05/13/13-Week 14 in Indiana [Week 4 of Transfer 3]

Hello, all!

Sister Farr & Sister Cordner

I can't believe that I have already almost been out 4 months..that is crazy! It seems like I just barely got out here, but it also feels like I have been out here forever! Weird how time does that. The days go by slow, but the weeks go by fast. Each day feels like 3 in one. From morning to lunch feels like a day, then lunch to dinner feels like a day, and dinner to bed feels like a 3rd day! As a missionary you do so much just in one day! 

This week has been great! I went on two exchanges. My first was with Sister Howard (from Idaho) and she came to Indy 1st with me while Sister Cordner went to Bloomington with her companion. Sister Howard has only been out 2 weeks and we had lots of fun! 

However...Sister Cordner's and my exchanges always seem to start out with giant rain storms! I don't know if I told all of you about our exchange in Seymour, but it was crazy. I will tell you about Seymour first. You see, since we go on sooo many exchanges this transfer, the assistants gave us what they call "racecar mattresses." They are pretty much like the pippy-long stocking mattresses that we have in our trailer for when we go camping. They gave us that so that we don't have to sleep on the ground when we both go to an area and blitz it. So! We pulled up into the sisters' apartment in Seymour, it was lightly sprinkling. It looked like it was about to pour, so we were trying to hurry as fast as we could! We both had little suitcases, blankets, and were trying to balance the mattresses on ourselves (kind of like an umbrella from the rain) to get everything in one trip. But it starts POURing and thundering and lightening. And dear Sister Cordner is scared of thunder and lightening.... So she lets go of her suitcases and books it for the apartment complex with the mattress. So I grab her suitcase (mind you, I am now carrying 2 suitcases, a mattress, and other belongings) and try to walk as fast as I can to get inside. I will just say that we both looked like drowned rats by the time that we got inside. Aaaand, the mattresses were soaked so we ended up sleeping on the floor anyways. We pretty much failed!

So, back to this exchange with Sister Howard. We exchanged right after our 7 hour Zone Conference. And because we had been inside for 7 hours, none of us knew that there was a giant rain storm happening outside. But when we all go to the back doors to get in our cars, to our pleasant surprise, our cars are parked on the farthest side of the parking lot (a good 1/4 mile away) and it is crazy pouring outside. All of the other missionaries are standing by the door unsure of how to attack this new challenge. But Sister Howard and I look at each other and just book it across the parking lot as fast as we could! It would be an understatement to say that we were wet. When we got to the cars finally, Sister Howard went to her car and grabbed her suitcase out of the back seat...however, she had forgotten to zip it up before she flung it out.. SO everything in her suitcase came flying out all over the sopping wet ground. hahahaha. We picked it all up and finally were safe in car. We just laughed and laughed..and so did all of the other missionaries from the cover of the church building. 

Then we went tracting..yes in the rain..yes looking like drowned rats. And it was fun! We found some success and I gained some confidence in my abilities as a missionary. Maybe I can talk more than I thought I could ;) But we had lots of fun together and found some really amazing new investigators. 

Then on Saturday I went on an exchange with Sister Hansen (from Provo) and we had more fun! She has been out as long as I have and we were able to relate a lot to each other. It was cool to see her progress and mine as well. It is also interesting to see that two missionaries in the same mission can have completely different experiences. But we had an interesting lesson with a lady named Sister Osborn. They taught her a couple times, but hadn't been able to contact her, so we stopped by. We saw her outside and after asking her multiple questions, she finally let us in. We asked her about her religious beliefs and that is where the crazy started! I guess that she believes in reincarnation and she told us, "I don't want to be a tree! That would be so boring..you would just stand there. I would rather be a dolphin or something." Lets just say it was a very interesting lesson. But I love the people here in Indiana! They are lots different than Utah, but I love them soooo much!

This morning I saw my first millipede...or centipede...I don't know which one is which. But it was crawling on our wall and I was in our room wiping down our dressers and looked up and screamed bloody murder. Those things are disgusting!! Sister Carter (my 1st companion) warned me about those. Sister Cordner had to kill it...I am a wimp when it comes to bugs. But hey, that one was all hairy and nasty...and big. 

Wanda and Andrew are still doing well! They came to church yesterday and they had lots of fun! Carter is still hilarious! We were in Relief Society having a Visiting Teaching conference, and at the end the Bishop got up and said that he felt out numbered because he was the only male in the room. Then Carter stood up from the back corner and said "Hey, I am here too!" hahaha. Everyone was laughing pretty hard. He is still too scared to go to primary, but we are hoping that he will soon. Wanda has committed to live the Word of Wisdom and she is just progressing so quickly! She knows that the church is true, and she is so dedicated! I am so proud of her! :) :) I love watching her change into the person Heavenly Father has created her to be. 

Jennifer (one of our investigators we haven't been able to meet with in a while) now has a baptismal date of June 29th!! Wahoo! When she first heard the story of Joseph Smith, she said that she felt "free" like butterflies. And when she first read the Book of Mormon she said that she felt "power" and "strength" come from it. Ah! She gained her testimony so quickly!! I just love the people here! They are all so wonderful.

