¡Maravillas Maravillosas!- November 26, 2014

Wow, what a week! Every week we are doing activities as a ward to prepare for christmas, and a tradition here in Santiago is Ginger Tea, or something like that, which is made by boiling ginger, lemon grass (I think its called that) and adding sugar to make it taste good. It is a really good experience and an awesome experience for investigators!! We had Denny and his kids come, and Ignacio and Yani (an awesome AWESOME family that are really progressing a lot, and it was a big step to come to church, even though it was only a little activity), and Roberto and Papito came as well!! It was a cool thing and we really are trying to do all we can to get people excited about the gospel and feel comfortable enough to take steps like go to church and such. The kids love it, and the adults love the Ginger Tea, so we are all happy!!

This week no one came to church, (just one less active that is almost coming every week now!) which was a little bit hard, but we went by the houses of those that we expected to come and we found out why, they were sick or busy and stuff. But its ok!! Sunday passed and now we are going to do work for this next week!

On Monday, Nene called me and said "Hey! Murphy! Me voy! Voy para la capital, y mañana temprano voy para la CCM en Guatemala!" (hey, murphy I am leaving! I am going to the capital, then early tomorrow I am going to the MTC in Guatemala!!) And I was just out of words! Maybe I haven't had the most baptisms or the best numbers in the mission, but I know that I have worked as hard as I can and now I can see that I could AT LEAST help out Nene so that he would go on the mission. With Elder Cannon, he was super reluctant and didnt want to go AT ALL! But now he is out there, Elder Sosa, and I am super proud of him. He will be awesome and will help a lot of people. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMMY!! Wow, Tommy is finishing out his twenties!! YOU ROCK MAN!! I remember the first time that we met, I thought to my self "Wow, that guy is buff" HAHAHA i am serious but then we played ping pong and I feel like I rocked him! I dont really remember but we just played and that was cool. Since then I have looked up to him as a great example of Charity, the pure love of Christ. I felt like he just wanted to play ping pong with me! And he just wanted to get to know me, and who would have known! He is now my brother in law!! Youre super funny man and just a sincere, loving, powerful priesthood holder that I am so thankful to have in the family. Also, youre DANES DAD!!

Love you all!! I hope that Thanksgiving goes well and you enjoy everything and all the food. 

Elder Dallin Murphy

Back on Track- November 19, 2014

Well, it has been a solid week. One of the best feelings is when an investigator that was progressing a lot, but then had stopped progressing, comes back and says that they want to keep going and they feel bad for not having kept at it. Nelly and Peralta (remember them?) were super excited, then slowed down a lot since Nelly was afraid of a big change in her life. But after talking to Peralta and reading the Book of Mormon, she realized that she WANTS to do these things and, even though it may be hard, it will be worth it. They came to church with her sister in law on Sunday for the first 2 hours, and they felt well. 

Roberto is also doing really well, and is ready to just get into all he needs to get into. He is a little bit reserved, which is a little hard, but we have been talking to the ward so that they reach out a little bit more to be his friend! He is a really humble happy guy that wants to just be happy spiritually and feels like this is the way to do it. 

Also we had 3 more investigators come, that were pretty excited to be there. 2, Emmanuel and Denny, who are neighbors, came in after the sacrament and then they stood up for the rest hymn. Then for the final hymn they stood up too HAHA but I ran over to help them read the music and helped them sit down as fast as possible. They were really good sports about it. 

Today I got to see Nene from Villa Gonzalez for the final time before his mission to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Wow, he has changed so much. I worked so hard so that he would get excited for the mission and go, then finally when I was finishing my time out there, he decided to start his papers. Miguel out there is also doing his papers, and they said that the branch is progressing a lot. Last week they had 93 people he said in sacrament meeting, and I think that that is more than here! He is awesome and is going to be an awesome missionary. I told him that he just needs to work hard and obey and love everyone, and he would be the best missionary possible. I cannot wait to hear of the success that the Lord has in store for him. 

Thank you for all you do!! I hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving and that you all go and count your blessings, because WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF BLESSINGS!! THe lord is too good to us sometimes. But, we have just got to keep going forward with firmness and unbreakable faith!!

Love, 

Elder Dallin Murphy

1. WIth ELder Polanco in an INTERCAMBIO, checking out the DOminican decorations

2. WIth Nene! and Sister Ruiz (she was in VG with me), and our companions.

Vista tan Bellísima- November 12, 2014

Some ask me why it is called "Bella Vista", or beautiful view here in Bella Vista, but maybe its because you can see all of Santiago!! In all of my areas you can see the monumento (the building with the steeple thing on it), and every time I get transfered I get closer and closer. It is pretty fun! You look at it and it is super cool, I love this city. It is pretty crazy to think that I have been in this city and only this city for almost a year and three months, but hey, I love it. There is so much work to do here, but I love this city. They call it "La Ciudad de Corazón", or City of Heart or something I am not sure how it translates into english HAHA I dont know if you can see how bad my english has become, but its not too good. When I get together with english speaking missionaries, its so tough to speak correctly.

