FELIZ NAVIDAD!- December 24, 2014

Hey MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! We are having a great time here. I just love walking around and saying SALUDOS!! Then they sometimes arent too excited and just wave or something, then I say FELIZ NAVIDAD!! Then almost all of them just cant resist and smile and say GRACIAS!! IGUAL!! HAHA it is so fun. Dominicans are usually stressed at this time since tonight is the biggest dinner of the year, and a lot of people spend more money than they can for Christmas. It was really cool going around and sharing the HE IS THE GIFT video with people and yesterday we went and sang and shared christmas messages to like 12 houses. IT WAS SO FUN! I dont know, I felt like it just made my feet lighter and I was flying all over the place yesterday, with Elder Mendez, Elder Herrera and Elder Coombs.

 

A lot of times we just think about the birth of Christ and not as much of what that really means! Its not just that he was born in a manger in a little farmer's shack (my english vocab is really getting kind of bad), or stable, but it was the beginning to his earthly ministry! The Word, the First Born of the Father, the great Jehovah took upon himself a physical, imperfect body to complete the prophesies! He was going to bring back the kingdom of God that had been lost for more than 500 years since the end of the Old Testament, he was going to take upon himself all the sins of the world, and was going to die for us. He was going to teach the gospel, teach by example and serve the people. He was going to be hated, spit upon and crucified for his sheep, and THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS!! Through Him we can be saved!! If he wouldnt have been born, he wouldnt have done any of these things, and we would be lost for time and all eternity!! BUT WE CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING TO THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE THAT HAS BEEN LIVED!! That is Christmas. We can live again with our Padre Celestial PARA SIEMPRE EN UN ESTADO DE INTERMINABLE FELICIDAD! We just need to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

I love you all. The investigators are ok, we are finding a few more and we are having to leave a few. But, we are just trying to help them recieve the blessings that the Lord wants to give them. Ignacio and Yani are super excited, Roberto, and a few more. Life is good. The zone needs help and we are doing all we can to help these 22 missionaries that we have been assigned to help!!

 

HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am coming upon 6 months left... I just need to turn it up because this is the best and funnest chance i have to serve the Lord. Its the best time of my life.

 

Elder Dallin Murphy

 

P.S.   WE FOUND EGGNOG!  So expensive but SO GOOD.

 

Picture:   The other big dominican christmas tree!! With my companion and Elder Coombs!

Casi la Navidad!!- December 17, 2014

Hey! Well everything is good with my new companion and the new zone this transfer. While it is interesting trying to help missionaries that sometimes dont want help, it is a good learning experience. My new companion is Elder Mendez, a dominican from Baraona, and  he is really cool. He plays baseball and suspended his career to come on the mission!! He is really a good example. We are trying to work a lot more efficiently. I am really excited to always be working hard and loving life!!
So yesterday we had our Christmas zone conference, and that was really good. I liked that a lot. President Douglas talked about a really important topic, which is "Becoming Peter", talking about the apostle of Christ. When you think about it, Peter was a really great man with great intentions before the resurrection of christ, but when he became the GREAT APOSTLE was after. He matured and  began to comprehend the reality and the importance of his calling. HE MAGNIFIED IT. A lot of times as missionaries and as members  of the church we just do stuff and obey, but at the most important moments we sink in the water or deny that we even know christ. But when we begin to mature spiritually is when we BECOME WHO WE CAN REALLY BE. 

The mission is great. I hope that all can have a great Christmas and really do all that they can to help someone else have the joy and feel God´s love. CHRIST IS THE GIFT!! ÉL ES LA DADIVA!! I love the work and I am really excited. 

Love you all!! KEEP IT UP AND REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!

Elder Dallin Murphy

1. All of the living companions of Elder Villanueva! Elder De la Cruz, Elder Murphy, Elder Mendez, and Elder Herrera!

2. Cleaning my shoes!

Not much time!- December 10, 2014

This week 2 times we went to help a member in one of the branches here in the zone to fix his house. In that neighborhood,  9 houses burned down because the electical wires blew up so the houses burned down. It was really hard to see it, but I loved seeing how the people just got together to help and how God at least protected his whole family. 

Elder Mendez (squatting with the shovels in the picture) is my new companion and he is awesome and i will talk more about him later!!

This week was pretty good. We have been working a lot with He is the Gift and we have pass along cards that we are giving to a lot of people. It is a really good way of helping people understand WHY we  celebrate LA NAVIDAD. Here it is a time to spend money, party, and get together with the family. It is a lot like the United States, but being a missionary, one sees it a little bit more. 

We brought 2 kids, 9 and 8 years old, to church, since the rest of the family couldnt go. It was really fun being with them and they said that they didnt want to ever miss another sunday! Their names are really dominicanized and hard to say, and a lot of the times i forget, but its like Wimely and (they call him) Tito. 

BUT I AM SO SORRY i am going to have to stop there, theres not much time. This is the christmas time and it is really a great time of the year. I would be missing the family a lot if I were not here, because I LOVE THE MISSION. I have given 2 years of my life to the Lord and I need to think of a good gift to give him this year. I hope that you all can think of what gift the Lord wants from each one of you!!

Love you all, see you soon!!

Elder Murphy

TRANSFER NUMBER 12 BEGINS- December 3, 2014

Wow, we had transfers today and that marks the beginning of my 12th transfer!! I am like one of those REALLY old missionaries now! My companion got transfered out... to the other room of the house! President Douglas decided to open up a Bella Vista C area and now Elder Herrera is training in the other part of the ward!! My companion now is Elder Mendez... A dominican! Finally!! Also, he is the first companion that I have had that is bigger than me! He is a really good guy. He was in my first zone, and this zone my first transfer here! So we already know eachother and he is really excited to work. A little sad to leave his last area, but really excited. He has 1 transfer more than me.

That was awesome to read about all of the fun trips that the family had for thanksgiving!! You all are great! I loved ESPECIALLY the story of Dad being able to get in contact of his FAMILY from the mission. There is nothing better than see your fruits of your labors. Finally, 30 years later!! That is too cool. I hope that later I can look at the people and say "I helped that person out so that they could accept the gospel". Congrats Dad, youre the man!

This week was a little funky, I had the opportunity to baptize one of the sons of Vives and he was really excited. He is named Rafaelito. So on Saturday we went out there and really loved seeing them so happy, especially their parents. 

Also, we were invited to dinner at Robertos house, where his wife made Mangú!! And fried cheese and CHICHARRONES!! That means that the wife is beginning to really open up to us and we are hoping that that means that she can start to think about following Robertos footsteps. 

We have been working with Julia, a less active, the wife of Mario, an active member. I really love working with them, and they are super excited. She hadnt come to church for like 7 years, and hadnt even thought about it, but the Lord had been preparing her and we had the chance to help her at the precise moment that she needed. She came to church and was SO excited, saying that she would never give up going to church and everything. 

We are really excited for this transfer that is coming up and we know that the Lord will bless us for hard work and obedience. WOW time is flying, and we are just hoping that the Lord keeps preparing these people. 

On Thursday and on Monday we had REALLY great lessons with Ignacio and Yani, about the family and the Law of Chastity, and they really are at that point where they are just about the take that next step. We are really hoping that we can get the inspiration to know how to get them over this little hump of going to church, but it will happen. I know that the Lord wants it more than we do. He is going to help us!!

Thanks for all you do!! Read your scriptures, pray a lot, and never forget that God is everything we need in our lives to be successful. 

Love!

Elder Dallin Murphy