I attached a picture of my hair...it is getting pretty long!! I thought since Jessica and Stacy are pregnant, and they will probably send "watch me grow" pictures, I would send you pictures of my hair randomly and say "watch my hair grow." haha..yes I am a dork. But what can you say??

Then I sent pictures of more cute little goslings. 

And of Sumner and Charley the little boy and little girl whose house we do our laundry at. They are so sweet!

Well I am all out of time! I love you all! Thank you for your support!!

Sister Emilee Farr

05/06/13-Week 13 in Indiana [Week 3 of Transfer 3]

Happy May everyone!

This week has been realllly long and realllly fast all at once! It is weird how time can do that. I can't believe that it is already May. It seems like it should only be March...but at the same time I feel like I have been here for a really long time! I am trying to remember what happened this week. Oh! We met a man named Patrick this week. That is an experience I will never forget.

We tracted into this guy on Thursday and when he opened the door he already looked upset to see us. As we introduced ourselves and told him that we had a unique message about Jesus Christ, he looked very skeptical. Then he asked us who WE thought Jesus was. And we told him that He is our Savior and Redeemer. He is the son of God and truly the person who has done everything for us. He then drilled us on the whole Godhead/trinity thing. We told him from the very beginning that we respect the differences that he has with our beliefs, and we were going to leave. But he would not let us go, until we understood how wrong we were. From there, he rejected everything that we told him about. He bashed on Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon....We asked him if he had ever read the Book of Mormon and he told us no. So we told him, "you know, you really can't tell us that our church is false, if you haven't even read the Book of Mormon. You may have done your research online about our beliefs, but if you have never read the actual book yourself, you can't make that claim" (something like that, but simpler and probably more polite). He alluded to the fact that he thought we were worshiping the devil and have been seriously mislead. Then Sister Cordner asked him straight-up, "So do you think we are going to hell??" and He said "Yes." Ouch. Yup, this week, I was told by a gentleman that I was going to hell because I believed in a twisted picture of the gospel. I bore my testimony to him at the end, but he just ripped it apart. It was a very hard hour. He told us that we needed to go home and read a Psalms a day and pray for God to reveal the truth to us as we read. Then when we had done that, he wanted us to come back and tell him our experiences. After walking away from his house, I have to admit I cried a little bit. It hurts pretty bad for someone to say something like that to you. I prayed a lot to Heavenly Father to strengthen me. But, I took Patrick's challenge. 

I read a Psalms the next day in my personal study. I read the first chapter of Psalms. And it talked about how the righteous are blessed. That they will bring forth fruit..kind of like "by their fruits ye shall know them." and I thought about our church, and the fruits that come from us. And not to be prideful...but we do pretty darn good! We help a lot of people. Then I prayed very fervently to my Heavenly Father that he would let me know if I was truly serving him. If I belonged to His kingdom on the earth. I decided to look for my answer in the Bible, so that I could share it with this man when we go back. And as I flipped through the pages, my eyes were caught by a verse in Matthew 10:22. It reads "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." When I read that, i knew that Heavenly Father was telling me that I was on His team. I am preaching the gospel for Him. Then I read from verse 11-22 and it comforted me. It let me know that even though people will reject me and tell me that I am going to hell and essentially hate me, as long as I continue with faith, relying wholly on Him, no one can tear me down.

Lets see..other than that, this week has been pretty good! I went on an exchange in Seymour, Indiana and had some fun with Sister Mayberry. We met with some less active people and a person who has been meeting with missionaries for over 40 years (Sister Malone). When we were at her house, I ended up just boldly asking her, "Sister Malone, why aren't you a Mormon??" She then said to us, "I don't feel worthy to be one of you." We asked her why, and she explained that she drank Coffee and she knew that we didn't. So we mentioned the Word of Wisdom. She said that she knows that body is a temple and that we need to take care of it, but she didn't understand why we would eat sugar, fat, cholesterol, and such, if we can't have bad stuff. But I just told her that really what it comes down to is if Joseph Smith is a prophet. Then she paused and said..."Well, I struggle with that too." Bingo!! Sometimes you just have to be bold as a missionary to find the concern as quickly. Asking inspired questions is key to being a missionary.

We also had a really amazing turning point with a part-member family here. I was on exchanges with two sisters here in my area, while Sister Cordner was at a meeting. The husband is not a member, and the other day I stopped by on an exchange with other sisters. We talked with him for a little bit. I testified to him that the reason we keep coming back is that we know that the gospel can bless him and his family. I testified to him about eternal families and the sealing power. He told us that he really admired what we do and that he loves us..but he just doesn't know if he is ready. I asked him what he thought he needed to do to be ready. Then he paused...and thought about it for a second...and then said "I don't know." Then I invited him to pray with his wife and ask Heavenly Father if the message that we share could bless his family and if this is the right time. Then he went inside and got his wife to come out and pray with us. You could see that he felt the spirit when we were testifying, and the spirit was softening his heart. I told him that they could pray privately together, or we could pray together now. He asked me if I would say a prayer for them together now. So we all held hands and we bowed our heads in prayer. After the prayer, he was crying a little bit. I could tell that he felt the spirit, but he just said that it had been a rough week in their family. They said that they didn't know if they wanted the lessons now, but I know that it was a very big turning point in their family progression. I am so grateful for the power of the spirit! Without it, missionary work would be pretty much impossible.

