May 26, 2014

Huge Delicious Orange!

Hello and happy Monday sweet family and friends! Shout out to my amazing sister who just moved to start her new job, I am so happy for you Tracie! Another week of missionary service has come and gone - I am grateful for this time.

The beginning of the week started pretty rough... due to cockroaches... haha all of my friends in South America, I just have to say how much more respect I have for you, and to apologize how disappointed you would be if you saw how I reacted to finding two giant Cockroaches above my bed... yeah I think I have a phobia, and the bad thing is, we find more every night. Haha the good thing is, I learned that I am capable of killing them, it just takes a bunch of courage, and some screaming to go along with it... haha those cockroaches are long gone.

Other than that great experience which happened Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, it was a really great week for us. The first half of the week, Elder Patterson and I really focused our efforts on the Rescate. I have mentioned, but right now a big focus in our Mission and Stake is to find the Menos Activos and to work with them and through them. We were able to get in contact with a few of them, which was great; we are looking forward to working with them this week. 

Thursday President Deere made his way to Murcia to conduct interviews. I know I always say it, but I am so grateful for President Deere, Hermana Deere, and really their whole family, and the service they render each day. Being a mission President is a great sacrifice, and I am so grateful for all that he does, and the inspiration he receives for the Spain Malaga mission. Interviews were good and really seemed to motivate and lift the zone. We are looking forward to this next month, the month of invitation, and for the miracles the Lord has in store for us. 

Thursday Evening and all day Friday I went on intercambios with Elder Richardson. We were able to work in his area for a day and ours the next. It is so great working and teaching with other missionaries, you learn so much. As for our investigators, we have a few that are progressing. Right now is a really tough time because everyone is working in the fields from 6 30 in the morning to 10 at night making it nearly impossible to keep frequent contact. We know that there are people prepared and we are really focusing our efforts on finding.

Saturday evening we were able to go help the Elders with a cosecha in their area. I was happy for the opportunity we had to go and to give them some animo so they can continue working hard in their area. 

This past week was a really good week of reflection for me. I am so grateful for the things that I have learned over these past few months, and for the opportunity to apply them. I am learning so much each day. I know the Savior loves us. We are His hands.

Have the best week.  I love you all!

Elder Farrell

May 19, 2014

Hello family and friends. I am happy to write you again this week and to hear that all of you are happy, healthy and well. I know all of my letters begin the same, but it is true, I sure love you all! This past week for Elder Patterson and I was a long, good, happy, stressful, hard, but rewarding week of work.

At the beginning of the week Elder Patterson and I were very involved with transfers, making sure that everyone made it into and left the zone without problems. We received 4 new Elders in our zone and 1 new Hermana. We are excited for the changes and for the transfer that we have ahead of us. We have big goals and are grateful for a new start to focus on them. 

This past week we had some good contact with our investigators that are progressing, but we had to drop many of our investigators that were not progressing so that we could focus on the investigators that are. It is hard dropping investigators because we love them and care for them, but there are those that are more prepared and those who are waiting for us right now. We also worked with the ward to help the menos activos. We were able to get in contact with many of them and are looking forward to helping them return to the blessings of the Restored Gospel. 

I know this email is very broad, but that pretty much sums up the week. Elder Patterson and I are doing well and are looking forward to this transfer to really work hard and to see the miracles that the Lord has in store for us. 

This past week I really strengthened my testimony on key aspects of this message. You see a lot of difficult lives and experiences as a missionary. It is so hard to see the way that some people live and the way the adversary works to make them unhappy like him. I have a firm testimony that the Lord knows all that His children are passing through and will not leave them/us as orphans. He loves us and will ALWAYS love us. Thanks to His infinite Atonement all that is unjust in this life will be made just. I love my Savior. This message is perfect. Yesterday in Consejo de Barrio our Bishop put a strong emphasis on the battles that we face as members. Whether it be a calling, trial, sickness or death we will always have battles in this life because that is what this life is, a test, a probationary state. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation, it truly is a plan of Happiness. 

I love you all, have the best week!!!

Elder Dallin Farrell

May 12, 2014 - Mother's Day - Skype

Well family, I really really loved talking to you yesterday and to see that all of you are happy, healthy, and well. It was so comforting to hear from you and to see all of the great things that you are involved with. Mom, I really hope that you had the best Mothers Day ever. Thanks for all that you do to make our family what it is. I sure love you.

As for this week,

This past week was an interesting one full of meetings, conferences, a baptism, intercambios, transfers, a sacrament meeting talk, and talking to my family!! Elder Patterson and I got back from Malaga on Tuesday night and then dove into this crazy week headfirst. Elder Patterson ended up getting sick two of the nights, so that was a bummer to not be able to work as much as we could have with our limited time, but with what we had it went well. 

