Final Post

Well as this is my last email from the grand country of Chile, it will be a long one.

This experience has been one of the most enriching and satisfying moments of my life. I have learned who I am, where I am going and how I am going to get there. I know that this mission has prepared me for the eternities and I don't want you all to worry that I will adjust badly to real life. I won't. I know I won't. I made a decision a long time ago to not let my mind get out of my own control. I know what I need to do.

 

I was able to have an amazing experience this past week that will forever mark my life. My converts from my first sector in the mission L. and S., got sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. I was blessed enough to get to the temple in time to see them go through a session and get sealed. I have never felt the spirit so strongly. When they saw me in the celestial room S. (who is deaf) yelled "HERMANA FARNER!" (in the silent celestial room) and he rushed over to hug me (which I had to reject) and just was SO happy to see me. Along with L. that said "May God be blessed for giving us the opportunity to have you here with us as we take this final step" I was so filled with gratitude. This was the greatest experience of my mission. The people I found the very first day of my mission. Getting sealed the last full week. Nothing better :)

As I reflected on this moment in my personal study the next day, I realized something very special. When S. and L. were to be baptized I was changed to El Monte so I couldn't assist. I had decided to really dedicate myself to El Monte because I was having a hard time forgetting my first sector. It was a Saturday when I decided to forget the old and start taking out the trash. But that day the Assistants to the President called me and said I had permission to make the hour and a half trip to see them get baptized. I was TORN. How could I miss the baptism? But how could I go back on my decision to dedicate myself to the work? I went and prayed and felt that I needed to stay. And even though it hurt and I didn't know why, I did it. And that is the day when we had an insane amount of lessons for our time. And that is when the miracle of El Monte started. 

At that time I thought that the blessing for missing the baptism of my Chilean grandparents were the miracles that I saw in El Monte and the rest of my mission. But as I have been reflecting I see that God was preparing me for blessings that were even bigger. 

 

When I felt the need to extend my mission, it was something I did because I felt like I need to. I knew it was a sacrifice, that it would be hard on not just me but on my family and loved ones. But I felt it strongly and if I have learned anything on my mission it is to follow what God says without asking why. 

I can see clearly now what the Lord was doing all along. Preparing me slowly and surely to see the miracles that come from heart-filled sacrifice and obedience to the Lord and His commandments. He blessed me so much in my missed and He had planned all along this AMAZING moment to see my converts be sealed in the temple. 

I am grateful that I was blindly obedient. I am grateful I never complained. I am grateful that I was faithful. I am grateful that I took what came and did all I could to please the Lord. I am grateful I never gave up. I am grateful that I was happy my ENTIRE mission. I can honestly say that I was happy my entire mission. There were moments of trials but I never fell all the way because the Lord was there. As Gordon B Hinckley says "He reached down to life me up..... my gratitude has no bounds and my thanks has no conclusion". He loves me so much. I can't even fathom it. I am so grateful I extended my mission. That I didn't think too much but rather acted. I am grateful I didn't try to please the crowd, but honor my God.

 

Although I wasn't able to serve as a true blue through and through missionary in this last month, I have been so spiritually nurtured and strengthened. I have seen the Lord´s hand work in my life and I bind my words with the words of Spencer W. Kimball that after this life "I shall not know any better than I know now that He is the Son of God". 

I have come to know the Savior, I have felt His love, I have seen His hand in my life, I have felt His comfort, I have been lifted by His sacrifice.

Thank you for letting me stay here. I needed to be here just a titch longer to really understand why I came.

I will miss this country. It has become holy ground. A promised land and a jar of memories that I pray will never fade. I came here someone completely different and leave a lot closer to being what the Lord desires me to be.

I plan to continue with the flight of the eagle as the temple presidency of the Chile temple put it. I wasn't just sent to the mission, but to the earth, to make waves.

 

Love,

Hermana Farner

Chile Santiago BEST

Sweet and Sour

I have been doing a lot of reflection here in these last few weeks. I have learned a lot about the importance of the love the Lord has for me. 

