May 4, 2015 - May the 4th be with you

Hola my family and friends!

Sounds like everyone had a great week!!! Congrats to Bryson and Shelby for your graduations! How exciting! All that hard work has paid off!!! 

Well this week didnt really go as planned.....my stomach  just wasnt feeling better at all, so wednesday I went to the clinic to get checked out. I brought my antibiotics that i was taking. The doctor checked me over and said that the antibiotics that i was taking were really good and should have cleared up my infectedness, but they didnt do the trick....so for the past 5 days i have had to do injectable antibiotics! You all know how much I love needles, but dont you even worry i was a big girl and didnt even cry once! hahaha and here they only do shots in the butt, so basically all the sisters in our ward have seen my butt! hahahaha i feel soooo much better! but ya so i had to rest this entire week! But the Lord blessed us so much and we were able to find a sister to go with Hna Blanco and one to stay with me everyday! So our work could contiue forward!! Yesterday was my first day back working!

CLARA AND MONSE were baptized yesterday! It seriously was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life! Hna Blanco and I waited for her to the side of the font so that when she came out we were waiting right there for her! She was balling, she felt the spirit so strong and knew that her sins were all forgiven and felt clean! She just kept thanking us and hugging us, so we were all soaked! haha but it really was so amazing! Monse did so great too and she was crying and felt the spirit so strong! Ruben has been a little dificult these past couple days because he doesnt really want to change! and yesterday he told Clara that he wasnt going to go to her baptism because he wasnt going to support her....BUT he ended up coming and he was CRYING!!!! and same with Danile their son! The spirit really can touch the hardest of hearts! We sang a special musical number and the spirit was so strong! Everyone was in tears! hahaha it wasnt our voices thats for sure, it was the spirit!

Ahhh i love this work so much and am so grateful to be here! Thank you for all your love and support! I hope you all have a fantastic week!!! 

I AM BEYOND EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS THIS SUNDAY!!!!!!!! COUNTDOWN IS ON!!!! #6days

Con Amor,

Hermana Murray

Hna Ada Alvorez (stake pres wife that lives in our Cerada) she gave me 3 of my injections! Shes the bomb!!

April 27, 2015 - Hola!

My Dear family and Friends,

Sounds like everyone had a great week! Its always great to hear from everyone! Well transfers came and went and.................we are both staying here in San Buenaventura for another cycle!!! Not gonna lie I was a Little disapointed because I was ready for this next adventure with a new companion, but Hna Blanco is awesome and we get along good and are successful together so it will be a great new cycle!!! Its actually pretty rare that after your training you stay with your trainer for another cycle! CLEARLY there is work here that we are not yet done with aka Clara and her family, hahaha but really it will be a great cycle!!

In other news......I got my first stomach infection this week!........awful!!! So this past weekend I have had to stay home a bunch and try and sleep and feel better! But don't worry mom I have already started taking the anti-biotics you sent with me and am already on the road to recovery! I am on a strict saltine cracker and Manzana Lift diet for the next few days haha but really its about time that I got sick! Also, the other week we were late getting home so we were literally running home and I twisted my ankle!!! hahaha who would have thought that my shoes aren't for running and didn't have any ankle support! Its been pretty swollen the past week or so but these past couple days that I have been home resting have been good for it too. Basically I am a hot messsss! hahaha but I got a blessing yesterday so basically I'll be all ready to work tomorrow!

This week was good though! Clara and Monse (her daughter) are going to be baptized this SUNDAY!!!!!! Pray everything goes smoothly!! They are both so excited and ahhhh just so ready!! AND RUBEN and their son Daniel accepted baptism dates for 24th of MAY!!!!! UNREAL!!!! We are seeing so many miracles everyday!! We also found 3 new investigators this past week and they are all awesome!!! Guadelupe and her daughter and this other girl named Verónica! They are all bomb and are very receptive! We have a lot of work here in San Buenaventura and we are happy we get to stay and witness miracles here!!

Thank you all for your love and prayers! It really means to much to me! This góspel is so true and it really changes peoples lives! I am so grateful to witness miracles each day and to be apart of this great work. I know our Heavenly Father loves us more than we can even imagine and that we have so much work to do here on the earth! I hope you all have a fantastic week!!

Hasta luego!

