UP ON THE HOUSETOP CAUSE I AM SNEAKING INTO YOUR CHIMNEYS!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!!

So glad that I get to talk to everyone again!! I hope that everyone had an awesome Christmas and that you were able to make this one memorable. My week was pretty good, not a whole lot going on since it was the holiday season and everyone was spending time with their family. Spending Christmas with the members is always a good time because I get to see the kind of different traditions that people have. But without further delay let us jump right on into this thing!

Also to preface I don't have a ton of time to email today so apologies in advance for it being a little shorter.

Cool things that happened this week is that Elder Heppler and I went out and got a tree to put up in our apartment so we could make it a little more festive. It was a little wild and all over the place when we first got it but I was able to trim it back and make it look somewhat presentable.

Christmas Eve was pretty sweet. We went to church for one hour and then the Branch here hooked us up big time with some gifts! They gave us loads of candy and a bunch of gift cards to go out to eat places and other things like shampoo, shoe polish, and socks! It honestly made my day. I am so grateful to be serving in an area with amazing members like this. That day we spent hanging out with members and playing Phase 10.

Christmas was sick! In the morning Elder Heppler and I took turns opening gifts so we could start the day off right. After that we went to a member's house for breakfast and then played some board games. Then we went over to the Scott's so we could Skype home to our families. I really enjoyed that. It was nice to see and talk to everyone again. I am so grateful for the family that I have and the continual love and support that they give me. I love them very much. After we got done Skyping we went over to the Ayer's for dinner and then we played some Balderdash.

But yeah that is all I got for this week! Hope everyone continues to have a good rest of their week and get ready for the New Year. My next email won't come out until next Wednesday because of transfers and New Years.

Love and miss you all!! 

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

THE ROARING WATERS OF NIAGARA!!!!!!

HEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

So glad I get to talk to all of you again and hear about all the things that you are doing! I hope that everyone has had an amazing week and that you are getting all ready for the Christmas season. My week was pretty good and had some pretty great adventures in it! But without further delay, let us jump right on into this thing!!

Monday was super awesome I got to go to Niagara Falls!!! It was something to see, it was absolutely beautiful and majestic. It is also like a constant downpour in certain spots because of the spray from it!! I took lots of pictures but they just don't do it justice. After the Falls we made a stop at Bass Pro Shop and took a look around in there. Elder Heppler and I were able to control ourselves and not blow all of our money while we were in there. Then we drove back to Simcoe and spent the rest of the night walking around. 

Tuesday was a pretty chill day. We had a lesson with an investigator and then we went around shoveling driveways because it had snowed a little bit. We went and had dinner at a member’s place and it was pretty good and they have a beautiful home! After that we went back to Simcoe and spent the rest of the night walking around.

Wednesday we had district meeting in the morning and that went really well. After district meeting we went back to Simcoe and had lunch and did some make up studies. Then we did a couple of drop by's and then had dinner at a member’s place. We did a couple more drop by's and then we walked around for the rest of the night.

On Thursday we did some cleaning in the apartment to make it look all nice and then we helped a member take a couple of things to the dump. After that we got some haircuts so we could keep on looking fresh. Then we drove to Tilsonburg to have dinner with one of my past investigators that I still keep in contact with. That was super awesome and it was so good to see him again.

On Friday nothing really exciting happened. We did some weekly planning and a lot of walking around and dropping by to visit with people. In the night though we went over to the church to shovel the sidewalks because there was a Relief Society dinner that night and after we got done shoveling we got invited!! So we were able to have a dinner that was super awesome!

Saturday we did a lot of shoveling because it had been snowing the entire week. I think we have around 20 inches on the ground. We also picked up a new hobby and that is soap carving!! We decided that we wanted to develop some random skills and that is what we came up with. I am pretty bad right now but I am definitely going to keep at it!!

Sunday was pretty good, Elder Heppler and I both spoke in church and everyone said that they really enjoyed it. After church we had some lunch and then went and had a lesson with one of our investigators and that went super well. That night we had dinner with the members we are going to be spending Christmas with so that was super awesome.

Well that is all I got for this week! I hope everyone has a good rest of their week and an awesome Christmas next week!! Thank you for the continual love and support!

Love and miss you all!

--

Elder Murray

HO HO HO EVERYBODY!!!

