Babies, Transfers, Birthday and Mother's Day Plans

Dear Mom,

That is so amazing to hear about your friend Spencer glad to hear she is doing so well with her testimony building! 

This week I again went to the hospital to give a Sister a blessing, when we got there she had a 3 day old little baby girl in her arms asleep. It just radiated the spirit to me that after all these bad things I have been feeling lately and have had to hear, the Lord sent me a tender mercy to see one of my favorite things in the world, Babies! I Adore children, and I am excited for the future, where after my mission I can begin to build the Lord's Kingdom in a new way, through my own family. 

We also helped a sister move which took a lot of work, about 5 hours of moving stuff. They are a super cool family The Jimemez Family, they are from Mexico originally and they are just having a bit of new challenges lately but the Lord has their Backs.

Well we got our transfer calls last night and Elder Morby will be moving on to Brampton, and I will be staying here but guess who is my companion?? Elder Sopal! I'm Super excited, in case you didn't know I went to High School with him in Lethbridge sooooo sweet! So we will get the switch tomorrow, and press on. Elder Morby is kinda nervous to leave his first area behind but I hope I reassured him enough to not stress to much about area 2. 

Mother's Day is coming up and it will be amazing to see you all and tell you some funny stories. It will go just like Christmas where I will call the day before and tell you the time that I will be on Skype on Sunday.

My Birthday is also coming up on the 13th and I don't have any clue what to do for it ? I honestly don't really need anything out here, It is now just a weird thing to think about. Not really expecting anything to crazy to happen because I will just be working still haha. ahh doesn't really matter that much its just a number. I can just get a cupcake or something lol :)  

I shared my testimony yesterday in church about the Plan of Salvation. I shared a couple of experiences that have been happening, like hearing here and there about death and how I was about to help a sister in the hospital find peace as she was dying last week. And how I helped another sister who was about to have twins and that one wasn't doing well and we were about to assure her that everything would be alright and talked about families being sealed forever. And this week seeing that little baby girl fresh from heaven. I bore testimony that our Heavenly Father HAS a Plan for EACH of US! He knows our need, he knows our pains, our joys, +'s and -'s. This last couple months I have been able to witness the Lord's plan move all around us on each level of mortality and it is Beautiful! I have been able to take my studies into a personal knowledge that these things are necessary, and for what TO BE WITH GOD AND BE LIKE HIM!

I had a lady in the subway tell me that we were wrong because the Book of Mormon taught that we will be like God. She only wanted to contend so I just walked on without explaining for it would fall on deaf ears, But to you I can truly say that this has always been God's end goal "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." It is all throughout the Bible, Book of Mormon and more how do I know this, well I LOOKED IT UP! It will happen and we shouldn't think otherwise it is merely a fact! Unfortunatly due to the Apostasy many people won't believe this or accept this doctrine, but we should let everyone have the chance to at least hear it and let their agency do the rest. For "Faith without works is dead", and what I have learned out here is that if we don't open our mouths we take away people's agency to choose to accept the gospel. 

I wish to Challenge each person who reads this to testify to 1 person just 1 person each week and from it you will find joy in knowing you are doing what is expected of God.

I wish you all well and Love the pictures of your faces so so much, I miss you. But like I said Mother's Day is just around the corner!! ;)

Loves loves loves,

Elder Muirhead

PS. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I just got word that the eldest Walsh girl Veronica

 got Baptized this week!!!!! AAAAHHHHHH!! I am so excited,

Loving My Mission

Dear Mom,

That is so exciting that they brought so many friends to the Baptism and the church it will lead to great things!

Yes I do have Ontario health care, all the Canadians signed up for it on day one. Thanks for letting me know though, I will handle that after the mission, in the meantime I am covered so don't worry. ^_^

This week has been actually amazingly powerful it has been a huge build of my testimony. I went on exchanges and helped our south Elders find 5 new investigators! It was crazy! the Lord guided us to work our tails off and we were rewarded with many sheaves of the day. 

