Stranded In Adzopé! - Affery, Côte d'Ivoire

 

It's been a great week mes amis!

On Monday we were down in Adzopé for a zone activity and we were planning to stay the night and then come back to Affery on Tuesday. Well on Monday night we found out that President Bendixsen would be coming by in the morning for interviews!

So the 14 of us that were staying in that apartment got up and got ready on Tuesday morning for interviews. While the Bendixsens were there, we found out that our Zone Conference would be on Thursday instead of the next week like we'd thought.

So long story short we had to switch our plans and stay in Adzopé for an extra 2 days because we didn't have time or money to come back to Affery in between. It was fun figuring out how to make two outfits stretch four days. Also, since there were fourteen of us in an apartment fit for four Elders, the sleeping situation was definitely interesting. 

But everything worked out and on Thursday we went down south for a multi-zone conference. It was awesome to get to meet so many missionaries in one spot! The Conference was easily the highlight of my week and the spirit was so strong!

During one of the breaks at the Conference, President Bendixsen came up to me and asked me if, for the closing hymn, I would sing the first verse of "Ye Elders of Israel" in English all by myself and then have the other missionaries join me for the last two verses in French. Now I love performing and I hardly get stage fright, but getting up in front of so many missionaries made me pretty nervous. All was well though and when the others joined me on the last two verses, the spirit was nothing short of overwhelming. 

That night, after four long days, we made it back to the comfort of our apartment in Affery. I've come to realize this week just how much of a home this place had become for me. What a fantastic blessing that is.

This week I hit a month in Côte d'Ivoire. I'm amazed at how quickly it's gone by but also at how much has happened! I love this place with all of my heart and I am beyond happy to be here.

I hope you all have a fantastic week! Heavenly Father loves you and is looking out for you constantly. 

À la prochaine!

Elder Farr

A mound of rice, the average lunch

On our way to Zone Conference!

After 5 months, I finally got a picture with Elder Card!

Everyone's always excited to take pictures with "le blanc"
so I have a lot of pictures with people we meet

Elder Kamenan went all out for dinner

The sky was awesome

Multi-zone conference!!!

Le Zone Adzopé

 Le Zone encore

 Le Zone encore

 Le Zone encore, encore

Blanc Frère! - Affery, Côte d'Ivoire

 Well, its been a couple weeks since I've been able to talk to ya'll but I'm in Côte d'Ivoire now! It's been a crazy couple of weeks so buckle up!

My last few days in Sanford were jam-packed with goodbyes. It was pretty hard to leave that amazing ward and area so soon after I had the opportunity to join it. I said goodbye to the other Elders in Sommersworth after a couple final exchanges. I said goodbye to Colby after Elder Greene and I took him out for icecream. I said goodbye to Bishop Shaw after he excitedly drove to our apartment to drop off a really old Ensign with the history of the church in Côte d'Ivoire. And I said goodbye to Elder Greene after one last road trip to Manchester. 

The day before I left to Côte d'Ivoire, I had the awesome opportunity to see my parents for a couple of hours so we could swap suitcases. It was hard to say goodbye to them for the second time but I'm so glad to have had that brief time with them again.

On Friday March 5, I left to the airport with President and Sister Beck, said goodbye to them, and boarded a plane to Charlotte. In Charlotte, I had a 4.5 hour layover so I found a chick-fil-a and had one last chicken sandwich. I then flew from Charlotte to Atlanta where I met up with a bunch of other missionaries also going to various missions in Côte d'Ivoire! I also got to meet Elder Card in person which was awesome! The flight from Atlanta to Paris was around 8 hours so I slept most of the way. Then in Paris, we had just enough time to go through security and get our documents re-verified before our final flight took off. And then, before we knew it, we were on a plane to Abidjan!

The first thing that hit me when we got off the plane is the humidity. I'm a little more used to it now but that first night was brutal. It's, quite literally, heavy.