What's going on!? So glad I get to talk to all of you again this week and read about all the stuff that you have been up to. I hope that everybody's week was fantastic and that you were able to accomplish a lot. My week was pretty good not a whole lot happened but it was a good week nonetheless. Anyways without further delay let’s jump right on into this email!! Monday was super fun. We met up with a bunch of missionaries and went bowling in Hamilton. So you already know that your boy had to bust out the skills and show all these people how we do it back in the 208! Waxed the floor with everyone! I got 124 on the first game and then 138 on the second. A lot of fun though and the missionaries in this zone are a blast to be around! We also had dinner with a member that night and it was a really good. They have been on a lot of cool trips too! He is a retired police officer and now does investigation work and they have been all over the world and they showed us all the pictures. Tuesday was a pretty good day. We went to Delhi in the morning and dropped by some people over there and had some good chats. Then we came back and we helped a member build some trusses for solar panels that he wants to put on his roof. So we had to break out the mathematics so we could find the proper angles and then the carpentry skills so we could start constructing everything. It is starting to turn out well and now the next step is to get onto the roof so we can put them up there. After that we had dinner with them and it was delicious, Tacos yum!!! The rest of the night we spent walking around talking to people. Wednesday we went to Port Dover and dropped by some people and hit up the scene and talked to people on the way. After that we came home and had some dinner and then went walking around in Simcoe for the rest of the night. Thursday was a rough one indeed!! I woke up in the morning and I was not feeling that great, but we had District Meeting in Hamilton that morning so I tried to suck it up and get over there. We made it there and got through the meeting and I felt even worse so I told Elder Heppler that we needed to get home as soon as possible. We drove about 15 minutes and I ended up spilling my guts all over the side of the highway. Soooo we spent the rest of the day in the apartment and I just slept so I could get to feeling better as soon as possible. Friday I was feeling a little better but not great. We decided to go out and do some things. We went out to Waterford and dropped by a bunch of people and had some pretty good success. Then we came back home and did some weekly planning and ate some dinner. Then we spent the rest of the night walking around. Saturday we went out to Port Rowan, St. Williams, and Long Point in the morning and early afternoon to go see a bunch of people and we decided to have a picnic on the beach in Long Point. We packed a lunch and brought it with us. After we came back we helped a member put up all of their Christmas lights and then they took us out for dinner. After dinner we spent the rest of the night walking around downtown. Sunday was pretty good. We had meetings in the morning and then the regular block schedule. The speakers were really good. They talked about seeing one's self worth and continuing to try. After church we came back and had some lunch and then we went and saw Mike and talked to him for a bit. We did some make up studies and then we cooked up some grub to eat. The rest of the night we spent walking around the town talking to people. That's all I got for this week! Thank you so much for the continual support that you show me, I really appreciate it! I hope you all have a good rest of your week! Love and miss you all! -- Elder Murray

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!!!!!!!

HEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY EVERYONE!!!!!!

So glad I get to talk to all of you again this week and hear about all the amazing things you are doing! My week has been pretty good, nothing super exciting but pretty awesome nonetheless. But anyways let’s jump right on into this thing!!

Monday was just a regular ‘ole P-day. We just did some emailing and some shopping. We didn't have a dinner that night so we just ate at home. After that we just spent the rest of the night walking around talking to people. 

Tuesday I totally forgot what we did and I don't have it written down because I dropped my planner outside and I didn't realized it and it rained that night so I was nursing it back to life so that I could still use it. The planner is all good now, just took a little loving that's all.

Wednesday we had District Meeting in the morning and that was pretty good. Elder Heppler and I came up with a little remix of a country song and we sang it in the meeting. I don't have the video of it but hopefully I can get it by next week. After District Meeting we went to Costco and got some hot dogs for lunch and then I went on exchanges to Oakville with Elder Auerbach. It was a blast and he is a really awesome guy. He has only been a member of the church for about a year and a half and he has such a strong desire to serve. We went out to eat with a member at a Korean Restaurant and it was super good! Then we went over to the church for mutual and we helped them build boxes and had some Root Beer floats. That night we played the Bean Boozled game in the apartment and I was doing pretty good until I got Rotten Egg. Let me tell you something that stuff is nasty, fowl and utterly atrocious! Never again!

Thursday we had to exchange back in the morning so that Elder Heppler and I could make it to a lunch appointment we had. After that we spent the day dropping by to visit with people, walking around and doing some weekly planning.

Friday was super fun! We went to this place called Long Point because neither of us has been there so we wanted to check it out. Let me tell you, it was absolutely beautiful out there! It was so peaceful and just amazing scenery. I took pictures of it but they don't really do it justice. After Long Point we came back home and grabbed some grub and then went and visited a returning member couple to finish off the night.

Saturday nothing too exciting was going on until the evening. We had to drive to Hamilton because it was Stake Conference. We got there a little early and got some dinner with the Elders from Oakville. The Conference was really good, we heard from Elder Kunz from the 70 and he talked a lot about the importance of having family councils. After the conference we had to scurry back home because the Conference didn't end until 9.

Sunday was good, had another session of Conference in the morning. After that we went home and ate some lunch and then did some studies. Then we had a lesson with one of our investigators and that went super well. He always asks some really good questions. After that we went to a members place and helped them with a couple of things. Then we went back home and grabbed some dinner and then walked around and talked to some people and then ended the night with watching the Christmas Devotional.

That's all I got for this week, thank you so much for the continual support and love that you send my way it means the world to me. I hope everyone is having a great time and getting ready for the Holidays.

Love and miss you all!

--

Elder Murray

A NEW PLACE BUT NOT MUCH HAPPENING

HEEEEEELLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Hey so glad I get to speak to everyone again! Hope your week has been good and full of awesome experiences. My week has been pretty good, nothing too crazy just the regular stuff, trying to adjust to the new area and meet all of the members here. But anyways let’s jump right on into this email!!!

