A Chosen Missionary

July 14, 2014

A lot happened and it was a spiritual strengthening week for sure. I was definitely blessed with some answers to some personal questions I have been having lately! I know very well that God is aware of his missionaries. I am grateful to be in His hands.

Our week of work was interrupted by a meeting in Hermosillo.   My companion and I had to go to on Thursday. It was a special meeting for the new missionaries that are in their training. I remember a similar meeting I had as a greenie almost 2 years ago.You would think that President Hernandez would get tired of assigning me topics to speak in his meetings, but yet again I was able to prepare 30 minutes of capacitation on WORKING WITH MEMBERS!! hah it is something that we as missionaries are always hearing from our leaders, and I decided to take another approach. I explained to them how in missionary work there are chosen investigators and there are also chosen missionaries. A chosen missionary is a missionary that the members trust with their friends and loved ones. I had fun with it.

Coming back to Peñasco we finished the week of with a solid day of hard work. We knew that we had lost 2 precious days of work while traveling and in Hermosillo and that we needed to invite tons to church on Sunday. We did just that. We left the house early at  9 in the morning and returned at 9pm sharp. I feel very blessed to have a young companion that loves to work.  He is motivating to me which is good.

All is well. My testimony of the atonement has really grown in the 2nd half of my mission. With confidence I testify daily of His divinity and healing power. He fills the hearts of missionaries with joy! Being consecrated and dedicated has never been more fun. I want to be perfect and put my trust in the Lord day after day after day.

I love my family! thanks for your prayers. they never go unanswered.
Remember the Nails,
Elder Farrow

1. I ate dat
2. Superman!! hahh my buddy. kids here bath and play in big tubs of cold water to cool down.

WOW! that just happened :D

Jammin! haha Mas Cerca Dios de Ti :) Himno 50!

Add captionLa Hermana Bastida y su hija Monica! they were a great help to us this week

 La Zona Peñasco!

La Familia Lopez Guerra! Lupita, Andrea and Jose :D

On Mon, Jul 7, 2014 at 7:22 PM, Blake Farrow <blake.farrow@myldsmail.net> wrote:
Family! otra semana nos ha pasado que si fuera un sueño! I cant believe how many tender mercies and how many blessing we were able to see this past week. taking a breath after a long days work you take a deep breath and say "WOW! that just happened." The Lord is surely working side by side with us! we were blessed to see 3 miracles this week. Their names are Lupita, Andrea and Jose. all three entered the waters of baptism this week :D trust me they had their share of opposition and truly had their personal and family battles with Satan in order to reach their goals, but they did it! I love their family so much, Lupita is a single mother who has sacrificed a lot to be baptised. They were also supported tons by the sister missionaries in the branch here and I am grateful for them too!

Like any missionary week, we had our ups and downs, but definitely stayed positive. If i were a boy scout again, I think I would have earned my bicycling merit badge like 9 times this week, we ran into some serious bike trouble. but all is well and we keep rolling on. We worked a ton with members this week and continue to be impressed by the faith of these great members. the majority of the saints here are converts and most have less than 10 years in the iglesia. they all remember very well their missionaries and are super willing to help us. especially when they can see two young missionaries with fire in their eyes and huge desire to serve. We try our very best to show these members how much we love being missionaries. It has honestly been a blast training Elder Corona. I have seen lots of progress in him, and he will be a great leader here in the mission.

My cheeks hurt from smiling so much this last hour. First seeing baby Emery laughing and then seeing my beautiful sister Brooke all chimpmunked up after getting teeth pulled. I have no doubts all is well in the USA. Sadly I was not able to celebrate tons the 4th of July, even though we are close to the border, there want much celebration :( but who cares, I feel Mexican now anyways haha I love it here in Peñasco and look forward to a solid week of work.

