Here's a link to Google Maps where you can see the location of all the churches (we call them "meetinghouses") in the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission. You'll need to copy this link into your browser in order for it to work.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=109187978859645929002.000436571bb6cd3a86879&ll=39.325799,-76.190186&spn=5.344611,8.789062&z=7&om=1
Let me know if this link works for you.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Singing the National Anthem
Last night a group of our missionaries sang the National Anthem at a
Philadelphia Phillies baseball game. It was a fun diversion from the
usual work. We had a dress rehearsal on the field at 5:30PM. Then
we ate hot dogs and sodas and then at 7PM we sang. The missionaries
did a very good job -- they had been practicing with a skilled music
instructor. After the singing they all departed for an evening of
missionary work in their respective areas in and around
Philadelphia. We had about 30 of our 120 missionaries participate
in this event.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Making Sense of It All
We're now actively engaged in our missionary work. I'm known as President Murray and Joyce is known as Sister Murray. I get up each morning and asked myself, "Hmmm, which white shirt should I wear today?"
We have about 120 missionaries currently serving in the Pennsylvania Philadelphia mission. About 70% of these are assigned to work in the greater Philadelphia area. The remainder are spread up north in Reading and Allentown, and down south to Wilmington, Delaware and some smaller communities.
The greatest growth of the church in this area is in the inner city where many Africans (primarily from Liberia), African-Americans, and Latinos (from Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico) are being baptized.
Yesterday I spent 4 hours in one of the most burned out sections of a ghetto with Elders Mills and Keach (both age 21). These two elders are "zone leaders". This means they directly coordinate the work of 32 other missionaries. Elders Mills and Keach live in a tiny little apartment that faces a dangerous street. There is constant crime in these neighborhoods. Yet Elders Mills and Keach are fearless. They have replaced fear with faith. They are also extremely well organized and have become great leaders and managers -- their tiny apartment has a fax machine, cell phone and two white boards with goals, plans and statistics all up to date. We visited two families whom they are teaching - a Puerto Rican mother and daughter and a Vietnamese father and daughter. The squalor of the buildings and homes breaks my heart. Yet the people we met are eager to learn about the restored gospel and sense an opportunity for a new beginning. It was a great experience.
My job has many different pieces to it. I'm trying to get my arms around it all. It makes alot more sense now than it did a week ago. I love serving with our missionaries and feel great purpose to what we are doing.
We have about 120 missionaries currently serving in the Pennsylvania Philadelphia mission. About 70% of these are assigned to work in the greater Philadelphia area. The remainder are spread up north in Reading and Allentown, and down south to Wilmington, Delaware and some smaller communities.
The greatest growth of the church in this area is in the inner city where many Africans (primarily from Liberia), African-Americans, and Latinos (from Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico) are being baptized.
Yesterday I spent 4 hours in one of the most burned out sections of a ghetto with Elders Mills and Keach (both age 21). These two elders are "zone leaders". This means they directly coordinate the work of 32 other missionaries. Elders Mills and Keach live in a tiny little apartment that faces a dangerous street. There is constant crime in these neighborhoods. Yet Elders Mills and Keach are fearless. They have replaced fear with faith. They are also extremely well organized and have become great leaders and managers -- their tiny apartment has a fax machine, cell phone and two white boards with goals, plans and statistics all up to date. We visited two families whom they are teaching - a Puerto Rican mother and daughter and a Vietnamese father and daughter. The squalor of the buildings and homes breaks my heart. Yet the people we met are eager to learn about the restored gospel and sense an opportunity for a new beginning. It was a great experience.
My job has many different pieces to it. I'm trying to get my arms around it all. It makes alot more sense now than it did a week ago. I love serving with our missionaries and feel great purpose to what we are doing.
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