Monday was the last P day of the transfer and it was a crazy one. We had sports in Barrie that day so we drove down and met up with some other elders and had some sushi. Then we went and played some sports and signed journals. Oh and I got to smash a pie in another missionary’s face because I made a bet with him and won! It was super good I will try to get the video for you guys. After that we scurried back home and ate a super fast dinner with the Spackmans then we went and said good bye to a couple of members. Then we had to drive to Orillia so I could drop off Elder Olson and pick up Elder Coffey and then drive down to Aurora to spend the night.

Tuesday was transfers and that is always interesting. I got to see a bunch of missionaries I haven't seen in a bit. Then the rest of the day was spent driving to the new area and meeting my new comp and having dinner that night.

Wednesday we went and did some service in the community by helping them set up their Christmas Decorations in the park. Then we did some studies and then we went and dropped by some people and invited them out to the Christmas party that was happening on Saturday. We had dinner at Sister Tisdale’s house and it was super delicious. After that we went walking around for a couple of hours.

Thursday was pretty good not a whole lot happened, it was American Thanksgiving though!! We didn't have a dinner appointment that night so Elder Heppler and I just chilled at the apartment and ate some left overs.

Friday we had District Meeting in Hamilton and that was good. I have a lot of great people in my district this transfer so it should be really fun. After that we had interviews with the mission president and lunch. Then we drove back and stopped by some people on the way and finally got back home and had dinner at the MacDonald's house and it super good. Then we walked around some more for the rest of the night.

Saturday we had breakfast with the MacDonald's in the morning and then we went to help some people move into their new house for a couple of hours and they got us lunch too which was super nice! Afterwards we made up our studies and then went to the Branch Christmas party that night. It was super fun I got to meet a lot of the people there. It kind of reminded me of the parties we would have back at home except I didn't know anybody. That took up the majority of the night and they gave us all the leftovers so we have lots of food now!!

Sunday was pretty good, not as hectic as Midland so I get to have a little bit of a break now. It was testimony meeting so I was able to hear from more of the members. The classes were great as well, Elder Heppler gave the priesthood lesson and he did an awesome job. After church we had a lesson with a guy and then drove out to our dinner appointment we had that night. They are an awesome family and said we could come and skype at their place on Christmas so that will be sick!!

Now to explain the area and my companion a bit. Simcoe is about a city of 14,000 people so I am still a country boy. Not a whole lot going on here since it is winter time and most of the people have left for the winter. Elder Heppler is from Lonepine, Montanna with a population of about 140 people, so he is the REAL country boy between the two of us. He came out one month after I did so he has got some experience. I love this guy already, we have so much fun together and we have the exact same truck back at home just the color is different!! I can tell that we are going to have a blast this transfer.

That's all I got for this week. Hope everyone has a good rest of their week.

Love and miss you all!!

--

Elder Murray

THE NEXT CHAPTER HAS BEGUN!!!!!

SO LONG....FAREWELL, TO YOU MY FRIIIIIEEEEENNNNDDDDSSS!! GOOD BYE FOR NOW UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!

Hello everyone! So glad I get to talk to all of you again and read about the things you have been up to. Everything is going pretty well with me and I will apologize but this email is going to be VERY SHORT because I gotta leave in like 10 minutes. So to let you know what is happening.

I am leaving Midland and I am going to Simcoe to be with Elder Heppler. It is down around the Hamilton area so they are sending me south for the winter! Kind of sad to leave the people here in Midland but I am excited to move on to the next adventure!

This week was pretty good. We had our last district meeting and were able to meet with some amazing people. We also took a trip to Port Severn and Honey Harbour to visit some people and look around. 

But yeah that is all I got. I will attach some pics for you guys so I am not just short handing ya.

I love you all and hope you have a good rest of your week!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!!!

GOOOD MORRRRRRNNNNNIIIIINNNNGGG!!

So glad I get to talk to everyone again this week! I hope that everyone had a good week and that it wasn't too crazy and hectic. First of all happy Veterans Day to all of you and a big thank you for those that have served and that are serving now. Thank you for protecting our rights and our freedoms. My week was pretty good, nothing too crazy and wild but a nice week overall. Without any further delay let us jump right on into this thing!!!

Tuesday nothing really crazy happened, just regular p-day stuff and then had some tacos at the Thompson's.

Wednesday was pretty rough. I couldn’t sleep at all the night before because of this massive migraine that I had. So Wednesday was pretty uneventful because of the amount of pain that I was in and my eyes were completely red so everyone thought I was on some sort of drugs. 😂 We had dinner with a member and it was super good and we had mutual with the young men. We watched the District with them to show what being on a mission is like. They all enjoyed it and they started asking more questions about a mission so hopefully it gets them a little more motivated to serve.

Thursday was good. My migraine died down a lot! We had a lesson with the returning member couple again and it went really well and they both got callings in the church!! They are progressing so much it is so amazing. After that I went to Collingwood for exchanges and I was with Elder Marsden. It was a good time. We did some service and got to experience the first snow fall in the area. Then we spent the night walking around in the blizzard. ❄❄❄

Friday we did our studies in the morning then we met up with the other Elders at 98 Super Panda to exchange back and have lunch. After lunch Elder Olson and I drove back to Midland did some weekly planning and then had dinner at the Corbiers. Then we spent the rest of the night dropping by less actives.

