New Companion, Staying in Glen Dale SW

New Companion Elder Broadhead!!

Hey Mom and Dad!

So transfers...6months out... Feeling  pretty good!  I am staying in Glen Dale Singles Ward and my new companion is Elder Broadhead!  He is a really awesome guy! He has been out in the field for about a year.  He is a ginger and he loves Lake Powell!  What a  champ right?  I am so glad I get to be companions with a red head.  They for some reason  are always really funny.  Anyway, he seems like a really  obedient missionary.  But not much of one to workout.  Sorry Breelaun... looks like I won't be at the  gym too much :'( But now that I have all these supplements and stuff I am ready to get HARDY sized!  We will  see what happens though... we don't have much to  workout with in the apartment.  So its all hotel workouts. 

Sounds like all is well at home!  Good to hear Jonny is all skinny now and that Uncle Vaughn  is still there!  :) The group back at home seems awesome... I wish I could hangout with you all.  Eh... we will get a big party when Brian gets home.  But I  am  envious of the Lake  trip this summer!  Sounds like it was pretty fun/funny! Also, it sounds like Caiside had a fun b-day! That girl a so cute and hilarious.

Side note: (This computer I am using must have been used  by a little  kid who had maple syrup all over his hands  because the keys are all  stuck and sticking when I type... so  this is taking forever  and will be  short, sorry!)

Well... It is weird having a new companion and staying in the area.  I have to teach him about the area and everything.  I cannot believe I have only had three companions so far! Ha-ha. The good thing is, is that Elder B. Seems to be very excited about organizing the area and getting TO WORK! So we will totally be seeing some upcoming baptisms! Yay! So get ready :)

Anyway  not too much else has happened.  No Facebook yet... Dang  it.  

And no iPads or smartphones... but hopefully soon! ha-ha that would be awesome!  We had three people (investigators) at church on Sunday which is like a record here! So things are looking up. And the members are still pretty excited  it seems. Thank you  for all your prayers and support.  I am so blessed to have such a great family and so many wonderful friends. Oh, and good job with reaching out  to the non-member neighbors! The Elders are going to be so stoked to get a referral  from you!  Then they will start to teach at the house and be part of the ward! Yay!  Missionary  work is the best ever!

I love you all  and I am glad to hear you are doing so well!  Shout-out to Rachel and Caiside! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU BOTH AND I LOVE YOU!

Keep up the great missionary work everybody.  Forgive me for the H.S. Musical quote, but "we are all in this together!" Members ARE missionaries.  :)

Love,

Elder Farley

Breelaun is Baptized!!

Hallo Mutti!

Was ist los?  Things are getting pretty hot here in DC/Maryland.  Today we are emailing at the Library of Congress again.  It’s the best because it’s the most relaxing of emailing days.  We were up early to go to do a workout at Breelaun's gym.  I don't know how much Elder Kuddes likes to get up early and go do crazy circuit training workouts, but I LOVE IT!  So drag him along anyway.  It’s also an awesome excuse to go see Breelaun.  Oh and by the way... BREELAUN GOT BAPTIZED!  He had to get an interview with President and all since he went to the other ward but he is solid!  He wanted me to baptize him to! :)  Best day ever.  We did it in Anacostia (South-East DC) which is like the DC equivalent of south-central Los Angeles.  Ha-ha.  The building there is awesome though.  The font is on the second floor behind the curtains behind the pew in the chapel.  So everyone looks up and watches the baptism like that.  It's sweet.  It was such an amazing experience.  I am so happy for him.

 Besides that we had a 48 hour car fast since about 10 missionaries have gotten into car crashes this month.  If it were me, I would just be like, "That’s it!!  Bikes for the rest of the summer!"  Missionaries... they need to learn how to drive.  We may have the greatest missionaries out here teaching and obedience wise, but they must have taken driving lessons from an old Asian woman or something.  Anyway, Elder Kuddes and I have a HUGE area so we got permission to use our car.  But on Tuesday we went out for an hour near UM campus and we were talking to people like CRAZY!  College students are weird though.  They are so worried about themselves and think there is no time for God in their life.  Really sad... Maybe I should take up soap-boxing.  Go Daniel Jones status on these people and bring them to repentance. 

