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

Three baptisms this Saturday...

A few sweet things happened this week. First off,  the 18th of September is like crazy here. Everyone, literally everyone, is drunk. Ha, it’s nuts!  Since everyone is drunk, we couldn’t have appointments and what not so we just played soccer that night . So we played three on three, Latin’s verses gringos. Me and two other gringos against Latinos who actually play soccer and we crushed them. Like BAD they were so mad, haha. We beat Latin’s at there own sport.

Then, that night we were watching church movies (I think it was the Work and the Glory or something like that) and one of the missionaries fell asleep. So we all made a plan to put an alarm next to him and then all get up and starting getting ready like its morning, but it was like 2 in the morning. Haha, it worked and we got him to think it was the morning and he got all ready at breakfast and everything.

Then on Thursday I think it was I took one of the new missionaries and did splits. I was the senior companion for the day so I chose everything we did and lead all the lessons and everything. Man that was cool being like the older one for once. Then yesterday  I told someone I was from Peru and it was like, oh yeah that’s awesome. Then I was like, not really I'm from the US and he goes, you talk better than Elder Packard.  I really thought you were from Peru.

Haha, Cool huh?

I have three baptisms for this saturday and the other day we found some new people to teach so things are working along. I've been blessed to see a lot of success,  other missionaries in my same group haven't had any baptisms yet.

Well there’s my cool stories for the week. Feel better mom and thank you for the package and birthday wishes!  Thanks everyone for your emails and for your support, I appreciate it so much.

I love you all!

Elder Farny

Kind of Crazy I'm Turning Twenty

Glad everyone is doing well and staying busy. Kind of crazy I'm turning twenty, especially because now I only have one more birthday in my mission. I was all happy it was on a P-day, but found out yesterday that I have to go get my visa in another city so I’m going to be doing that all day. But it's all good some families invited me over next week to have cake and everything. It’s sweet because our fechas (our next three baptisms) are like brothers to me and their mom is awesome and she tells us to come over when were hungry and wants to make me something for my birthday. Kinda stoked.

I guess the 18th of Sept. is like Chile’s 4th of July. So I can only write you today but I’m going to write everyone else Thursday. The Stakes and Wards are having parties today, tomorrow and Wednesday so were going to all of them and bring our investigators hoping they’ll make some friends.

Nothing to new has happened this week just the same old working hard. Oh yeah, Monday new missionaries came in so I’m not the newest, haha, its weird feels like I just got here. The new missionaries are kinda weird, I wonder if I was weird like that.

I’m starting to take more pics my goal is to fill up my 32 memory card by the time I go home. I'll get some pics of the parties this week and us playing soccer and everything and send them on Thursday.

All right gotta go but I'll write you again Thursday ok? Thanks for the package. I heard it only takes a week so it should be here soon. Can’t wait.

Love you guys, tell everyone hi for me;

Hasta luego,

Elder Farnworth ,Chao

MY FIRST BAPTISM!!!

Elder Rivas, Pati, Joshua and Elder Farnworth

First baptism in Chile on Sept 8, 2012

Elder Farnworth and Elder Rivas 

Saturday was absolutely Incredible. MY FIRST BAPTISM!!! So awesome. So we baptized a girl and a boy. The girl, Pati, was baptized by my companion and I baptized Joshua. It was awesome because both their moms aren’t members and they said it was beautiful and made them confused about there religion (one being Catholic the other Jehovah witness) I thought that was incredible. But anyway, we did the whole meeting thing for the baptism and they gave the talks and everything. I felt ready, then we started walking to the font and I got really nervous about my accent and everything. I don’t know why cause I’ve felt confident with my Spanish. But I turned to Joshua and said are you nervous? He goes yeah, and I was like, don’t worry me too, haha! We went first and the water heater in our chapel is broken. The first few steps were FREEZING haha, me and Joshua were shivering then as soon as I started say the prayer, I stopped shivering, and felt the spirit so much. I can’t even describe the feeling. Like pure joy. Not the joy from like sports, or other things I like to do, but a lot deeper than that. I said the prayer, kind of slowly to make sure I got it right, (kinda of difficult in Spanish). But yeah it all went well and he told me afterwards he felt clean. Aw man, I loved it. I hope I have the experience a lot more on my mission. Which I think I will be blessed with the opportunity again soon we have three more kids who have dates for the 22nd. I’m so blessed, I don’t know how I got so lucky to find this great success but I Love it. I Love missionary work. I have pictures with both our baptisms. Seems like something happens like this every week.

