Pedicures!!

Hey Mom!

It's great to hear from you and Dad! I always love the weekly update from you both.  Sounds like things are going good, besides GM and GP being sick.  Tell them I love then a lot and hope they get well soon! Can't wait for another Tripoly night ;) haha

That is SO awesome that the Stake was able to hear from Elder Holland!  He is a boss... Sounds like he had a great talk.  It's cool to talk to President about some of the apostles since he has met many (probably most) of them.  He doesn't think Elder Holland is as intense as the others, but I think he seems pretty serious haha!  And what!?!? Landon got to speak during it?! What a champ :) crazy to know he has completed his missionary service!

This last week was great because we got to go to the Temple have this week a little more open for finishing up all the last details for transfers!  President was able to get almost all the Visitor Center Sisters and all the Elders interviewed this week as well.  We only have one more day of interviews which should only last a couple hours and then we have a week and the newbies come in!! Craziness!!! What a fast transfer so far.  Elder Malugin is great to be around and to learn from!  He cracks me up, especially when he tries to convert me to the U of U and to Sigma Chi (his fraternity he is a part of).  We have a good time working together and with President.

Today we went with one of the Senior Sisters and with the Kentlands Elders (Loveless & Johnson) to get Pedicures!!! Haha everyone was super sketched about going, but I convinced them that it was going to be great! No more destroyed toes! :) everyone is converted to it now.  So that was really nice of Sister Connell.  She even took us out to lunch too!  She is a great example of sharing the gospel with everyone.  Today she was following up with all the Vietnamese people that worked there and asking, "How much have you read in the Book of Mormon?" and "How are you liking the Book of Mormon?" with even a few "WHY are you NOT reading the Book of Mormon?!" Haha so she is a great example even to the missionaries.

Currently in the mission we are reading the Book of Mormon and plan on finishing at the end of the next transfer.  It is always very fun for me to have a challenge to finish the Book of Mormon is a certain time period.  Reading the Book of Mormon (and of course the Bible/Doctrine & Covenants) is such a blessing for me.  I feel like it is really the greatest way for me to keep my feet planted in the gospel.  When I study and pray with diligence and sincerity, The Spirit of God is much more prevalent in my daily life.  I know that it is the word of God because when I read it I want to change... I want to get better... I want to be more like my Savior. Throughout my short life I feel like I am very blessed for the things I already know.  No matter how much I might mess up or how many things I might fail and fall short of, I know that there is repentance and I, along with everyone, have a chance to be forgiven.  I have the truth and I must share it.  I hope that anyone who has the chance to read this, not matter where they are in their lives, know that they can become a better person!  The gospel of Jesus Christ is designed for not just one, or two, but for ALL.  I love that truth... It keeps me going everyday!

I hope everything is going great Momma!  I love and miss you :) tell everyone I say hi.  Keep sharing your amazing testimony with others and invite them to church!

Love your boy,

Sean

Time with the Kazakhstan Missionaries

Hey Moms!

Thanks for the email! Sounds like it was a great week for the family!  That is super funny about meeting at the same ward building Brian is.  What a cool place to be on a mission! I am super excited for him :)

And you get to hear from Elder Holland?!? That is so awesome!! I loved having the opportunity to hear from Elder Ballard this year... It was so great to see how he was still down-to-earth, even though he is an Apostle of the Lord.  It always strengthens my testimony to see these amazing men who hold these sacred callings, be so willing to do all they can to serve each person they interact with.  They act so much like I imagine the Savior would be like.  Let me know how that goes!!

Here in the best mission in the history of life we are having a great time.  President Cooke, Elder Malugin and I have all been working hard to keep the ball rolling and we are seeing a lot of progress.   In each missionary's email to President they are explaining all the success they are having.  We don't see the letters, of course, but President let's us know how the mission is doing overall.  Being around the missionaries we usually get a better idea... And it seems that EVERYONE is seeing miracles and success from obedience and diligence in striving for 20 lessons each week :D

Oh! We also brought an elder in who came back to the states from his mission in Moscow, Russia to go get some passport work done in DC.  He is going to be one of the 10 elders who serve in Kazakhstan! We sent him off on Saturday night at the Washington Dulles International Airport... Which was where Elder Malugin and I flew into the mission- so that was a fun experience!