The weird thing is that I am "killing" Elder Kuddes.  I’m pushing him hard to the end so that he doesn't get too "trunky".  He is doing great though.  I imagine everyone’s last week of their mission is pretty hard to totally focus on the work ha-ha.  I would just be dreaming of swimming all day! Especially since its infinity degrees out here with the humidity.  When it rains it feels amazing.  Then the clouds will start to part or move away and I am like, "Oh NO!!! Not the sun!!"  Then the heat increases and you are pretty much walking in a sauna.  Ha-ha.  But everyone else is nasty and sweaty too so it’s all good.  Plus, I am getting a pretty gnarly missionary tan -_-  yay! 

This next transfer is bringing in 13 new missionaries.  Elder Kuddes is with only two other missionaries who are exiting the mission.  Where are they going to put all these greenies?  I have no clue.  But it is EXCITING!  So next week’s email should have some good info hopefully.  We will see what Prez Cooke has up his inspired sleeves.

Oh, I also wanted to say that I thought Brian's German translations of the team’s defensive positions are great!  I had a good chuckle!  (But not too loud because I am in the Library's research center :/ )   It sounds like all is going well at home!  I hope F-Town gets some more rain!  Tell everyone I say hello and I love them!  Keep up the missionary work at home.  Everyone needs the gospel and you would be surprised at all those who are ready to receive it.  Pray for courage and opportunities to share this great message of the restoration and God's plan of Salvation.  This is the greatest work in the world.  And the Lord blesses those who accept His call.  I love you and pray for you always. 

Stay healthy, safe, and happy!

Love your boy,

Elder Sean Farley

New Mission President

HEY YOU GUYS!

Wow, this was the fastest week of my life.  But I wrote so much in my journal this week that it feels like I have a month worth of entries.  So much has happened.  We met the new President, had interviews, 4th of July, and tons more.  So I really have no idea where to start.  

First off... I am happy to hear everyone is doing well!  Sounds like the 4th of July was the best since you all got to see the Parsons.  Not fair. I am so jealous!  And Brian has probably the coolest shorts ever! Ha-ha!  Tell the Parsons I say hi!  :) Happy Birthday SUMMER!!!  I am glad you got to see pictures of the missionaries down at the Mall.  I was down there too but the only lady I met there tried to freaking kidnap me!! Ha-ha not really... but pretty much.  So Elder Kuddes and I were wearing our P-day clothes.  Mine consist of basketball shorts and a tee shirt.  His were black slacks and a long sleeve black dress shirt from the 90s... and yes it was infinite degrees outside.  Anyway, this lady came up to me and said something but I didn't hear.  She walked a few feet and then stopped and looked back seeing that I didn't respond.  I looked at her awkwardly and she did the same back.  (Keep in mind I was looking for the other missionaries in our district so I wasn't really paying too much attention to other people.)  She then walked back to me with a very serious face and said with concern, "Are you confused?" as she grabbed my wrist.  I pulled away totally confused but just said, "Nooooooo....."  She was then super serious and said, "YES YOU ARE!  You need to come with me right now."  I was like, "Heck no get away lady."  (She was a white lady about 40 years old and I totally thought she was Mormon at first.)  She then asked me a bunch of questions like why are you wearing a Mormon name tag, why are you not in your outfits, where is your companion.  I answered all her questions pretty simply.  "Umm.... It's P-day I can wear what I want, and I AM Mormon and a missionary, and my companion is right HERE!"  I pointed to Elder Kuddes who was so sweaty and out in the twilight zone so she probably didn't even see him!  Then she just took off.  It was so weird.  I am still confused to this day ha-ha.  But all the Elders thought it was hilarious when we told them.  So that was the highlight of my Independence Day.  We also went to a lake near UM campus and watched fireworks.  It was awesome.  

Silver Springs South Zone

Meeting President Cooke and his family was awesome.  Then all greeted us and told us about themselves.  The one boy who is 15 was like, " well I will pretty much be serving a mission for 5 years, but I guess this is good preparation."  Right when his parents finish their mission here he will be starting his own. But they are all nice and awesome.  Interviews with him went really well too.  I like him.  He is so stoked about missionary work it is ridiculous! The Assistants and President are driving around all day meeting Bishops, Stake Presidents, Area Authorities and just everyone.  He is legit.  But as for now all the rules and the mission as a whole seems the same.  But we will see what the future brings.  

