it out."
...........bolting to the car.
-Raining buckets. but we are also in a drought.....? #Kansas
-LOVIN da mish. West side is weird...but i'm learnin to love it. Miss my hoodrat friends but the West side is FULL of country bumpkins so LITERALLY can't complain about that trade-off.......so many mission teeth...so little time.
LOVE YOU!
xoxox
Sista Murr
HIGHLIGHTS:
-exchanges to Pratt. Middle of NOwhurr. Senior Couple driving us out "gotta run a few errhands..."
#HobbyLobby
We are in the Hutchinson "MALL" which includes Hobby Lobby...if that fills you in on the caliber....so somehow the rest of the mall which EVERY store is closing or shut down except for the token pretzel place--is connected to Hobby Lobby. so we get our stuff...she needs to run to "Penny's"...so we just walk through this glass tunnel...shopping cart in hand....into the mall?? Cruising the mall. With a stolen shopping cart from Hobby Lobby. All wearing missionary tags.
She has NO idea.
Leaving JC Penny's....."just leave the cart by the door. They can figure it out."
...........bolting to the car.
-Raining buckets. but we are also in a drought.....? #Kansas
-LOVIN da mish. West side is weird...but i'm learnin to love it. Miss my hoodrat friends but the West side is FULL of country bumpkins so LITERALLY can't complain about that trade-off.......so many mission teeth...so little time.
LOVE YOU!
xoxox
Sista Murr
Is that what you wanted? RIP Murrnia (May 5, 2014)
So.....................FALSE ALARM.
I'm actually nooot going to Salina.
HA.
AP's called lated Monday night and said JK you are actually going to Wichita. The Maize 1st Ward. which is right across the river.
Which is fine. Different stake, different zone, NOT that I am all in to this East v. West side thing......but the West side totally blows.
Jk. I've just been on the East side for so...long....it's hard to make the transition.
Sayin bye was hard.
No it wasn't i didn't even do it! I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWW im a terrible person but i got SO overwhelmed with all I had to do and i kept being like K gotta go say bye...k gotta go call people cause no enough time to say bye...ok gotta go text people cause not enough time to call...ok i'm driving away in a car and realizing i never said bye...ohhh................
But i went to the Geriatric Key 3.
Mama Harris.
Carol.
Judy.
All in tears.
Sis Harris was like WAILING at the doorstep when we pulled up because someone had leaked in advance I was leaving. She thought i was going to outer darkness aka Salina so when i told her i was just going to the west side she was instantly fine. #faketears I'm like oh..k...glad...you..are...sad?
RIP hardest to leave them, but Judy asked for my number to call me WEEKLY so i gave her yours....JOKES ON YOU! enjoy those weekly phone calls. "I have free long distance phone calls any where in the country so we can talk for hours".
But Maize really is da bomb. they are SOOO missionary minded. like They have Ward Council 3 times a week.....and the WHOLE meeting. I repeat. THE.WHOLE.MEETING. is about missionary work. They are like unreal so I know we'll have some miracles this transfer.
MONICA: she is getting baptized on May 17th. It's so weird cause this will be the first baptism that I am like coming in half way and I was super bummed about it cause i'm like I feel like i'll be disconnected from her....turns out we are re-teaching her all the lessons cause she hasn't even had the discussions yet! She just has a bomb member fellowship and reads a TON on her own so she has learned so much just from Mormon channel etc and the missionaries have only known her or like 2 weeks!!! She works at Starbucks and has to "taste test" the coffee..we were super nervous to talk to her about it on Sunday and she's like "oh yeah, I told me boss I can't do it anymore" was she ok with it? "well yeah, I told her she better be or she needs to find a new employee" ....
WHAT.
seriously unreal. LOVE HER. AND she bore her testimony yesterday?? haha like WHO IS SHE?? love her.
Also DAYTON little 12 year old boy who the Sisters were teaching his mom, he sat in on a few lessons, went and prayed and came back and told them God had give him the answer that he needed to be baptized and so set his own baptismal date! NEVER been taught the lessons. WHO IS HE!
Literal miracles here in Maize.
Miracle May in Maize.
Pray for it.
