Week #30 - "Everything is cool!!!"

KENDALL I LOVE YOUR SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!! (She was wearing one of Garrett's shirts in a picture we sent to him) Tell Kendall to email me more.

And Spencer Parrack does look really good. Tell him that I said ¨hola´.

Well, I will answer you questions:

1- Yes Stephanie did email me but only once.  I am waiting to see if she emails again.

2- NO I DIDN'T get your Valentine package.  I am still waiting and I have been bugging my ZLs so much (because we live with them).

3- We taught alot of people this week.  We taught a family named Familia Tigre and they are inactive so we have been reactivating them.  As we have been teaching them we learned that their youngest kid is not a member so this last Saturday we had his baptism!!!!!  That was a cool experience because we found them Monday and he was baptized on Saturday--but I will fill you in more dets below.

4-No we haven't taught Benedicto again because he is sick so he hasn't been home.  I am kind of disappointed but what can we do?

5- I haven't sent the pictures of the grillos yet.

Now for my questions:

1- Why does Kendall wear my shirt? I think it's sexy--J/K haha!

2- Umm how are ways I can loose more weight?

3- Umm what has been happening in the world?

This week has been super awesome!!!  Well, all my weeks are super awesome because I get the oppurtunity to tell people about God's plan for each and every person!! 

Monday we found this inactive family, se llama familia Tigre.  There are 5 people in their family and everyone is members except the youngest son.   He has 11 years.  So on Monday we challenged him to be baptized this Saturday and he accepted.   We are reactivateing the family so it has been really cool to see them progress and the baptism was super cool!  I was asked to give a talk about baptism and that was way cool!!  This week was really cool for us because we had a baptism!!

Tuesday we found a family of three women.  Two of them accepted baptism for the 8 de Marzo and they are progressing really well.  They attened church so that was really cool to see them there.  Their names are familia Ortis so this week we found these people and they are progressing really well!!  I have been so happy.

Wednesday we just taught all of these people.

Thursday we taught all of these people. 

Friday también (also).

Saturday we had the baptism of Jonan David Tigre and it was really cool!!

Sunday was church.

This really has been my week.  It was a super cool week!  I have been soo happy because I love to see first hand the changes that happen when they accept Christ in their lives.  These are changes that only God can do.  I see a change in myself and in the lives of my investigators because of this gospel. 

Yo tengo un testimonio fiel, después de esta experiencia en mi vida no puedo caiga de la iglesia (I have a faithful witness, after this experience in my life, that the church is true and I can never fall away from it.)

LOVE 

Elder Farley- 

"Cool" outfit Garrett!

Baptism of Jonan David Tigre

Week #29 - Fun P-Day!

Hola como están? 

Well, as always I will start by answering your questions:

1- In my area of Orquideas, I have seen a huge stadium and I think it is for the soccer team, EMELEC.  It is by this huge park where you can play any type of sport. The park is called Parque Samanes.  Yes, my ward is called Orquideas.

2- Like the Thurber family, I am also a Barcelona fan while I am down here.  I have 2 shirts of Barcelona and 1 of Emelec.

3- I have not received your Valentine package yet.  I am hoping so bad that tomorrow I will recieve the package.

4- Benedicto is a little hard to contact because he has cancer so he is gone a lot but if we can find him this week we can baptize him next week.

Now for my questions:

1- How is Chase?

2- How is Mom?

3- How is Kendall, Cami , Davis, Hayden, Dad, Morgyn, George, and everyone in details?

4- Thank you for having Stephanie email me--she is my future wife ;)

So now for my week:

Monday was p-day so we just bought some things and hung out.

Tuesday was our district meeting but it was a hermanas birthday so we also celebrated that and we all got dirty from this spray soap thing. Oh, by the way, remember when I got my Visa and there were two other sisters getting theirs too?  Well, one of them is in my district.  Her name is Hermana Deem.

Wednesday was just a normal day working and preaching the gospel to the demás.

Thursday Elder Barreda was sick with the fever and his knees hurt super bad so we just stayed in the house and studied and slept. 

Friday we had exchanges because another Elder was sick, so Elder Barreda and the other Elder (Elder Diaz) were in the house resting and I was with Elder Steele and we worked so hard.  I was so tired pues maybe because the sun was so bright and it was so hot.

Saturday we worked again and had a great time.   

Sunday we had meetings all day.

Monday (today) we went shopping and then we went bowling and we were gone the whole day so that is why I haven't emailed you until now.  Really our week was just super bien! 

Sorry that my email wasn't mas temprano (earlier) but I just want everyone to know that I love them!

