Week 45!

Hey Everybody!

This week I will keep it a bit short for lack of time, but I would just like to share something that really influenced me with one of our investigators. We are teaching this man that I have talked about before in my emails who has the purest heart and his deepest wish is to be baptized. He struggles with the Word of Wisdom, but fights hard everyday. One day this week we taught him a lesson about Helaman and the title of Liberty. As we read this story I asked this older man, Tatay, why do you fight? Why do you fight against Satan? in Tagalog, bakit nakakapaglabanan mo. He answered with confidence and in the most powerful way said, in English by the way... I fight for my family and I fight for my baptism! I thought that was a pretty powerful moment. I realize that we should frequently ask ourselves, Why do we fight? Why do we go to church? Why do we keep God's commandments. I know that as we do this we will have a more eternal perspective on life and enduring to the "end". I sometimes keep a index card in my shirt pocket with the reasons I fight everyday, that battle starts as I choose to wake up in the morning at 6:30 and ends in my prayers as I account to the Lord of my work for the day.

The week was a wonderful one, more investigators are coming and more of them are progressing as they have exercised their faith unto repentance. It is a wonderful time to be a missionary! Thank you for your prayers. Yesterday we had stake conference and it was wonderful to see the attendance, we had chairs filled to capacity! There were people siting outside listening, there were so many. 

Although the work is sometimes hard to measure it is real and is really hastening, in the Lord's own way we will all be a part of his work as He prepares the world for his second coming.

I love you all and pray for you. I know that God is aware of our individual needs.

with love,

--

ELDER MURDOCK

Pictures:

Here is a picture of Elder Tamani and me at a service project, rocken the helping hands vests!

Me and my Tongan companion with Tatay Paulino

Me at a p-day activity to a dam.

Week 44

Hey Family,

This week was really great. The work has been moving forward as we have received a lot of referrals that have been really helping us increase the amount of our progressing investigators. Elder Taimani my companion and I have been working hard trying to prepare our investigators for their baptisms!

Right now we are working with the Reneses family, the Elcantara family, Esposa family, and tatay Paulino who are all working toward there baptisms in June. It is so wonderful to see the light that comes with them as they come to remember who they are and their divine potential. It is hard for me to adequately explain it, but it is so interesting and fills me with satisfaction. I can just feel the change that happens from the first time that I meet with them until little by little their light just grows brighter, little by little, gradually like a sunrise a new light comes upon them and they experience the fruit that is "sweet above all things that are sweet". I truly have come to understand the worth of a soul as I have served here in Paco Roman branch.

Satan definitely knows the power that comes with knowing who we are, that is why he goes at so great lengths to discourage us and tells us lies that degrade our self worth. He knows that if we forget that we are sons and daughters of God, that it will make his work very easy. Satan even used this tactic on our Savior after fasting for 40 days and later on the cross, saying "IF you be the Son of God".

We must always remember who we are, we are sons and daughters of God! We have potential to become like Him. Each of us are precious and special to Him.

I know that truth will prevail! To quote my grandpa Forbush, "Satan my win a few battles but he will not win the war!" Nothing can stop the Lord's work! I love what I am doing and feel little assurances everyday that there is nothing better I could be doing at this time.

I invite you all to ponder and always remember who you are and "Rise to the divinity within you". I love you all and pray for you always. 

Have a great week! More will come next week :)

--

ELDER MURDOCK

This is me with my coconut tree that I am growing!

Week 42

Hey Family,

Elder Taimani and I are so grateful that the rice harvest is all most over and that we have had the chance to teach a lot more people! 

It is amazing to see people make changes in there life little by little as they prepare for their baptism.

We have been teaching this older man for about 3 months. He is the coolest old man and has the hugest desire to be baptized, he really wants it but has been struggling to keep the word of wisdom.  It has been really a struggle for him and we have been on our knees a lot for him in prayer. Little by little we have seen him change from a sad old little man to now where he is glowing with the spirit. He has had a really hard life and his wife left him a few months ago. He has used cigarettes as a way to cope with his grief. On Saturday as we taught him about the Savior and how we can be cleansed from sin, he just started crying. We taught him the time before about fasting and he said that he had fasted for his wife and prayed for her, He told us that he had forgiven her for leaving him and in his words in broken English said "I gave her repentance" I thought this was profound.  How many times to we hold grudges and refuse to let others change and repent. How often do we think, oh they will never change and refuse to forgive them. As we are merciful I know that we too will receive mercy.

This week I hope that we will all choose to give someone the chance to repent and forgive those that have wronged us. As we do this I know we will feel free from the pain we feel through the Atonement!

I love you all

Thanks again for the birthday wishes!