Time sure does fly by doesn't it? I hope everyone's week was fantastic! It was definitely a rollercoaster of a week here for us for sure, but we continued to be diligent and miracles happened!
Alejandro kind of dropped out of contact for a few days. He felt like he was being bombarded with life, which I feel like we all can be at times, which is understandable. But the other day, he texted us and said he wants to meet up again and asked for chapters in the Book of Mormon to read so he could catch up! He's definitely excited to learn more and progress towards his baptism!
Ever, Elida, and Clarissa continue to be super excited about their baptism. So excited, in fact, that we moved their baptism up to this coming weekend! They're reading every night and are even taking notes! They're so diligent and it's so amazing to see the light of Christ grow in their eyes as they continue to learn more. Ever bore his testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday and at first, he wasn't too serious about it, but once he started talking, I could tell it was from the heart and he was being sincere. Araceli and Danny also bore their testimonies yesterday, and they brought in such a strong Spirit into the meeting. It is amazing to see how much their testimony of the Savior and His gospel have grown in just a few weeks. They are definitely kingdom builders.
Speaking of bearing testimonies, Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk called "Witnesses of Christ" and it talks about how we should always bear testimony of Christ. Because of Him and through Him, all things are possible. Someone shared a quote about faith with me this wee by President Boyd K. Packer, and it says:
"Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness. If everything has to be known, if everything has to be explained, if everything has to be certified, then there is no need for faith. Indeed, there is no room for it... There are two kinds of faith. One of them functions ordinarily in the life of every soul. It is the of faith born by experience; it gives us certainty that a new day will dawn, that spring will come, that growth will take place. It is the kind of faith that relates us with confidence to that which is scheduled to happen... There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people. It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things...It comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent, power, a power as real and as invisible as electricity. Directed and channeled, it has great effect...In a world filled with skepticism and doubt, the expression 'seeing is believing promotes the attitude, 'you show me, and I will believe.' We want all of the proof and all of the evidence first. It seems hard to take things on faith. When will we learn that in spiritual things it works the other way about--that believing is seeing? Spiritual belief precedes spiritual knowledge. When we believe in things that are not seen but are nevertheless true, then we have faith."
My testimony and faith in Jesus Christ has grown exponentially on my mission so far, and there's so much more to grow. We don't receive a witness until after the trial of our faith, for sure. So when things are getting hard, and you're at the point of breaking, and it seems like there's no way you can get through this, that is when you press forward with steadfastness in Christ. That is when you're almost about to turn the corner and receive the witness of your faith. Don't give up. Persevere.
I love you all and I greatly appreciate every single one of your emails and thoughts and words of encouragement. Thank you so much! Have an amazing week!
Love,
Elder Murphy
Kia Kaha
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