Wednesday night we were able to go to Murcia to support the Hermanas and their baptism. It was such a nice service and was really what our zone needed to see. I feel like it gave us the animo that we need to keep working hard and to remember our purpose as missionaries. We are really looking forward to this next transfer and to see the things that the Lord has in store for the Murcia Zone. 

Friday morning we had Zone Conference and the focus was on teaching the Doctrine of Christ, which is found in 2 Ne. 31 and how we must teach what the Father gave to His Son. That is a very powerful chapter and I would invite you to read it and ponder it; the Doctrine of Christ is perfect. It lays out what we must do in this life to be able to return to live with him in the next.

Friday evening I was able to go on intercambios with Elder Chaves from Peru. One of the best missionaries in the mission; I am pretty sure he has a permanent smile. It was so great to be able to work in his area and to learn from one another.

Sunday I was able to speak on the importance of good friends. I have a strong testimony of this theme. I am so grateful for the friends I have been blessed with. I know the Lord cares for each one of us. We always need to remember that we are His hands and we need to try our best to do our part to reach out to those that may not be as blessed as we are. We always need to try to follow the Savior´s example and be a friend to all. 

Sunday night, SKYPE with the fam!! I sure love you family and like I mentioned, it was so comforting to see all of you and to chat for a very very very quick hour. Keep doing what you are doing and know that I am happy, healthy and well! I love you all and pray that you have a great week!

Much Love,

Elder Farrell

Concilio

May 6, 2014 - Week of Consecration . . . Continued

As many of you know, this past week was the week of consecration in the Spain Malaga mission. It was a week of complete obedience, work, diligence and of MIRACLES! I can´t wait to tell you all about them, but I will include the highlights in this email!

The beginning of the week started out a little slower, but by mid-week the days started blurring by and the miracles started coming. Our main miracle from the past week happened on Thursday. This day was the best day of my mission, I have never been so happy. It turns out that earlier on in the week as Elder Patterson and I were working, we contacted a mother with her two daughters and were able to set up a return cita for Thursday to meet with them and present ourselves to the whole family. As we entered the home, we saw the mother and two girls, and were also able to meet the father. They had us sit down around the table to visit with them. As I was sitting there I was thrilled that we were visiting with a family of four and right as I was thinking that, I looked over to the staircase and four more kids came down the stairs and came and sat around the table with us. Wow, I will never in my life forget that moment, I am pretty sure my jaw was to the floor. This family of 8 is from Ecuador. They have 6 children, 5 girls and 1 boy. The ages are 18, 17, 14, 12, 10, and 9. That will make up for the Mujeres Jovenes in our ward...;) At the beginning of the lesson we asked them what they were interested in about us to allow us into their home. The parents replied that they had seen and talked to many missionaries before, but had never let them into their home. They told us that they didn´t know why they had allowed us to come in, but they just felt like they should. We were able to present our message to them briefly and the spirit was very strong. As we were finishing up our lesson with them, one of the daughters asked, "Como llega a ser mormon" "How do you become Mormon" Right at that point Elder Patterson and I looked at each other... haha this family is too perfect. We were able to talk about baptism and we are looking forward to setting fechas with them this week. Wow. They are such a miracle.

Another one of our many miracles occurred Sunday evening. Elder Patterson and I have been working really hard at getting 3 fechas this past week with our progressing investigators. We were able to set two at the beginning of the week with a father and a son and we were praying and really trying hard to find one more that was prepared. Sunday evening we headed to one of our pueblos with a lot of faith and not a lot of time. As we passed by those we planned to visit with, we shortly found out that no one was home. We had one name left, who we also contacted on the street earlier on in the week. We ended up passing by his home to see if he was there. After knocking on his door and waiting for a good   3 minutes (not knowing where to go next) we heard the keys rattle on the door, and he opened it up and welcomed us with a big smile. He is a 30 year old from Paraguay and is so awesome. We were able to teach him lesson 0 and share with him our purpose. Midway through the lesson, I stopped, and told him that we were here for him, and that if he had any questions to feel free to ask us. At that point, he stopped and asked us about baptism, the how, where, and why. Elder Patterson and I once again looked at one another... haha knowing that we went with a purpose and knowing that the Lord has blessed us with someone that was prepared. We were able to answer his questions and invite him to be baptized the 7th of June. He accepted.

Right now we are being SO extremely blessed in our area and we are praying that we may be able to help those in our path that are prepared. We are really looking forward for a great week especially to visit with those incredible investigators that we have met. I am so grateful for the Lord´s hand in this work, especially last week. Thank you so much for your continuous prayers and support. Please keep those that are searching for this message in your prayers as well. The Lord is hastening His work.

Much Love,

Elder Farrell