 We have 2 1/2 weeks left for the transfer(which is CRAZY!!) and this week we also have our departing missionary temple trip! It got bumped ahead a week because the temple is closed for about 4 weeks following this week.

Today was really fun since we spent it in the city with Brother Weitzner and the Cooke family.  We went to the Spy museum and then went to an Italian restaurant called Carmine's(which is SUPER good).  It was fun being able to catch up with Bro. W. and also to spend time with the Cooke family.

Not a TON to update on for you, sorry.  But I am having a great time out here and loving every second.  It is really a blessing for me to spend this time out here.  Time seems non-existent almost.  It goes so fast that I can't really understand it!  It's a blessing I will always be grateful for and it's even greater to know Brian is doing it too :)

Keep up the preach my gospel reading, and keep working hard with the missionaries!  The elect are out there... And we are going to FIND THEM! Love and miss you!

Love,

Elder Sean Farley

High Speed Mission Life!

Seeing the language mission Elder's off! 

Hey Moms!

Thanks for the updates each week- it really is nice to be able to hear how the whole family is doing :)  I saw those pictures of Dad and the Bachman men at the Old Time photo place in Durango.  Looks like it could be an old western gang... the LB gang ha-ha.  It is also good to hear Brian is getting to Cali TOMORROW!  Talk about a fast six weeks!  I am super excited for him to get with a trainer and help TONS of people come closer to Christ!

This past week has been really interesting because President has had his whole family in town.  Howard was home for the week to spend his week off before going back to school at the U.  He ran a Sparta race in Virginia with his little brother, Joe.  With all the family in town we had time to catch up on some work with the iPads and other mission updating!  This upcoming week is packed with interviews and exchanges with President and other missionary companionships!  Our mission is so high-speed!  We have Facebook, iPads, online areabooks and planners, and we are also doing a Family History initiative!  Of course it's because we are the best mission in the history of life with the most obedient and diligent missionaries (not pride, just the truth ha-ha)!  Anyway, it should be a very productive and exciting week.

Elder Malugin and I have been having a great time together and are really enjoying the time we have to spend around President and assisting him in Hastening the Work of Salvation.  It is such a blessing to be able to work with the missionaries throughout the mission.  I learn so much from the elders and sisters who have dedicated this time in  their lives to serve the Lord in this duty to share His message.  Being around them helps me see that there really is nothing better that I could be doing at this point in my life than serving here in DC/Maryland.  Isn't the Gospel just the best?? Whenever I get distracted by the world it is always so great to take a step back and think about my family and the chance we have to be together forever.  Honestly, what is better than knowing that?!  It is really good to hear about how you and Dad are reading from PMG and of course being involved in the missionary work in the ward.  I hope and pray that the missionaries and members there will be able to mesh and work in unison- aiding the Lord in finding His lost sheep.  I KNOW that the work of God is hastening and that these latter-days are truly the last days preparing for the return of our Savior.  The key to keeping up with this work is to work together.  The missionaries and members must be one! Missionaries need to work hard and trust in the members and the members must trust the missionaries in their sacred calling (which they have been set apart to do) and to also aid them in teaching and testifying!  On my mission, the best lessons I have ever had, have been when we are teaching in the home of a member with them testifying of the things that we teach the investigators!! It's the best.  I hope you and the family (and everyone, really) keep looking for chances to teach and ask the missionaries to come teach friends, neighbors and family!  I know and can promise you that Heavenly Father will place people in your paths.  I see it everyday :) We realize very little concerning the involvement of the Lord in our lives...  He is working people in and out of our lives allowing us to affect them and them to affect us- all we have to do is be the best people we can be and "let (our) light shine!"

I love you mom!  Tell everyone I miss and love them- you are the best , thanks for everything :)

Love your son,

Elder Sean B Farley

Best Mission in the History of Life!

Hey mom!

Can you believe we are halfway through this month?! Time is flying! It was really cool to hear that you saw Landon now that he is back from his mission.  Tell him that I say hi :) but the thing that is really trippy to me is hearing that Caiside has finished her first week at Ladera!! That's what I am talking about! I was there 11 years ago!  Elementary alumi represent! Give her a big hug from uncle Sean.

