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