Another week in the wonderous world- May 21, 2014

Hey fam! Whats Up?? I Hope All Is Well Out There In The United States. It Was Cool To See Pictures And Hear About Big Brandon Running A Half Marathon And All. Way To Go Bud!!

Umm this organization that I am not in charge of is called Accion Callejera. Which is like this place that street kids go to so that they dont have to go to another worse place. I am not sure, but it sounds good. There are a few events that Sister Douglas has set up to be able to have her friends come and do medical and dentistry things, so they called me... To keep the relationship well mantained with them and keep contact. That means like 1 time a week I am going to go to do service with my companion and the other 2 missionaries in the district of Hato Mayor. I am not sure why she called me... But I guess I have to do it. I dont even live that close, but its ok. I am down!

But this week was pretty good. Gladis and Brayanli and Luis Vasquez came to church this week, which was really cool. I am always SUPER stoked when people come to church. We are working hard with these people and a lot of them didn't compete with their promises, which were that they would come to church, but I don't get suprised anymore. Just disappointed. That's all. But Gladis and Brayanli are going to see when they want to get baptized, since they are in a sticky situation. But It will happen soon, I really know it. Luis has had a few doubts, which are really little things like about Joseph Smith and why his name isnt in the Bible. But its ok, we help them understand that they only way to know these things is read the Book of Mormon and pray. If they do it, they will be able to get an answer. And until they do it, they cant tell us we are wrong because they havent experienced anything, just heard and believe. We want them to FEEL that it is true. Galatians 5:22-23 or something like that really explains how they can know IF it is true. We are willing to learn all of the things we preach on the Book Of Mormon. 

It is a pretty wonderful life out here. It is a little different teaching with someone that hasn't taught before, but he is coming along well and I am really excited to keep seeing him progress. I am not the funnest, coolest, or funniest companion he could have had, but he is going to work and work and work. I don't know... it is kind of weird. A lot of missionaries say that they want to get out of the routine. But I love the routine!! My life is get up, write in my journal or work out, shower, get ready with my white shirt and tie, study, study with my companion, go out or go to a meeting with other missionaries, go home, eat, do something for like an hour then go out to work for 7 hours then we get home at 9:30 and then plan, write my journal or eat or something then we go to sleep. Then I get up again at 6:30 and it is the same. THIS IS THE LIFE!! AND IT DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS. I don't have time to change it up! But its ok, he loves the work too. It is a pretty intense lifestyle but pretty fun. 

But yeah this week I had an exchange with my zone leader, Elder Saucedo and for the first time in a while the people were IN their house. We taught 7 good lessons, and it was super cool. But its raining a lot, and the umbrella I have is still in the little bag that it was bought in in my luggage. Oops! HAHAHA

Love you all, and I cant wait to hear about the wonderful miracles you guys make in the mission work in this next week!

Elder Murphy,  2nd

Now I Am the Big 1-9!- May 14, 2014

It was a pretty fun birthday, not the most exciting one but definately the most spiritual one. Kind of. We had a zone meeting in the morning and they put up a few balloons then sang happy birthday! And that was basically it. But one specifically awesome lesson I had on my birthday was a great gift the Lord gave us. Remember Jose and Cristy? Well we shared with Cristy, a member, and her son Noel. We talked about baptism baptism baptism. About what it is, how it should be a change in our lives, how it needs to be by the proper authority, and how important it is. We were just on a good role. Then I asked my favorite question: What are your thoughts about what we have said? I had had a couple of worries about Cristy. She really is awesome but I didnt know if she was really going to be down to make that change in her life.  Then  she told us about how she wants to do it. And she is just really excited but needs to go to church more and get married and stuff. The spirit was super strong, and I was super content. Even though it was a slow day in which we walked for a while and didnt teach much, it was all worth it through that lesson. 

