Leaving La Salle- February 25, 2013

Coley!!!! Happy birthday big guy! That's awesome to hear that Dad's been going through with you about the priesthood, and how excited you are to be able to have it! I bet you understand it very well.

Danggg I thought Dallin had already sent in his papers. Oh well, I'll be excited to hear next week that they're in. A young man in the La Salle ward just got his call to Colorado, and he was happy about that.
Hope you're doing well too Bethany. How is volleyball going?

But our investigators are doing very well! We had an amazing week this week. Andre is still going strong, and we only have to teach 2 or 3 more commandments before this Saturday (because we have to teach all the commandments 2 weeks before baptism) and he'll be ready. Kishand (the Sisters investigator) was baptized on Saturday, and he loved it. He said "that should have been me" hah.
Basil is doing well too. He came to church yesterday, and seemed a little bit more comfortable, we haven't been able to meet with him as often as we'd like, but he's doing well. He also has a date for the same as Andre.
Then Cheryl is amazing. She came to the baptism on Saturday and loved it. And she came to church all by herself, even when her son (who IS a member) didn't make it to sacrament meeting. We love her so much.
And an investigator named Kathleen, which is another very nice older woman from Barbados came to church yesterday and the baptism as well! She made sure to tell us that she wanted to get baptized on the same day as Cheryl, and we need to come over more often to teach her. Hah what a miracle.

We had a wonderful week, and found some great new investigators. It was also great to go split with Greenfield Park off the island, to see how they were doing.

But! Sad news, we got transfer calls yesterday, and I'm going to Laval. Elder Lanning is staying here in La Salle and Elder Keenan is joining him. I'm pretty bummed to leave here, with the awesome ward, (Cedric, Brother Morales, Brother Carpenter) and investigators (Cheryl was crying when she heard the news). But, I know they're going to be great. Elder Lanning is really going to do well and continue to help them get ready. I'm going to be excited to hear the big news about all of them!
So I'll be going to Laval in the Riv Nord, to be with Elder Christiensen. It's a new zone, so it's going to be pretty exciting! All of the areas are old, but it's just a different build since we'll be receiving so many new missionaries soon. I'm pretty excited to work there, but still a little nervous. We'll be covering a French ward and English branch, which is basically the opposite of what we did when I was in Ville Marie!

To answer some of your questions mother: I'm trying to take pictures! I made sure to take some yesterday with friends I won't be seeing for a while. No, the weather's not bad at all. Supposedly we're getting a bigger snow storm on Wednesday though (transfer day).
Thanks so much for getting some of that stuff for Sister Taylor! I'll just make sure to forward it on when it arrives here. She's going to be very grateful!

Did you get my postcard?

I've learned many things this week, it's hard to try to write it down. But all I can really say is that I've just had it confirmed to me again and again and again that we're working under the direction of our Heavenly Father. It's so amazing to feel Him in the work, and to know that it's not really us that have to worry about changing people and converting them. Even finding them! We've had so many experiences here in La Salle of finding someone in their moment of struggle who was looking for comfort, for a church, or for a friend. Kathleen was one of them. It's really fulfilling to be serving God like this. I love it!

Thanks for everything!

Elder Murphy

Austin in the Mont Royal Zone one last time:

Just some thoughts- February 18, 2013

Hello! The weather was super nice this week, and then dipped again on Saturday. But that's okay! It's not been bad enough to complain yet.

Elder Lanning and I are doing well together. It seems like we're really starting to get to be friends, which is awesome! It's been such a great learning experience for me. I'm trying to love and be interested in things that I never really had before, so it's super fun. I mean it.