Saturday most of the day was spent visiting people in the branch to see how they were doing and if there was anything that we could do for them. Before dinner that night we helped a guy move some drywall down into his basement. After that we tried to drop by more people but we struck out so we spent the night calling people at the Spackman's.

Sunday was good, crazy hectic as always but good. The theme for sacrament meeting was the blessings of tithing so that was super good to hear. The classes were all good. We talked about the Holy Ghost and the importance of self-reliance. After church we had some lunch and then did our studies and then we traveled to Barrie for a stake priesthood meeting. The meeting was good and I got to see some people I haven't seen in a while. After the meeting we drove back home and wrapped up the day.

Well that's all I got for this week, hope everyone has a good and safe rest of the week. Keep on being awesome and stay looking beautiful.

Love and miss you all!!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

THE STRONGEST MAN IN MIDLAND!!!!!

Hey everyone!! So happy that I get to talk to all of you again this week and hear about all of the amazing things you have been up to. Sorry about not letting you all know last week but we had a Zone Conference in Toronto all day yesterday so that is why I didn't get a chance to email. But we are here today! This week has been pretty good. I had a couple of cool experiences and a new addition to the wardrobe so I can keep looking fresh. But anyways let us jump right on into this email!!!

Monday was pretty good. We went to Barrie and had a Zone Halloween party. It was super fun. We had a pumpkin carving contest to see who could carve the best pumpkin. We were separated into groups of four and my team came up with a brilliant idea. We decided to make a snowman pumpkin!!! It looked super legit and of course my team won the contest for creativity and originality. After that we played some Kill Ball and had a fun time with that. Then we came back home had some dinner and then dropped by to visit some people.

Tuesday I finally finished a life debate that I have been struggling with. I have been debating whether or not I should buy new shoes. So I came to the decision to just bite the bullet and bought a fresh new pair of brown shoes. And I will say I am quite happy with my decision! It was also Halloween on Tuesday so we had to be in our apartment at 7 so we could be safe. We pretty much spent the day visiting with people and walking around. We spent the night at the Spackman's just hanging out and talking about Halloween stories.

Wednesday we had District Meeting in the morning. It went pretty well and we talked about how to have a more effective morning schedule to get us better prepared for the day. After the meeting we came back to Midland and made up our studies and went to drop by a couple of people. That night we had dinner at the Healey's and it was super good and then went to the church for mutual that night. And that night is where the title of this email stems from. The young men decided that they wanted to have an arm wrestling competition so we made the bracket and started to go for it. Long story short I beat everyone that was there!! But it didn't just stop there! I have been challenging every man in the Branch to an arm wrestling competition! Thus far I am undefeated, 14-0. So basically you can say that I am just an unstoppable force, so Dad and Sethe, you boys better prepare yourselves for when I get back cuz you boys are going DOWN!!!

Thursday we had a lesson in the morning with a returning member couple that went super well as always because they are so amazing!! After that the rest of the day was spent visiting with  people and doing some weekly planning. That night we had Bible Class and we are starting fresh in Luke Chapter 1. I learn so much from teaching that class and I am so grateful for the people who attend it.

Friday I had exchanges in Georgian Bay. I was with Elder Leyton all day, and he is from Peru! I had a really good time with him. We basically spent the day visiting with people and walking around in Collingwood. 

Saturday we exchanged back in the morning and then we helped a new family move into their house. They are from Barrie and have 3 kids so they will be an awesome addition to the Branch. After helping them we went back home and finished weekly planning and then went back to help them again because they had another load come in. After we got finished over there, we went to have dinner with the Sheppards at Pizza Pizza. After dinner we spent the rest of the night walking around and talking to people.

Sunday was hectic and great as usual. Meetings starting at 8:30 in the morning and then church right after. I ended up having to wing a lesson for 3rd hour because the teacher didn't show and they asked me to do it. After church we did our studies and then went and had dinner at the Branch President's house. Then we had the Self Reliance Course at the church for the rest of the night.

Monday was amazing! Like I said we had Zone Conference in Toronto all day and Elder Pearson from the Seventy came to speak to us. He was absolutely amazing!! He was an excellent speaker and gave us all really good insight about how to be better missionaries. I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to him one on one! He chose five missionaries that he wanted to speak to AND I WAS ONE OF THEM!! It was really good, he asked me how I was doing and how I thought the conference went and just got to know me more as an individual. After the meeting we drove back home and had dinner at a Chinese place.

That's all I got for this week! Thank you all for the continual support that you show me as I am out here. Hope you all have a good rest of your week!

Love and miss you all!!!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

HEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Hey everybody! So glad that I get to talk to all of you again this week and read all of the amazing things you have been up to. The Meridian Temple Open House was this past week and I am super jelly that I missed it! But it is okay I will definitely be going when I get back. This week was pretty good, nothing too exciting and the weather is cooling down a bit so I am loving that! Anyways let’s jump right on into it!

Monday was a pretty good day, we spent the day emailing at the Spackman's. Then we had dinner with them and then we went to an investigator that lives on a boat to wish him a farewell because he is headed back to Saskatchewan. He was stoned out of his mind when we talked to him, oh and he asked me to write his daughter...pretty weird but okay.

