Halloween - Gods Secret Service Agents

Hello Family!! 

This week we have been doing preparations for the wards Fall Festival party for Halloween! There were tons of games and treats, in fact, One sister from Korea made homemade meat balls and SUSHI!! We dressed up in all black and white shirts and were God's Secret Service. We helped to manage a game of turnip bowling in the hall ways, and were able to talk to people from the community that showed up.

We went yesterday to Manitulin Island which is an hour and a half drive from us but we were able to go visit and speak to the branch there! It consist of approx 30 or so people, many aren't currently active and missionaries aren't stationed there. I was able to speak to them on Prayer this week and how prayer truly is the way to commune and seek peace, guidance and forgiveness in our lives. 

The Island has a river that you cross over and there are 5-6 Native Indian reserves and then little towns all over. It kinda felt like if Victoria and the plains of Alberta merged and had a baby it would create that island!! HAHA!

A scripture really stood out to me this week as I was looking around through a tough little moment, D&C 6:32-37

That spoke out to me such peace, which is really neat cause I never had a scripture really jump at me before!

Not too much other than that for this week, but I'm working hard to find answers to my prayers.

With Love,

Elder Muirhead

Newsflash - Sudbury is COLD!!!

Oh Sudbury Sudbury how cold thou art!

We hit -1 yesterday it was nuts! This last week was hard for Elder Bowman and I, for our teaching goals. At the present moment we have no one really to teach, so we are working with less actives a little more so that is some progress and something positive. We actually were led to a less active member who showed up to church yesterday and hasn't been active for a couple years. The crazy part was we went to see someone else and we saw him come out next door about to smoke. He was THRILLED to see us and talk about church with him again. He wants a change and to rebuild his burnt bridges. The rest of the ward is pretty cool, our Bishop is a retired History teacher and over dinner discourses to us for a while, and his wife can really cook so thats good.:)

The Big Nickel tourist area, it is over the worlds largest Nickel mine.

Sudbury Water Tower

Another milestone in the mission life is I got approached for the first time by a prostitute, Oh Sudbury! We have been travelling in the "ghettos" a little more trying to find Less actives and at night it is kinda scetchy when you walk down alleys and bad neighbourhoods....oh well. This morning Elder Bowman was working out and dropped Weight Plates on this face! It was scary, but no busted teeth or nose so thats a plus, Kinda freaked me out a lot though. So happy he's ok.

I've reading the Book of Mormon again and am at the end of Alma, and I'm also studying the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church. I love it, I go around peoples apartments and the library to collect all the presidents books, almost got them all YAY! (I mean the people give them to me, haha). I'm about Half way through the Joseph Smith and a third in Brigham young - So sick! I'm enjoying reading of the Prophets.

Well this week I will be breaking out warmer gear and maybe get some boots here soon before its to late! 

Send us your prayers to find the Elect! I love you all so much. Getting excited to check the mailbox ^_^

Elder Muirhead

Transfer to Sudbury! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!

Man oh man, This week was kinda rough on me at first with receiving my second new companion in the field and totally new area to get used to. But after many laughs and adventures the amazing Elder Bowman we are getting closer and working hard. Sudbury itself is very different from Barrie, the weather is very rainy right now, and it is seeming a total Ghetto town! There are cops, drugs, Prostitutes and everything here kinda scetchy, But I know that Gods got my back. After all you aren't a missionary till you contact a prostitute and talk about the law of chastity so I'll see what I can do. haha

My area has lots of little areas that we cover and a lot of driving is required. During the recent twitter posting "day in the life of a missionary" we went and did service cleaning a park and also taught quite a few lessons done that day. In that night we took 2 Ysa's to go see some formers and we went to go see one that was in the middle of no where. We walk up to the drive way and out of the black of night comes a huge dark American Pitbull guarding the house. "Maybe it's chained?" Elder Bowman says and we wait to look and... Nope definitely not chained so we all carefully backed up and then booked it to the car so crazy, went back and got a pic of him....this time he was on a chain, Missionary luck. 

I gave a talk in church this sunday and it was Awkward because what is in the bulletin but my full name....(Face Palm) Any who, I spoke on how we can Follow our Savior Jesus Christ more closely in our lives. It went pretty well, I spoke on the experiences of Peter, James and John while fishing the first time meeting the Savior and when Peter was told to feed my sheep. The simple things in this life bring in an abundance of faith and as we apply them it moves us to act on being like the Lord. Prayer, Studies, Church, do it, its worth it trust me.

