15 October 2012

L. Tom Perry at your stake conference? aww I am so jealous, that is so cool!!! Yeah in the end of November the Elder Viñas is coming to capacitate us.  He is gonna speak in his native language so it should be even more special and they always have something so basic yet new to share with us. 

So this last week was a miracle and a half. We had 3 crucial lessons on thursday and all three turned out to be golden for baptisms and so this last saturday we had 4 BAPTISMS!!!! The best part as well is that all 4 of the investigators that went to church are gonna be baptized this saturday meaning 8 baptisms in 2 weeks!!! That is so many and we are loooking to baptize maybe even more than 4 this week!!!! It is unbelievable what the members are saying and how truly excited we are right now. I can't wait to see how we end up in December because I think we will be able to be pulling out maybe 6 baptisms a week. 

Everyday we pray hard to find people to baptize and sure enough they are in lessons we ask how many times they have been to church and there you have it, next baptism!!! It is so great!!!!! 

We are still rolling on our very wobbley bikes but it is helping us get around to everyone. We now have the coolest ward mission leader that lived in Utah for 6 years and he has started to work with us. This area is taking off. I have never felt so happy to see something change and so fast!!!! This last week we had a zone meeting and my comp. shared the first scripture and it is in Doctrine and Covenants; it says do everything with excitement.  During the whole conference you could see my comp. just glowing as he answered questions and has the best attitude ever. We are so excited and our prays have been the main factor. I know that this is God´s work because if it wasn't, this success wouldn't be possible. 

My comp. had his b-day this last week and woke up just sick. Poor guy but he wanted to work so bad that he got on his bike and pedaled and we were able to teach 4 people and as we came back he said "I don't know how i just survived that" it was the coolest thing ever. To see someone so dedicated. He doesn't speak very good spanish and has a tough time knowing what's going on but hey he is a really loving elder. He said i have to wait to get married as well because he wants to be there(sorry Danielle) haha.

So things are fantastic. We have a lady who has been talking to the missionaries for 4 years and has decided to get baptized this saturday. We have been the only ones to get her and her really tall daughter to church and now she has dropped cigarettes and is going to get baptized saturday. It was a good story because they said they were in the entrance to the church and were about to turn around and right then I called them asking if they were coming, so sure enough they entered and both now want to get baptized. Little miracles like this are happeneing like this everyday and I know I will have such great stories to tell when I get back. I am still ending strong 

I love you all Elder Darby 

8 October 2012

I am so honored to be your best xmas gift!!! Mom things are so great here and with conference we smoked the zone on most investigators in church.  I love this area. I dont know if it is our faith or what but we are blowing it up. We baptized saturday morning because conference started at 1pm so it was great waking up prepping the waters of mormon and then baptizing.  After changing and going to conference oh it was a greeat experience!!! 

I have to say the greatest of all was that when Jeffrey Holland talked he gave almost the same talk as the one when I was in the MTC. It is known as feed my sheep!!! When he came to the MTC he gave the talk about the fishers of men and all the apostles and the famous question "DO YOU LOVE ME? but 3 times!!! It truly felt directed to me because I remembered as I sat in the MTC, I heard that talk and walked out in silence.  His conference was like round 2 but not just for missionaries but for every single member!!! 

I have to say I heard a terrible statistic this last week that 50% return missionaries go inactive!!!! 50% that burned my soul to think what hypocrits to tell people to get baprized and to stay active.

In the priesthood session, D. Todd Christofferson who came to our mission said a powerful statement. "All of you missionaries and ex missionaries who stood in a baptism font, did it to make your converts be active forever, but as much as it was for them it was for you.  You stated, "having being comissioned of Jesus Christ you have been given the permission from him." This line hit me so hard because it hurts me to think that elders can go home and not stay active. The saddest part is that a few elders that have gone home since I have been here have gone inactive.  they have written either me or my companions. I don't see how this is possible!!! I know I have not come back yet but to think of all the many blessings i receive everyday, I realize this is what I want in my life. Not to gaining a ton of money, not having the best of everything but making the best of everything you have. 

As you all know, I didn't do so well in my last area in Salta. Yes we made a huge difference but I let other elders get me down, they made me doubt and as I left that area, I realized what I did. Now you have all seen how much success is going on here and how excited I am to write and share experiences to you all. This area is amazing and not because it has good people but because me and my comp. have come to the same level, realizing that we can do so much more here. When I showed up he was sad as can be, he didn't see the real point of missionary work because his first comp. treated him terribly. Sound familiar to my first area with my comps? 

I have come here to realize and reflect of every part of my mission I've realized, I maybe tired and constantly exhausted but I'm was doing my will not the Lords!!! At the year mark on the mission I was learned and was better ready and I made the change. 

Now that I have heard conference talks, I put an eternal vision on everything I'm reading.  I'm almost finished with Doctrine and Covenant and it is all about zion and missionary work!!! I know that every experience, every area and every comp. has helped me grow. I know that humility and diligence were my 2 hardest struggles to learn on the mission but I changed so much.  I wonder if you will see the difference in me by the time I get home.  I'm more diligent as i am constantly excited, never wake up tired or want to stay in bed.  I get up just pumped to get out and share this most amazing life changing gospel. It hurts me how there are people who don't understand how truly great this gospel is but as a missionary we don't force it on anyone. 