We stayed in a hotel that night that, by some miracle, had air conditioning. The next morning was Sunday so we went to church in a chapel right next to the construction site for the Abidjan temple! As we walked up to the chapel, my eyes were filled with tears realizing that I'm finally  here.

After church we had some training at the mission office for a few hours and then we were off to our zones. We drove through the crazy traffic of Abidjan which was brutal but we eventually made it to the Zone Leaders' apartment in Adzopé. The three of us from my flight group that came to Adzopé stayed the night there with a bunch of other Elders. Many of which had come in the night before and were also waiting to head out to their areas.

On the following Monday, I got to meet my companion, Elder Kamenan. He's from Côte d'Ivoire which means he only speaks French. So that's been a fun challenge to figure out this week. After a few days, I came to find out that he's a pretty goofy guy. He's a good companion. 

The other two Elders in our apartment are Elders Dent and Christensen. Elder Dent served on reassignment in New Hampshire just like me! And Elder Christensen was one of the Elders in my flight group here. It's pretty rare to have three Americans in one apartment. 

Our area is in a village called Affery. It's only been a week but I've come to really love these people, language barrier and all. I've also come to love the work. In fact, being in the apartment is my least favorite part of the day. I'm the most happy when I'm out among the people and the culture, as crazy foreign as it may be.

Last Monday was so crazy busy that I didn't have a chance to write at all. This ending my many-week-long streak of weekly's. But I'm here now so I suppose that's what counts.

I'm not gonna lie, it's been a crazy tough week. And had I written this email a couple of days ago, there would be a completely different tone. I never quite understood homesickness until I came here. I've been, in literal terms, sick from how much I miss my family and my country. But I'm gaining a strong testimony of how Heavenly Father blesses us for our sacrifice. 

I've already written way too much so I'll probably get into some of the nitty-gritty details of Ivorian culture next week. But there is one thing I want to share that's been brightening may days here. In Côte d'Ivoire, it's always hot. And nobody has air conditioning so everyone is always outside during the day. So every day when we're walking down the winding dirt roads of our village, there are loads of kids who yell out "blanc frère!" as I walk by. It's become second nature now to respond with a wave or a "bonjour!" or "bonsoir!". It really makes my day. Elder Kamenan says "You are star!"

(Unfortunately, the internet here is really bad so I can't send pictures)

We Say Goodbye to Keith and Our Pet Monkey - Home MTC, Mesa AZ

Bonjour encore mes amis,

The MTC is officially over and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had over the last six weeks. That said, I am absolutely stoked to fly out to New Hampshire on Wednesday. I had the opportunity to meet my mission leaders over video call and I am so excited to begin serving in the field.

I learned so much this week. We had some super awesome spiritual discussions over the week and I can say for certain that I have felt the spirit more this week than in any other week in my life. Never have I been so spiritually filled. I am so happy to be a missionary.

At the very end of our final class yesterday, we were given a few minutes to kind of write out what we want from our missions. I wrote a lot about personal goals I want to meet and the kind of person I want to be by the end of it all. It made me, and I'm sure a lot of my district-mates, understand that feeling successful on our mission has nothing to do with how many people we are able to convert and everything to do with the personal changes we are able to go through. I am not perfect. Nobody is. But I am ready to dedicate the next two years, and then my entire life, towards coming closer and closer to Christ and his example.

It's always hard to say goodbye to people you care about. I have come to truly love these people and this whole thing feels very much like the end of an era. The hardest thing I have had to do in the last six weeks is logging off of those final zoom calls. That gives me a lot of excitement for the connections I will make with people in the field over the next 23 months.

Elder Card and I had the opportunity to teach a couple more TRC's this week. We had one in French a few days ago and, while it was pretty rough, it was super cool to see how we were able to throw out our planned lesson to try and teach our ami what the spirit told us she needed to know. That was a huge testimony builder for me.

