Pictures!

Awesome Week!

This past week was awesome! We had Bonginkosi's baptism yesterday and it went great! He was so happy to finally be baptised. As he was bearing his testimony after he started crying... He was filling the spirit so strong! I just love that kid.

Alexander is doing great... He should be having his interview for baptism this week and should hopefully get baptised on April 27th. Nono is still going strong and coming to church, all that is left is for her to get married. Nelson is doing good as well.

We got a few sweet investigators this week! Thato is another member of Bro. Abbey's family and is now living with them since he has a job so we will start teaching him this week. We also have another guy named Patrick. The first thing he told us is that he is joining the church and knows that it is going to change his life! He is definitely prepared... the day after we gave him the Restoration pamphlet he called and was asking questions about the apostasy and all about Christs church. He also has a few friends that want to join haha one of them thinks he is a prophet though so it will be interesting to see what he thinks when he realizes that he isn't.

I was put in charge of teaching nursery yesterday. I loved all the little kids! It was so much fun to just play with him! Little children just beam with the light of Christ!

Elder Chifokoyo and I have been trying a new approach to our teaching that seems to be working great. As I was reading through Mosiah chapter 1 to 5 it shows how King Benjamin taught true principles and then the people who listened learned for themselves that they needed to change and make covenants with God. We have been trying to make our investigators solve or realize the answers to their questions and problems for themselves and we have had some powerful experiences with it. People are seeing the need for themselves to change and because it is them coming to that conclusion they are more willing to act upon it.

As we have been doing the Book of Mormon challenge I have learned so much about my Savior and of His mission and love for us. I have truly come to know Him better than ever before. A cool scripture on knowing Him is in Mosiah 26:24.

I love you so much!

Elder Farnes

Conference Love

This past week was great! Alexandra is doing awesome! He put himself on date and is keeping every commitment that we give him! He loves the Book of Mormon and says as he reads he is "hungry", he continues to want to know and learn more and more. He even told us last time that his family was asking about everything so we are going to stop by and talk to them as well this week!

I LOVED conference this past weekend. What a great opportunity we had to learn and be taught from on high through God's chosen Prophet and Apostles. Some of the talks that I especially liked were from Elder Holland and Elder Bednar.

Elder Holland talked about how as members of the church at times we face situations where we need to be courageous and courteous. There will be times when we need to take a stand and times when we need to take persecution. Taking the persecution and being courteous about it is always more of a struggle... Our first instinct is to revolt or talk back. As we are continually filled with Christ's love we will be able to though... We will see people as He does and love them unconditionally.

Elder Bednar talked about how we need a load to push us forward and give us traction. We learn that trials are needed for our progression. In D&C 98:12 it talks about how trials are given to the faithful! When we are ready to become more like God we are going to face trials... They give us the experience we need as long as we handle them by turning to Him who will strengthen us. In D&C 136:31 it says we need to be tried and chastened to receive the Glory of God. It is a must.

Something that kept coming to my mind throughout the conference and what we talked about in district meeting this past week was how as members we need to be in the world but not of the world. With our Membership in the church and being set apart as missionaries it is like being put on top of a hill as it was with Lehonti in Alma 47. Amalackiah (or satan) tried to get them to come down but when saw that it wouldn't work he moved up. Satan won't tempt us with things that are easy to overcome. For example on Mission it's easy to keep the commandments but what he can try and get us with is to maybe listen to inappropriate music or to waste time which forces us to come down from the mount and to lose the some of the power we have. We need to be Obedient with Exactness and lay down our weapons of rebellion. As we do so it will be done according to our faith.

I love you all!

Elder Farnes

Declare the Gospel with Unwearyness

This past week was great! Lots of spiritual experiences where I was able to come to know my savior closer than I ever have before.

Update on all of the Investigators.... Nono and Bonginkosi both are going to have their baptism on April 13th. They are both doing great. Alexandra is still super powerful... After we taught him the Restoration he put himself on date and is super excited to get baptised. He also went to a ward campout and a ysa activity over the weekend.

I think we may have found our golden family. We went and saw them on Sunday and they were humble and ready to listen to the message. It is a family of three and their son is 17. We are seeing them again on Wednesday.

This past week we also had Zone Meeting. We talked about the importance of planning. We are planning when we want Investigators to gain testimonies, what experiences we want them to have at church and so forth. We are planning in Faith. We also talked about Obedience. Something that stood out to me was that when we are disobedient it is like taking the Lord's name in vain. I had never thought of it quite that way, but it is so true.

In my study I loved Helamen 10:4-5. Nephi declared the Gospel with Unwearyness and always sought the Lord's will. He wouldn't ask anything contrary to the Lords' will. If we learn to ask "in the spirit" and according to God's will then it will become even as we ask. As we pray we should feel that we are willing to subject our will to the Fathers. If we do this we will truly come closer to him, miracles will occur, and we will feel of His love abundantly.

I love you!

Elder Farnes

New Son

This past week has been great! My son is Elder C! He is from England and is a sweet guy.We are getting along great and working extremely hard, making sure that we are not wasting the Lord's time. We are searching for a family.... We have been doing a TON of finding haha and hopefully we get that family this week with some of the return appointments that we have.

Our investigators are doing great! Bonginkosi's baptism should be this week! Nono is going to get married this week and then will be getting baptised in April... She didn't feel comfortable making those covenants to God without first getting that done so that there won't be any problems with the Law of Chastity after her baptism. Alexander is powerful still, He came to church again and is participates like he is a member!

In Our District meeting this last week we talked about Our Purpose as missionaries once again. Something we talked about a lot was enduring to the End and how we can focus on getting our Investigators being able to do that. We talked about how most people think enduring to the end simply means reading scriptures, praying, going to church, etc., but we too often don't focus on letting our Investigators know about the Higher Covenants that they need to make in the temple in order to be able to live in the Celestial Kingdom. It is the importance of not only ourselves having a temple vision for them but also they need to have one! In D&C 18 it talks about how great our Joy shall be with those that we helped bring into the Celestial Kingdom, while baptism is the start, it is not enough. The Temple Covenants are a must for all of us.

In my study I have been reading in Helamen. In Helamen 3:20 it says how we need a disposition to do good continually! If we find ourselves seeking for more and more opportunities to serve or to be Christ to someone else in the sense of helping them then we know that our conversion is growing stronger and stronger. Also in verse 35 it tells us what we can gain through sincere fasting and prayer. It says that we will become humble - We will recognize where our true strength lies and rely wholly on Him. We will become firmer in the Faith - Our conviction will become stronger, which can only be obtained individually. We will become Sanctified - Which sanctification is a step in the path of striving toward perfection; the process of becoming free from sin, pure, clean, and holy through the atonement of Jesus Christ. We will also be able to yield our hearts unto God - Which surrender is the ultimate or highest form of consecration, the giving of our heart and soul.

I love you all so much

Elder Farnes