12 January 2015 - Wichita West - Spanish Branch

Week 7

Hey everyone!!

I promise, I didn't forget to email last week. It just so happens that my P Day at the MTC was the day I left for Kansas. It's all good though! I'm here and miracles have for sure been happening!!

My last week in the Mexico City CCM seemed to drag, but just flew by!! Everything seemed to cram together in the last few days and by the end of it, I was just super ready to get out and work! For our last Sunday devotional, we watched one given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland a couple of years ago at the Provo MTC. And, in his Elder Holland way, taught us all a very important lesson. At the end of John, Peter and the other apostles don't really know what to do after Christ died. They're kind of just lost. So, they go back to doing the only thing they really know how to do: fish! So one day, they're fishing, without a whole lot of luck, and a man appears on the shore. He tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and they can't pull the net back up for the amount of fish they get. They know it's Christ. They got to shore as quickly as they could. Christ then asks Peter three times if he loves Him and in response to each, he says, yes of course. And Christ tells him to feed His sheep. The message Elder Holland got across to us is that we can't go back. We can't go back to our old ways. We have to love Christ with everything we have and them follow Him to the end. We aren't called to be disciples of Christ for just a couple of years or something. This is for time and eternity, and it really put being on a mission and being a disciple of Christ into perspective for me.

On Tuesday, we left, and, well that was a different experience. Mexico City is just pure chaos to say the least. We ended up getting to Kansas at about 5 and met up with President and Sister Bell, and the Assistants to the President. We went to the mission home and had a little orientation. We talked a lot about developing a vision for our mission, that is who we want and need to become at the end of our mission for the rest of our lives. It was really a spiritually uplifting experience.

The next day, Wednesday, I met my first companion! His name's Elder Malo and is super hard working and super cool! We're serving in the Wichita West area in the Spanish Branch and we haven't stopped working since I got here. I love it!! President Bell told us and I've already seen that this is a mission of miracles. Miracles really do happen if we work as the Lord would have us work.

We were walking my first day and Elder Malo asked me which home was ready. I was pretty lost (kind of felt like Elder Calhoun from The Best Two Years, literally, every aspect) and I didn't know the area at all. So I picked one that I felt stood out to me. Jacklyn opened the door and was extremely receptive to the Gospel and has already increased her faith. Miracles do really happen!

I've learned a lot in my first few days that we need to fear God more than man. He has a plan and we just need to have the faith that if we are exactly obedient, miracles will happen and you will see His hand in your everyday life. There are so many examples of God-fearing people in the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. I strive everyday the be more and more exactly obedient and really work until I can't work anymore.

That's about all the time I have for this week! I know this Gospel is true with everything that I have. God has a plan for each and every one of us and He wants the best for us. Prayer is amazing. Our Heavenly Father answers every single one in His own way.

I love you all and I love hearing from all of you! Have an absolutely fantastic week!

Para siempre Dios este con vos.

Love,

Elder Murphy

Kia Kaha