The district got to do a lot of fun things together this week. Of course we have our regular hangouts but I think the comedic highlight of the week for me was a Kahoot that Elder Card and I made for class. We were assigned to lead a grammar review for the class and decided to make a Kahoot (for those of you who don't know, a Kahoot is basically a quiz game that lets you create quizzes for whatever the class needs to learn/practice). We spent two hours in companion study that morning figuring out how we could make the Kahoot as entertaining as possible, random stock photos and all. In case you were wondering, it was a huge hit. We had a lot of fun with it.

Two more things to explain some of the below pictures:

1. A big inside joke among the district was started by my fantastic companion, Elder Card. The joke was centered around his dream to one day have a pet monkey (things are funny in the MTC that aren't funny anywhere else).

2. There's an MTC employee who watches the videos of our classes to make sure we stay on track. Somehow, we found out his name is Keith. Over the weeks, we have all become more and more obsessed with Keith. We don't know him, or even what he looks like, but maybe that makes it better. We've had many a one-sided conversation with Keith, personified by the little blinking red light in the corner of all of our classes. Anyways, we had to draw and label the human body in French and affectionately named him "Keith". We love and miss you Keith.

The next time you hear from me, I will be a few days into my stop off in New England. Needless to say, I am beyond excited. Please pray for my French, lol.

Au revoir et bonne semaine mes amis,

Elder Farr

The district's last class with Sœur Rutter

The district's last class with Sœur Moore (feat. her classic "é" accent dab)

Me threatening the district in a monkey mask

Keith

The New Sœur Stevens - Home MTC, Mesa AZ

Bonjour mes amis!

One month down and I have to say: never has a month gone passed for me quite as quickly as this one has. It's astounding, really. In only a week, I will be officially finished with the MTC and will be preparing to report to the field!

I am loving being a missionary! I know I say it basically every week, but missionary work is the single most important thing I could be doing right now. I am stoked to get out and serve in New Hampshire.

This week went by very quickly for me. Class always felt like it started and then ended immediately after. French is getting fun. And by fun, I mean absurdly complex. But I know that I have been and will be blessed to keep up with all of the new information.

Elder Card and I were able to teach a few more TRC's this week. One was in French and, like last time, was strongly mediocre. We're starting to catch on though, which is good. We also taught an English TRC with this guy named Collin. It was our first time meeting with somebody for a second time and we're looking forward to a third lesson this Monday. One of my greatest blessings as a missionary is the joy I find in teaching. It brings me so much light. I am stoked to be teaching for the rest of my life.

The district is great. Our more casual hangouts tend to be the highlight of my week. I'll include some pictures below so you can get a little peek into what goes on in those zoom rooms. 

Story time: A few days ago, we were taking a ten minute break in the middle of class. After the break, we were all starting to turn our cameras back on when Sœur Stevens' camera popped on to reveal, not the sister missionary we all know and love, but to a clearly bearded man. The thing was, Sœur Stevens was set to lead that day's discussion. So the "New Sœur Stevens", in the highest voice they could muster, began to lead the discussion on her behalf. The caliber of laugh that escaped my mouth was unreal. Anyways, that was just about the highlight of my week.

I love you all. I love the Gospel and can say, with more confidence than ever, that it is true. I hope you all have a fantastic and spirit-filled week :)

Bonne semaine!

A regular district hangout

The district with MANY strange objects

Then New Sœur Steve

Tres tres - Home MTC, Mesa AZ

 Bonjour mes amis!

This week was packed with new concepts both French and with things of the spirit.

I'm gonna be honest. French is getting really hard. It's a miracle that I'm able to keep up at all and I know that that is only possible through the lord and the gift of tongues. This Thanksgiving, I am especially grateful for that gift and for my MTC teachers who push us hard enough to use it.

Earlier this week, Elder Card and I taught another TRC in English. I've come to realize just how much joy teaching brings to my soul. For those of you who don't know, I'm planning on, after my mission, going to school to become a choir director. Teaching is something that has always been very fun for me and I love being able to teach something as important as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving was great! One of the greatest benefits of attending the MTC from home is that I could spend Thanksgiving with my extended family. Being able to play hours of card and yard games with my cousins brought me the greatest joy. I am so grateful for my family, every day. (And for Thanksgiving dinner, of course.)

