Hello, everyone! I wish that I could just send a ton of scriptures to explain this week.

Here are a few:

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory..." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:17

"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness... Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities.... for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong." ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

You'll have to look up Philippians 4:11-13, because I don't have time to do much else.

This has been an extremely trying week, and I have grown a lot. I have come to love my trials because they are new challenges Heavenly Father trusts me with to make me more like Him. I welcome the trials, and I am ready to wear out my life in bringing others to Christ (D&C 123:13).

I love our Father! I know that He knows us and loves us. We are always going up a spiral staircase by improving and doing the things that will help us come home to Him.

Love you all! Have an amazing week!

Sister Murdoch

Greetings from Indiana, the land of miracles!

It has been such a crazy, spectacular week! 

Funny story for the week: last Monday we played volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, and four square for a few hours. During ultimate Frisbee, I all but tackled Sister Belnap (on accident). Her face gave my arm a beautiful bruise, which is included in the picture :) 

We had interviews and role plays with our mission president and the assistants on Tuesday, which I always love. It's one of my favorite experiences as a Sister training leader because I get to help with the role plays our missionaries do.

Thursday we went to the temple, which was just amazing! It brought a lot of peace for me. The temple is one of my favorite places to be. I learn so much about Heavenly Father's plan for us when I go. I am grateful for the blessings that come from going to the house of the Lord.

We have still had so much opposition here in Indiana. We have been teaching a lot, but no one is progressing right now. We're still working hard, and I have faith in Christ that it will all work out. Heavenly Father has been so good to us.

I sure love being a missionary! I know that Heavenly Father loves all of us and will guide us in all that we do. I love you all! Have a marvelous week!

1 Nephi 9:6

Sister Murdoch

Hello, everybody! I have so much to say, and so little time to type it.

This last week has been full of opposition in our Fort Zion. Sister Belnap and I went to go serve a man that we've been teaching. He was supposed to get baptized this Saturday, but it will have to happen a different. When we showed up, there were beer cans everywhere. I was crushed. I fought tears all day, and finally let it out when we got home.

We're not the only ones. Almost everyone that I hear from has been experiencing trials of all kinds. Our dear Sister Porter (the mission president's wife and our mission Mom) calls it full court press. For all of you who know don't know a lot about basketball, when the game is close, especially near the end, defense picks up and doesn't wait for anyone, but defends all the way down the court. The idea is to steal the ball and score more points for a victory.

Life is a lot like that. Satan tries so hard to keep up down, to discourage, and dishearten us. He uses full court press to try to beat us. BUT HE CANNOT WIN. God is on our side, and if we are obedient, diligent, and faithful, He will strengthen us and fight with us.

"Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's." ~ 2 Chronicles 20:15

I love our Heavenly Father! I love our Savior! I even love our trials that bring us closer to Them because we rely on Their grace to help us. I love being a missionary! The front lines are always more perilous, but also where we see the greatest successes and the greatest miracles.

I love you all! We are all enlisted (see LDS Hymn #250), and I hope that you have a week full of grace, miracles, and lots of happiness, especially in trial!

Sister Murdoch

Hello, everyone!

I have to be brief. I'm still in Fort Wayne, now known as Fort Zion :) Sister Belnap is here, too! We have been working so hard and having a lot of fun!

Yesterday we went to contact a referral a member gave us. When she found out who we were, she said, "This is why people aren't joining your church. You're too aggressive!" I felt bad that she couldn't see why people do join the church.

People looking for eternal happiness with their families join the church. People who want to be freed from addictions, pains, and broken lives join the church. People who learn that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them no matter what join the church.

It's hard to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, but it's even harder not to be. I know that Jesus Christ has restored His authority to the earth. I know that families can be together after this life. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father wants us to come home. He loves us!

That is what I know, and I share it with everyone. Please share your testimony with those you love, too! It may just change their lives. I love you all! Have an amazing week!

Sister Murdoch

Amish country! It's gorgeous!

Hello, everyone! 

I wish I could express what I'm feeling right now. I'll start with transfers.

