March 7 2011

Dear Family & friends, what is up? 

Oh man what a week it has been, i served in a different area this week with an excellent missionary, gave aid to a lady that passed out and set up my first baptism. Life on the mission is perfect.

My testimony has grown so much this week and the teaching is getting a little easier. 

Ok so divisions came this week so i was transfered for a day to a new area and boy was it the ghetto. I was with E. Hardy and he has 12 days left before he goes home, it is crazy. His spanish is amazing and i honestly can't wait till i get to that point. 

So for divisions, i went to this area at 2pm, i was starving-as always-and so what did i eat? EMPANADAS!!   I ate them for lunch then we went and taught and my spanish was great.  I communicated and could understand just about everything. I was so happy. It is so hard to be here and not be able to know what's going on and how to say anything.  

Anyway we taught 4 lessons then it was time for dinner so i had more empanadas, i seriously eat them every other day they are so good just filled with meat or chicken. After divisions we came back to Perico and i had a 'gringo' for the day in my area to replace my comp. It was Elder Swenson from Utah, he speaks english so we had a great day.  For lunch I called up one family and said we need food so since they love us they said come over and we had cheese pizza with a potato crust. The potato crust was soft and just so freaking good. I love that family they are always so helpful. So yes, as a missionary you do get use to asking for things so next time a missionary visits your house offer him water and maybe a snack. It is crazy here we usually have a lunch appointment and they give us so much food it is nuts. I don´t eat breakfast because i seriously can´t anymore.

Ok, so last week was the deaf lady and this week was the lady who fainted. Thank goodness I was a lifeguard and I now so want to be a paramedic after my mission. Thank you, Brother Perryman, it is the coolest thing ever to help someone. So the day was great and we had a lunch to go to when all of a sudden a block away from our pension, on the other side of the road was this lady. She was a little special and had a crimped arm but she just falls and cracks her head on the pavement so loud i bet you all heard it.  My comp. walks a block when i say we need to help her so we turn around and run back. She has a giant gash in her head (by the way this was yesterday on sunday) i gave my comp some money and he ran and i told him to buy a rag and a bottle of water. I tried to talk to her but she wouldn't speak. I don't know what was scarier, a giant white boy in nice clothes speaking spanish or the fall itself.  I tell her my name and say, "I am here to help you".   I put her in recovery position and call an ambulancia.  My comp. came back with the rag and water so I somehow stopped the bleeding had her relaxed and had her rehydrated.  I was very excited to do all of this in spanish. 

NO ambulance for an hour so a lady in this store gives us 5 pesos and says take a taxi and get her to the hospital. We found a taxi but as soon as i told the patient about this plan she freaked and stood up with a bloody rag on her head and tried to figure out where to go. We asked her for her families cell number and where she lived but she couldn´t remember. It was a crazy experience, I will give you that. 

So this lady just walked away.  We followed her to make sure she didn´t fall again, she didn't so we just left her.  I felt so blessed to be able to help this lady. 

I love this place and I love the people here. If we get a chance to serve it is always an immediate yes.

I am always trying my hardest and working till that time comes to go back to the pension. I love you all and could use the prayers for my spanish. I know the lord hears everyone of you and loves you all the same so no matter how hard it is to not judge, remember we are his children and the same in the sight of God. 

Love always

ELDER DARBY

By the way just started crying seeing Dane. There is no audio here but I will find a way to hear it by next monday. Erik you and Sara are amazing.  Dane is the cutest baby I have ever seen and I can´t wait to teach that boy how to fish- man I can tell he was born with a gift. If he knows as much as I do about fishing by age 6, imagine the possibilities.  Love you all paz or peace.