I have always added at the end of that phrase that the "Lord love me" with another few words "because I did...". 

In these last few weeks where I cannot measure my success and effort with a number or a face, I lost focus a little bit and let the adversary convince me that I was wasting time being out here in the mission. That I was just wandering around and tagging along. Solely because I couldn't see the physical and numerical progression that I have been able to see throughout my mission every single day previously.

I did a lot of pondering. A lot of praying. A lot of reading. And no words on paper can describe what I have learned. God loves me. And not "because I do" but rather "in spite of the fact that I do...". He does not measure who I am or the effort I give through other´s opinion of me nor the fact that I numerically cannot show him what I have done. 

He looks at my soul. He looks at me way deeper than I have been able to achieve and through His grace He has carried me to heights that I cannot comprehend.

 

I have felt these last few weeks the Lord supporting me physically as well as spiritually. Physically I am not doing so well. The 19 months of pure work has taken its toll on my poor young body. Rest is needed but rest cannot be found. We work until the last day. God carries me.

 

My mission president sent me a thank you this week that I don't believe that I deserve. But I know that I have let the Atonement take place in my mission and I might deserve that praise he gave me only through the merits and mercy of He who knows. My gracious Savior, my dear Redeemer, my one true friend. Jesus Christ of whom I testify in every moment that I can. He is who has made me able to receive the success I have received. I am so grateful for this time of my life. I cannot express

it.

 

I know that this is my second to last email. It is a heart wrenching and exhilarating moment at the same time. Sweet and sour. Excited to start a new chapter but broken inside to have to leave a race that I adore with all my heart. My heart stays in Chile. But my spirit will come home with me to start to complete what the Lord aspires of me.

 

Love you lots!

Hermana Farner

Life-long Friend

We had a rough week this week. It is hard to help people who don't want help. It's hard when you see the people who are supposedly your fellow warriors, just slacking off, working inefficiently, whining, making excuses and then testifying about the Lord. It is really sad. A whole new aspect of the mission that I never thought I would be responsible for. But that is where the Lord teaches me an important message:  Take your own advice.

Since when has a challenge been too much for Hermana Farner, Hermana T. and The Lord and Savior Jesucristo? I am pretty sure the answer is NEVER. We are working harder and harder to get the girls excited, recognize their potential and to take upon themselves the responsibility to take care of the garden the Lord has given them. We make errors, that is for sure, but that's why we have repentance and the Atonement. I have never been so grateful for the Atonement in my life. And for Hermana T. First friend I have ever had that stood up for me when I made a controversial decision. If I get anything out of this last change in the mission is that I have found a life long friend that I really do trust with my life. K T=BOSS

 

Love you all and thanks for your prayers. I can feel them.

 

I only have like 2 more emails or something crazy like that.

Love,

Hermana Farner

Sister Travelling Leaders

Talk about a crazy week. We got back to our sector in the good ol Ochagavia and 3 days later we got called as sister travelling leaders. What does that mean? We moved to a nice apartment in a condominium with a pool (that we can't swim in) next to a mall (we can't go in) and don't have a sector assigned to us. What do we do? We go and stay with different sisters every couple of days and teach them, train them, and help them reach their potential.

 

Why do I have this calling? I ain't got a clue. Sometimes I feel like the Lord puts way too much confidence in me. But I know He is wanting me to learn something very specific for these last few weeks of my mission. I am staying as focused as possible. It is a little challenging because I don't have investigators, less actives, ward or anything.

 

We went to the coast for the first time in my mission. It was pretty cool to see the water and the beach and smell the salty air. But talk about some HILLS it was like hiking. INSANE. Pretty fun though. Me and Hermana T still goin' strong as amigas and compañeras. She is a really good girl. I hope that you all can meet her.

 

Time is going by faster than I thought and it is weird to see my flight information. Did you get it?

Give Hollan a big ol hug from me!

 

Love you lots!

Hermana Farner

PHOTOS!

