Summer is a comin´.

Soo...  I haven´t received mail for three or four weeks.  Until Saturday that is...  All of our mail came in, and boy did it come in.  Thanks for all the letters!  Make sure to thank the Primary for me.  Their letters were very fun to read (or look at).

Today, I hope you all have a great Halloween.  To celebrate, we are going to go to the local cemetery.  My companion tells me it´s a legit one.  Plus, it´s what the locals do: visit the cemetery on Día de la Bruja.  I´ll let ya know how that goes.

Let´s see...

Friday, we helped a less-active member with some stuff around his house.  He´s a 26-year-old guy that was baptized a little over a year ago.  His basically doubling the size of his house.  It was intense.  We did everything from; removing trees, carrying bricks, digging holes, and cutting re bar with a handsaw.  Have you ever cut re bar with a handsaw?  It´s pretty fun...especially after cut number 87...  Needless to say, it was well worth it.  The fruits of our labors included: a sunburn, an avocado tree for our front yard, a sense of satisfaction, and a less-active member in church on Sunday.  What more could we ask for? :)  (Yes, we really do have an avocado tree.  Currently we just need to transport it to our apartment and ask the landlord if we can plant it.  We are paving the way for future generations of elders, here.)

Matthew, you asked if I´ve seen snakes or anything like that.  I think we´ve nearly stepped on 10 snakes in the last month or so.  They are usually small, but the biggest we´ve seen lately was probably two and half feet.  I´ve also seen a carpincho, as well.  Those are the R.O.U.S.s.  It was in somebody´s garage, actually.  I guess they were treating it like a dog or something..

This weekend was a little different than usual.  I think I mentioned before that we were going to have District Conference this week.  Saturday night,  we got to meet President and Sister Heyman, along with Elder Alliud, an Area Seventy.  Elder Alliud is a lawyer from Buenos Aires.  He definitely has a commanding voice, like that of a lawyer.  The conference was one of the coolest things I´ve seen since being here.  We have the Chapel filled to max capacity...upwards of 130 people.  Not bad for four little branches.  Though we only had one investigator come, we had 7, very less-active, members come.  Though it´s something amazing to see when a person changes their life the first time, it´s just as awesome to see them come back after a space of time.  It takes great humility to do that.

I´m nearing the end of Helaman in my personal studies this week.  It you ever want a slice of Humble Pie, read Helaman 12.  My personal Favs are verses 4 and 7.  We really wouldn´t have anything in this life without the blessings of God.  And how do we receive those blessings?  By obeying the commandments that he has given us.  That is it.  No more, no less.

Love you all,

Elder McMurray

Where boys become Gauchos.

I mentioned something about transfers being this last week, didn´t I?  Well... nothing huge happened.  Of the four elders in the apartment, we figured someone was out.  Especially considering Elder Montanares was here almost a year ago, now.  (Well... he was here for several months, then came back.  What are the odds!)  But the fantastic four continues on.

 

Speaking of eagle projects... Saturday was the Day of Service for Paso de los Libres.  The two branches combined forces at a little primary school, a little outside of town.  We really had know idea what the project was going to be.  I was guessing picking up trash or something.  I´ve never painted so many bricks in my life--We painted everything in that school! ...including the wall on the perimeter (about 100yds by 40yds).  It was a good turnout, too.  Unlike projects in the States, they even had 5 year olds with brushes.  It was intense.  It put all eagle projects to shame.  The District President, president Dos Santos, organized the project.  He´s employed by the Argentine military.  He knows how to get things done, that´s for sure.  You should have seen the lunch at halftime.  The made one pot of Geizo for everyone.  You could have lost a 10-year-old child in that pot, it was so big.  Do you know those stereotypical, abnormally large, wood spoons that witches use?  Those actually do exist.  Overall, it was a great project.  It was nice doing a little service, too.

 

Yesterday, Argentina had presidential elections.  That´s the third election day that has come and passed since m arrival here in Argentina.  It sounds like it was a blowout.  Cristina is probably in for another term.  Do you know that Argentina had a woman president?  Crazy, huh.  People call her Presidenta... (even though I´m pretty sure that´s grammatically incorrect...presidente.)

 

I´ve been trying hard to think of things about Argentina that I haven´t told you.  But I´m starting to have a hard time with what I have said and haven´t said.  Is there anything that you would like to know?

