Week 99

Hello Family and Friends!

What a week!

I am so grateful that I am blessed to be missionary!

This week was a bit stressful but good all at the same time. There were times that I could clearly see all the great things that were happening and the blessing the Lord was giving us and there were times when we had to dig a little deeper. But in the end it was good! I am saying this just to be honest that missionary work is not always easy but very rewarding. 

Some of the great things that happened to us were pretty much just running into people that have been taught by missionaries before and willing to be taught again. It was incredible. We had some really spiritual lessons this week and found some of the elect children of God.

One part that was a bit discouraging was when we went to go pick up our new investigators to go to church and none of them were able to come. So we went to church just a bit disappointed. But as sunday school was starting and I was conducting I happened to glance outside and I saw them walking into the meeting house! I completely forgot what I was doing and just smiled. The brother who came to church had told us that he couldn't because he had work and literally works 12 hours a day everyday and has very little pay. He told us that he has been praying very hard that he could come to church and a miracle happened, his boss that before said no, let him come to church yesterday and take sunday off!

He told us that he reads the book of mormon during his break time at work with his co workers!

Good things really do happen even though sometimes things don't happen the way we expect or want them to!

You all have a great week,

I love you all

ELDER MURDOCK

Week 98

Hello Family and Friends!

I don't have much time and because the keyboard here at this Internet shop is broken and super annoying to type I may have to keep this short. It reminds me how in the book of Mormon the prophets talk about how they can't write it all because of the awkwardness of their hands. You got to love Filipino computer cafes! haha.

This week I got a call from the mission president who told me I would be released my last transfer as a zone leader and that I would be called to be trainer! This is the third missionary I have bee able to help train now and I am so grateful that I have been given this special opportunity. I know I need the Lord's help in this sacred trust and responsibility,

we are both new to the area so it has been a challenge getting around and finding the investigators the previous missionaries left, but we have had so much help from the branch and the Lord. It has been incredible.

I often have forgotten the past few day that I will be joining you all shortly and that has really been a blessing as I have focused my attention on helping my new companion Elder Guia and the people here. Elder Guia is really great and really anxious to learn. He is also from Mindanao which is weird as most of my companions have been.

Well I know this is the work of the Lord. I also know the Lord helps us everyday as we ask Him and let Him.

I love you all!

ELDER MURDOCK

Week 97

Hello Family and Friends!

What a week! It was so great. 

I think part of my good mood is just that I just finished talking to my family, they are the world to me and I love them so much. It was so great to wish my mother a happy mothers day even though I am here on the other side of the world over 8,000 miles away. I am grateful for modern technology!

As I have said before it is super hot!! One day this week we were walking down the streets here in Bulaon when we decided to go inside a tindahan store to get something cold to drink, when we came out immediately there was man who came up to us and spake perfect English and asked us if he could buy a book of Mormon. I was speechless. We taught this man and we found that he had a old friend who is a member who lives in a different place. He also is a college graduate which is rare to find someone educated willing to actually listen, but as we taught him he really did listen and asked some very great questions. It just was kind of a cool experience I thought I would share with you, it just built my testimony that the Lord is really preparing souls to accept his gospel. We truly are just the instrument.

Bro. Michael is  a member who got baptized last month and just received the Aaronic priesthood yesterday. The miracle about it all is that as he has been praying that his family would be able to accept the gospel, his wife has started listening to the missionary lessons and has decided to be baptized along with Bro. Michael's sister and his niece! It has taught me that the Lord really does answer our prayers and soften hearts.

As we were teaching Sister Edna, Bro Michael's wife. I remember getting the prompting from the Holy Ghost to ask her how does it make her feel that she is a daughter of God. Her reply taught me as she said with conviction and through tears. " I don't have doubts anymore" The spirit filled the room and that was the turning point to where she knew what she needed to do and had the faith to do it. It is hard to explain how it feels to witness the Holy Ghost change hearts.

It is breath-taking.

Well I now start my last transfer in the mission. It is weird but at the same time exciting!! I feel confident that I have done my best and will do my best to endure to the end and enjoy to the end! I love this. I am at the same time excited for my future. I am not sure where the Lord will take me, but I know that as I follow Him He will take me on the path of eternal bliss. Things are not always easy but He is in control if we keep His commandments!

I love you all,

ELDER MURDOCK  

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~!

Week 95

Hello Everybody!

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! I really felt your love, thank you so much! I am so blessed to have you all in my life! It is hard for me to believe that I will be 20 this Thursday!