Oh... and good ol' Sister Emma Mayes fed us before interviews and Since Elder Parker (Elder Loveless's son) was new in the mission he had to eat a Scotch Bonnet Pepper.  I also kept putting this off every time we go over to her house and this day was the day I HAD to do it.  It is either that or we have to wear a dress.  Let me explain how hot these things are... Imagine Hell.  Now imagine Hell times 100!!! That's how hot they are.  They seriously put my body into a totally vibrating numbness.  I never in my life imagined a pepper, or anything for that matter, could be as hot as these things were. Elder Parker and I were DONE!!! I had someone video tape it on my camera and it’s like 10 minutes of pure madness.  So when I send my next SD card you can all laugh at me as much as you want.  

Anyway, that's about it.  The work is progressing and we got a couple new referrals who seem really solid!  So I will update on them as we are able to meet with them.  I love you all and hope you have a great week!  And always remember... I you are ever offered a Scotch Bonnet... say no.  Just say NO!  

Love,  Elder Sean Farley :)

Happy Fourth of July

Hello Momma, Dad and Family,

 

So this week is a little unique since the 4th is tomorrow!  We got permission to e-mail today since the Libraries will all be closed tomorrow but it is not P-day today.  We have an all day P-day tomorrow!!!  I am so stoked.  We are not allowed to go to the Mall after 6pm tomorrow because of all the crowds, crazy people, and stuff like that.  But I heard a bunch of bands are going to be there right on the steps of the Capitol building!  I wish I could go but we have some other fun things in mind.  As for the new Mission President we have not met him yet.  The only ones who have met him are probably the Assistants.  Unless they went to the Visitor's Center and some sisters saw them.  Apparently President looks like Steve Martin, at least that is what one of the ASL missionaries told me!  Ha-ha I hope he does :) I would feel so comfortable around him... "Did you say... kill us?" (Three Amigos reference)  Oh boy, that would be great.  But we will see.  This Friday is Zone Training Meeting/Mission Tour.  So we will get to see him there.  Then next week we have interviews.  Good thing I know of a hair salon that is open tomorrow so I can look fresh when I meet the Prez… I also have to give a training on bearing pure testimony... I am so nervous haha!  First time I meet president and I have to do a training! Ah! I better make a good impression!  

 

Dad, I love your letters!  They are great.  Thanks for filling me in on everything!   The trip sounded really fun!  I saw some pictures mom sent to me on e-mail and you all look really good!  Healthy and fit!  I am pretty jealous you are all going to see the Parson family and Rachel.  But tell everyone I say Hi!  Also, tell Jacob I say congrats!  What a stud.  He is going to be an awesome Baseball player just like his Grandpa Farley (you). I really want to go to Canada one day!  I guess I am having mountain withdrawals.  I think I saw a hill yesterday... that was exciting.  But this place is great besides that.  It is so humid though.  If I lived here I could have a fro.  Dang!  You all saw Uncle Bob!  So cool.  I can't wait to see his Gold Mine! 88 years old and still kickin' too.  I guess that is what the mountains do for you.  Clean air, clean living. I am going to be so happy to see some mountains in two years.  This place is as flat as a pancake.  No wonder there are so many natural disasters out here in the east.  But I am sure Brian loved the mountains too.  The lack of technology was probably good for him.  haha.

 

We we’re in the city this morning to go check on our former investigator Breelaun and we got to do a workout with him as well.  Man is that guy in shape.  He is in the process of preparing for baptism and he is SO ready.  He wants us to be part of his baptism too. So he is doing great! 

 

Nelson came to church again so that was awesome!  He even got up and bore his testimony in 3rd hour about how the missionaries have helped him get his life back on track and how he is regaining his relationship with God.   So we are trying hard we him to get him to be baptized but his schedule is INSANE.  He is only in his mid-20s and he has like 4+ brothers and sisters to support here and in Africa.  I don't know how he survives like that.  He really inspires us whenever we meet with him.  So it will take some time.  But I know he will be baptized.  

