Mantle‏

My dear, dear friends and family,

It was yet another week of so much learning, so much adapting and growing and breaking and building that it is difficult to come up with a singular topic to discuss! I feel like my brain is being squeezed haha, I can't even think strait long enough to summarize how I've changed for good this month! But here goes, because it's important and I desperately want to share it.

Our zone leaders in their crazy goofiness challenged us to look up "mantle" in the BOM Index to learn what our setting apart really is from everyday member missionaries. I would tell you to look it up and then mysteriously back off as to create a suspenseful mood for an ultimate mind-blowing discovery!! But alas, I want to go on and on about it, for it is key. The definition is below:

Mantle: see charity

FWUUUAAAAAAHHH??? Charity? I say! Is that legitimately a higher gift to be a more successful and devoted full-time missionary?? When I first started training in the MTC I quickly noticed a difference in the way I viewed all others. I felt in a way as if it was rose-colored glasses, but it is quite the opposite. Charity isn't viewing people in their best and being optimistic of their choice characteristics. It is feeling the burning brightness of profound love from the Savior for that person's real weaknesses and trials. It is compassion and inexplicable admiration.

Honestly I often find much difficulty in loving people who are bitter or lax about others and the gospel, but knowing this love was mantled upon me I've searched for revelation to know exactly how to go about teaching a broken area and I testify Heavenly Father has guided me unlike I have ever been inspired to love and serve before. My companion and I were so divinely sent to help each other through this and to devote our prayers to working this area. This past week I have seen so many heal and progress and I feel elated. This, this love thing, oh man, it is so totally cool!!!

The new exciting is the discovery of this little field near Walmart is a SEA OF PRAIRIE DOGS. I've never truly noticed one before but they are not tooo hard to miss because, well, they just stand there!! They just stand at look at you!! Haha, it's such a foreign country here.

I love you all lots. Donate blood! I did it last week and it was awesome!! When they ask you whether you have had black tea recently be like, nope because it is against my religion because I'm Mormon! Huh?? They will ask as they stab your finger for testing. And you say, dizzily, because we know that the Savior's gospel has been restored through a modern day prophet, and he has given us amazing guidelines for a happier, more free life!

Just don't pass out from blood-loss, okay? It's bad news bears. ;) Have a WONDERFUL week ERREBODY!!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

Resolutions and Revelations‏

Okay so we were driving home as we always do, belting out Vocal Point's "Nearer My God To Thee." It was late and dark out. The music was building and we were getting way more into it than usual, when I looked ahead and saw something utterly traumatic. "BUUUHHUUUUhuhuhNNYYYYY!" I moaned, dramatically. It all happened so fast, it still sort of feels like a terrible blur, but what I saw was a mangled bunny whom had been hit by a car on the side of the road.

To many of you this may not be of anything of importance. As a big lover of rabbits it has been QUITE the pleasure to see that bunnies run around here as squirrels do in SLC. Every time I see those cute little ears bolt off away I just squee, "SO CUTE!" And so you can imagine that bunny road kill would be so not okay!!

My comp was very startled by my reaction. "It was just a chunk of ice!!" she said. I knew she was just trying to make me feel better and so the crying ensued. "Little cottontahahahaaaailll..." (sob).

The following morning as we approached the same street my comp was very kind to notify me when to look away to keep me from enduring the same terror. I still could not help but look out for it... and to our surprise we realized: The bunny had melted, for it was indeed a chunk of ice.

This week was actually quite spiritually powerful. It was up and down because the majority of members here are full of bitterness, gossip, drama.. they not only have zero desire to spread the gospel, but are a bit upset with us when we attempt to inquire their missionary efforts. We are trying to do our best to show them Christ's love, and gently teach His expectation for us to become member missionaries.

