First Week in the Field

Lots of murals around town!

Decorations for Cananea.

Everyone drives VW bugs.

Panorama of the city Elder Farrow is serving.

12 Noviembre 2012
Hola Familia!!!

Besides almost getting thrown in jail wednesday night, and getting my backpack, scriptures and camera stolen, this week was incredible! hahahaha Just Kidding!!!!

What an incredible week. I dont even know where to start. I guess I´ll begin by saying that I am in a completely different world! it is crazy how much is different. We Americans have been so spoiled our entire lives. Cananea is a very poor town and Elder Villegas and I have been blessed and privileged to serve here. Today I am writing my e-mail in a city called Agua Prieta. Super close to the border. I will go here every Sunday night for our district meeting. but oh my gosh I absolutely love Mexico..

I told you a bit about mi casa and mi compañero. Living conditions are gonna be just fine, but it is strange to sleep in a room that has walls infested with cockroaches haha. my showers are less than 2 minutes, because the water is ice! we get warm water once a day at 3 oclock randomly, and we are never home at that time. my comp and I get along just fine. He is very patient with me and we seem to mesh well. He reigns from Pueblo Mexico and is a convert of 3 years.

All the mexicans don't believe me when I tell them that it is my first week in spanish. They say I look like a movie star and speak very well. Of course I am having difficulties with the language. I understand ALMOST everything people say, but have a hard time expressing myself in español. I might not be able to have an adult conversation with people, but dang can I testify! You would not believe the kind of people I have taught this week. So many weirdos. So many amazing people.

Cananea is a small pueblo where 90% of the people work in the bronze mine on the west side of the town. There is only one branch here of ablout 35 active members. there are 300 plus inactive members, and most struggle with working on Sunday´s. For the most part mexicans are extremely friendly and I enjoy making them smile. My comp says I walk like a cholo haha (Brooke or Bails, or a Jonas brother) Elder Villegas and I are the only 2 missionaries in cananea and do tons of walking! Close to 10 miles daily! my feet ache when we return to our home every night. I love workin hard. I am ready to whip this mission into shape. I have already seen the struggles some missionaries have with obedience. Villegas says he has been waiting for a companion like me. Cananea hasn't seen a baptism in 5 months... Weeez about to change that. The days are very long, and already I have experienced rejection! Its depressing! We have a message so great and so beautiful, but people just wont listen and we get the door slammed in our face. But hey, when they do that I stay positive. I am grateful for the breeze that they made from closing their door so quickly :))

I have taught 2 homeless men! We taught a lesson in his shack? crazy, he treated us like his guests of honor and he sat on a stump while my companion and I sat on his torn computer chair and metal folding chair. We taught a great first lesson to him! we checked up on him the next day and he memorized like 10 or so names of Book of mormon Prophets because we gave him a copy and when he had trouble reading Moroni, we showed him the pronunciation pages in the back of the book! haha this man has faith! Pray for Armondo.

We also teach a single mother named Yurie, a widowed woman named Norma, Angelica, Maritza, and others! I love teaching lessons. I swear my spanish gets better every single day. I pick up 20 to 30 words a day. the fooood!!!! Its good!!! half the time I don't know what I am eating, but I eat it all and I love it. I see know why Grandma Moon is so good at her mexican meals! every woman here loves to cook and loves to make gringos happy. And man is everything spicy haha I have just accepted that everything I eat is going to be spicy, so I now put hot sauce on everything. People aren't kidding when they say real mexican food is hot going in AND coming out. I have spent some good time in the bathroom this week. I hope I can get accustomed to the food quick!

I have tons to tell, but I have a bus to catch shipping me back to Cananea. I absolutely love being a missionary. I look forward to the next weeks, months and years here in this crazy, beautiful, strange, loud, dirty, amazing country! I am so thankful for the family and support that I have over the border ;) I know I am loved and i promise I will make you all proud. I am striving to be the missionary my family and my Savior needs me to be.

Love,

Elder Farrow

p.s. a little bird told me that Obama won the election. actually I found out while watching the news on a little TV at a market. but yes. good luck Americans.

I'm gonna try to send some pictures right now

Message from Mission Home

Welcome at airport!

Alberto E. and Maria A. Hernandez (Mission Presidents) and their missionaries!

Dear Farrow Family:

We are so glad to tell you that Elder Farrow arrived here well to the Mexico-Hermosillo Mission. We're very happy to have him with us. He's serving with his new companion and trainer.

