Week #56 - Fantástica! A package arrived today from Ecuador

Today, while we were waiting for Garrett's weekly mission email to arrive, the mailman delivered a package to our door.  It was from Garrett!  We were so stunned and excited to receive this package at the exact moment we were waiting for an email from him.  What a tender mercy! 

He sent us a Book of Mormon written in Quechua, the language of the Indians that live in Ecuador.  He also sent everyone an Ecuador World cup soccer jersey and he sent Hayden a Mexican bag.  Thank you Garrett!  We love it all.

Book of Mormon written in the Quechua language.

Garrett sent an "Ecuador" World Cup soccer jersey to everyone--well, not Chase :-)

He sent Hayden a Mexican bag

However, the best part of the package was the letter that he wrote.  For Cory and I, this was the "pay day" we have been waiting for.  All we want for our children is for them to love the Lord and obey Him.  We know that following the Lord is the way to find true, lasting happiness in this life and in the life to come.  Through his letter we can tell that Garrett has come to that conclusion in his life, and we could not be happier.  Here is his letter:

Farley Family,

Well, first off, I want all of you to know how much I love you.  All of you guys are the best!  You guys help me stay focused and you always show your great love for me.  I couldn't ask for a better family! Dad, Mom, Morgan, George, Kendall, Cami, Davis, Hayden, Chase, and Madison, all of you guys are vacanisimo!  I love you all with all of my heart! 

This year that I have been in the mission, I have learned a lot.  I have learned how to work.  I have learned how to study.  I have learned how to teach.  I have learned how to love someone with the pure love of Christ.  I have learned Spanish.  I have learned who I am and what I mean to God.  I have felt the love of friends, family, and of God. This year has been amazing!  I cannot wait to serve another year devotedly focused on my mission.  I also cannot wait to see what I learn in that time!

Although this year has been fun, exciting, and powerful, it has also been really hard. I cannot describe how hard my mission has been.  At times I felt alone.  At times I felt abandoned.  At times I felt like I couldn't do anything right.  I have even felt like quitting, giving up and going home. But in these hard times I thought of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice to the world!  Jesus Christ's mission was far harder than mine.  He was rejected by everyone.  Even from some people who loved him.  He was beat, bruised, battered, and spit upon.  He was even killed! My mission is far less difficult than that of Christ's, so even though my  mission is hard, I know that I can do it because Christ did His.  I know that Christ will help every single one of us because I know that Christ lives.  He loves us and He is here for us.  I know that my Savior lives!  So, let's see what I can learn in one years time when I too have finished my mission. I can't wait!

Well, the things that are in this package are as follows:  There are Ecuador soccer jersey's (I hope that I have bought enough for all of you) and there is a Mexican bag for Hayden (I bought that while I was in the Mexico CCM).  I hope that Ecuador has become a huge part of your lives as it has become for me.

Love, Elder Garrett Dean Farley

P.S. - This Book of Mormon is written in Quechua, the language of the Indians that live here in Ecuador.  Its really cool!  

Week #56 - Transferred back to Orquideas Sector in Guayaquil

HOOLLLAAAA!!!!!!!

Well, first of all I will start by answering your questions!!

1- We got Yomaira to the point to be baptized, but she hid from us so she did not get baptized this week!!!

2- I have no idea why I had so many changes last week, but it has to be for a reason!!

3- No, I am not in Quevedo Norte 2 anymore because I got changed.

4- My ingrown toenails don't hurt, but they just look bad.  I will start doing those things you told me to do this week, I just haven't had time yet!!

5- I don't have any feelings of frustration or anything like that anymore.  I am just super excited.

6- Ummm... that is a good question!  I would say the most significant thing I have learned so far on my mission is that I have been changed from a boy into a man.  That would be my biggest lesson.

7- No, I don't have any questions about Hayden's cancer or treatments because I know the Lord will take care of everything!!!

I will now tell you about my week!!

