Hey family!!

Well it was a good christmas! We werent able to do much this week with the transfers and christmas and everything but it was still fun. My comp left (but really close and ill see him every week) and im going to train! I dont know who it is but ill meet him tomorrow. Right now im with another elder thats going to train and im in Santiago for the day because we have to pick up the new missionaries tomorrow. But it was so good to talk with you guys! Finally you were all together to do a good skype and not like a conference call haha. thanks for being the best! Wow now its new years and brent gets married..the last time i saw him he was just a kid now hes a man hahaha that was 2 and a half years ago....wow.

So i already talked with you guys and there isnt much else to share but i want to invite all the kids that read this to get ready for your mission now. And if you arent sure, strenghthen your relationship with God and ask Him if you should go. It has changed me. Im glad im not the same person that i was before. Ive learned, and i will keep learning, and the mission isnt the end, just the beginning. Im excited for these new changes and to continue with my sector and i hope all of you can appreciate all the things you have in your life and share with others. Love you all!

Elder Farnsworth

                          The kids of the family that invited us to dinner on Christmas Eve

                                                                       A random chair

Feliz Navidad!!

Hey guys feliz navidad!!

Star wars pics look sweet haha good to see the cousins!! Hardly recognize them! 

So we have Skype this week and im stoked haha. and we´ll have the christmas conference with the whole mission so it should be awesome. This week was pretty fun. It was interesting because we had lessons with almost all new investigators. We have like 20 new investigators from the last 2 weeks we just need to keep up with them now! We taught a lady that wanted to go to church but she wanted us to pick her up so we went in the morning. But the sisters had a baptism so we opened the church for the brother who was going to prepared the sacrament with his son (hes from utah and hes really cool!) and started the water in the font. We left and passed by an investigators house (he went last week to church) and he wasnt there so we left a note and went to pick up the lady. She was kind of ready but we were already late ish and far. Luckily a Brother passed us in the street and picked her up in his car. We started to walk fast and another Brother picked us up haha it worked out all well. Then i told my comp that we were going to check the font after the first talk and right as we go to look, another investigator comes in the door! It was perfect timing and i know we were prompted to walk out right then! Then at the end of Sacrament meeting, the investigator that wasnt there in the morning saw our note and came to church for the 2nd and 3rd hour and stayed for the baptism!! Hes legit. It was an awesome baptismal service and then we had lunch with president Christensen from AZ haha lunch with two gringos in one weekend! We had a few lessons in the afternoon and finished the week. It was a really good week and we had interviews with president and he asked me about my weight (i think cause my suit looks a little big now...) and he told me i should buy a new one before i go home because they are really cheap in santiago haha it was weird but funny. He´s the man Presidente Videla. Cant wait to see you guys and talk!! Love you all, rememberr what christmas really means and make room for christ, serving others and making new goals and plans!

Elder Farnsworth

 

 

 

People Falling from Heaven!

Hey famm!

Wow christmas is already here basically. And yes unfortunately i have officially less than 6 months..we will have a christmas conference with the whole mission the 22nd i think. Elder Williams already came back like 2 months ago ive seen him a few times!! its gonna be so fun to see all my friends. Wow these crazy mormons are all getting married so fast haha. 

This week, we now have a renewed focus in investigators and we arent even counting less active lessons and recent converts (we should still visit them but not as much) and a lot of missionaries are complaining but i liked the changes. We worked really hard to find new investigators because the people we have arent in their house that much. And we found 9 new people and one of them went to church with us and is really prepared!! Hes sweet, he just got here from Peru and hes a little older than we are. Thats the best part of Batuco, there are a lot of young people! and young families! Wow the first days were so hard cause we were just in the street all day contacting and looking for people on the lists and everything, but the people just started falling from heaven haha. One day, we were looking for a house and we went to the wrong street and stoped to look for the address. A kid comes down the street and seems really nice and i ask him how his day went and he shakes my hand and we start to talk. Then we ask him if we can go to his house and he lived right there so we taught him. Another day, a lesson fell through and we didnt have out bikes (because my wheel was messed up) and so we didnt know where to go. We start walking and a guy is outside his house. I heard (Hola Elder) so i thought he knew us and i contacted him immediately. He had never talked with missionaries but my comp recognized his shirt as a colombian soccer team and they started talking about colombia (they are both from colombia) and we started teaching him and his wife. We literally saw the hand of the Lord in our week. I love the promises and miracles that we have. I know this is the Lord´s work and we are just doing what we can and he does the rest. The Sister missionaries in our branch are taking out the trash so we should see some progress in this branch!  

We also had a Sector attack in a little town where some sisters are struggling (or were struggling) to find people. Their sector is like 5 towns but Presidente Videla asked them to focus in just one town without members basically. So the whole zone went and we contacted and now they have 50 references to look for! haha those sisters are legit, they have nothing and they are still doing really well. The zone is really good. Love you guys, make room for Christ in your lives in this month and your whole life. It will change your life.

Elder Farnsworth

 

 

That sounds like a sweet activity! Invite everyone! haha activities are such a great way for people to learn a little more about the church in a normal way. I know, whats up with Brent getting married? doesnt seem right haha just kidding love you Brenty. Dont know about Skype, but im almost certain we only have 40 minutes now. But the good thing is that Alli and Katie will be home so it will be easier!

