I thought for sure I was leaving... I love it here!

This week has been kinda of a big change. I just finished my training and I have a new companion (his name is Elder Ruiz from Mexico), but I am staying in the same place, Antofagasta. Which is perfect, I love it here!  I thought for sure I was leaving (because all the leaders told me I was) so I told this family, and the mom almost started crying and all the kids were like ‘wait you’re going to come back right’? Haha, then they freaked when they found out I’m staying. I’m sending pictures of them, there so sweet. *Check out all the pics at the end of this post.

A few cool things happened this week. First off, we went to this lady in our wards house looking for her son, who is the ward mission leader, but he wasn't there. So we asked if we could leave her with a quick scripture and so I shared with her just a little scripture about praying everyday to feel closer with our Heavenly Father and to have comfort or whatever it is we need. After sharing the scripture, she got a little teary eyed and said this is exactly what she needed to hear. It was awesome to have helped someone out like that.

Then also this week we found two families that we are now teaching. One is our next door neighbor and the other are evangelico. Evangelist I think in English. Anyway there progressing, but they struggle with the fact that one religion is true. They keep just saying, yeah I believe everything you’re telling me, then we’re like GREAT! Then they say, but every church ends up in the same place. Sooo yeah, ha, but it’s a work in progress. Oh and my Spanish is improving too, I can talking a little fast and bit more clear. It’s going good.

Crazy story this week is we were doing contacts or tracting, and this guy starts chucking pieces of tile at us haha, I was like what did we do to you? We did nothing, ha, but he sucked and didn’t even come close to hitting us so we started walking away, then he said come here. I was like, what, you threw stuff at us then say come here? It was weird. Happens when your area is ghetto, ha, but I love this place. I hope Kaleb gets called to this same mission.  Highly unlikely, but it would be awesome.

I hope all is well with everyone in the States. I love all of you and thank you again for all the support. I’m doing great.

Love you guys,

Elder Farny

                                Elder Farnworth and Elder Revas

                                       Zac's 2nd Baptism

                                                   White Night
                                 (when there are a bunch of baptisms in the
                                       zone and they do them together)

So cool...Zachary baptizes Francesco

                                           Zac's 2 month mark

                              (I'm not sure what he is burning, a tie?)

                               Zachary's new Comp Eler Ruiz from Mexico

                             Staying in Antofagasta...I love this place!

I'm loving the Mission...

So I have a new comp from Mexico, his name is elder Ruiz. I’ll send a picture. He’s cool, but I’m only with him for a week.  I’m showing him around the area then I’m leaving Antofagasta! It sucks because I love the people here, but I’m kinda stoked to go to see what a different city is like. Maybe like a small mining city or something. I’m curious to see if my next comp this week will be gringo, I think it would be cool now that I speak comfortable Spanish to be with a gringo. 

I got my visa done finally. I had to sleep in a city called Tocapilla to finally get it done on Tuesday, then my comp Elder Rivas left Thursday. This week was a lot better than last week, but kinda of a weird week. We don’t really have a lot of people were teaching, we’re more in the finding process, which is good.

I’ve felt less home sick this week and more focused on what I’m doing and felt the sprit more times this week. I’m sure it’s an answer to your prayers. Thank- you for all you do for me and all you support. It’s kinda been rough lately, I don’t know why, but I just miss being with more familiar people ya know? Living with a stranger so to speak is kinda strange at times, but I’m slowly getting more used to it.

Its crazy Jordan’s think about going to law school, I hope it really happens, he would be good lawyer.  We have a missionary named Elder Smith that is a lot like Jordan, he’s cool he’s one of my buds. I heard about Trevor, I hope he’s doing better. I’m glad you had a good week that’s crazy that the Metcalf’s are going to Australia did they say why?

I’m glad you guys are taking a bit of time off and going to Cali. Hearing that makes me miss swimming and the other day we ran to the ocean and I wanted to jump in, haha. But I didn’t, don’t worry. Anyway I got to go write everyone else, tell everyone I say hi and tell Kellert and Natalie that I say ‘Happy Birthday’

I miss you guys, but I’m loving the Mission, it’s an incredible experience and  I’m learning a ton.

I love you, talk to you next week.

Love Elder Farnworth

Has conference always been this good?

Doesn’t sound like a same old same old week to me sounds like you guys have been having fun! Yeah, I loved conference, but know you guys were watching all together at the same time made me home sick. I even had a dream Saturday night that we were all at a park playing football together. I keep having these dreams they’re weird.