Con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Murray

This rad speaker my investigator gave me! hahaha its so retro and its amazingly loud!!! hahaha love it!!!! and it clips on your belt or wear it as a necklace!!! hahahahah

April 20, 2015 - Another Day Another Dollar$$$$

Que tal mi familia y mis amigos!!

First of all Happy Birthday Bryson yesterday! I was thinking about you all day! Hope your bday was so great!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!

I cant believe how fast the weeks go by here. I feel like just yesterday I was emailing you guys! But sad news we didn't get to go on our Little adventure to the pyramids because we couldn't find a member to take us....because its too sketchy to go by ourselves! Haha but hopefully another time!

Happy 3 months tomorrow!!! Hna Guerrero and I are pictured below! Haha But for real these past 3 months have gone by so fast! Its crazy that I will be finishing my training next week! I have enjoyed my time with Hna Blanco but am so excited to start this next chapter!!

This week was great! We are seriously so excited about Clara and her family, they literally are all angels! We took them to a baptism yesterday and Ruben started crying during it!! God is real, and he softens peoples hearts! It literally was amazing! Now we just need to give him a baptism date!! But Clara's baptism date will probs be changed to next week (after transfers) because we haven't had time to teach her everything yet :( boooo!!! But really we think she will be better prepared waiting until the next week! I love this family so much. Below is a pic of us and their family! They literally are amazing!! AHHH i love them!!

We are mostly focusing on Clara and her family and Kevin and his parents!! We had a great lesson with Kevin and his parents this week, and the spirit was so strong that Octavio (Kevin's dad) started to cry! God is real and touches peoples hearts!!!

Funny thing that happened this week.....we were eating at a members house and it was me Hna Blanco, Hna Guerrero, and Hna Bello. We were eating this really weird pasta with meatballs..........yikers! haha Hna Guerrero thought she was so sneaky and started stuffing her 9 meatballs in her bread roll and then thought she would just throw it away.......Hna Lupita caught her!!!! hhahahahah YIKES!!! and told her she had to eat everything on her plate! It was the funniest thing ever! We literally were dying laughing!! Oh they found a house this week so they moved out of our house this week...... SO sad, I am going to miss them so much!

But transfers are next week, we will find out Sunday night who is leaving! Super sad! But I know that the Lord will take me or leave me where I am supposed to be! So I will let you know next week what happens!!!

I am so grateful to be a missionary! The misión really is probably the hardest thing I have ever done but it is SOOOOO worth it!! We witness miracles everyday and it really is so amazing! This church is so true and we see it change peoples lives all the time! I am so grateful for my support system and for all the love i feel! Thank you for your prayers! I hope you all have an amazing week!! LOVE YOU ALL WITH ALL MY HEART!!!!!

April 13, 2015 - Another Fantastic Week Here in MEXICOOOO!!!!

Hola my dear family and friends!

From your emails it sounds like everyone had a fantastic week! Which I love hearing! We had a fantastic week this week! And most importantly, drumb roll please................KEVIN WAS BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!

OH my gosh it was literally the best thing of my entire life! He literally melts my heart, I love him so much! He is the chillest and strongest 9 year old ever! Like who just gets baptized at 9 years old when your parents arent members! He literally is amazing and ahhhhh I just dont even know how to explain my feelings! His baptism service was so perfect! Hilda Cuevas (his grandma that got baptized in feb) and almost her whole family came! So basically she has 6 kids and they all have kids and I believe 4 of them came and supported Kevin, including Kevin's parents! I seriously LOVE this family so much! I cant even imagine my life not knowing them! But really the service was so beautiful, we had great speakers, and a special musical number by.........MEEEEE and Hna Blanco. We sang I am a child of god and did our own arrangement in Spanish and English! It turned out awesome!! (My fear of singing in front of people literally is gone, I have to do it all the time now so that's good)! But really his baptism was amazing and he was SOOOOO happy!!! And his parents were super happy too!! LOVE THEM!!!!!

