Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Closed Cyber and Broken Computers!!

Hi Family and Friends!!

Well, I think it's official... I have the worst Cyber luck in the world (it's actually kind of funny ahaha!)!... Yesterday our main Cyber was closed, so we had to go to another where there were only three working computers... Me and my companions got on and before I could reach out with an update... my computer breaks. Yeah, it totally broke!! Haha!  So I wasn't able to email at all -- instead I sang hymns for two hours!!  :D Long story short.. HERE I AM a day late but otherwise, all is well!!  Very, very well!! :)

Just a few things to touch on really quick... SKYPE ALERT!  Skype is coming up (Yeah, It feels like we just Skyped a minute ago, and now we get to again!!  Time is flying by, right?!  Haha)  We have set aside the 8,9, and 10th of MAY to be able to talk with you beautiful people!!  :)  So, this is your heads up to clear the calendars!!  By next week I should have more details regarding date and time and all that jazz!! :)

Second thing, I just have to give Nick and Nat a quick shout out!!  You two are SO special and I am SO grateful for both of you!!  This week, it has really hit me just how blessed I am to have you two as my sibs. You guys are amazing examples and you guys really are my motivation!!  I love you!!  So, keep being awesome!! :D


Third thing, we had our Mission Temple Trip and it was probably the greatest experience of my life!! :)

And if I haven't said it before, I love my District!!


I only have a short window to write... So, I just wanted to share one last, little thing :)  I just wanted to share how grateful I am for the Atonement. My eyes have been opened on this mission and I am continuing (with every day that passes) to learn more and more about it -- And my hunger to better understand it has been greatly increased! :)  This week I had an experience that really made me look at the atonement with different eyes... And now I can testify to you guys, without any doubt, that the Atonement is real.  Whatever burden or load that we have in our lives, whether it be caused from our own decisons or the decisions of others, we are able to lay it all at the Lord's feet.  We can lay it all down right there and He will make that burden light.  He will lift it from our shoulders and we will find the eternal eraser that will wipe our slate clean.  We have that promise. We will be able to forgive, we will be able to be forgiven, and we will be able to stand before the Father with our mediator and be able to enter into His presence once more.  I want to encourage each and every one of you to seek the power of the Atonement.  The healing power, the power to mend, erase, the power to comfort... Seek it out this week through diligent scripture study and ferverent prayer and you will see Gods wonders!  You will recieve your own personal witness as to the strength of Atonement.  Your Heavenly Father loves you, Your older brother and redeemer, Jesus Christ, loves you. I love you!

That's all the time I have for this week. :) I love you all and am oh-so-very grateful for every single one of you!  Be good and take care!

Read your scriptures! :) 

Hasta Lunes!
XoXOxO
Hermana Fardos

Monday, April 20, 2015

I love my Companions!!

Hey Everyone!

Before I forget, SUSAN ANDERSON was in the choir at General Conference!! I forgot to mention that in my update two weeks ago, but I wanted to give a shout out to YOU Susan!! I love you! :) 

So, HOW IS EVERYONE?!! :) 

This week has been another great one! It just hit me last week how I am approaching the halfway mark of my mission... how weird is that?! 


I love my companions and wanted to take a minute to tell you guys a little more about them this week -- and then next week I’ll hit you with the normal activities and mission experiences. 

Hermana Bringhurst is our newest member of the PAN (Paraguay Asuncion North) Club.  She is from St. George, Ut and is the youngest in her family. She is 29, and she has been called as a missionary AND a nurse.  She is such a blessing because she really makes sure I take care of my knee properly... Dios es perfecto y nunca se equivoca (God is perfect and never wrong).  He knew exactly what I needed.  Hna B (We call her B because no one here can pronounce her last name) has a really special talent too, you set her down at a piano and she can just play forever – It’s really sweet to hear her play.

Hna. Mera is still the sweetest, spunkiest, and my absolute favorite Mexicana in the world!!  Haha!!  She is tiny, but you can’t let her size fool you – she’s got spunk, and a giant testimony!! :) It has been such a privilege getting to hear her share it!

Oh, I also want to send a shout out to my Dad!  I’m so happy you’re working on being more consistent with Family Home Evening!!  Everyone needs to have La Noche de Hogar!!  On my mission, I’ve really learned that FAMILY HOME EVENING MAKES A DIFFERENCE!!!  So, keep it prioritized and you will be SO BLESSED – I promise!!

Also, I’m reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover and underlining the name of Christ every time He is mentioned, as well as highlighting all of the versus that note what the Savior says or that relate to the Atonement.  Needless to say, since the Book of Mormon is a testament of Christ, it makes my scriptures look a little like a coloring book, but it’s such a great challenge and I’m learning SO MUCH!!  It’s so great to have access to the precious words of our Savior and His gift to the world!  So, you’re all invited to join me!!

