Mission Blog #27

Spring Has Sprung

We are grateful for the seasons - during the dreary, grey days of winter it is hard to imagine that the sun will shine again and the flowers blossom.

A couple of weeks ago we went for a walk in our neighborhood and we enjoyed the beauties of nature - mainly the flowers and buds of new growth attracted our attention.

In our lives, we need to remember that all difficulties, all challenges, all sorrows, and all darkness and evil, is overcome through our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This week begins the Holy Week in which we remember our Savior's life and teachings, his willingness to undergo a brutal and horrible torturous death, after taking on Him the sins of us all.

Join us this week, in strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ this Easter season - this simple daily study plan will help. For each day, simply use the right arrow tab, for the next day's review.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/easter-plan/01-about?lang=eng

All-Ireland Zone Conference

Every 'transfer', or about 6 weeks, an all-Ireland multi-zone conference is held - with similar conferences in Scotland. All missionaries on the island assemble at the Finglas church in Dublin. Some travel several hours to be there. We're pretty lucky, as it's just over an hour depending on Dublin traffic. We begin at 9:30am and end at about 4:30pm, with instruction sessions conducted by - our Mission Leaders, President and Sister McCrudden (shown in the left of this photo), four Assistants to the President, two Sister Training Leaders, Zone Leaders, counselor to the Mission President, or others - as assigned by President McCrudden.

Sister McCrudden organized a little fun competition after lunch, just to break up the day a bit. Each Zone had a couple of representatives in this event. Elder Drinkwater - 6 ft 4" and with very long strides (and using my spoon), won the spoon & chocolate egg race.

We feel like this Zone Conference was the best to-date, measured by the loving spirit, and the quality of instruction, and interactions throughout the day - and the cracked chicken lunch provided by the senior couple missionaries was pretty good too!

We're almost ready for the onslaught. Serving the lunch is one of my favorite things - as I get to meet each missionary as they come through the food line; ask them where they're from and how long they've been serving, and offer a few words of encouragement; sisters first, then the elders, and ending with the Mission Leaders, President and Sister McCrudden. Then we seniors get our turn.

 

In the hall as missionaries arrived, I saw a missionary with an apparent Dutch name, Elder Van Gijsel. I greeted him in Dutch and he was excited to know someone spoke his language. He remarked to other missionaries - 'that's how you pronounce my name properly'. He said that it had been months since he has spoken his native language, Dutch. I then explained to him that my first mission was in the Netherlands. He is from northern Belgium. I mentioned that my first area was in Breda, about 15 miles north of the Belgium border. Then he asked if I knew the MacLean's from Breda? Natuurlijk! Of course I do. 

I explained that I arrived in Breda in November of 1977, just a couple of weeks after Broeder MacLean's baptism into the Church. I explained how we would go weekly to visit with him to continue to teach him, to fellowship with and minister to him. He was married, with two children (one son was named Eric). His wife was not pleased he had joined the church. She would not meet with us when we visited - we'd go upstairs to his office and meet, then walk downstairs and out to our bicycles - rarely would we see her. At Christmas though, we were invited for a celebratory dinner that she had prepared. All the family were there. Afterwards, my musician companion and I led us in singing some Christmas carols with them, and we read Luke 2, the Christmas story. Long-story short, the ice had begun to melt, but it was still pretty thick, and for all the time that I remained in Breda (until March the following year), and the duration of my mission, there was no change. 

20+ years later I was reading the Ensign magazine, our church's monthly magazine (now Liahona), and I was intrigued by an article written by a brother MacLean of the Netherlands. He spoke of his conversion in 1977, how he found it difficult being the only church member in his young family; how the missionaries would visit regularly to keep him in the faith and encourage him, how his wife was very cold towards them and showed no interest; but how she began to thaw after they celebrated Christmas with their family; and how, a few years later, she and the 2 boys met with the missionaries, took the lessons, and were baptised, and then how he and his wife together had served many missions, 7 I think it was. I explained to young Elder Van Gijsel that this all had been a wonderful miracle, that I was able to enjoy many years after my mission service was completed. 

