Week of March 22 - 38 weeks!

Dear Mom,

Ok crazy story about Miah!(this is someone he has been teaching that loves the message and comes to church, but is waiting for a big spiritual revelation to be baptized) So we were teaching about revelation and he asked us about spirits and we told them that they exist and he started telling an experience he had where he saw a woman in his room, he started explaining what she was wearing and it slowly materialized into being temple clothes word for word. He is going to have his mind blown when he receives his endowment! We just told him that he had seen an angel of someone in the Spirit World and that it wasn't one of the devil's angels.

I haven't really heard from Jake Shaw at all.

The weather is amazingly mild here so no worries about that and yes, my bike is used extensively. I expect an Alaskan cruise when I get back!(I told him we were planning on going to CA for spring break and I felt bad because we never did anything big when he was home, so we'd have to do something big when he came home) 

I am really excited for general conference. 

Awesome! I will wait for my package, honestly, there is nothing to do on P-day because everything gets banned left and right. 

I am trying to be obedient and Elder Gadd and I are really good friends.(I close every letter with 'be obedient, love those you serve and serve with, this week I asked if he was doing those things.)

I may have ruined a kid's childhood because I saw a puppy freezing in the rain so I took it to the pound, turns out it was a less active's son's dog... wish me luck on that because it just barely got adopted by another person!

Love Elder Farley

Week of March 15th

This is more of a conversation we had this week through email - I happened to catch him on the computer and he responded... the italicized words are mine! :)
 :)
Dear Mom,

I am so happy for Kason! Those were some really good talks and thanks for telling me that stuff about the family. Well I buried a dog today for a member, roped a shetland pony with Elder Gadd (that thing was pissed!) Elder Gadd tore off all the skin in his foot, leaving part of his foot with tendon. And all that good stuff! We had 15 people come to church this sunday and that was a miracle. I don't really have anything else to add sadly, but I have the pictures...

(How did Elder Gadd rip the skin off his foot? That sounds horrible! A little more info about your week would be great... maybe some details about the people who came to church? We always called shetlands, shitlands, for obvious reasons...they are usually ornery! Hope to hear a little more from you today...if not, I still love you! :)

Elder Gadd's shoe tore it off haha, I had to hold his hand as he dipped his foot in Bath Salts to prevent infection! Stephanie, Miah Ebell, Emmanuel (stephanies husband), The ortega family, and the Lopez Family all came to church and all said they loved it! Shetland Ponies are hilarious to be around, that thing ran away from us so fast the next time we saw it! haha What else would you like to know?

(Everything! Is Elder Gadd the one in the photos with you? If so who is the one you sent a picture of a few weeks ago? Do you want our need anything, how are your clothes holding up? Are you happy? Just everything!!)

yeah that is Elder Gadd. That would have been Elder Velasco when we went on exchanges. My clothes are doing fine except Elder Gadd and the Sisters pointed out that the Jeans you sent with me are Girl Jeans... So a new pair of pants would be stellar. A French Flag would be great as well! (Elder Gadd is ultra patriotic so I just need a filler) Cookies would be great as well! I am very happy! Anything else?

(Why a French flag? I don't know what pants we sent you with, but girl jeans?! I will send some, but obviously we don't have the same taste!)

Because that is the country he hates the most, and yes, they are girls jeans, anything with butt pockets and side stitching with flares on the bottom is considered for women. Anything else you want to talk about?

I'd love to know anything and everything about what you are doing, eating, finding hard, funny etc.

I am eating healthy, my cooking skills are getting better, my hardest trial is trying not to explode on Less Actives who have literally no excuse to do what they are doing,

(It is hard listening to excuses. The good thing is it is between them and the Lord, you just have to do your best and let Him do the rest. I think that is one of the lessons we are here to learn, to control our natural thoughts of anger or frustration and look at the people involved with compassion and love. Having a quick temper like we do, doesn't help that process, but the older I get and the more life I live, the less upset I am about what others do. I'm more concerned with myself and what my excuses are!
I'm glad you are eating well and happy. Do the members help y'all out much? What do you think of your mission president?)

The mission president is awesome, the members here are ehh...

(That's too bad about the members, but I am really glad you like your mission president. That makes a big difference! I hope you have an amazing week! Remember to love them anyway!)

Yeah, you have a great week as well! Love you! 