Have an amazing week! 
I love you guys.  
Hermana Fardos



Monday, April 13, 2015

Training Trio Tripanionship!!

This week has been HUGE!!

We had changes again, we had a baptism, and we also have the rest of the photos from last week (last week's post has been updated with pictures) Haha!! 

Lets start with changes...

Well, I am now in what President has called a "training trio".  Basically, Hna Mera and I stayed here in Mariano, and she will finish training at the next change... but now I am also starting to train the new and oh-so-lovely Hermana Bringhurst (o sea Hermana B) from St George!  So yeah, it's not the typical tripanionship, but this training trio is such a blast!!  I didn't realize what a change it would be, and what a change it would be for the better!!  It makes for such fun comapny, so many good ideas from so many different perspectives... it makes for great memories!!   And did I mention, we have bunk beds!.. Yeah, bunk beds!!... We are pretty stoked about that part.  Haha!!


Hna. B actually came to the mission as the new nurse, but President wants her to have a missionary experience too, being that she is a young and lovely 29 year old.  So now she is out here with us and I get to teach her Spanish and she is making sure I take care of myself and my knee!!  Haha!  Blessings for everyone!!  Heaven knows, I am my fathers daughter, which makes me "Queen of el aguantar" (enduring)  Ha!  And all kidding aside, I really need to be better about listening to the pain signals.  (Cough cough.. Dad... You too!!... Haha!!).  But basically our house is pure Buena Onda (good vibes)! :) I love it here!! :) 

And nowwwww our baptism! Okay, I know I say it every time... but this baptism was SO special!! :) D is such a miracle!!  He found us, we did NOT find him. We were at M's baptism, and we were in the church, taking care of last minute details, running around the church a million miles an hour, trying to make everything just perfect for her... and next thing I know, Elder Calderon calls me over saying that there was somebody who wanted to talk to me.  So, I came over and before I could even say hello he said, "Hi-my name is Daniel Domingo and I want to be baptized". I was so blown away... but I'm not sure I took it seriously because I could smell alcohol, and so, I can't lie, I wasnt sure how sincere he was in this search.  So, I figured an invitation to teach is an invitation to teach, so I thought "sure, yes... let's get his number and plan a lesson with him for later in the week so we can meet with him and understand better what his intentions are"... and that's what we did.  We took his number down and planned a lesson for the following Wednesday. 

After M's baptism, Hna Mera and I stopped at this place next door so she could try her very first lomito arable (a cross between a panini and a sandwich-like-wrap) and after we had been sitting for about 10 minutes, next thing we know Daniel walks over and asked if he could sit with us... naturally we said of course, and we started to just get to know him and what it was that gave him that drive to come to the church and find us.  Before we knew it, we were teaching him all about the Book of Mormon and we invited him to read the introduction and come to church the following morning. 

Sunday morning came, and he was the first one at the church!!  And he came prepared after reading the intro of the Book of Mormon!! :) We had a really long and detailled conversation about what he had read and learned.  Walking away, we just knew in that very moment, without a doubt, that this guy was serious!  And we knew that he would have a long way to go... but with his desire to progress and change (through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ), and with a little help, anything was possible!! 

And sure enough as time went on, Daniel's progression took off like a rocket!!... He gave up so much to follow Christ, and as his life changed, you could see it... his face changed, he literally stood taller as his faith increased and his testimony increased!!  After only two short weeks, the Daniel we use to know, that walked into the church on that Saturday - smelling of alcohol and cigarettes, was now reading chapters of scriptures every night, leaving behind everything he could to be closer to his Heavenly Father!  And now he has a new dream.. a dream of being a missionary and spreading the truth and light of this gospel!! :D 

He came to every session of General Confrence, he didn't miss one!!  He has been going out with the Elders to teach lessons, he was going to institute, he was always the first one at the church.  He was ready to be baptized!! :)

On the day of his baptism, he came in a brand new white shirt, tie, and pants... his first ever pair - gifted by Elder Calderon and Elder Silvera... his face so pure, so happy... I will never forget!! :)  For his baptism, we bought him a small gift to celebrate the occasion... a Preach My Gospel and a 'Future Missionary' name tag (shout out to Mom for sending those :D).   When he opened the gifts before his baptism he actually began to cry, he started sobbing right there... all he could tell us is that he had no words to describe his feelings.  Then he was baptized, and his smile coming out of the water was bigger and brighter and compares to nothing I have ever seen in my life... and now he has his very own Predicad Mi Evangelio.. he said he was ready and willing to do whatever he needed to do to get there!! :D





This gospel is so powerful, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ makes this whole change possible and I feel so privileged to have been able to witness such a genuine and sincere change in the life of Daniel Domingo. 