While I was still on the exchange the sister missionaries called us and told us to rush to the hospital to help a sister in the ward with a blessing. We didn't have any oil vials with us so we ran to the grocery store and bought a bottle of oil and just consecrated it in the cap, haha. When we arrived at the hospital we met the members 2 daughters and they told us of the situation. The sister missionaries failed to inform us that it was a sweet lady who was terminal and about to pass away. I went in confidant and happy only to see this weak and tiny little old child of God. Her name is Edith and she served many years ago in south Africa ( President Monson blessed her, so I touched the same head as a Prophet.) I sealed and blessed her and gave her one of the most powerful and reassuring blessings since my Papa was in a similar situation. I commended her on her services to the Lord and blessed her with peace of mind and a knowledge that the Lord is going to take care of her family and that this is Edith's next step towards the Saviour. I finished with Amen and opened my eyes to the tears of the 2 daughters, such peace and love entered at that moment and we left. I won't forget that moment that I was able to assist in that farewell to a beloved sister in Christ.

We had a phone call chat with our Mission President and we discussed some of our trials and feelings. He counselled me to help everyone come to Christ and strive for the whole work of Salvation. I took his advice a little farther and studied the next day about being a Disciple of Christ. I Loved looking at the simple guidance of the scriptures that I was led to, ex) "Be thou an example of the believers, love one another by this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if you continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed."

We ourselves found some new investigators:

Jenny: is from Granada in the Caribbean, she is a tenant at a members home who we met at a dinner appointment. She is 7th day Adventist, but is open minded to doctrine and the Book of Mormon, she even came to church yesterday. 

  

Steve: we met Steve walking from a less actives home. He stopped us and asked if we wanted to rent out a room in his house for a deal, we in turn for his offer offered him a Book of Mormon and a prayer. Looking forward to see him on Sunday to share more.

The many prayers of my dear ones at home thank you so much they have kept me a float, I love you all so much and without your support this mission would be a whole lot different from what it is now.

Last night we went to a members home for dinner, we shared a video on mormonmessages.org "The Refiner's Fire" it is a crazy video with great visuals. We testified of the Lord being like a blacksmith beating us and changing our raw materials into the true beauty and potential that only his eyes and designs can imagine in us. I felt the refinder's fire strong this week and I am grateful, that the Lord just loves me so much that he would correct and educate me. Newton's Law is that for what ever is lost the opposite is gained, including negative experiences for equal positive ones.

Mom, Dad and littles I love you all so much and can wait to see those handwritten letters from you all. ^_^

Elder Muirhead

I talk to Everyone

Hey Kids: We have a groundhog living across the street form us, we call him "dead meat"

God's Love, Pre-Easter and Testimony

Dear Mom, This is also one of my favorite days it is time to prepare unwind a bit and chat with my loved ones.

TADA! You're all healthy again hahaha that is great, glad that you are all better now. Time to now celebrate getting over a flu with a Easter Candy explosions! chocolates and gummies galore!

This week has been kinda slow, but we were given an investigator who's name is Bruce. We taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel and he loved it, hearing about angels visiting Joseph smith was his favorite part, he accepted a baptismal date. Yet just as things were going so well with the spirit at the end of the lesson, he said " I am making a decision in my life that I don't know God may be proud of." He then handed me some papers and I looked and asked what he intends to do with them, his reply " I am going to get my gender changed"........wait what? We were frozen for a moment, and I just told him how much God loves him and created him for a purpose just the way he was. We felt so sad for him that he wasn't able to like himself, and though it was a strange experience we contemplated just HOW could we help him out with this and to help him feel of Gods love for him? Agency is such an interesting thing, and opposition to our choices are just so hard sometimes. I am so glad to have knowledge that I have a loving Father and Saviour in heaven guiding me in all I do, If I didn't I may not make it even this far in life. 

During Testimony meeting we heard a lot of well stories rather than actual testimonies and I admit it bugged me a little bit, the Spirit filled me and I got up and bore my testimony of the Saviour's last week in mortality and how the Sacrifice of Jesus overcomes the effects of Physical and Spiritual Death. Then I sat down  and was greeted by a fist bump by Elder Morby he said "that is how a testimony meeting should go." Afterwards others gave simple doctrinal testimonies and I was so blessed to hear those precious impressions to help out a little. 

