Another week has completely flown by! I have a little more time to explain this awesome new area this week.
Great Bend is a small town. Smaller than Safford, go figure! But it does have the only Walmart for a hundred miles or so. Wahoo! It's just so peaceful here. And flat, but I guess that's all of Kansas. Haha I love it! It's a mostly English area, but a much more experienced missionary once told me it was in the mostly English areas where he truly learned how to be a missionary and effective and efficient instrument in the hands of the Lord. Elder Downs is such a hard worker and has only been out a few more months than me! We both have a lot of growth and I know that as we continue to press forward diligently, the Lord will strengthen us and increase our capacity for faith and charity.
We've been working a lot with Jacob and Sabrina. They have grown so much even in the week and a half since I've known them and they continue to work diligently to come closer to Christ. Jacob always tells us he doesn't like being told what to do, is open for "suggestions". Or, in other words, invitations! Which is exactly our purpose! To invite others to come unto Christ! I've said it so many times before, but I love seeing the light and love grow in others' lives as they act and choose for themselves to come closer to Christ. And I've definitely seen that growth within Jacob and Sabrina in just this short time!
For those of you who watched General Conference last week (if not, I highly recommend it! Truly uplifting and inspiring!), Elder Joseph W. Sitati spoke on Sunday. Well, this weekend, he came to Salina (about 2 hours away from Great Bend) for Stake Conference! He talked a lot about personal conversion and becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. It comes through having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. As we have this constant Companion, we are filled with perfect Christlike love and become more like Jesus Christ. Elder Robert J. Whetten of the Seventy once said, "like faith, Christlike love is a gift of the Spirit, is granted upon the principles of personal righteousness and in accordance to our level of obedience to the laws upon which it is predicated. And like faith, love must exercise to grow."
I know as we go forth earnestly seeking and praying for Christlike love, we will become more like our Savior Jesus Christ, and will come closer to reaching our full potential and realizing our vision, whatever it may be. I know that setting visions for ourselves are crucial. Proverbs 29:18 says, "where there is no vision, the people perish." If we don't visualize ourselves with success in the future or have anything to work towards in our lives, we will not progress or grow. I know the strength to progress and grow comes through our Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement, which enables us to repent and change to set visions and work towards them.
I love you all so much! Thank you for every letter and email! Have an amazing week!! Oh! And here's a picture from last week's baptism!
Love,
Elder Murphy
Kia Kaha
If you want to write me or send me something, my address is:
Elder Benjamin Isaac Murphy
7011 E. 13th St. N.
Wichita, KS 67206-1219
Pictures texted from Great Bend on Friday, April 10th from Sister Bates
Picture from Rae's baptism last week
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