Oh hey there, friends!
Guess what? It was another totally awesome week. In fact it might have been the awesomest. Tuesday was basically my fave. We met with Jessica, who is super young and her new husband is deployed and mormon, so she is interested in lessons. Our follow-up lesson was amazing, she read above and beyond what we asked and seemed to really feel the spirit. That Holy Ghost, it is so splendidly powerful. It's very energizing to have such a receptive investigator, who we feel so certain will be baptized and I'm just excited for it. Also we met with Tonya the less-active RM and she is just lighting up more and more every time we see her. We can already see the atonement and faith in God really opening her heart and giving her the UMPH to talk to her fiance about her desires to repent and be sealed in the temple. Hopefully we will be receptive to the HG because it's gonna be tough teaching him, who has not wanted to hear about the church up until now. Then we eventually went over to another area to check on really old potential investigators in our book. We got some door slams and some yesses, and then chased some big wild turkeys because holy cow, they flock in like tens here. It is so funny!! They just hang out on the lawn and chat and stuff, until of course we run at them and they scurry away.
BUT WAIT IT GETS BETTER. We were deciding to leave and I decided to take this hidden stairwell to a different set of apartments. This has now become my secret supersticion (???) after this coming experience, because the last time I chose some random secret stairwell we met some amazing new investigators. So anyways, up the mossy secret passageway and we see a cute young girl walking her dog. We nonchalantly (okay we were actually really excited because we suddenly had such a good feeling to see her) caught up with her and talked to her dog (pets are the PERFECT approach). She was so nice, she asked us all of these questions on what we do (that rarely happens) as missionaries and we then somehow got to talking about the great apostacy and then somehow slipped in the restoration and she had said several important things:
1. She has gone to so many churches but none of them seem correct
2. She has always felt that there is a book missing from the Bible
3. Her husband had some bad experience with hypocritical Christians and totally avoids religion
And then she said the best thing of all after we handed her the BOM and bore testimony of its truth. She said, near tears and with great love, "You guys I just feel compelled to tell you that... this is what I've been waiting for. This feels so right and I am just so excited to go study this book. I feel like I was really supposed to meet you two today." And then we started getting way excited and I almost burst into water works and we asked her if we could come teach her sometime. She hesitated, and when she saw how concerned we were becoming with her pause she said OH I'm sorry I really want you to, but I don't think my husband will allow it. And then her husband happens to randomly run up to us in jogging clothes. "What are you selling?" he asked us with a sneer. Oh nothing we said we are missionaries of the church of Jes... "Yeah, you're selling something," he said, and I'm not kidding he had crazy eyes and everything felt dark and Breanna looked completely devistated and Stewart said, "Lets go. We are going." And he grabbed the dog and his wife and they stomped away. She looked back at us in longing.... it was so beyond heartbreaking. She is what us missionaries call a Golden Investigator. She is so beyond ripe and ready to harvest, and to have someone control her with such a hard heart is just scary and disappointing. Unfortunately we weren't able to get her phone number or address, and so we pray for her and her husband every day, hoping she will muster up the strength to call us.
I don't have time or room to tell you much about the rest of the week which just totally stinks!! In a nut shell we visitied two potential investigators who are "Earth Based" religion which is basically a hippie support group. We were inspired to ask them all sorts of questions about their beliefs, and everything they said basically matched right up with the Plan of Salvation. So we pulled out the pamphlets and taught them both and they were so beyond excited to finally have names put to their beliefs, and a whole book to discuss it and a whole church to invite them in. They were gloriously ecstatic. One of the girls, Raven, said her grandmother had scared her into repentance in fear of God her whole life, and to read and hear us testify that God loves her... she said it was one of the greatest epiphanies of her life. She was misty eyed and the spirit was so strong. We can't wait to teach them this week.
And then there are the beautiful multicolored trees. Seriously I thought Utah had marvelous trees but this autumn here is unreal. I wish you could all see it! I've attached a picture. Most trees have at least two bright colors, most have about four. It's UNREAL!!! And halloween was amazing and so much candy and more new investigators... I just can't believe how blessed I am. I hope you all had such a great halloween. I still haven't heard from anyone, I would so love to hear how you each are doing because even though I feel very focused on the work here, I certainly do pray and think about all of the wonderful people back home and my wonderful two sisters out on a mission and the great companions I've already come to love here.
I want to give a shout out to my amazing family. The second principal we typically teach is the Gospel Blesses Families, and I'm so proud to bear testimony of the influence my wonderful family has made on me. The gospel really does bless families, and this is why it is so important for all of you out in daily life must be missionaries, because the world has lost all great principals to help their family grow strong, and find happiness and survive the turmoil of Satan's territory. This week's lesson has been learnging and staying attentive to the Holy Ghost. It is the only reason why we were able to find Breanna and Raven and Jessica and so many others this last week, and it is the only reason why they felt so connected to the gospel. It is the teacher and it is vital we learn how to hear and communicate with him.
Anyways I love you all so much!!! I hope everything is just amazing for you!!! Eat too much pumpkin pie!! And candy corn! Because they are amazing! And don't take for granted the means to cook wonderful home meals. Seriously.
Best,
Sister Murphy Senior
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