Just gotta work faster than the time flies- May 20, 2015

WOW That was a fast week! I hope that it isn't like that in the next few weeks because I am loving the mission SO MUCH! We are really trying to find people and help people, but some people just cannot be found and do not want to be helped! But the Lord always ALWAYS provides for those who work hard and obey to carry on his work. We are seeing people FEEL the spirit, WANT to do the things and almost do it but then Satan convinces them that their current lives are better than the one in the Gospel of Christ. I am reading that same thing in Mormon, where he is trying so hard but the men are just off the tracks. He knows that ALL THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IS TO LIVE THE GOSPEL!! But then they just DON'T DO IT. They even recognize that they aren't doing good but they don't do the things that they NEED to do in order to have success! Mormon said:

 "16 For behold, the Spirit of the Lord hath already ceased to strive with their fathers; and they are without Christ and God in the world; and they are driven about as chaff before the wind.

 17 They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.

 18 But now, behold, they are led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves,without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her; and even as she is, so are they.

 19 And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings..."

Now, it is not the same extent. I just sometimes feel like there are people that know what they need to do and if they don't do what they need to do now, the Lord will reserve the blessings. There are SO many blessings of peace, happiness, love, and hope that await us, and that is what all of us look for! But some just don't want it for now. But, the Lord is always willing to receive them in the time that they repent. We all receive the same invitation:

 "33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you."

This gospel is incredible. We have a sister named Yerlin that is working with us that is great! We found her on a bus to Santiago like 4 weeks ago and she says that since she has been sharing with us, she has changed SO MANY THINGS. She stopped going out so much, she stopped drinking and everything. She came to church and she says that she is for sure going to return. There are others that are progressing a lot, and God is really revealing that he can do ALL THINGS in His work! He blesses us too much. 

I have never been happier. I love this work and I feel like I am just starting! Thanks for all you do!

Elder Dallin Murphy

1. VIVES AND MERCEDITA!!

Dominican Dreams- May 13, 2015

I really felt good talking to the family on Mother's day, it was a real treat! Once again it felt like it came and passed really quickly, but it was a good moment. I hope that all keeps going well like it is now, our family is very blessed.

Mom, for Mother's day I couldnt tell you too straight up one thing I wanted to say. In these last few months I have really been realizing WHY I am here. People ask us why, and it is a good question. It is to help God complete with his plan! His plan that he has given us is called The Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can achieve the lasting happiness on this earth. In the life to come, all the blessings that we recieve will depend on how well we lived the Gospel! Now, I never had missionaries at my door to teach me about the Gospel. Why did God put me in that spot? Who knows? We can ask Him when we are with Him after this life why He put me where He put me. But he gave me 2 people, Blake and Dana, as my parents so that I could know what I know and do what I do. I havent been perfect and I havent really been the best at taking advantage of Mom and Dad's incredible desire to help, but WOW WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT THEM. Dad has been my example, my hero, and my leader. But having Mom in the house almost 24/7 has made me into what I am today. Thanks for everything! I see people that don't have the opportunity that I have had, but it is incredible to know that GOD HAS BLESSED ME WITH THE BEST MOM (and DAD as well) IN THE WHOLE WORLD. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

Now, this week was good. I have still been reading in 3 Nephi about the gathering of Israel, and WOW it is incredible how I am a part of this. We need to be righteous because just as easily as we have recieved this opportunity, we can lose it through stiff neckedness and other prideful patterns of our lives. I am so thankful to be a missionary!

Today I recieved the opportunity to pass through Santiago a little, and I saw my 3 families, Vives and Mercedita, Tania (Wandy was working), and Familia Polanco. WOW what a great think that that was. I was able to go with Elder Moses and we were able to see how their testimonies still burn stronger within them. God really has helped them a lot to keep strong, and I am so glad that I recieved the opportunity to work in order to help them and show them this Way. Vives is still going strong, and next month will turn 107!

My birthday was a good day, I was able to go on an exchange with Elder Stanisclaus. He is from Grenada, and it was really cool. We had a few good lessons, and he, even though he has a little bit of problems with spanish, HAS SUCH A STRONG SPIRIT. He loves people, and just tries his best to be the best. He has been a member for 1 year and 4 months and did not have a very pretty past, but now he is so cool. We really felt that the lessons that we taught helped the people so much! One was with a return missionary sister and her non member mother. We were just there to share with the sister, but I decided to involve the mother as well. And I asked her a question, "Hermana, usted cree que si fueran juzgados ahora mismo, usted y su hija estarían en los cielos juntas?" (sister, do you believe that if you were to be judged right now, you and your daughter would be together in heaven?) and she said that she wasnt sure after thinking a little bit. I told her that THAT is our purpose. NOT make her just MORMONA, that doesnt mean much in the end. But we do believe that she must do certain things, and those things are found in Christ's restored church, to be saved WITH HER DAUGHTER. Our goal is to help them be happy FOREVER AS A FAMILY. It was a really powerful moment, and God is just helping us so much.