So this week is really short haha cause we just wrote on Wednesday...but a few fun things we did were go to a water hole thing called La Laguna but it was pretty ugly..supposedly there are carp there so maybe i can go fish haha! And we contacted the farm houses over there and we talked with someone the first day and they told us to come back the next morning. We return and a kid was there and he said they were doing the chores and we said we can help. He said ´´hold on´´ and went to ask his cousin if they needed help. He came back and said they were going to wash the rugs. So we helped them with that and it was pretty fun haha they arent really religious but we sat down and talked with them more and they said they want to change some things that they are doing. And another day we went to the limit of our sector (with the Panamericana, the highway that goes through like all of south america) and contacted there. We found some pretty cool people too!

Yesterday we were just starting the sacrament meeting and there is a brother with epilepsy. He went up on the stand and was talking with the second counselor and i didnt pay much attention. The second counselor grabbed him and was basically carrying him out of the room. We opened the door and followed them and gave him a blessing immediatly. We was having an attack like a seizure but after the blessing he was totally fine. It was amazing to see the priesthood work to bless other people. Im so grateful for the second couselor that was ready and knew what to do. It makes me grateful to have the Lord´s priesthood. I love my Savior and all of you. Thanks for the prayers!

Elder Farnsworth

 

 

Wow pretty trunky with the thanksgiving pics hahaa good to see the family and the house and hear some fun stories. I dont really remember what we did Thursday, nothing special...even though there are two gringos that live here they dont celebrate anymore. So you are probably wondering why I havent written until today. I dont know either haha. We had a conference on Tuesday with a Seventy (Elder Krasnoselsky) so they changed P day to wednesday for some reason i dont know but its all good!! Haha. This week was pretty good, we went far into the fields and outside of the town to go talk to people and we didnt find a ton but there are people! We need more people to teach because we always have a bunch of lessons with less actives that are going to come back to church soon. We are trying to find more investigators to see who progresses. The problem is that here, people arent home a lot when they think they are going to be there.

We learned in the Conference that we need to purify ourselves and they we can work better with the members and double our success. We are in a District and not a Stake, and they are talking a lot about how close it is to being a stake. So we really need to pick it up and we can have another stake here in Chile! That would mean that this mission wouldnt have a district. We had a meeting in Santiago one day and i had to meet up with some other elders to go there while my companion was in our sector with another missionary. We ended and we were going back to our town to meet up with them but then we found out they were in the town of the other missionary so then we had to go there and i came back with my companion..i was in the bus the whole day basically hahah it was awful but oh well. I dont really know what else happened, but its pretty cool this place. Im gonna come back in shape with all the biking and service we do. And its hot so im good haha but we eat a lot of fried food cause my comp is colombian and likes to good and eat well haha! Love you guys, love the mission, and i love my Lord. Check out the new video for Christmas!! Think its called A Savior is Born! 

Elder Farnsworth

 

_https://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HP_SU_11-29-2015_dMIS_fSPC_xLIDyL1-A_

 

 

 

It's Legit!

WENNNNNAA fami.

So Batuco...is legit i love it hahah. The branch is big cause another town comes here too and this weeek we had another primary program (two in a row!!) and 143 people it was sooooo crazy they told me that has like never happened. The sacrament room is so small haha people were standing and all the kids where on the stage. Legit. Ya mom ive heard about Los 33 it was really big here. Umm so we are the only 2 missionaries in the town and all the surrounding farms and stuff but there are like 5 other little towns (2 bigger ones and some smaller ones) and that makes up the zone with like 18 missionaries i think. There are 2 sisters in our branch but they are in another little town that comes to our branch so we never seem them expect for district class and church. 

My comp Elder Agudelo is from Bogota Colombia and hes 24. He got baptized 2 years ago and has been in the mission 4 months. His girlfriend is in the mission in argentina i think and nobody is a member in his family. Hes really cool, he likes to have a good time but hes really focused at the same time and already knows what hes doing. 

We have an investigator that came to church for the first time. Shes a members sister and this member is starting his mission papers. Hes really cool and his sister is a great investigator. Shes got a little girl, and the sister missionaries actually started teaching her in another town but now she moved here. There was also a branch activity with latin american culture and a sister from Ecuador made from fried banana and some kabobs and a few other things and there were things from Paraguay and Argentina. It was pretty fun and it helped me get to know the branch a little more. We did service for this sister in the branch and dug a trench to put pipes in and we were legit building a whole ghetto piping system haha it was fun. The bike was killing me and then we figured out my tires were low on air and we filled them up and now i love the bike haha. We went down the main road a little to some farm houses type things and everyone was sooo nice except for one guy that said One moment when we called his speaker thingy and then we called again and he told us to leave or he was going to chase us off with a gun hahaaaa it was rediculous. So funny, one crazy rude guy among so many nice people. ITs chill Batuco i love it. Everyone says im going to finish here haha.

Love you guys! Chaooo

Elder Farnsworth 

A Transfer to the Country!!

CAMBIOS!! (Transfers lol)

Guys....drumroolllllllllll!!! i got changed and im in the country in a little town!!!!! ayyy one of the few parts of our mission like this. Im so stoked its legit. And im with Elder Agudelo from Colombia!! Hes legit hes 24 (why are all my comps way older, oh well i need to mature) and hes in his third change! We are gonna kill it. haha and Elder Brady from Queen Creek (who was in my ward for 7 months) is zone leader!! im stokeddd. Its legit hot here (ok not really but im already used to santiagos climate) and there isnt air conditioning. we have bikes!! 

Wow this week was hard cause they told us that both of us were leaving on Thursday!! that was way early so it was hard to stay focused. But now im super excited to be here. Gerardo (the teenager that got baptized) was confirmed this week and received the priesthood. We participated in both of those and he was soooo happy. There were a bunch of stake members there to prepare for ward conference AND the primary program so the attendance doubled! And everyone congradulated him! it was so legit. 