Clara and her family continue to be amazing! They are so awesome! We have to change her baptism date, because we havent had the chance to teach her all the lessons yet but we are hoping she will be baptized before Transfers the 28th!!!! PRAY!!! We had a Visita Guidad with her this week basically we take them and tour the church and teach them what happens in each room. And when we go into the room were the baptismal font we always invite them to be baptized, her son Daniel was a little unsure, which is totally fine, but her daughter Moncerat (11 years old) was like I definitely want to be baptized the 9th of may!!!!! She is the sweetest and LOVES the church!!!!!! I love this family so much!! So ya we continue to work with them! Reuben couldnt be there for the tour so we havent invited him to be baptized yet, but hopefully this week!! 

Transfers are April 28th, and since I will be done with my training either Hna Blanco or I will be transfered. So sad, but so exciting to be starting this next phase of my mission! I DONT WANT TO LEAVE SAN BUENA though! Literally will ball my eyes out if I get transferred!!! hahaha but if it's the Lords will I guess I will be fine :) hahaha #SOdramatic

Next week I may or may not have time to write, so if you don't get an email from me don't freak out (especially you mom) haha its because Hna Blanco and I will be going to Teotihuacan which is these really cool pyramids and then they have all these cool things you can buy! We are so excited!!! We will be going with a member, not sure who yet but it will be an all day affair! We are PUMPED!!! IT will be bomb.com!!!

The other Hermanas continue to live with us! Which is bomb for me because Hna Guerrero and I are tight! Basically she is my long lost twin! We laugh so much and the other Hnas usually get annoyed of our laughter......but that's how we stay sane!!!! ahhahahah it really is way fun!! I love all the girls in our house right now! ITS A BLAST!!!!!

But I have to go......the time always runs out so fast!! Its insane!! But know that I love you all SOOOO much and pray for you daily! I know this church is true with my whole heart and literally cant believe I am here in the Mexico City Chalco mission serving the Lord! Seems like a dream almost everyday!! The Lord loves each and every one of you and only wants you to be happy, draw closer to him each and everyday! 

Have a fantatstic week my loves!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Meowry

April 6, 2015 - Living in Mexico = Constant Entertainment

My amazing family and friends!!!!

I hope you all had a fantastic Conference weekend! I sure did!! I GOT TO WATCH IT IN ENGLISH!!!! What a miracle!!! haha because I literally wouldn't understand anything in Spanish! It's a completely different language! haha But we have a of of American missionaries so in the stake center they put it in English for us in our own room! So grateful!!! It was so amazing, I learned SOO much and need to apply it to my life ASAP!!!! haha

I don't know if I have told you guys this, but everyone here literally stares at me and whistles at me and yells at me constantly! So if you ever need a confidence boost move to Mexico city! They basically act like they have never seen a white person in their lives! haha I have had some pretty hilarious stories!! This week this guy yells to me in Spanish "Hello white girl, I want to marry you!!!!" I usually never respond or anything and out of nowhere Hermana Blanco just goes off on the guy and yells at him!! HAHAHA I literally was laughing SOOOOOO hard!!!! I am just so used to it, but it bothers her so bad! literally kills me!! hahaha anyways just a funny thing that happened this week! 

But this week in San Buena was greattttt! We have a baptism this next Sunday the 12 of April! Our little investigator Kevin, he is 9 and the cutest thing ever!! He is the grandson of Hilda and Fidel Cuevas our investigators that got baptized the end of February!! He loves the Church! He wanted to be baptized ever since he went to church the first time with Fidel and Hilda! This family literally is GOLD I am telling you!! So we are very excited for his baptism this next Sunday!! Pray that everything goes smoothly!! His parents never have had interest in the Church, but said that if it was something that he wanted to do they would allow him to be baptized! How awesome are they!!! BUT even more awesome!! So through different experiences they have finally ACCEPTED us to start teaching them!!!!!! #MIRACLE #IMDYING #NOTREALLIFE Seriously such a blessing!

They are struggling really bad financially right now, and so the Church is helping them have food to eat because they literally had NOTHING; not even beans or anything. So sad, broke my heart! So the Church is helping them and it has really humbled them and they really want to learn more! Their names are Octavio and Karen, I love them so much! Octavio is having heart issues right now and can't work, so that's really tough too! BUT they asked for a blessing last night and so Elder Capitan came and gave him a blessing! So great!!!