That was basically my birthday. We are really busy, Elder Simonis and I, and it is really hard to find time to make that cake that you sent me. But one of these days it will be made! It was super cool to talk to the whole fam about life as a missionary.  I am not overwhelmed by the responsibilities that have been given to me, just it is something new as a missionary. A new kind of patience and diligence is needed. It is just what I was asking for and I got it. Sometimes we dont know exactly what we want but the Lord gave it to me. Also, President and Sister Douglas called me to be in charge of the relationship between the mission and this one organization, and I wasnt to stoked but I am going to do all I can to do it. I want to be able to complete with the assignments that are given to me, and I will give it all I can. 

hmm...  oh yeah Gladis and Brayanli are progressing  really really well. They are trying to do everything to be able to complete with these requirements of baptism, and the Lord will bless them soon enough with the ability to do it. They came to church, and also Arismendi. Arismendi comes a lot, just has a few problems with his wife, and we are hoping he keeps it up to be able to  make this covenant with the Lord as well. He already is decided, just needs some preparation. 

But yeah. this week was ok. Elder Simonis (my trainee) is a good new missionary, willing to learn and listen, and just pushing himself a lot. I am just here to guide him and help him become the missionary that the Lord wants him to become. 

Well, thanks for all the birthday emails! You all are great! The next time you all write me I will have.... 10 MONTHS AS A MISSIONARY! It is moving way too fast. But as they always say, Time flies when youre having fun. And I am definetely enjoying myself. 

 Love you all!!!

Training a HAITIAN!!- May 7, 2014

I am training a Haitian!! His name is Elder Simonis, a pretty good kid. He has lived here in the DR for 3 years with his family. His whole family is members, and he is a 21 year old guy, but it will be a good experience. He is a good example to me, a really humble guy that is just here to work. It will be a really good experience!! I am stoked out of my mind.

But this week was pretty good. We had 3 investigators in church, Gladis and Brayanli and Laura, a sister of an hermana in the ward that is 15. Luis had to work (he doesnt work much so when he has work he needs to go) and a lot of people just HAD to do stuff. And a bunch of people just talked big and didn't deliver. But our purpose isn't to accuse or criticize, but more to help them be complete with the Lord and his commandments. Gladis had an operation on her mouth, so for like 2 weeks she doesnt have her 4 front teeth. She wasn't going to go to church, but then Brayanli said he would'nt go without her so then she decided to go so that he would go! What a great lady. Her husband lives in NY and she wants to get married before baptism so that she can obey the law of chastity to the letter.

This week was pretty good. Nothing too crazy, but it was a good time. I was pretty happy to get the call to train, I have only had old missionaries as companions and now I have more responsibility, which is always a good time. Also he gave me the title of district leader, so I am going to have to get a lot of spiritual strength from the Lord to be able to complete TO THE LETTER with both of these responsibilities.

Well, we will have more miracles next week. Just this week we talked about a lot of marriage. A LOT of marriage. Really, it is a big problem in this country. Because it costs 3000 to get married and 18000 to get divorced. But we will make it work with these people, there are some good vibes between a few of these families and it will happen.

The Lord blesses us according to our obedience D&C 132:6( I think that is where it is) . It is the ONLY way that he blesses us. 

Love you all, thanks for everything! 5:15 on sunday I am going to be waiting. I am going to use that elderdallindr thing that you guys made for christmas! It is going to work and I am going to be excited! I hope you all are excited too! The next time that you all read from me I WILL BE 19! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Love,

Elder Dallin Murphy

 J-Piki, a good friend of ours. He talks about how he wants to get baptized, and we hope he will!

I love mom because:

Well how do I even start. Mom is the woman who gave birth to me and gave me everything I needed as I grew up into the man I am today. I feel so greatful for the firmness that she has in the true Gospel of Christ. I love my Mom because she loves me and she does everything for me. I love my mom because she worries about me even when she knows I am all good. I love my mom because she IS THE COOL MOM. She often says she doesnt want to be the cool mom but SHE IS THE COOL MOM (repeated for emphasis). I love her so much! She has taken a little naughty yet silent boy and made him into what I am. I cannot say that have reached what she wants me to be, but after my heavenly father, I want to make her proud. I love my mom because, in all reality, she loves me.