A tradition that Sister Cordner and I have started is playing the ABC game as we drive to exchanges (as each area is over an hour away). But we play it that you have to think of a principle from the Restoration, or Plan of Salvation that starts with that letter. For example, the Plan of Salvation could be A-Adam, B-Baptism, C-Creation, D-Death, etc. It is lots of fun! It reminds me of when I was a little kid and would do that on road trips. But now it is gospel centered! Yes, we are nerds. 

Also, it is finally spring here in Indiana!! And the Geese are having cute little goslings!! I have attached a picture of them crossing the street :) 

 They are the CUTEST things ever. We see them almost daily, and we still slow down and oogle over them. They bring us so much joy inside! Also, I attached a beautiful picture of the green scenery here.

Anyways, I have to go, I am out of time! I love you all! I appreciate all of your prayers and help. I can definitely feel them strengthening me! I wouldn't be able to do any of this work without my Savior Jesus Christ and his Atonement. I know that He loves me and that he is always watching out for me. He knows my struggles, and he is always reaching out to help. I just love this gospel!!! :D

With love,

Sister Emilee Farr

04/29/13-Week 12 in Indiana [Week 2 of Transfer 3]

Hello everyone back in...wherever you are!

Funniest joke of the week: "Knock, Knock," "Who's there?" "Boo" "Boo who?" " Why were you crying the WHOLE day????!" -Carter, 7 yrs old. (Wanda's son)

I bet that you all want to know how the baptism went. It.was.beautiful.!!! I can't even tell you how much I loved it. Originally when we asked Sister Hodge to get baptized, we told her about the cleansing effect that it had. It will wipe away all of her guilt and sorrow from the past mistakes that she has made. She wanted that feeling more than anything. And I know that she felt it! When she came up out of the water, she was beaming. She hugged Brother Hodge and just stood there and cried in his arms. I KNOW that she felt it. She felt the power of God just as it says in D&C 84:20. I am so so so happy for her! She was just beaming the rest of the program. We had cute kids sing I am a Child of God, and then another adorable 4 year old boy sing "Popcorn Popping" with the hand motions and all. It was so good! The spirit was so strong in every aspect of the program. I wish that you all could have been there to witness her baptism. President and Sister Collins came to it and they told us afterwards that it was one of the best baptisms that they had ever been to. It really was amazing. If you don't believe me....I don't know what you can do...so just believe me! haha. :) When she was confirmed the next day, she couldn't hold back her smile. You could tell that she could truly feel the difference that this big step in her life had made for her. Ah! I am just so happy for them. Today is their anniversary..that means that in a year from now, on their anniversary, they can go to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity! That is what missionary work is all about.

Then this week Wanda and her son Andrew and Carter came to church! :) Carter is just a hoot. He is 7 years old and he says some of the funniest things. We were at dinner with them on Friday night and he was making us laugh so hard! The joke from the beginning of this letter was one of his classics from this week. Best thing ever. Then later that day, he wanted us to come outside and see his secret garden. So we went into the back yard and walk over to the side of the house and he yells "SERIOUSLY DOGS?!? Seriously." You can see the the dogs had messed around in his greenery. Then he tells us "Turn around! Forget that you saw anything!!" So we turned around, and he fixed it and had us look at it again. But he is just so funny. Then later at dinner he said "Mom do we have dessert?" She said "No, the chocolate chip pancakes were enough" and he said "Seriously Mom??" and She said "Seriously, Carter." bahaha. I don't know. Maybe these aren't funny to you, but we were laughing so hard. You might just have to know Carter better to understand. But her other son Andrew is so interested in learning. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation and he was listening to us. When we got to the kingdoms of glory, we talked about how he could be with his mom forever. And he kept on asking, "forever? really?" And then he started crying because he was so happy to hear that. He is 13 and he has the sweetest heart. So he is a new investigator too! I just love Wanda and her family. She is amazing! She was helping us teach her children about the kingdoms of glory. She was relating the different kingdoms to ice cream. She explained it that the in Telestial they only have vanilla ice cream. In the Terrestrial they have vanilla with chocolate topping. But in the Celestial they have every single ice cream flavor and topping. She is just too amazing. She is practically already a member. She knows enough to be! I am so proud of her progress. She is SET for June 1st :D Missionary work is just so great!!

I was at Testimony meeting yesterday and Brother Lykins gave a beautiful testimony. I have been having a difficult week and felt that I was not adequate to be a missionary. I had felt that I was not living up to what my Father in Heaven expected of me, but he answered my prayers. He talked about a dog sled team and how the dogs are each placed in a very specific place to pull the sled best. Although it may seem that the two dogs at the front are the best and fastest because they are recognized more, that is not the case. They would not succeed as a back runner dog. They could not turn the sled fast enough if they were in any other dogs position. And as well, the dogs at the back of the pack would not do well in the front. Each dog that is there is there for a specific reason. He related that to how the church runs. Although people serving as bishops or as stake presidents may get more recognition and such, they are no better at pulling the sled as the people who work in primary classes teaching the 6 year olds. We all have a very unique and specific role in moving the work of the Lord forward. It helped me to not beat myself up about not being where I thought I needed to be. Heavenly Father knows each of us and he knows where we need to be right now. As Sister Collins said it "It's not about you. It is about where you can bless the lives of others best." So keep your head high and don't compare yourself to others! Just focus on your job and continue with faith. I have learned now more than ever that I am not in control. That even though I think I know best, I never do. 

