Picture!

Email 10-21-13

OH hey! 

This week was good.

We lost a day going to Aldeota for an appointment to get a refill on my meds. But other than that it was good! :)

I can’t remember if I said last week or not but we got a reference two weeks ago to go visit a less active member. We got there and started teaching him and he left to go get his cousin.  We have been teaching his cousin ever since and have his Baptism marked for Saturday.   He is super duper excited!

We were over at his house doing kind of a pre-interview lesson to make sure we taught him everything, and he started talking about his uncle and how he works next door, and above his work lives three Africans that speak English.  YES!  We finished the lesson and we went over to talk to them.  We knock on the door and this guy comes down with the biggest smile on his face.  We asked him if he spoke English and he said no. But there is someone there that does. We didn’t have a lot of time so we marked an appointment to pass by another day, and invited him to church.  He got so happy!  He told us to pass by Sunday morning to get him and he’d be ready!  This was on Saturday.  We went back to pick them up.  We stopped by our new friends house too see if he was ready to go!   He was!!   Ha ha ha it was so awesome.  He went to church and loved it and wants to learn everything.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to read the part we marked.  He said he would read all of it and pray and go to church every week from now on. Turns out, he’s 30 and he’s been here in Brazil for three months.   He used to go to an Evangelical church in Africa, almost got baptized but decided to come here first.  He was looking for a church to go to and that’s when we showed up.

We stopped by Sunday afternoon to talk with the others that live there and they ate up every bit of information we gave them. We’ll go back on Sunday to actually teach the restoration and set some baptismal dates.

We were at a member’s house for lunch, and the people here are crazy about feeding the missionaries.  They always give the best of everything they have, and ALL of it.  We get there, just like any normal day and eat one plate, then another.  Just like every day  -  enough to make them happy but not enough to make you sick. Then the guy there said ``Elders, eat more.`` No, we’re full, we’re satisfied and he said ``ELDERS! EAT MORE!!``  And he took our plates and put a mountain on it.... I ate more at that house than I have ever eaten in one sitting in my lifetime..  My companion didn’t take it too well.   Right when we got home he threw up... a lot!    Ha ha ha

The Bishop texted us Saturday night ``inviting`` us to talk in church. Ha ha. That’s not a lot of time to prepare a talk in another language.  Good thing the gift of tongues exists.  I studied a little bit, got some topics written down and we went to church.  When I stood up for my turn, I felt the need to not talk about anything I wrote down and change it completely.  I don't know why, but I did.   It went really well though.   I hope it gets this ward excited about the work.

We also blessed the sacrament and everyone was giving me a hard time telling me I was going to mess up. Turns out my companion (Brazilian) messed up, and I didn't.   It was pretty funny afterwards when everyone told me congratulations.

I love this work and I’m so glad I’m here.   It is not easy.   But it’s great.

-Elder Kyler Blane Farr

PS:

All of the missionaries have phones, but in our other area it had been stolen, and they are from São Paulo and it takes forever to get here! 

I talked about baptism and the requirements for it.  And how our church is perfect. Ha ha

I sent that picture because it looks like I’m in a favella, Ghetto. It marks where I’m at :) ha ha ha ha not that it’s dangerous.   It’s just super super poor.   But that means the people are more humble.

Email 10-14-13

Okay, this LAN house that I am at is so horrible. (the place where we’re sending our e-mails -- I blame it (any typos) on that!)

This week was awesome! We arrived in this area with TWO investigators..  We were literally left with nothing.   We had tons and tons of meetings and what not last week that didn’t give a lot of time to teach, but this week was the best!   We set our goals super ridiculously high and we even hit some of them!   We taught tons and tons of lessons and set an area record for new investigators in this area.

We have three people preparing for baptism already, and have a few more that will be getting to that point this next week.   It is so awesome to see the fruits of our labors.

Remember what I am always talking about, about members helping out!?   Well, me and my companion did over 50 street contacts this week, and we actually have some potentials from it.   But the best part is... Our ward mission leader (17 years old) gave us a reference, we didn’t have a lot of details, just his name and address.   We went to his house, not knowing what to expect and just started talking.   Turns out he was baptized years and years ago.   He’s 17 now and hasn’t been to church for a long time.   He told us he was just wanting a friend there at the church and he was nervous to go.   We got him all excited to go and what not and I asked him who he knows that we could teach.   Before responding the question he ran out of the room and went upstairs.   He came back with his cousin.   We talked for a bit and ended up teaching the first lesson and invited him to be baptized.   With no hesitation whatsoever he accepted.   We’re also going to start teaching his sister and two friends!

