Oct 29th - Sick and Tired of Bikes

Dear people who love and support me,

Another crazy week has come and gone here in the great CFM! This week I shouldn't have too much business, other than that I am very thankful for all of your help with getting me new clothes and stuff. I am almost at a year and the old stuff is getting kind of gross. Most of my shirt sleeves are like black. I go to the mission office tomorrow for trainer trainee so I should be able to get all my packages and then I will be all set. I love you all!

Tuesday this week was pretty normal. We tried to contact people and we biked a ton. It was good stuff. I titled my email "sick and tired of bikes" because my current area Visalia is a large area and it is very hard to cover on bikes. Most of the time it takes us like 30-35 minutes to bike to the area we normally work, which is three miles north, and then we have to bike around up there to see people. Also, my back tire has not been staying inflated lately and I am sick and tired of having bike problems that I have to spend my own money to get fixed. This is the way the Lord wants it though, so I have to just keep doing my best.

Wednesday was a little more of the same. We biked and we taught. We had a lunch one day this week with people we are teaching, who are really cool and like to analyze the Bible and Book of Mormon a lot.

Thursday this week we had interviews with President Mackay. Mine was short. I usually don't have too many problems that I can't just work out myself so I don't take too long to interview. Sister Mackay made cookies which are always tasty.

Friday we had weekly planning and the Ward Halloween party which was really fun. It was at our Bishop's house because he has a lot of property. We got to go on this little hay ride with some of the primary children which was fun. They had Mexican food and hot dogs, which I thought was a weird combination. 

Saturday we had a stake service day, so we planted a lot of trees and grass tufts and we had some fun. Something about long arms must help with yard work, cause I have found I am pretty good at digging, haha! After the project, a member took us to get pizza which was really cool so we got fed too. Later that night we were walking because my bike was busted but it worked out okay because we still taught a lesson. 

Sunday we had the primary program which was pretty cute but ended up going on for a pretty long time. We had a really good lesson in Priesthood about charity and it was cool.

Today has been kind of lame. We did service for someone this morning even though it is Preparation day, and we have done a whole bunch of errands. Not the greatest day when we are supposed to have fun. I would like to wish my brother Ben a happy birthday! I can't believe he will be 22. That is pretty crazy! It also means I am getting closer to 20. Have a great week family and keep it real! 

Much Love,

Elder Murray

Oct 22nd - Weekend Vacation

Dear Family!

This week has been absolutely nuts. I have done so much this week. I ended up buying a suit at Men's Wearhouse and got it for pretty cheap. It is getting shipped to the store so it will be here in like 6-7 days. I think I got a good deal on it and kept it within $200. I also just learned that a sister in my Zone has a dad that sells suits and he could have hooked me up, so I was a little sad but who knows? I might do it anyway. I am doing good with everything right now except shirts, almost all my long shirts are ripping at the elbows but you are working on that already so I look forward to getting them. On to my week.

Tuesday was transfers so I went to Fresno and found out that I would be staying with my two favorite elders in almost the whole mission. I stayed with Elder Griffith from Wyoming and Elder Passey from South Carolina. We saw a squirrel get hit by a car in front of us and it was wounded so Elder Passey yelled "Grab it!" We pulled over and stuck it in our trunk after putting it out of its misery. We then transferred it to our BBQ grill and continued to work until the night was over. We had a crazy dinner right after that with this super strange family that had animal-fluid stained carpet in their home and some six cheese mac'n'cheese that had goat cheese in it. It was quite the adventure. I was working in a YSA so we went to the Fresno State Campus to meet this recent convert that they are teaching. After that, we tried some people then went home. We proceeded to skin the squirrel that we had caught and salt the hide. It was a very adventurous day.

Wednesday was pretty crazy too. The elders in Fresno live in this missionary house that has literally all of the walls signed by missionaries that have passed through the area. I got to sign the wall later that night but during the day I got to go to the temple with all the other trainers and ended up split driving a mission car. Which means I was in the car all by myself for a couple minutes which is unheard of in mission life. That night we went to this snow cone place called Pelicans which was pretty good and heard these two YSA girls tell us all about their drama. It was a weird way to do missionary work for sure. We also talked to these two foreign exchange students at our dinner that night. They were pretty chill. One was from Brazil, so he reminded me of Ben. When I was in Fresno, I made a new quote, and it inspired the title for my email. "Why does this feel like a weekend vacation?"

Thursday was also a crazy day because I got to meet my trainee. His name is Elder Butler and he is actually really pretty dope. I got lucky. We had dinner that night and then biked all over the universe. Once again I am on bikes because they took my car. All the car crashes lately are making Salt Lake take our cars or something, which stinks for me. 

Friday, we set up for a wedding reception and did some weekly planning, then we went out to this party that someone in our ward tries to have for less actives every month. We played Loteria and it was really pretty fun. 

Saturday, during the day, we went out knocking doors and this lady was finishing up with a garage sale and had a free mini Christmas tree. We were walking but that didn't stop us from picking the tree up and taking it with us. It actually helped us reconnect with someone we had talked to in the past who came out of his house and said "I thought I saw a floating tree." It was pretty cool. Now I have a Christmas tree in my apartment. That night we went to the wedding reception and said hi to a lot of members which was cool.

