Felicidades Elder Fardos!!

Family!

Well, it finally happened, I'm officially 19 and no longer super crazy young in the mission!! Hahahaha! It's super weird to think about, because I still feel so young you know? But having my birthday this week was awesome and actually, a family that I was teaching in Girasoles invited me to their house so that we could celebrate a little bit! It was super awesome to see them again, and eat a cake on my birthday!

But yea, everything is really good out here in Chihuahua.  Although, there were a few crazy things happened!  To start, today, as we were walking to the Ciber, it started to rain, and I mean rain like a lot a lot... flooding the streets with like hail and everything! That was a super nice little gift! Hahaha!  And also yesterday I got super sick after church, so I spent the afternoon in the fetal position.. that was fun!  But today I feel really good so that's a good thing!

But seriously, this was a good week!  The Zone is doing well, and we're about to finish up the month of May -- it's almost June!  I can't believe that we're gonna be halfway through the year of 2017 ALREADY!! Because I definitely remember passing Christmas here in Chihuahua and it feels like just a minute ago. I dont know, time is flying and it's just super crazy!

This week we talked about how there are times in life that we recieve like a lot of challenges, like a bunch a bunch, and it doesnt seem to make sense because we're doing everything right.  And so I was doing some studying and it made me think of the refiners fire.

If you know how people make swords, you take a piece of metal and you heat it like crazy and then you hammer it and then cool it and then heat it, rinse and repeat - a LOT! And maybe sometimes we feel like the piece of metal.  Like we were all happy beforehand just being normal like that, and then we start getting heated up and beat up and we get confused as to why that would be happening. But it's because we dont have the same vision that the maker has. We aren't able to see the end goal of being a super awesome sword or a stronger piece of steel. And that's how it is with us and God sometimes. We feel like we'd be better off just being a piece of metal and we don't want the challenges even thought the challenges are the things that are gonna shape us into something so much more!

I just think that's a cool thing and I like it a lot!

But yea, everything is going really good here in Chihuahua.  I hope that things are awesome over there in the states!

Till next time! Have a good week, I love you guys!

Nick

Catching Up on 3 Weeks in Chuviscar!!

May 8th:

Hey, I don't have much time because we are about to meet up with some missionaries that are gonna be going home soon, and they are some awesome missionaries!!  So, real quick, I hope to come back to the Cyber and explain everything this afternoon... but, real quick... We had a baptism!!  I had changes!!!  My new companion is my Zone Leader from Girasoles... and well, I'm a Zone Leader now too!!  Whaaaaattt?!  So, yea, that's it for now, I'll catch you up on the details as soon as I get a chance!!

Later on May 8th...

Hi family! 

This week was literally crazy!! Holy cow! To start, we had a baptism - the hermana that Elder Marx found that one day we arrived after she prayed for guidance. It was a super cool baptism, super calm, and everything went super well!  And this week was just straight up a good week, a really good way to finish up the cycle. Honestly, this cycle I had with Elder Marx was amazing and I'm super excited to keep watching him and the area progress... because, yea, we totally had changes this week, and they were not what either of us expected! 

Elder Marx would be completing 3 cycles in Girasoles and I would be finishing my first. Sunday night we received a phone call from Presidente, and well Elder Marx answered the phone because we knew it would be for him, and Presidente asked to talk with me! So, Elder Marx hands the phone over and literally, we like saluted each other. :)  I took the phone and Presidente said 'Elder Fardos , I'm calling to tell you that you have changes.' And so immediately I thought that maybe I'd be a Dad (training a brand new missionary) or who knows what in the mission. Then he told me I'd be moving out of the area, so I realized I probably wouldn't be a trainer.  And then he told me that I'd be a Zone Leader, and I started to freak out a little bit. It's super cool because I'll be staying in the same zone, and so I'll be able to watch my area and District progress still, while also focusing on all the other missioneries and areas. I'm really hoping that we're gonna see a lot of success in this cycle, and the future ones to come!

And my comp is named Elder Chan - He's from the Ciudad de Mexico tambien! He was my Zone Leader right before this cycle and so we already got along really good. I'm super excited to have the chance to be his companion and learn from him. He's a really good missionary.

And well with all that has happened, what this experience really showed me is that God qualifies the called and doesn't necessarily call the qualified! Because I still have so much to learn!! Right now I'm working on being more valiant. I'm trying to always think how I'd behave if Jesus Christ was standing right next to me. In general, I'm trying to approach everything like in the Primary song, If the Savior Stood Beside Me :) 

1. If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do? Would I think of His commandments, and try harder to be true? Would I follow His example? Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

2. If the Savior stood beside me, would I say the things I say? Would my words be true and kind if He was never far away? Would I try to share the gospel? Would I speak more rev’rently if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

3. He is always near me, though I do not see Him there, And because He loves me dearly, I am in His watchful care. So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.

Because there's always good things to be doing, really good things, and pretty easy to be busy about them, but at the same time, often times, there are better things to be doing, maybe not as fun or easy, maybe not as pleasant, maybe even down right uncomfortable - but better, right?

Like that talk by Dallin H. Oaks, the one we all know, 'Good, Better, Best'.

Dallin H Oaks 'Good, Better, Best' Link

I'm still in the process of learning, and I'm still trying to learn how to have the courage or bravery to always choose the best, and help and invite others to do the same tambien. It's something that I personally think I lack, and it's something rather important, so for that reason, I'm really working on it.

And well this week has gone in an absolute flash and the details are a bit of a blur, so, I guess this is kinda it! 