I came to this realization, along with my companion, of which we are now going to effectively teach in correspondence with the fantastic talk given last conference on creating a "Game Plan." (Read and apply it! Oh it is so awesome!) I was prayerfully pondering about the way missionary work has helped me become a better person so that I could more lovingly convey the way it can bless others. Without hesitation I remembered the years I had spent walking away from the path of righteousness, and the difficulties in my attempts to stumble back. Of course there were MANY things that ignited my passion to change my behaviors, but what got my mind in "Game Plan: Project Heal Madison" mode was my decision to serve a mission.

I know from personal experience that if we make a real intent effort to give the greatest gift, then bit by bit we will be keeping the commandments a little better. We will be loving our God more, and learning more of Him and His plan. We will be loving others in the best way one can be loved. We will refrain from idolizing other Gods i.e. technology and TV and wordly distractions. We will serve our spouses and be a light set on a hill.

Apart from my experience, there is a dear father of a family of teenagers here, Brother Benson. After Sunday school yesterday we asked him how he feels our ward has been doing as far as missionary efforts goes. He stammered, tears welled up in his eyes, and I could see the hardship the last year has brought them because of the decline and bitterness in missionary work here. But I also saw the humility and blessings there that he has received from his family's undying efforts to serve with us. He said, that lesson you missionaries gave last week, when you mentioned that the hastening of the work now, as Elder Ballard has professed, is as pivotal and significant of an action as the First Vision itself... I realized that there is something big coming. His smile grew amid his tears and he paused again. "Something big is going to happen to Hutchinson," he said again.

I cannot wait :)

I pray for all of my wonderful friends and family and ward at home, that you all are really trying your best to be daily missionaries. I know it is my main focus right now and so of course it is what I would teach you, but seeing the change in my heart because of the atonement and the love I have felt of my Savior, I know I would NOT have come this far were it not for my decision to serve.

I love you all SO VERY MUCH. Thank you thank you for your cards and love and support. I hope you see the blessings our Father gives you for helping me and my family, because I know the blessings are there. Have a wonderful week! :D

Sister Murphy Senior

Fifth Sunday:

Howdy there folks!

BOY O BOY what a week!!! It went SO fast, I can't believe Christmas was last week. Did ya get lots o presents? Did you GIVE lots o presents? Did you try a little harder to become more Christlike as a gift to Him?

I sure hope so. This week for everyone I knew and taught here in Hutch it was Charity, the pure love of Christ. Saturday night we got a call that our Mission President was no longer able to teach the "fifth lesson" in our ward and wow was that a blessing in disguise. We have four totally new missionaries here because this area used to be baptism CENTRAL but somehow the ward lost it's motivation for over a year, resulting in bitterness and laziness and bad attitudes. I don't blame them, there are so many things the adversary can do to damage a ward, especially if they do not work together in missionary-mindedness. So the four of us were asked to help the Mission Leader teach combined Sunday School.

Wow. We worked well together, the spirit was so strong, we talked of the sad number of 150 active members in a 600 member ward, and the cause being the "social" aspect of missionary work: the lack of fellowshipping. And so we taught them to love. Above all, to love each other and to love their less-actives. We read from John 15 on abiding in Christs love, and I highly recommend you read it. My favorite message that hit home for our ward was that we should not allow persecution to affect us. "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also... But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."

The prompting to read that from the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest miracles I have had in my life. So many members afterward came up, including our once discouraged Mission Leader, and said that the spirit and devotion has not felt that incredible for a LONG time, and they are all very excited to kick up their missionary efforts once again, in a new and stronger way.

I cannot describe the changes I've seen in Hutchinson already. My companion is so magnificent and our new Elders are so devoted, and I can see the Lord softening hearts daily, including one of  a member we visited who had not gone to church in thirty years... it was such a sacred experience talking with him.

The greatest gift although, was the moments I spent seeing my family and talking with them. I love them. Anyone in their lives are so lucky, really truly. They carry the light of Christ, a devotion to what they know will give them a greater joy than anything in this world. I learn so much from their example and feel comforted by their love. HOOHAH Murphys!