I am still loving missionary work! It is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my life, but it is all worth it. I know that the work may be difficult, but the rewards will be ever lasting! I will be going on 8 exchanges this transfer. With Sister Cordner's new position as Sister Training Leader, she is pretty much like a Zone Leader mixed with a District Leader. We get to go on 2 exchanges with every companionship in 2 zones. It is going to be a lot of hard work! I will need all of the strength I can get!! But with the Savior, all is possible.

I don't have much more time. But I am so grateful for this time that I have to serve my Savior Jesus Christ. Although it is the hardest thing I have ever done, He knows how it feels. He is right beside me pulling me through. Without Him, I wouldn't be here. 

I send my love from Indiana!!

Sister Emilee Farr

04/22/13-Week 11 in Indiana [Week 1 of Transfer 3]

Hello!
First things first, I am staying in the Indy 1st ward with Sister Cordner. So it is the same address and everything. Sister Knight is sadly leaving us :( Which is the last thing that we expected! She is still in training and they usually don't change their area part way
through. But..Heavenly Father always knows best. And I know that he has a purpose for everything.
Soooo..where to start. This week was actually probably one of the slowest weeks of my entire mission! I was anxious to hear about transfers and so of course, time decided to go extra slow. But I made it through! Sister Cordner is actually going to become a Sisters
Training Leader. It is a new calling for sisters that has just come out. She is kind of like a Zone Leader in the sense that she will go on exchanges with sisters in the zone and will do trainings and stuff. And I get to be her little tag-along companion...pretty much I have to
do most of what she does, but just not report to President Collins about it. haha :) But we will find out more of what it entails on Wednesday after Transfer meeting.
But this coming week is Sister Hodge's baptism!!! I cannot explain how excited I am for her!! It will be one of the best days of her life! She was struggling with the word of wisdom, but has been completely dedicated and clean for the past few weeks. She is amazing! Whatever she puts her mind to, she will do. She had her baptismal interview this past Saturday, and it was the most nerve racking 45 minutes of my life! They have to be interviewed by the District Leader, and the spirit has to confirm to them that they are ready to be baptized. As missionaries, we try to prepare them the best that we can, but it all comes down to the interview! After the interview, she walked out and put a thumbs down and looked very somber. Then she walked down the
hall to us and said "you could have warned me.." We all looked at her with stunned looks. Then our District Leader walked casually down the hall and went up to Sister Cordner and said "Okay, so all we need is the ward and stake numbers.." And Sister Cordner said "What??...I am confused....so did she pass?" Then Sister Hodge started laughing and
said "Yes!" I said "Sister Hodge!!! You nearly made me pee my pants when you said that!" and she said "You should have known I would do that type of a thing!" She is a tease. But she "passed"!! Horray! The baptism is still on :) We are soooo excited. Her baptism is 2 days before their anniversary. So that means that next year on their anniversary, they
can be sealed together!!!! That is the best anniversary present ever!
Also, Wanda and Sister Hodge came to all three hours of church yesterday! I was so happy. The hardest thing to do here, is to get people to actually come to church! They say they will, and then they don't show up. But they were both there! Wanda has a baptismal date of June 1st (and I will be there for that one too!) and she is so dedicated! She told us in her last lesson that a few days after she met with us a conflict came up for that date. They had a convention happening in Indianapolis on June 1st, and it was the only time that
they would have it for the whole year! And she said "Well....I guess that I will just have to drive to Chicago when they go there, because I am getting baptized on that day!" How cool is that?? Oh man. We are just so excited about everything.
Then we did lots and lots of tracting one day! We were tracting on Cynthia road and we knocked on this door, and then the garage door started opening. (which is one of the most awkward approaches as a missionary..you peek around the corner..'hello?') Anyways. We started talking to this old 70 year old man who was sitting at a desk facing
out lighting up a cigarette. He first asked us "You don't have a gun in your purse do you?" and we said "No!" Then he invited us right into his garage and told us to grab some chairs. So we did and started to sit down but he turned and started to close the garage!!! First, that is against the missionary rules (you can't be inside alone with a male) and Second, I was scared for my life! This guy had just asked us if we had a gun and is now trapping us into his garage??! But no need to worry. He stopped it about half way down and started talking to us. He didn't do anything, it was just to keep some of the cold air from coming in. We talked with him for quite some time. He told us stories about his childhood. And we told him the restoration. He was sooo funny! He offered us some soda, and we said sure! So he asked if we wanted Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite. We asked for Diet Coke and he said "You're not chubby!" bahaha. We were laughing pretty hard. He went inside to get them and then he randomly popped around the corner waving a candy bar saying "do you want a candy bar??? It's frozen!!!" Maybe you had to be there.. or just know Jim's personality, but it was hilarious!!
I am really happy to hear about how Kevin is graduating this week from BYU!! Go Kev :) I am so proud of you! He is amazing. I can't believe that in a few months they will live so close to me! It is only a couple hour drive.. weird. haha :)
I am trying to remember what else has happened! I usually have to look in my planner to refresh my memory, but since this is a new transfer, I don't have my old planner with me. Everything is just kind of a blur and mushed together.
Oh! This week we had a tornado watch out! I guess that it is tornado season here. Who knew? We were out tracting, and the wind started to blow realllly hard. really hard. yes, really hard. Almost to the point where it started to unbutton my jacket! We were laughing so hard trying to walk back to the car. Then we started driving to our dinner appointment, and there was a huge tree that had fallen in the middle of the road, so all of the cars had  to back up and use a different route. Indiana has some CRAZY weather!! I know I say that a lot..but I will keep saying it!
Then we did some service at a part members house. And that was a lot of fun! We helped them take down their Christmas tree, yes...their Christmas tree in April :) Then we helped them clean up a little bit. Their kids are the cutest things in the world! It is the Groom/Coy family with the adorable children that I really want to hug!
 