I learned a great lesson the day he walked into the church for the first time, without even realizing it.  It was something I have alway "known" but meeting Daniel, I have a greater testimony of it... We CAN NOT judge if someone is ready or not to recieve the gospel... only the Lord can... he is in charge after all...  He knows when the field is white and ready to harvest... It is His harvest.. we just have to trust in Him and thrust in the sickle and do the work that He instructs and inspires us to do.  We have to TALK with EVERYONE, we have to LOVE EVERYONE, and we have to SEE EVERYONE as the Lord sees them; FOR WHO THEY CAN BECOME!! :)  I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father sees me for who I can become :) and not who I have been... this gospel is special, this gospel is for everyone, and this gospel changes lives.

I love you all... until next Monday! :)

Hermana Fardos

Monday, April 6, 2015

Happy Easter!!

HELLO My Beautiful Peopleeee!! :)

How lovely and amazing was this week?! :)  Unfortunately I won't have pictures.  The computer I'm using is not working well, so I may have to send them next week.  But, I hope I can share just a few of my thoughts well enough that you can imagine and picture it for yourself!! Haha!

This week we had some awesome experiences... 

1) We had our activity in the plaza and it was AWESOME!

So, our activity in the plaza... basically we made this big mail box and put it in the middle of the plaza and we had a big sign next to it that said, "if Jesus Christ was here, what would you tell him? What would you ask him?" and we had a bunch of little papers so that they could write it all down and "Send their message to Christ".  After they had written their message to Christ, we talked with them for a few moments about Easter.   And being Easter and the "Semana Santa" everyone is thinking about Christ, everyone here is paying much more attention to what He did for us, o sea, that he died for us. But almost everyone seems to overlook the fact that He was resurrected... that HE LIVES :) And because He lives, He too has a message for us!! :)  So, then we asked if we could come during the week to share this beautiful message with them - this message from Chirst!! :) It was really special getting to talk with all sorts of strangers about something that applies so personally to each and every one of us!

 Making the Mailbox

Talking to the People and Collecting the Messages

2) I got to go to the Temple with Antonia (I call her Mama Paraguaya)! :)

Moma Paraguaya went to the temple for the first time!!! :) And I got to be her acompaƱante! (escort)!  She is a lovely 65 year old lady who was baptized about 8 years ago.  She spent a while as a menos activa but only because she can't walk long distances and she didn't have a way to get to church.  About 3 months ago we decided to start visiting and teaching her - and as we did, her hunger to learn and progress just grew so much. We later found out that she hadn't been to the temple yet and that was her dream... so, we prepared her :) and this last Friday her dream finally became a reality!! :) The whole time we were there she kept leaning over to me telling me she felt like she was flying and asking me if I was feeling that beating and fluttering in my heart too... and Yes, I did feel it! :) It was so sweet!



3) GENERAL CONFERENCE!!  I was able to enjoy it with 2 of our amazingggg investigators:) One of them is getting baptized this coming week - I'll tell you all about him next Monday! :)

So, if you didn't see General Conference, you should!!  It's not too late... it can be viewed on lds.org or click on the following link     ( LDS General Conference - Click Here To Watch, Listen, Print or Download Talks or Sessions )  And if you saw it, and if you didn't leave conference wanting an Eternal Marriage and with a stronger testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, feeling better prepared to follow Him... you need to go back and watch it again!!  I don't even know where to start with conference. I could talk about every talk and every theme FOREVER, but since we don't have forever, let me just share that Wow, never, ever, in my life have I fully been able to comprehend the atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ... but with lots of study and prayer, and after General Conference, although I may still have a lot to learn, it really hit me... Without His Atonement, we would be in a fallen state forever, without any opportunity to be able to return and live with our Heavenly Father.  We would be trapped by the bands of death, without hope and without purpose... BUT because Christ came and because He CHOSE to come and become our Savior and our mediator with the Father, we have the opportunity to go back.... We will be resurrected, we will have eternal life, and we can live with our Heavenly Father and with our families that He has blessed us with here in this life - FOREVER!!... what a message, what a gift!! :)  So full of LOVE, so full of HOPE, and I am so forever GRATEFUL!! :) 



4) Thank you for all of your Easter letters and the package from my lovely Morris Family!!  SHOUT OUT TO YOU GUYS!!  Joe, Sandy, Kylan, Colton & Justin, you guys are the best! Thank you for the love!! :)  And a big shout out of gratitude for all the love I received these last few weeks from my Family, Ruth Davis, Abu, Tia, and Aunt Fer... I LOVE YOU ALL!!  :)

5) Cambios are cominggggg up... TOMORROW! I thought we just had changes, feels like yesterday!! Haha!!

YOU GUYS ARE SO LOVED!! :)

Have an amazing week! :) 


Hatsa Lunes!! (until Monday!)!
Hermana Fardos