We invite you to keep supporting him in your weekly letters, and to remind him to be obedient, diligent, and loyal to the Lord.

If you have any questions or if there's anything else we can do to help you out, please let us know.

Kind regards,

Misión México Hermosillo

Estoy Bien!

This area looks to me like it's a mining town;)

Hey fam!
  Mission president gave us permission to send home a quick email! I am safe! I arrived in Hermosillo yesterday at about 1 and was greeted by the mission prez, his wife, and los asistentes. Hermosillo is a desert! flying over the city was a crazy experience, all I could do was smile and say a prayer in my heart! We made our way to the mission home (a 20 second walk to the temple!) and had lunch with them and the new missionaries, about 12 of us. there were new ones from the mexican mtc too!! anyways, we had a brief meeting and were paired up with our new companions! I have been selected to serve with Elder Villegas in the area of Cananea! He is a massive 5 foot 2, and is pretty laid back, but he is ready to go to work! esta area es muy cerca de Arizona! I took a 5 hour bus ride from Hermosillo to Cananea in a crazy bus haha seats were comfy but we were boucin all over the place! the roads are a mess, filled with potholes! But oh my gosh, Mexico is crazy haha I dont know if it was what I expected, but I love it. Elder Villegas and I live in a pretty good sized apartment! 2 rooms, with a semi kitchen, and makeshift closset and a nice bathroom. yo dormí buenísimo y tuve un sueno de mariposas y hadas. lo mejor. Today we studied were out the door by 11. I can tell this is going to be tons of fun and a lot of work. Tonight I have 3 lessons!!!!!! hahahah I am so happy to be starting this crazy adventure. I promise I´ll send more pictures and give more details next week!

My P days are going to be on mondays and I will write you then. So happy to finally be in Mexico!



more pics coming next week. weird how todays emails worked out. half hour at a members house, another halfy at la papelaria!!!! yeeeehawww this life is gooood. and very huble, and dirty, loks of dogs and the food isnt sitting welll. oh and everything is spicy hahah love you 

Love,

Elder Farrow

Last Few days in the MTC

Highlight of Elder Farrow's week was helping traffic in the new Elders on Halloween!

Who knew that the otter tie would come in handy on Halloween;)

jussss workin out!

 My teacher Brother Lloyd! Our last day with him! He also taught Garret at the MTC!!!

Elder Sam Walker!!!!! from Weblos! hes all grown up :)

 Nov. 3, 2012

Hola Mi familia!!!

It is incredible to think that I will be in Mexico in less than 48 hours!! Oh my Gosh! It's really happening! Much has happened this week. I expressed a little in my last e-mail how my district and i were experiencing a wave of "senioritis" and that we were so excited to get to Mexico! Knowing Hermosillo was so close,  motivated me to work especially hard at the MTC this week, so I could hit the ground running on Monday! I was able to finish the Book of Mormon last night! What a confirmation of my testimony of the truthfulness of that Book! More than ever before 3rd Nephi stood out to me the most, as we know that is when Jesus Christs visits the Americas and established His church! What a privileged dispensation we are to have the Book of Mormon!

Let's see.. Tuesday night I sang in the MTC choir! I wasn't going to sing, but then an Elder from my zone asked me join him, it was our last devotional and we had seats on the 1st row! Everybody said no to him, and since I had been Zone Leader in the past I knew that this Elder had been struggling a bit, so I decided to join him!   He described his thoughts of the MTC and I was able to give him some good advise about this next week and preparing for the field. That night we heard the words of Don R. Clarke! He spoke of the importance of Baptism and working with the Members!

Also this week I was able to be a traffic directed for the new missionaries that came in on Wednesday. It's sad that that's a huge highlight of my week, I had a lot of fun with it haha Halloween was different than it had ever been before. naturally, I felt the spirit of the holiday and tried my best to include halloween puns throughout the day. Most were lame, but i got a few laughs here and there. Thursday night my district held a fake baptismal service for our fake investigator Andres. We had worked with him for a month giving him lessons and what not, and this baptism felt pretty real! I had the chance to conduct the service and we really had hyms, prayers, talks and a special musical number! I cant wait to have a real one in a few short weeks!

