Gaining the Trust of the Members

Hey Y'all,

Hope you all had a great Memorial Day! It's kind of weird to remember holidays other than Christmas, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. Mostly because of Skyping and this year i have a really good Father's Day gift! :)

This week was transfers and I had to say good to my companion/trainer. It was sad but also good. She only has 5 weeks and are reopening an area before she goes home. So proud of her. In return i got Sister Ibarra she is from Washington State and is amazing her dad is from Mexico so she is fluent in Spanish and she has been able to use it a lot here in Garner. It's been a little hard adjusting to the way he does things after being so used to sister Behrmann, but i absolutely love her. She is very good at working with the Members and making sure they are feeling the spirit while were their and always thanking them gaining trust and love for them. She has been so loved by all the members. This ward loves missionaries. However, i have a feeling after these 5 months i may get transfered. NOOOO! I don't want too! I love Garner and i want to be with Sister Ibarra longer than just 5 weeks.

Wednesday we met Bishop at his office to meet Sister Ibarra. We could see that he is a little bit worried about the ward. We asked him if we could help in anyway and he gave us a list of people and later this week he called with another name. It is great to work with him and i know he loves his ward. It reminds me of Bishop Hammond of the love Bishops really and truly have for there ward members. Working alongside them i can see that pure love or even a sense of Christ love. Those chosen to be Bishops really are called of God. We got Sister Ibarra set up for Facebook.

Thursday we went and helped with food orders and got a ride from the Relief Society president and had a great conversation with her on the way home. Really i don't remember what we said but i rmember feeling the spirit in her car. We left her with a scripture and a prayer. She called us about an hour later asking us to come out to lunch and then to go help a sister who just moved into the ward. It was great to be given another opportunity to serve. This week was the Thursday visits and we visited a less-active family and talked about guns. My companion loves them. We talked about faith and used a tea filter. We lit it on fire in there hand and then as the flames get closer to your hand the flames goes out and the filter flouts to the ceiling. It was a way to show them faith. I was kind of hesitant with the activity but they really enjoyed it. Also we got the car from the Elders.( We lost our ride). Sister Ibarra didn't feel comfortable driving and so i did. It was weird to have finally driven. It has been since early December since the last time i have been in the Driver seat!!! So glad to have a GPS and not be completely lost. (Thanks mom, and Kory).

Saturday we rode our bikes. I have a nice tan and a sun burn. I now have the missionary farmers tan. we biked about 4 miles extra to avoid any freeways and realized we have no other way and so we had to bike back and saw the Rigglemans, tracted and saw a family whom just had a baby. We had dinner at Golden Coral and the members were so cute. They are reactive family who since we first meet them have just loved us. One is from Africa and the other is from Charlotte, NC. It was a great night and loved hearing there conversion story.

Sunday always seems to be my favorite. We had Ward council and Sister Ibarra got to meet all of the council members. We had a great sacrament on temple marriage and covenants. We had a great coordination meeting and with two new missionaries it was kind of long but we got a few names to try and see. We visited an older sister who is now widowed and she is so sweet. She is about 97 and still comes to church every Sunday and makes dinner's and anything the ward may need. We had dinner with another great family and heard that after they picked us up that her husband had just got the Melchizedek priesthood. He loved it and was talking about how amazing he feels. He glad to be able to bless his family and grand-children more fully.

Yesterday we had a crazy day and boy was it crazy. Since it is the last week of the month we have to careful with miles and so we tried to really make sure we were smart. It was crazy. I can say that i don't miss school at all!!! We had dinner with a family and talked about prayer. We had a great time and felt the spirit so strong. They are such a strong family and i really love them.

This week i learned the importance of member trust. I thought before that i did. Sister Ibarra showed me away to go a little further. Just sending a text after a dinner thanking them or asking them questions. Share a scripture and pray with them in the car when they drop us off. Ask specifically with ideas of way to serve them and most importantly give them a spiritual experience. It was a great mind opening week and so very inspiring. I think this transfer is going to be the best and i love Sister Ibarra. I know after this time together we can still be great friends but even better be great sisters.

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Sister Tayler Farr

Transfers

Hey Y'all,

Well this week was pretty crazy!!! We found out that Sister Behrmann is getting transferred and so she was pretty much packaging all week and so things were just out of sorts. We had a great week and got lots of things done!!! On Tuesday though we had Deep Clean and had to clean the entire apartment from top to bottom. I'm glad that we normally clean a little on Monday's so we didn't do to much cleaning.