 

The Leadership Broadcast was the best!  I am glad you got to see it.  The fire in the ward is growing and we as missionaries are calling and texting the ward members as much as we can throughout the day challenging them and building their trust.  They have really started to the love and trust the missionaries now and with our new ward mission leader (who has only been home from his mission for 6 months) the fire rises! So we will hopefully be getting some lessons with members and their friends now and more often.  We are very excited and I am doing all I can to make sure Elder Kuddes stays pumped too.  I don't want him to die out on me for his last three weeks.  Ha-ha.  Dang... I cannot believe he goes home so soon.  That is kinda freaky.  But He has been a great companion.  I have and am learning a ton from him and the Lord has been teaching me a lot of patients along with other Christ-like attributes.  

I am excited to see all the new stuff take action.  Facebook!?!  So cool.  And doing church tours will be way fun too.  So everything is going great here!  As for training.. I have no idea what will happen next transfer.  Depends on what president will do.  So I guess we will see soon enough! 

 

Well thanks for the wonderful e-mail Dad.  I love you and am so happy you and Mom got married and sealed together so that We All can be together forever.  It's the greatest blessing I think of that Heavenly Father has given us.  I hope all is well and I send my love to the whole family!

 

Anyway, that's it folks.  I love you all and hope EVERYONE is doing well!

 

Love,

 

Elder Farley

 

Ps: I can't believe Chloe Wells is going on a mission!  She will be near the DC south mission and my mission!  Super cool!  Little turkey didn't even tell me she was putting in her papers! Ha-ha

The Work Continues!

Hello!!

 

So this week has been pretty great.  We had to drop a lot of people who were investigators but we are working hard to pick up formers and also have received a few nice referrals!  The ward has been feeding us almost everyday, which is unheard of in this area usually, and we are becoming great friends with all of them!  Even the old people who are like 30+ and are suppose to be in family wards ;) ha-ha.  So the ward is doing well for the most part, they just need to give us their friends to teach.  One member who is just here for the summer has brought Breelaun, a new investigator, to church twice and will this week as well.  We have taught him two lessons and he is the BEST!  We go into DC to teach him at his gym which he is tied down with because he just opened it up!  The guy is great though.  He is a trainer and he is doing this cycle workout that is low impact and I love it.  He invited us to go for free since we are his new friends and we got to do a workout early this morning while the Washington Post came by and did a photo shoot and while one of the writers for the Post did the workout with us.  It was cool.  I got interviewed too!  I am pretty sure we are not really suppose to as missionaries but I didn't see any harm.  Plus I had to talk up Breelaun!  So look for me in the Washington Post Newspaper soon :) 

 

Anyway, so the work is going well.  Tough, because of the 18-30 singles age limit, but good.  We are having another great transfer and expect miracles to come our way.  Elder Kuddes and I have even been doing a lot of biking around and near campus just talking to people and trying to meet singles.  Ha-ha, that sounds kinda funny from a missionary point of view.  But its what we have to do!  Oh, and funny story: Elder Kuddes and I were in a full day rain shower on our bikes just getting soaked trying to go find former investigators and as we were riding a truck hit this big puddle of water and it was seriously a 5-6ft wave of water that engulfed Elder Kuddes!  I was laughing so hard!  It was even in slow motion to me.  I knew it was going to happen as soon as the truck was coming toward us.  We he was covered in dirt/water.  Good times as a missionary.  Besides getting soaked it has been HOT!  I walk outside and I am like already drenched.  But lotion isn't required which is nice. 

 

Oh, and Mom and Dad.  The Haulocust Museum is the best.  Seriously the most interesting and humbling place I have been.  It might be my favorite museum.  Elder Little and I went through the whole thing together learning about the Nazi's rise to power and how Hitler took over and stuff.  I scares me for our own countries outcome.  Especailly looking at history and how things like this continue to happen.  Even in the Book of Mormon we see the same things with the people becoming wicked.  Wow... crazy stuff.  But on a happier note I am almost done with the Book of Mormon :)  I took the 60 day challenge and will be done around the end of the month!  Yay! 

 

So thats about all!  Everything is going great and I love missionary work! :)  I am so happy to be a part of God's army!  Love you lots and hope all is well!

 

Love,

 

Sean

Staying at the University of Maryland!

Hey Mom!

So yes, we have been having quite the weather. It rains a lot then it gets super hot and humid.  These white shirts I feel will not be so white in two years from now!  Ha-ha.  But thanks for the new one!  I really was happy to have a replacement after I had the pen explosion in the other!  Stupid crap pens!  Oh well.  

