District Leader - Again

Monday, July 27, 2015

Hola Hola!

So this week was pretty interesting with some changes. The Bishopric (Bishop and 2 Counselors) in our ward changed. The Bishop was a good guy but I think he was kind of getting tired. I think it will be a good change. Also the new counselor, Demesio, does visits with us sometimes so I'm hoping with the changes we will be able to work with the ward leaders a little more. Also Jesus did't get the Priesthood, I think with all the changes going on last week, but we talked to the new Bishop and he said next week for sure. Also I don't know if I told you guys but Jesus and Maria are getting married next, Wednesday, August 5th and I think we`ll be able to go.

The interview with President Thurgood was good. The scripture covers! Yeah I knew last week I was forgetting something, but yes they fit and they`re awesome!! Thank you so much. It's nice to have scripture covers finally. I haven't gotten the ID card.

Cynthia is going to the capitol this week so we don't have a lesson with her until next Monday but Saturday in the morning we were able to stop by just for a few minutes and see how she was doing and if she read and prayed. She read a little but still hasn't prayed but she said she knows that what her boyfriend believes is good and she wants to learn more and perhaps in the future get baptized. So, I think when she returns and we can really start teaching her she`ll progress.

We don't have a baptism the 26th. Since our first lesson with that lady, Roxana, we haven't been able to have a lesson since.

But the good news is that we got a reference from a member and contacted him and he's super awesome. His name is Fabian Diaz and he's 19. He works in a Carniceria and lives alone. But he's really spiritual and wants to follow God and do the right. He went to institute with a girl once but with his work schedule it's hard. The good part is that he has Sundays off but just so happens that right now his boss is in Paraguay and left him in charge so for 2 weeks he has to work Sundays but after that he said he would come to church. We did begin teaching with him and read 2 Nephi 31:5, 9-10 and invited him to be baptized the 16th of August and he accepted! The bad news is that he won't be able to because of the attendance,  but we`ll set a new date with him. He's a super cool kid though. I feel like he's super prepared and ready to accept the Gospel. Also when we contacted him at his work, we did a contact with a lady buying meat who is Catholic but her niece and some family are Mormons and tonight we have a lesson with her.

The Hermana that doesn't understand the temple, we haven't been able to pass by much. She's older and so is her mom, and her dad is in bad health so they have to stay home taking care of him so it's almost impossible to come to church but we talked with the new Bishop and he said next week he's going to assign someone to take them the sacrament.

Also that's my blanket. Right before Elder Gonzalez got here, the mission gave us 500 pesos to buy a blanket if we wanted to. I'm not sure how I'll fit it when I leave but if I can I really want to take it, haha.

Also another change is that I'm District Leader (DL) again. One of the District Leaders got emergency transferred to an area to replace an Elder that went home, so my area and another area swapped districts and President Thurgood asked me to be DL. So my district is now Lanus 1A and Lanus 1B and El Faro. I have 4 Elders and 2 Hermanas. Not going to lie, it was a little more tranquilo not being DL and just being able to focus on training and our area but I enjoyed being DL at the same time because I learned a lot and liked the opportunity to serve. So it`ll be good. I hope all is well back home. Thanks for everything. Love you guys!

Love
Elder McFarland

The Package!!!!

Monday, July 20, 2015

Hola!
So this week was pretty interesting. There were lots of things going on. Three times this week we went over to Jesus´ house to help him fix it up and finish up two rooms but there's still a lot of work to be done. The good news is that Jesus and Maria are getting married August 5!! It's out of our area but I'm hopeful and pretty sure we should be able to go. It seems like after they get married, Maria and their baby will be living with Jesus if the house is done or not. Super awesome. I'm not sure what ended up happening yesterday, but Jesus didn't receive the priesthood. I'm not sure if the Bishopric just forgot or if something happened. I didn't have a chance to really ask or talk to Jesus about it but we have a lesson with them tomorrow. I think he should be getting it for sure next Sunday.

This week I think I ate something bad and my stomach was upset for a couple days but now it's fine. The good news is that in our mission we now get reimbursed after 300 pesos for vegetables and fruits. We get 1100 pesos a month so now it should hopefully be a little easier to eat healthier or that's the idea at least, haha.

