Letter 1-7-13

Minha Familia!!

NO!! Google translation is so dumb!!

· Through Faith and Prayer we can know the truth of many things

· I love this church with all my heart

· I love you guys

· I am grateful for the opportunity to learn the Portuguese language

· I am grateful for the gift of tongues

I guess it was okay! Because the computer I was using didn’t have the capability to use accents and what not! J My fault!

I have study time (additional) and I wanted to work on learning more of the language about testimonies. So I will put it into a letter for you! J

(next is a huge paragraph of Portuguese, which I deeply desire to do the translating of… if I need help, there are several people I know that could help me but I want to give it a shot first! I’ll send it as soon as it’s in English!)

Elder Kyler continues: Ha Ha! That’s just a start! You don’t need to translate and write it back because it’s kind of long! But you can if you want to!! J

Ummm!!! I pray for all of you every day! I would say that about half of the prayers that I say in a day include something about praying for all of you! And we/I say about a million prayers in a day! So that’s a lot of prayers for you!! J I really hope everyone is doing well, and just know that I am having so much fun learning and teaching the Gospel!

One thing I love to say in all of our first lessons is Joseph Smith’s First Vision! Primero Visao!!

(Then… more Portuguese!!!)

Elder Kyler continues: From memory!! J My second greatest accomplishment! The Spirit is so strong when we can recite that from memory!

I also memorized the 4^th Article of Faith in Portuguese. I plan on using it this week as we commit “Augusto”, our investigator, to Baptism!! J I can’t wait. We were supposed to do it right now, but my companion esta (sorry) is sick so we can’t right now L I’ll let you know how it goes!

I love you all so much! I love this experience! My time is almost up! But, yeah! Love you, you’re all awesome!! I pray daily for you! Elder Kyler Blane Farr

Email 1-4-13 part 2

okay.. in addition to my other e-mail, I wanted to leave you with this thought!!

We were reading through ALMA 36 during one of our Book of Mormon study times, and I really loved this scripture. It is verse 24. "Yea and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of god, and be filled with the holy ghost."

For this reason.. to bring others unto repentance, to bring them to taste of exceeding joy.. is the purpose for all of the missionaries in this world. To invite others to come unto Christ. This is why I am here, to leave, with people, the message of the restoration of this wonderful gospel to the people of Brazil. I know that I am being sent to Brazil for a reason, that is where the Lord needs me to be. I know that there are things here in Provo that I need to experience first though. My visa will come when the Lord needs me in Brazil. I am continuously counting my blessings every day. I am so thankful to be here expanding my learning of the gospel and strengthening my own testimony.

I challenge you, whoever reads this letter, to do something daily to strengthen your testimony of the gospel. I don't mean to preach, but I know this to be true.

Atravez-de fe e oracao nos podemos saber a verdade de muitas coisas! Eu sei que o Evangelho de jesus cristo e verdade. Eu amo esta Igreja com todo de meu coracao! Eu amo voces! (I can't do all of the accents because these computers don't have the right setting) Eu sou grato por a oppurtunidade para aprender da lingua de portugues. Eu sou grato por o dom do lingua! :) theres some phrases for you to look up :) they should all make sense, haha I just pulled them out of my head real quick!

love, Elder Kyler Blane Farr!

=)

From Shannon - Here's google translation's version of the above phrases. It's not completely accurate but it makes sense and sounds like Elder Kyler's testimony!

THROUGH-of faith and prayer we can know the truth of many things! I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ and truth. I love this church with all of my heart! I love you guys! I am grateful for the oppurtunidade (opportunity) to learn the language of Portuguese. I am grateful for the gift of language!

Email 1-4-13 Part 1

Hello family!
Not much has changed here at the MTC. The stomach flu was going around, just like a 24 hour bug. My companion got it, he was throwing up so much he got dehydrated and passed out twice. It was crazy, so I took him to the health clinic and he slept there for like 6 hours, got some fluids in him and what not. He is doing fine now, but for those 2 days he was bed ridden. I heard that like 300 people had it here. So we weren't allowed to shake hands with anyone or hug. So we elbow bumped only!! It was so crazy that a sickness can wipe through a place in a matter of a couple days. I think it's mostly passed now. I am so glad it missed me!