I have a burning desire to find, teach, baptise and master the Spanish language. I bask in the opportunity to be constantly serving others! i have a very pure testimony that joy is the result and prize of hard missionary work. I love this Gospel and my family. I am at peace

Always Remember the Nails,
Elder Farrow

1. La Zona Peñasco!
2. La Familia Lopez Guerra! Lupita, Andrea and Jose :D

Under the Stars...Living the Dream!

July 1, 2014

1. Making empanadas at an investigators house!

2. Josefina and her family :)

This week flew by like a peregrine falcon hunting a mouse that's for sure. I was blessed to see many tender mercies and also able to have our first baptism here in peñasco! Her name was Josefina and has a very special place in my heart. She was the only one in her family to be baptised and put lots behind her to make the decision of baptism. There is nothing like seeing a smiling face of a convert on confirmation Sunday! pure joy my family! Its what the mission is all about. Seeing their happiness makes all worries go away. seriously.

Even through ups and downs in the week Elder Corona and I were able to maintain our focus and positive drive. We traveled to Caborca early Tuesday morning for a special multi zone conference and president asked me to speak again. I was assigned the topic of prayer again, and was able to express myself exceptionally well. One of the moments when the spirit guides your thoughts, and words. pretty sweet :) We finished the week with huge dats and were blessed to see 9 new investigators in church on Sunday. That was a great feeling too. We worked well with the members this week. One hermana named Isabel has 75ish years old but scoots along like a 40 year old with animo. she called us at 5pm Thursday afternoon and asked us "elders where are you at? I want to go do visits with you!" haha we met up and she joined us in 3 solid visits, and her example, faith and testimony were exactly what our investigators needed. Later in the week also we had a pretty incredible lesson at night when we watched a short 25 minute video on the atonement and then later testified of Christ to a crowd of less actives, neighbors and investigators. like 20 people in total :D

 I sleep outside on our balcony under the stars every night! As I prepare myself to sleep, I have a precious 5-10 minutes of my day when I reflect and and ponder. where I count my blessings and say my personal prayers. I am living the dream and have no plans to slow down. I love this gospel, this church, my God and my Savior!

Have an incredible week!
Mucho Love!
Elder Farrow

1. Making empanadas at an investigators house!
2. Josefina and her family :)

Guamuchiles!!!

June 23, 2014

My buddy Pedro! His business is a yard sale and I bought a 15 peso hawaiin shirt.

Octavio y Rossy y su familia

My comp and our bike machanic Domingo! hah

cruisin!

La Familia Gallardo!

GUAMUCHILES!!!

This week was insane! haha We had so much fun and were able to see tons of tender mercies of the Lord. We were blessed with awesome results in the weekend and saw many of our investigators at church Sunday! The teacher didnt show up fro the second hour class, and I was again blessed with the oportunity to teach haha I had a lot of fun with it and even got a little emotional talking about how happy family can be when they live the gospel!! awwww naturally I was thinking about you guys and got a little touched thats all.

We are honestly teaching like crazy people and finding new families and randoms to teach like crazy. Out of all out inversigators Pedro is one of my favorites. He is one of my favorites. He is this 75ish year old man who wants to get baptised. We laugh so dang hard with this guy. He almost had us rolling on the ground laughing when he told us he fell asleep on the couch with a half eaten banana in his hand and when he woke up in the morning he was covered in ants hahah the craziness of the mission. There is a super sweet family Gallardo who went to the church this week. The dads name is Javier, He is a single father and a super less active who hasnt been to the church in years but has a solid testimony of the divinity of the book of Mormon. He completely supports his children and wants them to be baptised. After a feew powerful spirit guiding lessons throughout the week we were also happy to see Octavio, Rossy and their two boys in church this week!

Keep these guys in your prayers. With worldly temptation at an alltime high, they are going to need all the support they can get! Among other things here in Peñasco, I have loved experimenting with new foods. haha lots of seafood and especially a cool new fruit called guamuchiles! haha grow on trees here and they are everywhere. We ride our bikes under them and when there are branches low enough to touch, we reach up high and grab a handful of them while passing by. I am constantly impressed by the lovingness of the people here. They are super receptive and almost never rude (like alot of people in Hermosillo haha). Everybody is happy here because Mexico is doing well in the World Cup. My farmers tan is becoming more visible and I feel like I am smiling more and more everyday.

