The Great Divide of "Hale Murray"

I Love the South

For FHE we decorated prayer pillowcases to deliver to less active members:) Sister Hale drew the Mickey Mouse. Can you tell she is a Disney fanatic?

A visit to the zoo

The new tiger exhibit is amazing!  There is even a tunnel the tigers can walk in that is over your head. It's hard to describe but it reminds me of a hamster tube:)

Tree?  Is this suppose to look more natural?

You can talk at this door Sister!

Last night Sister Hale and I went to the Arlington sisters' (Sister Larsen and Sister Fife) apartment to listen into transfer calls.  We are supposed to get on Sister Training Leaders' phones so we don't overwhelm the conference call.  When President Craig said that I would be serving in the YSA with Sister Fife we both got looks of shock on our faces!  Then we had to give each other a big hug!  She was my Sister Training Leader when I was in Arlington!  She is a hard working, diligent missionary, and is so sweet!  I am really excited to serve with her!  I think the first while I will feel like I am just on another trade off with her though!  We had a good laugh about her only having to move her stuff over two apartment buildings!  The YSA's are going to love her!  I am so grateful to have another wonderful companion! Sister Fife is from Colorado Springs, Colorado.  You can look at her Mormon.org Profile here: http://www.mormon.org/me/75W4/JessicaFife 

Sister Hale will be serving in the St. Augustine Shores Ward.  There is a school for the deaf and blind in St. Augustine so SISTER HALE WILL BE SIGNING!!!!!  I am sooooooooooo excited for her!  It's crazy we met two people who are deaf in just two weeks and we haven't been able to contact them since!  Maybe we just needed that so I could brag about Sister Hale's abilities enough for President to know she can sign.  I know transfers are assigned by inspiration, but I also know that President looks at our abilities and talents as he prays about where to place us.  I sure am going to miss my Sister Hale.  It has been such a blessing to be with her these past six months.  I know she is going to continue to touch so many people!!! 

This past week was really slow for numbers, but we were able to get things organized for transfers and we had some good times finding.  A recent convert (who was baptized in March) came with us to Jax Beach and we had great success!  Funny thing though... only men seemed interested in talking to us...  Haha, we decided she is our secret weapon to increasing the priesthood in the YSA Branch.  We actually had men stopping us to talk!  Flirt to convert right? ;)  The only problem is that now we have guys calling us and asking to hang out.  We always offer to read the Book of Mormon with them! :)  One invited us to go to the shooting range!  That same day a man on the balcony of a hotel on the walkway yelled down to us and asked if we wanted a shot.  That's the first time I've been offered a drink (other than in restaurants of course).  We politely turned him down and told him to check out Mormon.org.  He wanted to know more and came down to talk to us.... or at least to flirt with the convert sister.  But he did accept a Mormon.org card!  We believe some of the people who talk to us will find a true desire to learn the truth.

We also were able to meet with a man named Dillon who hasn't been to church lately.  He travels a lot.  When we first messaged him on Facebook he was in Rome!  He is very smart and I think we are going to be getting some really good studies in as we work with him!

This week Pete and Amy went to New York!  They spent a day in the sacred grove and each were able to go off on their own and kneel and pray.  We were the first ones Pete called to tell about it.  We were practically crying ourselves!  It is truly a miracle to see someone change their life so much!  Just a few years ago Pete was angry at God and now he has turned his life completely over to Him.  Pete and Amy are getting married June 7th!  I am excited I will be here to see them! 

Speaking of weddings, we were able to go to Thomas and Tiffany Wink's wedding reception.  Thomas was baptized about a year ago and Tiffany grew up in Utah and served a mission.  She was the first one who talked to me on my first Sunday in the YSA when I took off my name tag and pretended to be a visitor (it was part of the other sisters' Relief Society lesson).  They looked so completely happy!  It was wonderful to be able to see them!!!  The Craigs were there and the YSA Elders too.  We only had permission to go if we didn't stay too long and if we talked to Thomas's non-member family... which you don't have to tell a missionary twice to do that!  I was even able to give a mormon.org card to  the boyfriend of a girl in the YSA who was asking about missionaries.  The reception had a Tangled theme with lanterns and suns all over.  It was pretty cute!  They were married about two weeks ago in Utah... I think it was in the Bountiful Temple.  Sister Hale's boyfriend, Mitchell, knew them from when he served in this YSA so he was able to go to their wedding!!!  There were actually four past Jacksonville mission missionaries there AND the parents of Elder Tuft, one of the missionaries who taught Thomas.  So it was pretty much a mission reunion/wedding. ;) 

Well, transfers are going to be an adventure!  I'm not one who likes change so I really appreciated the following quote Dad sent: "You're going to change tremendously and the world around you is going to change.  The purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to change you so that you're not trying to resist change.  You're trying to have change take you where the Lord wants you to go." -President Henry B. Eyring BYU-I Devotional Sep. 2001

I know that is true!  It was soooooooooooooooo good to call home for Mother's day! 

I love ya'll and miss you!!!!

Love, Sister Murray


Happy 6 month anniversary!