The Truth is I could go on and on about little details of what happened this week, but I will chose to express some of my thoughts as I prepare to serve my Lord in Mexico! I have lived an incredible life and know that everything that happened has built me up and prepared me for this next 2 years of my life. I am ready. I promise you that your son, brother, cousin, grandson, friend or whatever else I might be to you, will be the hardest working elder Mexico has to offer. I am dedicated to this work. Nothing brings me more happiness then thinking of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everybody I meet. I am ready for what ever God has in store for me! I know this church is true! That the tomb is empty and that my Savior Jesus lives! Through Him and his atoning sacrifice we will be able to return with our father in heaven again! I know this, I have had a continued confirmation throughout my life and especially here at the MTC that these things are true. The fullness of the gospel is here today. I have studied it, I believe it, I live it, I love it, and now I am going to teach it! I am a part of the greatest work the world has to offer and can't wait for the future! Mexico bring it on!

I love you family, thank you for your love and support! Thank you for your letters these last few weeks. Mom be expecting a call soon :) I will be in the airport from 6-8 Utah time. I will call your cell sometime between then.

Love you all! Remember the Nails

- Elder Farrow

Ps brookie good job with applying to schools! this is a fun year in your life! live it up and enjoy yourself. Balls thank you for you letter I love you so much. All jokes aside you are cool. oooonga

Travel Plans! Here we come!!

I wonder who decided to take a photo in the bathroom? 

- waluigi, mario luigi and wario!!! hahah

The District gets their travel plans!!!

Looks like Elder Farrow is eating his fruits and veggies!!!!

 Hola mi familia!

Yes, my travel plans came this week! I will be leaving the MTC at 5am on November 5th!!!!!! ahhh I wish you could have seen my face when I opened up our mailbox and saw the packets of travel information with our names on it! I was on cloud 9, honestly floating on the way back to our classroom to deliver the news to the rest of my District Wednesday afternoon! What a blessing it has been to be here at the MTC for 8 weeks, but oh my gosh  I am so ready to leave!!! Mexico is calling my name! Rolling their R's in Elder Farrow and all.

This week was a quick one. It always is. I had the opportunity to hear from Elder Larry Echo Hawk on Tuesday night! He also spoke in General conference. And man what a funny little guy he was. He had us all laughing while he was telling us some of his high school sports stories. He slowed it down and brought a hurricane of the spirit with part of his conversion story and his testimony of the Book of Mormon. He stressed the importance of reading everyday! Its easy as a missionary, but it is now set in stone that I want to read the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of my life. Pretty inspirational night. After devotional we always have to chance to have a district debrief and testimony meeting. As District Leader I started with my testimony and absolutely poured my heart out. I was filled with the spirit and very touched. It turned out to be one of my absolute highlights of my stay here at the MTC.
 
Also this week I had the opportunity to be a Host for the new incoming missionaries! I escorted two youngins from Utah and Vegas that both seemed just as overwhelmed as I was a short 2 months ago. Its bizarre thinking how much I have grown since the time I was in their very shoes. My time at the MTC seemed like an eternity and at the same time a blink of an eye! does that make sense?

We were blessed with a brief blanket of snow this week. Its all gone now, but it was a fun change looking out our window and seein snowflakes fall. Something I definitely wont be seeing for at least 2 years in Hermosillo! today I received the sweatshirt in the mail! thanks! its comfy. Everyone makes fun of me for shivering in 40 degree weather. They call me San Diego. I know they are jealous of my weather back home!

Family I am workin hard and staying focused on the work of my Savior Jesus Christ. I'm sucking it up enduring the last few days here at the MTC! I try my best to keep my district motivated, I bet I get a little annoying sometimes, waking them up in class and asking them to stop goofin off, but really I'm not here to waste my time. I love studying and eating up the words of the Prophets. Ammon is my boy. I promise you I am going to leave the MTC with no regrets and hit the ground running in Hermosillo! I look forward to the day when I can look back at my mission and say, "I was the best missionary that I could possibly be, and I worked the hardest I could everyday for 2 years." That is my goal and it has started here at the MTC! I look forward to the greatest and worst days of my life, these next 2 years. I couldn't be happier to be on a mission. In the words of Isaiah, my strength has been renewed and I have been mounted up by the wings of eagles. There is no greater work on the face of the earth and I am among a few of the greatest privileged members of this church to go out into the world to share my testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel and wear the name of my Savior Jesus Christ over my heart. I love my older brother,  I love this church, I love my family, I love my country, and I love this life. There is no greater gift.You are constantly in my prayers, and I thank you for your love. I feel the strength of your prayers everyday.

love,
Elder Farrow

P.S. this next week will be a little different, expect to get an email on saturday not friday. also thanks nanny and bompa for your halloween package! love you all
oooooooooongggaaa

P.S again Brock and Balls!(brooke and Bailey) keep your heads up! high school sucks and it is the best, but stay positive and work hard! respect mom and dad. I love you girls. Oh and brooke I gave your senior picture to jacob. hahah

Think of the Nails

MTC, a spiritual powerhouse prison!