 

If you come to the point where you might have the opportunity to get offended, be like the Chief Judge Pahoran.  Moroni blasts him with an epistle saying he doesn´t know how to run a government.  And what does he do? ... He takes joy in the words of Moroni.  (Alma 60-61 for more pleasure.)

 

I love you all!

 

Elder McMurray

Happy Mother's Day!

I would like to start off with giving a big, Argentine shout out to my dear mother.  Yesterday was el Día de la Madre, here.  That I´m aware of, Argentina is the only country in South America that celebrates Mother´s Day in October.  The rest celebrate it in May, like the United States.  It went well.  We gave an elderly member, who lives across the street from us, a flower.  She liked it.  Church was also very nice. Right now, Elder Larson,(senior couple missionary) is the branch president.  He had the young men and young women had out a flower and a slip of paper to all of the mothers in the congregation.  It felt like home.  Something a little out of the ordinary did happen, though.  When Elder Larson was announcing the remainder of the program, he asked that when the meeting concluded, all mothers would stand.  Somehow, that got lost in translation.(maybe quite literally..)  Because when it came time for the concluding hymn, all of the mothers stood up.  They thought he meant during the final song!  It was definitely a sight to behold, all of the mothers standing, singing.  I wonder what the investigators were thinking! (we hold the mothers in our church very ¨highly¨, I guess...) :)

I´m reading regularly that the weather is turning to cold, back in the states.  If only it were so, here.  October weather is equivalent to April weather back home (6 month conversion, there).  It has begun to regularly start hot this days.  Luckily, we´ve had a little rain lately, which has done a good job cooling things off.  I´m kind of looking forward to the warm weather, though.  I need to start working off this extra winter baggage.  I love having lunch appointments everyday, but my belt doesn´t feel the same.  High carb diets aren´t always your best friend, trust me.  Speaking of which, my burning passion for bread is still an all systems ¨GO¨.  I made bread this week, even.  Thanks for the Artisan bread recipe, Aunt Dawn.  Three other elders thank you as well.  I think I just found a new way to ¨butter up¨ to the members here, so to speak.

This week might be crazy.  Wednesday is transfers.  My companion has been here for 4 and half months now.  He could go at any time.  I promised him bread for the road if he goes.  Elder Robinson has been a lot of fun to work with; I´d be very content if he were to stay here for another transfer.  I´ll let you know how this week pans out.  Other exciting news...  Not this Sunday, but next, we are having district conference in the branch.  We will be blessed to hear from the Mission President as well as an Area Seventy.  And it only gets better...  The following week Elder Christofferson, of the Quorum of the Twelve, along with Elder Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy, will be coming to the mission.  Along with them will be two other members of the 70.  This is a great opportunity for the entire mission, all at once, to hear a prophet speak. (He even speaks Spanish, too!)  The Super Bowl doesn´t even come close to what is going to happen over the next few weeks.

This week, I may have hit my favorite part of the book of Alma (yes, I know, that´s a bold statement.)  The Army of Helaman.  Every future missionary´s goal.  If you want a quick read, read Alma 53:16-22 (20 is way good), and chapters 56 and 57.  I get chills when I read.  Why were they so awesome?  They listened to their parents.  It made me think of how blessed I am to have such great parents. Like the Army of Helaman said, ¨we doubt not our mothers knew it.¨  Be a mama´s boy (or girl); it will benefit you greatly.

I love you all,

Elder McMurray

Code Word: Purple.

For starters, mom I received your letters this week.  The envelope with everyone´s letters.  Thanks for the pictures!!!  People are beginning to change on me.  Not sure how I feel about that...  The sent date said the 22nd of September.  So things are coming pretty quick.  Things are averaging two to three weeks now.  Just if you are wondering.  Also, I´m writing today because like I previously mentioned, if there´s a holiday on Monday, we work.  Yesterday was Christopher Columbus Day.  I guess he did discover ¨America.¨

I feel like whenever I make mention of the weather being nice, or  there was no rain, or something like that, then that is when things happen.  On Friday, the big one came.  Around 3pm, the skies started to get black.  You could tell that a big front was coming from the east, in Brazil.  It was a scene straight from the Wizard of Oz.  There we are, standing in the street.  And all of a sudden, we get hit by this HUGE wave of air.  It literally almost knocked us off of our feet.  We quickly stood up against the nearest cement house.  The wind sent things everywhere, including dust.  Who knew that dust could sting so bad when it hit you!  The rain didn´t come for a space of a time after, but not before the hail came.  Tons of trees and streets signs weren´t so lucky.  It was so windy that I didn´t want to kill my umbrella.  So... I was a drowned rat by night´s end.  What fun.