LOVE YOU ALL!
xoxox
me
Sista MURRRRRRRR
SHOUTOUTS:
HAY BAY BAY got yo letter OBSESSED WITH YOUR LIFE. writing back today!
Sis Reeves! Love your updates!!!
PICS:
1. My faves....also potential husbands for Joss......
2. Our last match. RIP.
I'm actually nooot going to Salina.
HA.
AP's called lated Monday night and said JK you are actually going to Wichita. The Maize 1st Ward. which is right across the river.
Which is fine. Different stake, different zone, NOT that I am all in to this East v. West side thing......but the West side totally blows.
Jk. I've just been on the East side for so...long....it's hard to make the transition.
Sayin bye was hard.
No it wasn't i didn't even do it! I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWW im a terrible person but i got SO overwhelmed with all I had to do and i kept being like K gotta go say bye...k gotta go call people cause no enough time to say bye...ok gotta go text people cause not enough time to call...ok i'm driving away in a car and realizing i never said bye...ohhh................
But i went to the Geriatric Key 3.
Mama Harris.
Carol.
Judy.
All in tears.
Sis Harris was like WAILING at the doorstep when we pulled up because someone had leaked in advance I was leaving. She thought i was going to outer darkness aka Salina so when i told her i was just going to the west side she was instantly fine. #faketears I'm like oh..k...glad...you..are...sad?
RIP hardest to leave them, but Judy asked for my number to call me WEEKLY so i gave her yours....JOKES ON YOU! enjoy those weekly phone calls. "I have free long distance phone calls any where in the country so we can talk for hours".
But Maize really is da bomb. they are SOOO missionary minded. like They have Ward Council 3 times a week.....and the WHOLE meeting. I repeat. THE.WHOLE.MEETING. is about missionary work. They are like unreal so I know we'll have some miracles this transfer.
MONICA: she is getting baptized on May 17th. It's so weird cause this will be the first baptism that I am like coming in half way and I was super bummed about it cause i'm like I feel like i'll be disconnected from her....turns out we are re-teaching her all the lessons cause she hasn't even had the discussions yet! She just has a bomb member fellowship and reads a TON on her own so she has learned so much just from Mormon channel etc and the missionaries have only known her or like 2 weeks!!! She works at Starbucks and has to "taste test" the coffee..we were super nervous to talk to her about it on Sunday and she's like "oh yeah, I told me boss I can't do it anymore" was she ok with it? "well yeah, I told her she better be or she needs to find a new employee" ....
WHAT.
seriously unreal. LOVE HER. AND she bore her testimony yesterday?? haha like WHO IS SHE?? love her.
Also DAYTON little 12 year old boy who the Sisters were teaching his mom, he sat in on a few lessons, went and prayed and came back and told them God had give him the answer that he needed to be baptized and so set his own baptismal date! NEVER been taught the lessons. WHO IS HE!
Literal miracles here in Maize.
Miracle May in Maize.
Pray for it.
LOVE YOU ALL!
xoxox
me
Sista MURRRRRRRR
SHOUTOUTS:
HAY BAY BAY got yo letter OBSESSED WITH YOUR LIFE. writing back today!
Sis Reeves! Love your updates!!!
PICS:
1. My faves....also potential husbands for Joss......
SALINA (April 22, 2014)
hahahah seriously I don't really know even what to SAY right now. Being transferred. Murrnia is being broken up (R.I.P.)
and I'm going to .................. Sis Runia's old area!!!! haha literally when we come back to visit....we can just go to all the same places. #besties
But f'real.
Pray.for.me.
All I know about Salina is that they are literally in their own WORLD. They eat weird kind of meats and there is nu.thing.there. NOTHING. I mean Kansas has nothing, but Salina...is like nothingx10.
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I have been in Bel Aire for 5 transfers....same time as Lawrence...yet I feel like I just barely got here! like SOOOO not ready to leave. SOOO much work here I feel like I still need to do, and just yeah. Saddest.day.ever.
But I'm excited....??? I have been like WEIRDLY calm this transfer (mainly because we had this UNREALISTIC expectation that we would be staying together....)
Anyway, Come What May and Love it.
My mantra.