This week we had to go to Burzaco for my tramites. Not really sure what happened but I renewed some form and now I just wait to receive my identification or something. I have no idea really but it's not a problem, haha.  It was awesome because Elder Durham (Elder McFarland's 1st companion) was there also that day with a companion and so we got to talk for a good while and I was grateful for that because it's probably the last time I see him in the mission since he goes home in 3 weeks. Then Friday my companion had to go to the capital for his visa or something so I spent the morning with another Elder.

So in terms of the work, it was somewhat hard because we had lots going on but we had some good lessons with some less actives. Really we have 0 progressing investigators so we are really focusing on finding new people and yesterday we received an answer to our prayers. We were doing visits with the Young Women's President to invite less active young men to an activity when a man and his mom waved to us. We were really confused but went to go talk to them and it turns out they are members who live in the capital and the man was there visiting his girlfriend. They were leaving the area but they gave us the address of his girlfriend so we went and contacted her and she let us in. Her name is Cynthia and she has an 8 year old son and a 9 month old baby and apparently her and her boyfriend, who waved to us and is a member, are getting married in November and then she`ll move to live with him. But for now she is living in a room with her kids in her parents house. We talked to her and her sister-in-law, Melissa, but she appeared to be a little less interested and left to attend something as we talked, but hopefully we can teach her too. Cynthia was a little more receptive. She has had a little contact with the Church over the years because of her boyfriend. She has gone to church a few times and had gone to some church activities but very little contact with missionaries, if at all. So, we talked to her to get to know her a little bit and talked about the Book of Mormon. We left her with the invitation to read 2 Nephi 31 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/31?lang=eng
and to pray to see if its true. We have another lesson Tuesday but we`re hopeful and excited and have faith that she`ll progress. Also this past week we received two references from members (I haven't received a reference since I've been here) and we are going to contact them this week. So this week we are really hoping to get the work going and work with new people.

This Wednesday we have interviews with President Thurgood, which should be really good. Oh also today, Elder Pribyl called me, haha. It was super, super weird to hear his voice but super awesome. I'm super excited to see him. I appears he is doing really well.

Also, I got your package!!! When we did tramites, we were in the offices and they gave it to me! I took a photo before I opened it. THANK YOU!! It was seriously so great getting a package, haha. I felt like a little kid at Christmas or that is was my birthday again opening something up.

I've already read the book (The Ultimate Missionary Companion by Ed J. Pinegar), but now I'm going to  go back and read it slower and study it in my free time. The socks will be such a nice replacement because I have quite a few with holes, haha. Also, the shoes are so nice, haha. I forgot what they looked like new (we sent the exact same pair that he left with), but I think I'm going to wear out the older pair for a little longer before I break in the new ones. Also, thank you for the tie clips especially the Argentina flag one. That one is sick. (Thanks Scott for the suggestion.)

And the Misison pins!! We got a Mission pin that are a little different from President Thurgood when the Mission split, but I have to find it. I can't remember where I put it, haha. But, it's great to have another one and also Elder Pribyl obviously never got one and my companion too so I gave one to my companion and I`ll give one to Elder Pribyl when I see him. Oh and the Air Heads and other candy!! haah. So good! Thank you! My companion loves the Air Heads. I haven't opened the other candy yet. I want to save it for a special moment, hahaha. And the card. The classic with the words hahah thank you. Needless to say it was awesome getting the package. I'm very grateful for it. Thank you! I'm glad you guys got to send one while I was on my mission and it was definitely needed, so thank you! Oh and the money!! I think I'm going to save it for a little while until I get closer to the end of my mission and then exchange it!!  Thanks for all the updates from home. I'm glad to hear things are going well. Thanks for everything. I love you guys so much! Miss you!

Love
Elder McFarland

P.S. from Elder McFarland's Mom.
We have been asked not to send any packages because it is very expensive to pay the fees to pick them up and it takes a lot of time away from the work for the missionaries and there is a lot of theft.  But, we knew someone that served his mission in Argentina and was going back with his wife to visit and offered to take a package for us.  We were thrilled.  Thanks to the McPhies.