I dont have much to say this week, but i want to share with you the importance of not judging people. We are all imperfect and all tempted. It is easy to see the bad things in people and be prideful, but now my goal is see the good in everyone and forget the bad. Especially people i wont see for a long time. I want to be humble enough to learn from every person and see their potential. I love this gospel, i love my family and i know that i can live with an eternal family one day thanks to the priesthood power.

Elder Farnsworth

My companion. and Elder Prince from my group taking a selfie in the bus that took us to the new zone.

Hey family!

We have pday every 6th week in the change, yes we are about to have changes mom but i dont know whats going to happen. We cant go to the temple anymore for problems with the clothes and they are trying to figure it out with the temple president to see if we can go in the future but today we went to a museum in Downtown about Chilean History, it was pretty interesting! 

This week we were finishing everything up with Gerardo for his baptism and we met his mom and family (we previously taught in the church) and she is really nice! He asked him mom if he could bring his little brother to church with him in the future and she said yes and then we told him that he can be the one to baptise his own brother when the time comes. Hes such a good kid, and he wants to serve a mission so bad. It was cool cause when we taught him that he could be a missionary in like a year more, i told him that a good friend (Isaac) had a similiar story and that very day Isaac was going on his mission! We had the interview on Saturday and then we played basketball a little with him and the Bishops family and another guy. And my comp ripped his pants haha. Gerardo is legit at b ball and not even that many people play here so its pretty interesting. 

We did a ton of service this week and it was so fun. One day we were unloading a truck that was full of cabbage and we were cuting and cleaning the cabbage. Another day we were demolishing a house haha good stress reliever for anyone! We its awesome doing service cause we can help people, have fun, and get their confidance. Now in my mission i realize i just need to be myself, have fun, truly love each and every person and teach them the things that are going to help them. Thats what the gospel and this life is all about. I gave a talk in sacrament meeting about the missionary work of the members and i hope the members understood a little better how important they are in our success. All the baptisms ive had are from families that not everyone was a member or a reference from a member. I love you guys and miss you but i love the mission and im going to enjoy it for another 7 months. Thanks for the prayers and letters!

Love Elder Farnsworth

A few questions from his Dad:

 What do you do on Preparation Day? 

Here in our mission, there isnt much to do on P Day, but what me and my companion always do is go to the Centro and buy Peruvian food which is like the best in the world. So that would be one thing and the other Id have to say is climb some of the hills that are here in the city.

  And, beside baptisms, what is the best part about being a missionary?

And the best part of being a missionary besides a baptism is actually what happens before the baptism: when the people tell you that they know the gospel is true and they want to come closer to Christ. That is the best feeling ive had in my life. The happiest thing i have even felt.

The museum we saw today and a lot of the youth supporting Gerardo. The bishop baptised him!

Haha halloween is the dumbest holiday but oh well. half the people here hate it and say it is the devils holiday and all the other churchs are against it. i dunno. But the ward here had a party, we went at 9 when it started to see it but we left before many people got there. Nice missionary work mom!! haha we´re gonna have a reference for the elders when i get back!! that means you have to keep sending me stuff so the guy at the post office asks more!!

So the questions: What is the average attendance in sacrament meeting? Well it depends in the ward a lot but in this word, it is usually 85 people.

And, what do you usually get fed for dinner and how often? Also depends on the ward but the thing is we always eat lunch with members. Dinner doesnt really exist in chile. But here we eat every day with members changing every day, and we eat a lot of soups and noodles too. There is always bread and some days we eat rice with chicken or meat. There are a few typical chilean dishes that are hard to explain haha but now in summer we are going to eat a lot of watermelon and dishes made of corn.

This week we hope to have a baptism of a teenage who started coming with his girlfriend. At first he just kind of listened but didnt understand much, now he loves learning more and goes to mutual, seminary, family nights and everything. He wants to serve a mission! Kind of like the story of my boy Isaac!! We are really excited! 

So today i have 16 months in the mission. ITs going by so fast and i love being here more and more every day. No matter what happens, i just feel happy. This is the true gospel, i have no doubt of it. Love all of you.

Elder Farnsworth

 

one more question that Larry Blomquist asked:  

In his letter last week he asked for questions and I just thought of one. Does he like empanadas?  

Curt's answer to Larry:

Yes, I love empanadas of every kind haha they are amazing!

                           Elder Roper (utah) and Elder Sandoval (chile) with me and my comp

                                      DJ ing at the ward party that hadnt even started haha

       Some pictures that someone posted on Facebook.  Nice costume Elder Farnsworth!

 

 

Hey mom and fammm!

So its definitely warming up and im happy. but the bad thing is that the summer flys..and before i know it, winter is going to be close and ill be going home. bad thought...ya but haha this week was legit. I dont know, now i just feel like every week was amazing. But this week we had Stake conference here and it was pretty good! Elder Norambuena was here (chilean Seventy member) and our mission president spoke too! The church was full and i saw so many people from my first ward again. I love being in this stake haha! 

So I forget a lot of stuff that happens in the week and there is stuff im just used to now but i want you guys to send me like a question of the week or something to help me write what you want to hear about...so if anyone has a question about whats chile like, whats the mission like, or any sort of question. just send it to me and ill try to answer it in the main letter! 