This week we got a new referral from head quarters and started to teach a young girl (Don't know how old she is). She had requested a Book of Mormon and we brought it to her. We talked about it and read in 2 Nephi 31 and invited her to be baptized. She didn't say yes but she didn't say no so that was a awesome. We set up a new appointment to teach her the restoration and instead the day before she called and canceled saying she wants more time to read and then she would give us a call when she had questions. I was bummed but at least she didn't completely give up on us. We tried to call back and see if we could at least read it with her and if she had questions we could answer them and help her while reading. We sadly had to leave a voice mail.

We had the same thing happen with another potential investigator who we finally got an appointment set and then she wasn't home and so we have to see her again. Luckily she works at a store just across from our apartment complex.

We did finally met a less-active sister and her newborn and husband who we have been trying for a while. We are trying to start working with her husband. He is going to be baptized!!!

I forgot my journal so my letter is a little boring, but i do have a really embarrassing story to tell. So this week we had dinner with the Riggleman's. We were waiting for the garlic bread to finish and just talking at the table and Sister Riggleman said a joke RIGHT AS I WAS DRINKING WATER and I choked and laughed and it went all over i could swallow so i blew it all over the table and everyone. They all laughed and Sister Riggleman felt so bad and was cleaning nit up. Sister Behrmann couldn't stop laughing and me i only could laugh. However it was embarrassing and Amy keep saying gross you spit on me. Shortly after i cleaned up the mess. I found out they have already made a rule in there house to not makes jokes when some is drinking. They had a similar experience with a pasted Elder and so mine brought back the rule!!! It was great and really never a duel moment in Garner especially in the Riggleman's home! Happy Anniversary today too!!! :)

Sorry, I don't have as many good stories this week. I probably will next week when i get my new companion. I am really nervous about taking over and being in charge of the area, but i know i will do well if i allow the spirit to be with me and the Lord to help me! Wish we luck!!! Have a great week!!!

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Sister Tayler Farr

Mother's Day

Hey Y'all,

Happy belated Mother's Day and it was so great to Skype home and see all of the faces of family and friends. This week was great and full of great blessings and so much peace.

First, This week got a referral from the Elders at a Thrift store and have been trying to set an appointment with. Luckily after a couple days of fall through she gave us her number and told us to call her and set up a time to come over. We knew that she at least is interested. We haven't been able to set anything up but we are going to try to see her again. We found out that i will be staying in Garner and that Sister Behrmann is leaving! :(. I love this lady and am really going to miss her! She only has 5 more weeks after this transfer before she goes home and is going to re open an area and so she will be busy! I am so totally going to  miss her but i can see that the Lord needs her in this new area and she is the one to reopen it and i guess they can have her!

We have had great lessons with members at our dinner appointments and have been asking them about their families missionary work. we have been given a sheet from our Mission president that he and all of the stake president in our mission created with 10 ways to share the gospel. We have asked them to use one of them or to create their own and try it this week. We are really going to try to remember to follow up with them. We have been asked to continue to do it but to have a kneeling prayer with them and to pray for someone specific. Our district leader has told us that some of the members have been able to get a name. It should be great!!!

Friday was probably the best day other than mothers day this week! Who doesn't like going to the Temple!!! We had sister who hasn't been able to go, but was praying to get off work to go with us!!! Prayers work and even the fact of a small temple she was able to get in last minute. She kept telling us she knew God needed her to come to the temple and that he helped her get here. She was so sweet and it was a great experience. I loved it and i loved the time we got to spend with the other sisters as well. Our session was all Sister Missionaries and only 6 men! Our mission president got to be their it is was so great to be with him. Sister Bernhisel was sick but we still got to see her.

Saturday, we made Mothers Day hand out and tried to visit sisters in the Ward who aren't mothers or who don't have children at home. The hand out had a quote about womanhood. we thanked them for all they do in the ward and the great example they are to all. It was great to see their smiles.