Today I had changes!!!  I am not in Quevedo anymore, I am now in GUAYAQUIL AGAIN!  And the crazy part is that I am almost in my same sector.  I am now literally on the other side of the street and its called Los Vergeles.  My compañero is named Elder Arcos, and he is from Quito.  He is really cool.  I knew him before and I am excited to work with him!!!!  Even though I am a little sad to leave Quevedo I am excited to work and have a new start so I am full excited!!!!

Well, this week is as follows:

Monday we had a family night lesson with our Bishop.  He is SOOOOO cool!  He has been my best Bishop by far and that family night lesson was really cool.  It was a little different because it has been my first real family night lesson in a year and it was in Spanish!!!  It was way cool!  Sometimes I just sit back and think, "I am thinking and talking in Spanish and I can understand everything, WOW!"

On Tuesday we went and visited Yomaira and we got her super excited for her to get baptized.  We also got this little kid named Omar to be super excited to be baptized!!! That was awesome!!

Wednesday we went to Guayaquil to go through the templo, and let me tell you that I love the temple!!  We traveled there all day and we spent the night in Guayaquil.

Thursday we went through the temple again and then we had a meeting with the president and all was cool.  I loved that day!  There was a scripture he shared that said, "God will not be mocked." OHHHH I loved that scripture I love President Riggins!!

Then Friday was the day Omar and Yomaira were supposed to be baptized, so we got everything to be ready, but Omar decided that he didn't want to be baptized.  I have realized that it is his choice--its his salvation not mine.  But we did explain everything to him.  Yomaira hid from us so she didn't get baptized either.  Saturday we tried to find her again and get her baptized but she hid from us again. I felt a little bad.  

Then Sunday was a normal day--nothing too exciting, and now I am here in GUAYAQUIL again!!

Well this week I was studying in my scriptures, in the front, in the introduction and in the first few pages!!! They are soooooo sweet!!! I LOVE THEM!

This has been my week--nothing to exciting!!

LOVE 

Elder Farley 

Garrett and Elder Tingey from Las Vegas at the Guayaquil Temple

Elder Bench from Utah, Garrett, Elder Lang from California

Week #55 - Service Saturday

Hola querida familia! Como están? (Hello dear family.  How are you?)

Pues, to answer your question:

1- I think I am the señor compañero but I am not sure.

2- Well we kinda got some new investigators this week because I was put in a trio companionship, so I kinda adopted the investigators from one of my compañeros.

3- OK, I will be looking for those packages.

Well here is my week-

Monday my compañero, Elder Gomez got transferred and I got put into a trio with Elder Gray and Elder Pimentel.  Then on Tuesday night Elder Gray got transferred and Elder Le Fevre got put in with us!!  So this week was a crazy week of changes!!

Because this week was a little crazy with changes we really didn't have that much time to really look for investigators, but we did visit a couple of people who are going to get baptized this week.  Her name is Yomaira.  We might possibly have another baptism but I don't know if he will actually be baptized--we shall see.  

Oh, this week was full of service on Saturday.  We helped our Bishop cook some food so a family can sell it to make some money for a surgery that he needs.  Then we cleaned the church to help prepare for the Ward Conference!!  It was all fun!!

This week was really crazy with all of the changes and what not.  However, I studied the last couple of chapters of Mormon and I really do look up to this guy.  He is awesome!!!  I am loving the scriptures!!!!

Well basically that was my week.  It was crazy but it was good!! Sorry if this is lame.

HEY LOOK FOR MY PACKAGE

My questions:

1- Does Senaka have an accent?

2- Who else is leaving for missions?

3- Who else is getting back soon?

I love you all will all my heart!!

LOVE-

Elder Farley

Helping a member of the ward by making food that they are going to sell

Peeling plantains

Selfie :-)

Week #54 - Victor Gets Baptized

HOLA!!! 

Como estan?

Well I will answer your questions:

1- Yes I did receive your package and I loved it--thank you so much!!!

2- Well we did have a baptism this week.  The kid that was baptized is named Victor.

3- The truth is that I don't know.  I can never tell when I will be transferred.

I will tell you about my week now!!!

