4th July 2011

What a week and what a great p-day 4th of July opportunity. Mom great email, I loved it, as always of course. You mention that I should think about how lucky I was to be born in the states, well DUHHH!!!!!!!! I think everyday how these people truly got 'unlucky'. Not only learning spanish but also here in Argentina where you don't have options of what you want to do. A member was telling us that when someone escapes from jail here the police don't even look for him, it is the job of the jail guards. So crazy how everything here is just so behind. One boy actually thought Eminem was a different singer than Slim Shady and it cracked me up.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!! We have a wiffle ball bat, a ton of hamburgers and, of course, my favorite BBQ SAUCE. It is gonna be awesome!!!! We will have 3 latinos and 7 gringos so wiffleball it is. I can't wait-it is gonna be so much fun.
Anyway, this week was great because.....BAPTISM!!!!!!! MARIA VALLE DEL MILAGRO CARRIL!!!! Her name means 'Valley of the Miracle'. So tight because her baptism went so well but I truly ruined her confirmation of the Holy Ghost. The beginning part I kept studdering because I was so nervous, which doesn't happen to me but then once the memorized part was over, the spirit guided the whole blessing and it was long and very powerful. It is amazing because the part I memorized came from me and I kinda messed up but once I listened to the spirit and really realized I was his servant, it went so smooth and many people were shocked. So it ended up going well. Maria's parents are hard core Evangelists and hate Mormons but she wanted to be baptized so bad; we taught her in another members house and she was baptized. It is so amazing when these people listen and keep THEIR COMMITMENTS!!!! Then the lord does respond to their prayers. It was a blessing this week to be able to see Maria be baptized and confirm her as a member of the only true church on this planet.
It is cold and dogs are out and now freaking horses are everywhere. It freaks me out because I had to walk behind one yesterday and I thought it was gonna straight up kick me. It didn't because I am still alive but it was funny because I don't know horses at all. Also these dogs here are just insane, we knocked this one door (actually clapped) and 3 giant pitbulls run around the corner and just try to knock the metal gate over. So being Elder Darby, I stuck my hand in to see if I could pet them and all three jump at my hand to bite it off and crash into each other and topple over, it was so funny. Dogs are just so viscious and the dogs they have here are so illegal in the states. I got to kick my first dog on Friday!!! I clapped-it ran around the corner, this giant rottweiler and pulled it's teeth out and jumped toward my leg. I turned around and shut that things mouth with a big size 13 foot to the jaw. It squelled like a rat and just ran away. Haha, I felt pretty proud because if I would have missed, then man that could have been painful. The dogs, the horses and the christmas spirit all year long.
This town has christmas spirit and they don't even know it. They have giant poinsetta trees-like giant-and a lot of people have christmas lights out and tableclothes for christmas. It is so funny and the best part is my companion Elder Bjorklund from Utah always plays christmas music from the Mormon choir in the pension. So it always feels like christmas-which means feel free to send me packages anytime you feel like it, haha.
Well my time is running out and I have pictures that will hopefully upload. I have had the hardest time uploading photos in these terrible cybers. I even bought a little adapter and the fastest one at that but these computers are just terrible. But anyways, I will try to upload photos.
Just know you are all in my prayers and I am constantly dreaming of what joy I will have when I see or talk to you all again. I am excited to go to bed at night here because you never know what will happen the next day. My companion goes home home the end of this month so we are working really hard. We have 2 more baptisms next week and not the next but the one after hopefully 2 more. We are working hard to bring people this restored gospel and I hope you all realize I'm freezing at the same time. It is cold but there is only so much clothing we can fit on our bodies because if you wear a lot, the walking is a lot harder. So mother, nope I dont miss the things I sent home because I have the perfect amount of clothing for winter. Haha well stay strong, I love you all. Elder DARBY