I love you guys!!! Have an amazing week and I can't wait to SKYPE you guys this week!!!

Till next time,

Nick :D

May 14th:  Mothers Day SKYPE!

May 22nd:

Well, this is the week, I'll be 19!  And, it's weird to think, but my birthday reminds me, I've almost hit a year since I received my mission call! I'm pretty sure that I got it May 31, and so, yea, we're almost there!!  I know the reason for the long wait between my call and report date... and it wasn't what I expected but it's super clear, I had to wait for President Montoya. And he only came two changes before me.  I will have more on that to share with you in about 18 months, but I absolutely know I needed to serve with him.  

This week was super good! Our zone had a baptism, and that was super cool to be a part of.  We also did divisions and I went to Girasoles, and that was way cool -- especially because we ate with a family that loved me and that I loved, the family Navarro!! :D Their son is on a mission and the mom swears that I look just like him so she is always super happy to see me and she was like my mission mom for like 6 weeks! :) Super awesome! 

But yea, this week we had some trainings to give and it was good! But aside from training and everything we're doing and learning, towards the end of the week, something really stuck out to me... looking at the Zone, and getting to know each and every one of the missionaries on a more personal level, with the new perspective of seeing how the Districts are unique but all work together toward a common goal. I started to reflect about all the times I would work with Dad on a car or a project on the property, and I can see now, there was a lesson in it. Working with Dad, I realized that approaching what ever project we had, we had a goal, right? For example, rotate the tires, or put on a sway bar, or whatever it was in that moment. And a lot of times, Dad, the person who had the bigger vision, or actually new what he was doing, would tell me to go get a specific tool, one that was a certain size, and necessary at a certain time for a specific purpose in the whole process of whatever we're trying to accomplish. And once the goal is accomplished, we almost always benefit from the effort and energy we spend.  And what I realized this week was the we're the same way out here as missionaries with our Heavenly Father.  It's like each of us, as missionaries, are tools for Him, instruments in His hands, and we are needed in a very specific time for a very specific purpose, and there are some missionaries that are really good in one thing or another, or in a lot of things. The point is, He uses each missionary in a certain area at a certain time for something specific that only they can do!  It's something super cool to see as it's happening here in the Zone of Chuviscar. It's nice to see the Lord put faith in these missionaries, me included, so that we can progress, so that we can be blessed. It super awesome!  

And well that's kinda it :D but yea, I hope you guys have a good week and that you guys continue to be awesome!

I love you guys!!!

Nick

Mistaken for a Latino and Muchas Mas Miracles in Mexico!!

Hola Familia!

Well, as we entered the ciber we encountered an old man speaking pretty rough English on the phone with a lady that obviously couldn't speak Spanish, and the man was asking for help with a certain webpage. The cool thing is that I offered to help and I was able to translate the information so that the man and the lady could understand each other! It was pretty cool if I do say so myself! :)

I can't believe it's already May!! Pretty crazy to think I'm almost 19!!! I'm super excited to finally not be so crazy young, Haha! But, yea it'll be good :) I'm looking forward to this full year away from home!!! It's so weird to think that you guys won't see me in person at all while I'm 19... but, Hey it's all good!!!! And yea Mom, you mentioned Elder Beeson, He's super cool!! I hope that I'll be seeing more of him in these final weeks of his mission, and after the mission too. :) 

So, this week was super good! Still full of miracles! For example, we finished a lesson with a less active family, because we are teaching their kid, and as we were walking back in the main road, we were talking about how it would be great to have a member family that could possible visit them with us, and literally as we were talking and walking, a car pulled up.  It was a member family from our ward, they offered us a ride and we agreed, super happily, and they asked us how it was going... We told them that we just finished talking with this family, and it turns out that the Moms are super good friends, and the dad of the member family was the home teacher of this other family!! They were super excited to hear we were chatting with this family, and were super happy to agree to visit them with us one night!

And then another night, we were out of money and wondering what we were going to eat... so we were talking and I said a silent prayer and then we found a family in our barrio selling tamales. They called us over and so kindly gave us some to take home and eat. It has become pretty obvious to me that God is looking out for us in a huge way!

Also, this week we totally ate milanesa and it wasn't the same as Abu's, but, wow, it reminded me of eating at home -- so good!!!  It was awesome!

Also, I experienced something rather interesting this week, and I don't know what even happened, but something definitely changed. I felt the sincere desire to be obedient out of love. Like instead of it being an effort or a struggle to be super obedient, I started to just be obedient because I genuinely want to have the Spirit with me so that the people we're talking to can feel it. It's like my perspective changed, even thought the actions of obedience have stayed the same, and thus far, it's been making such a difference in the mission life!

And Dad, I got mistaken for a latino like at least 15 times this week!! One man that was speaking English even asked if I understood what he was saying... and upon saying 'yes', complimented my English and he asked where I studied it!! Hahaha!! It was pretty awesome!

And Mom, I understand you've connected with Hermano Luis Sandoval!  He is like the coolest, happiest dude I've ever met in my life! Haha!  He and his wife are getting sealed May 27th and they have a little girl that is 3 and she's the sweetest, I mean literally, she never sad! They're so stinking nice!  We have been spending time with them on Sunday afternoons. They're honestly amazing people!

But yea, every this is going super well out here in Girasoles, and I'm looking forward to spending some more time here! We only have one more week in this cycle, so fingers crossed, I hope I'm gonna be sticking around here a while longer.

Thanks for everything!!! Until next week, I love you guys a BUNCHHHH!!

Nick