Blessing Preparation

It is amazing how the Lord prepares us for blessings. I say prepares us for blessings because imagine if things weren't hard, it would not be nearly as great as we would like to receive blessings. If we keep that perspective, we start to realize that there are no trials, just moments of blessing preparation, because like Jeffery R. Holland says, THE BLESSINGS WILL ALWAYS COME:

I know you and the family are also in a moment of blessing preparation but the blessings will be grand and glorious, just like Dieter F Uchtdorf says in his talk about how to find truth and light, when you get it, IT WILL BE GLORIOUS.

 

I feel honored and blessed to serve the Lord. I feel honored and blessed that He wants me to stay. I feel attacked and tried every day and I am grateful for it. Because I am making a difference. I am a threat to the devil, and I will always be. Thank you for being my parents. Love you lots.

 

Love,

Hermana Farner

Time is flying

Time is flying for sure. Saw Hermana Todesco in the temple right before she leaves. WEIRD. We saw each other at the beginning and the end.

 

Went through some really emotionally challenging things this week but you know that is part of the mission. Just glad that I have the best comp ever. There is a lot that has happened and I would rather tell you on Mother's Day so that we don't have to have miscommunications.

 

I am very grateful to be out here and thanks for sending pictures. MADE MY LIFE: I FORGOT WHAT YALL LOOKED LIKE.

 

Love you lots!

Hermana Farner

Importance of the Atonement

 

 

So this week was a really rough one. A family in our ward had marriage problems when I got here and the couple split even though they were sealed. She left and was living with her boyfriend in another city. Her oldest son has had drug problems but stayed here with his dad. They found him dead on Tuesday from suicide.

Turns out that day we were next door. Teaching about the importance of the Atonement in our lives. Right after we left, the neighbors were called over to help try and revive him but he was already gone.

Stopped by the church to see the family. I walked up to the mom, a great lady who was just a little lost. She hugged me like she was never going to let go. the ward here sadly rejected her for her sins. I saw her son, an 18 year old, and I can't even imagine what they were going through.

 

After the funeral, we went and sat down in their tiny house to talk to them. All they had was a mattress. As she began to talk, she spoke of her sons desire to help the family get back together and how her prayer to the lord to see if what she was doing was correct, was drastically answered by her sons death.

As I looked at her, I just listened as she talked and talked and talked. At then end she looked at me and said that she felt at peace because she was going to make the necessary changes to come back but didn't feel like she could. I told her, "Your value is not measured by how many times you fall but rather how many times you stand up after you fall." I learned through the Spirit that night that it was true. 

It doesn't matter what you have done. The Atonement is available to everyone. As we finished the lesson we sang God Be With You Til We Meet Again. The spirit was so strong. I stumbled through tears in the closing prayer because I felt the son's spirit with us and the Holy Ghost as well. 

 

On Sunday I gave a talk about this very concept, Jesus Christ overcame the Fall, He overcame it all. He is our Savior and our King and I am so grateful that I have finally come to understand.

 

Love,

Hermana Farner

Peace Practices

Weeks are getting harder and harder but hey that is what happens when Satan knows you are a boss.

Been doing something called Peace Practices. Every day I read a quote or scripture about peace and analyze it and apply it.

SO AWESOME! Although things aren't going the way I would like, I know that the Lord is here with me and I feel at peace. I am thankful for that.

 

Love you lots!

 Hermana Farner

 

 

Being Patient in Afflictions

It was a really trying week this week. Learned a lot about the importance of being patient in afflictions. The first week of the cambio as an Hermana Leader means you aren't in your sector hardly at all. We were in meetings and meetings and more meetings. But they are good. Make you reflect and see what you can do better to help the people you are assigned to help, this last change is going to fly... It looks like I will be home which is kind of sad but happy at the same time. I hope that you all are doing well!

I have listened to President Uchtdorf's talk about five thousand times. It is really really good. Learning a TON about the importance of prayer to activate the Atonement in our lives and how a prayer for repentance brings us that amazing gift of light and strength that the Lord is waiting patiently to give us.