I'm on the Lord's Side- April 30, 2014

Here on the mission, it is really surreal to feel the presence of the Lord. Although I am still a little 18 year old muchachito, I love being able to be seen with such power and authority. People don't look at me as Dallin Murphy, the kid who graduated high school less than a year ago, but they look at me as Elder Murphy, missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I feel like I just got here and the time is flying way too fast.

Mom, I understand why you say "dont eat too much carbs!!" but it is a plea to change something that is already set. Forever. The dominicans eat really heavy stuff, and I LOVE IT. But I have eaten rice every day except like 7 or 8 days in the mission, and I am hungry so I eat a lot. Then there is a lot of bread that we buy from COLMADOS which are little stores that sell everyday things but especially food. 5 pesos for a little bread is pretty great, and that is usually my dinner. like 3 or 4 of them. So, I will try and follow your counsel, but dont be suprised if I come home without having eaten much vegetables in my time here. BUT LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE!! I am not losing weight. I am gaining it, but it is ok. I am going to maintain myself lean and handsome for my homecoming. 

But this was a really good week. Elder Salgado finishes the mission next week, so I am going to recieve a different companion. I have been told that possibly I will train, but I dont listen to the rumors because President Douglas is a man to change his mind (for revelation's sake, of course). We have continued finding really prepared people and I really just thank the Lord daily for his love and mercy towards us. We are really unnecessary to him, but he does all that he does because he loves us and wants us to be happy. He works through a bunch of little chomacos as they say in the DR, and he helps us a lot. 

Last night we had a pretty cool lesson, a TESTIMONY that the members are the key in the mission work. We are sharing with a guy named LUIS VASQUEZ. He is really cool and tranquilo and just a prepared son of God to recieve the Gospel of Christ. Last night we went to his house and we talked with the Ward Mission Leader, Edwin Arthur, about baptism. How children dont need to be baptized because, as christ said, in them is eternal life. They are perfect! In Christ we are all saved from the Fall of Adam. So he understood it all, and after a vervent testimony from Edwin, Luis said "So I will do what he did! I will be baptized again" and then we put down a baptismal date for the 14th of june. THen he told us "i wasnt going to talk to you guys anymore... but then I got embarrassed with this nice man here so then i decided to do talk with you." HAHAHA wow what a miracle. 

Jesus Christ lives, and he loves us!! He is the only path back to the Father, and we have got to follow it. He put down the example through baptism, obedience, the organization of His Church, and we just need to do everything we can to be able to do as he did!

Elder Dallin Murphy

ps. I already opened the package THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Dallin Murphy

Luscious Living- April 23, 2014

This week was Semana Santa, which is the week that mainly the Catholic Church celebrates to comemorate Christ for the sacrifice he made. We only have really celebrations on sunday, but it was an awesome time. It means that no one works and no one does anything from friday to sunday, just drink, go on vacation out of the city and listen to music. BUT it was super fun. Although we didnt join in on the fun, we really were able to work well.

They do this thing called Habichuelas con Dulce, which was super good! We ate it in like 6 houses in 3 days HAHA and it was just too much food. I feel like Dad would really love it, so I was asking a lot to be able to learn how to make it. HAHA wow they are such cool people. I love the food here, there is nothing better than a good 2 years where 9 of every 10 days you eat a fat pile of rice. But i have just made it part of my life! I love it.

But this week also was a good progress. We have a couple named Jose and Christy, with whom we have been sharing since my first Sunday here. But they have been progressing slowly and THEY CAME TO CHURCH THIS WEEK!! It was a really cool thing. They really liked it too, the members here welcomed them and they enjoyed everything. Gladis was there too, but Brayanli couldnt come since his dad came and took him to the beach. 