Wow.  Sounds like a busy June this year!  But busy is a good thing. And the weather sounds intense there.  It was about 96 degrees a week ago one day.  It was crazy hot and also humid so it felt like... infinity degrees! Ha-ha but I also never need lotion since the air provides that for me.  Its great!  I will probably wither away when I get back to that desert air. 

So this week we would have had some baptisms coming up but they all kind of fell off the map.  Bummer for the area. But we just picked up a new investigator who is amazing!  He was brought to church by a member two weeks ago and came this last Sunday to church again!  He accepted to take the missionary discussions and he even called us and asked if he could be a member and be baptized!!  Holy Miracles, right?  I am so excited!  We meet with him in DC tomorrow!  So that is the good news here!  

Also, today was transfers and Elder Kuddes and I get to stay together!!! YAY!  We are both very happy.  We had an awesome last transfer and he hopes to have an even better one to finish out the mission.  I can't believe he dies after this transfer and in 6 weeks I get to kill him :) Yay me!  (Once again... not literally.  Here in DC we "kill" our missionaries instead of just sending them home.  That would be boring!)  Oh and Elder Stoor, one of the missionaries in our district, left and his old companion Elder Loveless and is training now!  Also a sister in our district is training as well!  So, I am no longer the youngin' around here.  It feels good to be young, but not the baby :)  

Also today was the last transfers with the Matsumoris. It was weird.  Sad because they were leaving but also very wonderful because we all were happy for them having served a great mission here.  We all sang our mission song and then sang a third verse the APs gave us.  The M's were in tears and so were most of us! (Not me because Big Girls Don't Cry ;) )  Ha-ha so we had a great transfer meeting!  And we even gave the M's hugs!  So it was a good goodbye.   I am excited to see who and how the new President will be.  He gets here the first of July I think.

Well, all is going great out here!  I love you all and hope everything and everyone is doing well! 

Love,

Sean

P.S. I loved the package!  Thanks again!  I got the stationary too!  Love the colors this time!  Tell GM thanks for the stamps too!  I love protein so I vote for that in my packages :)  I am going on a no sugar diet!!  Got to stay fit! 

Tell Brian his beard and hair look legit and that I hope he does great at camp and football camp too!

Night of Music and Inspiration

Hello my family and friends!

This week has been a blur!  I feel like I was just writing my e-mail last week.  Today we were able to go to the Temple for our trip we take every 6 weeks, the week right before transfers!  This transfer went by crazy fast too.  But the Temple trip was really great.  I love going to the Temple and plan on going ALL THE TIME when I get back to school in Rexburg.  I feel silly almost for wasting all the opportunities I had to go and chose not to.  But I guess that is one of the many things the mission has changed in me. We also went to the Temple Visitors Center on Sunday for the "Night of Music and Inspiration".  It was really fun!  We had a power outage because of a big storm so the big theater didn't work.  So last minute we had to pull a piano out of a back room and set up a bunch of chairs and put them out for everyone right in the middle of the Visitor's Center!  It was hectic but fun.  The scary thing was that we had so many people packed in and no microphones.  So we were pretty much told to BELT our songs.  It went well and Elder Peterson, my MTC buddy, and I sang "A Child's Prayer."  Everyone complemented us so I guess we did okay.  Ha-ha.  I don't know why I have had so many opportunities to sing so far on my mission.  I feel like Grandma is praying for me to sing a lot ;)  And I never refuse to sing because in D&C it says something about losing our talents that the Lord gives us so... I don't want to lose my voice! 

Anyway, we have had a little bit of bad luck with our many investigators on date who have either stopped meeting with us or just fell off the face of the earth.  So Satan is working hard on them.  So I guess I am just going to have to work harder to beat him!  We received a couple new referrals and also a new investigator who is really solid, so we should hopefully be getting a lot more people towards coming to church and more baptisms as well!  Besides that not too much has happened.  The singles ward is a little tougher in the summer when people go home from school or are just out of town a lot.  However, the work goes on and the ward is surprisingly feeding us quite a bit!!  So that is a big plus.  I guess they like us or something :)

Well... that's about it for the week.  I have to get going anyway.  Thanks everyone for the support through e-mails, letters, packages, and especially the prayers.  I love you all. 

Love,

Sean

P.S.  I love the package you sent it was awesome!