On Tuesday we spent most of the day walking around and talking to people and then we had a lesson at the church with a referral that we got. That went really well and she wants to hear more! So hopefully we can meet again sometime this week. We had dinner at the Spackman's again that night and then we went and gave a blessing to a member who has been struggling with asthma.

On Wednesday we went to an Ultra Sound clinic so Elder Olson could get a thing looked at and he didn't have any money to pay for it so I had to pay the $100. So for the rest of the week I had NO MONNNNEEYYY!! It was okay though I found a way to manage. Then we went and made a Branch Mission Leader Binder for Elder Spackman. We had dinner at a members place that night and it was super good. The rest of the night we spent walking around and talking to people.

Thursday we had a meeting in the morning with a returning member couple. That went super well, they are both really awesome. After we went home and had some lunch and then we did some weekly planning. We had dinner with the Spackman's and then we had Bible Class to finish the night.

Friday we spent the day with Elder Spackman out in Victoria Harbour and Port McNicoll. We walked around and talked to people as well as dropped by some people we wanted to see. That night we had dinner with the Corbier's.

Saturday we went and helped President Smith with some service in his basement. We were putting up drywall the entire time, it was pretty fun. After that we went to the Spackman's and had some pancakes. We went back to the apartment and did some studies and finished weekly planning. After our dinner appointment, we went to a place called Discovery Harbour to walk around and talk to people for the rest of the night.

Sunday was hectic as usual, I spent the day in meetings and going to the different classes. After church we went back to our apartment and did our studies and then went to our dinner appointment that night. It was super good! We had some really awesome soup and lasagna. Then we went to the Self Reliance course at the church for the rest of the night.

Well that's all I got for this week, hope everyone has a good rest of their week and a great Halloween tomorrow!!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

I'M ALREADY HALF WAY THERE!!!

HEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Hello everyone! So glad that I get to talk to all of y'all this week. This week was great and it was a big mile stone because it was my official half way point on Thursday! It is crazy to think that I have been out for this long, it definitely doesn't feel like it looking back but I am so grateful for the year that I have been able to have and being able to meet all of the amazing people out here. I am definitely looking forward to the next year and the many adventures that are in store!

I hope everyone else's week has been good and that you haven't had too many hiccups in the road. But without any further delay, let us jump right on into this mess!!

Monday was pretty good, we spent the day shopping and emailing and hanging out with the Spackmans. That night we had dinner with the Spackmans as well and it was freaking delicious. Then we went around walking and talking to people to finish off the night.

Tuesday we had a lesson with our investigator Stephine about Tithing and it went super well. She is making so much progress in the gospel that it is actually insane, I am so grateful that I have been able to be a part of it. After that we went around with Elder Spackman and dropped by to visit a bunch of people in Penetang to see how they were doing. Then we had to go pick up dinner from a member and take it back to our place, it was some really good beef stew! That night was a primary activity and they were carving pumpkins. So my worry about not being able to carve a pumpkin went out the window because I ended up carving about 5 of them! Everyone had some interesting faces they wanted but I just went for it and did the best I could. The rest of the night we did some more walking and talking to people.

Wednesday we went to District Meeting in the morning, it was pretty good. The Spackmans drove us out there and they brought lunch for everyone in the district. I am telling y'all right now, THAT THE SPACKMANS ARE THE MOST CELESTIAL PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET!!! They are literally so nice and do so much for us, it is crazy. But anyways after District Meeting we drove back and then Elder Olson and I went to the jail again to visit a couple of the inmates. That went pretty well, one of the guys that we were talking to actually got released on Friday so I hope he is doing well. Then we went to mutual that night and raked leaves and made sushi rolls for the rest of the night.

Thursday was my year mark!!! To start it off we had interviews in the morning with the mission president and his wife in Barrie and it is always good to see them. After that we went to Sears because they are having their big closing sales and I have literally never seen so many people in a Sears at one time in my entire life! The parking lot was literally full and by the grace of God were we able to find a spot somewhere! We didn't get anything because everything is still mad expensive. After we got back to Midland we made up our studies and then walked over to the Spackmans for dinner. Dinner was really good. We had pancakes with bacon and of course maple syrup like a true Canadian. After that we had Bible Class at the church and that wrapped up the rest of the night.

Friday was a lot of dropping by people and doing planning so not a whole lot happened that day. We did have dinner at a members place that night and we had one of my favorite meals ever, GRILLED CHEESE AND BACON SANDWICHES!!! I was super grateful for that if you couldn't already tell. After that we spent the rest of the night walking around and talking to people.

Saturday we had a lesson with that returning member couple again. It went super well. Then we had to finish up some planning and then we had some dinner at our place. The rest of the night we walked around and dropped by/talked to people.

Sunday was good and hectic as always. Church was awesome, there were some really good speakers and the class had some really good discussions. After church we dropped by some people and then went to the Smith's for dinner. After dinner went back to the church for the Self-Reliance course that is being taught. That finished up the night.

Well that was my week. I hope everyone has a great rest of their week that is full of adventure! 

Love and miss you all!!