But yeah, I loved conference.  The things they talked about, wow I could feel the spirit more strongly than any other conference. Has conference always been this good? I feel like I really never noticed how incredible the talks were before my mission.
That would be crazy if Kaleb got his mission call and left while I was here. I was telling a member about it and she was like, perfect now you can help him with everything because you’ve experienced it! I hope he gets called Spanish speaking so that we can talk just between us, haha.

That’s awesome about you Jake and Meg playing on the field at the BYU stadium and everything, those pictures are sweet. Not sure why, but remembering those BYU stories made me miss you guys like crazy. Honestly this might have been the toughest week of homesickness of my entire mission, but I still love being here. I continue to get a ton of compliments on my Spanish. I guess the president bragged about my Spanish to another mission in my group, I was like ‘what?’ when I heard that. I’m glad though.

I’m almost out of time but I think but I might be able to have another chance to write again this week. I had another crappy p-day because I had to come to this city called Tocapilla for my visa again and now have to stay the night here.

Thank you for keeping me updated, it sounds like you guys are doing great. I miss you all a lot. It’s been rough, but I know I’ll be with you guys soon enough. I love you mom and dad, thanks again for everything.

Love you,

Elder Farnworth 

I always use shampoo first, then conditioner...

My birthday was great actually. I had two surprise party-ish things. The first was Monday night with four other missionaries. They told me we were doing a prank pretending we were Jehovah witnesses so they started filming. I was like ok? But then opened the door and they had a cake for me and bunch of stuff, it was sweet. Then the other was Saturday after the baptisms of the three kids.  By the way, I will have to get you those pics next week cause I forgot my camera cord. Anyways, this family of the kids we baptized had a party for me.  It feels like we’re part of their family, every time were about to leave the mom would be like, no please stay. Then always be like what time are you coming back tomorrow? They’re awesome, I have a video of them giving me the cake, I’ll send that next week too. I will make sure to describe each one with the pictures.

The holiday we they celebrated is just like Fourth of July, so they just call it 18th of September. It’s when Chile became Independent or something. They go all out too it’s crazy it’s like a law or something to not have a Chile flag on you house.

Oh yeah, I got your package Tuesday, so it takes about two weeks to get here.  It was awesome, it made me trunky. I’m using the pillow case and this is my favorite tie now. I like skinny ones, they’re nice. Oh yeah, and thanks for the tips on writing, I didn’t know I sucked at writing.... just kidding, haha but it says to make you feel like your with me.. So here it goes.

So I wake up at 6:55, Look at my alarm clock press the snooze button...

Then sleep for five more minutes then get up, put on my black jacket (If it’s cold, which is a lot lately) Then I walk down the stair, I think its yeah its twelve steps. Then I do my little work out thing then I take a shower. I take my showers hot but not like too hot just like perfect ya know. I always use shampoo first then conditioner....

hahaha this is boring me. But yeah sorry I’ll be more detailed when i write.

Our baptism was cool, we had a Blanco Noche(White night) which is when the zone has a bunch of baptisms and we do them all at one church. So we baptized thirteen people all in one baptism service. It was sweet. I’m lucky to be in a baptizing mission. I baptized the youngest of the three kids, his name is Francesco but everyone calls him Poncho. Him and his mom are awesome. I'm going to start teaching her English soon so that’ll be sweet. I’ll point her out in pictures next week.

Oh and by the way our whole mission baptized 111 people this month, truly the best mission in the World. I had my first interview with the President. To start he had my pray in Spanish so I did and I saw him write Excellent Spanish, I was like sweet. I know I’m lucky, some people aren’t even close to fluent after a year. I can almost say all I want to. I’m going to send some videos of me speaking Spanish so you can hear.

I have like three more weeks or something like that til the next cambia or transfer. They are every six weeks. It depends, some people stay together a long time and others change every cambia. I keep in touch with my MTC companion but not too much. I email Ry a bunch Trev never wrote back? Have you heard anything about him?

I just got sick too we had food from Peru... oh I don’t even want to write about it I hated it so much and it made me sick. But I’m happy you guys are getting better. Finally BYU wins, ya definitely send me pictures.

Well that’s about everyone going on here. Miss you guys and thanks again for the package. I took all the starburst and roasted them like we do at home.. Made me home sick but I like when little things remind me of you guys.

Anyway, love you mom and dad, thanks for everything,

Love your fav.

Elder FARNWORTH