26 September 2011

Date: Monday, September 26, 2011, 2:31 PM

I have sweet news and some great photos to prove it. We baptized 3 more amazing daughters of God and the best part was I got to baptize all 3. The next day in church all wanted me to confirm them so I had the oppurtunity to act for my Lord Jesus Christ to baptize and confirm them to be members and receive the holy ghost.
I am so happy because President Levrino sent out a special post to every elder on this mission and he wrote congratulations to 6 ELDERS!!!!! There are so many elders in this mission but he wrote congrats to only six and of course-guess who baptized the second most out of the whole mission this last week? ELDER DARBY AND ELDER CHAVEZ!!!!!!!!! We are completely obedient and on fire and let me say we have more baptisms in the future to plan. Oh I am so happy right now and so ready to baptize everyone in Argentina. The blessings we receive when we pray sincerely every night, keep the commandments and always keeping our thoughts focused on Christ. I know He will send so many blessings as long as we are just obedient.
I have never felt so pumped up in my life, I mean here I am in the middle of Argentina-speaking a new language to people I didn't think I could connect with but it turns out they all love Jesus Christ and fishing!!!! What's better to talk about than those 2 topics right? haha
Also, I can't say how excited I am to listen to the prophets and know that my MOM, KEEGAN, ALIX, RYAN and others I know will be in the session that I am watching-that is just so cool. You have the chance to live in the United States with freedom, with cars, with MONEY, with families. Here, I am in Argentina where there are only a few cars, a few televisions, and barely any freedom. I mention that I have flown in an airplane more than once and people are just shocked but if you say you have been in an airplane once in the states you are SOOOO SHELTERED!!!! But anyway it is amazing how different the life is here, their culture, how they all eat bread with ever meal and they all have their mate no matter if they are on their little scooters that are so loud and go no where.
But I have to say, although the technology is different and the language-they do have one thing that the states dont and that is HUMILITY AND FAMILY!!!! There are parents here that seriously live with their entire family in their house and work all day, every day to PROVIDE FOOD AND SHELTER(THIS WAS FOR KEEGAN). The people here are just so amazing I mean the stores give free food to us and others at random times just to show their love and taxi drivers will have a good conversation with you and not charge a cent. I love Argentina and it makes me even happier to know that I have a family and the reason i am here is to make them proud and to make other families here bonded (I don't remember the word for bonded in the temple) together forever. We always enter in a house and sing a hymn and it is always (FAMILIAS PUEDEN SER ETERNAS) families can be eternal? (oh man-I am forgetting my english how terrible)
Well anyway we are on fire and there is nothing more successful than the work of the savior because he is right next to us teaching these people and keeping me tossing and turning in my bed just thinking of our investigators. I have never had so many thoughts and ideas running through my mind and it is even better because it never STOPS!!! I love waking up and immediately saying my prayer because I always can pray so sincerely for our investigators because I had dreams of everyone of them.
It is so fun to know that there are people here that need their salvation and they won't receive anything if we don't find them.
Which brings me to my new goal. Talk to everyone. I know every missionary or person that has read Preach my Gospel it says talk to everyone like 100 times or more and that is our new goal. So anyway, I am running low on time but I want to let you know of our plans this week so you can get a sense of what we are hoping to work on this week.
So we have 46 investigators right now that have all received at least one lesson this week because we have to teach them every week to count them as an investigator but as of now we have General conference this Saturday and Sunday and want to get at least 10 to go. Also we had baptisms planned but we are gonna wait till the next week because after next week-we are baptizing IN A RIVER!!!!!!!!!!! It is planned and ready.
Gallian (the one we are gonna baptize in a river) we keep visiting him and he always says I want to learn more and want to prepare more for my baptism even though in 2 months he has quit DRUGS, ALCOHOL, WINE, PARTIES, and late nights with girls. All in 2 months but this last week I prayed for a miracle that he would be ready for his baptism the week after conference and you know what happened? One morning we were walking with another member and found him in front of his house with a cigarette, wine and on who knows what. While he was plastered (drunk) he dropped down on his knees and said "I failed you Elder Darby and you Elder Chavez and my God and now I am ready to quit and go to Jesus Christ like you said Elder Darby, like a small child with hope in my eyes and a fire in my heart." So I am glad to say that after this experince we went to his house when he was sober and he had a huge fire and was burning all the trash he had and says he wants his baptism after conference so Yes baptism in a river not this week but the Saturday after conference!!!!!
I know that when we ask sincerely with our heart and we serve Him with everything we have then we can receive whatever we ask for. As we are here now in Argentina working as hard as we can we are receiving nothing but success because of the faith we have. The Lord said that with faith you can receive anything that is desired. I have a testimony so strong of this because this area was HARD but after I read numbers chapter 13 and 14, I realized it doesn't matter if there is a bad area-all that matters is the faith and diligence. I am here praying my heart out every day to change this area and to change the lives of so many.
As of now I have realized my purpose and have gone nowhere else except to ask the lord my God to help, He is here, He lives and loves each one of us. I know when we keep the comandments we are blessed with more than we can count because this life is not just a life-but a sacrifice to be the best. Our Father said not one filthy impure thing can enter into the kingdom of God and I promise everyone of you that this is true-that we need to be better because we sin and aren't forgiven unless we pour out our souls unto him.
I challenge every one of you to change the light you have. To shine it forth and not hide it any longer because our Lord our Savior is close and now right now is the time to prepare to meet God. So I have only one question: Can you stand in front of the Father who created you and knows everything you have done and say I DID MY BEST? Because if not, you have the chance right now to stand up and just like Jesus Christ said to adulterer "GO AND SIN NO MORE!!!!" I LOVE YOU ALL ELDER DARBY