December 8, 2014 - Thank you Sanlúcar - ZL

Well, I can´t believe that transfers are already here again! This past Saturday, Elder Bates and I recieved our calls. Elder Bates will be staying here to bless many lives. His new comp is named Elder Guarcax. They will do great together. I have been transfered to work with Elder Wiley. I am really excited for the many blessings that lie ahead, but I am sure going to miss Elder Bates, and Sanlúcar.

Sanlúcar definitely has not been easy, but it has been exactly what I needed. I am so grateful for all of the things I have been able to learn, and all of the lives that have helped change me for the better. I remember when I arrived to the area there wasn´t a whole lot to do. I remember in my first lesson here with a less active when he told me, you are going to miss this place, it is very special. He could not have been more accurate. While being here, I have met some of the finest people and saints this world has to offer. I have been richly blessed by their examples and their light in this corner of Spain, and I will always be grateful for that. I will always remember our citas, our Thanksgiving with Mike, our Pday trips all over the coast, a lot of tocing, a lot of walking, the rainstorms, the hall of fame nachos by the capilla, the capilla, the ocean breeze, the many prayers, and many blessings which have helped shape me. My eyes truly have been opened here to what some members have to live around and with. Sanlúcar sure is a special place!

This past week has been another good one of work with a lot of twists and turns thrown at us! I asked Elder Bates what is one thing we did well this past week, and he said, "staying afloat" haha... it was a good description. We have been very blessed in this area, but we have also been able to learn how to deal with a lot of issues. It is a great learning experience.

Thank you again for all of the sweet birthday wishes. It made my day! The members also took very good care of me, all wishing me a happy day. I have been far too blessed. 

I am so grateful for a wonderful family and friends. I pray that you are all happy healthy, and well. 

Until next week!

Un abrazo!

Elder Farrell

December 2, 2014 - Thank you! Thank you!

Well my dear family and friends, thank you thank you thank you for all of the sweet birthday wishes that you sent my way! It meant so much to me, and reminded me... wow, it is already that time again?! Ha it sure snuck up on me this time. I am grateful to see what this upcoming year holds. I feel very blessed.

Well, from the last time that I have sent a good email home, until now, A LOT has happened! Here is what I can remember.

This past Thursday we were in fact able to spend our Thanksgiving evening with Mike and his family. He ended up calling us just the day before saying, "Elders, I am here with an apple pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, what else do we need?" We ended up heading over at 8 30 in the evening (Spanish status) to a very enjoyable thanksgiving dinner with he and his wife and their  children. Elder Bates and I felt very grateful to be there with them, and what made it even better was that after Mike asked me to offer the prayer, his wife just started shooting questions our way. There is nothing better than teaching a lesson over a Thanksgiving meal. I wish we could do that more often;) We enjoyed chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. Yum. It was memorable for sure. 

Right now as a mission we are focused on the Church’s new video "He is the Gift" and really using it to our advantage. The church truly is incredible. Él es la Dádiva. I am so grateful for this time of year and for the opportunity we have to think of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Truly the ultimate gift. 

On Sunday I had the opportunity to speak here again in our Rama. They asked if I would speak and gave me an open theme. After much prayer and study I chose to share the message that President Uchtdorf shared in the Priesthood session this past General Conference, "Lord, Is It I?" I invite each of you to read it. Wow, it is an inspired message that we can all apply more in our lives. 

As many of you know, I am in the coolest mission in the world and with that comes REALLY fun Pdays! Yesterday we were able to go to Gibraltar and spend the day on the rock with the monkeys. We were able to take an incredible tour and see everything, but with the remaining time I have I’ll share a very funny story. Hardest I have laughed in a while! So as our tour guide was driving us up, we approached the patch of monkeys. As we pulled up they started jumping all over the car. We ended up getting out and the tour guide would set them on us to take a pic and then take them off. My comp was a little nervous to do so, but finally decided it would be worth it. The guide set the monkey on his arm. As he was there with the monkey on his arm, he felt a little tug on his pant leg. Before he knew it, another baby monkey had made its way up to his arm as well. Now more nervous than before he looked a bit uncomfortable and that is when the third monkey jumped off of the car onto his head. hahaha I died. As if that weren´t enough, the first monkey started peeing on him. Haha bless Elder Bates.  It was dang funny. Almost as scary as when the monkey jumped off the wall onto my back... haha that is another story. Enjoyable day in Gibraltar to say the least.