As of 3 seconds ago.
Mainly I have nothing to say other than I have like SO much to do...like SOOO much.to.do.
So more later......?
Considering in Salina there is NOTHING....i'll have lots more time to write.....
BYE.
Love,
Sister So-Depressed-Leavin-Mah-Peeps
PICS:
1. Murray Street. Runnin dis place.
2. Ashamed.....just a taste of what I need to go do.............................................#beentransferredONCE....obviously....
.JPG)
and I'm going to .................. Sis Runia's old area!!!! haha literally when we come back to visit....we can just go to all the same places. #besties
But f'real.
Pray.for.me.
All I know about Salina is that they are literally in their own WORLD. They eat weird kind of meats and there is nu.thing.there. NOTHING. I mean Kansas has nothing, but Salina...is like nothingx10.
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I have been in Bel Aire for 5 transfers....same time as Lawrence...yet I feel like I just barely got here! like SOOOO not ready to leave. SOOO much work here I feel like I still need to do, and just yeah. Saddest.day.ever.
But I'm excited....??? I have been like WEIRDLY calm this transfer (mainly because we had this UNREALISTIC expectation that we would be staying together....)
Anyway, Come What May and Love it.
My mantra.
As of 3 seconds ago.
Mainly I have nothing to say other than I have like SO much to do...like SOOO much.to.do.
So more later......?
Considering in Salina there is NOTHING....i'll have lots more time to write.....
BYE.
Love,
Sister So-Depressed-Leavin-Mah-Peeps
PICS:
1. Murray Street. Runnin dis place.
Saturday, 26 April 2014
Biebster Bunny comin' to town. (April 22, 2014)
^^Nothing to do with my email....just always wanted to use that in a sentence.
WHOA EASTER!
LITERALLY whirlwind week.
#BECAUSEOFHIM took over our LIVES. We made this HUUUUGE push throughout the mission to advertise it so it was like task after task getting it all done since the AP's were out traveling the mission so we were like their little SLAVES. For real. We made t-shirts.
Summed up? They had unrealistic expectations for our mid-sized office copy machine asking it to print 4,000 fliers.....burnt the thing out....ran out of ink like 4 different times....financial clerk Elder halted all production after rackin up the bill and the entire state of KANSAS was out of Magenta ink................lots of runs to Office Depot later....2,000 more fliers cut later........5 trips around the earth delivering/tagging mission cars with #becauseofHim/chalking up sidewalks later.......we did it! I have watched that vid PROBABLY like 45 times.......not exaggerating...CHILLS every time. can someone please find me that soundtrack to the music?? for real. I think we are going to fall asleep to it every night now.
easter.mormon.org .....just in case you missed it.
We sang in the Ward Choir? Director is a lady who converted from the Baptist Church a few years ago and has like a whole different level of Church choir.
I'm like LADY the only people who want to be here are in the Primary, the other half are feeling obligated because they actually are keeping their baptismal covenants and rendering service to others, and the other half are missionaries that got asked to be here because of the dwindling numbers. No, we do not know how to add dynamics in to a song, nor do we know how to read the music for that matter. Most of us only sing in the shower, and the other few who are singing loud...are the ones who should not be. We don't even get to wear cool ROBES when we're singing. So deal wid it.
So yes, picking This is the Christ that Mo-Tab basically has on copyright will sound really good. We've all heard it a million times so we will now just make up our own parts that are not even written in the music that we think we've heard before on the Consider the Lilies album and pretend like we are following along to your conducting. Yes, those two songs you picked that have like 5 different parts that switches keys 3 times and the time signature from 3/4 to 4/4 twelve different times in one song was probably a great choice for our Ward Choir consisting of 12 people, and yes, we will come in at the wrong time all 4 times because it's just the nature of Ward Choirs. it's part of the description actually in the red Church Handbook, you know, the one everyone refers to that NO one has read but acknowledges references to it? Can I get a Hallelujah? Amen.
Ok but for real. DOWN 2 DA GOODS.
CAROL
where to begin.
The time that was not spent marketing academy award winning church videos was spent with Carol.
Liker every.single.day.
