Monday, September 28, 2015

28 September 2015 - Wichita - Kellogg Spanish Branch

Hola hola! Cómo se van? Bien? Solid!
"To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often"

What a week! Definitely an unusual week full of more meetings than normal, but with those meetings came lots of growing and learning, so it was well worth it!

We had a Zone Conference on the West Side of Wichita (yes, it was good to go through my first area again) and it was really focused on how we can use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be strengthened and enabled to be valiant in going above and beyond and becoming spiritual giants. In order to be strengthened, we have to be passing through something, like a trial of faith, right? As we pass through trials, the Lord is seeking to expel the dross, the natural man stuff in us all, so that we can become his pure instruments. King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon says, "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love,
willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." The trial of our faith truly is more precious than gold. And as we become more swallowed up in Heavenly Father's will, we are strengthened to do more and become an even more settled disciple of Jesus Christ. It's just so
important to remember that repentance and change is a process, not a single event. As we shouldn't seek immediate release from a problem, Heavenly Father is patient with our progress and helps us along day by day.

There's definitely a different feel between the east and the west side of Kansas. More in the fact that people on the west are a lot more willing to talk, but I still absolutely love love it here! We really focused on talking to everyone this week and we definitely saw some miracles! We started talking to this kid, who didn't seem to
interested at first, but the Spirit told us to keep talking to him. His sister came out and we all started talking about the Gospel. Their family have been going through a huge trial and they've been seeking direction in their lives so they can find peace through their trials.It's amazing to see how prepared people are to receive the restored
Gospel and what truly makes me love serving a mission, besides coming closer to my Savior each day, is being able to see others grow closer to Him and changing and finding happiness amidst trials and stress.

Pues, les quiero dar mi testimonio que Jesucristo nos fortalece cada dia por medio de Su Expiación. Siempre lo digo, Pero esa fuerza viene porque Él nos quiere perfectamente. Sigamos adelante con fe y una 
esperanza en ese amor. José Smith fue un profeta y gracias al amor de Dios, él tradujo el Libro de Mormón el cual es un otro testamento de 

Jesucristo.

I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week! Thanks for everything!

Love,
Elder Murphy


Monday, September 21, 2015

21 September 2015 - Wichita - Kellogg Spanish Branch

Hey everyone! I hope your week was full of milk and honey, dunks and splashes, and miracles!

First of all, from the land of milk and honey of Garden City, Jason got baptized! He as definitely so ready and prepared to receive this Gospel and follow Jesus Christ. Definitely a miracle! The Lord prepares us as His instruments to meet those who He has prepared to both grow spiritually and increase in faith through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Now, back to Wichita. I absolutely love it here! This little Spanish branch is so full of those who are ready to receive this Gospel. We've been working a lot with Bryan and Alan. They're both related to members and are so ready to receive this Gospel. One thing I've realized on my short time, here and on my mission, is that desire has
such a huge role to play in coming closer to Jesus Christ. It all begins with a desire. Alma, in the Book of Mormon, said, "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until
ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." It all begins with a desire to know, and if we work toward it, it will begin to swell within us and our tiny ember of desire will grow into a roaring bonfire of a burning
desire.

Well, I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week! Keep moving forward and choose joy!

Love,
Elder Murphy


Monday, September 14, 2015

14 September 2015 - Garden City - Spanish

Buenas Tardes everyone! How's everything going? Great? I hope so!

As it was the last week of the transfer, Elder Boyer and I I increased our sense of urgency and made it the best week of our mission! Because we chose to serve with more than everything we had and completely relied on the Atonement of Jesus Christ more and more each day, we were enabled to do more in the Lord's strength and see more miracles! It definitely took some stretching and more action in faith on our part, but as we did so, the Lord guided us with His hand and provided miracles.

I think in my last email, I talked a bit about Jason. He is doing so great! He will be baptized this Saturday and can't even wait for it hard hardly. He has absolutely immersed himself in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and also in the book of Mormon. I have seen a change in his countenance in the past two weeks. There's a greater sense of hope and
more of the light of Christ in his eyes! He has expressed to us the changes he's felt his life and he knows that he is happier and his found more peace than he ever has before in his life. We've also been working with his mom, Whitney. She also has such a strong desire to follow Jesus Christ and has seen the change that Jason has made as we've been teaching him and as he's been preparing to be baptized. We gave her a large print book of Mormon the other day and all she could say was, "thank you! Thank you! Thank you! " The Lord's hand truly is in every detail of His work and as we become swallowed up in His will, we are able to become more effective instruments in His hands.

So, transfers are this week. And... I'm going back to Wichita! I won't be serving in the same area as I was the first time I was in Wichita, but I will be serving on the east side of Wichita in the Kellogg Spanish branch! And also, my new companion is Elder Allen! My MTC companion! I'm so excited to see how he has changed through the
Atonement and to see miracles with him! I am definitely sad to leave garden, but I have faith and hope in the Lord knows exactly what he's doing. I've become so much closer to Jesus Christ hearing garden, and despite the stretching, there's been so much growth and I've learned so much and my love and charity have increased through Jesus Christ.

I absolutely love being a missionary! And I love Kansas and serving the Lord in this sacred part of His vineyard. Sé que si perserveramos con fe por medio de desafíos y pruebas de nuestra fe, Nuestro Padre Celestial nos dará la fuerza para superarlos y vencerlos.

Les queremos! Y espero que tengan una semana Milagrosa!

Con amor,
Elder Murphy
















7 September 2015 - Garden City - Spanish

Buenas Tardes amigos y familiares! Les quiero mucho y espero que todo esta bien!
My vision will be clear.

What a crazy past couple of weeks en la Tierra de Leche y Miel, Garden City! Full of miracles and growing and coming closer to the Savior.

We've been working a lot with Samsón for the past month or so and his neighbor, Jason, hasn't been too keen on talking to us. He calls us "the guys on bikes". So last Saturday, we stopped by Samsón's and he wasn't home, but Jason pulled us aside and said he wanted to come to church and see what we're all about, since we've been so persistent. He committed to come the next week, but out of nowhere, he came that Sunday! He said that when he was there, he felt like he was at home and like a part of the family. Since then, we've talked to him about following Jesus Christ and His example and being baptized and he wants to be baptized on the 19th! He's been absorbing every bit of the Gospel and absolutely loves the Book of Mormon! Our Heavenly Father definitely prepares us to reach our potential through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

I know that because of Jesus Christ, we can change to be truly happy and become who Heavenly Father has planned for us to become. I don't have a ton of time to email you guys, but I wanted to tell you of that huge miracle! I love you all y espero que tengan una semana fantastica! Thank you for everything!

Con amor,
Elder Murphy