Week 96

Hello Family,

I had a great birthday week! 

One of the member families here surprised me with a cake and ice cream! Another family made me pancakes! It was one of the first times I have had pancakes on my mission because they are not very popular here. It was delicious!

Another thing that has been going on here is political elections! It is crazy to see all the posters and signs and cars driving around with really loud music. Elections are done differently here and it is interesting. 

It has still been so hot, but we are working hard. It is funny, I shower and get in my nice clean proselyting clothes and then I walk out the front door of our apartment and the heat just hits us like a wave, already drenched in sweat! It is so worth it though.

The Lord really does guide us to those that are ready to receive the gospel.

We had a great experience this week that strengthened my testimony of that.

We had been praying for weeks that we would find more new investigators when last Sunday one of our members brought their new house help to church. The members were really good to her and made her feel welcome and she wore a smile the whole time she was inside the chapel. I could tell she was feeling the Holy Ghost all throughout the classes and sacrament meeting. We gave her a Book of Mormon and taught her that night. It was a particularly spiritual lesson. The next day she went back and visited home which is in a different province. When she came back a few days latter she told us that she had brought the Book of Mormon with her and read it. She then bore testimony to us, that she knew that it was true and the Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. She then shared about her relationship with God and that she had asked God if it was true and she believes that is it is the word of God.

I was filled with gratitude for the Holy Ghost which teaches truth. The longer I have been out here the longer I have grown to believe how little my personal role is in the conversion of these people. I believe that I will not say or teach anything that will convert these people, but it is what they feel through the Holy Ghost that helps them become converted!

Our role is to be a clean enough vessel, that the Holy spirit can work through us. The Holy Ghost is the senior companion.:)

I love you all so much,

mahal ko kayo. Huwag niyo po makalimutan na tayo ay Kanyang mga kamay! 

ELDER MURDOCK

PS. A shout out to my neighbor and "ka-ward" Bro. Brody Wells for recieving his mission call to The Philippines Angeles mission! Where only the finest serve and the best mission in the whole wide world! we will have to talk went I get home in a few weeks~!