Oct. 19, 2012

The official name tag!!! 

I am sure this was an exciting reunion!!!  Jacob Clingo's first day in the MTC!!!

Hello Family!

It's strange to think that I have already been a missionary for a month and a half. It seems like just yesterday I was schooling Brinley in pool volleyball, and now I'm a full time working missionary! I love it. This week wasn't too bad at all. I love the constant feelings of the spirit here, there really is no place like the MTC. My Spanish is getting a lot better. I know this because the Elders that sleep in my room with me tell me that I wake them up in the middle of the night when I sleep talk. Get this, I bare my testimony aloud IN SPANISH when I'm sleeping. I must be doing something right as a Spanish learning missionary. haha but really I am loving learning this language. My district has made specific language goals, this week we tried our best to speak only spanish. It was rough, by the end of the day my head killed, sometimes I get a little depressed because I cant express myself as well as I want to in spanish, but I stick to it. My district is great, they are hard working and diligent Elders. I am very thankful for the opportunity I have had to be in the MTC with them.

To answer some of your questions about being a district leader. I'm sure that being a DL in the field is tons different, but here in the MTC I hold interviews with the senior companions of each companionship weekly, and report back to the Zone Leaders and Branch Presidency. I also pick up the mail 2 times a day after lunch and dinner. I have leadership training meetings twice a week and report again at Branch Council on Sunday. It's fun. I also conduct district council and run opening excercises before every class.

Fam, life is very good here, and I am really enjoying my time preparing for my service in Mexico. Less that 20 days till I'm in a plane to Hermosillo. Some might say I'm going crazy, I am so ready to leave this spiritual powerhouse prison and start teaching the people of Mexico. I love thinking about the people that I will meet, teach and learn to love! shoot, I already love them. Leaving to Boise last week another glimpse of the outside world haha

Remember hearing from Shane M. Bowen at Saturday Morning Conference? He was the seventy that spoke of self pity and shared his personal experience when he lost one of his children! I had the chance to hear from him on Tuesday night! he was a powerful speaker that really brought the spirit, I couldn't get enough of what he was saying. Chelsea gave me a suggestion in one of her Dear Elders to me about drawing a line down the middle of my note page and on one side write what my physical ears hear and on the other what my spiritual ears hear, and to record what the spirit tells me! It worked so well, and I was just pouring my heart out on the spiritual ears side of my paper. What I got most out of his talk was how obedience is essential to successful missionary work (seems to be a pattern in all MTC Devotionals) and that miracles DO exist today and will happen regularly on our missions. He also spoke about some of the changes that are going to take place in the MTC and mission field in the next couple months. spanish elders will only be spending 6 weeks in here instead of 9! Im so jealous haha but the church is supposed to be doubling their missionaries from 55,000 to OVER 100,000!!!! crazy! this gospel is taking off and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of this great movement.

My good friend Jacob Clingo joined me in the forces this week. Do you remember him? He was so cute. How can I explain this... ok, when I dropped Brinley off at her first day of 1st grade and she was really nervous and had a tear in her eye. That's how he was! nahhhh Just Kidding. He's doing great, and stands about 3 inches taller in his missionary moot boots, just like me! I look forward to spending a little more time with him before I head off to Mexico.

My time is dying down on this email! every week its difficult to tell you all that happened! To summarize, I love being a missionary and serving the Lord. I look forward to the next 2 years of my  life with all my heart. I KNOW that I am doing what I am supposed to at this time in my life. Its a great feeling sharing your testimony everyday, something that was once so foreign to me but is now becoming a very good habit of mine. Thank you for your constant love and support. Wednesday I got a letter from 4 of you family members and it was soooo good to hear from you! made my night. Brooke you are gorgeous, I saw your homecoming pictures today. Mitchell you are gorgeous too. Mom and Dad I am striving to be the missionary that you are praying for me to be everyday! I love you all, more than you know. Kia Kaha

-Elder Farrow da beast

P.S. I'm singing Come thou Fount in Sacrament meeting this Sunday! Pray that my voice wont crack! haha just kidding, that wont happen until I start puberty ;)