Skype is a guarantee because the members have computers here so it will be legit to see everyone and this time you can hear my terrible spanish. I am so excited and my goal is to baptize at least 20 by the time we chat and I know it is posible. Ok so I am loving being senior companion and district leader is such an amazing blessing because our district is the bomb. We are all owning at baptisms and they are just so pumped up to work.
I have never felt so happy, I mean the people here are just amazing, coming from Ledesma to my hometown of San Salvador, I feel like I am a born Jujuy boy. I just love it here I know every town, every site, all the food, all the sodas and it is just tight.
I hope everyone at home is just doing great because things are great, it isn't hot here and I am about 10 minutes from my first area so hopefully I will be able to see some members from my first area.
My companion is a stud he has had 3 months here in Argentina, is from Logan, Utah and we are honestly like best buds. We just talk about river rafting, FISHING and all the fun sports and of course he and I are great with the people here. So you might wonder why everything is just so great and that is because the president of the mission wrote me a private email saying, "elder Darby, I am writing you because your area was very productive before but Elder Darby trust in your companion and change the area just like LEDESMA!!!!" You don't know how good it feels to know he has his eyes on me and is proud of my work. I am just so happy and ready to just work.
We had the worst Sunday yesterday with one investigator in the church but we showed up at their house and they were so sad they said they showed up at 1pm after voting for the president, so we now have quite a few promises for church this Saturday. There is no greater feeling than seeing your investigators or inactive families in the church. I am just so excited to change this area and just get this giant ward to help and bring all the families that are lost back into the Lords arms. We are currently working with 14 families that are inactive and we have over 20 investigators that are progressing, so this week is gonna be a successful one at that. The missionaries before us got in a lot of trouble so a lot of the members went inactive so here we are trying to bring them back by setting the example.
So the new area is great, I love the people here from Jujuy they are smart and at the same time so humble and so loving to us. We have to drop by 3 families tonight to give us prepared pizza, empanadas, and jello!!! The members are amazing, yesterday I gave my testimony in front of everyone and all the members after came up to me and said when can we give you lunch because I love your energy. So everyone I have never felt happier to be here and to know that we can make a change here. I am now able to be the elder darby with spanish with my jokes and confidence, oh I am just so happy.
So the pension as well is just awesome we live in an apartment with 3 rooms, a giant hallway on the third floor and it is all tile and just gorgeous with HOT WATER!!!! oH AND THE TOWN WELL WE LIVE SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF CENTRO MEANING NO DOGS!!! haha it is really nice to have a ton of stores and CHANGO MAS which is a huge store, the owner is walmart so yeah-american items!!!! I am excited to go!!!
Well anyways obviously you can tell that i am recieving a ton of revelation for the companionships in my district and for my companion right now. A funny note is I heard him praying out loud the other day when he thought I was in the shower and he said, "I am so grateful to be with Elder Darby, thank you so much" so clearly we are having the best time together and working a ton!!!
This goes to all, you can email me because I would love to send some personal emails so please write me and I promise to write back. But to all that are reading this know the Lord blesses his servants and when we are obedient we are not only blessed, but we are trusted. The lord is always watching so why not be the best we can be at all moments? He suffered for us so why can't we return the love and serve him!!
Love Elder darby
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
October 17, 2011-Transfer
Well the baptism didn't happen but it is because he wanted to go to his other church. I told him that if he truly wanted his salvation and the best life then follow not our words and not our promises but the promises of the LORD!!!!!!!! Man I have never testified with more power than with him. He started crying said it was true and next Saturday will be baptized - but not by me. That is because I, Elder Darby, am in SAN SALVADOR JUJUY!!!!!!!!! Transfered and with a change in my mission because after 8 months in Argentina and 10 months on the mission, I am now SENIOR COMPANION!!!!!AND DISTRICT LEADER!!! My companion is Elder Yates, he is from Logan, Utah and has the desire to work. I am his second companion, he can't speak very well but hey our new goal is that we are gonna baptize every single week.
Man i have never felt more motivated to work than now and to be an example and to cast off any habit and be perfectly obedient!!! The prophet said if we are obedient on our missions we won't just double baptisms, but exceed to an unknown number. Family, friends I believe in every single word the prophet says and I know even though I am not perfect with spanish and not the most amazing with scriptures I KNOW I AM NOT BLAKE, I AM ELDER DARBY, a representative of Jesus Christ and the same Jesus Christ that lived a perfect life and suffered more pain than anyone ever has. I am here not to know every tourist spot or to make myself look good, I am here to be a missionary and a missionary that doesn't set high goals or have the most faith, isn't a missionary at all.