I realized something huge that I´ve neglected to tell you guys...  Life-changing, even.  Alfojors.  God´s gift to Argentina.  They are impossible to describe accurately, other than heaven in your mouth.  This brownie-like thing, filled with dulce de leche has made life amazing.  There are probably 100s of different Alfojors out there.  As the owner of the corner store told us, Alfojors are like an art form.  Everyone is making a different type.  I have a running collection of wrappers right now, actually.  I´m at 40 different wrappers.  An elder that recently left for home had 103.  My goal is 104.  I´ll be sure to update you periodically what the count is at, don´t worry.

Sorry this is a shorter email than usual.  If you have any specific question, feel free to ask them!  I´ll be more exciting next time, I promise.  This week, I´ve begun the war chapters in the Book of Alma.  Moroni is a man amongst boys.  Read Alma 48:17, and strive to be like that.  There´s nothing shaky about that verse.

I love you all lots,

Elder McMurray

Better than Christmas

Thank you for all of the emails this week!  It´s always good to hear from all of you!  Just a little note of interest for you -- if you want to write me, now is the time to do it.  I live in the same apartment as our zone leaders.  Meaning, I get mail ¨pretty fast.¨  Usually, about two to two and a half weeks.

 

It rained for the second time this last week, since my stay here in Paso de los Libres began.  Definitely a big change from my first area where I spent my first 5 days in straight rain.  Believe me, talking from the perspective of someone that is always outside, I´m not complaining.  This week has been a fairly standard (but still amazing) missionary week.  Well, standard with the exception of the Weekend of ALL Weekends, that is.  I hope you all took advantage of the opportunity to listen to the Lord´s servants.  From your emails, it sounds like you all had the chance to listen or watch (...for some, in person).  But I´ll get to that later...

 

I realized I haven´t been telling too many missionary stories in my emails.  I guess I will have to change that.

 This week´s topics -- Rejections.  A personal fave.  This last week we followed an address to a less-active member´s home.  When we clapped at the door, a lady (I´d say 40s maybe) came to the door and told us that her father (the member) was very old and it was too late in the evening to talk to him.  Okay, that´s fine.  Well, then came her brother to the door.  Fireworks went off.  And not the good kind.  He said everything from ¨I´ve asked to have his name removed,¨ to ¨I´m going to get a lawyer,¨ to...my personal favorite..¨you don´t practice what you teach.¨ Friendly fellow.  Another good one was when we knocked on a metal door.  We knocked softly, I promise.  A lady came and told us that it was very rude of us to knock when there is a baby in the house and that is why she had a doorbell.  A doorbell?  That´s more quiet?  Still, we run into many amazing people that make missionary work worth it.  These are only on rare occasion.

 

It was a picturesque moment after the Saturday Afternoon session of General Conference.  We went out to find people.  All plans fell through.  This is never fun.  We decided to try a less active gentleman that we´d never visited before.  When he came out to greet us, I understood every word that he said.  Yes! ...then I realized he was speaking inEnglish.  So much for thinking that I knew Spanish...  Turns out that he lived in California for 10 years. A really nice guy.  After chatting for a few minutes we invited him to the Priesthood Session in about 45 minutes...and he came.  Best part of all; he came the following day --- with a tie on!  Sometimes, all a person needs is the invitation.  It was a healthy reminder that we need to reach out to everyone.

 

Conference was... amazing. Lucky for us, there´s only a 3 hour time change. (though, Priesthood was a little rough...ending at 11...30 minutes past my bedtime.)  One of my personal favorite lines came from Elder J. Devn Cornish, when he said, ¨Much like medicine, prayer only works when used as directed.¨ We need to have the faith and trust in the Lord that our prayers will be answers.  There were so many good talks that I´ll stop right there.

 

From a keyboard that has a sticking Kkkkkk,

 

Elder McMurray