But this week we had a lesson with a teenage we are teaching that has been going to the church a lot with his friend. He passed the date he had for baptism and didnt feel ready, but this lesson we had with him, he sat down and just straight up told us ``i dont know how to explain it, but im just ready now. i want to get baptised``!!!! it was legit haha and we were talking and he said the soonest that he can get baptised, he´s ready! so he´ll probably be getting baptised this week or next week! We are really hoping he serves a mission. He´s 17 and hes a really good kid. We also met a guy from Peru (Lima) that got here like 3 months ago. He called us and said he went to another church out of our stake and the bishop gave him our number. We thought he was an investigator hahah but we met him and hes a member but didnt go much in Peru and now we wants to go here! He already met the Bishop and some members in Stake conference and we gave him a shirt and tie. 

I love being a missionary here in Chile and there isnt anything i would rather be doing in my life right now. I know this church brings blessings and protection. I love you all and congrats to Brent for getting engaged haha even though hes not gonna wait for me...oh well love you cuzzzz! 

Elder Farnsworth

whats up fammmmmm! so someone asked me if ive been to the grand canyon before this week and i definitely thought about you guys being there this week and hiking. Why do you do all of this with me!!? oh well. Thats sweet that Elder or ex elder Janis is living there!! and once again so many changes with missions and marriages haha everyone i know is married or on a mission.

This week we had the chance to receive two elders from the MTC. They leave one day when they are about to go to the field and they go with the elders from another mission. I was with Elder Parsons who is going to Concepción! and Elder Paredes was with Elder Snell who is going to Viña del Mar. It was a great experience and they are going to be great missionaries. They already talked spanish and Elder Parsons taught well in the lesson that we had. (The picture is with him in the subway).

We had the oppurtunity to see Juanito (the kid that got baptised) be confirmed this week by his father! It was so awesome to see his dad baptise and confirm him and see the family so strong. Im waiting for the day that Juan goes on a mission! haha like 10 more years but still! And another investigator that was in church today us an experience in Gospel Principles that she found out that her friend from Peru was here in Chile and her husband left her and her 8 year old daughter. They tried to go back to Peru but could and they were sleeping in the street. On top of everything, this woman is pregnant. Our investigator is really bad off too and actually got help from the ward this week. She told us that she went and found her friend in the street and brought her back to her tiny one room house to live with her and her husband and daughter. We were all amazed that someone that has so little gave so much to another person that had nothing. Now that the ward knows, the Relief Society is seeing what they can do with clothes and food. I love this church and gospel because it is a source of hope and life for people that have nothing else. We can help physically and more importantly spiritually. NO matter what happens to us physically, the most damaging thing is sin. It takes us away from Christ and God and makes us feel unworthy of Their help. I know that repentance exists. Ive seen the important of service. I have know doubt that this is the only true church of Christ on the face of the Earth, no matter how many people attack us with crazy doubts and things saying that the Book of Mormon is nothing more than a fantasy book and that Joseph Smith was nothing more than a lunatic. I know because i feel it every day of my life and i will never deny. I love you guys and i love my Savior.

Elder Farnsworth

 

 

A Baptism!

So who learned spanish this week in rocky point? nobody? oh ya...haha im so stoked to go to puerto peñasco and speak chilean spanish with my compadres the mexicans! Sounds like a good trip, just a little different. I guess its going to change every year. Chile is really nothing like mexico, not even their spanish.

So it was a pretty great week, and i wouldnt trade it for a week in Rocky Point haha seriously, the mission is amazing i love it. And the cool vacations come after and for now im so stoked to be here. We had a lot things to do this week and one of them was a baptismal interview cause we had a baptism this week! Its a kid named Juan and his parents and family are members and we found out he wasnt baptised and we taught him everything (but he basically knew it all!) and he got baptised this week. It was so awesome and afterwards he said that he felt like God and Jesus were reaching out to him and saying and his mind was iluminated! It was crazy cause hes only 9 but hes a good kid! It was awesome cause a bunch of his family went that arent members or are less active! I sent a picture of him and his dad with us (his dad baptised him!) I know that we can really do a lot just loving and serving other people. You can do it at home, but if you have the chance. the best way to learn and really truly help other people is serving a mission. I love this gospel, i know it is true for myself, and i know the mission is the place that i need to be. I love you all family! 

Elder Farnsworth

Pictures: 

Juan with his dad

Juan`s little cousin that is super awesome haha! 

So Elder Simmons left and hes now zone leader!! thats awesome for him so early on in the mission (for our mission at least zone leaders are always the people with like the most time). Im still with Elder Paredes and two more elders are in the ward again so we dont have so much room to cover. Thats too bad about sister Fulton! and a lot of marriages and missions haha.

This week, we had two lessons wednesday night at like the same time so we dropped Elder Paredes off with a family that already knew the investigator and they are friends now, and me and Elder Simmons went to the church to teach a kid (17 years old). It was an awesome lesson with this teenager and he asked a ton of questions. He doesnt know much about religions but he likes it and he said he believes that he can receive an answer to his prayers and get baptised! Hes gone to church with his friend like 4 times now (plus 2 sessions of conf!!). Elder Paredes told us after that our investigator told that she feels that the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith was a prophet and she wants to get baptised in December with her son and family when he gets here from Peru. She said that the missionaries in Peru contacted her the last week she was there and they had an appointment for the next week. She unexpectedly came to Chile and they called her the day of the appointment. She explained that she left Peru but promised she would find the church in Chile. 7 months later, she sees us for the first time but we are too far away. The next time she saw us, we were talking to a less active lady in her door. The investigator passed us, waiting (faking like she was looking for something in her stroller) and then we talked to her. Now she has friends in the church, and is progressing! Shes awesome and her husband is too but hes too ``shy`` to meet with us right now but he reads what we assign her! 