Life is good. My companion is getting more confident and is adjusting well to the mission! We keep on working hard and look forward to many baptisms in the upcoming month! My faith grows daily and I feel closer and closer to my Savior every week. I love my family and I love my God!

Love,
Elder Farrow

1. La Familia Gallardo!
2. Octavio y Rossy y su familia
3. My comp and our bike machanic Domingo! hah
4. cruisin!
5. My buddy Pedro! His business is a yard sale and I bought a 15 peso hawaiin shirt.
6. GUAMUCHILES!!!

Crazy Week for Everyone!

June 16, 2013

Elder Corona!!

Kickin it!!!

"welcome to the mission!" hahah :D workin hard!

Brooooooke! Argentina!!!! hahah I am beyond stoked for you my little sister! You will be incredible and I am pumped to see you progress in these next 2 years to come. Happy Fathers Day dad!! I owe you alot, and love you vey much. Who woulda thought staying a half hour after baseball practice fielding ground balls in Kit Carson park woulda helped me out here in the mission field. You have formed me into the person I am today and am so thankful for your constant example an incredible father!

But man, strap on you seat belt and throw on a helmet if you can find one close, cuz this email is gonna stunn you! haha well maybe not, but honestly this week was incredible. After getting to know my companion a little bit more I know we are going to do amazing things here in Peñasco. He is a hard worker and an energizer bunny! My area is full of work, and really enjoyed teaching to many this week! it really is a beautiful little town. There is a very rich, hotel side of town, and then a more humble side or the neighborhood where Elder Corona and I work. The people are humble and happy. They have great Mexican pride, and crack up when I tell them I used to play profecional football in france. but now they sent me hear to play for the Mexican team. haha I don't know, I am always joking around here with the people and straight up having the time of my life. You could only imagine the friends I am making here. I love how easily the members here can put their trust in the missionaries. We worked hard with them this week, and even though we were new to the area, we had very good results this week. I remember opening an area in Hermosillo, and now, doing almost the exact same thing, it is a whole different ballgame. I have learned how to work well as a missionary, and look forward to applying absolutely evrything I have learned in these last 2 years right now in my final 2 transfers. and more than anything to teach my comp how to work hard here in the mission. I have also enjoyed being a District Leader again. not so much responsibility like before, but a very key part in the leadership chain. I don't know if that makes sense. hah

I am having the time of my life and am thrilled with the excitement on the other side of the border. My family is doing great things, and I am so blessed to have an army of support behind me. I strive daily to be faithful and diligent to live and honor the covenants I have made with God. He has made me strong, and keeps me strong when the world tells me I cant be. Having an enthusiastic approach to difficult situations has helped me conquer trials in these last 2 years, and I have to plans to change my perspective on things out here. This church is so true, and Christ is truly at the head of this incredible missionary force!

I hope you all have an amazing week! Choose to be happy :D

Elder Farrow

Puerto Penesco!

June 9, 2014

Completely exhausted from a 3 month rally of traveling Sonora, I have finished up my time as an asistant! Today, only after one last 7 hour bus ride, I find myself in Puerto Peñasco! I will be finishing my mission as a trainer and a district leader. I am really pumped for this change. Finally back in an area, time to relax, breath, meditate and BAPTISE!! My new companion is Elder Corona from Morelos Mexico! He seems like a stud and I am stoked to get to know him. I have a feeling we will have tons of success together and I know will be working dang hard in order to baptise here.

This week Elder Christiansen and I booked it to Nogales then to Agua Prieta and worked dilligently with 4 of the finest Zone Leaders in our mission. Great animo, hard workers and sick areas. I was impressed by the hills we crossed in Nogales and once again amazed by the humility of the people in Agua Prieta. My love for the people os Sonora grows every hour, and especially we I see their eyes glow with hope when we explain to them Gods beautiful plan for them. Simply said, some things never get old as a missionary.