We taught the Atonement in Gospel Principles class and the study on it continues to grow my faith and appreciation, to know that because of Christ we are able to settle the demands of Justice and Mercy, and there is No Other Way except through Him that we may make it back to the Father.

My dear Family I love you all so much 

Still sending daily prayers

Happy Easter Conference!!

Elder Muirhead

Ps. Lola you are hilarious!!    (he said in response to this story about his sister Lola from my letter to him: Today in Sacrament Meeting one of our new Senior Missionaries was speaking, he’s like in full on Amazing Apostle-like mode. The spirit was so strong and my eyes were full of tears. Lola looks up at me and says loudly “This is just like a funeral!” HAHAHA Oh man. So funny, you’re so going to adore that little sister of yours in a whole new way when you get home.)

Dylan put his Late Grandpa's Missionary tag on his scriptures, he's taking
Papa with him the rest of the way.

In prayer and wearing Papa's Tie. This photo made me cry this week.

In hard times of Loss

Dear Mom,

These pictures you sent are beautiful I love the angel Idea that the hospice did for Papa after he died. Glad to see the kids faces and how your family was brought so close together through this, I was there in spirit and the Lord has been my strength to endure and press on. I imagine the trials Christ had to feel while in Gethsemane. Not only did he feel all the sins and pains of the world, he felt death and the grief of every soul that they would have for the loss of their loved ones.

Mom I love you more then comprehension can allow and my prayers have been focused on our family and for the spirit to come bring us peace. Grandpa is fine and evolving in the spirit world I am so proud of where he is and how he will be used for so much good. Mom, he is free and because of that thought I too feel free from the worries I had for him. God has answered our prayers, he let papa leave in a beautiful way with his family around him, I couldn't imagine the thoughts he would have if he was prolonged and placed in a home.....not my grandpa. He is with us all and always will be.

I had an interesting thought that papa is looking after my future children, holding them on his lap, telling them he loves them and how to help me in the future when they are born. My children know papa and he will be the example I will have to aspire to raising them in the Gospel of Christ. I think of the story of you showing up in papa's dreams when we was a young man leading him to change and now he can do the same for your kids, and more.

I wish I could see past the veil but still it is thin. "Blessed are they who believe and seeth not" right?

Hope you are able to allow time to breathe and find inner peace, I sure find it helpful.

Love your son

Dear Extended Family,

Loved ones thank you so much for you constant love and prayers, the spirit has been able to comfort me so much and help me to grow and magnify me somewhat through this trial of my grandfathers passing this Sunday. 

My testimony has enlarged so much and I am aiming for new goals to strive to be favored in the eyes of the Lord.

We had quite a number of miracles, one was meeting with a Less active member named Larry that we couldn't find at his home. My companion had the impression to try the side door we did and Found him! we talked to him and got the meet him for a bit and invited him to church "yup sure" and he came!!! Yay!

Trying to find more and more people to teach and sorry for not being able to update my letters these last couple weeks but I am so great full to our Father in Heaven for the sacred experiences I have gone through this week.

Love you all thank you again from the bottom of my heart!

Elder Muirhead


Some more recent pictures from the past few weeks:

In "The Zone"

THE ZONE!

Hey Mom if the gift you are waiting for is the CTR ring, they alerted me and I had it sent to Brampton and I got the package this week! I can't wait to open it at Christmas! Yes I will be here till the end of the month no worries about sending my Christmas Package to my apartment, that will be perfect. 

This week has been very low key and not too much has happened, unfortunately. One good thing is that I have been doing a purification challenge! This is when you fast for a day and pray at the end to compile a list of things hindering the spirit, then you pray each morning and night and fast to move past those things for 40 days. I have attempted once before but now I am motivated to make the 40 days. I'm seeing blessings and hoping to do the Lord proud. 