--

Elder Murray

SHORT WEEK WITH NOT A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING

WELL HELLO AGAIN!

Hey everyone! Hope your week has been good and that you have had a little adventure. This past week was pretty good but also pretty short since we just talked on Wednesday. So there isn't really a lot to update you on but we will go ahead and get along with it!

On Thursday in the morning went and taught a lesson and they fed us lunch, which was TACOS!!! They are honestly amazing people. We pulled a little prank on them and hid about 25 pass along cards in their house. So they have been updating us throughout the week and are telling us when they find them. 😂  They have almost found all of them so they are doing well! After that we went out and visited some people and then had bible class that night and it went really well. We studied Mark 14 and we had a pretty good turn out and everyone gave really good input and ideas. The rest of the night we worked on some records for the Branch.

Friday we went out with the Elder Spackman to the doctor’s office because Elder Olson wanted to get this lump that he has looked at. We were there for a couple of hours and he has to go back this week for an ultra sound. They say it is nothing major but they just want to have a better look at it. After that we went to McDonald's because IT IS MONOPOLY SEASON!!! So we got our monopoly meals and we are now one away from $10,000 and one away from a year of free movies. So I will let you all know when I get that money!!! Don't worry I won't forget all of you when I get rich. After that we did some weekly planning at the Spackman's since he is our branch mission leader. Then we had dinner at a member’s house which is always delicious!! The rest of the night we went out and visited some people.

Saturday we had District Meeting in the morning and that was pretty good. I am in an all Elders District and I haven't been in one of those since the MTC. Shout out to all the day ones!!! After District Meeting we went and visited some people and we taught a lesson to a lady and it went really well. She is super sweet and she has two cats in her house. After the lesson I had to take off 10 pounds of cat hair from my clothes but it is okay I am glad that I was able to meet her. That night we drove with the Spackman's to a dinner that we had. The member is from the Philippines so we had some really amazing food!! We also helped them move a fridge and a stove to the upstairs. After that we drove back and it was time to call it a day.

Sunday was a pretty stressful day with the amount of things that we had going on. It was all good though. We were able to handle it all and get to where we needed to be. Church was good. There were some really good speakers who talked about equality and repentance. We also taught the Young Men's lesson about developing Christ-like attributes and that went pretty well. After church we went out and dropped by a bunch of people to see how they were doing and then we had dinner at the branch president's house and then went to a self- reliance course held at the church that night.

That was about all for this week hope everyone has a good rest of their week and can find a little time to relax. 

Love and miss you all!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

I know it is pretty early for you guys to be hearing that phrase but I just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving!! It was kind of weird to have it this early but awesome nonetheless! I hope everyone's week was great! Mine was pretty good, long week and a couple of cool moments. But let us just jump right on into it!!

Monday last week was the last P day of the transfer so everybody got together and played some sports in Barrie. It was a super fun time and it was great to see all of the missionaries in the zone. After that we came back to Midland and visited a couple of people.

Tuesday we taught a lesson to an investigator we have at the library. It went pretty well and she was accepting to everything we said. After that we moved the new senior missionary couple into their apartment. They are the Spackmans and they are freaking amazing!! So nice and so friendly, I am really looking forward to serving with them. Then we went and moved a fridge for a member and that was a job and a half!! That thing was so heavy and we had to take off the doors just to fit the thing into the house. After we finished that mess the Spackman's took us out to eat for lunch. The rest of the day was spent dropping by to visit people and working on some branch records.

Wednesday we had district meeting in the morning and it was really good. We did an activity about how to increase productivity in the areas that we serve in. After that we went out to lunch with the district because it was our last meeting together. Then we went back home and got Elder Olson's glasses fixed because they weren't sitting on his face right. We went and got some curtains for our apartment from the member who we moved their fridge for them. They wanted to show their thanks, so they took us out to a steak house and we had some BOMB STEAKS!! Later we went out contacting and dropping by to visit people for the rest of the night.

Thursday we had a lesson in the morning with some returning members. Then we went back and had some lunch and did some weekly planning. Sister Cepeda drove up from Owen Sound to come and visit and that was super awesome! I always love seeing and being able to talk to her. We went out to eat at a local restaurant and it was really good! After that we had the bible class and then we worked on some records again.

Friday was spent just going around and dropping by to visit people to see how they were doing. We had dinner with a member that night and they made some meat pie which was freaking delicious! Then we made some white wash notes just in case both of us got transferred out of Midland.

Saturday was another day of walking around and talking to people and we also mowed a less active member’s lawn that hadn't been cut all year. All she had was a little electric lawn mower with butter knives for blades. So it took us about 2 hours to finish the whole thing.

Sunday we had church and I gave a 30 minute talk that day about gaining an eternal perspective. Everyone said they really enjoyed it so I guess I didn't do too badly. After church we had dinner at a member’s place and it was decked out with all of the Thanksgiving foods. I stuffed myself pretty good and I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day. The rest of the day we spent walking around talking to people.

Monday was pretty funny it was Thanksgiving as well as Elder Olson's Birthday!! I sang him a song just off the top of my head not rehearsed or anything and it was pretty funny. He also got a package from his mom and it contained some marshmallow shooters!! So we have been in an all-out war ever since then. We ended up going to the jail that day to visit a couple of the inmates there. After that I bought Elder Olson a DQ Blizzard for his birthday and then we spent the rest of the night walking around.