This week was great! And sorry, I'll try to be a little more specific. Andre is from Saint Vincent, and has lived off and on in Canada and Saint Vincent for the last 10 years, but has recently moved to Montreal. He's a very quiet man, and very humble as well. He's struggling right now trying to find work, but yet still comes to church and loves to listen to us, because he says 'This have given me hope.' I love that. He came to church again yesterday, and is getting more and more comfortable there. He's also becoming really good friends with Kishand, an investigator that the Sisters in our ward are teaching, who's getting baptized on Saturday! We're super excited. Andre has a date for his baptism on the 16th of March, and is looking forward to that day.
Basil is from Jamaica, and is also quite quiet. But, he's pretty strong, he used to box and won the amateur Canadian boxing championships back in the 80s. He's awesome. He has asked us to talk with his Dad as well, because 'He needs to believe in something!' Basil ddin't come yesterday because he wasn't feeling well, but we're going to see him tonight.
Cheryl is from Barbados, and sometimes wishes she could go back. She is just full of love. She has really had a change of heart since we've started coming over, and gave herself the 6th of April for her baptismal date. We still have to teach quite a bit before that, because everytime we come over and try to teach, she listens and then goes off about how much she loves it, and also about how she used to not want to listen but then she's felt the spirit and wants to hah. But she's doing well.

this week I noticed many things, many of which I've tried to write down to remember. For instance, sometimes during the day it gets tiring, but then when I think of some ways to motivate myself it doens't work like I'd like it too. But! I've tried to start thining about how we're out here to serve the Lord, and I've found that to be the strongest motivation for me. It's pretty incredible to me, just that a desire to serve Him, and not to be served, has really helped.
I also noticed, that if I don't think so much about how tired I am in the morning, I'm not even that tired! I loved that. I just decided to stop yawning and just act normal, and it worked! We'll see about tomorrow.
I noticed how much it affects those we are teaching when we stop worrying about what we're going to say, and just LISTEN TO THEM. That's been one of the biggest lessons I've learned over the last 3 months here in La Salle, is how to teach. Less so with what words or techniques to use, but more how to listen and then apply the scriptures or the Gospel to their needs. It's been amazing to see the difference in not only in the way people react to lessons, but even just how we feel when they're done. (This will mostly be for Dallin). I've taught some 'good' lessons, where I touched all of the principles I thought were needed, and just felt void. Nothing special. But then you actually sit down and listen to someone, ask them what they want, what they're searching for, and then you teach something small according to that, and you just get the reassurance from the Holy Ghost that you did something good after. There's nothing like that feeling when the Holy Ghost comforts you after you comfort someone else.

Love you all!
Hope you don't get too hot there in Irvine.

Oh, and Sister Contreras showed me how to make papusas! I got to see her do it!!!!! That was awesome.

Elder Murphy

Testimony- February 11, 2013

ça clenche? ça boom, ça gaz? Hello.
That was just a nice way of saying What's up in France. Too bad no would understand it here.

But holy cow! That is so awesome about the Gates! Whenever we meet anyone from Congo, (maybe once every other day) I tell them that I know two friends who lived in Congo. And now they're going back! That is so awesome.
And I'm glad to hear that Dad is feeling better now.

Yeah, Sister Kaufman was very excited to be able to do that for you and Sister Lanning. She said it made her day. It was actually a good day knocking that day too, when we did it for 4 or 5 hours. We were outside for 3 or 4 and everything was going well, except for my bag broke! It was one I found in Mont Saint-Hilaire though, so it's okay. I have my Jansport backpack which is sufficient. And yes, the storm wasn't so bad here. It was only maybe 10 centimeters? And it's snowing pretty good now.

This week was awesome! Andre is still doing well. We started him on a goal to finish the Book of Mormon before his baptism, and he's on track right now. Grandpa Murphy helped with that idea, since he stressed earlier about investigators committing to reading it. And he said he can feel the protection and love from the Spirit in reading it, and understanding it better. He's awesome. And he seemed so happy at church yesterday. It was his 3rd time! So he's getting close!
Our friend Basil is doing well as well. He came for the first time yesterday, and loved it. He and Andre are two very quiet humble men, but we might need that here.

