23 January 2012

I forgot to mention the package situation and YES I GOT IT AND YESSSS I LOVED IT!!!! The candies are wonderful the pics are the best to be able to remember who I was and what I want to be when I get home and also thank you for the pics of Danielle and yes she honestly is gonna look so gorgeous after seeing 2 years of jagged or no teethed smiles bad hygiene black hair and black eyes. Then I will be able to see all of you and how beautiful you are Mom and by the way you totally win in the williams photo because you are the skinniest, funniest, most beautiful, and the BEST!!! My Mom and Keegan going to a sportsmans expo. haha now that is funny!!!!! I guess you 2 do miss me quite a bit!!! And you know what I miss you so much as well Mom and can't wait to come home and give the best Mom in the world a huge hug say sorry and say I LOVE YOU IN 2 LANGUAGES!!! Mom stay strong cause I will be running back oh and by the way I am gonna baptize this saturday so when you are in your students baptism just think of me doing the same thing and being there just in spanish and in Argentina!!! Love you tons thanks for everything your son Elder Darby

23 January 2012

THINGS ARE GREAT!!!!! We finally were able to get some good investigators in church so when they go to church they always end up IN THE WATER!!! Such a great week this last week was because my comp. got hit by a pooping pigeon on the telephone wire and also my most favorite investigator here is getting baptized this saturday!!! He is amazing he quite drinking and it is amazing that me a 20 yr. old and my new comp. 19 yr. old can convert a 34 year old guy that loved alcohol and cocaine leaves but thanks to our testimonies the spirit and of course reading the baptism of Jesus Christ he straight up told us sunday "Elder Darby can you baptize me this saturday!!" It was so exciting because we have been working hard with him but the spirit finally testified unto him and he felt it recognized it and let it change him into the most incredible son of God. He has been just giving us so many people to teach and truly loves how we baptized his Mom and now Him!!! So great that him and his Mom will be able to go to the temple one day together. He will be recieving the priesthood and will always be such a great help to the missionaries and the ward. You cant even imagine how happy and how much joy it brings when you promise these people an answer from God and they recieve it because it is so obvious how the gospel has changed their lives so much. I truly love this work and know that it is so true. Things are getting great as my comp. is now able to bear his testimony and also he is contacting so I am hoping the spirit blesses us as I can help him succeed to be an awesome Elder from the california side!!! Well that is pretty much it I am really tired and yet excited to be starting a new week to see who we can find and get to church and to of course teach english. The english class went well saturday with 6 people and we taught the prayer in spanish and many other things. I love it here and there is nothing better than teaching this great gospel that i now love. I know it is true without a single doubt. I love you all Elder Darby

13 February 2012

WOW VALENTINES DAY? Geez i can't believe just a year ago I was a
newbie in Argentina and didn't speak a word of spanish and just looking
at the change in me. It is truly a humbling thing to realize that I am
so much closer to my father in heaven and that I discovered that I
truly had my testimony before the mission and now it is just a few
words. I know Jesus Christ lives and I want to become like him!!!
Seriously just knowing that he loves me and is always helping me in a
lesson is the best feeling to my heart. The fact I, Elder Darby, who
didnt even know it was Moses that split the red sea before the mission
can convince someone to first off enter the house then teach the only
true way to pray to God and then teaching by listening to the person.
Knowing exactly what to say and share using the Bible and of
course the Book Of Mormon!!!! And then inviting the person to be
baptized like Jesus Christ and doing all of this in fluent SPANISH!!!!
It is incredible how much I truly love this gospel and how awesome it
is to be here serving the Lord with every drop of sweat I have every
minute and of course waking up early!!! 

I have 4 words I LOVE THIS WORK!!!!!!! I mean sure it is fun to have a car, a
cell phone with texts, money to blow on materials but there is nothing
like having a person cry to you because they have a family problem or
something and knowing that what you miraculously studied that morning
is exactly what that person needed!!! The way the spirit guides when
we are willing to listen and be obedient to receive it. 

I love the mission and now that you all want to hear the story of the week well
it has to be 2 things. Ok so the first was that thursday my companion
had to go to salta to do his papers so they send him and also another
brand new gringo who was actually his comp. in the MTC. So I thought
they would arrive at the terminal in salta and missionaries would pick
them up but nope!! So what happened is that they needed to take a taxi
to the offices but they didn't have the address. So they leave and
apparently they got to the terminal at 11:30pm and no elders were
there to help them so in the worst spanish possible they tried to ask
a taxi driver if he knew where to go but they struck out so what do
they do? they go and buy a sandwich at the worst shop possible haha.
Then apparently a taxi driver out of no where came up and said lets
go!! So they hopped in and he drove them to the OFFICES!!!! Miracle.
Then what happened is that no one was in the office at midnight so
they walked up to pres. house which is like one block away. They
arrived woke up pres. and neither of them could say a word so imagine
2 big white boys on pres. doorstep at 12:30am with just shrugged
shoulders and the most puzzled look on their face. classic!!! Then
pres. sent them to the house of the elders which was a long ways away.
So they didnt get to the house until like 2am. I( just love how no one
helped them but yet with all of that the Lord sent a taxi driver to
help them out thank goodness. The best was that i didnt know anything
until they got back friday just looking so tired and the first thing
my comp. says was "DARBY DONT LEAVE ME!!!" I heard this and started
laughing and they explained it all and wow what a story!!! 