Sister Ollerton is going home, and I am staying in Fort Wayne! This will be my 6th transfer here, and this feels like my home now. :) Though I will dearly miss Sister Ollerton, I'm excited to find out who I will be serving with next!

Along with transfers, we have a few of our missionaries leaving, including both Sisters in one area. We have about 40 missionaries in the mission going home, so I have a feeling that this is going to be a HUGE transfer meeting. There has been talk of closing some areas, too. I have no idea what will happen, but I do know that President Porter is inspired and every missionary will be sent to the place he or she is needed.

I just found out a few minutes ago that I have been accepted to BYU for school! I'm a little anxious about that, but there's no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father wants me there. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to, and He will guide me through my adventures.

We had stake conference this weekend. Elder Milan Kunz, an Area Seventy, came. He asked all of the young men and then young women ages 12 and up to stand. As they did, I felt a wave of the Spirit, and sensed greatness in the youth. He encouraged the young men to decide now to serve, not in a few years, and invited the young women to prayerfully decide if Heavenly Father wants them to serve. I received answers to my questions while I was there, and I had to opportunity to be in the choir, so I saw hundreds of people that I love.

I have butterflies in my stomach. I can't believe all that has happened in the last while for me. My life feels like it's turned upside down so many times that I have become accustomed to change. That's what our existence is all about - change.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 has come to my mind as I've been typing this.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

Heavenly Father loves us so much that He asks us to change, to use the doctrine of Christ and apply the Atonement in our lives. He wants us to be as happy as He is, and so, knowing that, I invite you all to find the little changes that you can make in your life to become even better than you already are.

I love you all! You're in my prayers and I hope that you have a week full of change!

Sister Murdoch

Happy last week of February, y'all! It's still cold and snowy here, but last week we had one day where we hit 24 degrees. Heat wave! :)

This has been a tough week, but we've been blessed with many miracles. The best one is that Sister Ollerton is feeling better. She was SO sick! We finally went to see a doctor. I was a little nervous, but when one of the members walked in, I felt better. That was amazing that he happened to be the doctor in that day :) He told Sister Ollerton that she had a sinus infection. We bought the prescriptions he gave, and followed the advice: "Rest, rest, rest. Mosiah 4:27" Haha! Genius :) We spent a lot of time inside because of it, but it was very good. Sister Ollerton is feeling so much better and I was able to do some things around the apartment.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to teach a woman who has several friends who are members. They always invited her to activities and church, but she often turned them down. For some reason, she finally accepted the invitation to meet with us. We taught her about the Restoration and invited her to be baptized, and she accepted!

What I learned from this is that we should never give up. It's easy to think that someone isn't interested because he or she wasn't last year, last month, or even last week. However, "the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men" (1 Nephi 9:6). If the Spirit prompts us to say or do something, then it is always time to do it, even if it's hard or scary for us.

I know that Heavenly Father loves us. I know without any doubt that he knows us each individually and sends the tender mercies to remind us. I love Him and I'm grateful to serve Him.

Have a marvelous week!

Sister Murdoch

                                                      Beautiful Snow!

                                                    A rendition of me!

                                                   Sister Ollerton at the Dr.

Hello, everyone! For all of you out west, Sister Ollerton and I wish we had your weather :) We had maybe one day last week where the temperature hit double digits. It's been so cold, and so miraculous here!

Because it's been so cold, we've been talking to people in our car more. It's amazing how much happens when you pull over to offer a card! The other day we offered a card to a woman who turned it down, saying, "I already go to church." We told her how great that is and asked where. She told us and then asked, "Are you LDS?" Turns out that she grew up a member, but disappeared. No body here even knew about her. She's letting us come back to see her Saturday!

The Lord promises repeatedly that if we open our mouths that they will be filled (Doctrine & Covenants 33:8-10) and that the Spirit will carry our words to the hearts of those we talk to (2 Nephi 33:1). I have seen and experienced that countless times. Even with negative temperatures we have opened our mouths. Those we talk to are blessed, and so are we.

Never be afraid to open your mouth to share goodness! Heavenly Father will never discourage you from doing that. Someone always needs your good words. I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful (and warm) week!

Sister Murdoch

                                           We love Golden Bears (strawberry lemonade)!