This morning we had the opportunity to meet with J again. During his prayer, I realized that no matter how fun our Pdays are, I am sure grateful for this work. I love it. We continue to be blessed here.

Have a wonderful week!

I love you all.

Elder Farrell

November 24, 2014 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello dear family and friends, it was so great to hear from each of you today! It sounds like you are all still doing well and trying to beat the cold. Out of the many things I miss, that is not included;)

I know I have been pretty bad at writing these past few weeks, but that doesn´t mean that nothing has happened over here. On the contrary. We have had so much to do that we haven´t had time to write. With that said, here I go!

Elders Webb, Bates, Nyland, Farrell, Ellsworth, Patterson

As you know, last week we headed to Málaga for the annual mission tour by a general authority. This year, we were blessed to have Elder Kearon and his beautiful family come to visit the Spain Málaga mission. Besides the travel, and seeing so many mission friends, we were so so blessed to hear from him and his wife. I can easily say that we were spiritually edified as a mission and left better than we came. He and his wife spoke on many themes, but some of the highlights that I took out of it were.

1-We as members of the church thrive, and always have thrived with challenge. It is what stretches us.

2-Sometimes, we as Peter, need to have enough faith to jump out of the ship and trust the Lord.

3-We must attack the mornings! Whether missionaries or not, how we handle our morning will not only shape our day, it will shape our week, month, mission and life. (Elder Holland)

I literally could go on and on about what he said, but basically I went out of the meeting with a firmer testimony of the perfectness of this gospel and plan than I entered with. It was a very spiritual meeting.

This past week we were also very blessed with interviews with President (yesterday), miracles in the area with new and progressing investigators, a trip to Ronda for Pday, and a whole lot of other adventures that the mission continually throws at us.

Ronda, Spain

I am so grateful this time of year to be serving the Lord. I am so grateful for a loving Savior. A perfect plan of redemption. A loving family, and everything else I have been blessed with! I love you all and wish you a very happy thanksgiving!!

Much love,

Elder Farrell

November 17, 2014

Hello there family and friends!

Well another week has come and gone. Thank you for all of your emails, prayers and support. I sure love you all!

Well, I know every missionary says it, but I truly can´t even remember what happened this week. (It doesn´t help that I am a week behind in my journal either..) but what I can remember was that it was a good learning week! That is one thing I love about the mission. I have been blessed to learn so so much. 

Here are some of the highlights that I can vaguely recall:

On Thursday, after a long day of work, Elder Bates and I were walking and contacting to finish the night off. As we were walking down the street, we hear a car pass and honk all the way along. Thinking it was just a group of teenagers, we continued walking. Five minutes later, after contacting a man, we heard, ELDERS, and looked up and saw a group of 5 women running at us speaking in English!! It turns out that it was a mom and her four daughters from the states traveling through Europe. They were members and were so happy to see us in our humble pueblo. I think we were more excited;) That was fun!

Another highlight was meeting with our American investigator this week. It is always so incredible what the Spirit can do. He has recognized so many blessings in the past few months as we have been meeting with him. We are really trying to help him recognize the spirit so he can continue to progress. Reading from the Book of Mormon, praying and attending church are all crucial! He also invited us over to an American Thanksgiving meal on the 27. We are looking forward to that!

This week I was also able to go on intercambios with Elder Rasmussen (one of my best friends from my group). It is so fun to see the progress in others during the course of the mission. 

I am so humbled and grateful to be here. It is a great work.

I love you all.

Have the best week!

Elder Farrell