Happy New Year, everyone! I never would have guessed that I would be in Ohio for 2014, but I don't want to be anywhere else. Christmas was fun. On Christmas Eve I was able to be a shepherd in a family's re-enactment of Luke 2. After a phone call to my wonderful family on Christmas Day I was able to have lunch with a member family. Everyone here has tried to make us feel at home. Maybe too at home. I won't tell you how much I weigh now. :D

Saturday night I witnessed a baptism for the first time as a missionary. Sister L and I sang "I Believe in Christ" with a few Elders and members. One of our investigators came with us, and she was very moved by the song. She has planned to be baptized, and I hope that she will continue to change as she prepares herself for that time. Please pray for her!

We've had investigators come and go. It's hard when someone decides he or she doesn't want to learn more, but we still love and serve them. Perhaps things will change in the future. The investigator who was going to come to church texted us at 3:30 Sunday morning to tell us that she couldn't come because of something that had happened in her family. That was such a sad morning for me. She was sad, too, and is going to try to come again. Please pray for her, too!

We did get to teach a man who lives nearby. He has 3 young children (ages 5, 4, and 3). Because of his family being rambunctious, he had to keep an eye on everyone. I thought that we might be wasting time trying to teach him about the restoration while he was so distracted. Then I suddenly noticed that he was a little teary-eyed. We asked him if he felt like what we were teaching him was true. He said that he does believe that it's true. I then invited him to be baptized. (It was my first time, so I was nervous, but it felt right.) He will do it when he knows that it's true.

Mosiah 5:2 I have seen the Atonement of Jesus Christ change people here. I have felt it even more significantly in my life. How grateful I am to be here for the new year. I hope that I will become better than I have been in 2013. The Atonement allows that change, so I know that it's possible. Thank you for the Christmas wishes. I wish all of you a new year full of happiness and change!

Sister Murdoch