I will be heading to Brampton this week again for another Zone conference (we were there last week as well) and learn even more great tools to add in my teachings using the pamphlets this time. I'm Stoked!

That is super cute to hear you gave the kitty to Nan and Pa kiddos, I promise that she will be Okay and that your sacrifice will be rewarded from Heavenly father. 

I feel a lot has changed since the beginning of the mission Mom. My testimony is much more solid in the Lord and the Gospel of Christ it is so amazing really. I have been able to learn this through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and being able to allow change in my life in the way God wills it. CPR: Church Prayer and Reading the Scriptures are our tools to keep us spiritually alive. I love to be able to practice each day those gifts to grow and learn more and more. Although life isn't always peaches and cream it is a wonderful way to learn from experiences both good and bad. The Adversary is so real too, he tries to pull your strings every now and then whether it is by you or the people around you, even your companion sometimes, but "Hope is the physician of Misery." As we trust in God and just keep moving forward (just keep swimming) we can reach our goals at the time we need to achieve them.

Our investigator MJ has been super busy and No his date is not going to go through. We have not been able to see him at all so he is dropped for now but a seed of faith is planted and we hope it will grow at some time in the future.

Looking forward to the trip to Brampton again it will be nice!

I love you all and hope to talk more with you today, I actually only got 1 email so far and that is yours hahaha so I am free to chat! 

Loves,

Elder Muirhead

For My Birthday Girl:

LOLA LOLA LOLA!

Guess what?! It is almost your Birthday you little monkey, that is nuts you're 5 years old!

I love you lots and lots and don't worry, I know that Mommy will get you all the princess stickers, chocolates and other girly stuff you want, cause Im a guy...I don't know what to get you hahaha SO EAT LOTS OF CHOCOLATE! 

Love your Biggest Bro 

Elder Muirhead

For Everyone:

May we all remember the true meaning Christmas and that the Lord Jesus Christ has asked of us all to give him the gift of obedience, love, sharing the gospel and a willing heart!

It is the best time of the year to reach out in love to those around us and show that we care. This year let us also give Jesus his Christmas wish...

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a Wise Man

I would do my part,

Yet what can I give Him?

Give my heart.

Share the gift of our savior to all this season!

http://www.mormon.org/christmas 

I testify as a representative of Jesus Christ that blessings will pour from heaven as we look to the true meaning of the holiday Christ-mas.

Love you all and pray for your well being

Elder Muirhead

In Cooktown before we hit Brampton for Zone Conf.

With my Comp Elder Bowman

"The HEART of Sudbury" (reference to LOST)

Happy Birthday Brigs and Driving the 401

Dear Family,
I'm glad you all got to meet up In Victoria lately. You haven't sent me pic of the new house yet Mom and Dad! I love the pic of me and Taryn as little kids, that was so great to finally see though haha she sent it to me too. 

This week has been so rainy I thought I was home, and because of the rain we have been kinda slower with our findings. On the other hand we have been seeing Jason who is working so hard on his Baptismal date we set with him. He has cut down on smoking to only 10 a day and got himself medication for his anxiety so he is a lot more receptive to people and especially to the Spirit. He recognizes the change and thanks God for it, really amazing humble prayer yesterday from him. Help us pray for him to make it to church! 

I was kinda concerned with a question I had with the Lord this week, "Am I really being inspired by the Spirit to speak and go where he wants me to or is it just me?" Yesterday we went to go see Matt and Smith, and Smith had some health issues and asked me to give him a blessing. I was excited to offer it and I listened to the words from heaven patiently, and then I got my answer that although the words I may speak sound normal to me, but to others it is what they need at that present moment and heaven sent. I testify that missionaries are ordained of God and have the authority to do his work on the earth which cannot be stopped until the coming of our Savior.

Today I have to drive all the way from Barrie to Brentford which is two and a half hours drive both ways and through Toronto 401 highway....YAY! rush hour will be great on the way back haha. 

I wish invite you to reflect on your prayers each day, are you saying them as a conversation time with the Lord, are you asking specific questions so you may recieve revelations, and are you at the close waiting after listening for the spirit to answer you?