LOVE 

Elder Farley- 

I do love Elder Farley!

I believe that Garrett's companion, Elder Barreda, is in the light blue shirt on Garrett's left.

Sweet treats at the mall.  Fun little taste of home!

Week #28 - This week was AWESOME!!!

Hola y quiero decir algo, yo soy la luz de esta familia sin yo esta familia es nada. no es una broma solo quiero decir que yo quiero un foto de spencer parrack mi amigo y fiel compañero, y la persona que no puedo ver por 18 meses.

(Hello, I want to say something, I am the light of this family without me this family is nothing. It is not a joke. I just want to say that I want a photo of Spencer Parrack my friend and loyal companion, and the person that I can't see for 18 months.)

I will start by answering your questions:

1- About my shoes- I really want Sanuk boots.  That is the shoe that I really want!!

2- No I haven't heard anything about the volcano, but then again I live like a good 10 hours away.

3- Good question about transfers.  Presidente makes changes every time the agenda ends and lately he has been changing 1 or 2 weeks earlier than normal (because he goes home in June) so I think it was that just a regular change, but I am really not sure.  I think Elder Cano is in a place called Quevedo. 

3- Yes I am the junior compañero. 

4-  We are in North Guayaquil, and it's super chevere.  We have a Chili's and we ate there last week.  Yes this area is really cool-I am excited to be here.

 

5-  Elder Barreda goes home in May.

6- I have not heard or seen Elder Garrett Dean Taylor.

7- We are like half an hour from the mission office. 

Pues espero que eso se responde a todo de sus preguntas. ahora mis preguntas: (I hope that I answered all of your questions.  Now here are my questions:)

1- I really want Sanuk boots.

2- I want to see a picture of Spencer Parrack. 

3- Can you guys tell Stephanie that I want to write her, because Farley's are truth tellers and told her that I would marry her and I plan too ;)

4- That last question/request is optional. :-)

5- I don't know what else to say.  BTWs, when I take out money from my card it means that I am buying a souvenir.

Now I will tell you about my week:

This week was AWESOME!  I love my new new compañero and my area its awesome! (just like me, you see my humility;) This week really was awesome. My compañero se llama Elder Barreda he is from Guatemala and he is really cool.  In Milagro he was my Zone leader so that is way cool that we are compañeros now. Before the Mission he was into MMA so right now he has some problems with his knees so at times he can't really walk.  He needs an operation but since he has like 2 months left he doesn't want to tell Presidente because that's a one way ticket home, so I have to be patient with his knees.  On Tuesday his knees really hurt so we went on splits and I was with Elder Steele from Utah and we worked.  It was awesome!  Wednesday me and Elder Barreda worked and it was awesome.  Tambien (also), this day we had an amazing experience but I will get there in a minute. Thursday it was another average day of working.  Friday also was awesome. Saturday we taught this person very clearly about how God made the universe and the earth and she didn't believe us but we taught it very clearly so that was kind of frustrating.  Sunday was church and we had air conditioning so it was really awesome!

The experience I mentioned before was amazing.  On Wednesday we had this referencia (referral) so we went to his house and he was an old man like 80 years old and his name in Benedicto Chavez.  We were teaching a lesson about The Gospel of Jesus Christ and mainly we were teaching him about baptism.  In the middle of the lesson he stopped us and said, "I want say something" we replied, "oh go ahead hermano"  and then there was a pause like for 4 minutes.  He started crying and then he said "I have had this dream for years now and this dream is of me and I am in a desert and this man comes up to me and takes me by the hand and we walk for a long time and then he shows me a place that has golden plates and a book that is called the Book of Mormon.  The man that showed me where it is is called Smiit" we asked him, "Jose Smith hermano?"  he replied, "yes that's him, but I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."  Then we taught him the Restoration and the spirit was so strong.  He then accepted a date for baptism on the 22 of February.  This experience was AWESOME!!!!!!

So this has been my week--I hope you all have a good week.

LOVE,

Elder Farley-

Week #27 - Transferred to Guayaquil - Orquideas Sector

Bueno!!! hahahaha

(It was Hayden's birthday on Sunday and as part of everyone's birthday celebration, we share memories we have of them.  This was Garrett's memory of Hayden...)

I have a memory about Hayden, remember when he said, "Mom is that a green belt?"  Mom answered "yes" ..........a slight pause.....then Hayden responded with, "I wonder what South American green belts look like?"  So that's my memory about Hayden: hahaha happy birthday Hayden--I love you:)

Well, will start off by telling you some news.  I got transferred!  I am no longer in Simon Bolivar.  I am now in Guayaquil.  My sector is called Orquideas, and I am now compañeros con Elder Barreda el es de Guatamela!!  So I thought that was kinda cool getting changed because I was in Simon Bolivar for like 6 months now. I am excited to be in Guayaquil. This change happened today btws.