I am very grateful to have Hermana T as my comp. She is the best. I have tons of fun with her. We had a full week together for the first time in the companionship. And probably the last one! We are packed with splits :)

 

 Love you all and hope you all are well. Give McKayla a big ol hug from me! :)

 

Love,

Hermana Farner

Loved Conference

I love hearing from you and hearing how life is. I miss the mundane things sometimes and miss the habitual acts of house life. I haven't done it for so long. All I do in the house is read and sleep. It's pretty much sleep actually. I just am always on a bus.

Loved conference. It was my favorite by far. Learned a ton. Elder Uchtdorf's talk on Grace was sooo amazing. I think it changed my life.

But anyway, time is flying. Me and Tommy tom (Hermana T) are staying together. Possibly until I leave my beloved Chile.

Love you all tons!

Hermana Farner

Grace

We have been learning a lot about the Atonement out here in the mission. Went on splits with my bestie Hermana H, she is a legit boss at explaining and applying the atonement in her life. We talked a lot about grace and how grace is the enabling power of the atonement and as we apply this power we aren't earning heaven but rather learning how to live there after we die.

I hope that everyone will be able to think about this all their lives but especially during this amazing time of Easter where we remember that we can vencer death and sin because our maraviollso Salvador lo hizo igual. 

 

Haven't had the women's conference here in Chile still. WE have to wait until Saturday :)

Love,

Hermana Farner

Grow in our faith; be constant in our love

I am astounded at how fast the mission is flying by. Me and Hermana T cannot believe that it is already the end of March and that we will SEE THE PROPHET ON TV SOON! I am super excited for General Conference. It will be legit.

I am so astounded at God`s plan for us. All we have to do is grow in our faith and be constant in our love and we will one day reach the understanding that everything that happens in our life is for our benefit and because He loves us. I am so in love with this calling and the assignments that God has given me within my calling. I have seen how each and every one of the challenges and tests I have faced in my life have helped me to be able to serve others more fully and become more like my Savior like it says in Moroni 7:48.

Love,

Hermana Farner

By faith, obedience, patience, and real love...

This week was AWESOME.
First, your emails made me sad. Its hard for me to stay longer in the mission and I do feel bad for not being more direct in telling you all but let's be honest, we all knew I was going to do it. But I took a nap and in that nap I dreamt that you all sent me back to Chile because you said I didn't love you all enough. And as I was sleeping the Section 123 of Doctrine and Covenants flashed through my head. (remember the dream)
Tuesday: We did intercambios with Hermana C and Hermana McN.  Hermana McN is a new missionary and she came with me to Ochagavia. So much fun. Met one of my best friends. She is sooo cool. But had a very spiritual time with her and she told me that everything I told her is exactly what she needed to hear. The Lord loves all of us. I am so sure of it. I can literally feel the Lord speaking through me to each one of His brothers and sisters here on earth. I am just so grateful that my quest to be obedient has been a desire and not a burden and that I want to do this because I love God.
Wednesday: Me and Hermana T talked it out about our splits with El Monte and Hermana H and my "granddaughter". I didn't want to go to El Monte because I knew it would be really hard. And I didn't want to be with Hermana H because I also knew it would be really hard. But what did the Lord say? Go to El Monte with Hermana H. So I went. And as I was walking down the street I saw my convert Sandra on her bike. She stopped and ran up to me and we gave each other a huge hug and just cried. I didn't realize how much I loved and missed her and cared about her until that moment.

We went by later to her house and saw B and we started talking. They told me that a couple days earlier her father in law that lived with them forever had died and had created a huge challenge in the house. She then said "I don't know how, but everytime we need help from the Lord, you seem to show up." As they said that Section 123 of Doctrine and Covenants 123 came to my head again as I started to understand the dream I had had. In verse 17 it says "Por tanto, muy queridos hermanos, hagamos con buen ánimo cuanta cosa esté a nuestro alcance; y entonces podremos permanecer tranquilos, con la más completa seguridad, para ver la salvación de Dios y que se revele su brazo." It was just what they needed to hear. We all gave more hugs and I just am still blown away at how specific and infinite God´s plan is. And I am grateful He has included me in it.