Clara contiues to be an All-Star! She literally amazes me! Her WHOLE ENTIRE FAMILY!!! Her and her husband, and 4 kids came to conference Yesterday!!!!........ We all may or may not have rode in the same taxi! It was a miracle we all fit! It literally was a clown car! We scrapped SOO bad on every speed bump....oh ya there are speed bumps here every 5 feet basically! hahaha but this family is so amazing and they all LOVE the Church!! Clara is still set to be baptized on the 18th, we are working with the family to set baptism dates with them this week!! But she really amazes me, she has come the past 4 weeks to church! THAT NEVER happens!!! God really has prepared her and her family and I just have so much love for them! 

Thank you all so much for your support! I couldn't do this whole mission thing without the love and support from all the people who are so important to me!! I am so grateful for this Gospel and the great blessing that I get to be a missionary! It still blows my mind that I am in Mexico! Unreal! I feel so honored to be serving here in Chalco!! I love this Gospel with all my heart and am amazed at how much I have already learned! This is the hardest but most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. Thank you all for everything! Have a fantastic week my loves! 

HASTA LUEGO!!!!

Con MUCHO amor,

Hermana Kitty Murray

March 30, 2015 - Hermana Murray is "Feelin 22!"

Hello my dear family and friends,

I am feeling so much older now that I have reached 22 years of living! haha Crazy!!! BUT my b-day was great! I have been blessed with so many amazing people here that love me and celebrated with me. I LOVED the package family! The necklace is amazing and I wear it all the time and everyone wants one! haha

This past week was great here in San Buenaventura, we are SUPER stoked right now with Clara and her family! They invited us to breakfast this past week and it was so great! We were reading the scripture that talks about how during the apostacy the world would be thirsty and hungry but not for food, for the word of God. She stopped us and said that she feels that same way now! And that she is so interested in learning more and understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ!! Can you say miracle or what?? God literally has prepared her for this time! Her and her husband came to Church this Sunday! She has come 3 times now and she absolutely LOVES it!!! Her kids are so great too, 2 are of baptism age, so we are working with them! But we really feel so blessed to be here in San Buena preaching the Word!! 

I can't believe its already April! Time literally is flying! Thank you for the pics of my b-day pancakes! I died laughing! So great though!!! 

Sorry I don't have much time left, but just know that I am doing great here in San Buenaventura and am so stoked for Conference this weekend! We watched the Women's Conference on Saturday, but it was super hard to understand, so we will see how it goes this weekend! 

I love you all so much and am so grateful for all the love and support that I receive, there are many here that are not as fortunate as I am to always have emails to read! So thank you all so much!! 

I am so grateful that I am called as a representative of Jesus Christ and that I get to share the Gospel to the people in Chalco! These people are amazing and I really am so blessed to know them! I am learning so much about myself and how to be a better missionary and person. This Gospel really is the only way that we can be happy here on Earth. We are all so blessed to know it, I pray that we can all watch Conference this next weekend with a question in our hearts and minds, because I testify that God knows us individually and knows our personal needs and desires and wants to answer our prayers! I love this Gospel so much and see it change lives everyday!

Have a great week my dear family and friends! Know that Hermana Murray prays for you everyday and loves you more than words can describe!

Con amor,

Hermana Murray

March 23, 2015 - #Humility

Hello my dear Friends and family!

I don't have much time today, its been a very busy Monday! We went into Chalco to the mission offices to get my Passport and to go change my dollars to pesos, so we took the new sisters that are in our area with us! Hermana Bello is training Hermana Guerrero who is from Texas! She is a hoot and we just laugh so much!! We actually entered the Provo MTC the same date!! Cray cray!!! But it was super fun because we got to go to the markets and buy some stuff! It was great!! They are currently living with us until they can find a house in their area! So we now have 6 hermanas in our Ward!! So crazy!!!

This week was great!! We had an amazing experience the other week, we were humbled that's for sure! So we were visiting with our recent convert Hilda (she is the one that got baptized a couple weeks ago with her husband and son) they literally are amazing! She is like my mom here, my Mexican mom!! Love her so much! We visit them almost every day! It's really amazing the love that we all share! So we were visiting with her and she was telling us about her neighbor Berta, that is extremely sick. She's told us about her before because Hilda is like the best missionary ever and tells all her neighbors about us and invites them to learn more about the Gospel! We've gotten so many references from her! AHHH I LOVE HER!!! 