As you do so your prayers will become more of a joy to you, and you will understand to things the Lord wishes for you to know and have at the present moment. But we have to "ask" and "recieve" it to gain that answer! This I am learning.

To each of you I wish the best week ever! Especially my little brother Brigham!! Happy Birthday this week buddy I love you so much and am thinking of you I will look and see If I can't get a little "something something" for you. 12 Years old wow Deacon time woot woot, these are the times to look forward to Brigs and I hope you and Josh learn more as to what the Priesthood means and how you can use it, let me challenge both of you boys to Pass the Sacrament Each Week! As you do, you will feel the spirit and will be able to fullfill some of your responsiblities as a Deacon. 

Breaking for the drive now.

Made it back, the road was pretty busy but nothing I can't handle. The doctor wanted to learn more on my history, I'm doing good.

Sunday is end of transfer Mom so if you are going to mail stuff try to do it before like Thursday at latest I think, Or wait to see what happens. But you can send it tomorrow or the next day and it should make it. I am so beat from driving for 5 hours haha man oh man. I hope you have a great week Mom and Dad love you lots!

Love 

Elder Muirhead

Barrie - Tornado, Oreos and Miracles

Dear Family,

We had an exchange on Monday and Tuesday in Orillia with Elder Teatao from New Zealand it was so much fun, we taught a FHE lesson and rocked it! This was also the day where a Tornado warning came in the area, a member actually called us saying, "Don't go out, I know you won't listen but careful." He was right, we totally ignored that haha. It was so sunny for the morning, then it poured with rain. The whole day we made jokes saying that everything that happened to us was a sign of a tornado, we laughed all day!

Week 3 In Barrie has been very slow in our efforts, we have tried very hard but our appointments bombed and no one wished to meet with us. Alec didn't make it to church and scared us with his comment basically saying he is feeling so good he sees no need to be baptised, Not on my watch! I told him the importance of Baptism and Patience, I promised him many more blessing awaiting the end of the tunnel. Later In the week we had a discussion about his issues and concerns with commitments. The spirit was so there and helped us to knock the ball out of the park, he is now so excited to come to church and make those goals achieved. We met a man named Adam this week and he studies religion, science and the world news 4-5 hours a day!!!! OH NO!! or so we thought he was actually facinated by the lessons and things we told him and we will see him later in the week again. 

Another miracle was a man named Chris who just got let out of prison that week, most humble guy I've ever met! Amazingly he contacted us from the other side of the bus stop. He is prepared to change his life for his family and find God so he can prove it to the world and himself. He's so cool. 

At the start of my mission I got a blanket from the Mission President and his wife, and I put it in the wash and ever since I have had puff balls all over my stuff it is so frustrating, but I finally after 3 weeks of laundry I have resolved the issue!

Recently I have been studying for our Zone conference topic "light vs dark" It is incredible to learn about both sides of the coin, and I also have been learning more about Joseph Smith with Elder Baumgartner listening to a few lectures my dad sent me by Truman Madsen, so well done.

I am doing so great Mom! My testimony is increasing, my influence in teaching is growing and I am Happy most days, It's such a blessing. I love the messages from the kids and you and Dad so much I look forward to reading them each night I can. I'm Now enjoying the Field bad times and all! I'm finding its worth in my refining!! Thank you family.

Friends and Family I love you all your messages and prayers are felt and I return them with my own. I am excited to continue the next 23 months left on the mission and see the miracles and works of God. I continually pray for our family Mom and those who need the Lords influence. Thank you for the package of Birthday oreos and fuzzy peaches! Plus the superhero card was awesome!

Love, 
Elder Muirhead

PS: We'll got some appointments to go to LOVE YOU MOM!!!!! I'll hand write you this week promise!!! TALK WITH YOU SOON <3 

PPS: Tell Brigs I'm printing this right now and making it a planner cover to carry with me. haha I love it Brigs!

Brigs note to Elder Muirhead said: "Dear Brother, you are awesome! Eat pie and teach the gospel. I miss you beating us up. Love Brigs!"