Last week, President Nelson gave an invitation to make social media our own personal gratitude journals. He was absolutely correct when he said we would be happier by the end of the week. Making a post every night about a different thing I was grateful for made me realize just how many things I have to be grateful for. Far too many to fit into only seven posts. I am thankful for the Prophet and his inspired invitations.

I'll close off with a picture of my district and the craziest accessories we could find in under a minute :) 

Bonne semaine!

Tout Va Bien - Home MTC, Mesa AZ

 The MTC continues to be a rollercoaster. What I said last week about "strong feelings of peace amid world-shattering stress" rings ever truer for every week I progress. In the best way possible, I am drained of every energy I have. I love missionary work and have latched onto it easier than I ever expected before the mission. I am looking forward to being out in the field after these last three weeks of the MTC.

I love French. While difficult, it is such a beautiful language. In the last couple days I have been more motivated than ever and have been really diving into this language. The more I learn about it, the more I fall in love with French.

Elder Card and I taught our first French TRC this week. While it might not have been any A+ lesson or anything of the sort, having that experience has boosted my confidence in the language tenfold. I know that as I continue to devote my time to missionary work, I will continue to be blessed to pick up this language.

I love my district. We take quite a bit of time to just hang out and it's so much fun. The experiences I've had with my district over the last three weeks squash any concerns of loneliness I might've had coming up to the mission. We never cease to make each other laugh. 

I've been using a good amount of my free time multitracking some of my favorite hymns in French. It's been a great way for me to keep singing while also learning some extra French. At the bottom I'll attach the first of many tracks I've recorded these last few weeks. It's a French translation of "It Is Well With My Soul" I recorded on my first P-day. (Fair warning for any French speakers, my pronunciation is exactly what you would expect from a fourth day French student.) 

We talked a lot about the true nature of repentance this week. The main takeaway for me was that repentance is ANYTHING that brings our personal path closer to Christ's path. When somebody says that they need to repent, it tends to carry this negative connotation. But repentance, while important, does not need to be made into this big ordeal. Repentance is in the little things, be it going to church, reading your scriptures, remembering to say your prayers. There is no limit to the frequency or form of our repentance. 

Yesterday, our dear Prophet, President Nelson, shared a fantastic message about gratitude that made me shed many a tear. If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to watch it here.

Au revoir!

Video: "Tout Va Bien" or "It Is Well With My Soul" (CLICK HERE)

A Gumball Machine of Blessings - Home MTC, Mesa AZ

Welcome to week two of my weekly emails. I promise to be on time from now on :)

This week was a blast. This was my first full week as a missionary and I am loving it more than ever. The language is super difficult but the spirit is so strong. That's kind of been the theme for me this week. Strong feelings of peace amid world-shattering stress. 

But before we get into all of that, I received some super exciting news earlier this week! I have been reassigned to the New Hampshire Manchester Mission! I'll leave the week of December 16th. Which is perfect because I packed for two years on the equator with an average low in the 70s and average humidity of 87%. But jokes aside, I'm super excited to serve the people in New Hampshire (and some parts of Maine and Vermont). 

My Companion, Elder Card, and I started teaching TRC's this week. For anyone confused, TRC stands for Teaching Resource Center and it basically provides us missionaries-in-training opportunities to teach real people about the gospel. We did two of them and they were both super cool experiences. We got some feedback and it seems we did pretty well. Hopefully we'll be able to say the same when we start teaching in FRENCH later this week. 

Speaking of French, we are moving through the language super quickly. Sometimes it's really hard to keep up honestly. Luckily, I have my district mates struggling by my side. I've gotten to the point where I'm decently comfortable praying in French. I can hold a very basic conversation and I'm right at the brink of being able to form my own original sentences. Luckily, I love the language and am motivated by the fact that I'm not learning it for me. I'm not learning French so I can have a cool party trick, I'm learning French to be more able to share the gospel. What a fantastic motivator that has been.