Hahaha, I just can't help but boast of their awesomeness, teehee. I love you all! You are all so awesome and even though I don't hear from you or write, I think about you and look forward to seeing you eventually!

Good luck with your New Year resolutions! Be sure to set a goal that will improve your missionary work, especially if it is something as difficult and magnificent as praying for more Charity :)

Love,
Sister Murphy Senior

Happy Christmas, Ron‏...

Happy Christmas, Harry.

Well friends and fam, as the beach boys say, Christmas comes each time this year. I am almost sure you've all been reminded to not get caught up in the commercial frenzy but instead give the ultimate gift to Christ for his birthday, which is service and sacrifice. Personally it has been extremely hard for me to keep this in mind, despite the endless change and challenge I'm being given certainly opens up the opportunity.

I had to leave Mr. Tree behind. Laugh all you want, I'm a proud tree hugger and having to leave such a sweet smelling and lively creature as I've been transferred was PAINFUL. Every ornament removed shed a tear in my heart! ;) I've left all of my friends in Manhattan, left the hilarious Elders I've become great friends with and learned so much from, and have come to an area that is incredibly loving, yet cold and stale in their missionary efforts. My new companion is fantastic, but feeling pressure and confusion and I'm lost in knowing how to help her, save for prayer.

Throughout the past few weeks I've been doing as my MTC trainer advised, to ask WHY and then WHY again to every aspect of the gospel. Lately it's been about the atonement. I read that the atonement and crucifixion occurred as to invoke in every living being a deep compassion. Well that sounds nice and reasonable, but really, WHY though? Sometimes I get so dumb, so caught up in looking for a deeper meaning when the explanation is clear and simple.

This week amid all of my sins and struggles, there is no way I would feel compelled to repent and try harder if I did not know that one incredible God took His liberty and chose ultimate pain and sacrifice. I was reading in Jesus Christ how sorrowful Christ truly was days before his crucifixion, and I think it was not for himself necessarily, but he had already observed the people he healed and guided abandon and deny Him. I think He was overwhelmed at the choice His people make to choose lonely over comfort, to choose anger over peace, to choose temptation over divine reward. It has hit me real deep this Christmas season how real the atonement is. I am teary eyed even now, feeling so grateful that every sin and struggle that weighs heavy on me now can be completely removed tonight if I so choose it, and I want to because I know I can because I know that Christ was born. Humbly, simply, and oh so lovingly He was born, He lived, and He died.

I realize I leave such long emails, and I'm sure I could chat about the crazy that happened this past week, but I find the feelings of my heart much heavier and much more significant this week.

I really hope you are all finding the pure celestial bliss in Christ's life, as to celebrate his birthday as He would have you celebrate it. I hope for it because I know it is THE greatest happiness and the greatest gift. I want to thank you again for you prayers, for the wonderful Christmas cards, for the donations, and for your love. I unfortunately do not have the permitted time this preparation day to send out my love in gifts and cards, but please know I think and pray for you all individually, and thank you, and wish you a truly happy Christmas this week :)

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

Still still still one can hear the falling snow‏

As in, there is no falling snow. But an abundance of twinkly lights and Fa La Las and YES to commitments like Word of Wisdom and Pray Daily and Keep Them Sabbath Days Holy and it is the best gift of them all. We have three WONDERFUL people on date for baptism and they seem very promising. It may not perhaps be on "Noche Blanca" but it will certainly happen within the new year. ...NEW YEAR? Man time is flying.