So that was a classic moment and also just yesterday we were walking by a church that was catholic. THis lady started saying you praise Joseph Smith so
what do i do? I turn around hand her lesson one and what does she do?
she takes it and says I want to give you a blessing and starts
slapping my cheeks and my comp. just had such a puzzled look and next
thing you know she does it to my comp. it was freaking hilarious!!!!
But anyway those are our good stories oh and we went to the feria and
i found a chik fil a shirt and took a pic with my comps. camera so i
will send the photo next week!!! 

I love you all and am having a blast the pics are of our baptism saturday. 

It was awesome because one of my converts baptized fernando because 

he got the pristhood so it was a great experience. The best part is this 

saturday we are baptizing 2 more little girls who are just so cute their 

names are Agustina and Luciana!!! I love the success because we are 

just so happy because we know the Lord trusts us to baptize and teach his children. I love you all and hope your weeks are just fabulous and filled with LOVE!!!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY LOVE ELDER DARBY

27 February 2012

Ok so yes transfered with my brand new companion Elder Zulauf!!!! He is so funny because his spanish is still just so gringo!!! I am trying to help him just be happy and so far we have our tea time at night while we plan for the next day so we buy a little bread and types of tea!!! NO MATE!!! We aren't allowed to drink mate and I am not really sure why. 

We are actually in the next town over so we see the members from our old area all the time!!! And the funniest part is the apartment we lived in before is actually in our area now so we didn't go anywhere far so it is hard to work so poorly next to an area that we just killed!!! We are still in the like same atmosphere except it is like the out skirts of the city so very humble, very lazy and no more paved roads meaning MUDD!!!! Thank goodness I have those sweet gore tex boots they are just so awesome!!! 

THE WARD IS REALLY SMALL!!! This last sunday there were 26 people in church and we only had 2 investigators it was really sad although we didn't have lunch with members this last week we do now!!! We are now in Mariano Moreno. It is a lot smaller so easier to have just a ton of lessons. We are trying to get a few people to teach so we can actually have some appointments cause right now we have a small list of people, we are trying to find when they are home so some times we get lucky and other days are terrible!!! Sunday was way fun because now we finally have the addresses of the members and inactives so now we are gonna visit members and inactives and inv. to see if we can spark a successful flame like our last area. It is so true that once you have the trust of the members it is easy to find news and get member present lessons. The members are very loving though and I am still the gospel principles teacher. I just love teaching a class in spanish it is so fun to just think I am in Argentina speaking fluent spanish and connecting with these people. Truly a blessing and gift that I was social before the mission. 

The apartment is becoming more normal it isn't so bad except for the 3 poodles or yappers that live in front of us. So terrible all night, all morning, when we open a door or close one they just yap. It was funny because the other day one was whining to get in the other door so I took water and sprayed it and right after I did that the owner walked out looked at his wet dog and he hit his dog thinking it had peed all over the door!!! Serves that little poodle right. I have no sympathy whatsoever for dogs anymore. 

But that is about it. I am still district leader going into my like 5th month and the district is worse than ever. I am quite disappointed so district meeting should be very interesting tomorrow. The new sister missionaries that are in our old area are just doing a terrible job with the work and success we left them which makes me realize that some missionaries have the gift and others not. Of course I love the sisters and am helping them as much as possible but they seem to get down on themselves way too much especially because they have the best area. I just love the mission and right now it is tough but hey when does a smile not come onto my face? Trials are just a part of life and the ones who kept a smile on their face learn the most. I just love it here and we are excited to see the great miracle that is gonna happen as the weather is now getting colder!!! No more heat!!! Even though I am in the nicest part of the mission for over a year what luck right? Faith and positivity is what brings the success. So excited to get out and work love you all Elder Darby

2/20/12 Marino Moreno transfer

OH WOW I HAVE THE CRAZIEST NEWS EVER!!!! Yesterday was the
phone call for transfers. I thought it was impossible my district
would change because my comp. is brand new and also the comps. of the
other missionaries. BUT I WAS WRONG!!!! So I get a call at 8:30pm
sunday night. We are with my favorite family, I get the call and he
says, "Eder Darby, I have some weird transfers"!!! My smile dropped and I
said WHAT!!!! "You and your companion are going to open an area
in Mariano Moreno!!! Mariano Moreno is right next to Coronel Arias,

our area. I said SERIOUSLY? Then he said that 2 sister missionaries

are coming to work in Coronel Arias. I was shocked to hear this.
We visited a few families and just cried our eyes out because you
just love these people and they love you. We are opening an area

that has huge problems in the ward and that hasn't baptized in almost

a YEAR!!!! So wow, I am sweating bullets and am praying like I never

had before because not only is my comp. brand new but I don't know

the area. I need to help him the best I can while having success!!!

