Starships...

Dear Familia,

I don´t have a ton of time today, but I am going to hit the highlights of my week...

My week consisted of:

-It has been super cold, so I have been layering and layering and layering some more...I realized I might have gone a little too far, when Hermana Ventura told me I resembled a bear...Four long sleeved shirts and four jackets isn´t really that much, right?

-Our key got jammed in the door. We tried everything to pull it out, but we can´t. The brother who fixes stuff still hasn´t made an appearance... So now we enter and leave by the roof! I am almost sure that our neighbors think we are crazy...the always see us get on and off the roof!

-I dominated in Pictionary...in Spanish! My team won by one point!

-Hermana Ventura accidentally kissed a brother from our ward, on the cheek...She was so embarrassed! I on the other hand was cracking up...It happens to all of us at least once in the mission....

-I rained for three days straight. I was doing great until the third day...I managed to eat it in front of the Police Department! It was a little embarrassing! I ended up being sore and soaked, but it was probably my pride that took the biggest hit.

-We starting talking to a man in the street. All was going well, we talked about the church and we started to talk about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and how on the third day he was resurrected. That was when everything went all weird. This is what the man said: ¨Yes, we know that Jesus was resurrected and on the third day the starships came and took him away. We know that Christ isn´t here because He is in another universe with a group of people like Him.¨ I was a little confused...I have heard lots of theories..but never the one that Jesus was an alien...The things you hear when you talk to all kinds of people in the street :D!

This week I have had lots of opportunities to study Preach My Gospel, Chapter 9. If you guys haven´t read it, read it! It is one of my favorite chapters. It is all about how to find new people to teach. I have been studying this avidly due to the fact that we are opening an area. I have found lots of helpful counsels! It says that the most effective way to find people to teach is through the members. We have been blessed to have wonderful members who are accompanying us and giving lots of references and we are beginning to see miracles! I encourage everyone to give a reference this week to the missionaries!  It will bless your lives, the missionaries lives, and more importantly the lives of your friends!

I love you all lots and am excited to hear what is happening in your lives!
Love,
Hermana McMurray

Birthday!!!

Dear Familia,

Firstly, thanks for all of the birthday wishes, I appreciate them (even if I feel a little old!) Today we celebrated with homemade pizza (thanks to the Elders) and homemade alfajores (thanks to the Hermanas)! I contributed the cake (they all laughed that I made my own cake, but it turned out super delicious) :D!

This week:
Monday: I slept...I was dead after three days without sleep during Transfers...Hermana Ventura was a little bored.

Tuesday: We went on a trip to Mercedes (about a half an hour away). We had a Zone Meeting. The best part...I got to give a presentation on some of the rules that President Smith is reinforcing...It all went well, until I had to tell everyone that we weren´t allowed to listen to Disney music...I think I almost got stoned!

Wednesday: Hermana Ventura and I are talking with every person who walks by in the street. So, today I started talking to an old man and we were telling him all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we asked if we could pass by some other day and talk with him, this was his response...¨You can pass by in the morning. That is when my wife isn´t home...¨ You guys know me...my face took on a pretty shocked look... and needless to say, we booked it on out of there...Hermana Ventura got a good laugh...

Thursday: We had Ward night! We were in charge. So of course, we decided to play Habla Chancho (which translates to  ¨speak pig¨). It involved hitting someone and yelling speak pig. Then the person responds with their best pig noise and the other person tries to guess who it is. Poor Hermana Ventura has a very distinctive pig noise...As one of the members said...¨I recognize this peruvian pig.¨

Friday: We went to Montevideo for a Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Ceballos. Sister Ceballos talked for the majority of the time (which was the first time I have experienced that...) She cut an apple in the front and said that the lessons we learn from an apple are the same lessons we learn about missionary work. She said we can count how many seeds an apple has, but we cannot count how many apples each seed contains. See if you all understand...I loved this! I was thinking of
the blessing it was that two Elders appeared at the front door of Grandma and Grandpa McMurray. They probably had no idea what they would accomplish with the baptism of only two people. They affected generations  and I will forever be grateful! I know that this is the Lord´s work and that when we invite people to listen we will change not only their lives, but the lives of many generations!

Saturday: My companion yelled ¨Look it´s the Bishop´s wife¨ (on the corner in front of the church building). As we got closer we realized she was completely wrong...it was a cross dresser...aka it was a man!  Hermana Ventura was mortified!