But yesterday we had a really cool lesson with Marcia and Alex (if you remember them, they came to church). They are super cool and i love talking with them. We talked about Mosiah 2, about the blessing that come with obedience. a while ago we talked with Alex alone and he was without work and just frustrated with God because he was praying and not recieving. He needed work to do so many things. So we told him that if he begins to take seriously what we teach, the blessings will come.  He began to read his Book of Mormon every day in the morning and pray every day. Within like 2 weeks he had a job. He wasnt even searching for one and he got called. Its not the best job in the world, but its a job. We talked about that yesterday and he recognized that really he is doing it to improve then asked if he could start to read from the beginning. WELL YEAH!! He is married with another woman, which is hard, since divorce is EXPENSIVE HERE. But, he wants to do it. They just really progress a lot. 

Other great things happened, but I dont have 10 hours to explain it. I am so glad all is well over there. Brandon, youre a best. Now that you are like 40, HAHA just kidding 27?? I dont know. But te quiero muchisimo porque eres tan mansito y tranquilo, me entiendes y legalmente te voy a hablar en espanol para que retengamos el idioma de los cielos. No puedo explicar el amor que tengo, pero ya tu sabes, estoy aqui hasta el fin contigo. 

HAHA that was a good dominican message, so it may not make much sense in real spanish, but brandon will get it, 

LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Murphy

 

Pupusas with Elder Ramirez

 

Wow- April 9, 2014

It was just too great of a weekend. We had more people in church than I had ever had, AND it was general conference. 9 INVESTIGATORS CAME and 3 LESS ACTIVES TOO. Wow. I was just so thrilled, I can't thank the Lord enough. First a sister named Dolores came with her son Carlos, who we have been teaching for a little while. Then also a couple named Nelky and Manuela, who have a baptismal date for the 24th of May. They are really cool, and Nelky doesnt know how to read so it was good for him to hear and watch conference. Then Gladis and Brayanli came! They are progressing very well, they are really excited. Then also a girl came with them that came last week too, Yanni. Also GEOVANNY CAPELLAN and his wife Biandy came. Geovany has a baptismal date for 24 of May as well. They all came and they said they enjoyed it! A less active mother with 2 adult sons came, Angelita and her sons  Javier and Chi-chi.

General conference was really awesome. I loved all of the talks, but I loved some of them more than others. (also I watched it in Spanish, which was not as good for me, but people came so it is ok.) The one that I loved more than anything was Dallin H. Oaks on the priesthood. But also the talk given by Robert B Hales was awesome. When he said ¨We should be so obedient that if God were to present us to people, he would say ´this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased´¨ that really opened my eyes. Really I need to be like that. God doesn't look at sin with even the littlest bit of acceptance, so we have got to focus on that. I liked the talk on Gratitude also, President Uchtdorf always is awesome. David A Bednar talking about how BURDENS ARE NECESSARY to be able to progress in life. To move forward we need that. I love it. The Atonement of Christ is here so that every one of us takes advantage of it, but we need to , as Benjamin said, become as a little child, meek humble and willing to submit to the will of the father. 

This week was a great week too. We are seeing good progression on all sides, the Lord is really blessing us. We have a LOT of people with baptismal dates, and they all are reading and trying to get to church. It will happen. But on Friday we were there just working it up and no one was home. So, we went walking down to a house that we usually had visited, when I suddenly decided to turn and take a different route. Elder Salgado asked why, and I told him that maybe there was someone over there. Then we turned once again and I saw a man standing outside of his upstairs apartment. I said to Elder Salgado ¨háblele¨ then he did. Turns out that this man, Junior, and his wife, Morena, were taking the lessons from missionaries in the South stake like 2 years ago and almost got baptized, then moved. They want to start the lessons again. I was thinking WOW IS THIS REAL LIFE?? That was just an awesome thing. They are going to be a success. I am hoping that they really pull through this time and are able to make this covenant with the Lord. 

But yeah, its an awesome thing out here that's happening. I cant explain how gracious the Lord has been with us. I am really happy, I am enjoying it all. 

Good work on all the good old missionary work out there, the Lord needs EVERY MEMBER AS A MISSIONARY. I can testify to that.  