But while my companion was in bed, they let me still go to class and I had a lesson to teach. Elder J____ offered to teach with me, it was the first visit with this investigator. The lesson was so good! We taught the restoration, we knew all of the words and it just went super well! I think it was the spirit doing all of the talking, but it is still amazing. The fact that all of the missionaries here, only having been here for a short while can teach lessons about the church in a way that our investigators can understand. I have been working on conjugations during language study time recently so our sentences make more sense. There is so much more to learn, but it is happening more and more every day.

As today is p-day, we went to the temple this morning and we ate breakfast at the temple. Next to actually being at the temple, breakfast is the best part of p-day! The food is blessed! seriously, compared to the food here, it is amazing. I actually feel good after I eat there.. Here, at the MTC the food is good.. but it gives everyone gas. I still love it here! As a district, we have been working more on studying during all of our study times. Sometimes we get distracted, being in the room for hours at a time.. It gets very repetitive. We have been working so hard, and we've decided to start every study session with a prayer to have the spirit there. It does help, this past week we have been way more focused than ever before. I think 7 of the elders in my zone got their visas today. I was super bummed that I didn't get mine, but then I thought! Wait, Nate only has a little while before he gets here. I am hoping I get to see him before I 'm off to Brazil!

I am still enjoying my time here, trying my best to get along with everyone I come in contact with! My district is awesome, Our teachers are the best!! I got the New Years package from you today! Thank you so much!! The pictures were great to see!! They challenge us to read out of the little white handbook every night, 5 pages.

I hope you had a super happy New Year!! :) We did some crazy stuff here for new years!! Got some snacks out of the vending machine! Wrote in my journal! Had Companionship prayers! It was intense!! We didn't get to bed until like 10:30!! ahahah.. just kidding that's what I do every night.. But that's okay, because I love it!!

I have a spiritual thought, but I forgot it in my notebook. I will e-mail it later when I have access to a computer when I have my suit on..

Love everyone! Keep sending dear elders! It is great to have something from you as much as possible!
I'll hopefully write my thought in about 3 hours!

Love,
Elder Kyler Blane Farr

Letter 12-28-12

Hello family,

We have pretty much the same things going on.. not a whole lot of new things. Just the repetition of daily activities, but the things we study are always different, which is good!

Christmas was so amazing! I don't know that it was the BEST that I have ever had, But definitely the most spiritual! Not a moment passed when the spirit wasn't with us at some point or another during the day!

We are going to sing the EFY medley in sacrament meeting. Nephi's courage, sung by the Elders and Sisters in? of? Zion.. Forgot the name! oops sorry. But it is only my district.. For about 68 members in our branch. I am super excited. I think it's my two favorite songs put together!!

Okay! so today for our P-day we got to go to the temple and help clean it, with the renovations. It was awesome. We helped for about three and a half hours! I had a blast. We cleaned the whole kitchen pretty much! Loved it. But afterwards, the Temple security took us on a tour! We got to go up to the fourth floor, and see what was up there. And we got to see the bridal room, where the brides get dressed and what not for their weddings. It was so cool to see some of the things in the temple that people wouldn't normally see! :)

For one of our personal study times, we went onto lds.org or mormon.com of one of those.. I cant remember, but we watched some of the "mormon messages' there is one called sanctify yourselves about a football team. Watch it! It goes along with a scripture we read yesterday. Alma 26:12. Anything is possible through Faith and Prayer. I love it. Read Alma 26 for family time or something! I love it. I definitely feel that it is one of the most powerful chapters in the scriptures.

I'm late writing because we cleaned the Temple.. If I have time later or something, maybe during the week I will write some thoughts down. In more detail. It is hard to put all my thoughts into an E-mail in a way that is organized!

anyways.. love you all! hope everything is well!

Love, Elder Kyler Blane Farr

Email 12-25-12

Hello family!!

So far, Christmas was so awesome. Elder Russel M. Nelson, and his wife came and spoke with us today. Their talks were amazing, They spoke of the gifts of Christmas, and how important they all are for us today. We, as missionaries, full time or not can have the opportunity to share these wonderful gifts with people everywhere. And once we have received these gifts for ourselves ( the gift of the holy ghost) we then can share them with people everywhere. "WE MUST USE THEM EAGERLY AND PERSISTENTLY." And if we don't have them with us, we can pray to know. Seek them. 1cor chapters 12-14, Moroni 10, and D&C 46.