Tuesday we spent dropping by to visit people. Then we worked on some more branch records.

That's it for this week!! Hope everyone has a good rest of their week and it is filled with some adventure!!

Love and miss you all!!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

THE FRESH PRINCE OF MIDLAND!!!!!!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLL THIS IS A STORY ALL ABOUT HOW!!!

Hey everyone! I’m so glad that I get to talk to you this week. One quick announcement! P day is going to be on Wednesday next week because of Thanksgiving, so the next email won't come out until then. But anyways I hope everyone had a good week and that you were able to have some adventure but relax a little at the same time. My week was pretty good. I got to see and do a lot of things. But instead of me blabbing about it, let’s just jump right on into this thing!

Monday we went to Barrie again and did some shopping! Elder Olson and I went and got matching Carhartt hats at Cabela's and they are looking pretty fly! Then we went to Marshall's and picked out some new shirts to wear. Let me tell you something, I love this shirt! It has pineapples, palm trees, roses, and flamingos all over it! After shopping I went and got my hair cut because it was getting a little long and not looking clean cut anymore. After that we drove back to Midland and had some dinner. Then we went out and visited a couple of people.

On Tuesday it was just a pretty regular missionary day. We started it off with sitting at the church and updating records and organizing the area. A member brought us lunch so we just ate it there and it was delicious might I add! After that we went and visited some people in the branch to see how they were doing. That night a member was able to get a hold of a couple of ties for me and Elder Olson! They are TTC ties!! Basically TTC is just the bussing system in Toronto and the drivers wear these ties. So now ya boi is a certified TTC driver! 😂

Wednesday we had District Meeting in the morning and that went pretty well. Afterwards we went to the Jail in Penetang with the Branch President of Georgian Bay. We visited two inmates to see how they were doing and how we can help them progress in the gospel. After that we had dinner at a member’s house and then we went bowling with all the Young Men and Women for mutual. It was a good time and you already know that I had to show everyone up with my amazing skills. After that we went to the church and got some things ready for the bible class the next day.

Thursday we went and visited a returning member couple and they are amazing!! They are so willing to progress and they give us treats every time that we are over there. We taught them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how if we let him in he can truly change us for the better. After that we went and gave a member a blessing because she had been struggling with stress and anxiety lately. Then we went and cleaned the apartment one final time to make sure everything was all sparkling clean. We had dinner from a member that night and after dinner we taught the bible class. That went super well; the people that come give really good insights and ideas.

Friday was Temple trip day so we were able to go to the temple in the morning with all the other missionaries that are in a 2 hour radius of the temple. It was amazing to be able to go to the temple and be inside of it again. Always such a strong peace and comfort in there. After that we went with a group of missionaries to get some lunch at Flips. Flips is basically a breakfast place that serves some pretty decent size portions.

Saturday and Sunday were General Conference days, so we basically were at the church all day watching the sessions, eating food, and talking to our investigators. We actually had 5 people who are looking into the church come to general conference to watch! General Conference was amazing I think my favorite talk was by President Nelson and his re emphasis on the Book of Mormon and the influence it can have in our lives. 

That is about it for this week! Thank you for your continual support and all the emails that you send me. I hope everyone has a good rest of their week and that you can see the tender mercies of God in your life.

Love and miss you all!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

WHY IS IT SUMMER NOW???!!!!

HEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOOO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

So excited that it is Monday and that I get to talk to all of y'alls again! Hope everyone's week has been good and that nothing too crazy or hectic has happened. I know for me that nothing too huge has happened except for one MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! I just would like to say that the highlight of my week was when I got to watch my boi Greg Thurber open up his mission call!!! He is going to be serving in the Cleveland, Ohio Mission and that mission borders right next to mine, just right across from mine!! I am so happy for him!!  I have a ton of respect for him and the choices that he is making in his life. So dang proud of him, so shout out to you Greg for being with me from day one and will continue to be with me for the eternities! 

Now that we got that covered let us jump right into this week!!

To explain the title of this email, this week has been super hot because we got hit with a heat wave. It has been mega hot and humid for the entirety of this week. So when you read just keep in mind that it has been over 30 degrees (high 80’s your temps) and the humidity has been crazy. Now back to our regularly scheduled email.

Monday we went to Barrie and did some shopping. I bought a new pair of pants and a couple of ties so that I could freshen up my look. Then we just went window shopping and looked at a bunch of different stores to see what they had. After that we came back and visited a couple of people.

Tuesday was spent visiting a ton of people and then doing a bunch of paper work to get the branch and the area a little more organized. We also cleaned up the old apartment a little bit more and it is getting pretty close to being done.

