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
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