Jordan Murray : 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