This conference was legit! I loved it like always and we got to see it in english so even better haha! Its important that we can pay attention to what we feel in the conference and apply it to our lives. I know there are prophets and apostles that talk to Christ and receive Revelation, I want to be a part of this church for the rest of my life and i love helping other people come unto Christ. I testify that these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ my Savior Amen

Elder Farnsworth 

A family that sells salad in the farmers market thing here took us to the office for the changes haha in the back of their truck!! 

A dog peed on Elder Simmons suitcase...

Temple!

So transfers are next week mom we still dont know! But we went to the temple today and it was pretty nice to go and get out of the hectic world for awhile. Congrats Cooper for being ordained!! Love you man! And atta boy Brent haha thats a good return missionary! (Brent, Elder Espejo de tu primero barrio te manda saludos!)

Wow thats so cool that people that arent even part of our church pray for me and are worried. Sometimes the mission is hard but moments like this make everything worth it. So this week an investigator went to church for the second time and is progressing towards her baptism. They only thing is that she needs to get married and its going to be a little complicated (but at least she wants too). They is someone that has a lot of economic problems and they are really struggling. Some members met this investigator like one time, heard about their problems and immediately found what they could do to help. One sister gave us a bunch of food to drop off with this family, and another sister has a lot more plans to help. It was so awesome to see these people help someone they barely met. There are truly good people in this world, both the people that gave and the family that received because they never once asked for anything, they never begged or even implied that they wanted help. They sincerely just wanted to join Christ´s true church. I love this church. I love these people (the chileans, the peruvians, the haitians, the colombians and ALLL the foreigners that are in this huge city haha) and I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that i am doing the best thing i could be doing and i hope that all of you can be guided by the Spirit to do the best you can. Love you all!

Elder Farnsworth

 

It rained a ton one day and we got soaked through even with rain jackets but a Sister helped us with her heater and hair dryer!!

Random selfie with Elder Paredes outside the Temple!

EARTHQUAKE!!!

Singing the Chilean songs

I WAS IN THE 8TH BIGGEST EARTHQUAKE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD! AND IT WAS CRAZY! Haha so whats up fammmm! This week has been so crazy, all started with a mission wide conference and the earthquake. We had the conference wednesday morning with the whole mission and that never happens. Elder Viñas (area conselor/  of the 70) was there and it was awesome. Then during lunch some youth from a couple stakes came and danced the cueca which is the national chilean dance. The Hermana Videla (presidents wife) has been telling us that we need emergency backpacks and that day she talked about them again! Then we went home and we were going to the church to teach a lady who is really awesome but cant have us in her house for some problems with her landlord and we were opening the door with the key and it starts to shake. It felt like just a strong quake which happens a lot (like 4 or 5 on the ricter scale) but it went really long and we filmed it! We shut the church, go look for the lady that was coming to meet with us and found a member in the street. She looked on her phone and said that it was a real earthquake and it was 8.4 on the ricter scale!!!! then the best pàrt, we went back to the church and taught the lesson haha! there were a ton of after shocks (there still are, there was one 10 minutes ago) and we had a really great lesson with her and she wants to get baptised next month!

Then the next few days we had Chile´s nation holiday (like 4th of july) and we were eating so many BBQs and stuff haha. It is slow for the missionaries but still kinda fun. And we just were able to teach some haitians (we were all foreigners haha) and spend time with the members. In the party at the church, we sang some cuecas (chilean songs that they dance too) and it was rediculous but really fun! Our ward mission leader Hermano Normabuena plays guitar really well! It was fun. Then Sunday we were able to have a lesson with the little kid of a family of member but the kid isnt baptised so he will be baptised soon! 

I love you guys, dont worry, we are all good with the earthquake. the lights were cut for one night and the gas for a day but nothing happened. we live on the fifth floor and we feel the after shocks all the time but all is well! 

Elder Farnsworth

Sorry mom ill try to send more pics.....

after the earthquake...the refrigerator moved from the wall!

    

No lights after the earthquake!

         A picture with part of the zone on Cerro Renca a hill close. We hiked it this morning

He Survived the Earthquake!

I was just friended on Facebook by someone in Chile telling us that Curt is doing great after the earthquake!

Hola fammmm!! 

Mom just so you know, we eat with different people here in the ward every day its legit they always have food for us! Its a good ward! Wow crazy that football is back again...ugh ive been here for too long everything is begining to repeat! Doesnt feel like a whole year. And we just passed september 11th again which is a dangerous day here but nothing happened this year cause the sector is a lot safer. And we are about to have 18 de Septiembre again which is like their 4th of July. And no i dont know an elder Lewis sorry..

This week, we had a service project. I think it was world wide service day? but every ward was supposed to find a service for the community and we went with our ward to a school that had shut down but now it is opening again. There was a lot of trash and leaves and plants and stuff that we cleaned out there. It was fun to help the ward and see how grateful the owner was. And it was nice to be in normal clothes working a little and sweating haha. 

Sunday we were sitting in church and it had just started (i was sitting in the front to pass the sacrament) and the ward secretary comes and taps me on the knee and tells me to come outside with him. An investigator (well a lady that we talked with in the street like a month ago) had arrived alone and i told her about the sacrament and that we had to help with that but that we were going to sit her with a family. Right as i say that, an Hermana comes out to go to the bathroom and says ``You can sit with me!`` so it was like perfect. Nobody else was there for Gospel Principles and the teacher didnt even come so we just taught her the first lesson there with our ward mission leader. She really wants to join the church but she rents from a lady that is like catholic or something and she wont let us in her house. So we are going to teach her in the church with her husband! It was awesome! 

