Happy Birthday (November 2)

Monday, October 27, 2014

Hola!

Thank you for the birthday wishes! GIANTSS!! (This is before the World Series win.)

I knew you wouldnt let down mom. You definitely should be working for the CIA. (I found his new companion's mom and sister on Facebook.)  That's really cool that you and his mom have a few things in common. (We both are converts and joined the Church fairly soon after graduating from high school and Elders McFarland and Killian are both the youngest boys in the family.) Elder Killian is a cool dude.

We had a lot of work this week. We found a new family Tuesday and taught them lesson 2 and tonight we are going to teach lesson 1 so we`ll see what happens! We`re excited. We also taught a lady that Elder Durham and I had talked to a few times on the street but never got a chance to actually teach her. She has a baptismal date for the 16th but she`s going to have to make some changes in her life first. Blaz came to church, only for one hour but at least he came. He was sick earlier in the week though so we weren't able to teach him. Nancy and Sergio didn't come but Mierta did! Also Arminda unfortunately wasn't able to get baptized this week. There were some concerns and then Bishop never got a chance to talk to her and get to know her so he wanted to postpone it. It was kind of a weird situation but Bishop talked to her yesterday and we feel like she's ready so I`m almost sure she should get baptized this weekend! It`d be kind of  cool if it was Sunday on my birthday! (Make sure to read the blog post for November 3rd.) 

Tuesday, Elder Killian said that was the most lessons he`s had in a day in months.  Then at the end of the week he said it's been his best week on his mission in terms of the work so that made me feel really good. I`m obviously new and have only had one other companion and I've been in the same area so I have nothing else to base my work off of but after hearing that I felt a lot better about the work Elder Durham and I did the last two transfers. We didn't meet our goals but we worked hard and left a lot of work for Elder Killian and I to continue.  Elder Killian is awesome and is loving the area and the members and the members love him so I think it's going to be a really good transfer with a lot of work.

Elders McFarland and Durham with

Hermano Rivero, the Elders Quorum President and

Jose Luis, the Ward Mission Leader

Thanks again for the birthday wishes! We`re going over to the Berrondos for lunch and then I'm not sure what we`ll do after that but I`ll let you know how it is! I miss you and love you guys!

Love
Elder McFarland

A New Companion - Elder Killian

Monday, October 20, 2014

Hey!

So yes today was transfers and as we expected Elder Durham left and he´s now in Burzaco, in the Adrogue zone, which is where we did tramites and it's super nice there. But unlike I thought, my new companion is another American! haha. His name is Elder Killian, and he's from Las Vegas.  He has been in the mission for 18 months! Sorry Mom, we don't have any pictures together yet, but I´ll make sure to send one next week! Although knowing you, you´ll know everything about him by then haha. (Yes I accept the challenge.)  To be honest, I'm a little bummed because it was going to be hard having a Latin companion, but it would have helped my Spanish a lot. So, my Spanish won't progress as fast as it would have, but at the same time I suppose it´ll be nice having another American companion and so far he seems really cool. It really suprised me though.  I don't know how often, if ever really, a North American goes his first three transfers in the field without a Latin companion. Most of the missionaries, or at least the ones getting transferred, met at the Stake Center in Banfield for the transfer meeting.  It was pretty good, but to be honest, it made me a little trunkie (homesick) haha. It's definitely going to be weird the first couple of days with a new companion after being with Elder Durham for almost 3 months. Thank Elder Durham's Mom for me, for raising such a great son because he was an awesome trainer and friend to me and she should be proud of him and the missionary he is! (Elder Durham's Mom & I are Facebook friends). We probably could have done more but, I feel like we did a lot and worked hard the past two transfers. Now me and Elder Killian should have a lot of work to continue.

Jorge and Gladys read the Book of Mormon but still don't come to church. Nothing has changed with Manuel and Claudia, but Sunday was El Dia de Madre (Mother's Day) here so we had lunch with them which was actually a lot of fun. Feliz Dia de Madre Mom! Arminda was set to get baptized but we talked to the Bishop and because it was El Dia de Madre he thought it´d be better to do it this next Sunday so more people can come. So it sucks for Elder Durham but he might come back for it.

So, this Saturday, Arminda will be getting baptized.

Nancy, Sergio and Mierta came to church yesterday!!!

Also in the picture is Gimena, who is a member of the Ward.

We dropped the hammer pretty hard on Saturday but with love and I don't know if it was that or because it was Elder Durham's last Sunday or both but they finally came! The first time they´ve come (besides Mierta) since I´ve arrived, so that was encouraging and made us pretty happy but now we need to help make sure they keep coming! We weren't able to meet with Blaz this week and he didn't come to church but we´re going to visit him tomorrow so hopefully he will keep progressing. So Elder Killian and I have a lot to do with our current investigators and visiting the less actives!

That's great that Kiersten (Elder McFarland's sister) was able to come home (from Idaho) for a couple days and go with you to Erika's bridal shower.  Weird to think you guys are planning for Scott (Elder McFarland's oldest brother) & Erika's wedding and reception! I'm getting more sad thinking that I'll miss it, but it's okay.  I'm just excited for them!

GIANTS (going to the World Series)!! That's so sick!!

I love and miss you guys!!

Love

Elder McFarland

Julia & Goyo who have been baptized for about a year now with

Hermano LaRosa who is a relatively new convert as well.

The Last Week With Elder Durham

Monday, October 13, 2014

Hey!

Haha.  That's sick the Sharks beat the Kings (opening night, in LA)!!!

