Lilongwe is now a DISTRICT!!

March 30, 2015

HEY FAMILY AND FRIENDS…

KALMABO IS ON FIRE!!! THIS BRANCH IS THE BEST!!!!! I don't even know how to explain it!! The LORD is hastenening the WORK and we can barely keep up!! It was so great to see so many people baptized! I can't get over it!!! And we are still seeing many people progressing for April!! IT’S SO CRAZY!!! It is wonderful to see how many people are being blessed with the Gospel in their life. I’m so grateful to be a missionary.

HOPE came to church!!!!! She is the one that got a hold of some anti-Mormon stuff but I think she’s over it. She wants to be baptized "next week"! We have 2-3 others that will be baptized on the 12th! And the Elders have some this week too!! Rumor has it we are the fastest growing branch in the world--don't know if that’s true--but retention is crazy good in this Branch. I do know we are for sure the fastest growing Branch in the Africa South East Area!!! AHH!! I can't believe it!!! This IS THE BEST mission!! In the WORLD!!!!!!!! It’s so sweet!!!!!!!!

OKAY and guess what else? LILONGWE WAS MADE A DISTRICT!! There were literally SO MANY people that attended the meeting yesterday. I will send you pictures. I took a ton of pictures so I will send as many as I have time for, starting now!!!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Falco!!
And tell Jeff and Claire I’m excited for their baby!! APRIL 14! APRIL 14!  :)

 Lilongwe is made a District

 How we get around sometimes!

 Sister Falco and her Wall of Quotes

 New Dresses!

 Beautiful Sisters!

 Sister Rasband & Sister Falco -- OUT TEN MONTHS!!

 I think this is Hope with Sister Quaye and Sister Falco

Photos from March 23rd Email

 Sister Quaye & Sister Falco

 Investigator Class...aka "PACKED"

 Kalmobo Branch is Growing

 Selfie!

 

Cooks in the Kitchen

Kalmobo Branch is Growing!

March 23, 2015

Hey Family and Friends,

Thanks for the updates on basketball Dad!!!! Sorry that BYU lost. Baptisms this week have added many new members to the Kalmobo Branch, 9!!! BOOOM baby!! Success!!! I'll send you a picture :) :) We did have a PRIME investigator get a hold of some anti –Mormon stuff right before her baptism. So sad. It’s crazy what people can read on the internet. But the Church is still true and hopefully she’ll work through her issues.

Well this week has been great!!! I have learned a lot. I have been studying a talk called “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father”, by Neal A Maxwell. EASILY the best talk I have ever read and studied. I love what he teaches about consecration. It’s hard to be 100% consecrated but it’s a law of God and we can do it! Love Mosiah 5:13! When we are spiritually minded, our thoughts align with the will of the Father and when we are carnally minded our thoughts align with another master, specifically the natural man. It leads to a temporary happiness but not eternal joy. When our desires and hearts match the Father’s, we won’t be far from him.  

I love that a mission is a unique place and experience where we get the chance to truly test our ability to be consecrated. We learn what we are truly willing to give to the Father. It made me look at the difference between Laman and Lemuel (unwilling) and Nephi (always willing). The parable of the lost sheep also reminds me of consecration. Sometimes we get off track, when we are unwilling to be consecrated and get lost, maybe even searching for something good but forgetting what is best to strive for. The Lord requires more than just being good people for us. He requires absolute devotion and to be anxiously engaged in a good cause.

SELFLESSNESS is KEY as we strive to consecrate ourselves to the Father. When we learn to love those around us, we learn to love the Father. Honestly sometimes I have the tendency to not fully understand the Father when I see how hard people’s lives around me but I’m learning to TRULY trust the Father WITH my life and with the people here in Africa. I love in the Restoration film when Emma asks Joseph, “Do you ever think the Lord asks too much?" And Joseph Smith’s answer was, "I never let myself." I promise to never let myself think that the Lord asks too much of myself or too much of other people.

Consecration is the KEY to happiness. Truly I feel the most joy as a missionary when I increase in my consecration. I am not a perfect missionary, far from where I would like to be but when I really try to align my will to the Father’s, I feel joy beyond any joy that I have ever felt. You can truly make it through any trial if you just consecrate yourselves.