No iPads

Monday, July 13, 2015

Hola, Hola!

So yesterday Jesus and Maria had an interview with one of the members of the bishopric but I don't know yet if Jesus had the chance to be interviewed to receive the priesthood. Tomorrow we are going to help him fix up his house so I`ll find out more tomorrow. Either way, I hope he will be able to receive it next week. Also, they took out the papers to start the process of getting married, but I have no idea how longer until they fill it out and get married, but they are doing well. We haven't been able to talk to his friend yet though. I was disappointed because we were supposed to have a lesson with the old investigator Saturday but then she asked us to come Sunday, but then Sunday she canceled and said she was at a birthday, so now we rescheduled for Wednesday. So, we`ll see if she still has the interest and excitement to continue listening to us and prepare to be baptized. We didn't have a lesson with the less active mother and her father, but Tuesday we have a lesson with them.

This week was somewhat hard. Tuesday, Elder Gonzalez ate something bad and was sick for a day and the last couple days I've had a cold, so we haven't been 100% lately. But this week, I think should be a lot better. We have interviews on the 22nd so if the package gets dropped off before then I'm sure I'll receive it at the interviews. Elder Gonzalez speaks a little English but he isn't fluent or anything. Also, we are not getting iPads (a lot of missionaries in the United States now have iPads to use on their missions) and won't be getting iPads as far as I know. I've heard, although not sure if it is true, that President Thurgood was offered iPads but said no. Probably because in most of the areas, if not all of the areas, there is a huge risk of them getting stolen. It's not like the United States where you can leave it in the car or even if you don't have a car there is not a high chance of getting robbed. Every week there is at least one area that gets robbed. But it would be nice to have one,haha.

Anyways, I love you and thank you for everything! I`ll let you know when i get the package!

Love
Elder McFarland

New Companion - Elder Gonzalez

Monday, July 6, 2015

Hola! So yes, my new companion is from Chile.  His name is Elder Gonzalez and he's from Viña del Mar. He's 18 but straight up looks like hes 15, haha, But he's a stud. He's super, super excited to be out on the mission and in the field and just wants to work, work, work so I'm pretty stoked to be with him.

I know I'm going to learn a lot from him. His family are all members of the church and he has just one sister who is 16. We got to the mission home and there were 4 Americans and 11 Latinos and out of the 4 Americans only 2 were Elders and I was really hoping I wouldn't get one of them, haha so I was pretty happy to get a Latino.

This week was pretty great. I had some of the best lessons of my mission this past week with him. Just feeling and being led by the Spirit in the lessons. We met an inactive mom and her son and tonight we have a FHE (Family Home Evening) with them. Then we had a lesson with an inactive hermana who doesn't understand the endowment. She doesn't feel the desire or need to go to the temple. For her, in the bible Christ was baptized and so she was baptized and so that's all she needs. After saying that, a hermano from the ward that was with us started going off on her and there started to be some contention and both Elder Gonzalez and I started to worry it would get out of hand and end really bad.  Then we stepped in and were able to listen to her and then Elder Gonzalez and I both felt like we were really led by the Spirit to know what to say to her.  We just expressed our love for her and not judge her doubts about the endowment. Instead we talked about how everyone, at one time or another, has or has had doubts or questions and that it was the question of Joseph Smith about which church was true that led to the restoration of the Gospel. We talked to her and told her she has an opportunity to let this doubt or question help her grow spiritually. That she can pray and ask Heavenly Father to see if it's necessary to go to the temple. For her to be true to what she does believe and know to be true while she works out for herself and finds out for herself the answer. We`ll see what happens with the hermana, but in the end, the Spirit was brought back into the room and it ended on a good note, instead of perhaps really bad, with this hermana.

Also, last night we had a lesson with a woman that was an old investigator. We got to know her and talked about the church and Book of Mormon and in the end it was a really, really good lesson and she accepted an invitation to be baptized July 26th. It's going to be a little hard because she can only meet with us on the weekends.