Sounds like life at home is still exciting no matter what time of the year or who is home!  Oh, and thank you for the packy! We love our ties!  Funny thing about those Stance socks... Former AP/Elder Miyasaki is the brother to the guy who started that company!  Pretty cool, right?

This week the Cooke's oldest son, Howard, is back for a week!  He is a great guy and plans on playing some basketball with us this P-day and maybe some early morning lifting as well!  He will be running a Sparta race over in Virginia as well. This last weekend we also had a visit from the Miyasaki family so that was a great reunion for everyone.

This past week we had Zone Training Meetings and now this week we are a little more free to get everything scheduled for interviews, Specialized Training, iPad checks, and even transfers... It's a never ending process. Haha

Elder Malugin and I are working together great and we are loving the time we have to be with President and all the rest of the missionaries!  Since we are part of the "Best Mission in the History of Life," we also have the Best Missionaries in the History of Life.  With the leadership of the mission, and under the direction of President Cooke, this mission is always moving forward and striving to be the most diligent and obedient mission ever.  (Side note to the world:  we challenged the DC south mission to a football game, but the denied our invitation... But I guess I would too if I saw elders Tavana, Herring, Bodda and Thornton on one team! Haha!)

It's funny/scary to see how fast the weeks go by. Writing emails is spread apart but each week goes faster and faster.  I honestly love all of it... The good, the bad, the hard and the hardest times are all worth it.  I look around at the world and I see so much potential!  There is heartache and sadness all over as people strive to find happiness with the temporal things of this earth.  Satan is working extra hard and is distracting so many people with things that will not last.  Our challenge is to share the lasting happiness we have with others :) then their potential will become reality, allowing them to receive the same blessing we have.  I love talking about the truth!  I am grateful for the courage Heavenly Father has given me as I have just taken the step of faith to talk with others.  I know that if I can do it, then anyone can.

I hope you are still reading PMG along with your regular scripture study! Keep pushing yourself to learn everyday and share your testimony :) I feel like I repeat myself a lot, but I uses it's mainly because my feelings will never change about learning and sharing the Gospel.  I love you and miss you Mom... And I can't wait to be with you and all the family again.

Love you lots!

Your boy,

Elder Farley

Two Weeks in One

Elder Malugin, Loveless & Farley

Dear Momma,

First off, thank you for being so patient with me in responding!  I feel really bad about last week and not sending a real email to you and the family.  We are always busy(which is of course GOOD) and so it just seems like we never have time for anything besides taking care of the mission.  However, I promise I will do better in prioritizing my mother first with my p-day time!

Lets see... where to start?  These last two weeks have felt like two days!  With transfers, a new assistant, getting our car towed and all the other miscellaneous things, it has just been flying by.  Elder Malugin and I are having an awesome time together.  He is super fun to be around and we have a lot of similar interest.  He, like many other missionaries, loves playing basketball and is very good!  Obviously that is one thing I am not good at, at all!  But he also loves to lift and so we get some good workouts when we have time to workout. :)  Too bad my elbow(or wrist/or shoulder) is still semi messed up so when I get home we will have to figure that out.

Anyway,  we have Zone Training Meetings this week and we are also going "air-mobile" with President Cooke!!  It is always great being around the Cooke Family and being able to work closely with them.  We are still working hard to support all the missionaries to teach 20 lessons a week, whether that be to an investigator, less-active member, or even and active member of the ward.  We have already seen so many miracles from the elders and sisters who have truly taken on this challenge and worked with all their hearts to succeed.  The members who are being taught are more excited to learn and to reach out to friends!  In fact,  Elizabeth Cooke(the youngest daughter of the Cooke family) built up the courage just a few days ago to ask her friend if she would be willing to learn from the missionaries!! What a boss, right?!  She was nervous, anxious and worried- just as we all are... but when she went forward with faith, knowing that Heavenly Father would support her, she was able to invite and succeed in doing so!! That is all we are asked to do... simply: invite.  I hope everyone who reads this can learn from the example of the youth of the church.  It is the duty of us ALL... no one is excluded because of race, age, or for any circumstance!  Everyone can invite one way or another :)

Mom, I love the gospel so much! I am so grateful for Heavenly Father and the great plan of happiness.  I am so happy that we can be together forever :)  The best TRUTH that I have heard, which I know.  I love you and miss you!  Thank you for all of your support, love and prayers.  I can feel them and I will continue to pray for you and of course for Brian!

