Week #86 - Transferred to Duran

Hola, como estan!!!

Well, I will start off by answering your questions like usual-

1. What is your daily schedule?

1. 6:30 wake up and exercise

    7:00 get ready for the day and eat breakfast

    8:00 study personally

    9:00 study as compañeros

    10:00 study language

    11:00 if we have to visit people we go and visit them!!

    1:00 eat lunch (my favorite part. I love the food here ;)

    2:00 - 9:00 we visit all the people that we have to visit whether they be investigators, less actives, or members.

     9:00 plan the next day

     10:30 sleep

2. Are you taking lots of pictures of Ecuador.  You send a lot of selfies, so I want to make sure you are taking pictures of people, places, and moments.

2- Yes, I am.  I have a bunch.  I take equal amounts of pictures of me and of Ecuador.  Don't worry mom, I am doing it!!

3.  When are the next transfers?

3- Well, speaking of transfers---on Thursday I got changed.  I don't know why I got changed on a Thursday.  It must have been an emergency or something, but now I am in a place called Duran.  It's like right by Guayaquil and my new sector is called Ferrovario. Its a really cool place and its very likely that I will end my mission here in Duran.  But we shall see?

4.  Who else are you writing besides us?

4- You guys, Julie Hunsaker, Presidente Riggins, Austin and all my other friends.  Nobody else.

5.  How did your team work focus go this week?

5- Well, I hope it went good.  When I got changed they also released me from being District Leader so now I am just a normal missionary.  I think its good because I will have more time to focus on my investigators!!! It's the Lord's will, not mine!!

6.  What are your mission rules?

6- We have to talk to 10 people everyday and that now we can visit members as a home teacher.  I have my own compañero, who is a ward member.  I don't know what else?

Well, my week was very simple-

Tuesday we had District meeting and I taught again about team work.  I taught how we need to work as a team and how we should put our plans to work better as a District.  We were all agreed upon and we were going to have a family night with an investigator!!  After the meeting we went to work.  We went to Montalvo to visit the Parra family.  They still haven't got the paper they needed to get married, so we made plans so that a member would go with them and help them to get the paper.  So hopefully they can get the paper so that they can be baptized!!  This was the most exciting thing that happened this day.

Wednesday we also went to Montalvo because we felt like we should.  While we were there we visited some others families that we have found.  The family Viteri and the family Bustamonte.  They were all committed to come to church and do what they need to do, then in the night, right as we were going to bed the Zone Leaders called us and said that we had changes.  So, I got all my stuff ready and said goodbye to some people here.  I don't know why I got changed but I did!!! I just know that the Lord knows best!!

Saying good-bye to Elder Quiroga

Thursday we left to go to Guayaquil and they sent me to Duran in the sector Ferrovario.  My compañero is Elder Arroyo and he is from Argentina, Salta!!! So that is really cool!!! Then when I put all of my stuff away we started working and in our sector we have this huge hill.  It is like huge!!!  I can see all of Guayaquil from my sector and its awesome but it hurt my legs climbing it!! But I love it!!!

Duran is directly east of Guayaquil across the Rio Guayas River

Duran, Ecuador - Ferrovario sector

New companion--Elder Arroyo

Friday we visited more people.  I am really not sure who they are because I am new here but I loved talking to everyone!!  Today we ate lunch with a family and the husband is from China.  He came here to Ecuador for temporary work but ended up getting married and now is here for good!!  He is SOOO cool!  He has a Bible and a Book of Mormon in Chinese.  He is really cool--his name is Jing Mong Yen!!! It's cool!! ;)

Saturday we visited a lot more people and still I don't know alot of people but I am loving it!!!

Sunday we went to church and we had Ward Council and a bunch of other meetings.  It was a normal day!!

Monday (today) we went to an island called Santay and we borrowed bikes and we rode around this island.   Basically it is a swamp but it was cool.  I named the island, "CRABADILE ISLAND".  There were a lot of crabs and crocadiles!!!  It was awesome but now I am tired because it has been FOREVER since I have ridden a bike!!! I loved it!!!  Now I am writing you guys!!!