Jesus and Maria are doing well. Sunday they were confirmed (a member of the Church) and received the gift of the Holy Ghost from the Stake President who lives in our ward. When Jesus was confirmed, he invited me to join, which was special. In the afternoon, we had a lesson with them. I'm hoping Jesus can talk to Bishop by next week and then the week after receive the Priesthood. Also earlier in the week, Jesus brought a friend of his and we talked to him and he said he would come to church and the lesson in the afternoon but he didn't come to either. But hopefully we can talk and teach him again this week.

I didn't celebrate the 4th of July at all, but I was okay.  On Saturday during the game (the men's Copa America finals - Argentina vs Chile) we studied and then left thinking it was over but then found out it was in extra time and then went to penalty kicks.  Then a dude from his house started swearing and going off and it became obvious Argentina lost, haha. It was crazy though during the last part of the game, there was literally no one in the streets and then two minutes after they lost it was like life resumed and the streets were full again, haha. That's good that you guys celebrated the 4th of July and got to go out a little bit (Merrill & Kathy went to Sacramento and spent the night on an old riverboat that is docked and a hotel). Also cool to hear the US Women's soccer team won (the World Cup). Anyways, I  miss you guys lots and love you!

Love
Elder McFarland

Jesus & Marie Get Baptized (P.S. - I'm Staying in Buenos Aires South - And Training)

June 29, 2015

So, I'm staying in Parque Baron! Elder Ventura got transferred to La Plata Este (East) and will be in the other mission (the new Buenos Aires East Mission) so that kind of sucks. And I'm going to be training! I am no longer a District Leader, just training. I'm pretty excited but also nervous to train. For my Spanish, I hope he's Latino haha. Also right after I found out I was going to be training, I had the feeling or impression that I was going to have a difficult time with him. Not sure if we won't get along, or if he`ll have a hard time adjusting and missing home or what, but I had the feeling that it`ll be hard but we`ll see what happens. I'm excited though because one of the reasons I enjoyed being District Leader was the opportunity to serve the other missionaries and help them. Especially two Elders that I wanted to help. Being the District Leader of those Elders gave me a grand desire to help them reach their potential as missionaries. So now I'm excited to be able to do that but perhaps more fully with my hijo (son - a term used for the one you are training). I'll have a chance to kind of set the stage for the rest of his mission.  I can help him from the start to be obedient and develop good habits. As I'm training him, I really want to be able to search and find the gifts and talents that he has and to help him recognize them so he can develop and use them to be the missionary God wants him to be.  I want to help him realize the potential he has as a missionary and put him on the path to achieve that and be the best missionary he can be. I know Elder Durham helped me a lot when he was training me so I hope I can be of help to the Elder I'm  going to be training. Today I'm with another Elder that is going to train.  He served in Parque Baron a couple months ago. Then tomorrow at 3:30 we have to be in the stake center and then from there we go to the mission home to receive our new companions.

Yes, all went well with Jesus, so Maria and him were baptized yesterday!!

It was raining almost all day but it was really great. Leandro, the friend of Jesus baptized both of them. Maria's Mom came to the baptism so we`ll see if we can start teaching her. But they are great and are going to be great members.

Yeah, officially Elder Pribyl is in Buenos Aires Sur (South) with me so I'm sure one day I`ll see him and maybe even the same zone or district! Pretty Nuts!

We haven't been able to work with the ward much.  We need to start visiting the leaders. We made a goal of perhaps having a FHE (Family Home Evening) with the members once a week, starting with the leaders and having them invite a non-member. Yesterday we did divisiones (splits)with the Bishop and Stake President, who lives in our ward and visited some less actives and it was good. We received a reference from the mission office so we`ll see what happens.

Thank you for everything. I love you lots!!

Love
Elder McFarland

Happy Father's Day

June 22, 2015

Hola!