I will now answer your questions:

1- Yes, I feel fine now.  My stomach sickness and firerehea was just that one night and the next day I was 100% fine!! I think it was because I ate some lettuce that day.

2- The brand of shoe I love is called Sanuk and they DO make a boot.  I would love those in black.  Yes, we are allowed to wear boots but just not on Sundays.  My shoes are wearing out fast.  I only have 2 and a half pairs left.

3- Yes Elder Trejo is a good missionary and he does work hard.

4- Well, what you imagine the rainy season looking like is what it is like.  Sorry, I don't have pictures of that.

5- Can you send my friend's letters to me every two months? And if me and Stephanie Howe are going to get married we need to email, don't you think? :-) (Garrett has joked with his friend Stephanie for years about them getting married.  She has decided to serve a mission and so I was chatting with her mom and we were laughing about how after both of their missions they really could get married.  I told Garrett about that conversation and it obviously got him excited. :-))

Well this week was pretty normal. With Elder Cano we really can't do much because of how he is.  BUT now that I have Elder Barreda we are going to work really hard.  I feel sorry for Elder Cano and I pray for him everyday that he will become what Heavenly Father wants him to become.  I have learned a lot from him so I hope that through this experience of being with him it prepares me to be married in the future ;)  Maybe even to Stephanie Howe! :-)

Well this week we were in Milagro for a lot of days because of District Meetings and birthdays and the Presidente came down to talk to us.  That was about it.  I am just so happy to be here in this new area in Guayaquil!!

My questions:

1- So can you send the boots? Sanuk boots Black

2- Can you tell me more on how this conversation with Sister Howe started? Because I will marry her!!!!!!

3- Can you tell me about Brittany Pace getting called to ECUADOR?!!!!!!!

4- I love you guys! Yo se que esta iglesia es la iglesia verdadera sin duda, yo se que vive me señor y que el nos quiere mucho!!  (I know for sure that this is the true church, and I know that the Lord lives and that He loves us so much!!)

LOVE 

Elder Farley-

Garrett and Elder Trejo his good friend in the mission field.  It looks like it is Elder Trejo's 20th birthday

Garrett selfie

Handsome selfie

Week #26 - "Firerehea" & Stomach Flu

Hola!

Mom, I am the BEST missionary in this mission--Period! :-) No, just kidding.  I am an ok missionary but that is cool that the office missionary said that. Those guys in the office are cool. Les quiero--that means that I like them.

Well I will start off by anwsering your questions:

1- Yes, we do have a cell phone.

2- Well Elder Trejo is really cool.  He kind of looks like Austin, but he is more muscular.  We have decided to join the military together.  He is in the Phoenix Stake and his Stake president is President Porter.  He is in the Aguilar ward.  His full name is Mahonri Trejo and his parents are Mexican, so yes he is Latino.

3- I really do think Elder Cano has some kind of mental disorder. And nope--no progress with him.

4- My goal is to baptize 1000 people this year (well at least 100).

5- Well honestly we really don't have investigators, and I think it's because of Elder Cano.  He has taught false doctrine before so that has hindered the work.  This week we are focusing on reactivating the less active members. If you want to baptize you first have to reactivate!!

This week was the same as all the other weeks.  We also had Stake Conference and that was really cool so this week we were in Milagro a lot.  But really our week was normal.  Nothing really happened except that we are just looking for new investigators.  Something really weird did happen this week though.  Last night I couldn't sleep and I was just tossing and turning. At 1 in the morning I woke up and I had "firerehea" and then I threw up out of nowhere!  The rest of the night I was having "firerehea", but now I feel fine.  I thought that was really weird!  That was the first time I have thrown up in a LONG time. 

But yea our week was just normal. Really we aren't having a lot of success because Elder Cano is like a little kid.  I really want to have success so I kind of need a new companion because he just is not ready to be a missionary.  And that is the truth! 

Hey, I need a favor-

Can you send me a pair of Sanuk hiking boots but in black because my shoes are going bad and a pair of boots will last me a while and they can last in these storms and this MUD.  That will really help me. THANK YOU!!!!

Well I don't have my camera today because of that throwing up thing.  So, NEXT week I will have pics.

LOVE 

Elder Farley- 

Week #25 - I was violated!

¿Hola como están?