I've been following that good 'ol hymn Count your many blessings. I had to amid the trials of last week, and boy did it serve me well. I wrote specifically the answers and gifts that Heavenly Father has blessed me and my area with in answer to my specific prayers. I then wrote a list of the many other blessings He gives on top of that. I discovered I have been so grandly blessed. I can't believe why it has taken me until this phase of life to learn the blessings of honest and meek requests in prayer (I feel it is so hypocritical to call oneself meek, or humble, or holy, but I truly have been reminded of my own significance this week haha). I think the most needed and enjoyed gift has been Charity. "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth FOREVER. For whosever is found possessed of it at the last day, it will be well with him." I think that's how Moroni 7:47 goes, I memorized it just this last weekend. I know that truly the only way a person can possess charity is by praying fervently for it, especially if you are a little Sister Murphy Sr. missionary. I have only noticed a twinkle of possession this last week, because I am growing to actually love the core of my sweet companion. All of those little quirks and frustrations stop mattering and you just laugh and think man o man you are so silly and so wonderful. If I am to give any gift to my loved ones this season, it would be an increased possession of the pure love of Christ, for it is the supreme gift that will keep us "well" in the last day!

Plus it's the love part that comes with the spirit of Christmas. It's what makes the nativity so precious; the love of Joseph to keep his wife with baby from being stoned and to walk over 70 miles so that Christ can be born in David, the love of sweet Mary who in her humility accepted the supreme honor of holding the Only Begotten in her belly, of the shepards submitting to bright singing angels and Gloria shouting from all around the world because the world knew that their salvation was about to be saved!

I am being transferred.

I am shocked. I mean I know it is the way ofI've built such wonderful relationships here and at last have some seriously solid investigators, but I have more faith than ever that they will pull through successfully, or at least that whatever happens is divinely directed and meant to be in God's grand plan. Selfishly I am sad to leave the wonderful missionaries I've had the honor being around. I know there are more friendships to build, but the whole not being able to contact Elders thing is quite a bummer, because their sense of humors are just something I really enjoy through the tough times.

I have one incredible story to share, and then I bid you adieu. We received a text from a recent convert, Joe, in Garden City Kansas. He said his sister resides in the Little Apple and she desires a bible and BOM. Sister Walker and I popped on over that evening witht the goods and BOY was she happy to see us. Sweet Elena and her boyfriend Eric reside in an apartment room where a legit Satanic cult practiced. It was feeling okay, but as soon as she mentioned the strange findings of which I will not disclose in strange locations we could feel the icy pit of fear creep into us. "I want my home to be blessed," she said. Her brother had recommended it. Seeing as she was eager to come unto Christ and be taught we deemed it appropriate for a consecration. The next evening we arrived with our Elders as well as Brother Nelson of the bishopric. After a spiritual discussion about the need for, the blessings of, and the standards of receiving a blessing of consecration, we knelt together in prayer. The power of light and glory came softly, and illuminated gradually, until we all felt the joy of heaven's angels. Brother Nelson became teary-eyed mid-blessing and Elena declared many times afterward the strong warmth she felt, and knew it was of God. Powerful testimonies were born, and I remember wishing I could feel that way always... but then again, I am grateful that these miraculous moments come fleetingly so that the level of power and joy is that much more remarkable.

I love you all out there. Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers. I feel them, I feel them making me stronger, giving me luck in lessons, blessing my area, and helping the Lord in the hastening of His work. I thank you dearly. I will talk to you next week but wish you a very Merry Christmas!!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

PS If you are wanting names to pray for, the following are the sweet Manhattan investigators and progressing less-actives I will soon be leaving; Ann and Steve Murphy, Mercedes and her mother, Nancy, Elena and Eric, Tonya Stock and her fiance Eric. THANK YOU!!!!

Christmas Time

Jolley old friends of mine!

This week was such a struggle and I am really and truly just so grateful. We have officially dropped everyone Sister Smartt and I worked with for the first transfer. My companion was struggling with two absessed (?) teeth and we were inside our apartment or a dentists office the majority of the time. It offered, however, many opportunities to try my patience and broaden my knowledge and testimony of the gospel.