The district is becoming more and more tight-knit every day. Twice this week we spent our (extremely limited) free time on a zoom call just hanging out together for 2-3 hours and we've committed to do so at least 3 times a week for the rest of the MTC :)

The other day during class we were told to grab the most random item we could find in a minute. So naturally I ran upstairs to grab the gumball machine we keep in the corner. After we all returned with all of our random items (pic below) we were told that we had to relate our items to the gospel somehow. My analogy was that, just like a quarter in a gumball machine, we have to put in some effort and faith in order to receive "those sweet, sweet gumball blessings."

Spiritual thought: In 1st Corinthians 12:27, it says "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." In class, we talked about how, no matter what shortcomings we may have or what spiritual gifts we long for, we each have a specific role to play in our Heavenly Father's plan. I can testify that this is true so long as we make the effort to fulfil His vision for us. 

My district with some random objects (feat. the aforementioned gumball machine)

A photo taken on my dad's birthday 6 years ago and 3 days ago in the same Outback :)

And So It Begins - Home MTC, Mesa AZ

Here we are. Email numéro un of my mission! I'm so happy to be able to share this experience with you all. 

This week I started the At-home MTC. I was set apart on Tuesday evening and started class on Wednesday. And let me just say, the MTC is so much more fun than I expected! Between my district, teachers, and companion it has all amounted to a perfect first few days of missionary service. 

District: My district is fantastic! Everybody is so kind and full of the spirit. After just our first round of classes, I already felt that I had nine new best friends. (eleven if you count our teachers, which I ABSOLUTELY do). Genuine conversations are so easy and so flowing with my district and it is a fantastic spirit and a fantastic energy. Every member of my district is an amazing person and is becoming an equally amazing missionary. 

Teachers: Our teachers for the week were Sœur Holt and Frére Miller. Unfortunately, they were only our teachers for this first week because our regular teachers had to finish week six with their last group of missionaries. Sœur Holt is so fun and full of life. Right off the bat when I hoped to zoom for our first class, she was there to welcome us so kindly. Frére Miller is a fantastic person and an equally fantastic teacher. Through them we were able to learn what Frere Miller described as the equivalent of first year French class in only three days! They will both be missed very much. Their next district is extremely lucky.

Companion: Mon Collégue Missionnaire is Elder Card. He's from Mapleton, Utah and has such a bright spirit about him. He makes our comp meetings so fun and I enjoy talking and just hanging out with him very much. We've quickly bonded over the fact that we are two of the four missionaries in our district that came in as blank slates in regards to French. But we are both working diligently to be ready to converse with our prodigy district members. 

Speaking of français, I love it! It can be a very strange language but it's so beautiful. I'm beginning to be able to understand a good amount of words without subtitles but, obviously, I still have a LONG way to go before I'm ready. For those of you who don't know, my grandpa Farr served in the French speaking mission way back when all french speaking countries were a single mission. I am both his namesake and the first of his grandchildren to serve their mission speaking french. When I got my call letter, I was ecstatic to know that I would be carrying on the french for him.

The MTC, even from my little room in the basement, has such a strong spirit to it. My days are lighter just from wearing the badge. As one of my district mates said in their email earlier today, there's something about having Christ's name so close to your heart. I love being a missionary. In only three days I can already tell that this is going to be the most fulfilling two years of my life thus far.

Thank you to everyone reading this for supporting me as well as you all do. Remember to stay strong in the spirit. The church is true. 

Au nom de Jésus Christ, Amen

the district with Soeur Holt and Frere Miller

the district with Soeur Holt and Frere Miller

the district with Soeur Holt and Frere Miller

My MTC setup. I'm quite proud of it. Especially the side table which I've reserved for food :)

Me writing this email. Very happy to be a missionary