QUICK UPDATE!!!

THIS JUST IN!!!!!

Hey everyone, so apologies for this email being a little short but I have a lot of stuff to do today in a short amount of time. I hope that everyone's week was good and that you were able to get a lot done. My week was pretty good, nothing too crazy just regular ole missionary life. But anyways let us jump right on into this.

Pretty much this week was a lot of dropping by people and seeing how they are doing and continuing to introduce Elder Thieme to the people here in the area.

On Tuesday we had interviews with the Mission President in the morning. That went pretty well. After that I had exchanges in Hamilton with Elder Holden, one of my past companions when I was in St. Thomas. It was pretty fun. We had a good time together, we helped with the food bank most of the day and then we taught an English class that night to people who are trying to learn English.

The next morning was District Meeting. That was pretty good. There are some rockin' people in my district so we always have a good time. After that we drove back and started hitting the grind.

We were able to watch the funeral of President Monson and that was a really good service they put on. The choir did an amazing job and the words that were spoken were amazing.

Church was good. I always like being able to see all the people in the branch and being able to talk with them. That night we had dinner at the Scott's and then we were able to watch the devotional with them.

Well that's all I got for this week! Hope that everyone has a good rest of their week and that you can have a little bit of adventure!

Love and miss you all! 

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

WHEN IT'S COLD OUTSIIIIIDDDEEE!!!!!

WHAT CAN MAKE ME FEEL THIS WAY! WIND CHILL!!!!!!

Hello everyone!! So glad that I get to talk to all of you this week and hear about all the amazing things you have been doing. This week has been something else let me tell ya. It has been quite a frigid one. It has been constantly below    -20 C all day every day for the past week. Made it pretty hard to go walk around and talk to people but we pushed through it. It is starting to warm up now and it is also dumping snow on us again so that is pretty sweet. But anyways, enough about the weather let us jump right on into this email!!

Wednesday we went to Hamilton and had some lunch with the other missionaries there and then went to the chapel and played some sports. It was a good time, it allows me to release all of my built up energy I have developed throughout the week. After sports we drove home and then had an appointment with the Chappels that night.

Thursday we spent the whole day dropping by members and investigators so we could introduce Elder Thieme to everyone. That night we had dinner at the Simcoe Arms, it was pretty freaking delicious.

Friday we had District Meeting in the morning, it went pretty well. My district leader is one of my past companions so that is sick. After District Meeting we spent the day in Hagersville and Cayuga dropping by members and tracting. That night we had dinner with our Branch Mission Leader and his family. We had some pretty good Chinese take-out and then talked for a bit.

Saturday we spent the day visiting former members and dropping by members to continue to introduce Elder Thieme to everyone. 

Sunday was good. Church was really nice and Elder Thieme got to introduce himself to a lot of the members that were there. After church we went and had a lesson with Mike and then dropped by some more people in the branch and then we spent the rest of the evening at the Scott's for dinner.

That's all I got for this week but I hope that everyone has a good rest of their week and that you are able to stay warm.

Love and miss you all!!!!

P.S. sorry but no pictures this week (I know I suck)

--

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

LOOK OUT 2018 I AM READY TO GO!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!!!

I am so glad that I get to talk to all of you again and hear about all the amazing stuff that you are doing. I hope that everyone had a good New Years and that you were able to celebrate. My week was pretty good, new changes but same places if you know what I mean. But instead of delaying any further let's jump right on into this thing!!!

So first things first, transfers just happened and I am staying here in Simcoe. However Elder Heppler left and is off to Belleville. Kind of sad that he left, we got along super well but now my new companion is Elder Thieme. Crazy thing is that Elder Thieme and I went to the same High School and we graduated the same year!! But even crazier is that we didn't know each other at all!! Like didn't even hear of each other, but it is pretty cool because now when I tell stories or talk about things back at home he knows exactly what I am talking about! He has been out for 17 months now so a little longer than me. I am looking forward to this transfer.

Not a whole lot happened during the week. It was just a run of the mill week. Dropped by some people and talked to some people on the street.

On New Year’s Day we went to the Branch Presidents house, ate some really good food and played some games.

Tuesday I dropped Elder Heppler off and picked up Elder Thieme. We drove back and I started getting him familiar with the area. We spent the day dropping by people and introducing Elder Thiemen around.

Well that's all I got for this week, sorry for the short email but we are super busy today. I love you all and hope you have a good rest of the week

Elder Murray

coleton.murray@myldsmail.net

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