The mission is going by fast, im enjoying myself and trying to work the hardest i can. We bought chilean tops and im learning how to do it! i have videos but they are too big to send. Love you guys a ton! 

Elder Farnsworth

This is how Elder Simmons reads..... and a pic of the service! 

 

 

Hola familia!

So the famous BYU pass haha ya Elder Simmons went to the same school as Tanner Mangum! But thats interesting that hes playing now! Wow mom what the heck..i already have to think about rooming in school? wow...but i still have time! And we got the package!! thanks so much it was awesome and especially for Elder Simmons who needed his glasses so badly. And thanks for the socks those are actually gonna come in handy! the brown sugar is gonna be awesome to make cookies or something! Love you all! 

So this week, we kinda figured out how to work with 3 people and 2 sectors! We had more success and found even more people! We are really stoked and hoping that at least one of these people that we find will get baptised in the next month or so. And it was something so small and everything but still a huge blessing, but we were eating lunch yesterday (oh ya Pday was changed to tuesday this week cause we had interviews with President with the whole Zone) and the family was less active right before i got to this ward. They are going to church a ton now and the Sister asked us yesterday when we are going to teach her son because he wants to be baptised! Hes 10 and he always goes to church but we were told that he was already baptised. 

This week if learned a lot of things. New doctrine, new attributes, and new experiences. Im understanding the importance of knowledge and also patience. Our mission has a slogan thing and its Suffer with Patience. Its really important for us to learn how to be more like Christ in every way. 

Love you all! 

Elder Farnsworth

Elder Paredes turned 25 this week so random pic with the pie.

Bathrooms and Hope

Wow sounds fun the week with Grammy and Grandpa in Mexico! Why does it seem like there is always so much stuff going on, birthdays, vacations, people going on missions! haha life is crazy.

So this week we pretty awesome! Seriously, like we just started monday really excited i dont know, a new change and everything but nothing had really changed. We contacted a ton of people the first day and had like one or two lessons. Then we had a really awesome Zone Class and idk just from there on out we starting having a ton of lessons. Well for this sector. We actually had 21 lessons which is like normal for the mission (well the goal is 20 to 30 lessons). We heard our zone leader (Elder Cooper who was Elder Simmons comp and i know him well too) told us about a story when he asked someone in the street for the bathroom and then they taught them and someone in the family got baptised. So Elder Simmons had to use the bathroom one day and we talked with this guy, then after a few minutes, he asked to use him bathroom. We went in and then taught the whole family (2 sons and the son´s girlfriend!) and they are super cool! I did the same the next day and some lady let us in and we talked with her for a while about what we believe! Haha it was sweet. We also extended 3 more baptismal dates and Elder Simmons says its been a while since they havent had anyone with a date. We were just finding all sorts of people! I was so happy the whole week and my goal in the begginning of the week was to develope the Christ like attribute of Hope. Well i think it paid off! And the best part is: we are in the church just before it starts, and 3 haitians walk in that we have never even talked too! They just wanted to find a church! they are so legit and we are going to teach their families this week! All the members greeted them and they felt so welcome. I know this church is true and i know that God does miracle if we just have enough faith. 

And the other elders in our ward had a problem so as of saturday we are in a trio for the rest of the transfer i think...weird but we will get used to it. Our other comp is Elder Paredes from Peru. My third peruvian comp...hahaha! 

Random other story, told we went to play soccer (first time after the rule that we couldnt play but now we can) in Galvarino (in my first ward!) because all the chapels have soccer courts outside. And i saw Hermana Irma (we lived in the second floor of her house!) and Karvic (this really awesome guy that we helped reactivate) got onto the bus with us!!! He told me he is ward secretary and he is going to get sealed next march!!! He has been inactive since he was like 14 years old and then he was living with his girlfriend (another less active member) with a kid but they got married when I was there!! I love them haha they are going to buy a house in the South of Chile and they said only Elder Pinilla and I are invited! 

I love the mission so much its unreal and all of you!!

Elder Farnsworth

Random pic my comp took of me when i was making corn dogs hahaha sorry dont have pics.

So i stayed with Elder Simmons! ITs gonna be a fun change hahaha and his old comp Elder Cooper is now our zone leader and i know him well too!

Wow congrats to Isaac and Katie and Alli for all that stuff thats happening. 

So this week elder simmons got bit by a dog....but not that bad haha but we had to go to the Clinic..but the office elders took us in their car and i love them so it was at least fun..but Elder simmons is fine dont worry. hahah. We had a decent amount of lessons for our sector and a lot of people went to church. We finally put someone with a baptismal date for the first time in a while and he accepted really fast! hes really willing he just has to change a lot of things in his life! A less active family that we are visiting went to the church with their daughter that hasnt gone for a long time! And one morning we helped this Sister move some stuff (just carrying it like a couple streets over in our hands) and then later in the day we helped a random lady wash her car, and gave a older lady a blessing. It was such a fun day to be just doing straight up service. I love service, and the worst part of the mission is walking all day and people dont let you help when you are so willing to help and to teach them the gospel. But it is all worth it when they just let you do it. I love the mission even though it is really hard! 

Elder Farnsworth

 our zone leader Elder Johnson from Lehi Utah!! But he wants to live in Arizona!! haah always says hes gonna get married in the Gilbert temple!

My old comp Elder Pinilla found root beer and bought me one! so i made a float!!