Ok so my story this last week was a life changer for me and my comp.  There is a family I wanted to drop or stop passing by, but my comp. said one more time please. We passed by and that sunday 2 weeks ago she went for the first time in 6 years of listening to the elders. The best part is that this last saturday during the second session she appeared in our english room and said "darby do I just sit over here?" I realized it was her and with a gigantic smile said "yes over there!!!" I looked at my companion and we gave each other a fist pound.  Then sunday night after the session ended at 8:30pm and we had some time so we passed by her house and the spirit of the conference was with us. We taught her the Word of Wisdom and I kid you not, for the first time in 6 years she accepted a baptism date along with her daughter. I didn't sleep much last night because I was pretty much praying, thanking God for this amazing miracle plus, 2 weeks ago we found a family of 9 people. They all went to conference and this saturday 3 will be getting baptized, then next week a few more along with other investigators!!

There is a spirit in this area whether it is the members or my comps. faith, I do not know but as much as he says that I am the change here because he didn't do so well here before with his last comp. I know that it isn't me, it is God trusting us with his most precious children because he knows we are trying and putting all the strength and 2 very beaten up bikes to the test here. 

I feel loved, happy, at peace and just stinking excited every single day here. We have not had a bad day yet. I love it here and i know that it may be hot or it may be raining or we may be tired but there is no drive like drive of having angels on our left and right and Jesus Christ himself leading us to these people. We are having so much success and I know that when I come home, it will continue. I am very competitive and know that satan is in this fight with us. Just like M. Russell Ballard said, "an addiction is a mental disease".   I say that any exception to the commandments or anytime we sin we have a mental problem because I have seen the promised blessings. I now testify to over 20 people a day saying that this is the path to follow and how could I do that if I didn't know it to be true.

I love you all and I plead you to please forgive your enemies or the people you think hate you. There is no better feeling than knowing that you are loved by everyone. It all makes sense to me. Jesus Christ called his fishers to become fishers of men.  I would say I have changed from a fisher of worldly things to a fisher of men. I have converted to become a true disciple of God, He answers every single one of my prayers and there is no better feeling or knowing than that. I love you all Love Elder Darby see you all in 2 months

24 September 2012

SOOO WEIRD!!!!  I am so excited because as much as Roseville was great, I love the bay area as well. Plus it will be good to catch up with the friends I first had in high school and elementary school and so on. 

So Mom the other day I was thinking of who I could get to church after the mission right?  A really random name came into my head but do you remember lauren rammer? She was always so tight.  I will have to see her after for sure and I mean for like 30 minutes I was thinking of all the friends I would love to see again in Alamo. But the members in Roseville are so great!!! Lots of memories but hey, I am use to switching areas now haha. I am so pumped to get home be with everyone, go to school and work.  

I am so excited to just have such a spiritual life just based on the church. There is no better way to be blessed. 

So Tucuman villa alem AMAZING AREA!!!! I have to say I came here just ready to work and my comp. has changed a ton he is now super obedient.  We go running every morning and this last week we had so much success he would walk out of lessons and say "que capo!!"  which means like stud. He just said that his last comp. was a tough serious elder and just never involved him.  We have a great unity that we have baptisms planned like crazy!!!! WE baptized saturday and have hopefully 3 more for this saturday. I showed up and all the investigators had a couple doubts and after 2 lessons they now all want to get baptized all 14!!!!! So, I have a feeling we will be baptizing A TON!!!!! 

It is so exciting to come here and just find so many new people to teach and they went to church after only one lesson. I dont know if it is the area or our faith or excitement but whatever it is we are getting better. 

My comp. loves hearing all my nature stories and we are really good friends. He is such a nice innocent kid and ONLY CHILD!!!! hE SAYS YESTERDAY TO ME. ELDER DARBY YOU JUST MAKE MY MISSION FUN YOU JUST LIKE CHANGED IT FOR ME!!! I was so happy to know that and now we are just like brothers.  He speaks terribly but I am helping him because he has like 3 months in Argentina.  The investigators think I am really protective of him. It made us laugh but hey we are knocking it dead here. He always says"elder darby there is a family that had a few doubts but we could never help them but I know you can do it!!! So we went and as of now we have all 14 ready to get baptized in 3 weeks or less. 

I am so excited to be here it may be hot but the work is even hotter. I realize that this is my time to shine.  I am trained, prepped and ready to just baptize. The ward is the biggest in the mission and I am hoping we will baptize at least 50 or so if we can keep ourselves humble. This is so the best area and i am just gonna be glowing when i come home because of the success that there is here. All the members are great and the bishop is excited to work with us. 

I feel great because as I left my last area, I knew that I did a great work because attendences of the members and investigators went up, baptisms doubled and now the other elders are gonna baptize all that we were able to prepare. This is the work of the Lord and I know I am smack dab in the middle. Never will my service in this church end whether I have only a few weeks or months; this is the reason I came to this earth. To bulid up Zion and baptize and prep the saints for the judgment. I love it here and i will see you all in less than 3 months but for now it is time to hit the pavement and declare repentance unto all the inhabitants of this area!!!! I love you all Elder Darby