I have at last recognized many small promptings from the Holy Ghost. Can you believe it has taken me until now after all of my life to finally be aware of daily promptings?? And it isn't even really daily yet, I guess it's just once in awhile. I know without a doubt that I am being led and instructed by the Spirit, but to be actually conscientious of it has been my primary struggle. "Text Tonya," the spirit first said. I did so. "Ask her how her week has been," He said next. She was very short in response and I felt or was told that she clearly has not been doing okay. She is one of our progressing less-actives who served a mission ten years ago, and although she knows and believes in the truths of the gospel, the adversary has poisened her mind to forget how much the Lord loves her, to understand His grace, and the importance in constant keeping of commandements and covenants. "Ask her if she would like a priesthood blessing." And so I did, and I felt it was so out of the blue and we hardly ever text back and forth with her and this is too abrupt to text such a thing. Sure enough she replied, "I don't know who to ask." A sweet and humble submission to receive help in her efforts to find the strait and narrow. We sent lovely Brother Wangsgaard right over and according to him it was a wonderful blessing of strength and clarity.

This last week I too received a blessing. I also encountered various incredible workings of the priesthood and have come to recognize how powerful the mantle of my calling truly is. This morning after teaching a new investigator referred to us by the early-morning seminary teacher (she accepted baptismal date for Noche Blanca!), he said served in South Africa. There he would accompany saints as they walked for two hours to attend weekly church meetings. They would pass men and women newly murdered, lying on the ground beside them, and would just continue walking. It was a normal, every day occurance in the heart of the darkest downtown area he said was the worst in the world at the time of his mission. He said it never really worried or stressed him, but as soon as he was released from his calling to serve and the mantle was stripped from his soldiers, the trauma ensued and he said for years he suffered from PTSD. I feel so honored to hold such a power!!

I have learned how to obtain greater patience, charity, humility, and diligence. If you cannot tell, I am a bit worn out from the emotional fire I have had the honor to charge through this week. I wish this for everyone, I truly do. I have heard what RMs have expressed to me about their missions before I left, I saw the profound understanding in their eyes and had not understood it until now. I am consistently at the brink of tears and it is merely because I see truths testified before me of the Saviors love and the perfect plan of the Father, and I stand all amazed. I really do. I am so grateful to be part of such light and glory.

If you haven't noticed, the mission culture has changed. Our mission leader told us last week to completely abandon tracting efforts. It is deemed as nearly useless at the time of Hastening the Work. I cannot get that statement of Ballard out of my head; this hastening of the work is so significant and will be so profound a time of history as was the restoration of the gospel and the translation of the Book of Mormon. The talk about having a "Game Plan" for missionary work is just my fave and explains this all so well. We as missionaries are so reliant on the efforts of our ward. It is primarily our duty to serve the ward, to teach the ward, and help them bring the Lord's sheep into our fold. We are no longer seeking to find our own as much as we are helping YOU to do it yourself! As a commandment I want to invite you all to please please find what I have had the honor to find, and it is a deep conviction and testimony of Heavenly Father's love and plan of happiness and to share it with everyone around you. It will without a doubt make you happier than you ever understood you could be. It will bless your life, it will keep your family strong.

This sounds really so cheesy, but we taught a sister of a member, Sister Weisbender, this last weekend and they were so stubborn and fairly closed to hearing our message. Eventually the Holy Ghost softened them up so much that at the end they committed to being baptised on Noche Blanca (woohooooooo divine inspiration from mission pres for Christmas Eve white night!!!!). The investigators called Sister Wesibender later that evening and said as soon as we left they went in and prayed about what we had taught, and said it was a positive experience (I have actually never heard one of my investigators say that yet). The husband looked down at where we had sat, and imprinted there he saw the sillouhette of angel's wings. OKAY so cheesy but they are taking it as a SIGN!! Wow, so cool!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Go wasseling for me, eh? And frost those window panes and deck them halls with jolley!! Oh wait is it holly?