Skipping to Saturday and Sunday,
We visited H, an inactive drug addict who is about 22. Been a long slow process to get him to start listening to us but he has really come out of his shadow to start listening to us. He had some bad experiences in the church and for that he had left. We taught him about Lesson one and the importance of the Atonement in our lives and invited him to church. HE CAME along with 12 other inactive and less active members. Starting to feel like I am in El Monte again.

MIRACLES:
Just getting humbled to the dust.
By faith, obedience, patience, and real love, THE WORLD CHANGES.

Love,
Hermana Farner

It will fly by...

I come home June 19th instead of May 19th. Piece of cake. It will fly by. Only get to serve solo once!

 

This week went to Melipilla (CAMPO CAMPO CAMPO) which means a ton of countryside to do splits with one of my pals Hermana D. It was awesome. We really felt the spirit together. I also unclogged their drain that had been clogged for a week and smelled awful. But Dad would be proud of me! I am a regular plumber :)

Then I went and did splits the next day in the city with Hermana T. Another one of my good friends. (really all of the hermanas are my friends) But we did some good work over there and really felt the spirit too. I think it is my favorite thing to do as being a missionary is setting eternal goals with the hermanas. Helping them build their self confidence and knowledge that they are called of God and are his daughters. At the beginning of my mission that just made me mad to think that they couldnt just SEE their potential. But now I love helping them uncover their eyes and see it. It is the best feeling :)

Love you all and see you soon! (Sooner than you think mom don't worry :))

 

 

 

Not done yet

The President gave me the green light to stay for an extra change. I am just looking for the email to send to the secretaries to make it final. It makes me sad that I will miss a lot of events that are important at home, but I really feel like I am not done yet. I know that this sacrifice will bring a lot of amazing blessings to our family and my family here in Chile. I know that with prayer and faith you will feel the same. It is hard for me too. I want to be at Hollan's birthday, Addison's as well and her graduation and prom and Baylee's wedding and everything but I can't deny the feeling I have. I promise to work off the extra money that will be spent in the last month of the mission that wasn't planned.

This week we saw a TON of miracles. We found a bunch of members that hadn't gone to church in like 10 years the came to the first time yesterday. Needless to say there were a lot of tears and hugs. It is the best feeling to see someone change their heart. I felt like the father of the prodigal son while I stood at the church door and watched these people come in. Miracles still get me right in the heart. I can't help but tear up.

 

Did my first splits as an Hermana Lider. Wow. A TON harder than I thought. Our theme for the girls "Mi mision es mi sion" or "My Mission my Zion" is what we are teaching. Helping the girls focus on faith and obedience and unity as a companionship. I love Hermana T. I know we are going to see all kinds of miracles. I really am just so excited to be here with her.

 

I got sick and at night I was coughing a lot so I went downstairs to the bathroom as to not wake up the other girls. While I was there I ran into my first cockroach. Hermana T. accompanied me as it was 3am in the morning we went hunting for the cockroach and finally killed it after a lot of screaming and throwing of sandals. It was an eventful night.

 

Love you all and miss you lots!

Hermana Farner

Ps I am a grandma in the mission! Hermana H. is training and I get to go back to El Monte to do splits!! I AM SO EXCITED!

Extension?

So the dead body. I was walking down the street and there it was... no just kidding, there was this investigator that invited us into his house and literally right there in the living room was a coffin with a dead guy. I guess they were doing a viewing.... I was rather surprised.

 

Well we had cambios again and Little Pino left! I have been called as a sister training leader which means I do splits and am in charge of making sure that other missionaries are doing what they are supposed to be doing. I am with my best friend in the mission Hermana T. She is legit. We have been friends the whole mission and finally we are comps. 