For Thanksgiving Sunday we had 2 Turkey dinners, Our bellies were so packed. It was SWEET!! Then Monday we were invited to come help a member Skin and carve up his moose he shot this week to fill his freezer, it was a "Blast." We actually scored some of the moose meat and after several hours we collected 100lbs of meat off the calf. Tonight we are going back for dinner mmmmmoose yum yum yum.

Mom Dad I love to hear you are doing so much missionary work it makes me feel closer to you than we physically are right now in this world. Keep working with those sisters I've heard good things about them. I also like the FHE Pyramid Picture you gave Nice work.( J stop growing seriously!)

Love ya'll

Elder Muirhead

A Day In The Life of A Missionary - Twitter and Social Media Event

#ShareGoodness #Mormons #LDSMissionaries

On Oct. 11th the Canada Toronto Mission hosted a "Day in the life of a Missionary" to showcase to the world what a missionary companionship is like and also the forms of service missionaries do daily. This incredible event included our son as one of the many missionaries who's activities were live tweeted and shared throughout the day. It was thrilling to see Elder Muirhead and Elder Bowman sharing the gospel and serving in their new area!

Last week in Barrie, transfer time

Hello hello everyone, So got the call last night and I am going to have to leave my beloved Barrie and go to the solitude of Sudbury area. We have been working really hard to get things wrapped up for the next missionaries to come in to Barrie. Lots of paper work and final goodbyes will be finished tonight and off we go tomorrow. I will be leaving Elder Baumgartner and gaining Elder Bowman as my companion. I am excited to move on and meet new people and see new sights. I sent you a package of some things I cant fit in my bags a couple sweaters I cant wear and a pair of shoes I scored. ( please hang up sweaters ;) ) 

What a great General Conference!! So many messages I took in and reflected on myself and my teaching habits, I loved Elder Klebingat of the 70 who threw down on the world for not getting things done, AMEN!! Also Elder Scott, Bednar, and President Uchtdorf were excellent talks!! I found that writing point form notes on the talks made me focus more and absorbed so much more from it. 

Brothers and sisters remember your family home evening, prayer and scripture study. Make it an amazing experience for each family member in their own personal way. Bare testimony often, share spiritual experiences, and show your love for the Lord!!! Your children look at you closer then you think they are, It is so important to do as Paul says "Be thou an example of the Believers" ESPECIALLY your loved ones.

I love you all and pray for your homes and well beings

Elder Muirhead

Smile For MY Mom!!!

My dear dear family I hope that watching general conference helped bring in needed motivation for your lives, it sure did for me. Messages of the family, personal revelation, and service. 

I testify that those general authorities are truly men and representatives of God. As you sustained the Apostles and Prophet, You sustained them to being prophets, seers and revelators AND THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE!! apply the things they taught. Go into the world looking to follow the will of Heavenly Father. We have 15 prophets in the world today that is amazing I suggest you listen to them all, re read the talks reflect on how this can be added into the family. Build your testimonies! I Promise from experience that as you apply these things the Lord will send blessings for your humility and devotion to OBEY him. I love the Lord, he has shown me many miracles in the field and I now have no shadow of a doubt that he knows our struggles and answers our prayers.

Dad and Mom I thought it would be great for you to go through the gospel principles manual and use that to share FHE Ideas to go over those simple things we believe in Like Sacrament, priesthood, tithing, and many more I love teaching these lessons. It helped me understand so much more as to the importance of these simple and most sacred things. Before my mission I had such a limited knowledge to these things because of my own attitudes.  I know you will help the kids learn these things.

Other FHE Ideas Mormon messages, church history videos, art activities (like when you did those book of mormon cases in gold plates), I found the gospel art books to help people visualize the scriptures.

Boys as deacons be proud to hold and be a part of the work of the Lord, Help with sacrament to help others become reconnected to gods will. Listen to Bishop Carter and follow his example to serve and love the ward members. Obey Mom and Dad just like Nephi, Alma, Helaman, Moroni and more, as you keep the commandments of the Lord ye shall prosper.

Lola I love you little girl, Be good and give lots of hugs to mommy and daddy for me. XOXOXO

Thomas S Monson is the SENIOR prophet and apostle for the world, 

I love you, I pray for you 

Love Elder Muirhead