Before my mission, I thought to myself, “I hope I don’t come back weird, I don’t want to come back changed. But I’m learning to dismiss those thoughts. I want to change. And I know the changes that are taking place in me are bringing me true joy and peace. I’m so grateful to be able to serve a mission. I’m grateful for the lessons I’m learning from the good people here. I’m grateful for the love of my Heavenly Father and I want to please Him. I Love you all!!!!

Sister Falco!

The Realities of Africa

This email was sent a few weeks ago... Carly's a young lady with a big heart and having to face some of the hard realities of life. She's a trooper, though! Half-way done and not anywhere near ready to come home!!

March 2, 2015

Dear Family and Friends

This week has been good!!!!  Opposition is real but its okay!!!!!! All four of our baptisms fell through. Two aren’t going to make it and the other two didn’t make it to Church so that sets them back awhile. It is okay though. It’s all part of mission and I still love being a missionary. We also found out that the family we’ve been teaching and who were preparing for baptism are getting divorced so their baptisms will be delayed, too. I just hope one day they'll join the church.  And, I hope that we will be able to continue to find success in our area. We need to find families to teach! Life will move forward as long as I know I am doing my best. It’s stressful though because I want to contribute to the mission goal of 750 baptisms. I guess I need to be a better missionary and work harder so we can find more success.

I am not really sure why, but this week I have been very emotional about some of the investigators and people I’ve come across. I can't believe the things people do and the things people have to go through. It’s just so sad. I don't always understand why and need to trust the Lord more. I found out that one of the ladies we were teaching in my old area was a prostitute.  She was married to a drunk and turned to this for income so she could feed her kids and pay their school fees. It’s so sad--the world we live in. I wonder where she finds her happiness, her self worth and everything. When I hear stories like this, I realize I have nothing to complain about. Its so sad that someone I know so well and love so much has this in her past. It’s so sad that the state of poverty that I am around leads people to do almost anything for money. One of the problems we have here is that many join the church for money. You look around at the people’s homes and how they live and think that would be hard but then you realize all the other things that poverty causes people to do. People become desperate for money and do what they think they need to in order to survive. I know when I return home, it’s going to feel like I live in the nicest place in the world. Even my visit to Zambia where the mission home is, is SO nice compared to Malawi.

One of the hardest things about being a missionary is that we have the perfect solution for them—the Gospel of Jesus Christ—and so often they don't accept the solution and go back to the worldly things. Sometimes I don't really blame them. I put myself in their shoes and I don't know how I would handle it. I wish sometimes that I could just take away the poverty that surrounds me. It’s so sad and is something I think about a lot. You just have to trust in the Lord and know that He really loves each of them and He has a plan for them. I love the Plan of Salvation. It’s perfect. The Lord knows each of us and loves us more than we could ever know. I used to say before my mission that communication is the key to life I’ve learned that LOVE is the key to life. If you love someone you can accept their weaknesses and shortcomings because WE all have them. LOVE is the KEY. Communication is the ANSWER. That’s my new quote.

I am grateful to be a missionary. I am happy that I am here learning and experiencing the life that exists here in Malawi. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And I don't want to wish away one day of my mission. I know I’m at nine months and half way done. So crazy!! But I am not ready to come home and I know in nine months I won't be ready to come home. I am going to give the last nine months all I’ve got because I know five years down the road I am going to want this back. And I know that even when days get hard five years down the road, I am going to want to go back to even the hardest of times on my mission. It’s the best thing I have ever done in my life and I am very grateful for every moment, even the hard ones.

With love,
Sister Falco

Grateful to be a Missionary

March 16, 2015

Hey Family and Friends,

This week has been good!! I am grateful to be a missionary!! It’s the BEST!!!!!!!!! Seriously the best!!!!!!

I have been thinking a lot about diligence. We have some less-actives in our branch who are very diligent in their business and even in their business they help those in the Church that are poor by giving them a place to work. However, they never come to church. Diligence is a very important Christ-like attribute that can lead to success in this life and in the life to come. But as we develop this trait, we must remember what’s important. We need to think about what is GOOD, BETTER, BEST. What they are doing is GOOD but they should be putting the Lord first and doing what is BEST. Sometimes we need to reevaluate our lives and remember what is good and what is better and then what is best. Let us not forget the small moments of the BEST while we are remembering the good moments. “Things That Matter, Things That Don't” by Rascal Flatts is a good song haha that reminds me of what I am trying to say. You should look it up. I am grateful to be on a mission and the chance it gives me to learn and grow.