P-day island exploration--Santay Island.  aka - "Crabadile Island"

Well, this has been my week.  I hope you guys can feel what I am feeling here in the mission!!!

I have one question-

1- Do you know when I am coming home?

Well, I love all of you.  Keep doing what you are doing and remember that I love you guys!!! Ustedes son hijo de dios altisimo recueden eso!! (You are the son of the most high God, remember that!!)

LOVE,

Elder Farley

Week #85 - NO more sick Farley's!

HOLA!!! Como estan?

Well, before I answer your questions, I have one for you guys.  How many people in the family are going to get sick while I am on the mission?  I am trying my best to serve with everything I have but it is very hard to work hard when I know that my sisters, my brother, my aunts, and almost everyone in our family is sick!!  This is probably selfish of me to say but I just have to let you know that it's hard.  I just need to humble myself, repent, and work hard.  The Lord knows best and the only thing I can do for you guys is work hard and pray for each and everyone of you guys!!!  So, that is what I will do!! ;) I love you guys!

Now I will answer your questions-

1- I think you and Elder Robinson should make plans to room together just so you do have that back up in your life.  You can always change your plans if they need to be changed.

1- Yes, that is a very good idea.  I will email him right after this to tell him!!! 

2- Did the Parra family ever get the marriage license they needed?

2- No, they didn't.  I think this week we are going to go with them to take the paper out, but we will have to see how that goes!! This week we did find a new family.  Yeah!  They are awesome!!!! :)

3- What miracle did you witness this week?

3-  Umm, probably when we found this new family.  They are called, La Familia Bustamonte and they are so cool! The husband is a member but the wife is not a member....yet ;) But they are so cool!!!  Just like always here in Ecuador, they do need to get married first but it should be alot more easy with them.  So that would be the miracle I think!!

Well, now I will tell you guys about my week-

Tuesday we had the district meeting, and basically what we did for the meeting was that we talked about being a team.  We talked about how we do things in the district so that we can work as a team.  I shared examples of armies and how if they work as a team they will win and if not, they don't win!!  So right there we started making plans so that we can help all of the district.  As a part of this we were going to have a family night as a zone and with a few members.  It was awesome!!  Then in the afternoon we worked and nothing too exciting happened!!  We talked to the Parra family and they did get the paper!!  So I think this week we will go with them to get the paper!! (I think he mis-typed something because this doesn't make sense)

Wednesday we worked like normal!!  It was the day where we were going to have the family night!!  So we were all preparing for it and me and my compañero arrived on time and we were ready, but on the way there a taxi hit me with his car and I got really mad.  I kind of lost the spirit in this moment!!!  Then some elders said that they weren't going to come because they had something else to do and the other sisters and elders were really late.  All of these things made me even more mad, so we didn't do the family night!!! The reason the family night didn't work out is because we weren't working as a team!! So, tomorrow we will talk about this principle again.  We will do the family night again so hopefully it will work out better this time!!

Thursday it was a very normal day.  We walked, talked and testified!!!!! A great day serving the Lord!

Friday is the day where we found a BUNCH of new people to teach!!!  We found this new family in Montalvo and we found a bunch of people through this girl in our ward.  She just presented us with a bunch of people so hopefully we can help these people and hopefully they can choose the right and they can come unto Christ!!!  We will work hard with them!!!!!!!

Saturday we had a small meeting with Presidente, where he told us that Babahoyo is a very slow progressing area.  The church is not very strong here so he basically told us that we have to be excited about the work and we have to help the ward members become more strong and especially help the ward council.  So that is what we will start doing because what he says is very true. Babahoyo is a cool place but its not very good about the church and its not very strong.  The members are cool but they don't know how to be true members yet.  But we will just work with them and help them!!!

Sunday was a normal day full of meetings!!

