Woot! Hello, everybody. It's been great the last few days, very exciting.
I hope the family reunion was just awesome. Tommy, I feel
you man. Sounds like everything's going well. I hope Bethany does NOT
have a fun time with those boys, but I'm sure the girls at EFY will be
nice.
Also, Mom thanks for writing. I'm so proud, you've been the most
consistent one to write, which is no hint to anyone else, but just shows
how great Mom is.
Well, first of all, I'm in Mont-St-Hilaire (I've seen it spelled
many different ways). My companion is Elder Osorio, from Saint George,
Utah, and is just awesome. Both of his parents are from Mexico, and he
is the only member of the church in his family. He's a stud. He's super
humble and works hard. So I've been very lucky to have him as my
trainer. He said I'm the first missionary he's trained, so he's nervous.
He's also the District Leader for our district, so he's got some of
that extra stuff to worry about. But he doesn't complain. What a guy.
But our area is pretty large, and covers an awkward shape of
land. The cities we've been going to most frequently are Mont St
Hilaire, and Saint-Hyacinthe. And there's quite a large area of land to
the north that we haven't gone to yet. But seriously, I've been blessed
so much with everything, my ward, area, trainer, apartment. It's so
good. The ward is awesome here, Mom. Only about 80 or so members, but
everyone is so nice, and speaks very slowly for me. Hah, and I bore my
testimony in church, I'll have to tell you abou that later.
But!!!! The work is good! On Wednesday when I met Elder Osorio
and we came to Mont St Hilaire, we immediately went and drove to a
lesson with a less active member, Andres. He's a great guy from Mexico,
who I'm very glad spoke French as well as Spanish. So that went well.
And then, we did some knocking hah. It was really great, I think E.
Osorio chose this part of town on purpose or something, because half the
people we talked to violently shut the door, and the other half didn't
want to hear anything we said. It was great.
I've found that there's this universal problem up here in Quebec,
that at any mention of the words 'God', 'Jesus', or 'religion' people
cringe up their face and take 1 1/2 steps backwards. It's so bizarre,
Literally every person outside of the small little ward here that has
heard us use those words has had that same reaction. I know what I'm
going to say if we get mugged or something. (Mom, don't worry, we
won't).
But, regardless, it's been great. We've taught a number of
lessons since I arrived, some in French, most in French and Spanish, 1
in just spanish, and 2 or 3 in English. I'm super glad E. Osorio speaks
spanish hah, because I just say stuff in French and have him translate
it most of the time. But it really is quite a diverse people up here,
and everyone knows at least 2 languages. It's awesome. I hope after I
can speak French better I can pick up a couple of phrases or so in
Spanish just to contribute in that way. (Don't tell Senorita Meanie, but
I literally have lost all my Spanish. She would be so sad!)
Alas, I love it here. It's been interesting getting to actually
see what missionary work is like (yes, I know I'm only on my first week,
but still.) There's been a lot of tracting, and a lot of bearing
testimony, with little 'success'. But that's just made it more
interesting, and I've been thinking a lot about it, how the 'success' of
a mission is measured at almost every moment. We try to fulfill our
daily goals, and then our weekly goals, and our monthly goals, while
much of the work, like tracting, has not brought in overwhelming amounts
of success, one could say. But it reminded me of last week in the MTC
we talked about success on a mission, and a few scriptures. First, Alma
29:4 tells us that God 'granteth unto men according to their desire'.
Also, Alma 31:34 I really love. 'O Lord,w ilt thou grant unto us that we
may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ'. That's
definitely been the prayer that E. Osorio and I have been offering over
the last week, and I love how we have to work so hard to help these
people here, but yet it's God who grants unto us the success. It goes
along with the fact that we are trying to find those who are searching
for the truth, but yet we don't know where they are. Only God does. So,
we have to carefully work with Him and ask what to do in all the things
we do, and then do all we can when we know which direction to go. It's
been great so far, and I'm excited to continue to work on this, because
I've never really even wanted to rely on someone else before, but now
all that we do has to rely on God. But, I'm sure glad it does, because I
would be totally lost and confused if it didn't. Many prayers of mine
have been answered in small ways and on the Lord's time already, when
I'm willing to listen. It's so great.
I had no idea how challenging it would be to be ready to bear
testimony in every moment of the day to everyone, especially in French
when I still feel awkward with it. But, I guess that's what I signed up
for hah. But every time I do take the courage and talk to someone, it's
never embarrassing or shocking or anything, but I'm still scared the
next time. But! That's just because I need to work on it, and get over
myself. So I'm excited for this journey, especially everyday when I
would want to relax and just rest for a bit, but when we get up and
work. It's so fun hah, really.
The two scriptures I found that go along with this are D&C
24:12; 60:2. I feel like they go really well together. One, we've been
commanded to 'open our mouths' the entire day, every day, and we're
promised blessings and comfort and strength if we do. But, if we don't,
because of the 'fear of man', then we're not following that commandment
that God's given us, and that's not good. So I'm definitely grateful
that He's been patient with me especially during my first week here, but
I want to go out and make the goal to not hesitate and talk to
everyone.
One of the ways that helps me do it is when I think of a quote
that was on a door in our hall at the MTC - Be the missionary your mom
thinks you'll be. Hah, cheesy, but I think you wouldn't want me to be
nervous or anything like that mom, so I'm trying.
But it's truly been great. Teaching lessons and bearing my simple
testimony has been my favorite part by far. I can feel the Spirit bear
witness when I do, at least to me and hopefully to those we teach, and
it makes it all worth it. That's been great, because I don't have to
think or stop myself when I bear testimony of the message of the
restored gospel, or of Jesus Christ, because I know it's true in my
head, but also I feel the Spirit in my heart. So, it's true. We're just
trying to find those people who want to hear it.
I love you guys, thanks for being there for me.
Love,
Elder Murphy
P.S. They explained to us that mailing packages here is fine, but
there's a few things to note. Send all letters and packages to the
mission home address, and they'll be given to me that way. (Mom, I don't
have it right now, you can either put it on or say something, whatever)
But also, if you send a package by anything other than USPO there will
be a big price added on, and might even be sent back. So send it by the
US Postal Office is what they said.
P.P.S. It is hotttttt here!
P.P.P.S. Sorry for blabbering on for so long, but I hope this was of some worth.
Elder Osorio
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