Groom/Coy Family

One of the hardest things that is hard for me is to not hug the cute little kids! I love kids!! They are just the sweetest and most innocent things. I can't wait to be able to hold them again!
Anyways, I can't really remember last week..I guess that is the mind of a missionary!! Just keep moving forward. I will tell you all about Sister Hodge's baptism in my next email! I am so grateful for my Savior and all that he has done for me. He is my best friend. He is
the person who pulls me through. I can honestly say that without him, I wouldn't still be on my mission. I wouldn't have made it through my first transfer. But I prayed and fasted for a desire to serve, and He answered my prayers. The power of prayer is real. I know that He hears us and answers us. He always has a plan. It has been really tough, but I love being a missionary! All of the hard times are definitely outweighed by the miracles. Keep reading your scriptures and praying daily individually and as a family or couple. It will bless your life and change it. I have seen it change people. I know the church is true. I know that we are the only church with the authority of God and we are literally God's kingdom on the earth today. This gospel is just so true! Sometimes I can't handle how true it is...

Thank you for all of your love and support!
Sister Emilee Farr

District

04/15/13-Week 10 in Indiana [Week 5 of Transfer 2]

Why Hello!
Spring is in the air!! The trees have blossoms on them and there are some beautiful blossoms! There was a tree that looked just the like one in the Disney movie Mulan! Aw..so gorgeous! The weather is a little crazy here.. I thought that Mother Nature was crazy in Utah...but no..here she is Bipolar! haha :) It can go from 70 degrees one day to 35 degrees the next day. Don't ask me how it happens..but it does!
I have had a wonderful week!! The work is so rewarding and lots of fun! One of my favorite things that I have done this week was painting for a potential investigator! We came across a girl named Melissa the other week when we were tracting. She had painters tape in her windows and so when she opened the door, I commented on the painting. She told us that she was painting her house because the renter that last lived in it did not take care of it. She said that she didn't think she cleaned the bathroom in the whole 4 years she lived there! Gross... But we asked her if we could help her clean or paint. She told us that she wouldn't make us do that, but we told her that was part of our purpose as missionaries. So we set up a time for us to come and help her for a few hours. Then this Tuesday when we went to her house, she was so excited to see us! She told us that she had been telling everyone that we were coming to help her. She put us to work scrubbing out the cupboards in the kitchen..and they were disgusting! There was dog hair all over and dried food and...who knows what. But as we cleaned, she asked us questions about our religion and how it was different. In the course of the time we were there, we pretty much taught her the first 2 lessons in preach my gospel! As we were cleaning, whenever someone called, she would tell them that she had 3 Latter-Day Saint girls there helping her clean! I guess that is a way to get the church's name out for good..haha :) But as we were finishing up she asked us if there was anything that she could do for us, we gave her a mormon.org card and encouraged her to look up more about our religion (since she is living in Florida right now). She told us that she would. Then she told us that we gave her hope that there are religions out there who actually live what they teach. She had contacted old neighbors and friends to help her, and no one did. But we were an answer to her prayers, because the Lord led us to her door that day. What a wonderful way to plant a seed! I didn't know that missionary work could be as simple as volunteering to help someone in need. But I guess that is how the Savior did it. I love this gospel!!
Also this week we have another investigator who has a baptismal date! She is committed to get baptized on June 1st! Her name is Wanda. I think I have already told you about her, but she was a former investigator that we recently started teaching again. She got the book "Mormonism for Dummies" and has been studying her little heart out to learn more about the gospel! She always has questions and thoughts when we teach her. Then there is another two investigators who we will be giving a date to this week! They have already said yes to baptism, but we have not given them a date. Their names are Cheryl and Zach. They are a Mom and Son and soooooooo prepared!! They are golden. They agree with everything and are so excited about learning! I love them to death. The people here are just so amazing!
And! I sent some pictures of me by a random road sign and someones mailbox...but you see!! the Road sign says "Colt Rd" and the mailbox is "2247"!! No way! There is an address in Indianapolis that is the same as my address back in Saratoga Springs! I just thought that was cool :) We were trying to think of where to go tracting one day and I saw that road on the map, and then while tracting on that road, I found the house number! It made me happy :)

 




Then we had dinner with the Groom family. And they have the most adorable kids! They have 2 sets of twins. One set of girls and one set of a boy and a girl! The picture is of Catie and I.