Every HOUR was a different emotion from her. "I want to get baptized.....no I don't....spend 1 hour with me letting the Spirit testify the socks off of me and commit me to be baptized Saturday and then I will call you 20 min after you leave and tell you never mind........and then you'll set up an appointment for the next day and start the whole cycle over..."
ALL of this while everyone in the Ward is texting us about setting up stuff for her baptism Saturday... we're like COOL YOUR JETS SHE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE THERE.
Stressful.
Friday rolls around we have a full on STAKE OUT at her house. District Leader comes to interview her about baptism, LUCKILY has like a spiritual experience that she needs to be baptized and is ready despite that fact that in her interview she is asking what would happen if she postponed until Christmas....or maybe the 4th of July......
Crazy adversity down to pushing back her interview 1.5 hours because she randomly decides to call her hair dresser WHILE we are sitting there prepping her for the interview to come and cut her hair....who did I mention does NOT like Mormons....and then her evil friend from her old Church calls....all within 20 min......hair dresser would NOT leave...Sis Runia prays she will stop chatting and go.....out of NOWHERE "Well, I'm going to go take a nap at home...bye"
INSTANT.
We take her to dinner down the street and have a great time...start planning baptismal program....take her home everything is good....Spirit of Contention just settles in out of NOWHERE. I try and read some scriptures and you can tell there is just a literal WALL around her, like Spirit was not even there it was so crazy. She is crying saying why don't you believe me I am in pain and I can't be baptized tomorrow, we are like dumbfounded like HOW did this happen...tell her to go to bed and think about it.....
Go to print the baptismal programs at the office....call from our member fellowshippers (Carol called....not going to do it...told her to sleep on it)
I just laid down in the middle of the floor with office people stepping over me and had a miniature mental break down. Like I think that's what it would feel like to lose all sort of brain processing. Just no emotion, staring at a piece of carpet. Nothing left in me to even try and coax her. All that was left to do was to pray. Literally felt so helpless like done ALL I could to help her, and felt like Satan was still winning. Offered up the most heartfelt prayer in the WORLD when we got home and just PRAYED that there were others out there that would remember to pray for her too (so if you did THANK YOU!!!!!)
Called in the morning.
"I'm going to do it."
All sorts of crazy at the Church, hardly anyone there because we didn't even know it was for sure until 20 min before. But it didn't matter. One of the most spiritual moments of my life seeing her baptized. Like a FULL trust in God down to the fact that she physically could not even bring herself down in to the font. Asked one of the Elders, Elder Hulse, to carry her down in to the font while and EMT and Doctor from our ward that were fellowshippers to her were in the font with her too (deeeeeeply afraid of water).
It was so amazing, to see her FULLY give herself up to the Lord, full faith that He would take care of her, knowing full well that EVERY friend she had for the past 60 years from her old Church were going to anti her the second she got home. Knowing that if for any other reason, she was doing this because her Heavenly Father had asker her to. It was total submission to God's will, and the Spirit that accompanied that was so overpowering, coolest ever!
THAT is true faith.
What has the Lord asked us to do that we have put off? Are we willing to be brave and allow God's will to take the place of ours? I couldn't believe sweet little Carol could show so much courage in doing something, that for her, was so life changing. But from that I knew that any little thing God had been asking me to do that I hadn't because it was "too hard"-- instantly became that much more obtainable.
LONGEST EVER.
You can tell I'm hitting the mid-mission slug where my friends have forgotten me because my emails are getting like infinitely longer/ border-line autobiographies. But hey, I may or may not be also typing obnoxiously loud to get back at evil Crotchety pants Pink shirt who got mad at all 6 of us Sisters who are "snickering" over our emails. I'm like yeah AUTO-BIOGRAPHY THIS LADY!
weak come back...but it's all you can do when you representin da Lord........
*already smashed her computer in my mind like 40 times*
MUCH LOVE
Sista MuRrAy
SHOUTOUTS:
SMASH PACK! you are insane. I SWEAR if I get transferred this next week, a 3 million page long letter will be comin yo way.