Well this week was super great!  Basically this week we just narrowed down our list of investigators.  It was hard to give up some of our investigators but it had to be done because they weren't progressing.  So we are still on the look out for more investigators. 

This week Victor was baptized!!! YEAH!!!  But it was sad because right after he was baptized he went to a party and got super drunk.  It is sad but it doesn't stop him from receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, so he got confirmed.  It is still super sad to us.  He is a 15 yr old kid and his parents really don't care that much about him, but I will not give up on him.  I will continue to teach him and continue to be his friend and hopefully he can change and realize what he is doing is wrong!!

This week in my study I was reading in Mormon.  Let me tell you this guy is a champion!  I have loved reading this book because Mormon is the only righteous guy on earth at this moment, and I want take my hat off to this guy--he is a true warrior of god!  I want to be like Mormon or Nephi or Cory Farley--some of the greatest people in the church!! 

Well basically this was my week.  It was awesome!

My questions:

1- How are my friends doing on their missions?

2- Did you guys get my package?

3- What should I study when I get back?

LOVE 

Elder Farley

Garrett, Victor, Elder Gomez

Week #53 - 7 Baptisms in July

Hola mi querida family!!  Como están? (Hello, my dear family!!  How are you?)

Bueno (Okay) I will start by answering your questions like always:

1- The family in the picture last week is the familia Diaz.  They are the family that we baptized in the month of July and they are all super awesome!! I love them all.

2- Well the truth is that Victor didn't get baptized last week but he has plans for baptism this week.  He will be a little harder to baptize because he drinks and smokes and he has an earring which means he sleeps around but he is progressing and he is planning to be baptized this week so please pray for him!!

3- The Congel family are never home or they are always busy so the truth is that we are not working with them anymore. They just don't want to progress so we will work on them later when they are ready.

4- In the whole month of July we had 7 baptisms.  That is a really good number--like one of the best for the mission!! if I am not wrong then I think we had the best month for baptisms.  What I mean is that me and my compañero baptized the most in July.

5- I do not know him but if I meet him I will tell him.

6- In the mission they have this tradition to burn a shirt on your hump day, so that is what I did.  It was fun!

I wanted to remind you about a comment I made in a previous email. The comment is: Can you tell Senaka to wait for me!! J/K  ha ha ha!

Now my questions:

1- Wow this week has been crazy.  I feel like I have missed so much.  But I have to baptize people here in Ecuador so I can't worry about what I miss at home.

2- Dad what was the craziest thing that happened while you were on your mission?

3- Mom why didn't you serve a mission?

4. Where do the boys want to serve their missions?

5- What else is going on in the family?

Well now I will tell you about my week:

Basically this week all we did was find FULL people to teach.  We looked everywhere and we talked to everyone.  It was awesome!  I love teaching the gospel.  This week we found 4 people that can really progress in the gospel.  It was awesome!   Of these 4 people that we found, 5 people attended church which is really good!!  So hopefully we can have more baptisms this month again.  So please pray for all of them? They are:

Erika and her grandparents

Another Erika and her brother Omar

Carlos and his family

Martha and he daughters Jaimlex

Victor

Isabel

They can all progress but we need your help with your prayers.  That would be amazing if you could pray for them!! OH also this week on Thursday we had a service project. We went to a park and we cleaned the park.  Guess who was there? The other Sister missionary that was there at the Ecuador consulate office when we got our Visas.  I got to talk to her for a bit and that was cool!! This week was really cool.  I loved this week.

Well, something that I learned in my study this week is that if we obey the Lord's commandments He will give us the fullness of the gospel!!  But if we don't obey, then He will take the gospel away from us!!  In 3 Nephi 16:10 it says that if we obey we will have the fullness of the gospel and in Mormon 1:2 it gives us an example of this gospel truth!!

So we have to obey or he will take the truth away from us!!

Just to let you know--TODAY I sent a package to you guys.  The post office said that it should arrive in 2 weeks.  In the book that I sent there is a letter and you need to read it!!

Well this has been my week--sorry if it's lame.

LOVE 

Elder Farley