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| One year Celebration! |
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| In the South-sale on turkey fryers! |
First off: Congratulations to my
mission mamma, Sister Hale! She and Mitchell Calder are officially
engaged! You two are just "a-door-bell!" Love yeeee!
Second: You asked to hear more about
Sister Kloepfer:
She has been out 9 months! This is
only her second area. She was in Timiquana before. She has an older
sister, a younger sister, and two little brothers. she loves chocolate,
pumpkin cake, stir fry... She worked road construction two summers before
she came out and her biggest pet peeve is when people call concrete cement.
(Apparently cement is an ingredient in concrete. Guess I should
have hung out with you at work more Dad!) She will reach the ripe old age
of 20 on December 3rd! We were talking about the age change one day
and before thinking about it she said, "I won't even be as old as you are
now when I go home from my mission!" Thanks Sister. ;) I love
her diligence and hard work. She really puts her heart into the work as
she serves. I am already learning a lot from being with her. She likes to
sing, she loves her family, she LOVES holidays, and she loves Scotty McCreery.
It was a good week! I saw my
first live possum! It was so cute!
Tuesday we went to Jax Beach's
district meeting. We tracted Hoover street. Back story on Hoover street:
Once upon a time there was a girl
named Alyson. She thought it would be fun to put a toy basketball hoop
with a suction cup to her forehead. It was fun, until she took it off and
was left with red mark on her forehead for a week. Gratefully her kind
mother let her use some make up to cover it up.
In another village another girl
named future Sister Kleopfer saw a vacuum and wondered what would happen if she
turned it on and put the hose to her forehead. She soon also found
herself with a red welt on her forehead and borrowed her mother's foundation.
Years down the road these two girls
became companions in the Arlington ward. Realizing they both had such
similar experiences they determined they must be called The Hoover
Sisters! When they were busy at work one day they noticed a street called
Hoover Street! (no joke) And went to work tracting it! Anyway... that night we also
visited a 9 year old boy named Angel. His mother is a convert and married
a non member. Angel has never been baptized, but now he is ready and
excited to make these covenants with his Heavenly Father. He will be
baptized December 6th!
Wednesday we went to the Dunn Ave
District meeting then drove straight to Jax Beach for our second trade
off. I had my first trade off in our area. Sister Hendricks came here and
Sister Kloepfer went to Jax Beach with Sister Hutchins. We had a busy and fun
trade off. Sister Hendricks went to Murray High School so that was a fun
connection. We had a member pick us up for dinner and we had Correlation
with our mission leader. Sister Hendricks had some great comments in the
meeting even though she isn't in the ward!
Thursday was my year mark of the day
I entered the MTC. We traded back companions the by meeting at Rita's for some
Italian ice to celebrate (and because who doesn't like Rita's?) My favorite! I
had gingerbread ice with vanilla custard! Can you say heavenly? Some days you
just have to forget you are trying to eat healthier!
Friday we had lunch with Sister
Pennington and helped her prepare decorations for the Relief Society Christmas
Dinner. I am going to be playing flute at the dinner so that will be
really fun!
Saturday we visited some people and
ran around getting members to participate in the latest Facebook challenge: Thankful
to be a Mormon. We asked members to create a 1 minute video to introduce
themselves and to share what they are thankful for. It is the same idea
as the ALS ice bucket challenge where those members then challenge 3-5 friends
to either make a video or donate cans of food to a food pantry.
We had stake conference that night
in the Hendricks building. It was a really good meeting--all about
hastening the work of salvation. President Spackman, the Stake President,
talked about the difference in being friendly and being a friend. The
latter takes more sacrifice, is more meaningful, and opens doors to share the
gospel. Sister Craig talked about preparing both sons and daughters for
missions by teaching them how to: be independent, set and achieve goals, to
know they are loved by their Heavenly Father, deal with stress, and to know
that life is supposed to be hard. The Craigs were at a mission president
conference most of the week and just flew in that evening! I was able to
see a lot of my YSA's at the conference which was so good! I love them
all so much!
Sunday we planned on several
investigators coming to church. We were disappointed when no one answered
their phones. We went to their houses and no one answered their doors
either. We haven't heard back from Trina McDonald again, and we have had
a hard time teaching Amisty and her mother. We may have to drop
them. That makes me sad, but I know we cant keep trying them if they
aren't willing to act. We were passing out programs when Karen walked
in! She told us she purposely didn't answer her phone just to scare
us! Isn't that awful? She wanted to get us back because the last
time we visited her we knocked on her door and hid to the side so she couldn't
see us. Oh my goodness that last visit was a fun one! I think she
might have been drinking before we got there because she was REALLY
happy. In the I was sitting by her on the couch and when she got to the
end of the closing prayer she couldn't remember how to end so she just started
laughing and fell over into my lap!
This session of stake conference was
really great too! One speaker talked about how he ran away from home at
age 16. He had his Bible with him and inside the cover it said'
"This book will keep you away from sin, or sin will keep you away from
this book." The Allens, of the
temple presidency, spoke about the importance of the temple and temple
work. Satan tries to discredit and distract us from the work of the
temple. Hearing them just increased my determination to attend the temple
regularly again in 6 months! President Craig spoke and told everyone they
need to meet their neighbors! Elder Searle, who is in the Arlington
ward, got to speak. Lucky him! He did a great job! President
Spackman told us that if we want a temple in Jacksonville we not only need too
pray for it, but we need to work for it. We need to increase our family
history, or temple attendance, and our missionary work. This stake has a
goal to have every temple name done be a family file. I cannot wait for there
to be a temple here!
Reflecting on all that has happened
in the past year has really been humbling. A year ago I honestly didn't
think I would survive long enough to have two Christmases in
Florida. I understand more now what Ammon meant when he said,
"I do not boast in my own
strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is
brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God." Alma 26:11
I know the Atonement is real.
I've felt its power so many times. I also have felt the power of prayers
from you and from people all around the world. I am so grateful for those
prayers!
Many mighty miracles have happened
in the last year and I know there are going to be many more to come in the next
six months, and for the rest of my life. When we serve with our heart,
might, mind, and strength we can "expect mighty miracles all day every
day."
Thank you all for your support over
the past year! Love y'all!
Sister Murray
PS- So there was a tornado warning
and a really bad thunder storm and now the power is out.. so if you get
this a day late that is why!
