Zac's final week in the MTC

MY FINAL WEEK IN THE MTC!!! I have a ton of stuff to do this week but I am so stoked for Chile! The other day I was having a rough day and got frustrated with the language so my teacher started having a conversation with me, we talked about everything going on with me and my family and how I feel about my learning and my companion. Then in the middle of the conversation he goes "you knew no spanish before and you can already have a conversation in spanish, don't get frustrated and just keep learning" it was so cool. I feel like I could know more, but I'm pleased with how much I've learned so far! I love learning spanish and I'm starting to hate speaking in english, I want to speak spanish all the time!

The Spiritual side of all this has also been a huge comfort to me. I've learned a lot about having patience in learning about the Gospel. I don't know everything, but I'm so excited to share the gospel with every person I meet.

We got our travels plans and my plane leaves here next Monday at 10:15am and I get to Antofagasta the next day at 10:25.... 24 hours of traveling.. But grandma helped me out with that pillow and those snacks, tell her thanks and that i'm writing her a letter today! Crazy I'm so stoked to be going and excited to be able to talk to you on the phone! This is going to be one of the biggest and toughest adventures of my life and I'm so excited I can't even explain in words. I will be calling either at the airport here or LA, where ever I have the most time.

I'm going to try and get everyone letters this last P'day, but I also have a ton of stuff to do so if I dont I'm sorry and just email me because I think I'll be mostly be emailing in Chile. It's pretty cool almost two whole districts are all going to Chile at the same time so we're all going to be going with each other and we;re all way good friends so I'm way excited for that!

Espero yo puede hablar con mi companero en el campo, pero durante mi premero semana yo tengo much duda. haha alright I love all of you and thank you for the support. My next blog will be from chile..... CRAZY.

LOVE You all and thanks again for helping me get to this point. HASTA LUEGO
Elder Farnworth

July 16th-MTC

This week has been full of emotional expierences. Me and this Elder named Elder McCusker have really bonded. One day we taught each other a lesson and both ended up balling from sharing our expierences of how much we have changed throughout the MTC. It's incredible all the missionaries here who have stories of being lost and going the wrong direction then fixing it and coming on a missson. It's so awesome hearing everyones story.

 

Almost every night I walked around before bed asking mostly chilean and hispanic missionaries what there stories are. I've learned how to be more out going and mumble less (btw LO SIENTO, sorry, for always mumbling.)  I've learned to talk to everyone I meet, especially those from Chile, even If my spanish isn't amazing. This last saturday me and my companion taught this guy in the TRC. It's like he's an investigator and we had an amazing lesson and the guy said he felt the spirit so strong. We ended up getting in trouble because we talked to him for and hour and ten minutes when you only have a half hour. He didn't mind though. He loved it and he was the coolest guy. It's crazy though, when I teach if I like really focus on the investigator, I understand more spanish than usual.

 

So, July 30th is when I leave!! Its crazy, I can' t believe I'm going to be in Chile two weeks from today!

 

Oh yeah another exciting thing I was made district leader this week, so I'll be our district leader until we leave for Chile which is pretty cool. I don't do a ton of this, but I interveiw each missionary and make sure they are good and stuff, which will be easy because our district is tiny.

 

I've been talking to Ryan, he's bummed he doesn't get to go yet, but I'm a little happy cause I get to see him a bit longer! We also got to go and clean the temple today which was really cool because we were able to see all the rooms.

 

OH I forgot to tell everyone about softball (or did I) during our gym time our whole zone does this softball thing it's called  the world series were keeping track of how many times each team wins until we go to Chile, then the loser has to buy the winner ton of treats. It's way fun and we always dominate. Haha it's funny.

 

Mom and Dad, I'd just like to tell you two how much I love you guys and thank you for all your support! I loved the package and all the letters I got this week. Because of you two I'm able to be really and focused on being a missionary. I've been starting to notice how prepared I am compared to other missionaries. I'm glad you took me shopping and I'm glad we got EVERYTHING on the list. Hope everythings going good with home and everything, know you're both in my prayers everyday. I love you guys and can't wait to talk to you before I head off to Chile. Tell everyone there I love them and think about them all the time!

 

I'm almost out of time, Thank you all for the support I really do appreciate it!

 

HASTA LUEGO!