Sunday, we had a lot of meetings and a baptism in our ward so the whole day was pretty much church but it was really cool. Someone we have been working with for a long time came to church for the first time since he was like 13. My week was crazy! I hope you got a kick out of this email. I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Murray

 

Oct 15th - Elder Dad

Dear Family,

This week has been a pretty good week. We have transfers tomorrow and I will be training a new missionary from the MTC! I am excited but also very nervous at the same time. I ripped one of my shirts yesterday when I stretched my arms, so it is good to know that new shirts are coming my way. I think that it would probably be best if you just sent me the same brown shoes I have so I don't have to spend extra money and take time to look. The only bad thing about Elder Murray's life right now is that I am feeling sick, but I don't have time and can't afford to stop working, so I won't. Hopefully I get better soon.

This week I got to go to a baptism for 5 people from the stake that turned 8 which was pretty cool. One of the kids was from our ward.

We helped an elementary school set up for a carnival that they were having which was western themed. That was pretty fun. I got to carry a big bale of hay and set up some games and stuff. 

We had dinner this week with both the Stake President and the Bishop which was pretty cool because I haven't actually had dinner with either of them since I have been here.

Not a whole lot else happened this week. One night a lady took us to this sushi place called Healthy Japan which was some pretty good food. Seriously I mostly just did missionary work this week with the usual lot of planning and visiting people.

I was excited to study some of the general conference talks this week and listen to the words of our living prophet and his apostles on the earth today. I know that the church is true and that we have the real teachings of Jesus Christ on the earth. I am sorry if my email was not super great this week, I am not feeling so well. I love you all have a great week.

Love,

Elder Murray

Oct 8th - Mom's Birthday

Dearest Mother,

I have a pretty cool prep-day schedule lined up for today. I will be going to a swap meet in Hanford and then that jump place again. We love that place. 

I am glad that things are going well with the family. I fear that the time has come that dear ol' Davo is wearing out all of his clothes. This week my most favorite shoes got a hole in the bottom and every single one of my shirts is almost ripping at the elbow. Needless to say, I must request a few items. Please if you could send me 2 or 4 more shirts 2 long sleeves and 2 short sleeves or 1 long sleeve 1 short sleeve. Whatever is more comfortable for you right now. So that you are aware, I want the same shirts I have which are Stafford brand with 16 1/2 neck and 36-37 sleeves fitted shirt. I am going to see if I can get shoes at the swap meet today so I will take care of that myself. I love you Mom! I sure hope I don't cause you unnecessary stress. I too loved General Conference and the things I learned. I got to watch the morning session on Sunday in Spanish by my own choice, and the talks I loved a lot were the one about the power of the Book of Mormon as well as the one by Elder Anderson about healing wounds through the Savior. Lastly the talk I referenced in that little post about the sheep which I believe was given by Elder Stevenson. I love you! 

Oct 1, 2018 - Return to Selma

Dear Family,

As far as business goes, I am doing well. I do wish that you could send me some protein and creatine this week. I am also engaged in the work of staying fit and my body could be a lot bigger for my frame, haha. I love the pants so much! I am very grateful for them and for all the support you have given me. I love you all!

Off to my week. One perk of being a missionary is that members give you free stuff and since a member owns a trampoline park here, we can get in there for free every Preparation day. We have been doing that a lot which is awesome. We went there last Monday and will again today.

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty normal days where we just did missionary work and helped people out. 

Thursday we had Zone Conference which is always a good time where you get to receive revelation and be around a lot of other missionaries. Some of the big themes this transfer were revelation, The Book of Mormon, Our Call as Missionaries, and how we can change our desires through the atonement.

Friday and Saturday were more days of doing the Lord's work.

Sunday was a super cool day and I will probably write a good amount about it. It started out pretty regular with just morning Ward Council and studies and then church. My recent convert came, as well as his brother Manuel, and it was good to see him there. But afterward was when things started getting crazy. I went with a member from Visalia named Brother Markham to a baptism that was happening in Selma for a man that I taught while serving in Reedley. It was super great to see him again and all the missionaries that I was with. I learned something extremely cool when I went there. A girl from Mexico city that is 17 was visiting here family in Dinuba almost the whole time that I was there, and I got the opportunity to teach her 2 or 3 times in their home during dinner appointments or family home evenings. Well it turns out that as soon as this girl went back to Mexico she began to meet with the missionaries and was baptized September 1st! I was so glad to hear that, as well as see my friend Toribio be baptized. This man is 82 years old and still very healthy. After going his whole life he has found the true church on the earth and I am so proud of him. After that I went to a dinner in Kingsburg because it was fast Sunday and I was missing dinner in Visalia but it was pretty cool. We went with the sister missionaries up there and I had to eat a lot which I find is a recurring theme is Mexican households. Then we went home, The whole way I got to hear stories about Brother Markham's mission in Ecuador and the things he went through. It makes me happy to be in the States.

Les voy a dar mi testimonio en español no se solo quiero hacerlo. Yo se que la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los últimos días es la único Iglesia verdadero en todo el mundo y yo se que a través de las enseñas de Jesucristo en el Libro de Mormon y en la Biblia podemos aprender de el plan de Salvación y como podemos regresar con el otra vez. Estoy tan agradecido y contento de ser un misionero en la Iglesia verdadero en el mundo y se que José Smith realmente restauró la Iglesia de Jesucristo en estos los últimos días. Gracias por todo su apoyo y todo lo que hacen para mi y digo eso en el nombre de Jesucristo.

Elder Murray