Then I asked him, 'how do you know the MacLean's?'  He answered that he and his friends would often drive or take the train up to Breda from Belgium to do things in the city - I read into that that he went to Breda to explore relationships/socialize...??!! And, he confirmed that he 'knew very well' one of Brother MacLean's granddaughters, Ilisse, who is a daughter of Eric MacLean's. He said that each of the sons of brother MacLean had served a mission and that the MacLean family are one of the finest families that he knew. And so, my mission in the Netherlands 44 years ago, comes back around, again, with this chance contact with Elder Van Gijsel. I feel very blessed, beyond words, to have come to know that so much wonderful fruit has sprung forth since some dark and difficult times in Breda; and after many prayers by Brother MacLean, visits by many missionaries over the years, and being patient but loving - as Brother MacLean was/is.

We Love To Help Others Do Their Family History

Alice is the longest-term member of the Church in Dundalk - about 43 years. She is a wonderful person who we just love. She is fun-loving - loves to play our new favorite game, Swoop, but has not managed to beat me yet. Rematch is tonight. Update: I won again!!! Sorry Alice.

Our main purpose tonight was to help her finish some family history work, and prepare name cards of some of her deceased family so she'll be able to perform sacred ordinances for them - by proxy - in our upcoming trip to the Preston England Temple. Several other Branch members will also be going. April 18-21st.

It has been 5 months since we've enjoyed a steak dinner. Our new favorite restaurant is The Windsor. The Irish beef is amazing, and it was fun to talk with our hostess about where we're from, and that we're here as missionaries for our church.

General Conference

It was a hi-lite for us to be able to watch the (5) 2 hour sessions of the Church's 193rd Annual General Conference from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City; 4 sessions live, and 1 delayed due to lateness here.

In October last year Tina and I were temporarily assigned to the Utah Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission while we awaited my Irish Residency Permit. We were able to be there in Salt Lake City, living in an apartment 50 metres from the Conference Centre, and attend a couple of sessions in person, and take in the atmosphere with thousands of visitors from all over the world. It will remain as some of our fondest mission experiences.

General authorities and general officers of the church, including our beloved prophet, and the twelve apostles and others are the speakers in General Conference.

Music was provided by the world famous, Tabernacle Choir, but there were also choirs from Brigham Young University, and Logan Utah's Institute of Religion who sang in two of the sessions.

With the sessions being streamed here at 5pm and 9pm, we had the Elders over for dinner Saturday and Sunday, and watched the first session together in our home.

When new Temples were announced in the final minutes of the Conference, our German missionary, Elder Schneider, was pretty happy to hear 'Hamburg' announced - and we of course, were ecstatic to hear that 'Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada' would be getting a temple. In total, 15 new temples were announced.

I wonder if the Prophet would accept a trade; Lethbridge, for Ireland??? (No offense intended to our friends/family in Lethbridge).

Us attending the semi-annual conference at the Conference Center in October, 2022.

The Conference Center is an amazing building, completed in 2000. It replaced the nearby Tabernacle as the traditional home of General Conference.

A few facts:

Believed to be the largest theater-style auditorium ever built.

Seating in the main auditorium for 21,000; plus a small auditorium that seats 900.

50,000 miles of electrical wiring, enough to circumnavigate the earth twice.

Schoenstein pipe organ, with 7,600 pipes.

The entire Tabernacle would fit in the main stage area of the Conference Center.

60 translation booths are utilized with mostly volunteer translators, translating General Conference into 90+ languages.

If anyone missed watching Conference, the sessions are available by going to www.churchofjesuschrist.org

Also, you can find the 8-day Easter Study Plan by going to the main page. You'll see the link on that main page.

Russell M. Nelson, who we sustain as a prophet, seer, and revelator - gave a wonderful final address at the end of the 2-day conference. Here are a few of his comments:

"Because of Jesus Christ, we can repent and be forgiven of our sins.... Because of Him, each of us will be resurrected.

Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him! Follow Him!"

He also reminded us that "true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade and inspire - no matter how difficult the situation...True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.... I urge you to be a peacemaker, now and always."

He is a wonderful example of these teachings and we felt inspired to be better disciples after hearing him counsel us in the loving way he did. 

Thank you all for your love and support. Tina and I are loving our mission. 

    Elder Eric & Sister Tina McMurray

   

(Note: our friend, Craig Gardiner, had brain surgery last weekend. A clot was removed and also a tumor which was cancerous. The surgery went very well. There are other issues but they can be managed back in U.S. He is discharged from hospital and they await Doctor okay to travel. Thanks to all who prayed for Craig or who made any donation to his GoFundMe)