Sunday: Church..where I have now been nominated as the official ward pianist...I am regretting that I never practiced. Called to Serve isn´t the easiest to play, but at least it came out...sort of! At least I am going to lots of good opportunities to feel humble!

That is my week in review! Don´t forget to share with me what you are all learning in Preach My Gospel (I know I didn´t, but that was due to a lack of time)! I love you all lots!

Love,
Hermana McMurray
p.s. all the birthday pictures are going to come next week!

Fray Bentos, No Más!

Dear Familia,

It was so good to talk to you all yesterday and to practice my English! Sounds like Parker, Miles, and Easton are all good! It was fun to listen to them sing happy birthday (all of the latinos who were nearby enjoyed hearing their little voices singing in English)!

Well, as you all already know I am in Fray Bentos. This area is super great and the people are very friendly. I have never been in an area where honestly, from the get go everyone loves the missionaries.  Everyone has helped us a lot. This week has constituted lots of maps, being lost, asking directions, confusing members, investigators, and other random people all together. It is pretty fun to get to know a new area! Hermana Ventura is super little, but they say all good things come in little packages! She is super happy and it has been fun to open our area together! The only bad part...is our house, affectionately known as ¨The Barbie House¨ (due to the fact that it has a couch and two table...a lot more furniture than most of the
aprtments in the mission)! It is 30 minutes walking distance from our area and an hour walking to our church building. The good news is I will probably be losing a little weight :).

Some of the fun stories...

-My companion and I unknowingly sat by a family with three crazy kids in Sacrament meeting. Our first clue should have been that the row in front of them and the row behind them were empty in a completely filled room...Needless to say, they were a little wild...I think they would have given me a run for my money, when I was little!

-I got a little lost in Montevideo with Hermana Petien. We were trying to get to the mission home by bus. We ended up walking for a while through dark streets at 7 pm...Luckily, we were saved when we saw through the trees, angel Moroni!

The best thing that happened to me this week was one of my experiences that I had. President Smith shared with us a special way to do our personal prayers and I have already seen a huge change! I was praying for strength and excitement in my new area. I am not going to lie, I was a little nervous to be in a new area, not knowing anything! So Friday we headed out and we wandered a lot. We found some members and some less actives, but mostly we just walked from place to place, trying to figure out where we were. When we got home, I realized we had walked a ton and had little success, but I felt great! I was not only not tired, but I was super excited to be in Fray Bentos and to be able to the exact same thing the next day! I realized this honestly was the hand of God in my life! It says in the scriptures that if we are faithful and bring our burdens to God, He will make our burdens light, that we can bear them! I know that God hears and answers prayers. When we pray in faith God always listens and answers! I encourage everyone to offer more sincere prayers this week! Then to look for God{s hand in your life! You will see it is always there!  I love this gospel and I am grateful to be part of Jesus Christ´s true
church on the earth today!

That is about it for this week!
I love you all!!!
Love,
Hermana McMurray

Cambios...For Real This Time...

Dear Family,

I have very little time...so I will cut to the chase. The dreaded call for transfers has finally come. I am leaving Rivera and Hermana Ramirez! I am headed for the Zone called Mercedes, in an area called Fray Bentos. I don´t know too much about...I also will be opening an area and serving as the Sister Leader Trainer. I am pretty sad to leave my Hermana Ramirez. After 4 and a half months together, I feel like we are actually sisters! The best news I received is that my new companion is going to be Peruvian too, I love Peruvians!!!!

This week:

-We had a baptism! Nicolas, the autistic son of Maria, was baptized this week. He has been so excited! It only took three tries...(which is a miracle because the water was like ice and he is super big)!

-I didn´t go to Montevideo....our trip got moved to this week!

-I had an old lady tell us during a lesson. That if she feel´s angry, she wants blood to run. Followed by the comment ¨If I then have to kill them, I will feel fine...¨ Needless to say, we tried to get out of that house pretty quick!

-Our Bishop went out visiting with us for four hours this week! We managed to interrupt a crazy birthday party and a family get together.  When we finished the Bishop just laughed...

-We had Family Home Evening...It was a giant BBQ to say goodbye to me.  I didn´t cry, but it was close. Pictures are going to be sent soon! I love Rivera! I cannot imagine leaving it, it feels like my second home, but that is the mission!

This week I learned a ton. I am sad to leave Rivera, but I am learning more and more to be able to accept the will of the Lord. I know that He is preparing people in my new area to hear His gospel! I love you all and I am excited to hear from you guys Sunday!!!

Love,
Hermana McMurray