Well it’s been a great week! There’s not much more to add. Just know I am happy and I am grateful to be missionary. The Church is true!! Remember to consider what’s good versus what’s best.

I Love You!!

Sister Falco!

P.S. We asked Carly if she was getting anxious for a change—she’s been at the same address her entire mission…this was her reply: Some missionaries stay in their same zone their whole mission... So I’ve got nothing. :) hahahaha And…I am happy wherever I serve, as long as I am serving the Lord.

Crazy Week!

March 9, 2015

Hey Family and Friends,

Mission has been great this week!! J Love you guys! We had some crazy experiences! So one of our progressing investigators that disappeared showed up at Church! His name is James and he was visiting his mother who had passed away. He let us know he is ready for baptism and is so stoked. So hopefully he will be baptized this month! And then we had one of our investigators, Hope--the one who is fair in complexion and BEAUTIFUL, come to Church and we hope everything will go well so she can be baptized this coming Sunday. Hopefully!! She is going to South Africa so we had to move her baptism date up. I am so stoked for her. She is so sweet and well educated! We also had the chance to take two prospective missionaries shopping for some things for their missions.  One is headed to TEMPLE SQUARE so keep your eyes out for someone from Malawi and the other is Priscilla who is headed to Uganda.

This week, I’ve been studying about when Jesus referred to himself as the  “bread of life”. We were asked to study this for our Mission Leaders Conference (MLC), which happened over Skype. It was really cool. President Erickson taught us to focus on doing what is right even when the pressure or the people aren’t doing what is right. As I studied, I was reminded that if we partake of “the bread of life” daily, we shall never be hungry. We learn that manna only worked on certain conditions--it had to be gathered in the morning before the sun came up. Jesus Christ compared himself to manna. We need to partake of Him and we need to be prepared so when the sun or when the trials come we can endure them well.

I also enjoyed studying this week 1st Nephi, chapter 7. I love verse 11 and the need we have to remember to trust the Lord in all we do, to remember his hand in our life and the joy and blessings that come when we do what God asks us to do. WE NEED TO BE GRATEFUL AND NOTICE THE BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL in our lives.

I love being a missionary and even though it’s a bummer we have to be in by six each night when everyone is finally home to teach, I love the chance I have to study the Gospel!

Love you!

Sister Falco

She's Half Way!

February 23, 2015

Hey Family and Friends,

This week has been great. You asked for updates on our investigators so here you go. David and Patrick (father and son) are funny people. They are great and progressing well. They should be baptized on March 8th. Hope is a very sweet lady. She is like the most BEAUTIFUL Malawian I have ever seen. She is gorgeous with a very light complexion! Beautiful lady!!!!! She’s been to church twice and LOVES it. She is pretty wealthy and educated! She reminds me of myself. Kind of talkative and friendly but likes her alone time, too. Nancy is another investigator and such a great lady. She speaks English and is also very light in complexion. Beautiful!! We committed her to the law of chastity and she laughed hahaha and then she did the same thing when we talked about the word of wisdom. She is very shy but sweet. Hopefully she’ll be baptized the 8^th. I have faith. :)

We are teaching a lot and many are progressing. It’s hard to narrow down who to tell you about. I just hope they all make it to the waters of baptism. This branch is funny. Everyone progresses but doesn't quite make it to the waters of baptism. In my previous branch, if someone progressed they made it to the waters of baptism but not many progressed. I love this Kalambo branch. The Branch president trusts us a ton. He always calls us in and asks us for advice on who he should call to be the leaders in the church. Our branch is huge and should split soon!! We always have to grab more chairs because Sacrament Meeting is full and people are still showing up. It’s a blessing. The branch was organized just a year ago and I am pretty sure that at least 20% of the people that show up are investigators. We usually have about 15 investigators at church and the Elders have some too! There are about 120 people at church every week. There are four missionary companionships assigned to our branch. It’s a blessing to be a part of this branch!!!!! It’s a branch of miracles, and sometimes I forget to count the miracles because there are so many. I hope I never take one day for granted!!!!!

I Love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Keep being consecrated and go to the temple.

Love,

Sister Falco