Wednesday we had a District Meeting in the morning and that went pretty good. We learned how to better work with members of the areas that we are serving in. After the meeting we had a District Service Project where we helped a guy lay cement for the foundation of a house. I was pretty excited until the guy told me that I had to go to the front of the house and dig a 2 foot deep trench along the front of the house!! So I spent the next 2 hours digging this trench while everyone else was working with concrete, AND THEN AFTER I FINISHED A MISSIONARY CAME WALKING ALONG THE SIDE AND CAVED THE WHOLE THING IN!!! I had to fix the entire thing so that cement could be poured in it.  I got to have a little taste of what my dad does for a living. 😂  After that I went on exchanges with Elder Fabiano to Owen Sound. That night we had dinner with the Rawlings, they fed us really well!  We had some chicken parm and some mashed potatoes. After that we just drove back to our apartment because we were an hour away from home.

On Thursday I took Elder Fabiano to visit a couple of people that I use to see when I was in Owen Sound. We went and had lunch with Bro Dunning and his family! I was super excited to go over there and see all of them again. I love that family so much. They did so much for me while I was there in Owen Sound. I will never be able to repay them. AND THEY HOOKED ME UP WITH SOME STEAKS FOR LUNCH!! Super great food and super great people, hopefully I get another chance to go back over there and see them again. After that we drove an hour and a half to exchange back in Collingwood. Then we went back to our areas. We had dinner that night and taught a Bible Class that went really well.

Friday was spent weekly planning and visiting a bunch of people and seeing how they were doing and if there was anything we could do for them. We had dinner with a member that night and it was delicious as always.

Saturday we helped a member move out of their apartment in the morning and then we went to a birthday party of a member in the ward and we were able to talk to a bunch of people about the church and why we are on a mission and what we do as missionaries. After that we had dinner with a member family who are amazing!! Their names are the Sheppards and they have five kids and one of them is going on a mission!! She is going to be headed to Salt Lake City, Utah come January. Then we walked around and talked to some people.

Sunday was good as always, got to see everyone at church and I didn't have to teach this week! I got to sit in on some classes and listen and give some input. After that we went out with Rich Sheppard and visited some people. We had dinner at the Branch President's house and then went to a Self-Reliance course being taught at the church.

That is about it for this week! Hope everyone has a good rest of their week and it is filled with some adventure!! Love and miss you all!!

-- 

Elder Murray

NEW APARTMENT LIVING!!!!!

HEEEEYYYYYYY EVERYONE!!!!

So glad I get to talk to all of ya and hear how your week has been! Mine has been pretty good and pretty hectic! Lots of changes going on around here and there are going to be even more to come! Better prepare myself for it so I ain't freaking out when it all goes down. But anyways let us just jump right on into this past week!!

Monday was super fun. We took a trip to Owen Sound for the day so we could go and celebrate Sister Cepeda's Birthday with her. We went and surprised her and we got her pretty good. We went to this place called Eugenia Falls and hiked it and it was a freaking blast! A good hike and I only fell in the water like 5 times so that was pretty good. After the hike we went and got ice cream and pizza for her birthday dinner. Super good as always, really enjoyed my time in Owen Sound and I am looking forward to going back for another visit this week when I go on exchanges there!

Tuesday was a pretty crazy day. We got a new apartment so our car wouldn't keep on getting vandalized where we were at. So on Tuesday we spent the day packing things up and moving it over to our new apartment. Lots of work and a lot of going back and forth with trucks so we could load everything and bring it over. However the new apartment is soooo sick!!! Alot more living space and we have a washer and dryer so I am pretty much living like a king right now. We finally got everything put away at like 10:30 pm so I was pretty exhausted and ready for bed.

Wednesday we did an online mission survey to prepare for an area seventy to come to the mission in the next couple of months. After that we went back to the old apartment so that we could start cleaning it and get it all fixed up. Then we went and visited some people and had dinner at a member’s place. Pork chops and mashed potatoes just like home. Then we had mutual that night with the Young Men and Young Women and that was pretty fun. After that we just went out and visited a couple of more people.

Thursday we cleaned up the old apartment a bit more and then had a couple of lessons with some people. We also did some weekly planning and then we went and visited a guy in prison and that was pretty interesting but super fun actually! We were able to talk to him through the glass and see how he was doing and share a message with him. He was actually super nice and super funny. He told me about some of the fights that he has seen in there and some of them were pretty brutal! After that we had some dinner and then a bible class that night. We had to house 6 more missionaries from the Sudbury area that night for zone conference the next morning. I got to see my old comp Elder Roundy and catch up with him a bit. Super fun night with all the elders there.

Friday was Zone Conference and it was pretty good. I got to see a lot of missionaries that I haven't seen in a while. The meeting was pretty good we talked about becoming better disciples of Jesus Christ. The meeting was 8:30 to 5:00 so pretty long but a good time none the less. After that we went to a members place and had some cheeseburgers. All around good day if you ask me.

Saturday we just did some more planning and visited people. Oh and we did some service for a retired pro wrestler so that was pretty sick.

Sunday was super good. We had church and the primary program and that was awesome to watch and we had a record breaking number of 66 people out to the Branch!! It was really awesome to see the seats filled up a little more. After services we had a potluck with all the members and there was some really good food there. I think my favorite was some meatballs that somebody made or the one bite brownies...they are actually called two bite brownies but I made them one bite!

That's about all I got for this week. I hope everybody has a good rest of their week and has at least one crazy awesome adventure so you can spice up your life a bit.

Love and miss you all!!!

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net