Las Islas

Well first thing is first, our baptism did not happen. We went to go pick her up an hour before and she was super sick with a fever and could barely stand on her feet much less be baptized. Satan right?? So now we have to wait until the 8th because this week is the District Conference for the islas here so 2 more weeks and she will be baptized I hope and we should have a few more people as well, I have never felt so much opposition to baptize!! The work is going forward at a great rate, but at the same time Satan stepped up his game as well!! But obviously we are going to win so no worries.

We went to concilio in Barc yesterday so that’s why I haven’t gotten on till today. The first Monday of every month we go to Barc for the meeting with president.  Those are such powerful meetings and we discuss what we can do as leaders of the mission to advance the work and what we can work and improve on and it is always a great time to receive revelation, that spirit is very strong.  And as a zone last month we had 6 baptisms, so now it is a new month to go for 11 again!! I really want to get it and we should be able to get a few people baptized here in February to help out the goal.  

I also had my interview with President Pace and that was really good.  He just talked to me about the zone and invited me to break the record and then when I do it, to do it again and again till time runs out ha ha. But he told me to pray and look for families with future Melchizedek priesthood holders.  He says that is what this district needs to become a stake is worthy, tithing paying, priesthood holders.  So hopefully I can find a few of them here on palma.  Ok that is about it, love you all!!

Elder Farah

The Latest Photos From Elder Farah's Adventures in Spain

How Does Cellulitis Sound?

OK before I tell this story I want all to know that I am perfectly fine now and there are no problems.  Can´t have Mamma Farah freak out here!!!

So about two weeks ago my knee started feeling really funny and it hurt to kneel on it.  So I thought I just pulled something and forgot about it.  But throughout the week it started to swell up bigger and bigger and hurt more and more to where I couldn't kneel on it or walk comfortably.  So then by me walking and limping a little bit, it totally screwed up my back. So I was looking at it one night and it was twice the size of my other knee, and super red and super hot to the touch and the redness was spreading down my leg.  I called the doctor and got in the next day (Tuesday).  He straight up tells me I have full blown Cellulitis, which is blood poisoning,  And it was starting to spread at a rapid rate (at this point I have a fever as well) and that if I would have waited another day I would have been in the hospital!!! So crazy!!! So he gave me some pills and a gel to rub on my knee and he said to elevate it and do nothing and to call him the next day to see if it all worked, because if it didn't work I was going to go to the hospital. So we all prayed that the drugs worked!! So luckily the drugs worked and I went to see him 2 days later and he said I was improving great and now I just have to finish my box of pills.

How did i get it?? I cut my knee somehow, I think it was when we were playing basketball outside on p-day and I scraped it.  And then from kneeling on my knees to pray, the infection entered through that cut I had. So in a nutshell I got cellultis from cutting my knee and praying on my knees too much!! Ha ha so insane!! but now i am fine :) The craziest things have happened to me out here on the mish. First the cut on my eyeball, then the ingrown toenail, now cellulitis. Gotta love it. no worries I am fine now.It stunk to stay inside 2 days but I didn't want to go to the hospital.

But we have a baptism this week!! Our 88 year old grandma should be getting baptized. So great!! And then we have interviews with president this week on Wednesday. And we are teaching that family from Ecuador and they should be getting baptized on the 8th!! We are seeing lots of miracles, going for the record baby!!

OK love you all, hasta la proxima!!

Elder Farah

30 a week

So this week was so crazy for me!! But we saw so many miracles.  First is that I went and did an intercombio (companion exchange) with the district leader in another island of Menorca.  I took a flight out there and did a baptism interview and spent the next day there.  It was such a typical Spanish pueblo out there!! It was really neat to experience it, but I just got no sleep and have another cold again because it was freezing out there. Because obviously I have to catch a flight and I have to be at the airport 2 hours early says the mission so I woke up at 5 am on Wednesday and then Friday to catch it.  But it was worth it!! And in 2 weeks I am going out to the other island of Ibiza to another intercombio. I love being zone leader on the islands, it is a little more work since we are spread out, and a lot of traveling, but I love it!!  And as a zone, the record in the mission is ten baptisms in one transfer.  I wanna break that!! It is so tiny, and now this zone has doubled in missionaries in the last 6 months.  Going for the records books, I ain’t leaving this island until we do it as a zone. 

We saw a lot of miracles this week. But one in particular that stood out was with this family from Ecuador. We had a mom and dad and their 10 year old daughter come to church yesterday and it is a crazy story. About 2 weeks ago I contacted a man in the street. We got his information and set the cita but then he fired us. But then 2 days later we saw him talking with one of our members, and we were like hey do you know each other? And they said yes. Que milagro!! His family went to a primary activity el dia de los reyes on Monday and they loved it and they all came to church and stayed for all 3 hours and now we have a visit with the whole family in the member’s home!! And so they can be baptized in 2 weeks, with the help of this member. It was such a huge miracle. I want to baptize this family of Ecuador so bad, so we will see how this week goes!!

Other than that, things are going good. We had 6 in church this past week.  Now we need all of them on date and carry them to the water and start baptizing every week.  The weather here is pretty warm for the middle of January, gotta love it.  Ok love you all!!

Elder Farah

Happy New Year!!

Well we are officially in 2014 and I am still alive after being a missionary for a complete 365 days of the year.  That is crazy that 2013 is gone!! I remember this time last year in Zaragoza. It is crazy how time flies. 

I went to my first meeting that happens every month with just the zone leaders and the Paces and the ayudantes.  It was such a spiritual experience!! And we set the goal for the New Year.  Last year our focus was to baptize 20 people a week as a mission. And towards the end of the year we were getting it and we doubled in size as a mission.  So this year we want to baptize 30 a week as a mission!! So we can baptize at least 1000 people by the end.  So we all talked about that in our meeting and that was the conclusion that we came to.

Then I did my first zone enfoque with my zone.  It was definitely different being up in front of 24 missionaries instead of sitting down in front of like 8 as a district leader.  But we just introduced the new goal and got them excited to go out and get it done!! We have the other missionaries from the other 2 islands fly in and we all meet here in Palma, it is the center on the district as well. 

We have been teaching quite a lot as well!! We just can’t get anyone to church, that is the problem.  So that is our focus this week because we have all these people who want to get baptized but they need to come to church but coming for the first time is always the hardest, but then they always love it, especially here.  The branch has 90 people and we have a gorgeous building so that always helps!! We are gonna blow up Palma with baptisms soon!!!

Well that’s about it, sorry transfers were this week so that’s why I’m emailing today. I just got moved in the middle of the transfer out here.  I love you all!! 

Love,

Elder Farah