GOD IS GREAT! THANKS FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!!

Elder Dallin Murphy

Real Quick- May 6, 2015

I dont have a lot of time, but its been a good week.

Thanks for all you all wrote me! BETHANY IS LEAGUE CHAMP WUT WUTT!!! HAHA that is awesome bethany! Keep it up. Also,  good work COLE. But yeah its all going well here in Conani. We have seen a great progress in Junior and Laura. We had a really powerful lesson on Monday with them, where really we could feel that they WANT to follow Christ. Now it isnt just a gospel conversation for them, it is the possibility to become something new. Junior talked about how much he wants to leave the life he has lived until now and how he has been doing all that he can with that, but we promised him that IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO DO IT 100% WITHOUT CHRIST. And for the first time, he was not talking much. He was just thinking, pondering. We specifically talked about the Law of Chastity and a Baptismal plan, and we felt a real desire that they had to do these things, but are going to talk later.

God is great. We are really seeing that a less active man, Juan Reynoso, is getting exciting. He decided that he wanted to go to church in a shirt and tie and everything, which was new. He had been a counselor to a bishop and everything, but now we are helping him get back on track. We talked a little aboout the unity of a couple in the Gospel and he expressed desires to get better and do things better as a husband and as a member of the church.

I am reading in 3rd Nephi, which is incredible. God is so fair all the time! These people would be so great then God would bless them! Then they went the other way, as did He. I really imagine the experiences that the Nephites had in meeting the same Savior of the world, and WOW it would just be unreal to see what they saw. When he prayed then they cried then he blessed the children and all those unbelievable things happened made me think of his LOVE. LOVE is what he has and is what He uses to help us. Love is everything, and it really made him obedient and diligent. All of what he did sprouted out of his charity, and when we really really really have charity, we wont just help others but we will always obey WITH EXACTNESS and be diligent in the work that God wants us to do.

Thanks for everything! Next time I write, i will be 20!

Elder Murphy

What a Week!- April 29, 2014

Wow, it has been a pretty solid week. We have seen some great progress in a lot of people and we are really happy to be with the Lord here in Conani, and I love it here. I want him to bless us not for us, but for the people. So, we just have got to WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK and OBEY OBEY OBEY. So I will talk really quick about a few people that have helped us.

Papi Payano was considered a less active but now is considered active! The way that we count it is by callings, most of the the time, and this weekend he was called as 1st counselor in the Sunday School Presidency! He is really really excited to be here. Yesterday he went out with us for 3 hours so that we could go visit a few of his friends and so that we could go with him to other less actives' house. What a great thing! He is great.

Junior and Laura are a family that we have been teaching. He has not been able to take his family to church still because he is working a lot on sundays, but when he has time (and he always intends to every sunday), he will come to church! WITH THE FAM! We put a baptismal date down with them this week and we hope to go on friday to visit them with the Branch President and talk about what is needed to reach and complete with the goal of the baptismal date.

Ricardo and Fior are still moving along, we are just hoping that sooner than later they get the things they need to get married so that Fior can get baptized and Ricardo can be an active member of the church once again like before.

Junior is a less active kid that is 22 and told us this week that he wants to serve a mission! He is going to get better about doing things, and he went with us to make visits on sunday for 3 hours and it was really awesome to see how excited he is to get back! He is on his way.

I dont know if you remember Gabriela and Henry from Bella Vista? THEY ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED!! WOO WOO!! How great is that?? And the other day Elder Mendez called me and told me that they want me to be the best man! How fun is that. I love seeing that the Lord helps people when they help themselves!

It is so great to work here in the Lord's vineyard. I LOVE IT! I really have felt good and am still learning a lot every day! It is crazy to think that SOON I will be there but its reality and it only makes me want to work more and more and more.

GOD IS GREAT! I hope that you all are reading scriptures and loving life. It has been really really hot here lately. But, that is all good because its more fun that way. Also we painted a barber shop and it turned out pretty good! We painted it and BAM BAM BAM it wasnt turning out too good. So, i thought that because there were a lot of imperfections, we decided to use the AUSTIN MURPHY PAINTING tecnique. We decided to make those splatter things on the walls and now people come in and say to the member who we helped "who did this? this is so cool!" AHHAHA also we went to golf today and DAD-- GUESS WHO GOT A CHIP IN!! I DID! from 39 feet, i counted my steps just to tell you. I went with Elder Fagersten (a senior couple missionary), my companion, Elder Orrellana and Elder Stanisclaus. It was really fun. I didn't win, but it was good to be back on the green.

 LOVE YOU ALL!!

Elder Dallin Murphy