Catie & Sister Farr

It was their birthday last week, and so she put the birthday hat on my head for fun. She has the highest pitched voice! It is just adorable! I think that not holding kids or hugging them is the hardest thing about missionary work for me. I just love them too much! But a funny story about Catie is that we were telling her that we were going to get our hair cut today. And I asked her "what if I cut my hair to here!" (pointing at the length just past the tip of my ear). She paused and then with a disgusted look said "....I wouldn't like you anymore..." bahahah! Sister Cordner and I laughed so hard! It was hilarious! Kids can be so blunt! But don't worry Dad, I won't be cutting my hair :) It is just a trim.

AND I realized that two weeks ago I was going to give you the answer to my question about why Heavenly Father gave Adam and Eve a commandment that He knew they had to break. Well! here is the answer:
Because Heavenly Father is perfect, He could only create a perfect world, perfect people, and a perfect plan. He could not give them a commandment to eat the fruit, because when they ate it, they would still be perfect! Thus, still be in Heavenly Father's presence; there would have not been a spiritual death and no need for the Savior's atonement. There would be no opposition..we would not come into an imperfect world to learn from our mistakes (one of the main reasons we came to earth). I hope that makes sense..but my mind was blown! I couldn't think straight for a while. It has been one of my deep questions since I was a little girl. Maybe someone who reads this will have their mind opened too.

We have done lots and lots and lots of tracting.. (on Busy Bee Lane, Poppyseed Rd, and Cinnamon St) and ran into some very rude people who have tried to argue with us. But I know that this is the Lord's work.
They rejected even Christ himself, so when they reject me, I can't let that get me down. Jesus Christ could not convert everyone, so He doesn't expect me to. I am so happy to be on a mission at this time, in Indiana, and with Sister Cordner and Sister Knight. I can't believe that I have already been out for 3 months! It has flown by..but I also feel that I have been out forever.  It is weird how that works. Other than that, this week has been wonderful, as always! I am still struggling to get a good nights rest. If anyone has some suggestions, they would be appreciated! As a misisonary...sleep is very precious!

My time may be running out here in Indy 1st as transfers is next Wednesday, and I won't know if I am leaving until next Sunday. But I sure do hope I stay here with Sister Cordner and Sister Knight! They teach me soooo much and I need all of the knowledge I can get. I love being in a trio, it is just triple the power! Heavenly Father will send me where He knows I am needed, but...I have decided that I want to stay in Indy 1st for the rest of my mission ;) Just kidding! I will go wherever the Lord may need me.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support! I have definitely been able to feel the strength from Heaven. The Lord takes care of His missionaries :) I still have so much to learn!

That was a long email! I hope you enjoyed!!

Lots of Love,
Sister Emilee Farr

04/08/13-Week 9 in Indiana [Week 4 of Transfer 2]

Hi Family and Friends!

I.love.being.a.missionary. That is all I have to say! Missionary work is so rewarding and amazing! It was really hard for me at first and I didn't enjoy it, but the more that I have seen the hand of the Lord working in the lives of people here, I can't get enough of it! Thank you all for your love and support. I can feel the strength from your prayers.

This week...I don't even remember what happened this week! It has just flown by. I have to look at my planner to see who we visited..haha. Okay, so on Monday (P-day) Sister Reeves had us over at her house and we did some cake decorating! She taught us some unique techniques and we decorated cupcakes. It was lots of fun!  

Brother Buckles

Then we had dinner at the Buckles' house. They are an amazing family! They are the family that reminds me of Aunt Colette and Uncle Kelly. But we had crepes and homemade fries :) you know that is some of my favorite food! But after dinner we found out that Brother Buckles plays the accordion! How cool is that?! So we sat down and he played some songs for us. It was so cool... I sent some pictures :) Also, I played it and played a little bit on "Choose the Right"! I guess my piano skills did come in handy!
But that was so great.

 

And more exciting news about Sister Hodge!! She is the part member family who we had an amazing lesson on the atonement last Sunday. But we committed her to be baptized on April 27th!! That is in less than 3 weeks now! She is amazing. She is so determined and dedicated. I have so much to learn from her. Her and Brother Hodge are just so funny! They are sarcastic with each other all of the time. They told us a funny story. Sister Hodge had been dyeing her hair different shades of brown and blonde and I guess that Brother Hodge had told Sister Hodge that he likes it best blonde. So she went to the hair dresser to get it colored blonde, but she came out with her hair brunette! So Brother Hodge was saying "didn't I say that I liked your hair blonde? But you got it brunette......." Then he asked her 'Do you like me bald?' and she said 'no' and so he went home and shaved his hair off to 'get back at her.' But then, a few days later, Sister Hodge went back to the hair dresser to finish her hair coloring and got blonde highlights in it (But Brother Hodge didn't know that she was going to do that). After they told us this story Sister Hodge said "so now I have cute blonde highlights, and he has a bald head!" bahahah. I guess you may have to know them to completely understand the story and their personality. But we were laughing really hard!

