Amen and Awomen!!

"Why do the men always get all the cred???" Hahaha, some people say the silliest things.

Ello chums! Sure is mighty nice to talk at you again! Something we work on as missionaries is to teach people not lessons, to never talk AT someone but WITH someone. Emails home like this are stinkers sometimes because I just feel like I'm talking at you all, because only a few respond. I hope this doesn't bother any of you, my blabber and no questions. I really do wonder about a lot of you and just love the updates.

I LOVE HARRISON PARK! This area is just absolutely fantastically missionary minded and hilarious. I'm having a jolly old time working hard and loving every minute. My new companion is just on the ball and I feel honored to have such a devoted and devout sister to work with. I'm looking outside my window and I see the apartment complex pool and playground. I feel like I'm in St. George. Things are flat and semi-desertous and quite hot. VAcATION MISssion style aahhh yeah.

We met with a younger couple new to the ward last night, I shall call them the Spectacles. Brother Hipster Spectacle has been less-active for several years now. As we conversed I learned of his inactivity in the church, which was quite unanticipated and as soon as the word got out we began humorously discussing what was holding him back. Eventually he allowed me to ask a few questions that the Holy Ghost inspired me to inquire. They appeared to be thought provoking for him and at times difficult for him to answer, yet he explained simple and ridiculous issues with the church that inhibited him from returning despite his wife's concern. At the end of the visit we had come to no real conclusion, his issues with church attendance felt much more deeply rooted than he was letting on, and it's gonna take a lot of prayer to help this tough muffin. Fortunately though, as we stepped through his door he genuinely exclaimed we were invited to return at any time for any thing. We left the home with Sister Spectacle and her spastic dog Sparky to walk to our car, and she was alarmingly enthusiastic about what had happened. She said he had confessed issues she had never heard before, and was excited to understand better how she can help him in this mid-life crisis. She said she owed it all to me and the questions I had asked. I know for a surety it was the Holy Ghost and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me to be so naturally inquisitive, to be genuinely and lovingly intrigued by the hearts of others. It has strengthened my faith to know that the Godhead has their arm so directly guiding me as a missionary, and I appreciate it so very much!!

Goodbyes are stinkers. I just hated saying goodbye to Hutch. I cried a lot. It was gloomy. But luckily I've got the supreme comforter taking care of me, so it's been an okay transition. I love you all SOORURRRR much! Here's my favorite scripture o the week!

Joshua 22:5 "But take dilligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep him commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

If you are feeling down, serve someone. We found Ruth by divine direction and she just so needed an uplift. We got to pull her weeds and plant her grass and will soon play music on ivory keys for her. It just feels so very good to serve :)

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Best,
Sister Murphy Senior

Estoy emocionado!!‏

Hey there family and friend faces!! I'm being transferred to Harrison Park, Derby so I really don't got much time! But I wanted to shout out the joy of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of le Latter Day Saints. Oh BOY It is just so utterly fantastic. Aren't you just so excited???? I'm beaming from ear to ear right now!

This pics an oldy but, just reminding you where I still am! (sort of…)

We got to teach YWs the Importance of the Restoration today. For the first time I felt like I took heed to Bednar's urge to "get out of the way" and let the Spirit teach. We had them study in groups different points of the first lesson, you know, Heavenly Father reveals His gospel in every dispensation, Saviors earthly ministry and atonement, and the Great Apostacy. Then Sister Prince and I taught the first vision and it brought in a powerful spirit as always. And then coolest of all we got an amazing Priesthood Leader Brother Sant to be "Bob" the investigator and had the girls roleplay with him bearing testimony of the Restoration. It got me so stinkin re-excited again to be a member of this church!!!!

Seriously guys think about this. Think about the revelation and direction and simplicity and profound doctrine and closeness to God and priesthood power and humility and knowledge and purity and covenants we have! Oh the gifts of the Restoration just go on and on and on and I think my favorite (not that you could REALLY choose one thing) is the hope and peace it brings. Knowing our Father in Heaven is SO present in our lives, guiding us everyday, orchestrating our life so we are hit with character-building trials and inexplicable joys and reliefs is just a wonderful, beautiful thing. Wow. I am so proud of my God and my church.

I LOVE MY FAMILY!! You all are really just so stinkin fantastic. And I love all my great friends too. THANK YOU for keeping me posted, and I'm sorry I don't always respond, P-days are really just that, preparation days and sometimes I wish we had extra time to actually communicate more but it ain't always so. Know that I LOVE YOU dearly!!

Give someone random a high five today, I DARE YOU! Smiles and happy weirdness are true medicine magic. Hahaha... and that's the gospel of Sister Murphy. Adios!!

PEEPS...