Que Pasa?

que pasa fam bam?

So thats sweet about Sid´s friend. Dont think ill be able to go to the temple unless we can go with a convert or to do a tour with investigators but that would be hard to plan. Told Sid that the best thing would just be the office, thats kinda the instructions we received. Not that far from the Temple either (he can just go in the Subway). But if its too hard, dont worry about it. Oh and i finally got the package mom, that book you made is so awesome! i was stoked i love you guys! Also excited news about the temple too, the temple president asked Presidente Videla to let us go to the temple more often so now we can go once a transfer if we want!! How it works is that every last week of the transfer, we will have Pday on tuesday to go to musuems or the zoo or go to the temple! So thats gonna be sweet! And thats so awesome about Jacob Zitar and Isaac im legit so happy. I love them and i love how awesome this church is. Nothing else could make people this happy. We have transfers next week! I think my comp is leaving but we will see! 

So this we taught a sweet family for the first time. In exchanges like last week with the zone leaders, Elder Pope contacted someone with a Rubiks cube cause he knows how to do it really fast. The guy told us to come over some other night and then this week we went with Elder Simmons. They are really awesome and we were praying for a family. (i was inspired by my brother Ammon for that one thanks Am love you!) So we will have to overcome some obstacles but they seem awesome, and any new person is a good thing for us in this moment. 

In the church, we heard a story about a silversmith telling a person how silver is purified. It needs to be put in the hottest fire and left there until the imperfections are burned out. Then, in just the right moment, not to short because it wouldnt get rid of all the imperfections, not too long because it would destroy the silver, the silver is taken out of the fire. The other person asked how he knew when it was ready, and the silver smith said that when he could see his reflection in the silver, it was ready. God has us in the fire to purify us and we need to have these trials. We are truly ready when christ´s reflection is in our face. We will change ourselves until we become like Christ. I loved that story. I am trying to accept all the trials that come to me because i know they will change me for good. I know this church is true and that it is the only thing that truly matters. I love you all and hope that you all have the same hope. 

Elder Farnsworth

Rain, Rain and more Rain!

Wow so the whole family is up in Idaho this week! Haha and my comps family is at lake powell so you guys just kind of traded. The pictures were really fun to see! Id love to go visit there after! Just not during winter haha! We gotta come to Chile during winter because they are in summer :) But ya, this week it rained a ton...it hasnt hardly rained the whole year and now it rained more than it has rained for like 15 years. It started Wednesday and we were in an exchange. We walked the whole day in the rain and finally it stopped and we finally entered a house..haha. But we finished the exchange the next morning and we were walking back to their house early (it had rained all night long) and it was raining. The streets were filled with water and mud and they were like rivers! it was crazy im serious. So our district leader called us (i was with one of the zone leaders) and said that the President told them to tell us that we cant leave for the day. Well we were already outside so we just continued to get to the zone leader´s house. A taxi saw us trying to cross a street filled with water and picked us up! He took us to their house and i legit felt like i was in the Preach My Gospel story (sorry if you dont know it, go read preach my gospel haha missionaries should know what im talking about) and he didnt even want money but Elder Pope (ZL from Arizona!) gave him 1000 pesos (like less than 2 dollars). He was really nice but didnt want anything because he was catholic..So we just stayed in the ZL´s house until lunch and couldnt work the whole day. Luckily we live on the 5th floor so its never gonna flood haha! Dont worry.

This week we also had Zone Conference (random fact, we can now play soccer again!) haha but it was a really good conference and they talked a lot about keeping the fruits of our labor and helping people go to the temple shortly after their baptism. President Videla showed the missionaries that taught and baptismed them 30 years ago. You guys dont know Paul Garner? Or someone Wilbur or something i dont remember haha. There wasnt much time to have normal work because of the rain and conference and other things but we had a few lessons. Its really weird going from my last sector with so much work to here were they are wondering what is happening because this sector has had low lessons for  like more than half a year now, even though we are working and trying everything. But it helps a lot with patience and diligence. I know we will eventually see results and fruits, im just waiting for the day. Time is going by too fast, cant believe im on the downhill. 

Love you all! Miss you! 

Elder Farnsworth

The same ''Cerro Renca'' with all the clouds one day and you cant even see the cross or the letters ''Renca La Lleva'' and then another day when the big letters that said ''Renca'' fell because of all the rain and wind!

 

 

Wow so you are changing everything in the house! Should be crazy to see it! And thats awesome for Isaac and Alizabeth!! Wow two people in the same ward to Africa!

So this week was pretty good. We had a fast with the mission to find the people that are ready basically and we finished the fast and that same day a lady stopped us and told us she was looking for a church! Unfortunately her daughter got sick right before Sunday but i truly believe that the fast helped us with that. Its so amazing how the Lord works. We have contacted many people that seem so ready to receive us! But we can never find them. President told me one time that there are missionaries that work the earth like plow it and everything, others that plant the seed, and others that reap the rewards. I believe we might be working the earth right now so that in the future, the seeds are planted and the fruit harvested. I know that we are doing everything we can and im getting along great with my comp. Neither one of us really have problems with people now because i think i have finally learned patience and love for others haha so i try to see their point of view and i realize they arent perfect either. It makes life a lot better and i know thats the only way we can have successful relationships and marriages. I love the scriptures, prayer, fast, and Sacrament that all help me to be a better person. I have realized how far i have come in this short time and how much i have to go..but i dont need to be perfect at the end of my mission, thats impossible. Just as close to Christ as i can. Love you all!