Elder Farnworth

July 9th 2012-MTC

This week in Mtc hasn't been crazy exciting, nothing too amazing has happened.

Our teachers are like becoming our best friends, we only have six elders in our district so we're all super close and now it's like our teachers are elders with us. They even come and eat dinner with us, they're super cool. The spanish is coming along pretty great.  We finished the second to last grammar principle so we have one more and then we are done and it's just three more weeks of reviewing everything until I go to Chile. Which I can't wait for but am sort of nervous because I talk to the chileans on my floor and the chilean accent is spanish and ten million miles per hour and they put all there words like hymns, and the drop there S's... So sounds like i'll be learning a whole kind of spanish when I get out there. That's going to fun though,

 

I love learning spanish and being able to comminucate in a whole different language with all my friends is cool! I've been practicing for Chile, I learned all the nicest ways to say hello hows it going, hows your day, so I should be allright! We got new elders in our room which kind of stinks, but there pretty cool. We all bond well. I've gone and talked to Ryan almost everynight still and we took a picture at the temple together. It's awesome having your best friend to talk to about stuff, I love it! He got his travel plans already and i feel like he just got here! But anyway, we want to know about Trevor! I'm about to email him but lets us know!

 

Natalie, Grandma and Grandpa, I'm in the process of writing you back! Thank you so much for the scriptures and the article about travis hansen!  Also, say thanks to the Brother Jacobs kids! I loved their letter!  And thanks everyone else for all the support I really have felt extremely loved!

 

Thanks again,

HASTA LUEGO! VAYA CON DIOS

-ELDER FARNWORTH

July 2, 2012-MTC

This week has been awesome! I sat the closest I could to watching all the cars drop elders off to find Ryan but I wasn't able to see Jeff or Michelle or anybody. It was cool because I saw Ryan and gave him a huge hug as soon as he got all his stuff so probably ten minutes after he got here! He lives on the bottom floor in my building, so we hang out for like 15 minutes every night. He says he likes it a lot and likes his companion too! Other than that nothing too exciting happened this week.

The spirit has been stronger as the weeks go on, that's half the reason I love the MTC, its incredible spiritual. The Spanish is coming okay, we pick four days to speak Spanish all day and by the end of those days I feel fluent. And it's sweet because every word you say in English you get a point and every point you have to do a door approach or just an approach with a random elder/sister in the lunch room.  But then I go talk to my friend from Mexico, and when he can't understand I realize I still am far from fluent. But it's coming more and more each day. I just keep working hard and have patience with myself.

One thing that's fun about this week is we starting playing softball with our whole zone and it's been way fun we have the coolest zone and stuff. This week we get new elders in our zone which kinda stinks because me and my companion have our own room so we have two bunk beds to ourselves.  We like took the mattresses and made this couch so everyone comes and hangs out in our room. It's super awesome! I’ve been taking a ton of pictures, but I can't really send them.  I guess but we'll figure out how to get them on here. Thank you everyone for all the support, I really do appreciate it.  I'm working on writing everyone back! It's hard because P-day is pretty busy and I only have half hour of email, but I'll write back promise!

 Thanks again and I hope everything is going great at home.

Love you! –

Elder Farnworth

A little note from Mom...

I wanted to add a little note before I post Zachary's letter for the week.  We had the opportunity to speak with Zachary's companion's parents, Brother and Sister Packard.  They are preparing to serve as Mission Presidents in the Boston mission and called us last Monday night.  They had spent the day with Zachary and wanted to tell us all about it.  They had nothing but compliments and praise for Zachary and felt so lucky that their son was his companion.  They said that Zac is doing so well with the language and that he has a wonderful spirit.  Sis. Packard said that when you talk to Zac he really listens and seems to have a maturity that not all missionaries have, she said that that will help him so much on his mission.  They were able to go to the temple and then follow them to some of their classes.  Dave and I just sat there and cried, I felt so happy and just a tiny bit jealous.  I think a parents day at the MTC is a great idea....  I'm sure Michelle would agree with me on that one. =) 
What an amazing thing it has been to have a missionary out.  I feel the spirit so strong in his letters and emails, I am so grateful he loves what he is doing.  We are so happy that he had this unique opportunity in the MTC to stand in a circle with an apostle.  I'm sure that is not an experience he will ever forget.