We had an amazing lesson with Renae this week. We talked about the plan of salvation and she had so many good questions. She wanted to know why God lets bad things happen to good people. She wanted to know what the purpose of life was and many other questions. The spirit was so strong in that lesson! Sister Cordner said that it was one of the most spiritual plan of salvation lessons she has ever been in. Ah! I love the spirit and this gospel!! :)

Then we went on an exchange with the Indy YSA sisters on IUPUI campus. They have a trio there and we have a trio. So we went there and we split up into 3 companionship's. We went and would walk up to people and just start talking about the gospel with them. I was scared out of my mind to do it. I am not a big talker, as you all probably know, so I was having a panic attack. I was really overwhelmed and just prayed my heart out. Last sunday I had fasted that Heavenly Father would loose my tongue so that I would have the courage to talk with people. And let me tell you, he answered my prayers! I had lots of fun! We talked with a lot of people! We had 4 lessons (which consists of talking about at least 1 principle and saying a prayer) and just talked with many other people. Who knew that it was possible?? Sister Farr? Being able to confront people and share the gospel? If you know me at all, you should know that I am not capable of doing such a
thing. But with Heavenly Father's help, the strength from my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the companionship of the Holy Ghost, I can do it. I am just so grateful for everything that I have already learned. I am not saying that I am not scared out of my mind to do it, but I have more confidence in myself.

I also got to teach Institute that night with 2 other sisters. It was a great lesson! It was based on President Monson's talk from last conference called "Consider the Blessings." There was a kid in the back of the class who had his hood on the entire time and his backpack on his back. At first I thought to myself, "what a punk.." but the spirit whispered to me to not judge him. At the end of the class, he raised his hand and bore a powerful testimony. He was crying and just expressing how bad he wishes that he could be a missionary! It hit me like a ton of bricks. Here I was, I didn't want to go on a mission..Heavenly Father had just told me I was going to my whole life, so I responded to his call. and this boy wanted to be a missionary more than anything, and he couldn't. None of us knew what to say after that, the spirit was just so strong that it felt like you could grab it from the air. At the end of the lesson I bore my testimony to the people in the class. I saw a few people crying. It was just an amazing lesson. The sisters in the YSA told me that when I bore my testimony the spirit hit the room like an atomic bomb...(haha) they told me that I have the gift of a testimony. They told me that I have a different spirit about me. They could just feel it from being around me...I am not saying that to boast myself up, but I am just so grateful for the gift that Heavenly Father has given me. It is not one that I could have on my own. On my mission, I have come to know my strengths..along with my weaknesses! I have so much to improve on, but Heavenly Father is helping me each day. Oh man..I just
love this gospel!

Conference was absolutely amazing!! The talk given the Saturday morning about the Savior and how he wants to forgive, touched me to the core. I literally started crying in the chapel. That talk was an answer to my prayers. It was an answer to the my deepest concern and worry. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and that he answers my prayers. The answer never really comes in the timing that I think or even in the way that I think, but it comes. He is aware of us and our needs. he is just so incredible. I have come closer to my Father in Heaven and my Savior during my mission. I have only been out for almost 3 months and I can't believe the things I have learned about myself and about the way my Father in Heaven works. I loved the talk about the children and how we should speak to them as the Holy Ghost does, with humble and quiet tones. I never correlated the two before. I also loved the talk by President Uchtdorf on stepping into the light. It motivated me and inspired me to keep moving. Although things are hard, they are a lot easier with my Savior. I also loved the talk by Elder Holland! We don't need to 'know' everything! We just have to have a small belief and we can let that belief grow into a knowledge. I always love his talks. Then I loved the talk about marriage..even though I am not married yet, I know that I can always be preparing to be a better mother and a better wife. So I took extra good notes :) I could just go on and on and on about how much I loved conference! It was a spiritual feast! One thing I loved was President Monson's story about the fire...I thought of Dad when he burned down the field in front of his house. :) If you don't know that story, you need to ask my Dad. It is pretty great. But more importantly, my investigators loved conference!! Wanda texted
us part way through and said "Oh my goodness! Two of these talks were written just for me!" Then Cherral told us "I love President Monson!" Renae told us that she loved the talk on marriage and that her fiance was also able to watch conference. Melissa told us that "President Monson seemed like a humble man and there weren't any red flags." Oh man! I can't explain how happy it made me to hear that they loved conference too!

Anyways, that is the majority of my week here in Indiana!

Lots of Love,

Sister Emilee Farr

04/01/13-Week 8 in Indiana [Week 3 of Transfer 2]

Hello family and friends!

The weeks are just flying by. I can't believe that I am already almost done with the 3rd week of my second transfer!! That is just crazy. I don't want to leave Sister Cordner and Sister Knight. I think that you should call my Mission President and tell him that he can't split up the trio ;) just kidding. I don't know if I will be a trainer right off the bat. I don't think that I have all of the people skills that I would need to keep a conversation going..door approaches are a little bit scary for me. But I fasted to have my tongue loosed. I know that Heavenly Father can work miracles when it comes to His work.