Love your son,

Sean

A Wider Circle

Hey Mom, 


Thanks for the email! I always love hearing from you, Dad and the family.  I am so glad everyone is doing well and especially Brian!  It still is weird to me that he is doing what I am doing already!  Well... Kind of- he still has to get back to the states after the MTC experience. :)

Happy Birthday to Caiside!  Sounds and looks(on FB) like she had a great party.  She is such a cute (big) girl!  That is so great that you were able to see Danny, Jessica and the kids.  Tell them all hi for me!  I miss them! 

Today, for our p-day, we had a service project at "A Wider Circle."  It is a organization that a man named Mark started to help fight against poverty.  The organization brings in all sorts of home items like: beds, couches, lamps, desks, and even clothes!  Then anyone who would like to come in gets little stickers with their names on them and go around and pick out the things they would like to bring home.  Many of these people don't have anywhere in their homes to eat, relax or sleep besides the floor.  It felt so great to do service for others and to see how the benefited from the work we did.  Every missionary there seemed to enjoy the service and had a wonderful time!  It makes so much sense to me why the Savior taught us to serve; because when you are doing it you help others, and in return you feel happier! Worries you have before seem to go away and your love increases for those you serve.  There is no losing! Ha-ha

Now that interviews are over we are pretty happy!  Partly because we don't have to be in one spot for so long, but mainly because we are done with the big switch on each missionaries iPads to the churches new supervising software for the apple devices.  The downside is that there are TONS of problems!! So now everyone is giving their iPads to us and having us fix them... But we are waiting for Salt Lake to get back to us on the problems.  So a little stress, but nothing overwhelming.  The crazy part is that transfers is almost here!!  Honestly, it feels like I have only been with Loveless for MAYBE two weeks.  So I will really be treasuring the last two weeks I have with him, because time is flying!

Isn't it interesting to look at how fast life goes?!  It really makes me think of how much our focus should be on the important things in life.  A lot of the people in the world are looking for happiness they can get RIGHT NOW(aka temporary happiness).  However, they are always looking... Never finding the happiness in life that is lasting. When we reach that point where we do find that happiness that remains, we know we have found the truth peace and joy of God.  Heavenly Father wants us all to be happy forever... The only way that is possible is through His Plan of Salvation. God wants us to be with our families forever!  The gospel just makes SO much sense! We are here in this (very short) mortality to learn and grow, so we should do so by staying close to the Lord and our families.  I am so thankful for the family we have and for the blessing of having the gospel in our lives.  Now our job is to endure to the end and share this everlasting gospel with all of our brothers and sisters! 

I love and miss you!  Can't wait for all of our family to be together again, but until then- be safe, healthy, happy and share the good word!! <3 <3

Love your boy,

Sean/ Elder Farley

Zone Conferences - "The Sacredness of Our Callings"

Hey Mom,

Sounds like it has been an interesting turn around without Brian at the house!  I like the Senior wall pictures in the hall at home... It is crazy to see that.  I remember when we lived in California and I used to look at Summer's Senior picture on the wall and I wanted to have one so bad.  Now I look at it and realize how long ago that was... not THAT long ago, but its been over two years! haha- weird. 

I am excited for Caiside!! Holy Cow!! 5 years old!  That is madness... she is growing up fast.  Give a big hug from me and tell her "HAPPY BIRTHDAY from Uncle Sean!"