I can’t remember if I have already written about the lady where we did a street contact.   We talked to the lady for like a minute and she started crying.   She said she didn’t know why she was crying, just because she felt good.   We taught her this week and she cried during the entire lesson.   When we were talking about Joseph Smith I got to the first vision.   The spirit was so strong after I finished I looked at the lady, she was BAULING like a baby, my companion was in tears, as was I.   We both bore testimony and she said she knows it’s true.   The only problem is she owns a bar.   We taught the lesson there in the bar (with no one there).   The funny part is no one would enter until after we left.   There were like 25 people waiting to enter and finally did after we left.

The experiences we are witnessing are incredible.   My ``son`` is growing up so fast.   We’ve only been together for two weeks but it feels like forever. I love this place.

-Elder Kyler Blane Farr

e-chat excerpts  --   Kyler is in blue

Oh. I can’t even imagine snow......... I have been sweating for 7 months straight!!! 

I know.. it's weird huh?!!   It reminds me of when I would talk to Lynelle in the winter when she lived in Florida, after shoveling and being so cold and she'd have her air conditioner on!  ha ha ha   The days are warm right now but the night's and early mornings are chilly - sweater weather.  I'm not ready for winter -- I don’t want to be cold!!!   Remember that apartment we did that we had to wade through knee deep snow and it took 1.5 hours to drive to each way?  It took 4 hours to do a 1 bd apt!   LOL    The only thing good about that was the time with you!

What is the name of the area you are in?  I want to find you on google maps!

  

What is horrible about the LAN you're at?

All of the letters are faded off the keyboard and it’s HHOOOTTT!!!

But look how fast the time is going -- it'll be, like, tomorrow when you see him next!!  

I decided I’m going to work with cars for sure when I get home. I don’t know what area but cars is my thing!!

Here in two months we will be able to skype!!!  :)   As long as president lets us again!

I KNOW  ----   WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY!!     EVEYRONE’S SUPER EXCITED!!!!

YES!!!   Today will be awesome.   We have a family home evening with the stake president - with all of the missionaries from our zone! I don’t even know what we’ll be doing there, but it should be fun!

I’m pretty sure we’re be leaving here in just a little bit.

It was so great to talk to you!!

Love you mom!!!

I love you mom, ALOT!!!

Email 10-7-13

This week was pretty ..strange.. 

As we are opening an area, the other missionaries that were here left us nothing at all.   We went to the house of one of the two names they left us, of a girl that ``was ready for baptism`` and she cut us.   She told us she didn’t want anything to do with the church and asked us not to go by anymore.

The other name they gave us was of a guy that was baptized when he was eight years old, just like most kids that grew up in the church.   He told us he was forced to be baptized by his parents and didn’t really want to.   So, he wants to be re-baptized.   I called the mission president and the bishop and everything but they said there isn’t really anything we could do.   I understand where he is coming from but I think he should be grateful for the opportunity he had when he was young.   Ha ha   I don’t want to be the one to break the news to him. 

With all of that said.. We will have to start completely new.   It will be what we did in my other area,  Take an area that hasn’t had a baptism in months and make magic happen. 

I’m excited to be able to help my trainee.   He’ll be able to see the results of turning a dead ward into a baptizing ward.   I know that’s not what it’s all about, but that’s what will get the ward excited.   There are over 300 members in the ward with an average of 40 that go every week.   It’s ridiculous. 

We have been doing some studying about prayer and decided to make our prayers very very specific.   We prayed in the morning to find a couple, with two kids to teach.   We were doing contacts one day with that prayer in mind, looking for men that maybe we could talk to.   We were passing a market as a guy drove up on his motorcycle.   We kind of stood there awkwardly waiting for him go take his helmet off and we started talking to him  . We got done with the regular contact and I asked him who he lives with.   He said. `` with my wife and kids``   YES!   I asked how many kids he had and he said..... three. It was awesome.   We were hoping for two and got three.   It was a testimony builder in two ways.   We prayed for a family with two kids and got three.   But I also learned we need to be more specific in our prayers because it turns out, they don’t live in our area.   It was kinda funny, but it really helped alot. 

I don’t really have very many stories to tell right now, as we basically just did contacts this week in preparation for the weeks to come. 

I’m so glad I’m here and for the opportunity I have to serve.

This church is true. There is no doubt about that.

-Elder Kyler Blane Farr

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I hate the time difference!! Ha ha ha... I keep getting so mixed up..

It´s 4:30 my time here. I don’t think we’ll be able to talk today. I’m bummed but I know there’s always NEXT WEEK! ;)

And if not it’s okay too!    Because you know why???

I LOVE YOU

I hope everything is going as planned in life right now.

I am definitely noticing the blessings in my life for me being here right now and I hope you guys are noticing them too!

There are so many blessings in my life I don’t even have room to hold them. I love it.

I just passed the ten month mark two days ago.. WOW!!