I think of Alma and how he baptized thousands if not more because he cried for the sins of his town and now I am here and ready to be the most amazing servant of all. The best part is that it isn't me that is teaching, it isn't me that is waking up on time, it isn't me baptizing and it isn't me that changes these people; it's the spirit.
I can say to everyone of you that our life is not for us but it is for one thing and that is THE GOSPEL!!! Study the scriptures, pray sincerely and tell God everything and with faith it will all be received.
I love you all so much and I am exactly 6 minutes away from my first area on the mission and when I think of how I wasted the Lords time and was disobedient in Perico, I need to make it up that time from now on.
I want to tell you all to pray not for my health and not for protection but to prepare the people here that I will receive revelation to talk with everyone and when I share a testimony or the word of God, they will be prepared to receive the keys to enter into the most desireable place and that is the Glory of God. Help the missionaries invite everyone because without this gospel we have NOTHING!!! I love you all and say that I am here to work and be the best love your Elder Darby
Man i have never felt more motivated to work than now and to be an example and to cast off any habit and be perfectly obedient!!! The prophet said if we are obedient on our missions we won't just double baptisms, but exceed to an unknown number. Family, friends I believe in every single word the prophet says and I know even though I am not perfect with spanish and not the most amazing with scriptures I KNOW I AM NOT BLAKE, I AM ELDER DARBY, a representative of Jesus Christ and the same Jesus Christ that lived a perfect life and suffered more pain than anyone ever has. I am here not to know every tourist spot or to make myself look good, I am here to be a missionary and a missionary that doesn't set high goals or have the most faith, isn't a missionary at all.
I think of Alma and how he baptized thousands if not more because he cried for the sins of his town and now I am here and ready to be the most amazing servant of all. The best part is that it isn't me that is teaching, it isn't me that is waking up on time, it isn't me baptizing and it isn't me that changes these people; it's the spirit.
I can say to everyone of you that our life is not for us but it is for one thing and that is THE GOSPEL!!! Study the scriptures, pray sincerely and tell God everything and with faith it will all be received.
I love you all so much and I am exactly 6 minutes away from my first area on the mission and when I think of how I wasted the Lords time and was disobedient in Perico, I need to make it up that time from now on.
I want to tell you all to pray not for my health and not for protection but to prepare the people here that I will receive revelation to talk with everyone and when I share a testimony or the word of God, they will be prepared to receive the keys to enter into the most desireable place and that is the Glory of God. Help the missionaries invite everyone because without this gospel we have NOTHING!!! I love you all and say that I am here to work and be the best love your Elder Darby
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Oh today was really interesting and this week was tough.
Today we woke up at 7 just like always but we went to a cyber to write but it was closed and we found out today was a holiday so I am now in the worst cyber ever and it is very slow to write anything. Well this won't be the longest email but the great news is that this Saturday we are baptizing once again and in a RIVER!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited because this investigator is incredible. He quit wine, beer, coca and cigarettes because he feels the church is true and when we taught the word of wisdom he said, "I am of the devil". It was funny but after 2 months, he is finally ready to enter into the water.
I love it here although this climate is at 112 degrees farenheit. It is hotter than Sacramento and the bay area combined and with humidity, white shirt tie and black pants it can really mess with you. It is hot but the best part is people are finally active. It is like they hibernate here when it is cold and when it is an oven outside they love it. It is the funniest schedule but hey we are working hard and doing great.
I also have other great news and it is that Elder Audukitis of the Seventy is coming this Sunday to speak to all the members in our stake which isn't very many, so I am so excited to meet him and talk in spanish with a man of the seventy. He isn't a Larry Y. Wilson but he is still just as important. haha
So everything here is great we finally had a ton of investigators in the church and a bunch of inactives that we pass by every week. I hope everyone is doing good because it is just so different to be living here while you all have cell phones and CARS!!! I mean the only time we get in a car is a taxi or a bus but their cars are from Spain meaning just tiny as can be.