 

Sent president a letter today about recieving permission to extend my mission until June. Although I will miss a lot of good things in May, I really feel like it is what I have to do. We will see if he approves it, but I do feel at peace with the decision.

 

A great attribute that I will learn this change is the importance of being a leader and an organized leader at that. We are fighting to keep a barrio together, baptize, reactivate, retain, and train 10 companionships of sisters.

 

Pray for us.

 

Love you lots!

Hermana Farner

Comparisons

Things are going well here. Taught a convict yesterday and saw my first dead man. It was an interesting day to say the least. We are in the last week of this change in the mission. I am ready for a lot of miracles and a lot of work.

 

I was chosen to speak and participate in a conference with Elder Walter Gonzalez. I was kind of scared. He is the General Authority of South America. It was an awesome chance to feel the spirit. 

 

Learned an important lesson this week about the importance of not comparing ourselves with anyone else. If we are always comparing ourselves with other people there is no way that we will improve. If I think I am doing so much "better" than someone else or so much "worse" I am not improving on my level. I have to compare the things I do with how I was before. We are all on a different part of the path to conversion and if I am always looking to my left and right I will never see how much I am missing to get to the finish line. I have always tried to teach that to my new missionaries so that they don't waste time in their mission comparing themselves to someone else, but rather that they look inside and see their own personal growth because that is the miracle that the Lord is working in them.

 

Love you so much! 

Hermana Farner

Obedience

Want to bear my testimony about obedience and revelation. When we are obedient God shows us a higher way to live our lives and then we are more prepared for the new revelation that He gives to His designated servants. It is amazing to me how aware God is of each and everyone of us in each and every situation that we are facing. I have never been so close to God and I really like where I am spiritually. In fact I love it. I have been learning so much and I hope that the learning will continue.

Pictures

Consecrate ourselves to the work

I learned a lot about myself this week. We had a training meeting with our President and he talked about the need to consecrate ourselves to the work. I feel so peaceful to know that I have been trying to do that my entire mission. I still have a lot to work on but I know that I am improving a lot. I made a comment in the meeting. President asked us what was the price for being consecrated. I started to cry (in front of like 100 missionaries) and said that the price is that if we consecrate ourselves a lot of times we stand alone, but that it is better than not doing so. When I stopped, I looked around and everyone had tears in their eyes. One of the few times that I have felt the spirit work so strongly through me. After the meeting President came up to me, shook my hand, and said to me in English with tears in his eyes, We are so blessed to have a missionary like you in the mission Hermana Farner.

Why do I say this? Because for once in my life I have stuck it out. I am doing what I came to do. I am not scared to fail. I am not scared to do anything. I do it all because I love my God. I love my Savior. I don't want to get the Celestial Kingdom and say Shoot I didn't have time and I was tired." I want to get there and say. God, you already know what I did for you and I don't have to answer to anyone else.

I am grateful for my covenants that I have made.

Love you all!

Hermana Farner

Balance

Ochagavia is a very, very special lugar. I pray to finish my mission here. These people are poor in spirit and poor in things of the world. There are 672 members listed in the ward and on average attendance is 90. There is no bishop. We are being presided over by a counselor of the stake presidency. And there are not many active priesthood holders.

 

I was very sad to arrive and see the amount of things that were not done by former missionaries. I have changed a lot in my mission but this change I am feeling is making me even stronger mentally. However it is hard to have compassion and understanding because I am so far away from what people are doing. If my companion is disobedient I forget what that feels like so I can't relate to her. I just tell her that she has to pick it up and get going. I have turned into all justice and no mercy. But I can't be like that. As usual I am fighting with the concept of balance in my life.

 

Fun fact. We don't have hot water. I take freezing cold showers. Like FREEZING COLD. I scream every morning. but I shower :)

 

Love you all lots! Pray that we will get a bishop here!