Our dear President Bell has asked us to email him a weekly experience of faith. For some strange reason I struggle with this sort of request... I can't ever seem to remember a specific experience that includes looking back, applying, and affirming how faith saved the moment! I feel like my faith is more like a building, being built brick for brick, line upon line, with nothing pivotal or extreme, just small gentle moments. However! I feel inclined to find something anyways...

I've been told numerous experiences of others interacting with a thin veil during their Genealogy efforts (looking back). And so as I sat down at the computer to start my two hours of family history work I thought perhaps I should pray to be guided as I "turned my heart to my fathers" to find them! After my prayer I worked and started to feel a stirring... nothing huge like my hand possessed to guide the mouse haha, just a simple stirring in my heart, or, excitement really, to connect with my ancestors. After an hour and a half I found a Calib Madison, who didn't have a spouse linked or any specific dates. I decided to check out a census for him in 1850 and I FOUND HIM! And found he had MORE siblings than Family Search had recorded, and then I found his tomb stone in Nebraska and he was buried with his WIFE Drusilla! And his name was instead Caleb C. Madison, and his work had not been done AT ALL and his wife has all of her work finished save for the sealing because no one knew of her husband!!! I about freaked out and I feel the adrenaline and almost teary eyed just thinking about it.... 

I guess I really did have quite the faith building experience. I know I am being influenced to complete a great work, and I am thoroughly delighted to have found dear Caleb, my first ancestor I found ever. I cannot wait to do their temple work (unless someone gets to them first, I don't feel right reserving their work for years just for my behalf)!

This week was utterly AMAZING!!! My comp and I just absolutely loved zone conference and EASTER and #BecauseOfHim video was so stinking good. My faith has been building like crazy, the atonement changing me slow and steady, my weaknesses being broken down, and my brain FLIPPING out at finding a live cockroach squirming on our green shaggy carpet this morning. YIKES!!! He is now being sterilized and preserved in a top-notch plastic cup under a HEAVY pile of pass-along-cards. Perhaps we shall give him a name. Sister Prince says we will call him Folly ("a mistake" she explained haha).

Watch "Because of Him!" Read PMG and build up yo testimonies. Come on, Saints!! Stay constantly converting to this amAZING gospel because it is the truth and it is special and it is fantastic and it is changing the world!! And pray these great Kansan winds don't blow me away to Oz! Thank heavens for biking shorts all day err day haha.

Love, 

Sister Murphy Senior

PS: You can check out my great great extended cousin, Caleb C. Madison @https://familysearch.org/tree/#view=ancestor&person=L88D-LJ4

El día blanco...

HIGHLIGHTS!

     -Tried my first Amish homemade deliciousness: Shoe-fly pie! Made of strait up molasses and brown sugar.     

       Sooo yummy. Purchased at a local Amish quilt fair, so fun!

     -Met a geneology BEAST! She is visiting here from Utah and her shirt said "I seek dead people," and she 

       told many stories of how excited her dead ancestors were in getting their work done. The veil can be so 

       thin!

     -Found many unfindable less actives! We can't wait to bring them back into Christ's fold :)

     -Got my haircut and played Settlers of Catan and bananagrams with some other LAs. Such wonderful ways 

       to proselyte haha

     -And for the big finale, dressed in white for a wonderful day at the Oklahoma City temple. 

We had been urged to pray throughout the prior week for specific questions to be answered and for strength. The APs were there and told us there is a specific power to be obtained from the temple, and we need to recognize it as we leave.

If only I could elaborate on my experience inside the tiny temple. Of most significance, I was in great turmoil as for what to inquire of the Lord and to understand what He expects of me. My mind fought through some serious chaos and found a soft voice telling me I already knew, and need not search further for it... and expectations of God were being fulfilled in so many ways, and the remaining expectations that faltered would be sustained by a brilliant brightness of hope and joy. A smile grew across my face and my heart jumped to observe my fellow missionaries embracing. My testimony felt so sure, and I realized the power I accessed that day was the Power of Purity. What a marvelous power to have! So full of light! I hope it remains, I hope it exudes to those we greet, I hope it hits them hard in the face so they never forget what the Light of Christ truly is and feels like! I feel so honored! And I need to pray every day for that brightness of hope, for I know it does not come from within me, it can only come from the Father!

It was a tough week, but a wonderful one. I hope all of you are wonderful! My sister Mekenna last week said this so well, but please love your neighbors, please be kind, please fulfill your baptismal covenants and "warn" those around you. You can welcome people into Christ's fold in a way that we full-time missionaries cannot. The Lord NEEDS you so very much! And promises that as you do these things He will forgive you of your sins, He will bless you beyond measure, He will exalt you on High at the last day!