Thank you so much for the package. I didn't know what to do after I opened all of the presents! Having things from home that I've gone without (even though it hasn't been very long.) is awesome. I don't even want to eat any of it, I just want to keep it on my shelf and look at it everyday. I have a stack of letters that people have sent me, And every card I have received so far, on the shelf in my room.. Thanks so much!! I was wondering if I was ever going to have dried mangos again! The probably just have fresh ones in Brazil. :)

At lunch today we had turkey, mashed potatoes and what not, but I was missing the cranberry ice cubes! So I got cranberry juice and mixed it with some sprite! almost the same..

We did a white elephant gift exchange earlier, and I ended up with a giant bag of rubber bands!! :) So a bunch of us started making rubber band balls. That will be my entertainment for the next few days during free time. (not that we have all that much free time!) Basically none really.. But free time is boring. whenever we have free time I just think, "I have so much to do! why am I just sitting here!"

I love the time we have to study. It just makes all of closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. And the time we have to learn Portuguese just makes that personal study time more meaningful. Knowing that we get to give people the opportunity to accept the gospel, in other parts of the world!! =)

I hope every ones Christmas is going amazing-ly! I hope you are having as much fun as I am!! But I doubt it!! just kidding! I'm sure you are having fun too!

I know you probably don't believe it, but I sang in the choir today. We sang for Elder Nelson!

We sang Where angels lately knelt-Craig Courtney.. And The First Noel-Gregory Lawrence

Love you! cant wait to hear from you on Friday! :)

Elder Kyler Blane Farr

Email 12-22-12

My Family!

Today (P-day) (preparation day) was awesome, choir practice this morning, laundry time, my comp got his Patriarchal blessing, and we took a nap! Tonight, we had TRC, where members of surrounding wards volunteer to come and listen to the missionaries. We get to know them ,then teach them a small lesson. The lesson part is easy! The hard part is getting to know the person. We know so much of the gospel language, it is weird to think that we don't know very much conversational. looks like I have some things to study during additional study time!

I still enjoy it here! I just feel tired all the time. I'm still used to sleeping from 2 AM to noon!! This 10:30 - 6:30 Am is getting to me! That's why I love P-days, we get to take naps! I can't wait until I am closer to fluency! I have so much to work on to get there, but it is certainly coming closer and closer every day!

Helping people come closer to the gospel is the best thing I could ask for at this time! There is nothing I would rather be doing with my time. I owe it to the Lord!

Even member, or non-active members have the capacity to grow individually, and spiritually! It starts with the small things, then grows from there.

I testify that is 100% true! I am seeing it happen to everyone around me! Myself included!

Do what you can, every day to grow!

Eu amo voce!
O evangelho e verdadeiro
Eu Sou grato por minha missao!
Love Elder Kyler Blane Farr

I miss everyone so much! Love to all! :)

Letter 12-21-12

This week has been pretty awesome. I can't remember if I already wrote about this, but we finished teaching our investigator. It was a great learning opportunity, to try to teach someone you can't understand! :) am so grateful for the gift of tongues! There is no way we would have been able to understand what he was saying, or for him to understand us, if we hadn't prayed for the ability to understand him before.

Because of the holidays, our teachers are going home so we have several substitutes that we are teaching instead. But, we are only teaching them once, so that means we get to teach the first lesson several times! We are getting pretty good at it. We were able to teach our last two investigators while using relatively no notes. It is a wonderful feeling being able to understood!

My companion is very musically talented, and he drug me along to choir practice with him. It was actually pretty amazing! Almost our whole district goes, it is so much fun. There are probably about 80-100 missionaries in it. I know you'll be surprised that I'm singing in the choir. But I pretty much just sit in the bass section with my district and mouth the words! :)

Aside from classroom instruction, and language study, we have been doing some scripture study after our lessons. I don't think I have ever felt the spirit so strongly in my life. The 12 members of my district, and our teacher. Reading from a different chapter from the Book of Mormon every day, it is amazing. There are chapters I have read several times in my life, but he always seems to point out something new! Something I would have never thought of. It is great to get every one's opinions/different points of view. The spirit is so strong!

You asked if I have been writing in my journal - of course I have. I haven't missed a day!

Love you, Elder Kyler Blane Farr