Well, like always I will start by answering your questions:

1- Bueno, nothing happened with transfers.  I am still with Elder Cano in Simon Bolivar.

2- Well honestly every day is a spiritual experience if you live your life accordingly to God's will.  When you don't live your life like that then your life becomes hectic and you start doubting and your faith starts to fail, and every day isn't a spiritual day.  I promise you guys that when you live the commandments and study your scriptures every day, blessings will come and your lives will be better.  Alma 26:27- "And I will give you success" - the Lord promises us this as well.

3- I don't have my camera so I can't send the picture of the grillos yet.

4- Alma 40-42 are fantastic chapters and that is what I have been studying this week.

5- Bueno, for all of my life I have wanted to join the military but all during high school Dad practically banned me from those military things, so my desire had died down.  But, when I meet Elder Trejo he told me that he is going to join the military and when he said that I knew I had to do the same thing.  I read my patriartical blessing and it makes perfect sense as well.  So, when I get back I will be joining the Army and be shooting for the Army Rangers with Elder Trejo.  I don't know what I will do about school.

Well, this week has been normal.  We have been having a lot of exchanges because everyone knows that my compañero is super dificult to work with and they are trying to give me a break.  So for about three days this week I was with Elder Trejo, he is from Pheonix/Peoria area, and those days have been a little breaks for me because I have been stressed out and I am just at the end of my rope with my compañero.  But all is good so don't worry children.  But really that has been my week this week--just babysitting my compañero.

Umm... something funny did happen to me this week.  It happened one day when we were having our nightly planning meeting.  On this day there were a lot of grillos.  While we were planning I felt something run across my butt crack. I stood up sooo fast and checked my seat for something that could have touched my butt, but I didn't see anything.  I decided that I should check in my clothes, so as I was changing, you won't believe what I found!  IN my clothes there was a giant grillo! This story is funny because that meant a grillo violated me. I got raped by a grillo!

Well I am sorry but this has been my week-- just a battle agansit the forces of evil.  Tell Kendall to check her email.

LOVE

Elder Farley-

Week #24--BTW- "I know what I want to do for my career!"

Bueno, hola familia como están?

I will start off by answering your questions:

1- Yes, 3 of our investigators came to church.  It isn't as good as last week but it's still good.

2- Yes we have 2 baptisms scheduled for the 25th of January.  Their names are Kerly and Salvador.

3- Nothing has happened with transfers yet, but the ZL's got switched so I think here soon there are going to be big changes but that is just a guess.

4- I only have 1 picture of the grillos and yes I will send it to you.

5- Yes I got the package and I love it.  The pants fit great and I love the ties.  I also LOVE the mashed potoatoes and the beef jerky, thank you!

6- Yes I am writing some of my friends.  I am writing Austin and Annie (a friend of a friend here in the mission).

7- No, there are no improvements with Elder Cano.  In my opinion he is NOT ready to be a missionary, but I need to learn something from him so all is good.

8- No, we were working super hard so his suggestion to read verse 30 was like a compliment.

9- I have seen so many miracles!  Every time I drive to Milagro I see a miracle (Milagro in Spanish means Miracle in English).

Well I hope this answers your questions,  

My week has been standard.  Tuesday we got a new Elder in our zone and his name is Elder Trejo.  He is from Arizona!  He and I are super good friends here.  He and I are like missionary soul mates. :-)  If we were compañeros we would wreck. Yea we are really good friends. 

Wednesday was a strange day--we were in Guayaquil for interviews with the Mission Presidente because my compañero really shouldn't be a missionary because he just isn't prepared. He is 22 and he is worse than a little kid.  I don't feel like I am training him, I feel like I am babysitting him.  So Presidente interviewed him and hopefully that will help but so far it hasn't helped much.

Thursday we had exchanges with my DL and that was an ordinary day.

Friday was the same--just an ordinary day.  Oh, I found out what I want to do for my career!

Saturday was the same--we just walked, taught and testified. We found a brige that looks like the bridge in Indiana Jones.

Sunday we went to church and I gave a talk.  The rest of it was a normal day--nothing too new--my life here really is the same.

Now for my questions:

1- At a store you can get my artwork scanded in and then printed out and it looks legit. I want one for all my artwork?

2- I will look for a tailor.

3- How are my guns?

4- How is our family?

Love, Elder Farley

P.S. I wrote Garrett back and asked him about his career choice and all he said was that he wants to be in the military.  Ummm...are you serious?  I will be writing him about this next week.  Now I am going to worry all week.  Sheesh!

He didn't say what this was called but he said it was delicious.

Garrett on the Indian Jones bridge