Elder Farnsworth

So its been really foggy these last couple of days...and my comp had to have an eye check up in a really rich part that isnt our mission so i took a pic haha. That was Nate Lee´s mish! #clinicaalemana

 

 

Hola FAMILIA!

So got some news.....!!!! We only have an hour to write now! so that basically just means that i cant write as many friends now or just have to print some of the long letters out or i dunno..but oh well! 

Yes, i got the postcards from Katie and Sid and i got a normal letter from Papa not a Dear Elder, i think it might be fasted and i like it more! I love papa for writing me so much! Didnt get the package but maybe this week! 

So its pretty cold but just in the morning and nights. And the houses here just have little heaters (like at Grammy´s house) with an open flame but we cant have that as missionaries so we just have a little electric heaters..Gets pretty warm in the study room with two heaters but the rest of the house is cold haha but all good! 

This week we taught a family that the missionaries were teaching before me but this was the first time i had gone. We read Alma 37 with them and we were able to simply explain the importance of going to church and my companion explained that the people in the church litterally needed them and that they will welcome new people with open arms and it was so cool! They wanted to go really bad and told us to call them in the morning as many times as it took to wake them up haha. My comp said he saw a change in them that he hadnt seen before. Unfortunately, the dad´s phone was turned off Sunday morning and they didnt go...we arent sure why but they seem like a great family.

Something I learned is that every person and member is a part of the body or the church and if we were all the most important parts (the arms or legs or head, or in the church, the bishop or stake president, etc) then the body wouldnt work that well. We need small parts like the nose or fingers and stuff to make it all work. The church works like a body or a car, with a lot of parts together. The family works the same. We cant do it alone and it doesnt make sense either. I also learned that the weakest parts (less active members) are the most important for the body and church. Let us reach out to our friends and brothers. Let us make the most of our calling and love our neighboors. Let us share our blessings and the knowledge we have with someone that doesnt have this knowledge. MY challenge for you all is, this week, pray for a missionary oppurtunity every morning and night and look for this oppurtunity. Tell someone about the church and give them a Book of Mormon or a church movie and then invite them later to talk to the missionaries is your own house. I know that each and every one of you that does this can find one or more of your friends or neighboors with whom you can share the Gospel. I know this church is true and there isnt any other true church on the face of the earth because it was taken off the earth when the people rejected Christ and His Apostles. But i know that Joseph Smith prayed, and saw God and Jesus Christ and that he was called to be a prophet and was given the Authority again. 

I love you all and miss you a lot.

Love 

Elder Farnsworth

 

Pictures: We had a clogged drain so i went at it with some crazy chemical stuff and put a scarf to protect my face haha. And some random crazy picture with my homie Elder Simmons

 

 

Hola fam bam como estamos? 
So ya we got a little rain but we were in church so it was legit. No like last week when it rained all sunday---Sorry no new food stories, well except for that the bishops wife gave us brownies so that was nice. But i guess hardly anyone here eats pig head....i think they got us in a prank but it was pretty good so whatever. Wow i eat so differently now than i did before. 

Wow sounds like Wes was a good mission president! I think thats great that they focused so much on the missionaries and not the baptisms. Because from what i hear, (dont know about Guadalajara) but it is pretty easy for people to get baptised in Mexico, but if the missionary is converted, they are going to baptise the people and the people are going to be ready and stay active and the missionaries are going to go home and stay active. President Videla tries to be like that too and he really cares about us and our own progress. 

So in this sector, it is a lot harder than my last sector. The people are a lot tougher to get too and arent in their house that much. Ive really been suffering and wondering what was wrong, blaming myself, blaming the missionaries before, blaming lots of things. But this week, our Zone Leader helped me understand something. They taught about Christ Like Atributes. One, Elder Johnson, taught about being humble. He said that he was in a Branch in the begginging of his mission that hasnt had a baptism for a year and a half. But then he went to a great sector with success (close to where i just was a couple of weeks ago, Quilicura) and he started to have success and baptisms. He started  to think that he was a great missionary and that he was doing everything. But then he got changed again to a difficult sector and got humbled. I understood that i just need to be humble for my own will and that it doesnt matter that i would have 30 + lessons in a week before because that was all the Lord giving us success. We didnt do anything. My companion and I listened to a talk by Elder Holland and he said that Missionary work was never easy and never will be, because the Atonement wasnt easy for Christ and we need hard things to make us understand. 

A cool experience that we had was like three days ago, we entered the house at 9:30 (normal time) without any lesson in the day. Right then a Sister from the ward called us and said her niece was really sick and asked if we could go with her to give a blessing (her brother is inactive and couldnt give his daughter a blessing). We went and the Sister was waiting outside our department complex so we walked together to her brother´s house. We realized that it was a house that we contacted my first or second day in the sector. What happened with this house before is that we talked with a lady who told us  to come back in a few days, and when we did so, her husband answered and told us to not waste our time with them and to not come back. BUT, now this family needed help and this inactive member that told us to get lost before, was able to humble himself and except our help. It was so awesome to enter and explain and do the blessing and then hear the inactive father say to his daughter (who isnt member and knows nothing about blessings or priesthood) that the blessing we gave was really going to heal her. It was a great experience and im greatful that i can act with God´s power to bless and serve other people. 

I love this church. I know its true and that the Plan of Salvation exists. I love all of you and want you to stay strong in your beliefs. Love you all and miss you! 

Elder Farnsworth

Pictures. My comp got me to start drinking Mate, which is like an herbal tea thing idk its weird but good. dont worry its not against the word of wisdom hahaha!