Monday (today) as a zone we went to go play paintball up in Montalvo.  It was fun but now I am tired!!!

Well, I hope you guys can feel what I experience here in the mission!! It's awesome.  I am very sad that in 4 months I will be home.  I just need to work harder and keep focused!!! I love all of you guys--keep choosing the right!!!

LOVE with all my heart,

Elder Farley

P-day paint balling 

Week #84 - I want to be truly converted!

HOLA!! Como estan? ;)

Well, as always I will start off by answering your questions-

1- Please email Elder Robinson and have him talk to his mom about you two guys rooming together.  Have her message me on Facebook.  Or give her my email address.

1- I will try to talk to him about that, but honestly I would like to see what happens when I get home.  I have a feeling that the Lord has a BIG blessing for me when I get home and if this feeling comes true then I will not be able to room with Elder Robinson.  But, I will talk to him and see what we can do. ;)

2- Tell me about a humbling experience you had this week.

2- Well, this week I studied Mosiah 2 in English.  WOW!  That is some powerful stuff.  King Benjamin is powerful and the words he said have touched my heart. I have been trying to change so I can live my life following what the Lord has giving us.  So, this week when I was studying that chapter I felt the spirit of repentance and I have been trying to change!!

3- What was the sweetest experience you had this week?

3- Well, I would say the sweetest experience this week happened on Saturday.  A sister in my district was going home that day, but before she did she had a baptism.  I had to go over there and give the kid an interview, so after the interview the sisters and almost all of the elders stayed there and were supporting the sisters at their baptism.  My compañero and I went to a member's house to prepare for a small gathering to celebrate this sister's mission.  We were preparing the BBQ and we ended up cooking the meat and we were actually very helpful this day.  The little party was really cool, so this was probably the sweetest experience that I had this week!!

Now I shall tell you guys about my week ;)

Tuesday we didn't have district meeting because the zone leaders went to Guayaquil for a zone conference.  So, while they were there we stayed at home and we worked like normal.  We went to Montalvo and we visited the familia Parra and we invited them again to get that paper they need so they can get married.  They said to us that this week they were going to take the paper out!! (but, they didn't) So, we realized that we are probably going to have to do something different to help them get the paper.  We also visited a family (I can't remember their last name, but the sisters name is Katherine), and while we visited them we inivted them to come to curch and they all said they were going to come!! (but, they didn't) So, we realized that we are probably going to have to do something different to help them better as well. I will have to talk to my compañero and I will see what he says!!

Wednesday we had district meeting, and the zone leaders explained everything that happened in the zone conference, and it was very cool!!  We talked alot about being converted and how presidente could care less about the numbers that we have to give, or about the things we have to do.  What he truly want is that WE as missionaies can become converted!  This is what I want too!  I want to become truly converted so I will do everything in my power to becme converted!! I hope the Lord has mercy on his servant and helps me in this process!!!

Thursday was actually a pretty normal day.  We didn't do anything too exciting.  We tried to go to Montalvo but we couldn't go for a reason that I can't remember. So, we just tried to visit as many people as we could.

Friday was a normal day as well.  In the night I invited my district to eat some food together and it was very cool!!!  I enjoyed this because I was able to help my district by getting them excited about missionary work.  It was fun!

Saturday we went to the baptismal interview and I interviewed a kid named Junior who has 14 years.  He doesn't want to get baptized yet so I was able to explain to him the importance of getting baptized and making good choices in this life.  I hope he could listen and get more prepared to live this life acording to God's will and not his will.  Then after that we went to the house of this member and we helped set up for the party and we helped cook the food!!  I LOVED it because we had BBQ and you guys know how much I love BBQ and you know that I love cooking BBQ.  So that was very fun.  We all said goodbye to the sister that went home.

Sunday was a very normal Sunday-- it was full of meetings!!

Well, this has been my week.  I hope that you guys could have felt my week and through my experiences you guys can know what it is like to be a missionary!! I love every single one of you.  You guys are my happiness!!