I love you all dearly! Thanks for the great support :)

Best,
Sister Murphy Senior

Temple time! 

I moust-ache you to setup my TV satellite 

Conference & Cows...

Happy mooooo-nday to you!! Not only has this week been cow-themed thanks to my companion's obsession with cows, (cow pjs, cow blanket, cow stuffed animal, cow candy dispenser) but it seems it's just been the hot topic with the people of Hutchinson, including license plates stating "EAT BEEF," and not to mention cows offer a great source of delicious local raw milk and yogurt sitting in our fridge right now! Kansas cows yeehaw!!

Oh and of course there's conference, the better and more important of the two. Wasn't it amazing?? There were so many promised blessings, I loved that. There was promised peace and ease if we are grateful amid trial, there was the guidance from our ancestors to make better decisions if we do our genealogy work, closeness to God if we are obedient and trusting, repentant, charitable... and my favorite of all--yoked with Christ if we make and keep covenants. Wow. I also really like Elder Scott's emphasis on sharing the gospel simply and by example. I loved Eyering's urge for us to be mindful of the legacy of hope we can leave behind. And to seal it all up in the end, President Monson's quote, "May we realize how close to us He is willing to come, and how far He is willing to go."

Such a testimony is chilling.

I loved going over it all this morning to pick out what I have need to work on currently and what lessons I need to implement into my teaching. I can already feel the words of our prophets yesterday and Saturday changing me :)

We met two very cool women separately throughout last week. One is a young single mom who bakes pies at a nearby Amish bakery/restaurant. She is very passionate about her belief in Christ and God, and told us about her experience validating this belief. She wanted to find physical evidence to support her faith, and was searching online for something that could have proved our Savior's resurrection. I've never thought about such a thing, I have just relied on what I've briefly studied in the New Testament, and on the words of the prophets. She discovered what we matched to be within in the Bible at Matthew 27:51, "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." As she described her emotion in finding it documented in Jerusalem history online, as literal curtains torn and tattered in the temple, we all got goosebumps. The resurrection is just so... inexplicably profound.

And the second woman is a Mormon, she just doesn't know it yet ;) Hahaha, she is part of a church that has a youth group and a youth camp and they basically just do almost everything a typical member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints would do. Her enthusiasm about the scriptures and wanting to read the Book of Mormon was incredibly refreshing. I've got to do more of what Elder Martino of the Seventy taught us K-dub missionaries awhile back: I better get on my knees and pray for this to happen. I am so excited for us to follow-up with her this week!

Gotta bare witness now, I just gotta! This church is the truth. It is the true gospel of Jesus Christ restored in it's fullness, and learning it's truth will literally set you free. I know Christ's great sacrifice is both enabling and redeeming, two words so profound and personal to who I am becoming. I know President Monson, with his love and meekness and long-suffering, is a prophet of God and his apostles are true seers and revelators. I know this gospel is the most wonderfully narrow and true way back to our Father in Heaven. I love this church and I love being a missionary!

Happy Easter! Eat lots of chocolate! Pray and read your scriptures daily! Weekly FHE! LOVE! hahaha

Best,

Sister Murphy Senior

Here's a pic: found a sweet mill in the middle of nowheres! It was a wonderful, beautiful green plains and chilly and damp forests in hidden farms kind of night. And another pic, we got to see a members museum of dolls!! I counted over 30 Shirley Temples, and the member made almost every outfit for every doll!!!

Sister Murphy Speaking...

Good morning :)

This past week was emotional and humbling. The Lord blessed me, beyond measure. We joined as a relief society to watch the Women's General Conference Broadcast. As the opening number stood to sing, some new song I've never heard, the spirit overtook me. It was wonderful to feel Utah again, to see and remember the spirit of home. All of my friends and family back in Utah, know that despite having normal trials that all mankind endure, SLC is a special place with the church standing tall and strong. I read in Matthew 24 that Christ prophesied lightning striking before His coming. My interpretation is the light of Christ will blaze out from His disciples, and I feel Salt Lake is just like that. Lightning of course strikes here in Hutch with our wonderful ward, but it throngs differently in my hometown. Watching conference was powerful, I felt more united and celestial with the world and with fellow daughters of God. THAT is a wonderful feeling :)

I really like how Linda K. Burton said we are and will be called on to volunteer to help our Lord EVERYDAY by serving and loving His children. She asked if we stand each day and cry out, "Here am I! Send me!" I need to remember to specifically take a moment each day to offer my talents and gifts and blessings to God for His hastening the work. That is, after all, what makes each day worth living!!

(Click here to listen to Sister Burtons talk.)