So Hilda was talking to Berta, and Berta kept saying NO I don't want them to come over I am Catholic (that's what everyone says....until they meet us.... haha).  So this particular night Berta was not doing good health-wise so Hilda ran over and asked if it was okay if we came over and talked to Berta.  She finally agreed, so Hermana Blanco and I went over.  I have never been more humbled in my entire life and I prayed for like an hour that night thanking my Heavenly Father for all the MILLIONS of blessing that I have in my life.  Their front door is a tarp, and you walk in onto their property and their house is a little ways back, it's dirt floors, it's freezing cold, the 4 year old is in bed with a fever and is coughing so hard she is throwing up.  The mom , Berta, is in worse condition.  Basically barely breathing.  We start talking to her and I sit down next to her and put my arm around her and just talk with her trying to console her.  She tells us all the things that have happened in her life... I seriously was tearing up because I couldn't believe the trials this woman has been through.  She said to us "I don't believe there is a God, because if there was, how could He let all this happen to me."  My heart just ached for her, because I just wanted her to have the knowledge that I HAVE!!! And that I HAVE HAD MY WHOLE LIFE!!!  We are so blessed to have this Gospel.  

We called Hermano Pablo and his wife Cristina and they came rushing over to help.  Their son had this same illness before and they knew exactly what to buy and handed over the money and sent Fidel y Hilda to buy it.  No hesitation.  Hermano Pablo is also in charge of "dispensions" (I don't know if that's the Word in English) but it's where the Church provides food and necessities for people in the ward.  Berta's house also doesn't have a kitchen and she cooks all their meals over a fire, which is basically killing her by the second and making her illness SO much worse! So Hermano Pablo organized to bring her gas and a stove to use.  It really was amazing to see them help with no hesitation, and to see the love that God has for this family. 

Oh and i forgot to mention that Berta has 7 kids, and none of them are in school because she doesn't have identification.  Anyways this was such a tender night, and we sat with her and said a prayer, and told her that God IS HERE; and that He LOVES her so much and is showing her that He exists by all these people that are here to care for her!!!  I felt so much love for her and just wanted to help her and her kids.  She makes like 25 pesos a day, which is not even 2 dollars.  Her kids eat like every other day.  It really humbled me and makes me realize the amazing blessings that I have in my life - my incredible family, friends, our house, never going without food, having healthcare, and this amazing Gospel! I really honestly want to know what I did to deserve to be this blessed in my life.  I will never forget this day.

Maria y Clara are both progressing SO WELL!!! Clara is literally amazing and is so excited to be baptized! Maria is really receptive, just hopes that her husband can accept it too!  SO pray for Martin Martínez, that he can open his heart and be willing to make the changes in his life!!

Thank you all for the B-Day wishes! I AM FEELING 22!!! Thanks T Swift for making me excited to turn 22 so I can finally sing this song!! Haha. But for real Thank you all so much!!! 

OH AND WHILE WE WERE AT THE OFFICES TODAY...... THE DHL TRUCK pulled up!!!!! and Yep there was my package!!  So I got it today! Literally a miracle, and blessing from the LORD!!!  I haven't had time to really open it yet and see everything!  BUT thank you so much!  I feel so loved!  Getting mail and packages here literally is like GOLD!!! Haha.

Well, I just want to end this email with my testimony.  I know that this Church is true, with all my heart.  I know that families are eternal.  I know I am beyond blessed to be serving here in San Buenaventura.  I LOVE THIS WARD so much and have so many friends here now.  I know this Gospel changes lives and really is the only way we can be happy here on this earth.  The Lord knows us personally and LOVES us so much and just wants us to be happy!  All we have to do is turn to Him and He will give us the strength that we need to make it through any trial!  The Atonement is SO real!  And is an incredible blessing that we have!  It's a tool that we need to use in our daily lives.  I know and have come to learn that the Atonement is not just for our sins but includes EVERY feeling we ever feel.  Our Savior understands 100% and knows how to comfort us when we are sad, and going through hard times!  TURN TO HIM!!!  HE is always there just waiting! 

I love being a missionary SO much! And have made so many friends here!!  Friends that I will have forever!  I love you all so much and hope you know that I pray for you every day!!!  Stay close to the Lord, and have an amazing week!! 

Until next week my loves!!

Con amor,

Hermana Kitty Murray