I got all your pics from McCall looks like you had fun! That’s awesome you love working, I feel that way all the time, exhausted but accomplished. Its an incredible feeling huh? I love it. I’m glad all is well with Jake and Kaleb and Megan, I’m going to write them real quick. Um, for my birthday, just send candy and stuff. Could you send me some recipes of really simple breakfast ideas? That’s kind of what I need something good to make for breakfast. I really have been able to have some America food so that’s good. Also, how is the ward?  How many people do we have in our ward, the bishop asked me I told him like 300.  That seems like a ton but I was thinking we have a big ward. Idk, let me know.

I would love for you to come pick me up, please do! That would be awesome to have you guys be in Chile with me. It’s incredible, I’ve already fallen in love with it. I’m half Chilean, haha! No, but really I like soccer now, ha never thought id see the day.

Thank you again for the support, I appreciate all you’ve done for me. Btw Mom, the temple pic you painted for me is right next to my bed, I love it :) Thank you mom!

LOVE YOU ALL,

Elder Farnworth

At times I feel Chilean...ha!

My week was Great! This week has been probably the best week of my mission. We’re working hard and have been able to see it pay off. The girl that we are going to baptize, her mom is also interested so we are teaching her and also her Uncle, so we we’ll see what happens. Ill take some pictures but I don’t think I’m baptizing, but maybe, we will see. This week I got really really sick, but took grandmas medicine at felt good immediately. Nothing too crazy happened this past week. One night I woke up in the middle of the night and heard gunshots again, but I’m used to it now.

At times I feel Chilean, haha, it’s awesome. I feel really good about my Spanish. Kinda far from fluent, But every one tells me for only three months I can talk really well. I can almost understand everything I hear. We were at a member’s house and the dad was talking to his son about the gift of tongues and how I definitely have it. Which is true, I’m blessed. The bishop told me a story of a missionary who was in my area for four months and could barely talk all four months. I’m very blessed that it’s coming so quick. Also, this week we played soccer and a missionary told me I'm good which is rare for us gringos. So Basically I’m Chilean. Sure you didn’t adopt from a Chilean family?? Haha,no jk.

We just ate at TGI Fridays. They play all English music and it was like all the songs I listened to and even the song I had as my ring tone. I was trying so hard not to sing it! That’s got to be the toughest thing not listening to the music. I’m happy to be in a different country, when I think about what is was like when I was in the states it felt like... Weird.

There were only two from the MTC at the zone conference. That seems like it was forever ago, yeah it was fun though. OH YEAH, we had our welcome meeting this week with all our MTC group and the president. It was awesome he told us the Lord is blessing them with good missionaries and he thinks were all going to be really good missionaries. It got me excited.  My mission mom is awesome, she is just incredible one of the nicest ladies I’ve ever met! And the President is awesome too. He basically is a giant, he’s six four and he’s really good at basketball.

I love what I’m doing I love Chile. Some missionaries are trunky (that’s what they call it when you work and everything but you would rather be home). I’m far from trunky. I love exactly where I am. This is the greatest experience it’s everything I thought my mission would be.

Well, I’m glad to hear all of you are having fun and that everything is going good at home. What did Jake say? Better be no... ha! Is it weird only having three kids? Seems like that’d be weird. I’ve been praying for Grandpa, is he doing any better now? I hope he gets better. Definitely keep me updated on who won the first BYU game! I forgot my camera today but will send a bunch of pictures next week.

Anyway, thank you for all the support. Couldn´t be here without you. I love you all.

Con Amor,

Elder Farnworth