MI MADRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EASTER PACKAGE!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH literally loved it all!!!!!! we have listened to that cd on REPEAT since Saturday night (Sunday morning was a lil cray so I cheated) actually just one song....."Brave" we were like WHOA UM HOW PERFECT IS THIS RIGHT AFTER CAROLS BAPTISM!?!?! Literally didn't know it existed 48 hours ago.......have the whole thing memorized. LOVE YOU
PICS:
1&2. Carol #typical
3. Judy's easter outfit. CLASSIC
4. Matching shirts with Sis. Bell. OBVS. (thanks Madre)
5. CAROLS BAPTISM <3 Elder Hulse is on the very right ((who reminds me SO much of lil Buddha!!!! Like legit. TWINS. Played football at Mt. Crest so hates Timpview but I think Bud's same age but graduated this past year! CRAY)
Relative Humidity (April 14, 2014)
Its snowing. NBD.
--Weather Hotline that always has ad's for retirement centers and discounts for Hospitals cause the only people that call that thing anymore are over the age of 75......and us.--
"(Sunday) beautiful day here in Wichita with a high of 78, with winds up to 43 from the North (typical. al.ways.win.dy. try wearing a SKIRT ever.) with relative humidity. Tonight mostly cloudy, light snow, with a high of 38. Tomorrow freeze warning with a low of 28 degrees. Thanks for calling the......"
So yeah. I'm sitting here FREEZING with my SUNBURN I got on SATURDAY when it was NINETY-TWO degrees.......while brushing off SNOW of our car.
Pfff.
Kansas.
Typical.
So this week is literally a blurr. jmurrdablurr style. (ya, went there).
We had 3 exchanges and I don't really know what happened in my own area...and what happened in others.....which made it really hard when we were doing our Church round-up Saturday night....because the days I was here...Sister Runia was gone...vice versa...so it was just all around a confusing time.
BUT we had miracles. The Khim family we have been working with from Cambodia ALL came to Church. (part member family) love.them.
CAROL came to church and gave us all whip-lash with her hee-hawing over getting baptized after seeing the font. "ew, it looks really scary. there's no water. how will i get baptized? it's so enclosed. there's not enough light. HOW WILL I GET DOWN THE STAIRS? will someone drop me? do i have to wear a that suit thing? It would be really special though...but those STAIRS"
BLAH BLAH BLAH woman I'm THIS close to stealing your wheels off and just dumping you in the font.
"Do you really think I would make it over that glass?"
PLEASE pray4her. EVERY NIGHT until Saturday at 10:00 am. AHHHHHHHHH.
Had dinner with this single lady in our ward who is like......a real go-getter.
She feeds us a lot and we're so grateful and she always goes ALL out for us. So i try and help her out by doing the dishes. (She has psycho-analyzed me at least like 4 times cause she used to be a psychiatrist or something-- so she has pegged my OCD-ness. And ALWAYS make sure she mentions it. always.)
So the FIRST time I ate there I did the dishes. Serving the peeps. whatev no big deal.
Next time I come back she's like "NO Sister Murray you can't touch the dishes. just leave them."
WHY I'm like tiny bit offended.
"You don't rinse them off good enough, I'm very particular."
I DONT RINSE THEM OFF GOOD ENOUGH!?!?!?!?!? Do you KNOW who Ruth Brown is!?!?!? Who raised my MOTHER!?!? I don't rinse them OFF good enough???????????????????????
So now I'm major offended. Because i put in my TIME every Thanksgiving washing not even RINSING dishes at Gma-B's because the only thing allowed in the dishwasher is....cups used for orange juice??
But I got over it. Less work I have to do whatever. I'll load.
Next time (i attempt to do the dishes now every time just to get a reaction. Childish. Sue me.)
No Sister Murray.
I am like an EXPERT at rinsing COME ON!
"I don't want you breaking my dishes!"
WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?????
Yeah... last time you broke one of my bowls. Because you loaded the dish washer wrong. Just let me do it.
Loading...not my forte I admit. Ok ok
LAST NIGHT I'm like ok yeah WHATEVER I'll just stack them neatly by the sink and rinse the SILVERWARE literally can't mess that up......until I really just distract myself by talking about family history...look down...mixing bowl that stacked up in sink is now full of water....and its leaking over the side of the sink...down her cabinets....on the floor.....we realize at the same time...no room for recovery...
