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
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