Bonjour! June 5, 2012

Why hello! I don't even know where to start. It's pretty crazy thinking this is my sixth(?) day here... I feel like I arrived yesterday, but also that I've been here for months. It's crazy.
 But first, both Grandma and Grandpa Myres and Murphy are doing swell, and both gave me sound advice for me leaving. It was great to see them. And the pump-up chat I had with Bennet and Jazz was great.
  But G&G dropped me off at 1:10, and I was escorted by my friend Elder Andy Williamson, going to Germany. That was good to see him. Then I got my name tag! That was pretty sweet. It just says Elder Murphy, Eglise de Jesus-Christ des Saints des Derniers Jours. I'm still working on how to pronounce that.
But my companion is great, his name is Elder Ryan Ferguson, hailing from Lake Elsenor, CA. He's pretty funny, he reminds me a lot of Connor McCombs actually. He's always got a joke for us, which is great hah. It definitely is different trying to get used to being with him or the other Elders 24/7. I just cherish my showers and bathroom time much more than before. But my district is awesome! Elder Ferguson and I, Elder Wilbur is luckily in it with me, Elder Smith, Elder Wilson, Elder Kunsler, Elder Sagers, Elder Johnson, et Elder Malone. Ils sont tres bien. We all sit in our room learning French for 6 or 7 hours a day together, so I think I got lucky that they're all so awesome.
Our teacher is Frere Weed, who just got back from the France Paris mission, and he's the best teacher ever. I don't think he really knows exactly who he's dealing with (with all the jokesters we have) but we've been having fun so far.
But it's been crazy. We got about 30 minutes of French instruction on Wednesday, along with a big conference and workshops and such for the new elders, and then Thursday we had 3 or 4 hours of French with personal and companion study and such, and then Friday we woke up and taught our investigator Raphael a lesson. Hah I still just laugh at it, because it was what... 44 hours after I got here we were teaching him in French? He was veryy patient with us, as we told him "Dieu vous aime" and "Le Livre de Mormon est vrai" and gems of knowledge like that. It is a little strange however, because I've been helping some of the Elders with French. After the 3 or 4 weeks I sat in my French class, I was able to piece some sentences from scratch (so happy!) during our lesson with Raphael. But yeah, I never expected to be helping the other elders in my district, since I felt like I knew nothing coming in. But French is great, I love it.
 The Spirit is great here, and I love being surrounded by these Elders and Sisters who have the same goals as I do. During our workshop yesterday was a good example of it. We had to sit with someone knew and work with them, so I paired up with Elder Lavering (Elder Gubernick's friend from BYU) and we talked about the reason why Le Libre de Mormon prophets wrote what they did, and then the power of  conversion of the Book. We were just so comfortable speaking with each other about it. Then, we discussed Moroni 10:3-5, and the requirements that investigators must have in order to have the confirmation by the Holy Ghost. I loved diving into that scripture like that, and talking with Elder Lavering about it. Then we got to 'experience' what an investigator would feel like, so we found a new Elder, (Elder Kunsler from my district) and were supposed to share a scripture that changed our life from the Book of Mormon. So I shared with Elder Kunsler the ones I shared in my talk from Mosiah 27 and Alma 36 talking about Alma's conversion. And Elder Kunsler had me read Alma 7 verses 11-13. He said he loved those scriptures, because he knew Christ came and suffered the atonement for us. So, as we were directed to do, I went back to my desk and read that chapter, after praying that the Spirit would confirm to me the truth of it and its principles. And the first sentence I read of Alma 7:1, I don't think it's of too much significance, I was just hit with this feeling that said "Yep, it's true." And then when I got to verses 11-13 it happened again. It was so strong, it was really what I had been praying for ever since I got here, to have that experience and opportunity.
 I'm sorry I can't or haven't responded to everyones letters, I truly enjoyed reading them, but I just literally have no time. I love you all, and hope everything is well. I hope Dallin's still getting huge, and Bethany's practicing that piano (Bethany...) and that Cole has written that song for me by now. Tell baby Austin I say hello.
But I love you all, the church is true. Christ is real, and he loves me and you.
Au revoir!
Elder