Man it has been a crazy day with moving and leaving the best apartment

and going to one that has pink and green walls.

I am exhausted, I didn't sleep and a little nervous but why worry and have
doubts when this is God's world and He loves us. Doctrine and covenants
6 really hit me hard 'to not worry to not have doubts but rather be
faithful and have the vision set that no matter what things will be
just fine'.

I know this is true, I love the scriptures and I have been told by many missionaries that I share too many scriptures during a lesson because

I swear when I listen to these people there is a scripture that has the

answer. I am a little worried but get a peaceful feeling and actually

excited to let you all know how the ward will be strengthened, how our

obedience and faith will bring us success.

I would love to hear some emails to get me excited for next
Monday cause this week should be a tough one to go from 50 lessons
last week to way less. I know that the Lord has callen me to serve here

and he promised me that I will speak with the tongue of angels and that

no matter what we will make a huge effect on this ward.

I love you all and yes Mom time is going so fast to see my 'kid' not be

able to speak. It's a humbling experience because I remember how hard

it was to be so new.

I saw a few members that are from my first area Perico and they were

shocked to see me and they said "Darby you have a voice?" haha

"Hermana why yes and did you know I have a kid?" her smile

dropped and I told her that a new elder on the mission is a 'kid' and
that I am his father haha,it was priceless. (It wasn't the funniest
thing I could have said but in spanish I think it was especially with
the culture and past stories of other missionaries)

Man I just love it here. Although we can't fish anymore, or just sit

and relax, sit on facebook, drive a car or text, I find that the best

thing I can do is feel that my Father in Heaven loves me and trusts

me to take on the most amazing tasks possible on the mission.
I love all of you so much and I dream of the day when I can sit in
front of you and tell you how crazy, spritual, humbling and just
FUN my mission is!!! The mission that has over 130 rules with

the most strict guidelines, 4 hour studies everyday. But with that

said, there is nothing that refreshes my purpose in my life than

studying the only thing that I know is true without a single doubt.

I have purified my heart this last week and have went through die hard

repentance and feel the most free I have ever felt and thanks to that
experience, I know that God will provide us with baptisms and a
stronger ward. I hope you all can realize I am just so excited
and ready to get to work. I love you all and hope your lives are
filled with as much joy as i feel. Love always Elder Darby

6 February 2012

I can´t even imagine what a fast and testimony meeting would be like in english anymore!!! I just love the emotions that people have here and the sacrifices they make just to go to a temple. So yes the closest temple is cochabamba Bolivia and it takes like 20 hours to get there by bus and is like 1000 pesos a person or 250 dolars which is a ton here. There was a family that bore there testimony yesterday and they sold their wedding rings and their car to be able to pay for their family. It is nuts how all we have to do is hop in our car and just drive a little ways when here they go for a week and make sacrifices that are just incredible. The people here honestly have better testimonies than those in the states because there conversion stories are just amazing!!! 

The love and respect I have for these people is truly incredible and the funny thing is that they love us more. I don't care what door we knock if it is hot they will bring out like coca cola or something and then tell us no. It is funny because they are never like jerks, just closed hearts. 

This week was great we had a few ready to baptize but they all had stuff to do so now we are gonna have a baptism of hopefully 3 or 4 people this saturday!!! It should be fun because it is so exciting to be able to change the lives and truly bring pure joy to them.

So clearly we are working hard and doing so well and my comp. is just hilarious!!! He loves the huge flea markets they have and Napolitana which is a filet of chicken that is breaded and friend with tomato sauce cheese and sliced ham on top of a huge pile of french fries. I just love it how excited my comp. gets when he says something correct in spanish and when he invites our investigators to be baptized. He is doing so much better than I did in my first area because he has almost a month out here and is understanding and speaking fairly well. We are practicing a lot and I am able to help him because I knew how it was. He is my greatest son so far on the mission !!!! 

Well that is about it not too much happened this last week other than just finding so many people to teach and having so many go to church on sundays. I think we are gonna make some records here on the mission and I know president keeps calling to check up because he is way excited for our success!!! Well i love you all and know there is no better place to be than here. Love Elder Darby