Well last Sunday was Father’s Day and we were able to visit with most of our children. It was really great to hear our children express their love for their dad. We attended Yallahs last Sunday just on a whim and it was the day that Bro George Williams a member of just over a year was put into the Branch Presidency. He is the second counselor. This man has grown so much in the gospel and he has thirst to learn as much as he can. He wants to please his Father in Heaven and to good. If you remember us talking about him before he was our construction foreman for the Yallahs Food Initiative. He was a great teacher to the branch members on how to build a coop. Some have never held a hammer before. It was so fun to see some of the sisters pick up a hammer and pound a nail in the boards. They would start out going tink, tink, tink. And by the time the last coop was finished those same sisters were going ‘Bam, Bam, Bam! Being a servant of the Lord has become his greatest desire. He is a dear friend forever now.
We also had transfers…again! How does time go so fast? This time our assignment was to go out to the Southwest side of the island to Santa Cruz. We picked up Elders Humphries, Williams, and Dean. It was the latter two who were being transferred but you can’t leave a missionary without a companion so we took all three. By the time we had the two missionary’s luggage, boxes and bikes, we were loaded to the max! What a great time we have whenever we can spend time with these great young men and women.
More Transfers
After the transfer meeting we came out and found President Brown loading our Truck for the return ride to Santa Cruz! He is a very hands on Mission President!
Missionaries filled the parking lot and got to see past companions and catch up on all the news the other missionaries have from their areas.
We spent two days of this week moving Hygiene Kits. First we had to make sure the container was arranged how we needed it and then we needed to make sure the Spanish Town Basement was arranged to handle the extra kits. Then on Saturday we spent four hours moving 1400 boxes of kits. In the picture below we are taking them out of the shipping container that was brought from the port and delivered to the Salvation Army Havendale Compound and loading them into two van trucks and the back of the office elders’ truck (couldn’t use our truck, more on that later).
Then we had to drive to Spanish Town and move them again and put them into our Emergency Container and in our overflow space. We used and abused six young missionaries and seven senior missionaries, plus President Brown and his son Jonathan, President Medley and his two son’s Patrick and Nate, and several more Salvation Army workers! The Office Elders Martin and Henderson and the Medleys were at both locations so they were really worn out. It is really hot working in the containers. At the back it can get to about 110 degrees and with our humidity it can be dangerous without enough water. We made sure to trade out people and have plenty of water on hand for drinking…plus lunch for everyone for helping. It is really a marvelous thing to see when you get people together to do a service project like this and no one is complaining or slacking off, everyone had a marvelous attitude of love and joy. It was so much fun to be with these people. Everyone went home hot tired and sweaty but with glad hearts. Below is our human chain to get the kits from the truck into our container. Sister Mortensen, Elder Hall, Sister Kinghorn, Dad and Elder Biddulph are the people you can see; who you can see are two more Elders and Pres. Medley (2nd counselor in the new Stake Presidency) and his son Patrick in the very back.
Below are President Brown and his son Jonathan unloading kits from one of our van trucks and handing them off to the people in the picture above this one. It was hard to get a picture of President Brown holding still! He was usually throwing the boxes so fast it was hard to keep up with him!
Another event that happened this month is that the mission sold our truck. We are currently ‘truckless’ and on foot! Not to worry though our new truck should be ready for us sometime this week. Until then we do have access to a car if we need some transportation. It will give us “more time on the computer to get our projects organized and entered on the church systems.
We have had two birthdays this week…Victor and Megan had their first child born on June 20th!! Little Wesley Victor Murdock entered the world weighing 6 lbs. 12 oz. and is 19 inches long. He and mom are doing great and are home already. We were able to Skype with them at the hospital and so we were able to see this newest grandchild on his Birth Day. We can’t wait to be able to hug and snuggle this precious little bundle of joy. Abigale Marci Marie Miller (officially Abigale Marie Miller but grandma’s habit of adding Marci ((long story)) is hard to overcome), daughter of Lori and Aaron Miller, turned 6 today. Her birthday party was yesterday with friends, gifts, games and cupcakes! She got to stay up late and have some one on one time with mom that night and we were able to Skype and visit with them too. So thankful for modern technologies that allow us to be able to see and visit with our children.
Much more has been happening around here but this letter is long enough. To our children and family…know that you are loved and prayed for every day. We feel your love and support for us and it gives us strength to carry on with the work here. To our friends…know that we love you and appreciate your love and support as well. The Lords work will move forward with or without us; we just need to choose our part of the work and move it forward. With everyone doing their part all will be blessed.
Love
Mom and Dad
Elder and Sister Murdock
