Luck O the Irish...

Top o the mornin to ya!! Gotta say the red-headiness has CERTAINLY brought some sweet luck this past week. It was victorious and glorious! My comp is so absolutely fantastic and I'm sad to watch her go to STLville this new transfer but I'm super excited to get a new sister to green this place up!

I want to thank everyone that has so kindly mailed me letters and things! Aunt Lorie and my grandparents, the Relief Society and various great women, some fantastic friends from my old YSA ward and my sweet sweet family. I love you all so dearly and every letter brightens up my whole transfer! I am sorry I delay in response, we have so little time to write letters here! Email is so wonderful for that reason, it is easier and more conversational and I just love all that can email me. Thank you thank you!!

I don't know what is going on in most of your lives but it all seems crazy and challenging but the church is growing so strong and the doctrine is so simple and true. It is great to have such powerful protection and guidance from our Father and Savior! I'm a be short today cuz we gotta prep for new transfers coming up! I love you all and hope your day is lucky ducky!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

Mosiah 3:19

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a little child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

"And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior

shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue and people."

"And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent."

Spit Take

Last night at our dinner appointment, Brother Bud Richmond covered in tattoos with a deep and burly voice and a soft teddy bear heart guessed automatically that I was O-Positive. What kind of veteran Kansan man guesses a blood type with such ease?? "Gotta know your type!" He says. He also is O-Positive, so we discussed the painful side-affects our type produces. The gurgling acidity was my biggest complaint, and the moment I said so he got up and came back with his arm extended, waiting for me to accept his gift. In my palm dropped a pill. "Omneeoh-so-prol," he said (meaning to say Omeprazol). "Take it."

Being a "greeny" or "hippie" as my comp calls me gets sticky on a mission when  a member urges you to pop a pill. There was no way out, so I gulped it down. "Now you must know the side affects," Bud informed.

"LET'S HEAR IT!" I said bravely, then began to continue drinking water. He pointed at his brow and he began, "increased hair growth between the eyes.." And I spewed water ALL over the remains of dinner in shock.

DON'T WORRY. I have not grown a Unibrow…..Yet. 

Life here in Kansas is excellent. I was becoming unsure I'd say it, but I feel officially that I never want to leave my mission. I am hooked. I am totally and completely committed and despite thinking about my family and friends often and certainly missing the life there, I just never want to leave Kansas.

Elder David A. Bednar appeared for three hours of surreal Q and A in Wichita. As we retired to bed that night we couldn't believe how emotionally and spiritually exhausted we were, "It all feels like it was a dream!" we said. I was sworn to not share a lot of the sacred information we discussed, but I will absolutely share his incredible tactic in teaching that he hopes we adopt as the hastening of the work full-time missionaries. He brought a near-visible powerful spirit along with him. He shared personal experience and simple, true doctrine. He asked us questions and encouraged us to ask him more and more. He told us we are to never write verbatim what an apostle tells, but to listen for our own revelation; to hear the words and feel the clarity of what the Holy Ghost says that goes unsaid. We could even see Elder Bednar as he listened to our comments and qs, he was hearing what we didn't say and sensing what we would never tell. It was unreal. I can't even explain.

One of my biggest revelations was five simple words, and they came as Bednar spoke of I don't remember what, and my mind was flitting through endless memories of my past. I recalled the depths of my sorrows and the endless support that brought me out of it. Near tears I realized, "I had so much help."

I'm not sure why, but the Holy Ghost needs me to understand the vital essence of a working team. This church is all about help, all about a cluster of members each emphasizing a specialized service and duty. It is so beyond necessary to help someone come closer to Christ, it just cannot happen on your own. Heavenly Father wants a personal relationship with each of His children, and we need it, but it is magnified as He sends his angels to bear us up, both in body and spirit. And so the lesson I am sure I have already bore to you dear friends and family is this: that it is our duty to follow the Book of Mormon each time it discusses the purpose of a "church" in Christ's gospel and to mourn with and comfort and encourage and teach and become edified with EVERYONE within your reach. He said boldly that ward council's these days should aim toward getting together, saying a little prayer, and acting upon the following statement. "There were a great many people that didn't make it to church today. Let's go get em!" Which would entail each auxiliary leader immediately venturing out to visit the lost sheep... wowzas.

Lastly, I am forgetting myself. I am so wonderfully and joyfully forgetting myself and going to work. I love being a missionary. I will never ever EVER stop.

I love you all! Hope your week and spring time has been AMAZAZAZING!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

Hellllllo from the flat blustery white plains of the K-dub mission!

We are currently experiencing high wind and a chill of -13 degrees. Giddy-up!!

This week was a super boost week, I can't believe what has been happening for me. Have any of you ever experienced a rut, where you KNOW all that is true and all that is great and you are doing the fancy spiritual routine but for some reason you just ain't got that spiritual high? Don't lie to yourself, I know you all have because it happens to all of us practically all the time, being carnal and all. I'm happy to say, thanks to Elder Martino of the seventy and President and Sister Bell and Sister Christensen my faithful comp and this amazing gospel that I've pulled out and am beaming from ear to ear. I put on my armor today, shield of faith, loins of truth, sword of righteousness hoohah!