Sunday was the best day. The Ward was able to set up an amazing treat for all the sisters. The men took over Young women and primary so that all of the sisters could be their in Relief Society. The Relief Society President gave a beautiful talk and had the young women sign to us. It was great we all got roses and chocolate. We were told that we are all roses. We are beautiful to God even if we may have some thorns and different looking leafs. We are all different but to God we are all beautiful. We talked about the story of Ester and the fact that we need each other and come together in times are trials for each other. We talked about our physical and spiritual needs and that we are all in God sight and that no matter what he loves us!!! Of course knowing that it was Mother's Day the Holmes family invited us over for Lunch and to Skype. We made her Lunch. Sister Behrmann made french fires and i made the hamburgers. I can see why Dad was always the one who cooked them. I felt so bad! They were a little over cooked and they cheese didn't melt right! They all said it was good and they were just getting them their was bad! We got to Skype home and i am glad to say that as much as i thought would change. Nothing has changed much! My love for my family continues to be their but i see it growing! Distance really does make the heart grow fonder. I loved seeing their faces and feeling the love they have for me! It was great to hear all that has happened! I love you all!

Well this was my week! Great to see most of you on Skype yesterday and so glad to hear your voice!!! I love you and hope to hear from you next week!!!! Love y'all!!!

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Sister Tayler Farr

Miracle Media :)

Hey Y'all,

Today is my trainer/companions birthday! Happy Birthday Sister Behrmann! This week was awesome! We did lots and had a great week with not as much teaching but lots of great service opportunities!

On Monday, we got to our investigator and found her so stressed out about everything she had to do and so we just stopped and cleaned her house while she did homework. We may not have gotten a chance to teach a great lesson like we planned but we got to show our love and allow the spirit to be in her home more strongly. I made sure to tell her that. We left having her smiling and her husband who normally gives us a cold turkey was out talking with us trying to give us money for meals but instead was invited over for dinner. he quickly started planning the menu. I think his heart is starting to be softened towards us and we found out  that he has been studying with her on occasion.  It was great!

On Tuesday I had a great experience using Facebook. I have been getting friend requests from people i don't know i have been really hesitant to accept them but I was kind of asked from our sister who is a missionary working with Facebook and told me countless times "that i may never know what will happen even if i don't know them." I finally decided to accept some. I got through 5 names and one of them messaged me thanking me for accepting them and we started to talk. I found out that he has been reading the Book of Mormon and wants to know more he has occasionally gone to Church but no one has told him anything. He lives in California and so i sent him a link to request missionaries in his area. I was kind of bummed that i cant' be the one to teach him but i looked at his friends and found that he is friends with a lot of missionaries. I knew that i personally was the one who could help him. I haven't really felt that Facebook is the best tool. But now i can see the impact Facebook can be. Like Elder Bednar has said "that we can use media to share the gospel." We are on it a lot and why not put something on there about our believes. I now know that it works and that Elder Bednar would agree with me. Try it out for yourself. share something about what you studied that day or anything that you want. People may see it and just keep scrolling, some may like it, others may comment but people will see it and the spirit will be their to help them.

On Thursday we had a great day and boy we were busy. It makes such a difference when you have the car. We had an apartment inspection and only the fact that we need to change our air filter and dust the bathroom more we were good. We even had the car checked and boy vacuuming that was terrible, but it was checked off as BEST so we were happy. We started weekly planning and then went over to a sister who had just gotten home from the hospital after having her baby. We cleaned and vacuumed. He was a beautiful baby and it was so hard not being able to hold him, but whats 18 months to the rest of my life. He definitely was adorable. We came hoe and had lunch and planned for another service project and found out half way through lunch that they had to cancel and so we just worked on weekly planning. We got maybe 10 minutes in when another sister in the ward asked if we could help pull weeds and get her garden ready before the rain came. We come over and now we are like weeding pros. Haha!

Yesterday and Saturday night was Stake Conference. Yesterday, We had it broadcast in our building and it was great Elder Parker our area seventy is amazing and so funny. He is great! One thing he did was talk about the missionaries from the Apex stake and there is about 68. He talked about the ones serving in the Apex stake and their is 96. They were to read all of them but instead he had us all stand where we were. He said that we are good at working together with the Ward but we both need to do better. He told us that while we are here in North Carolina we have a home here and that the places we serve are and should be considered and family and Mom, and Dads. It was amazing of course i started crying. I had lots of the ward member look at me and smile and some even mouthed the words "Thank You!" It was a great session. I love this Ward and I love North Carolina. I may not be to keen on the quick summer weather but i love the people and that is what truly counts!

I hope you all have a great week and i can't wait till Sunday! Happy Mothers day to all of the mothers and especially to mine who helped me become the person i am to serve here, but now i credit the Lord! Also Happy birthday to Mason, Luke and Liam. I can't believe you are all going to be 1! Love you all!

My favorite Scripture of the Week! John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Sister Tayler Farr

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Sister Tayler Farr