SISTER MURRAY I SAID NO JUST WALK AWAY...WALK.A.WAY.
I'm like COOL ROOKIE MISTAKE.
So i just started grabbing all the dishes and smashing them on the floor and ripping off her cabinet doors, smearing berries all over white drapes, putting in the forks and spoons in the SAME compartment in the dishwasher. Clean THAT Ms. I-am-the-one-with-OCD.
I'm now only allowed to wipe off the counters.
And oddly this woman really doesn't hate me. She LOVES me??? Asked for an 8x10 picture of me and Sister Runia to put on her fridge. Yeah. #Murrnia
Ok ok, enough about wicked mid-single-adult women who insist on halting my progression as a home-maker.
This is going to be long but I'm typing it all out more for me than for anyone else so sorrynotsorry but top 10 of my mish for sure.
THIS WEEK had the greatest experience on exchanges in Winfield. Little town. Nothing there. Famous for nothing.
LOVE IT. Just opened area for Sisters like 2 months ago.
Driving in to town Sister's like "oh that woman on the billboard is a less active. She sells insurance or something, we NEVER can contact her. It's the worst."
I'm like oh, random fact....moving on.
Next day, LAST hour of the exchange we are in finding mode. Walking down a street and Sister Andersen gets all excited, "there are PEOPLE there, thats Alia's house!! the Less active who is never there!" *crossing street*
Thousands of children/families/family party. Alia's not here yet. She is still at work, she just works down a block on 11th, you can stop by there!
Whaaa?
ok.
So we go over there, we almost chicken out cause we're like this is creepy....? But we go with the "we are new and are assuming you are totally active and will probably give us cookies if we show up at your work" card and go in.
She is on the phone but gets this huge smile on her face talks the small talk for like 30 seconds, we relaize we are hurr to STAY and tell us to wait while she finishes this call.
We wait.
Its awkwardly longer than we wanted. Play with the idea of just pinning our card on her bulletin board and leaving. But prompted to wait it out. Tiny office, no where to run....can only fake read the bulletins on her board for so long......................
FINALLY gets off the phone.
Start talking she's just SO excited, like "cant believe there are missionaries here! I grew up here, used to have the missionaries over ALL the time! Totally bringing me back."
Million inspired questions later about random facts about her family find out they have all moved away to Arizona. And she just went back to visit last week because her Dad just passed away pretty suddenly. She starts crying. Know he's in a better place...
I know, its just so crazy, he had a mormon service and it just brought back so many memories. i've been away from the church for a long time.
Why?
Well I got pregnant before I was married, they almost excommunicated me, it was all handled so poorly, my husband was introduced to the church that way, really rubbed him the wrong way, never went back.
(something we learned from Elder Nash when he visited our mission) "As missionaries we are set apart and called to represent Jesus Christ. As his representatives we want to apologize on behalf of the Church for the way you were treated. The church is perfect, but the people aren't. The Lord loves you enough to send us to you right now to tell you that."
TEARS everywhere. Told her it was no coincidence we randomly showed up to her work after so many years, right after her Dad passed away, know he has a big part in it.
She's like I KNOW! I know, i really need to get back.
See you on Sunday.
It literally was like the best feeling in the world. Can't describe it. We had just had the most revelatory zone conference the day before all about our purpose and getting out of the way and the importance of our calling, how GREAT it is to be a missionary, and here we were, exercising that! When will i EVER get an opportunity like that again, to literally be the Saviors hands in His work. An official representative. We all represent Him as members of His Church, but not in this same way. Being a missionary is unlike any other calling where you physically are representing Him, badge and all.
I don't think it was until that moment I realized WHY all my friends I am going home with are starting to feel the pressure of our time coming to an end, all trying to extend and savor our last stretch as a missionary. I finally get why they never want to go home. I get it! Best months of your life FOR sure.
Kansas is da best.
Love you all.
SISTER MURR
PHOTOS
1. Photoshoot on the way back from Winfield. Straight Kansas ish.
2. Kansas. Just full'a Liberals. (notice the background)
3. Remember one thing. Jesus Saves.
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