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

aka Sista Murphdawg

aka Sister Smurphy (said Sid the Sloth style)

First week of Christmas‏

It certainly does not feel like Christmas time here. By now in SLC there are typically lights up, and snow, and ice, and lots of wreaths and bows and trees and MUSIC but here I have not seen hardly any of it! But boy am I excited for Christmas! Our Mission President was inspired to have "Noche Blanca," or white night. Did I already mention this? I am just so excited about it! We are to invite every single person we teach to be baptized on the 24th, Christmas Eve. We have been receiving text after text from our AP of miracle messages from our state-wide mission and so many people have already been put on date for baptism! The mission goal is 40, so pray for us if you have time, to be led to those the Lord has prepared for this amazing White Night!!

This week was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. It was the hardest and most overwhelming and most humbling and rewarding week. Just about every person Sister Smartt and I were working with has dissipated! Every person we had on date for baptism, every potential, every other investigator was no longer responding or progressing. Nancy even has gone under the radar and is neither home nor responsive to phone calls. Needless to say, on top of difficulties with my companionship, I was discouraged. It's funny how when discouragement starts to set in, we begin to doubt our understanding and our capabilities. We lose faith in the miracles the Lord can do. We lose hope and can no longer see a silver lining. It truly is so sad, and such a slippery slope, and I remember feeling this way almost all of the time when life was not going as awesomely as desired back at home. And then there was a miraculous chain of events on Saturday. We had the privelege of attending two baptisms, one for a young family in my ward, another for my companions old ward (of whom she primarily helped convert). The spirit was POWERFUL and the speakers, I mean I'm sure they were helping out Ivan and Hannah and Ellie and Brayden, all of the baptismees, but they were speaking for ME! Stake President Napp simply bore a powerful testimony of the truth of the gospel. He said with teary eyes that he knows Christ is our Savior. He knows God is our loving Heavenly Father. He knows Joseph Smith saw God and translated the Book of Mormon and restored the fullness of the gospel. ...and after I had heard person after person deny truths and challenge righteous behaviors and question my sanity and beliefs, it was glorious to hear such powerful conviction, backed by such pure love and humility.

Later that evening Sister Walker and I totaled up our statistics. We had one of the best weeks thus far on my entire mission. How had I not noticed our accomplishments? Sure, there was no progression, but it was evidence we were working hard. And the third and final and most important gift from God happened when we received a text from sweet less-active Tonya. She is a return missionary and after the death of her righteous fiance she plumeted into a decade of discouraging behavior. We have had the honor of visiting her and expressing the Saviors love for her and desire for her to repent and come unto him. She is such a hard worker and has steadily solidified celestial habits in daily prayer and scripture study. She cancelled one of her weekly appointments with us recently and I soon became concerned that she had become re-offended and overwhelmed and was straying from her strait and narrow path. She texted a response to our first inquiry in a LONG time for her to come to church with us Sunday, and it was "I will try." Excitedly and awe-struck we looped her in craftily by asking her to give us a ride to church, leading on that we did not have our car this week (which we did, hehe...). She came and the ward welcomed her warmly and she stated she was looking forward to coming back the following week.

Words cannot express the gratitude I feel. I have been grounded, and officially stand by the scripture I chose at the beginning of my mission to represent where I stand with the Lord, and it is Alma 26 "I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise HIS name forever."

This is the best happiness. I am so brim with joy, just as this scripture, just as Ammon states. I want to stay like this forever, I hope I can. I want it all for you. I really do. We as missionaries are encouraged to invite our friends and family to help us in hastening the Lords work. If any of you lack wisdom... haha.. my memorizations are taking over.. If any of you are struggling with this, with any fear or reluctancy, I promise it will become much more important to you and much easier as you strive to become broken hearted and deeply converted to the gospel of our Savior. Sister Bonnie Oscarson in her Conference talk "Be Ye Converted" talked all about this and it is amazing! So, I invite you all to form daily habits and act on your faith so that you might be able to obtain as I have, if you haven't already, a deep love and conviction of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be praying for you all!

I love you! I hope to hear from you! I hope you have a great first week of Christmas!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior