This week was great! We saw a lot of success this week as we worked hard and applied what we learned in Preach my Gospel and the Book of Mormon and I can testify to you that those two books are so powerful! Especially the Book of Mormon. I have really taken my study of the Book of Mormon to a new level and it has really helped me become a better missionary.
The language is coming easier for me, I still struggle sometimes but it is amazing to see the progress I have had. I give all credit to the help of heaven because I don't know how else I could be learning this crazy language! I gave my first talk in church yesterday. It was really scary and I was given a really hard topic of protecting ourselves from pornography. I got this assignment from the bishop two days before sacrament meeting and I was really stressed. I just prepared the best I could and prayed very hard that the congregation would be able to understand me. I spoke in Taglish and it went well. I felt the spirit strongly and really felt that I had strength beyond mine own. I am glad I am learning Tagalog I wouldn't want it any other way, I feel born to speak this language! :)
This week I learned a lot about patience and not sweating the small stuff. Last Monday I was at a zone activity and we were playing dodge ball and I ran into another elder and "pulled a a Madie" and sprained my wrist. I was more embarrassed than anything but it hurt really bad and I could barely move it, it eventually began to swell and so we got some ice for it and ibuprofen and I put an essential oil on it and it was amazing after a few days my wrist healed. it still hurts sometimes but it really healing.
I am so grateful for the blessing that I receive in being a missionary. This experience taught me to just laugh and just enjoy the journey and realize that every moment in life isn't going to be pleasant. I read a really great quote from Elder Wirthlin that says: "Come what may and love it!" I am really trying to do just that to love the hard things and trust that things will work out the way that they are supposed to. Sometimes missionary work has is unexpected moments, like when drunk people confront you and dogs chase you or like when we have to walk through flooded streets to our knees to get to an appointment or the frustrating moments when all of our appointments seem to fall through. Even when we don't know why sometimes these things happen I am a firm believe that God is in charge and he knows better than we do,
I love those moments those little missionary moments when it goes right, when the spirit confirms that this work is real, it is not a church built upon fictitious imagination but is true and is real! I love it when we teach families and get a glimpse of how this gospel could bless their lives. It is a wonderful feeling.
I know that life isn't always easy and sometimes it seems too hard to bare. But I know that God is mindful of us and will strengthen us and give us the challenges that we need in this life to reach our full potential. I am not afraid of the future, I am not afraid of what is to come because I know that my savior is walking beside me every step of the way. I know that each of us can receive the strength we need to fully trust in the will of God and so that we can say come what may and love it!
Alam ko po ang simbahan natin ay totoo!
I love you all and am so grateful for all of all the prayers and emails!
Mahal na mahal po ko kayo!
ingat lahat!
ELDER MURDOCK
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