FIST PUMP- September 24, 2012

Dane loves James Taylor! I love that. He's a good guy, huh.

Oooookay. This week was crazy, maybe the longest week I've ever had. But, in a good way. Elder Umana and I are trying our best to work hard and smart, which is great, because he really knows what to do, and has such a big desire to work as hard as he can. It's really been fun waking up every morning exhausted. So fun.

We did splits with the Elders in Sherbrooke this week, and so Elder Glenn came and spent the day working with me in Mont Saint Hilaire, which was awesome. He was an assistant to the president last transfer (for 3) but he's on his last, so it was really interesting being able to spend the day with him, and hear a lot of his experiences, and try to learn from him as well. One thing that I loved was how enthusiastic he is about missionary work. It's sometimes pretty silly but it's a great example for me.
Elder Glenn and I went knocking for a while and it was getting a little chilly, but we didn't have any coats or anything. Then it was crazy, this couple we knocked into wasn't interested in listening to us, but chased us down afterward and gave us two sweaters to wear. And they told us to take them and not give them back, but we're going to do that. But that was super cool! I'm not sure that I would have done that to someone who knocked on my door at 8:00 at night, but gosh, what a nice and surprising thing to do.

One difficult thing we've been doing together, Elder Umana and I, is only teach 'seekers'. So we had to drop a number of investigators this week, but we both believe that it is what we're supposed to do, to use our time in the best way to find those who are ready. That's been a super great lesson for me this week.

But! Maybe the biggest lesson I learned this week is explained perfectly in Jacob 4. I've loved reading that chapter for a while now, but this week when I read it I was taught a great lesson. After reading Jacob 4:6, and reading about how the prophets have the faith that's strong enough to move mountains, and to do miracles, I was just thinking, 'how do I get there?' and 'why don't I have that now?'. And then! I read verse 7.
"Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."
Man. That hit me pretty hard. I think I'm starting to understand how the Lord wants to humble me before he is going to just give us all this success, because if he didn't, I would be tempted to think that I did it! Wow. It was such a wake up call. I'm super grateful for that scripture and the lesson that I learned that morning (and have thought about quite often since) that in order to be Christ's disciple and to work these miracles we're searching for, we have to be humble. So there have been many, many moments just this week that have been humbling, but I'm so grateful for them. All it's doing is making me rely more and more on Christ and his Atonement. And if I wished I didn't have them or I could avoid them, then I wouldn't be growing, or be given these amazing opportunities to serve the people here. It was a pretty big lesson for me this week. And I'm sure it's going to only continue, forrrrrrrrrr ever. Woot! Or as Bethany would say, FIST PUMP.

Thanks for everything you do. Thanks for your prayers, they're really helping. Tell Dane I say Hello! I've seen fireee and I've seen Daneeee!!!!!

Love,
Elder Austin K Murphy

Elder Murphy and Elder Umana on a walk through beautiful Quebec.

Chuck!

Daneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!- September 17, 2012

Daneee Gregory Leigninger!! What the heck!!! That is so awesome. I was hoping he would come this week, so it was super exciting to hear that he finally did. What a cutie! And he's already opening his eyes? And singing? And quoting Isaiah? Good Leigninger.

   That's super crazyy I hope Alyse is trying to get some rest. Just email me if you need any parenting advice!

   Woot. Okay, so Dane, listen up, this is your first letter from a missionary to you.

   And dang! Bethany's swing looking so much better. Keep up that practice!! I was very happy to see that Bethany. Seriously, you're already doing super well for just starting, it makes me so proud. Now we just have to start working on Dane.

   Dallin - you look like 5 years older from when I left. What happened? P90x?

   Dad haha don't feed any more Primary children coffee flavored candy hahah.

 

   As I said, I got a new companion! And his name is Elder Umana, from Concepcion, Chile! So sweet. We were in the MTC for 3 weeks together because he was just 1 transfer ahead of me. So it's been super exciting for us, being two new missionaries. But, he had a quote that I really liked, and I have no idea what it is in Spanish, but it's: A new broom sweeps better. Cool cool! He basically just said that we're going to learn together, which is going to be super fun. And already in the last couple days it has been. I don't really consider him a new missionary though, because he seems like he's already got everything down. He's really putting me to work, which is awesome. The Spirit has been stronger than ever in our apartment, and also in lessons and even in tracting. He's a superb example for me in a lot of ways, so I'm very happy to be with him. And I hope I can just learn Spanish! Maybe President Cannon's trying to give me a hint, but I love being with these Latino companions. I think Latino's are the coolest. Even when they laugh at me when I try to say something in Spanish.

 

   But yeah, that's basically everything for this week. We've been working super hard, so sorry that I haven't had time to read any letters or anything like that. We're really just trying to get stuff organized around the apartment, and working for our investigators. So I wish I could read them, but I love working so diligently.

  One thing though, we both don't know how to cook. So the last few days we've been hungry most of the time hah, but somehow the members knew so they gave us a bunch of food. Yay! So this is really going to be fun with Elder Umana learning how to cook.

 

   I hope all is well. Don't have too much fun there at the football games, Dallin.

 

   Church is true, God loves you. And especially you, Dane.

 

Love from Mont Saint Hilaire,

Elder Murphy

 

P.S. TELL MR. KING I SAY HIIIIII!!!!! tell him he's the greatest, and I wish he was my teacher for every year of school. Man he's so cool.