And the finishing cred goes to the heroic Elder Antonio Banderas. He is one of the spanish-speaking missionaries in Hutch, and is from Ecuador. For the few months I've known him, he has very much struggled to speak English and has been shoved into an all-english speaking area and it appeared to keep him in a frenzy. Yesterday when we attended just sacrament with only 25 Saints present, he stood and bore his eloquent and incredibly simple testimony of the truth of this gospel. He spoke of his challenge to communicate here, and his life-long dream to serve a mission. The power exuding from the truth in his words was unreal, it burst into that small chapel and stilled our souls. I hope I can one day bear testimony that movingly.

Elder Martino taught of Alma and Amulek. He said the latter HAD to be a less-active. It makes sense when you read of the premise of their story, before Alma even went back to Ammonihah. The sermons they passionately presented and the power of the spirit was incredible, and Martino helped us to understand how IMPORTANT member missionaries are. We are so greatly encouraged to have more than half of our lessons with a member, active or not. They have the ability to recall their testimony deep within and relate with the investigator more profoundly than any missionary can. Plus the spiritual satisfaction God blesses us with post-missionary efforts is awakening. Alma knew that when he nurtured and blessed Amulek, and invited him to teach along his side.

I hope that all of you are considering this opportunity, to not only bear witness in daily conversation, but to tag along with full-time missionaries. We need you so desperately! Don't be afraid! Don't feel inadequate! The Lord calls the meek and weak to do His work because they convey a modest testimony in a more powerful way than any scriptorium ever could!

My mom-comp Sister Smartt and I caught up at the conference and she told of me of Elder Nichols, the missionary that changed so many lives in Lake Shawnee Topeka Kansas. She said they talked on and on, the Hills and various families, of the impact he made. AND HE IS MY FRIEND!! I couldn't believe it, so this is a shout out to my good friend Max back at home. You left a legacy here! It's got me thinking about legacies... not Eliza Walker style, but the opportunity we each have, to produce a Godly influence on others.

We had three on date for baptism this past week, and lost them within days. Satan is working strong against us, it takes a village to baptize a soul and we are determined to improve our teaching skills and to boost this ward up in order to do so!

I hope all of you have kept warm both inside and out! I love you and hope you are all doing well and hanging tough! You are all so amazing, I am so grateful to know that I have such an incredible bunch of family and friends back at home to return to one day. You are all so precious to me and I pray for your spiritual growth and love!

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

PS: Happy belated birthday Grandma Payne!!

Everything in life can be applied to & taken care of by the atonement...

The sun had come out tomorrow and it was gloriously warm! Yay for pre-spring time! The temp will take a nose dive, again, (KS and UT weather are probs total besties) and we can't wait for the sun to torch our souls again come next week. Woohoo! We played soccer all P-day and I just love running around. God was so kind when he gave us legs :)

SO we had crazy experiences last week, again. I'm at last embracing the fact that full-time missionary work is just plain crazy and so roller-coastery. I feel it is like the white coaster at Lagoon because it feels teetery and rickety at the beginning but it gets so powerfully fast towards the end and I wonder why I ever worried we wouldn't make it! And I shout WOOHOO because that same heart fluttering is just so HG! Dually it is emotional because my weaknesses are coming out all unfriendly-like and I'm totally vulnerable to not just my companion but to the world and it is so cool because I feel like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12: "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me...for when I am weak, then am I strong."

So when I'm negatively affecting my surroundings and feeling prideful or wanting control or utterly discouraged, or mourning for the struggles of others, which I feel often, I fall on my knees and just give it up. This is such a sacred lesson and I feel strange putting it into a mass email like this but I feel deeply it is something I must share with my dear family and friends. You, all of you... everything in life can be applied to and taken care of by the atonement. It is so difficult yet so simple. The total highs are thanks to the atonement, the total lows are reaching for it. I hope so much that you are applying that! This is the good news THIS is what we share!!! That we can survive and hope and make it because we know Christ died and lives for us!

I wish I had a particular story to share... I mean we had a lot of good laughs and stuff but there wasn't anything all that iconic. I guess this moment was awesome. "crunch crunch crunch" we heard above and looked to find a ravenous hawk settled on a high tree limb, picking at it's freshly caught dove. The poor prey was nearly as large as the brown hawk was but was being flung toward us in bits and pieces as the hawk devoured. The six of us missionaries with our half-eaten subway sandwiches watched, mortified. After the hawk wiped his beak on the nearby branches and fluttered away, the wind kindly delivered the feathery remains to our doorstep.

Hoohah Kansas city life! Hope you are all doing great and stuff! Hope to hear from you maybe! Love you loads!!!

Best,
Sister Murphy Senior

"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.