This week was pretty good. Wednesday we had the pre-interview with Jesus and Maria and to be honest we were pleasantly surprised with Maria.  As we did the pre-interview, we realized that she was ready and that she understands - perhaps not a perfect knowledge, but she has a strong desire and faith and we could see her sincerity. Thursday the zone leaders came and did the interviews. Maria was fine but they told us that Jesus would have to talk to President Thurgood or one of his counselors, so today at 6 he has an interview with President Pittito, one of Presidents counselors. We are hopeful that all will go well today and he will be able to get baptized this next week.  Either way though, Maria wants to get baptized, so she`ll get baptized for sure this Sunday.  Other than Jesus and Maria, we still don’t have too much. We were talking this morning and realized we need to start finding new investigators and working with new people because after 5 weeks it’s really been the same people. So, we talked about what we could do and so this week I think we are going to try to start finding new people and focusing on those that are going to progress.

I don’t really know the details about my Visa, I just know that if I don’t get my identification card by June 2th I will have to go do tramites again.  I really don’t know what that means but I don’t really think it’s a big deal.  I have heard of others that have a year or year and a half or more and still haven’t gotten theirs.

Thanks for everything and for your support and love.  Sorry I didn’t get a Father’s Day email to you Dad, but Happy Father’s Day!!  I hope you had a great day. It was the same here.  This Sunday was Father’s Day so we actually had a hard time having lessons.  I miss you both lots. I love you!

Love
Elder McFarland

The Familia Esquivel

Monday, June 8, 2015

Hola Hola!

This week was alright. So yeah we went back to the capital to the Bolivia consulate Tuesday morning and finished the paperwork (for his companion) there but I think we`ll have to go back to Burzaco one day this week to finish the tramites. Also apparently I haven't gotten my visa or I don't really know exactly but apparently if I don't get something by June 29th I'll have to go do my tramites again.

Jesus and Maria are doing well. They both came to church yesterday.  Jesus fasted and is paying tithing even though he isn't a member yet and yesterday he bore his testimony. Today we had a lesson with them so that we can finish teaching them before June 20th. I think he`ll be ready but Maria may take a little longer. She doesn't say much and she's not really one that is good at expressing her emotions or thoughts and so it's hard to tell if she's having a hard time understanding or if she just can't express it very well. So I'm a little worried about that. We had a couple other baptismal dates but we passed by like three times this week and their family says that they aren't there but we are pretty sure they`re lying.

Pretty cool, we had an intercambio this last week from the Elders from Banfield 4th ward and my companion and another Elder were here in Parque Baron.and they had a lesson with an inactive family.  The parents of a recent convert that just left on his mission before I arrived in the area and was actually the Ward Mission Leader before he left - the familia Esquivel. So my companion and the other Elder went and had a really good lesson with Hermano and Hermana Esquivel and they said they`d come to church and they did! So that was super awesome. Hopefully they can keep coming. Other than that, we have quite a few investigators but none that are progressing. I think we need to work hard on finding new people.

This Friday we have our Zone Conference so I'm pretty stoked for that. Also that's kind of funny that you`re teaching priesthood next week Dad on flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon because this week in the district reunion I'm going to teach about chapter 5 from PMG (Preach My Gospel) that's about the Book of Mormon. A few months ago President gave us 15 minutes extra in personal and companionship study to study a chapter from PMG every month so this month it's chapter 5. So I gave out some assignments to all the Elders to teach parts of the chapter. I'm still not exactly sure what I'm going to do.  I want to do an activity or practice but I'm not sure what yet.

And Mom, the mission used to sell scripture cases but they stopped and apparently there's a hermana that makes them but I haven't been able to get a hold of her and I heard she's really slow. So before I leave my mission I still want to  buy the scripture covers like the photo you sent but I was looking for something I could just use now, but if you can't find any that's okay. Also I was thinking of a couple other things you guys could send if you want :) I lost my tie clip that Scott gave me as a gift so I don't have a tie clip so if you could send me one; the color or details don't matter - black or silver and that's fine with me. Also a book called The  Ultimate Missionary Companion. And finally, if you could find something that would help me study Spanish it would help if it wasn't that big.  I'm not looking for a huge book or textbook but I'm not sure, perhaps something on the smaller side that could help. I know its not very specific but if you found something that could be of help that wouldn't add to much to what I already have. If not don't worry about it. Thank you for everything! I miss and love you!

Love 

Elder McFarland