"Be not afraid, only believe"

Good afternoon my dear friends and family, it is an incredibly snowy day here in Hutchinson KS! We had over a foot of snow over the span of five days, and Hutch, despite having a gigantic salt mine, ran completely out of salt and went into an Emergency situation! There is no salt or sand to break it all up, so we are learning fast how to cruise in ridiculous piles of snowy stuff. I am loving it!!! Fortunately our mission car handles it nicely. I'm not so sure it handles the same as Sister Chloe Murphy's brand new Jeep, but it suffices ;)

This week we had some miracles. As we pulled up to a Sister's home she called us in excruciating pain, sobbing from the prescription malfunctions following a total knee surgery. We told her we were right outside and she gave us the code to her temperamental front door. After many attempts we decided we could not open it, and must wait for the nurse to finally arrive with a key. She called again, in tears. Becoming emotional to hear her in so much pain, I attempted the door with angst, yet it would not budge. I remembered a parable I had studied that morning, and had not thought to apply it to something menial as this situation, but the Holy Ghost taught me within seconds how Christ's moral of this story will change my life forever.

Mark 5:25 and a woman with a blood disease, who had given all her money for a cure to no solution, heard of the ministering of Christ, and knew he was to pass by her. From behind she touched his garment, "and straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague." Jesus felt "virtue had gone out of him" and turned to find who had done it. The woman fearing and knowing what was done fell before him confessing. He said, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

In that moment of struggle I decided Faith, and mid-prayer the door creaked open.

More miracles occurred inside that home, too sacred and personal to share. Amid the trials and strife we are constantly battling, the tares sown inside us must make us stronger before harvest, and every moment counts. In Hutch we are changing a culture and I am constantly needing to remember strength of the mighty winds that come with such an epic occasion as the Restoration of the gospel. I am being endlessly challenged to choose doubt or faith, fear or courage, pride or meekness. And I certainly do not understand how to handle it entirely but that is the whole point. We exist on earth that our faith might be tested. Oh boy is it hard but the miracles I await for I know will be worth it!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

Meek & Lowly

AHA moments galore! I need to write a big list of all the mini revelations I received this past week that I really so very much needed. Might I write a spare few?

-I have been looking at the glass half empty for WEEKS and I need to stop.

-"Pride is wanting to BE right. Humility is wanting to do what IS right. Meekness is doing it silently."

-"Only those who are humble are able to acknowledge and understand the Lord's answers to their prayers." (Ulysses Soares of the Seventy)

-There are only two types of negative reactions to hard work: complacent or overwhelmed. I am the latter, and need to rely on the Lord and buck up and ask Him for help, with everything

-I might THINK I am forgiving and not judging others, but more often than not, I'm wrong.

Notice a theme? My goodness people I have a lot of pride. Prophets and apostles are so right in professing against pride. It really is the source of all evil I just can't believe how often I forget!!!

And so as I've attempted to acquire greater Christlike attributes (i.e. meekness, humility, charity) I have found GREATER joy in loving others, thinking of them before I, basking in their stories and honesty. It really only happened when I fervently asked for it. We had two parent-ambush lessons and they were both incredible. The semi-recent converts each invited us into their own homes, and within were waiting their parents, who had no idea that they've been subconsciously searching for truth and not knowing where to find it. The Holy Ghost helped us every step of the way to transition into the first lesson without them realizing it. We even committed both to pray and read the BOM and I just love knowing now that that is crying repentance. It makes me feel like I'm doing my job, slash it feels so rewarding! Plus, that is such a coincidence. I am really excited for these converts to bring their family into the fold!

Sister C helped me heal with this sweet tactic: Make a list of strengths/gifts. Make a list of struggles/goals. Connect the two so that strengths are helping to overcome the goals. Review the blessings that will ensue. Isn't that brilliant??? It helped me so much that we decided to use it for the LA women here, and it seemed to go totally awesome for her! Plus we sing A LOT with LAs, which brings a marvelously overpowering spirit. When we handed Lori the list we wrote with her, she said WAIT a second let me check my work schedule. OH WOW I don't work this Sunday!!! ...which was like the first sunday in FOREVER of inactivity!! Sunday morning we called to make sure she was getting ready for the member to pick her up, and.... she was sick. ...along with all four other progressing LAs we've been working with.