The weather here is slowly starting to get warmer. I'm definitely not looking forward to summer. lolz We never cook. Well this past week we actually made empanadas!! They were actually pretty good too!! Other than that, we never cook. I`m so tired of eggs because I eat three hard boiled eggs every morning and then at night we don't really have dinner.  We used to make pizzas but we got tired of that haha.

This week we did inter cambios (exchanges) with the Zone Leaders.  Elder Davis went with me and we stayed in Quilmes 3. Then Friday it rained all day and Elder Durham's feet where wet all day so he got sick and then I got sick but we`re feeling better today.

Manuel and Claudia still have no idea about they`re marriage papers but they`re still going strong. Manuel got a new job that pays a lot better. They have to move out of their place by the 20th but I think they have a place to move into. We taught Jorge and Gladys about the Sabbath Day being holy but they run a fruit stand and they say it has to be open on Sunday.  It's hard.  I understand where they`re coming from with their fruit stand, but they just need to have faith and trust in God to not have it open on Sundays and to come to church. Blaz is a boss.  He came to church again yesterday and is in the process of making some changes in his life. Arminda should be gettting baptized this Saturday! We have a couple more lessons with her covering the commandments and then it's just the baptismal interview! We do have some investigators that aren't progressing in the Gospel and I'm really lost as to what to do with them.

This week we`re going to be busy visiting our investigators and then just a lot of people so Elder Durham can say goodbye. Transfers are next Monday and  he`s been here for 6 months so there's almost no way he`ll stay. I'm really nervous about my new companion.  He will most definitely be a Latin companion so this next transfer is probably going to be hard, but it`ll be good for my Spanish.

 I love you guys and miss you!

General Conference

Monday, October 6, 2014

Hola!
Tuesday we had interviews with the President Thurgood. He alternates between doing interviews and Zone Conferences for each transfer. The next Zone Conference he`s going to do something special or something for Christmas so we are going to have interviews again in 6 weeks. I got some mail that had been sent (mail goes to the Mission Office, not to his apartment). I forgot to write down who wrote me and I don't remember all of them off the top of my head so I`ll have to have you thank them for me next week.

This week we set a baptismal date for Blaz and Arminda for the 18th of October. I think Blaz's baptism will have to get set back but Arminda is definitely ready. She came to all four sessions of General Conference with us. We're still teaching Jorge and Gladys and we have to get them to come to church. Still not really sure what's going to happen with Manuel and Claudia, and if we`ll be able to baptize them before the end of the transfer. Mierta and Nancy.. well we had an awesome lesson with them Thursday. We talked about their love for Jesus Christ and asked if they loved Jesus Christ enough to make some changes in their life. The spirit was super strong and they committed to it but.. they weren't able to do it. So we went Friday and recommitted them but then we couldn't get a hold of them by phone and with everything going on we haven't had a chance to visit with them. So I think there are going to continue to be some roadblocks. But we have 6 people that should be baptized in the next month or so, so we have a lot of work to do teaching them and preparing them for their baptisms.

We went to the Stake Center in Avellaneda to watch General Conference. We were able to watch it in English in a different room with other missionaries from the United States so that was really nice. We weren't able to watch the Priesthood session which was disappointing, but man General Conference was absolutely amazing! To be honest I think it was the first General Conference I've sat down and watched all four sessions live and man have I been missing out. I don't know if it's because it's the first time I've watched all four sessions or if it's because I'm on my Mission but I thought this General Conference was one of the best. Probably a little of both. haha. I loved it. I had 3 rather specific questions/concerns before watching it and they were all answered. I think it's also the first time I`ve done that but I can truly bear witness now and testify of the power to receive personal revelation during General Conference. I`ve never been more spiritually uplifted and edified in my life. It was like talk after talk answered my questions or just brought me peace and comfort or taught me something new. I`ve tried to think of a favorite talk but I just can`t do it. haha. I think the best I can do is maybe narrow it down to my top 5. I`d probably have to say my top 5 talks were:

Elder Lynn G. Robbins - Which Way Do You Face? 
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/which-way-do-you-face?lang=eng
I think my favorite part was where he talked about knowing which way we face and how we must not fear man.

Presidnet Dieter F. Uchtdof  - Receiving a Testimony of Light & Truth https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/receiving-a-testimony-of-light-and-truth?lang=eng

Elder Jorg Klebingat - Approaching the Throne of God With Confidence https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/approaching-the-throne-of-god-with-confidence?lang=eng
His talk was sick! He just threw it down and dropped the hammer sentence after sentence. haha. It was awesome.

Elder Richard G. Scott - Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/make-the-exercise-of-faith-your-first-priority?lang=eng
The talk is about 4 tools to help us use the atonement to make us more happy (Prayer, Scripture Study, Family Home Evening & Temple Attendance)

Elder Carlos A. Godoy - The Lord Has a Plan for Us! 
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/the-lord-has-a-plan-for-us?lang=eng

I`m bummed I left my notebook in the apartment and I can't remember a lot off the top of my head right now so I`ll have to write more about it next week but needless to say I enjoyed conference a lot. Absolutely loved it and I was super sad when it was over. I can't wait 6 months until the next one. That's so awesome to see all of you guys together for it and that you saw Sister Maria Pribyl (his friend Elder Victor Pribyl's Mom). I'm not going to lie, the pictures made me a little homesick but it's okay. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

It was cool to hear all about the sports updates haha.

Today we went to the Stake Center and played soccer and had a little BBQ so that was pretty fun.

I love you guys and miss you!!

Love Elder McFarland