And Cheryl! Cheryl is just amazing. She came again yesterday to church, and brought her two other sons, Kailin and Kalil. They really liked church as well. She seemed more and more comfortable as church went on, and really enjoyed the Gospel Principles class. Then, at the end of church, she was speaking to Elder Lanning, and told him that she would like to schedule a date for baptism, near April 3rd, which is her birthday hah. Well! We still have a long ways to go with her, but she has been able to feel and recognize the Spirit in just an incredible way. She even speaks of seeing a change in herself, that her heart is now softened, and she's ready to accept these things. She even told us about some of teh commandments we haven't taught yet and is ready to live them. She is just amazing. That was a real miracle.

This morning, I read something that I really loved during studies. It was the entry on 'testimony' in True to the Faith. "A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost." First, that sentence hit me. I love to think about how our testimonies, or the knowledge that we have of truths is not gained by us, but given from God. Like when we say "I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world" or "I know God is there", that's a witness that each of us has or can have, when we seek it from God. He will let us know, through the Holy Ghost. It said we must work for it, and prayerfully ask God if these things are true or not. And as it explains in Moroni 10:3-5, it will be given to us.

I'm grateful for the knowledge that I have been given from God, through the Holy Ghost, that God is real, and He love us perfectly. That he sent his Son to save us, to succor us, and to support us in our daily lives. Also, that he has again reached out and estabilshed His church through a prophet of God.

That's my testimony!

Love you all
Elder Murphy

Another great week- February 4, 2013

Man! That was so sweet to hear about Evan and Jonathan getting their mission calls! Spanish and Vietnamese speaking, that's crazy. If they need any help, they can come up and work with us and Cedric, since he speaks both of those.

Sorry to hear that Dad's still sick too. I hope everyone can feel better and Cole will stay healthyhealthy.

And I'm getting excited for Dallin's Volleyball season! It'll be good to get updates every week. Tell Brian I say hi! Hah just kidding, you don't have to.

This week was another blessed week. We kept running into so many miracles. At church yesterday, Andre, Victoria, Cheryl and Jermain came. That was just so amazing to see all of them there. Andre got to go with us down to visit the baptism of Victoria Tibbo (an old friend!), and he loved it. He kept talking about 'when he was going to do this'. He's a great guy. And Victoria stayed for sacrament, and then met up with some friends to go to the YSA branch. Those two are progressing really well.

Then Cheryl!!!! She came for the first time yesterday, with her son Kemar. And she loved it. This week when we went over to her home, she admitted to us that when she prayed the other day to know if these thigns were true or not, she received her answer. She has just been so light and excited the last few visits with her, it's so exciting to see the Spirit touching her heart. We still have a ways to go, but for right now, she's doing very well.

And then our friend Jermain. On Saturday, while we were waiting to get let into another chapel for Victoria's baptism, we decided to take Andre to lunch to kill some time. So we walked over, and we saw this younger guy sitting there eating his lunch all alone. He was wearing a kickboxing sweatshirt, which made it even more awesome. And so we talked for a couple of minutes, and he said he'll come to church with us, because he's 'looking for an answer to a question'. And then he showed up, all by himself and really enjoyed everything. We're going to try to get to see him soon.

This week has really shown me, along with my interview with President Cannon, that God is in charge of this work, not us. It's been an interesting struggle for me trying to do everything I can, and yet falling up short. So it was pretty remarkable to recognize (or try to) that it's not really me that's doing these things. Yes, I am supposed to work every day in order to help the people here, but yet real progress and the changing of lives really has little to do with how 'awesome' we might try to be as missionaries. It's an interesting balance. Obviously I'm going to keep working hard, and be exactly obedient, but yet I've seen how not only giving God all the credit, but letting him help us, has brought miracles. I'm sure glad that I'm not here working on my own, because I've tried it, and it just doesn't work. God is producing miracles, and I've sure seen them here.

My French is doing all right. It's still quite a bit of time spent in English, since it's an English ward and many english speakers here in La Salle, but I'm slowly progressing. Just not all the way there yet.

But missionary work is amazing!

Thanks for everything family.

Love you all

Elder Murphy