This week went okay, we were hoping to have more people in church, but little by little we are on our way. We had just 1 investigator, Jose Guzmán. Roberto couldn't come because he was at his mom's house, she still isnt doing too good after the death of her husband. It is understandable, and he also told us that he wont be missing anymore church from here on out. 

But yeah, this week wasnt that exciting. One thing that I have been doing as part of my personal study has been reading the Book of Mormon and marking every single time it mentions Jesus Christ or God the Father, and it is pretty amazing. From the title page to the end of 1st Nephi, I found 450 references. How incredible is that?? Now, there are some that doubt that the book's origen is true, and that is fine. We tell them to read the book and to pray about it! But if someone tells me that its not something Christian or something that talks about what the bible talks about, they havent touched the book because its incredible. As long as the people read it, theyll see. 

I hope all is well and thank you for all the prayers and support!!

Elder Dallin Blake Murphy

¡AGUACERO!- November 5, 2014

AUSTIN HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY I LOVE YOU MAN!!! Wow, i feel like in the year that we were both missionaries we grow so close together, even though we just wrote back and forth every week. I am proud to say that my older brother was a missionary just like I am now and that I look up to him. Now with his new fancy carrito and celular, he is being blessed temporally just as he is blessed spiritually!

This week has been raining SO HARD. IT was pretty fun, on Monday we had an intercambio and I went to this place called Hato del Yaque to go with Elder Montero. Elder Montero is a good kid and the trainee of one of my best buds, Elder Stegelmeier. It just got raining SO MUCH and this little town has just dirt roads and so much mud and all of the roads turn into rivers. So, we went WHITE WATER RAFTING!!! Just kidding, but we did get really really wet. I like getting wet on the mission, but i got too wet. Luckily, in the last house that we visited, they gave us hot chocolate and it was just a great time!! 

I hear that at home there are a few people with health complications, and I just hope that all goes well. Let them all know that they are in my prayers and that I love them! God is too great and loving to do something that is not for our good. All that we know is that Isaiah 55:8-9 is true: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. It is too true!!

Also, I hope that President Rassmussen is able to come here to this mission to be mission president!! The best mission in the world needs the best stake president there is, and seeing that he opened this city to mission work with a few others, it would be really great. But, the Lord is the one that knows. 

The recent converts are doing well, kind of. In the family that we baptized, there are a few problems but they say that they know the solution but it wont threaten their activity in the church, they say. So, we are just going to be there to help them and we hope that everything goes fine. 

Roberto is back on track, even though his father died so it has been hard to keep up with him. He was diagnosed a month or 2 ago with Parkinsons and Alzheimers, so it was just hard for him. But we saw him come to a house that we were sharing at (his best friend) and he talked a little with us. He said that this week he was going to begin once again and said "Dont worry CALIFORNIA, this is my church." And we were pretty content. 

But yeah, we have more people but we are working little by little. I hope all is well over there and that youre all reading your scriptures!!

Elder Dallin Murphy

Viva la Vida!!- October 29, 2014

Wow, its been a pretty great week. Not the best sunday ever (zero investigators and 1 unexpected less active young woman came, so it was a little bit sad) but it was still a good week. Today I was able to play basketball with some of the zone, and I am getting a little bit better, which is good news!

Emmanuel Blanco is the 17 year old kid that is really excited to do all of this stuff. We had been sharing a lot with him, but at times I felt like he wasn't really getting all of the importance of it. Until we talked about the Gospel of Christ! Then we were able to explain a little bit about faith, repentance, baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. He was really understanding more and more and he said that he is going to begin to pray and read more to know what he needs to do. One thing that helped him is when we explained to need of repentance BEFORE baptism, and he realized that a lot of times it isn't required in different parts of the world in some churches. But he believes and is working hard. 

Nelly and Peralta are looking a little bit FLOJO, or wishy washy, but we need to talk with them to see exactly what is going on. 

The other people are coming along slowly!! SLOWLY BUT SURELYYY!!!

But we are all working hard here! Today I had a good conversation with Elder Santacruz from Arizona, and I was able to realize, while I talked, a few of my desires as a missionary. Sometimes it is so hard to be so UNpowerful (I'm not sure than is the right word) in the mission, because we cannot really force them to see the truth. We are the preachers and the Spirit is the teacher. Even though we have the purest desires in the world, we cannot make anyone accept it. Christ even went to cities and couldn't heal people because of the lack of faith. I want to help so many people but there are only a select few that will accept what I have RIGHT NOW. God helpes them  and we just pick the fruits. 

God is great and Christ is His son and our Savior and helps us ONLY IF WE TAKE HIS YOKE UPON US!!

Love, 

Elder Dallin Murphy