Oh man, but this week has been so wonderful!! To start out I recited the first vision for the first time and gave my first invitation to baptism....and she said YES!! It was amazing. Her name is Jennifer and she is so prepared. We tracked into her randomly and she let us right in. We had a very spiritual meeting with her this week and it was amazing. We talked about the restoration of the gospel and I recited the first vision to her and had her close her eyes. She said that when
she heard it she felt "free" or she felt "butterflies." I told her that it was the spirit confirming that what we told her was true. After I invited her to be baptized and asked her if she would follow
the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God.... and she said yes! I can't tell you how amazing it felt to have someone commit to baptism. Tomorrow we will be giving her a baptismal date and I hope that she accepts. The spirit was so strong during the lesson. I am falling in love with missionary work.

I went on exchanges this week to Fishers, Indiana with Sister Tagg. We had a lot of fun and met some amazing people. One person was named Jenney and she was amazing! She was saying that when she makes a promise with God, there is no way that she will back down from that
promise. I thought that we can all learn from her dedication and determination to our Heavenly Father. I learned so much from her. But the funny thing was that Sister Barrett came to Indy 1st while I went to Fishers and she sat at my study desk. And you see I have the post-it notes that Dad gave me with all of the motivational sayings on them. And I guess that Sister Barrett read them and said "Awww.. even I miss Sister Farr's Dad!!" hahaha :) I thought that was really funny!
And I thought Dad would like that :)

Then this week, we made a "Wendy's run" in the middle of tracting for hours on end to take a break because I was getting really overwhelmed from talking with people. And I thought of Tiffany because we would always do that in the middle of the night when we wanted frosty's and
fries :)

I've sent some pictures of the snow storm that we had. But you
see, the first picture is the day of the snow storm....

...and the second picture is the next day. 
The snow melts like CRAZY here!!
 It is incredible!!!! In Utah, the snow would stay for months...but not in Indiana.

 




 They always say "If you don't like the weather here today, stay for tomorrow, it will probably change" :) and let me tell you, it is sooo true! You can't predict the weather here. It can go through all 4 seasons in one day.

Another amazing story was this lady named Cherral. She was a former investigator that was taught last year. On her teaching record they said that she thought that the Joseph Smith story and the Book of Mormon were the most amazing things that she had ever heard. She just seemed so golden, but she was dropped because they couldn't set up appointments with her. So we stopped by and she invited us right in. She was so sweet! We chatted for a while and got to know her and what she liked about the church. Then she said "so do you want to start studying again?" What?!! Since when do the investigators ask YOU if YOU want to study with them? It was crazy! Talk about prepared. She is so sweet and nice. We have an appointment with her tomorrow, and I am so excited.

I had the most AMAZING Easter yesterday. Talk about being a representative of Jesus Christ on a holiday that celebrates His great Atonement. It was wonderful. We got SOOO much candy from people in the ward! 

We got some from the Reeves, the Adams, the Sholders, the Futrells, and the Lykins...it was ridiculous! I don't get that much candy on a normal holiday! But as a missionary..I guess you are kind of a rock star. It was funny. There was a cute girl that got up and bore her testimony and said
 "Easter isn't about the candy and stuff.......but I still really want some..........it is about the Savior."

 I don't know if you can read how she said it, but it was soooo funny! I just love kids. Then we had dinner with the Aikins and they sent us home with 12 red velvet cupcakes!!! mmmmhmmm. They are delicious. But here is the story that is truly amazing. We are teaching a Part member family - the Hodges, specifically Sister Hodge - and it has been hard to set up appointments. But yesterday we went over there to share with them an "Easter message." We watched Finding Faith in Christ with them and then bore our testimonies of the power of the atonement. I told her that I wouldn't be able to be out on a mission without the power of the atonement in my life. I told her that I have been able to have my guilt and my sorrow washed away and have that peace come again. Then she asked me "how do you get that feeling?" and I began telling her
the story of my complete repentance process. The spirit was so strong. I was crying (of course). And then we asked her if she would be baptized. And after a long, thoughtful pause, she said "yes" in a hushed tone and then she started to cry. The spirit was unbelievable in that room!! Sister Knight started to cry, I was teary, Sister Hodge was crying. Oh man. Then Brother Hodge said, with tears in his eyes, "I am soo happy....that means that I can take you to the temple." It
was amazing!! That is what missionary work is all about.. sealing families! It makes me so excited to start my future eternal family because I have a greater testimony of its importance. I can't explain to you how amazing that moment was. :D

I have found out the answer to my life long question of "why did Heavenly Father give Adam and Eve a commandment that he knew they had to break?" It makes complete sense now. I would love to tell you....but you will have to stir for another week because I don't have enough time to type it... ;)

I love you all! I am loving the work out here! I can already tell why people say they don't want to go home. The rewards of missionary work are different than anything I have ever experienced. And I have recently found a love for muffins in the morning.... haha :)
 
Thank you for all of the love and support,

Sister Emilee Farr