Happy Easter

Hello everybody! I hope y'all have had a wonderful Easter, I know my first one on the mission was great. This past week has been good for me and Elder Ker.  We did a lot of service, helping people out whenever we could. That usually means we can't find new people, so we've just been teaching the same ones we've had for a while.  Because of the Easter season, I've been thinking a lot about how much our Savior loves us. He is our older brother.  He has always known exactly what He needed to do, and exactly what we need to do to return and live all together again. He was willing to suffer, and die for us. That's amazing and wonderful! He was WILLING to do it. No other person before or after could have done it, and he did it, he performed the Atonement, all the while without having done anything wrong, without any guile or ill feeling towards anyone. He did it to save us all, to teach us of what true love is. Because of him, I know that I am saved, I know that all my wrongs have been made right, and because of him, I know what I need to do to ensure I return to live with Him, my family, and my Father in Heaven again, and that I need to share this message with everyone! Without him, all would be lost. That's why we celebrate Easter, it should be a time of reflection and pondering, and of joy, to know that through Christ, we can all live again! 

So, yesterday was a lot of fun. We, along with the other Elders and Sisters in the ward spent most of the day after church at a member's house.  Sorry, I wasn't able to get any pictures of them, but we still had a great time. We died eggs, ate good food, went on an Easter egg hunt, and played games like Farkle (that one reminded me of mom). 

Anyway, that's about it, I sure do love y'all a whole lot! 

Love, 

Elder Murdock

Elder Murdock and Elder Ker wer able to go to the Temple this week
to see one of Elder Ker's recent converts.

Easter

Crashing and Teaching

Hello all you lovely people out there! It was good to here from you guys about the  Provo City Center Temple. It looks amazing! I wish I could have gone too. Oh well, there will be more temples!

This week has been pretty nuts. It started out with me riding my bike into a pole on the way to help someone move out of their house. It was pretty gnarly! I was just riding along enjoying being a missionary, when out of the blue this pole jumps out at me and knocks me off my bike! It made the loudest BANG, it sounded just like a gong or something, and I just flew through the air over the handle bars. I'm fine though, only a little scraped up, but I left a big ole dent in the pole! 

We got to meet this amazing lady and her family just yesterday, we've met with her before. She is an older lady who is interested in what we have to teach, she even takes notes during our lessons! Her family is great too, they are all good Christian people. We are going to keep teaching them!

We have been trying really hard lately to find some new people to teach, us and the other missionaries in the district. Baytown is full of people, I'm sure some of them are interested in the gospel. I've been thinking a lot lately on the importance of the Book of Mormon.  It really is the foundation of our religion. Without this book, the world would still be completely lost, still thinking up this and that, never able to find truth anywhere. By reading the Book of Mormon prayerfully, you will come closer to Christ.  You will be able to more fully enjoy life. Life is best enjoyed when you know true diamond facts, and that is what the Book of Mormon gives. Rely upon it, rely upon your testimony of it.  If you do not have a testimony of it, get one! If you do not have a Book of Mormon, GET ONE! By relying upon and living the lessons taught inside, you will be able to feel the peace the Spirit brings, and the Joy that Christ can give. 

I sure do love y'all, keep on keeping on!

Love, 

Elder Murdock

True to the Faith 

Elder Murdock posing by the pole that "jumped" out in front of him!

Elders in Baytown District

An oil well somewhere in Baytown.

Dry wall mud from doing some service. I can't decide if he is really good at it, or really bad!
 Is it normal to get the mud all over you?

Baytown Water Holes

Well howdy everybody! This week has been good. We ate a huge sandwich, got some good new investigators, caught a crab, and had a fun time doing it all.  I'm not sure if I have any big story this week, so I guess I'll talk more on how the ward is here in Baytown, and how the new district is doing. 

The ward here is great, the members are always wanting to help us out, and there is even a family from Springville here! I can't quite remember their names right now, but the mom and dad both graduated from SHS, and both were in the music program there.  They knew Dr. Tsugaua and Mrs. Crocket. I'll have to get their names for ya'll, maybe somebody would know them.  The ward mission leader, Brother Files, is really nice, he is super energetic about the work, and the Bishop is young and happy to help too.  

Baytown is quite the place, and to be here with a fishing nut is pretty fun. The area I work in is right in between a couple of major roadways, with tons of houses everywhere, along with apartment complexes and stuff. There's always traffic, but biking isn't too bad if you just pay attention.  Like I said, this place is fun with a fishing nut for a comp, because there's tons of little water ways to throw a line in, which he does a lot.  He's got a spool of heavy duty fishing line with a hook on the end at all times in his backpack, and he will always take it out and try to find a worm or something to catch fish with.  Like right now even, he's telling me, "we need to find a way to catch fish out of storm drains Murdock!" He's awesome, he caught a turtle the other day with a pepperoni from a pizza we were all eating as a district.  He even caught a crab in a small water way we had to cross to find a referral, then put the little guy in his shirt pocket and used it to contact a guy who was mowing his lawn, we're going back to him tonight to teach him, it's pretty great!  I sure do love ya'll, and I know the Lord loves you more, so turn to Him in all that you do, and he will help you with anything.  We all have a Heavenly Father, and He's always waiting to hear from you, no matter where you are or what you're doing!

Love, 

Elder Murdock

True to the Faith

Water Hole in Baytown

District in Baytown

Elder Ker 

Huge sandwich.  Elder Murdock said he got through two thirds of it!

Biking in Baytown

Hello everybody! This week has been good! I've enjoyed getting to know
Elder Ker, and we have just been getting out and working hard. The
craziest part is we have to bike clear down to the end of our area
just about everyday, but that's probably a good thing, keeps us
healthy. It's funny that you asked about the ward, because I felt like
I should tell y'all about it this week. The ward is really great, it's
a good mix of old and young people. The bishops name is Bishop Jeeter,
no relation to Derek, and the members are all really nice. The ward
mission leader is Brother Files, and he is a hoot! He is very excited
when he talks, and really excited about missionary work and golf. He
loves golf. 
My favorite thing up to this point is when we have been out all day
and I just know that we worked our best because of how tired we both
are. It's a good feeling because you know that energy was spent serving
others.
The most frustrating thing is having to deal with other people's
agency, like when they make bad choices. But that's just life, so I
guess this is a good time to learn how to deal with it.
Elder Ker is doing good, we have fun together. He carries around a
little bit of line and a hook to try a little fishing wherever we go. He
actually reminds me a lot of Evan Bond. He grew up in a small little
town in Idaho called Ririe. He loves hunting and fishing, he lived on
a farm and has worked on it his whole life, he's a great guy. Well, we are
starting a game of volleyball right now, so I'll talk to y'all next
week, sure do love y'all!
-Elder Murdock

True to the Faith

Elder Murdock and Elder Ker

Somewhere in Baytown Texas