This past week we had Zone Conference with all 4 zones in the mission.  We had a workshop that we gave on "The Sacredness of our Callings"(/Polishing ourselves as missionaries).  It was really fun to give the training for the whole mission.  We had a pretty sweet PowerPoint presentation... even if I did make it myself! ha-ha :)  We also had a really long, but awesome presentation of how the majority of the sicknesses/illnesses we have on our missions are all because of stress.  I learned a lot about how being mentally strong can improve and diminish almost all stress related illnesses that we get. We also watched Sister Cooke's slide-show that she made(she puts one together for each zone conference of all the pictures that the missionaries email to her).  Elder Parlogean had been working on the new District 3 video, which is a mock video of the MTC training videos, District 1 & 2.  The videos started with the Matsumori's and used to be made by the APs.  Now Elder Parlogean is making them and using Elders and Sisters in the mission to act in it.  They have improved a TON over the years, and Elder P. did a super money job.  That will be on YouTube soon.

This upcoming week we have interviews (meaning interviews by President to each of the missionaries to see how they are in their areas with their companions).  Elder Loveless and I will be updating all the software on the missionaries iPads and making sure their AreaBook Planner is all up-to-date.  So that will be a ton of work, but we are stoked anyway!  Their is a lot of catching up to do with little tasks and follow-up items along with our daily visits with President to see how missionaries are doing in their areas and going on exchanges with them.  This transfer we have really made a big push to be out and about with President on the road, going "Air-mobile!"  I am loving all the work we are doing and even more than that, I love seeing how well all the missionaries are doing in their areas.  This transfer the whole mission has been doing SO great in their proselyting work that everyone just seems to be happy and excited... IT'S THE BEST! 

We had a really amazing opportunity this week to go with President to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and give a couple people blessings.  The building(s) are HUGE and the entire medical center is on HUGE base.  Getting on the base is always fun because President is usually in the back and we pull up and show the guards his military ID and say, "the General is in the back." then they salute him and we are good to go!! It is great.  Once we were in we followed President around and made our way to one of the upper floors in the Eagle Zone (part of the medical center).  There we searched and found a 23 year old woman who had just had brain surgery.  Her father was one of the Chaplin on a different base who asked for us to go over and give her a blessing.  I had the chance to anointed her with oil, while President gave her a wonderful blessing.  It was really humbling to see her so helpless as she laid their fighting to overcome the battle between life and death.  It really opened my eyes to how blessed I am to be healthy and also how blessed we all are to have the Priesthood power of God on the earth today in His church.  After the blessing I felt much more peace as we left her to rest and recover.  Following her blessing we went to follow-up with a woman that President talked to the week before down at the Subway in the food court(which is also on the Medical Center's base).  She told President Cooke that her husband had had his leg crushed by a Humvee.  He continued to talk to her about our church and who we were, asking is she would like us to give her husband a blessing.  She said yes and we told her that we would be back another day to perform it.  When we came in the following week(this last Saturday) she was in the room with her husband and her in-laws.  They all looked a little surprised as we explained who we were and what we were there to do.  They were all thankful and welcoming to the blessing, so again President gave it.  The Spirit was so strong and it was really wonderful to see afterward how the family was much more open with us afterward and grateful for our visit.  The man that was blessed was now much more emotional and asked President what denomination we were a part of.  President Cooke explained that we were LDS and that our Temple was the big, beautiful white building of the 495/beltway.  He agreed to visit upon his recovery when President invited him and we all departed, full of the Holy Spirit. 

I love how much this Gospel is full of service to all of God's children.  It is designed to be the most unselfish and loving message in the world.  We have the Priesthood of God, which enables us to bless and heal just like Christ and his ancient apostles.  We have a message of Christ's perfect gospel which is on the earth today, run by imperfect people trying their best to become more like our Savior.  We go out and share what we believe so that our other brothers and sisters will have the opportunity to listen and accept it.  We need to remove the selfishness that keeps is from talking to everyone and sharing our testimonies and excitement about the Restored gospel to all the world.  If we all work together, this whole church, to reach out to our family and close friends... then we will see SO many people come unto the truth and SO many people receive all the blessings that our Father in Heaven has in store for them.  After all... what could be better than one of our spiritual siblings receiving the opportunity to repent and be freed from their sins and to feel the power of our Savior's infinite Atonement.  I love this Gospel... and I know that it is true!! 

Keep up the great work mom!  Keep reading PMG and the scriptures with dad and look for opportunities to invite people to hear from the missionaries!  They will come, I can promise you that... just have to keep looking :)

Love,

Elder Sean Farley