I was able to capacitate (or speak/teach, I'm not even sure if capacitate is a word in English haha) many times this week to many missionaries, first on Tuesday at a Leadership training meeting with all the Zone Leaders, Later on Thursday to the missionaries in la Zona Nogales, Friday to Zona Sierra Madre, and lastly today speaking to and teaching the brand new generation of missionary who are ready to start their adventures here in Sonora. I felt the spirit of the Lord often as I explained to all their purpose as representatives of Christ, and even when I had to be a little more direct and explain to them how they can be even better in the field. I have absolutely loved reaching out to many missionaries and only hope that I have been a valuable service to them in these months past.

Watching the sunset tonight I said a quick personal prayer, giving thanks to my Father in Heaven for all of the incredible blessings, experiences and miracles he has blessed me with. It is strange to think how much personal progress I have seen in such little time. I truly feel protected while I am in the Lords hands, and I now He is the reason for the progress I have seen! I still anticipate more changes as I work diligently here in Puerto Peñasco!!! hahah yeee I am super excited to get started. we are opening an area again and I don't know anybody and it was a miracle we found a place to write haha

I love you all and am grateful for your prayers. They never go unanswered :)

Remember The Nails,
Elder Farrow

Caborca de Nuevo and Satelite!

June 2, 2014

Our last Pday dinner surprise with President and his wife! haha I ordered a huuuuge steak! how cool no! I love those guys

2-3 Wednesday morning hike with Tommy!

With Elder Cutler. A chosen family and a beautiful sunset. the lady in the wheel chair is named Ramona! she has one leg and sees like a bat! but that didn't stop her from getting to church on Sunday!!

Satelite in the church with old buddies :)

I seriously love my family so much. This week I have written lots of you and I want you all to know I appreciate all you love and support. I am so pumped for Brookie getting here papers finally in! Among other events that have taken place, I am very happy to hear from you all. And I know for a fact my older sister is happy when she sends me videos of Emery eating bananas. I swear I have been laughing and smiling for an hour straight now. I feel like I have been pretty good about writing detailed letters these last couple weeks, but this week will definitely be a little shorter.

To start off we headed North to Caborca. I worked with Elder Cutler and Elder Thompson. We all prayed diligently to find more people to teach and God blessed us with a miracle day where we found 20 new people to teach. and a couple golden families. What more could you ask for!! Thompson biffed it on a bike, that was sad and funny at the same time. We had a lot of fun working hard, and both nights there in CAborca we slept like rocks because we came home so exhausted haha

the second half of the week I was with Elder Winkelcotter and Elder Antonio in my old area Satelite!! It was great seeing old friendly faces and being with Elder Winky we call him. To tell you the truth the weekend was very slow, the work in satelite has taken quite the plunge. I tried my best to motivate the 6 missionaries that now serve in the ward. Its all in the attitude and the faith!! A highlight for me in satelite was that I gave a baptismal interview for a super escogido named Genoveba and she asked me to speak at her baptism on Saturday. She was an older woman around 60 and reminded me alot of Nanny :) I love feeling the spirit.

But really all is well here in Hermosillo. The heat is getting started now and I have a feeling this year is going to be worse than last year haha bring it on!!! This should be my last week as Asistant. Like always, tonight I will say a big prayer asking for physical strength, mental endurance and lots and lots of miracles. It is my faith and hope that God will again bless us like he has so many times in weeks past! I love you guys lots and hope you have a wonderful week

Remember The Nails,
Elder Farrow!!

 1. Our last Pday dinner surprise witH President and his wife! haha I ordered a huuuuge steak! how cool no! I love those guys
2-3 wednesday morning hike with Tommy!
4. With Elder Cutler. A chosen family and a beautiful sunset. the lady in the wheel chair is named Rmona! she has one leg and sees like a bat! but that didnt stop her from getting to church on sunday!!
5.the men
6. Satelite in the church with old buddies :)