 

Love,

Hermana Farner

Ochagavia

Got changes! Wheee! Crazy right? Only 6 weeks out there in the Farfana. President told me that he needs my strength in an area with more potential for growth. He wants me to baptize basically and it takes more time over in La Farfana because they are a little more rich soooo its like when Alma is teaching in Ammonihah and they get all doctrinely deep and the people still don't want to listen. So then they got to Sidom and baptize like there is no tomorrow.

 

I am going to the poorer part of the mission now. I have wanted to go there my entire mission. I AM SO EXCITED! But I am finishing training a missionary so I still haven't left the training aspect of the mission. I am with an Hermana P. from Colombia. She seems pretty legit. She likes to do things fast so that makes me pumped. I am way too jazzed for someone to slow me down. My good pals Elder Pu. and Elder Pa. are training in the same zone. And two of the elders in my last zone are now my zone leaders in Ochagavia. I am just so pumped!

 

 

I learned something important with Hermana V. In the mission, when you don't get along, you are stuck with your companion for longer. But when you put aside your pride and change the way you treat the other person and how you act in general, God blesses you and lets you keep going. I know that is true. I worked my butt off in La Farfana, not just in the ward and the sector, but also with my companion. She was scared of me so I changed so that she could be more loving and trusting. Así que we got along and then I left.

 

Life is good here.

 

18 more weeks. WHATTT!

 

Hermana Farner

Live life abundantly

I have been thinking a lot about what to write to be a little more edifying every week for the rest of my mission. I only have like 18 weeks left so it will only be 18 more emails.... WHAT!

 

I read a wonderful talk the other day by our beloved prophet Thomas S Monson about how to live life abundantly. I am not sure that I translated that correctly in English but I do believe that it makes sense. He talks about how we can take advantage of the life that is given us by doing 3 things:

the first is having a positive attitude. Everything is controlled by our own personal desire. If I say I hate tomatoes, I will hate them. If I say I love them, I love them. I am a strong witness of this principle. Let´s start this year with a positve attitude, that we WILL achieve the goals we have set and we WILL get better with a smile on our faces.

The second is that we should believe in ourselves. There is a funny phrase that says "God don't make no junk". For lack of a better example, this is a true principle. We are literally children of God, he created us in His image, how are we not going to believe that we can achieve anything with his help? Let´s start this year believing that we, children of God, can do whatever he asks us to do.

The third and last principle President Monson shares is to face our challenges with courage. We know life will not be easy, we know that their will be difficulties. Presidente Monson says that sometimes we will feel like David facing a giant Goliath and we will feel inadequate. But we then need to realize that DAVID WON. No matter the challenge, the problem or the difficulty, when we trust in God, have a good attitude and have the courage to stand and face the problem and not run away, we will live a successful and fulfilling life.

Let´s start this year on this foot. And I promise that we will see a different year, a different us, and a different response from everyone else.

Love you lots!

Hermana Farner

Let's make the goal for 2015..

Dear Family and Friends, 

We are serving in a ward with an attendance of about 90 members regularly attending. There is a potential of about 200. That is how many less active or inactive or "floating" members there are. I have been thinking a lot lately about what is the reason that there are members that are like this. How can someone make a covenant with the Supreme Creator of the Universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords and not spend the minimum of 3 hours, we are talking about hours, every Sunday to worship him.

 

Understandable that we are sick right? That we are tired? That we have other things to do? That it is "the best time to travel"? These are things that we all have said on a Sunday that would make us believe that we are in the right.

 

So what then is the definition of an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints you ask? Someone who puts their temple and baptismal covenants above all other things that could possibly happen in life. Someone who understands that going and doing their visiting and home teaching is a key to the helping of the building up of Zion. Who really lives like the Savior;  that is not just completing the check marks but rather becomes better every week by receiving the strengthening power of the atonement through partaking of the sacrament.

 

If we are not reading our scriptures daily, if we are not praying night and morning, if we are not going to the temple as a couple, if we are not doing our visits, Let´s make the goal for 2015 to do such things. Lengthen your stride and stand a little taller. Live the Gospel in a happy way. Learn what it means to truly love one another.

 

I love you all!

Hermana Farner