Elder Farley and Elder Gadd

Lubbock TX Temple

Week of March 8th

Dear Mom,

My week went really good! So basically what happened was Elder Gadd and I were on the balcony of our apartment and our next door neighbor who looks like Garrett Alton started talking to us. He was asking about the mission and we explained what the life of a missionary is like, after 30 minutes of talking, he asked us to tell us where it all started so we gave him a Book of Mormon over the balcony, then he asked us what the backstory of the church was so he invited us over and we taught him the restoration and now he wants to come to church. So there you go... 

It has been really cold lately but that is whatever. I hope Luna is doing really good! I went to the temple for the first time as well this weekend! It is a really beautiful one! I will send pictures next week because the computers at the library do not allow me to send any pictures. Sorry that my E-mail is short this week, these computers have really lame time restrictions! 

Love you guys and hope you have a great week!

Elder Farley

last weeks...Feb. 22

Dear Mom,

I am doing really well in Pampa, Sorry that this might be short, it has been below 10 degrees all week so not much has been done except a Baptismal date this week. Her name is Itzel Ortega and she is the same age as Brie, she is part of a part-member family and her family wants her to get baptized. Her dad Luis is the most humble man I have ever known. He is just great! Someone gave me the last goodbye song from The Hobbit: Battle of 5 Armies by the guy who plays Pippin in the LOTR trilogy and I actually think it applies to the mission a lot more than I thought. I like the Redeemer one a lot but the work one has a ton of songs that bug the crap out of me, like the Sacreligious song about the voice over the altar, my companion is livid about that song haha. President Heap is giving us a revelation spectrum sheet to help with Miah saying how we will recieve impressions nearly 99% more frequently than recieving a visitation from an angel or the Godhead. Hopefully he gets the message. All the missionaries sung Armies of Helaman and Spirit of God I think, I was lip syncing most of it. Our area is about 50 miles from corner to corner. I got my birthday packages thank you! Tell The boys and girls to keep doing what makes them happy! I am hoping that you are having the best week possible! BTW how is Luna? :)

Elder Farley

It's already March!

Dear Mom,

It has been super cold in Texas... I am seriously regretting the lack of long-sleeved shirts I have right now. The baptism isn't until the end of this month because her Dad is working for 2 weeks straight and won't be able to baptize her until he gets back, so it gives us more time to keep working with her I think sad songs make you think a lot more and it really stimulates your thoughts,(I was giving him and the girls a hard time about the sad songs they listen too - usually from Lord of the Rings) Why do you think I am so intelligent? From listening to Miley Cyrus?... Trust me, the difference between me and the Farley cousins is that I don't listen to mind numbing music. How are the Farley cousins doing anyway? I haven't heard from a single person on that side since I have been out minus aunt Stephanie for Christmas... 

We haven't been able to meet with Miah for some reason, just can't catch him but he will turn up eventually so that we can show him that cool chart! I have been teaching an English Class to the mexican members and they say that they learn a lot and are loving it!

 Itzel is our most progressing investigator, she is the one with the Baptism date. She is 9 years old and a little like Brie. Other than that we are getting a little slow with investigators. Just been really cold! We find out this Saturday if we are going or not. I am actually talking to Sadie right now! I am not quite sure if I remember that but I am glad that I dumbed down cutting off hands and plucking out eyes to primary children haha.(Greg and I were reminded of him giving a talk in Primary when he was about 9 years old on Matthew 5:29-30, very eye opening for the primary kids!)

Rachel actually told me about her mission call! Crazy! It is spelled Cusco. I can't believe that I will be returning to a completely different world than I left. 

You actually should be a little more positive with the workers haha. (Bryson told me I was not the favorite owner at the restaurant because I was too negative!) Anyways! Thanks for the pictures and i love you so much!

Elder Farley

Dear Dad,

We have had so much cold weather these last few weeks it is super crazy! I can not believe that everyone is moving on with their lives and I will be coming back to a completely different world than when I left it. I don't remember telling a primary class to cut off their hand or pluck out their eye but I am glad that I explained it in a primary sense haha. I have always remembered never being confused by a scripture and understanding what it means. Isaiah was not a problem at all the first time I read his book. I am really glad that you are completing the restaurant! When are you planning on it opening? Hopefully before I come back home. Have you been putting in for me? And do you still have pictures of the Elk? I would love to see that boy! Anyways, Thanks so much for sharing that story, it really helped me focus on my potential for this upcoming week! Love you so much and hope all goes well!

Elder Farley