 

P.P.S. This is Elder Osorio and I eating lunch with one of our investigators Sukman from Nepal. He fed us lunch, and it was super good, but superr spicy. Man.

and also, here's me and Elder Umana! Hah We're super excited.

Our church is led by prophets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!- September 10, 2012

Salut! Okay, here we go. Crazy week, I hope I can remember everything.

But first of all, I still can't believe that Mom and Dad got iPhones. What the heck.

    Alyse! Crazy to hear you're so close to have my little nephew. That's so crazy!!! Make sure to tell me first though, before anything happens. I'm super excited to be the first one to see him. And Brandon, I'm glad you're ending your night shifts. I think everyone is hah.

Oh, and really, the schedules for B and D sound super good. I love how you both have Mrs. R, haha she's the best.

    But Autumn has hit, or so it seems. Friday and Saturday were still pretty warm, but then Sunday it just suddenly became autumn like no one's business. It was 13C when we were driving home last night (I don't know what that is in Fahrenheit) but it was just a little chilly hah. It's making me super nervous for winter. Because it's still summer, and Elder Osorio's already wearing a jacket over his white shirt haha. Oh boy!

 

    We got our transfer calls on Saturday night. It was pretty exciting, but I'm staying here in Beloeil, and Elder Osorio is leaving! It's pretty sad, he's going to Laval in a tri-lingual area (because he's awesome like that) and I'm getting Elder Umana as a new companion. Pretty exciting! But in my six person district, I'm the only one staying, soooooo that's sad. I'm super excited to stay here though and continue working with the people in Beloeil and Mont St Hilaire, etc.

 

   This week was crazy though. I got to go on 'greenie splits' with Elder Boehme, that was super exciting. I had my first Quebecois poutine, it was super good. We helped direct the 'Deficourir' here in Longeueil, a race put on by the Stake. It was pretty fun.

 

    This week we went to Sherbrooke to serve for the day with the elders there, and it was awesome. But there Elder Vanfau showed me the quote in PMG from President Gordon B. Hinckley, which says, "Every morning..., missionaries should get on their knees and plead with the Lord to loosen their tongues and speak through them to the blessing of those they will be teaching. If they will do this, a new light will come into their lives. There will be greater enthusiasm for the work. They will come to know that in a very real sense, they are servants of teh Lord speaking in His behalf. They will find a different response from those they teach. As they do so by the Spirit, their investigators will respond under the influence of the same Spirit." MAN, what a promise! And I'll just tell you, that in the last few days, even though it hasn't been very long since, I've seen that promise from the prophet come to true. It's seriously been amazing. I'm just so excited to continue doing it, and working harder and praying for the Lord's help, because even just in these last few days, that promise from a real prophet of God has come to life for me. It's helped me strengthen my testimony that the prophets and apostles today are called of God, and are here helping direct us to greater peace in this life, and eternal life in the world to come, through Jesus Christ. So awesome. I love the prophet.

 

I love you guys, I hope all is well. Work hard in school, youngins. But more importantly, set against the wall every day. And say your prayers.

Thanks for everything. I really feel the support from your prayers, and letters and thoughts. Thank you.

 

Love,

Elder Murphy

My middle name is work.- September 3, 2012

Hi! Guess what! Good news! We're getting mail tomorrow, and the zone leaders told me I have 10 or so, so for some reason, it's all coming tomorrow! So that's good. I'll tell y'all if I got everything.

 

Bethany's schedule sounds sweet! Keith and Mrs. Guy, she should be super happy about that.

 

Ok! Sorry I don't have too much time, we need to get back out to our ward party. We already were 'peeling corn on the cob'? Please help me. I don't know what to call that. But we were doing that for about an hour, and now we're going to go eat it, and hopefully some investigators are coming.

 

So I'll try to inform you: Pdays we usually study till 10:30, then we go and do emails, and then shopping for groceries and things like that, then we usually come back to the 'appartment' and write our letters or read some more hah, the boring people that we are. But I love it. But! Today we're all going to hiking Mont Saint-Hilaire as a zone, so that's going to be fun. But then Pdays end at 6, so then we head out and go tract or do passbys or have lessons. So it's some of the fastest hours I experience every single week, but it's good.

 

One little thing yesterday that I was thinking about, was my desire to serve. I've noticed that as some described before as the 'addrenaline' running out after the first few weeks, and then you just have to get down to it hah. So yeah, definitely. But then yesterday, before sacrament meeting, I was trying to go around and talk to people, and just trying to give them a good handshake with a smile (because a lot of times I ask them how they're doing, and I have no idea what they say back) and it was so awesome! It was just because of a little change that I made which made that so worth while. I just wanted to make someone else feel better, and it first made it easier to get up and do something like that, and second, it makes me feel so much better. I guess that's basically what Mom and Dad and the prophets and everyone's been trying to teach me for the last 19 7/8 years, but hey! It was cool to experience it a little on my own. So I'm trying to work on that. I want to study Moroni 7 and develop more of the charity of Christ, in order to be able to help people more. Because even though I can't have much of a conversation with people, I can still say nice things, and then smile when they respond with whatever they say.

 

So! All is well, All is well! This ward is awesome. We had a dinner appointment last night and had Cabbage cigars for dinner, which was awesome. There's really a difference even every single day when a member of the ward does something for us, or offers to help in some way. It's awesome.

 

But sorry! Got to go. Love you guys. I'm excited to get the mail tomorrow, I'll try to write better next week. Tell Grandpa Myres I love working, I know that'll make him happy.

 

Au revoir,

your Elder Murphy