I LOVE all of you guys and always remeber that!!!!!

LOVE,

Elder Farley

Farewell B-BQ for a Sister Missionary in Garrett's district

B-BQ Master

E. Farley and E. Quiroca - Companions

He finally received his "Brave Like Hank" t-shirt.  It looks amazing!

Add caption

Beautiful Ecuador waterfall 

Week #83 - 34 Possible Baptisms

Hola!!! Como estas?

Well, I will actually begin by saying that I love every single one of you!!! You truly bring blessings to me and I am quite sure that is what Heavenly Father had in mind when he created the family. I bet he was thinking, "If everyone chooses the right and shows their love to one another as a family, they will recive SOOO many unseen and seen blessings.  I hope the Farley family understands this and applies this eternal priniciple!!"  Thank you for showing your love and always helping with everything!!! I love you all lots!!! ;)

Now I will answer your questions-

1- What classes at BYU Idaho do you want me to sign you up for?

1- Can you sign me up for the Mechanical Engineering major, and a minor in Art?  I think I can get some scholarships for art if you show the school some of my work.  Also, I would like to take some Spanish classes so I can get some free credits.  Is this all possible? ;)

2- Have you received our Valentine package yet?

2- ....umm.........no....not yet.  I am still waiting patiently.  I have faith that I WILL receive that package!!!

3- How are you enjoying Babahoyo?

3- I am!!  Personally my last sector has been my favorite but it is still a great ward here in Babahoyo!!  We have lots of work to do and we are always broke here.  I have no idea how we are always broke but we are.  I need to do a better job of managing my money, but I really do like Babahoyo!!!

4- Tell us about a time that you served your companion this week.

4- Well, he always showers before I do so while he is showering I try to iron his shirt for him.  I did just that this week :-)  He is a great guy! ;)

5- I haven't heard from Elder Robinson's mother about you two guys rooming together at BYU Idaho.  What do you want me to do?

5- Well, just keep looking and waiting for her to contact you.  I will try to talk to him and see what happens. If it doesn't work out with Elder Robinson then I could just room with Adam or somebody.

6- When is your next baptism?

6- It should be this month,  We are just waiting for a family to get married and they are so close.  So when they get married they will get baptised!! We just need that marriage paper and then they can move forward!! But soon I think ;)

Now I will tell y´all about my week-

Tuesday we had District Meeting.  For the meeting we went through all the sectors that are in my district and we talked about who they have to be baptized or who could possibly be baptized and we actually found that we have a LOT of people being taught.  In total, as a district, we had 34 people that could be baptized.  So I taught them all how they can turn these people into a sure baptism instead of being a maybe baptism.  I hope that we all apply what was taught because that would be AWESOME if, as a district, we had 34 baptisms!!

Wednesday we went to Montalvo, to visit all the people that we have there.  We invited a lot of people to come to church.  We even figured out a way that they all could come--but unfortuantly nobody came. :-(  But we still gave it our all!!! 

While we were there we taught a woman named Betty and while we were talking it was clear that this woman doesn't have faith in a lot of things, but she said that she has a lot of faith.  I don't know what happened but I got mad.  I thought to myself "why can't this woman see that if she does what the Lord says she will be blessed and her life will be easier in Christ!"  Then I thought, "this is what God thinks about us sometimes."  This helped me see a little bigger picture.

Thursday we had an exchange with some Elders in my district. I was with Elder Wahlen who is from Utah.  He is Asian and he's cool!!  It rained all day here in Ecuador but it was a calm day.

Friday we went to Montalvo again but my compañero felt sick and he looked sick, so we ended our day a little early and we rested a bit.

Saturday, my compañero was feeling much better and we went to the temple with our ward.  It was really fun!  We helped do baptisms for the dead and then we went to a session.  It was awesome!!

Sunday was a day full a meetings like normal!!

Well, this has been my week.  I hope that you guys could feel and experience these things with me!! I LOVE you all with all my heart!!

LOVE,

Elder Farley