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!!!

More Pictures!!

Elder Farr being silly with some rice and Brazilian Ramen Noodles

 Favorite Meal

 Scorpion on his hand!

Eww.

Email 9-23-13

Okay, ha ha              I was reading my last letter and the one that BISHOP sent out, and I just wanted to clear it up.   We taught 38 lessons this last week - 12 in just one day.   Not to be ``that guy`` but we’re working our butts off!!   We have had this little competition going on in our Zone and I don’t have any doubt in my mind that we’re going to win.

Anyways, this week was great. We have been teaching a man for the past week and he has shown a desire to be baptized.   We went to his house and taught him everything necessary to be a member of the church.   One day we got there and he wasn’t there.   It was a perfect opportunity to talk to his mom though.   I asked her what she thought about him meeting with us, and if he had the desire to be baptized if she would accept it and let him be.   She is awesome, the most excited woman I have ever met in my life.   She said they would let him and that she maybe even would go and watch.   So, we set a date for his baptism to be Sunday (yesterday) and got everything ready, the Baptismal ``Ficha``(not sure what it’s called in English..) and the baptismal interview all done.   We have a meeting every Sunday at 7:45 with the Bishoprich and after the meeting we were going to go pick him up at his house for church at nine.   We get out of the meeting at like 8:20 and he was already at the church!    All of the other young men were setting up the sacrament and stuff and he was watching them do it, learning how and what not.   This kid is legit!

We have been trying to help reactivate this guy.   We went over and asked him what his name was.   (We had his full name but here they have like a hundred names.)   And he told us () which was none of the names on the list but is the name of a famous singer here.   I was kind of confused but he invited us in so we just went with it.   As we entered his house we then found out why he calls himself ().   His living room is full of pictures of this singer.   AND!  He has a room FULL of old records.   He is a fan to the max!   We will be having a talent show on Saturday and we invited him to sing there and he accepted!   I can’t wait!

Me and my companion were wondering how much we walk every day.   Luckily he has a pedometer!   He wore it one day and we looked that night.   Ten miles.   And we didn’t even walk as much as we do some of the other days.   Good luck....

This week was the most fun, and most rewarding week of my whole mission!

I love this place!

-Elder Kyler Blane Farr

PS:

I think it would be easier to look up recipes of the food names I send home than on google translator.  My favorite is Baião with Banana!   Like in the picture.   It’s not really Baião though. 

(  he’s right, but google is funnier!!   J  )

Did you see the scorpião!?!?!?!?!?!?!?   I want to make sure you saw all of the pictures.  ESPECIALLY the one of the scorpion. :)   We went to the other elders house last night and found like 20 cockroaches (no joke) and the scorpion.  So we killed it and got some awesome pictures  :)

I Love you too!   I love what this experience is doing to me too! :)   It’s the best.

Have a wonderful week.   LUUVV YUUHHH

I CANT WAIT TO OPEN THE PACKAGE!   I´M GOING TO GO HOME AND OPEN IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!          love you more!!!

Email 9-16-13

Oookay!

Our Zone Leaders showed up this afternoon at our house wanting to watch a movie. So, we called the Bishop counselor to get the keys and went over. We had some difficulties getting it to work but everything ended working out. But, that´s why I´m on so late!!

This week was good and bad all at the same time.
I ended up with a super bad cold again. Which doesn´t make a lot of sense here in Brazil. I´m just with a sore throat and a cough. But none of that matters. We taught more lessons this week than any other week on my mission. On Friday alone we taught twelve lessons. Our average is like five or six. It was awesome. Two weeks ago we had a super good week, last week was pretty rough and the mission president wrote and said he was kind of worried about the numbers from last week. I wish I could see the look on his face when he sees how we worked our butts off this week.

I was thinking about all of the lessons we taught and which ones I wanted to tell you guys about. I wish I could just write about every single one.

But, we got a list from the Stake of people that's church records got lost for the past 10-15 years or so and they just magically popped up out of no where. Last Sunday we went out with some members and contacted all of them and set up appointments to go see what their situations are. So one guy, he was baptized in the eighty's and hasn´t had any contact with the church. But when we got to his house there was music playing so loud. I clapped my loudest and somehow he heard it. He came to the door with a huge smile on his face and welcomed us right in. He said ``will you guys please come in and pray with me.`` YES! We went in and taught him a part of the plan of salvation, left him wanting more and remarked another visit. There were also two families that we will be teaching this next week where one of the parents were baptized a long time ago and want to come back now with their kids. It was awesome.

We had a meeting with the bishop yesterday and we were asking for references from the people in the room. The Bishop was like.. ``this is lame, let me make some phone calls`` He gets on the phone and calls a recent convert and asked her if on Tuesday she would have two of her friends at her house for us to teach. She agreed. He called one boy and told him to take five of him friends to a Family Home Evening. He agreed. (we´ll be going by there today) And he asked (), one of the guys in the meeting if he had anyone we could teach. He said, ``yeah actually I do.`` Then he told a story of when he was at the church one night doing some paperwork and had the feeling to go out into the parking lot. He went out and saw a man just standing there looking up at the building. He went up and started talking to him and the guy had all kinds of questions about the church and wanted to know everything about it. He marked for us to teach him and his family at his house on Tuesday.

This week alone my testimony of member missionary work had grown so much. My companion and I did contacts in the street for a week straight, contacted them and not a lot of results came from it. We ask for some names of some people that the ward members know, and our week ends up being full of people to teach. People that are ready to hear and accept the message. We all know people and think.. oh they will never accept it. How can we judge that. We have to give them the opportunity!

I´m so grateful for the awesome members we have here in these wards.

I don't have a ton of time, but I just wanted to share these thought with you!
:)

Have a great week!!

-Elder Kyler Blane Farr

Brazillian Pizza

Wanna see a real Brazillian pizza!? :)