Elder Dallin Blake Murphy

p.s. I am almost 19! It feels like the other day I went to I HOP with my friends, but that was a quick year. This whole mission is passing by WAYYYY too fast, I am enjoying it a lot but I am almost 9 months done... dang

 PUPUSAS!!!!!!!! With elder vasquez

 

 

 

 

WHAT A WEEK- April 2, 2014

Wow it was basically one of the best weeks of my mission.

But in church we were having so much hope that people were coming. First, this couple named Alex and Marcia came! They are a really nice, but humble couple that we have been working with for a good while. I hope that they keep coming, it was a testimony meeting where many kids went up with their parents and everything so they were wondering about that but it was good, they seemed like they will be going back. Then Gladys and Brianly came!!!! We were so excited. I cannot explain how happy I was!! They said that they really liked it and they are going to go back. This week we have been passing out invitations for General Conference and it was just so wonderful. (For those who want to watch that don't know what that is, its on saturday and sunday on LDS.org). But people are really excited about it  and have plans to go. We were so happy with that day. But we had been fasting and we had no food in the house and no one had invited us to eat in their house, then DIGNA FROM VILLA GONZALEZ CALLED. She said ¨Elder Murphy! We are going to bring you and the other missionaries out there some MORO."   WHAT A BLESSING and then another family in the ward called us and said that we could go, so we ate there then we went back to the chapel and Digna was there with President Steven and his wife Ana with a bunch of food. It was so great  to catch up with the good old friends of my first area. All day Elder Salgado was saying ¨dont worry, the lord will provide¨ and I shouldnt have doubted because HE ALWAYS DOES. 

Remember Del Fin Montaz? We had a lesson with him and Randelfin, his son, yesterday. It was the most spiritual lesson of my life. We read Moroni 8 with them and it was just so amazing. After reading 1 verse (verse 8) he was saying he had received his answer to his questions about baptism. Then we read it all and I said ¨look, you need to know if this is true because if it is, then the church that we represent is the only one that has the authority to baptize and we know that it is NECESSARY for salvation¨. then Elder Salgado talked about receiving an answer and then I said ¨you guys are going to ask here and now. Randelfin, I want to you ask the Lord with all the faith you have in your heart to know if the Book of Mormon is true. Then after you say ¨in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen¨ we are going to sit there and listen. Ok?¨ so we kneeled down together and he gave a really awesome faith-filled prayer. Then he finished and we knelt in silence for 3 or 4 minutes. I was pleading that the Lord could just give them the answer that me and millions before me and after had received. Then Del Fin said ¨Lord, please remove these obstacles from my path so that I can do this. I know that this is what I need, help my family too so that they can get do these things as well¨ The spirit was so strong. All of the fruits of the spirit described in Galatians 5:22 and 23 were felt in that moment. I have never felt so at peace. He thanked us so much, nearly crying, and said that we have done a great work with him and his family. He wants his wife to be more open about it, but we assured him that with time the Lord would permit it. Those are the moments that preach to me that THIS IS THE WORK OF SALVATION THAT THE LORD WANTS US TO DO. This is why I have told people here and at home to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. he that does is will receive the answer. he that doesn't, will be in this state of LIMBO, without knowing for sure what is right. 

I can testify that this is not the work of a man. Joseph Smith was inspired of God as a prophet so that he would begin this great and marvelous work. People say that the Devil wrote that book and began this church. Those who say that don't know me and don't know what this work is all about. One cannot be saved in ignorance. I know that this is what EVERYONE NEEDS. That is why I give people Book of Mormons. That is why I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why I am here. Because it doesn't matter who you are or where you are from, this is what you need. And whoever says no it is not, definitely hasn't tried it out still. 

I love you all, I pray for you every day. If I have one thing to say to all that are at home, mormons or no, is read the book of mormon with faith in Christ and I can promise you UNTIL I DIE that you will come closer to him. You all need that book. I say these things as a friend and brother to you all. Thanks for everything you all have done for me, I am never going to regret this time I have had as  a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ.

Elder Dallin Murphy