What a great week! This week we saw a lot of the fruits of our labors with the rescue of less active members! We have been teaching the Rivera family since I got here to Bulaon in January, This month they have grown in the gospel and you can just see how truly happy they are!

 Sister Rivera has 5 kids, the oldest 14 year old young man and 4 small kids.

Sister Rivera and her son both returned and her son received the office of a teacher in the Aaronic priesthood! On saturday we had the baptism of their two sweet little girls. It was a great baptism, I can see the future of this family and it is bright!

We are also preparing a older couple to be sealed in the temple. This great couple just recently returned and they will be sealed on June 25 on one of my very last days here in the Philippines! The past few weeks my perspective has changed about teaching less active members and I have learned how much Heavenly Father really does love those people that are often termed as less active. We really don't know how big of impact we make on these people as we do our duty as home teachers, visiting teachers, and most importantly neighbors and friends. One of the ways we do missionary work is by helping those we know that are not yet active to become active again in the Gospel.

 I feel so privileged to serve here on my mission at this time. There is nothing like it!

I am loving everyday!

mahal ko kayo!

ELDER MURDOCK

Week 94

Hello family!

Well, this week was so hot!! I mean so hot that I woke up thirsty! Believe it or not it reached 44 C or about 108 F.

Although it was hot, we had a great week!

First we had interviews with President Clark, he is such a inspiring person to be with. I have really grown to love my mission president and his wife Sister Clark. They are great people. It was also my companions birthday this week, we had a great time and had cake and ice cream. 

But the highlight of the week for me was on Friday when we had Bro. Michael's baptism! It is so hard to explain in words what it is like to watch some you first meet on their doorstep grow and change and begin that journey of discipleship.You really grow to love them. As Michael bore his testimony he talked about his family and how now he is going to do all he can to help them also partake of the gospel. As he bore his testimony you could just tell that he is a good father and really loves his family. He has the desire to change his life and follow the Savior and that is what has gotten him this far and that is what will help him continue on the path of enduring to the end.

I thank the Lord for everyday he is giving me to serve these great people in the this special part of the world. This is His work!

mahal na mahal ko kayo! 

-- 

ELDER MURDOCK

Week 93

Hello Family and Friends!

What a great week!

As I look at the subject line I realize how fast time really is going, as the hymn goes "The time is far spent, there is little remaining." Never before in my mission have those lines rung more true to me at this time. It makes me feel a little sad as I know even now that I will miss this great culture, place, the food but mostly the people especially the cute smiling faces of the Filipino children.

On the other hand It is funny as I have realized some things that I have forgotten about and even miss, Like country music (who knew I would miss that right?) and soccer and tacos and fresh milk and such. But without a doubt I would not wish myself anywhere else. And recently I have learned to rejoice in every bagong gising, every new day the Lord has given me here in the Philippines to serve. No matter wherever we are each new day is a gift from our Heavenly Father.  Mahal ko ang Pilipinas! 

I loved conference this week!! Here in the Philippines because we are on the other side of the world we watch conference a week after all of you back in the states! 

I loved how the Sunday sessions talked so much about the temple.

One small miracle that happened surrounding conference here, happened with Bro. Michael our investigator who is getting baptized this week. 

Because of my mistake, Bro. Michael thought that we were going to pick him up to take him to the stake center in downtown Angeles city. When we got to the chapel, we learned that the members had offered to take him but he declined because he thought that we were going to pick him up. When I learned of this I felt awful, I thought it was my fault that he wasn't able to come to church. But about 20 minutes into conference we saw Bro. Michael walk into the stake center. When we didn't come to pick him up he paid the travel expenses to get to the stake center about 40 minutes way. I was so grateful and pleased with his faith as that is a big sacrifice for him. He has often told us of the financial problems their family is having with his wife  needing  frequent medical care. One thing I learned from this experience is that it really does no good to worry. As we remember who we are as children of God and follow our divine nature as His children by choosing obedience, "The harder right" as Prophet Thomas S. Monson declared in conference, we will be happy and everything will work out for our eternal benefit!

I want you to know that I love you all, You are my hero's! Thank you for your kind and generous support.

Mahal ko kayo,

ELDER MURDOCK

PS

Thank you Tito Monte and Tita Meagan and their family for the nice Easter package

also Lola Murdock for her thoughtful birthday card

and lastly Thank you Luke for your awesome letters and congratulations on your baptism!