I think the most touching experience this past week was being able to witness a Hutchinson church leader humble himself and apply the enabling and redeeming power of the atonement. Honestly as missionaries and auxiliary leaders we have struggled from the limitations and stipulations of this particular leader. His pride was "tareing" this city, in a way. He stood to finish his wife's Sunday school lesson yesterday, and read from a book depicting a personal story of applying the atonement. As he then bore his testimony of Christ his voice broke, and the Spirit grew immensely. He said Christ is the one and is the only way, he said many beautiful things, and then went on to talk about the difficulties and strife of working in Hutch. He said there are too many less-actives, 400 to be exact, and they canNOT go unfound and unvisited as they have. He said their full-time missionaries are working hard (I cried at that one) and they have need to work along with us. We had hoped for this, but really never anticipated him changing so drastically.

Of course, he is still the stubborn ol' geezer he always has been, but his heart has broken and he is becoming more contrite. It is just a thrill to witness someone being changed by the atonement, especially if it is going to greatly affect and inspire others surrounding.

The western dance o' course was a hoot! The whole week was great and inspiring. We got to visit a ward member and her newly born baby. I can't remember the last time I was able to have a similar experience, and I had been warned that the feeling in the room of such a baby is powerful. I did not anticipate HOW powerful it really was! As I attempted explaining why I was so emotional in their visit, the father eloquently said to me, "you can feel with great assurance that she really did just come from heaven."

I just want to tell those of you that might be needing to hear this, that the Savior really and truly loves you. He loves you so much. He loves you. I know from personal experience that He is ALWAYS watching over you. Everything that happens to you has purpose, and He orchestrates your life so that you might learn the BETTER more influential lessons so that He can lead you to the greater things in life, and build you up to receive untold blessings. Be patient, long-suffering, full of love, and willing to submit to all things that He chooses for you. I know it is all worth it, because I am being changed by Him, because of His Ultimate Sacrifice.

I too love you all! Thank you for listening, and thanks to those who've responded. As Sister Hinckley says it best, "OH how we NEED each other!" I love you all!!!

Best,
Sister Murphy Senior

Hutchinson Forever!

Howdy parddners! Just preparin for the western dance good ol Hutch bout to put on come Fridee. Got to break out the old horse feathers and leather dance booties.

Wait what is the term horse feathers used for? Violins? Eh, sounds westerny to me.. Well HEY! So this past week was totally great! I parted with my dearest companion Sister Christensen which is STILL a major heartbreaker... but we've lived apart for over twenty years, and know we will one day reunite in style! My new comp is super great, she loves to yodel! Sister Prince is obedient and committed and I'm thinkin it's gonna be an amazing transfer! Just like my sisters Chlo and Ken are staying in their areas for so long, I feel like I must have unfinished business here and I gotta figure out what I can do for my Heavenly Father to make up for what I didn't the last couple of transfers.

We ended up teaching a less active of whom we had a profound, sacred lesson with a few months ago, but hasn't displayed any interest in changing, just needed some reminders of his bad behaviors. Well Saturday night we randomly felt impressed to knock on his door again. He was his usual humored and confusing self, and we had to heighten our discerning skills to note which strange comments to respond on and how to relate it with the enabling power of the atonement he is so needing to apply. Surprisingly (well, not so much knowing the Holy Ghost is on our side ;D), he admitted in response to the condemning scriptures we chose that he will be held accountable for his poor decisions and the way it has affected his active wife and children. He also committed to quit drinking coffee (a start to the many addictions), and to read a verse in the BOM daily. He seemed genuinely committed.... and I'm just twitterpated!!! I love the man so much, and Sister Prince and I feel so strongly he is needed to become active in our ward, he just needs to learn by trials of his faith. So pray for Brother Waters if you don't mind!! And our four people on date: Denise, Jeffrey, Angela, Selene. And for our area to keep progressing! Thanks :)

I love watching the emerald grass (not city. I have yet to find Oz) pushing through the ground and livening up the long stretches of Kansan fields. I can't wait to see miles of sunflowers and more bunnies hopping around and families playing outside just waiting for us to scoop em up into the fold of our Savior! I feel collected, I feel humbled, I feel adequately inadequate, I feel excited to keep on being a missionary and just LOVE being obedient and involved in this community and applying the atonement!! I'm just excited! I feel as alive as the gorgeous yellow flowers springing from our yard! 

I can't believe my family is all sprawled out, not a single one of us is in Utah! I hope all is well, I feel like my email is super boring this week, but I'm just in this great progressive mode I think, feeling so strengthened by God, on a nice leveled energy track of work. Thanks for the emails!! I LOVE YOU ALL A BUNCHES!! Keep prepping for General Conference coming up, SO EXCITING!!!

With spirit,
Sister Murphy Senior