"My son, peace be unto they soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment," is helping to stay happy amid the sad consequences of moral agency. I am grateful that amid strife or happiness, the peace that Christ brought with his atonement can always reside in our hearts.

Thank you all again, so kindly, for your prayers. I feel them, I feel the peace and I know that soon my area will be restored to be the "milk and honey" of Wichita Kansas that everyone professes. Love you all!!!!!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

PS I challenge you to read up and become more MEEK and lowly of heart! It is the only attribute Christ declared He had, thus it is vital to become like him! Study up because it is a challenging one to understand.

Warrior

Sister C and I received a call Saturday morning from an unknown number in Pennsylvania. I answered and heard a somewhat familiar raspy female voice say "well HELLO Sister Murphy!" Feeling puzzled I was like hiiiiii?? And THEN I heard a raspier male voice mumble something all Irishy and I KNEW it was my two lovely investigators from good 'ol Manhattan and so I then transitioned into freakout-rampage around the apartment mode! (Because we aren't typically allowed to talk to anyone outside our zone..) "YOU are getting baptized today!!" I shouted at them. And they were like, "NOoooooo we just WERE baptized!!!!"

... I was beyond ecstatic, ear to ear I couldn't believe it they are my first investigators to enter the holy waters of baptism and I was so happy. They told me how spiritual it was and how he got to get dunked twice (lucky duck) and how they were really nervous before but they feel so peaceful and they bore testimony and I heard my old comps voice in the background laughing and suddenly she burst "and in a YEAR they plan to go to the temple!! And YOU are coming with!" which was when emotions really came over me.

I have really loved this difficult climb here in Kansas, but at last I have felt the profound love and excitement for those who are ready and steady enough to make covenants with their Heavenly Father. THIS humbling experience is what makes it all so beyond worth it. My mission has entirely new meaning, I am pumped and desirous to "go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to SHAKE the earth, and cry repentance unto every people...that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth" (Alma 29). Repentance has been a greater focus for me, and my companion was so perfect in making clear that it is not exactly reading a scripture of repentance and committing them to repent. All that needs to be done to invoke repentance within an investigator is to commit them to perform ANY of the steps in the gospel. PMG states the mere decision to pray about and/or read the Book of Mormon is changing their behavior; repentant! ...and you as a daily missionary can do the same by simply and inviting others to watch a Mormon Message, to pray a little more or about something specific. It is EASY!

Our area was in a pickle, and had been pickling for some time. This past week our magnificent mission president came to kneel with us four missionaries and our district leader and to plead that our area be designated as holier ground, with hearts softening and missionaries thrusting their sickles with their might. He said it was one of the most spiritual experiences he has had as a president and I can't help but agree. ...the details are too sacred to discuss.

There is incredible work happening here in Kansas! We see it in one of our prime investigators, Carly Hess, and she is 19 and so ready. We taught her lesson one and she is eating up every bit. "Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense!" she is constantly saying. We are relieved to have such a ready investigator. We need your prayers, though! Satan sends his strong winds and we need all of the prayers we can get to help her! And Lou and Sierra and Andy ;)

Thank you so much for your prayers. I've been trying to keep these emails shorter because I don't want to bore you with length and monotony! But I love you all very very much. I hope you are spiritually preparing each day to battle the mighty storm! I can't get out of my head what our WML wife and seminary teacher told us the other day, that Saints need to all realize that they cannot go through these final days on the fence. Joseph Smith himself said that membership (and this last-days war) makes or breaks a fence-sitter. It requires consistent daily preparation and absorption of God's word to survive. So study up my friends, it will armor you up with truth and righteousness! Try to feel like a warrior, like ME! I feel so soldiery it is awesome :)

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

PS: I just heard that my MTC third companion Sister McBride has gone home early. From the very beginning she struggled to fight the adversary and his cunning ways and seeping smoke so as to NOT go home. Please please please pray for her and her family, for comfort. And please please please prepare, every day, every morning and night, for YOU. Please.