Lets see, also the sport soccer here is just huge, I mean every block has goals and a little field to play soccer and right now is the tournament so everyone is excited to watch Argentina play. I love it because we will enter a mud shack of a house but they will have a giant flat screen tv. It is amazing how things here are nothing. They don't care if you have a nice phone or car and every dog here is just sick. It is just such a different lifestyle but I love it.
Me and my companion are working hard but we are nervous because this next Monday are transfers and he just got called as district leader so most likely I will leave. I really don't want to leave but I know the Lord has his ways and always calls us where we need to be. I know that I was called here because I could change this area. From an area that had one baptism every 6 months and now we have baptized 5 in one month. Now tell me that isn't a blessing from God.
I know this work has it's ups and downs but when it is down we always have hope and faith because without it we wouldn't be so happy when things got better. A lot of missionaries ask me how I've baptized so many or how do you get so many people to church? All I say is that I am guided by what the spirit tells me. I know we all have the spirit and it is always talking to us at every moment.
Family, friends and gf i love you all and it has been over 10 months since I have seen any of you but hey 1 year and 2 months left till I can share my crazy stories and be with you all again. I love you all and I want you all to follow the words of the prophet. I love what the apostle said "we need to be as quick to kneel as we are to send a text". I took this to heart and it has changed my attitude and the amazing happiness I feel every day. I challenge you all to do the same and give thanks because this world isn't yours, the money you have, isn't yours and the families we are in, aren't ours. They are our Fathers and He deserves our gratitude. Stay strong, have faith and be obedient. I promise that nothing is better in a life than the spirit of the lord. Love Elder Darby
Today we woke up at 7 just like always but we went to a cyber to write but it was closed and we found out today was a holiday so I am now in the worst cyber ever and it is very slow to write anything. Well this won't be the longest email but the great news is that this Saturday we are baptizing once again and in a RIVER!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited because this investigator is incredible. He quit wine, beer, coca and cigarettes because he feels the church is true and when we taught the word of wisdom he said, "I am of the devil". It was funny but after 2 months, he is finally ready to enter into the water.
I love it here although this climate is at 112 degrees farenheit. It is hotter than Sacramento and the bay area combined and with humidity, white shirt tie and black pants it can really mess with you. It is hot but the best part is people are finally active. It is like they hibernate here when it is cold and when it is an oven outside they love it. It is the funniest schedule but hey we are working hard and doing great.
I also have other great news and it is that Elder Audukitis of the Seventy is coming this Sunday to speak to all the members in our stake which isn't very many, so I am so excited to meet him and talk in spanish with a man of the seventy. He isn't a Larry Y. Wilson but he is still just as important. haha
So everything here is great we finally had a ton of investigators in the church and a bunch of inactives that we pass by every week. I hope everyone is doing good because it is just so different to be living here while you all have cell phones and CARS!!! I mean the only time we get in a car is a taxi or a bus but their cars are from Spain meaning just tiny as can be.
Lets see, also the sport soccer here is just huge, I mean every block has goals and a little field to play soccer and right now is the tournament so everyone is excited to watch Argentina play. I love it because we will enter a mud shack of a house but they will have a giant flat screen tv. It is amazing how things here are nothing. They don't care if you have a nice phone or car and every dog here is just sick. It is just such a different lifestyle but I love it.
Me and my companion are working hard but we are nervous because this next Monday are transfers and he just got called as district leader so most likely I will leave. I really don't want to leave but I know the Lord has his ways and always calls us where we need to be. I know that I was called here because I could change this area. From an area that had one baptism every 6 months and now we have baptized 5 in one month. Now tell me that isn't a blessing from God.
I know this work has it's ups and downs but when it is down we always have hope and faith because without it we wouldn't be so happy when things got better. A lot of missionaries ask me how I've baptized so many or how do you get so many people to church? All I say is that I am guided by what the spirit tells me. I know we all have the spirit and it is always talking to us at every moment.
Family, friends and gf i love you all and it has been over 10 months since I have seen any of you but hey 1 year and 2 months left till I can share my crazy stories and be with you all again. I love you all and I want you all to follow the words of the prophet. I love what the apostle said "we need to be as quick to kneel as we are to send a text". I took this to heart and it has changed my attitude and the amazing happiness I feel every day. I challenge you all to do the same and give thanks because this world isn't yours, the money you have, isn't yours and the families we are in, aren't ours. They are our Fathers and He deserves our gratitude. Stay strong, have faith and be obedient. I promise that nothing is better in a life than the spirit of the lord. Love Elder Darby
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