I don’t know why the letters changed right now... but just know that I love you so much and I thank you for everything that you have done, are doing, and will do!!    You guys are literally the best ever!!!!!

But next week, I think we might come early.. we’ll either come at two our time or like ten our time.   It depends if we watch a movie or not.   So either SIX in the morning there or TEN in the morning YOUR TIME.     luvvv yuhhh

(from Shannon - I will gladly began my traditional "(when I'm home) Monday staring at the computer screen, continually clicking the 'get mail' button"  at 6 AM !!!    :)   It will be my pleasure!!! )   

leaving right now.

love you more than you can imagine.

until next week!!! ;)

Pictures!!

Church Building in Brazil

Email 9-30-13

I will right? wright? write? my big letter right now.   I’M ON

ooookkkaaayyyy!!!!

So,  first of all. Remember how we were taking care of two wards before?   I was hoping the wards would get split and I would stay in one and my companion in the other?   NOPE   They took me out of there..   We got the phone call.   I heard that I would be leaving.    Almost in tears I hung up.   I wanted more than anything to stay there!    I know it is part of the learning process and four and a half months is quite a bit.   So I’m out of there. I went around talking to all of the members of the ward at the chapel saying goodbye and stuff.   João Paulo that we just baptized was BROKEN!   He was all teary eyed as we said goodbye.   I went up to the Bishop and he made every bit of sweat dropped worth it. He said, ``this ward has been in a hole for months. You got here and completely changed it. You are the one who made the difference.``   That made every hardship worth it.

Anyways, we get to the transfer meeting this morning and I had no idea what to expect.   President goes on to announce the new leadership callings.   I’m going to train! :)   We will pick up our ``kids`` tomorrow afternoon.   Me and my comp from the MTC  live together and he will be training also .)  And another elder , also from the MTC district is in our district.   It’s like a reunion!   Since we are in the same zone, we are in a trio until tomorrow when we go to the mission office to get our greenies.

I think the hardest part of leaving the ward was (of course) the members.   They were awesome.   Especially the people I got to help come unto Christ and follow his example.   I’m opening this area but from what I’ve seen it’ll be pretty good.   It’s the richest area that I’ve been in so far.   I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.    I’ll let you know next week!! :)

But yeah the talent show we had Saturday night was AWESOME.   We ended up with like fifty people there. I had wished for more, but we had enough people performing to fill up all of the time slots.   Even we did something.   I took a video of the whole thing but it’s way way too long to send, and here in a year and two months you’ll see it. :)    I’ll send some pictures though.

As sad that I am, from leaving my old area, I am very grateful to have this opportunity to grow and learn with the new missionary I’ll be training.   I just hope for help from the ward.

Sou grato por estarmos aqui e pelas coises que a gente vai aprender juntos. Estavamos falando Inglês muito hoje e é muito difícil escrever em Português. Eu amo cada um de vocês muito! Tenha uma boa semana!

TCHAU!

-ELDER KYLER BLANE FARR!

From Shannon -- Google Translation – not always accurate but my only option right now!!!   Some of you who went to Brazil that are reading this letter -  please correct if you can – thank you!  “ I am grateful to be here and the Coises we will learn together. We were speaking English a lot today and it is very difficult to write in Portuguese. I love each of you very much! Have a good week! “  Actually, he could tell me that he ate a tuna sandwich or is wearing blue socks and I’d be almost as thrilled – I love hearing and reading his Portuguese -  It’s amazing!!!   It is a very deep, rich sounding, beautiful language.

You’re not on!!!   We’re about to leave.   It’s okay though.   Just so you know.. the package is.. AWESOME!!   How did you know I was wanting peanut butter!!!   My first mistake was showing hot cheetos to Brazilians..   They don’t have those here.   I loved it!!   Everything about it.   I’m even enjoying the books!   Imagine that.. me liking a book.    Ha ha ha   I love you guys and thank you so much!!!

(If you remember the pizza picture from last week )  One side of the pizza was ham and cheese and the other chicken!   We ate pizza for lunch today actually... the first place I’ve seen open at noon. Usually they only have it for dinner!!   It was cool though!

LUVV YUHH

Have a good week. :)

Love you lots and thanks so much for your support.   It means a ton to me.   WISH ME LUCK when we go to get our greenies!!    We pick them up at four.. 12 your time right!?!?    Until next week!!!   :)

PS from Shannon - Elder Kyler wrote me last week that transfers were Sunday (yesterday) and that he felt pretty sure he would be leaving this time -- he was write? wright?  right!!  ha ha ha  I couldn't resist!!!  :)  But what I wrote before the teasing is true!  And also it makes me smile and very happy when he has trouble writing or speaking in English!!!   I Love it!!!