4/18/11

I was gonna start out with a story but I felt impressed to share what I was able to do today-that activity was FISHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How could fishing in Argentina while on a mission be better, right? I mean now I am a 'Fisher of men' and a 'fish whisperer'. It was so great, I hope you like the photos. We pull up and there is not one person on this entire lake, it was gorgeous!!!!!!! People here don't believe in fishing on Monday-but we do haha.
It was gorgeous because nowhere do you see a pine or a little creek, instead you see wicked mountains with jungle and wicked spiders the size of my hand and waterfalls surrounding the large mass of water. It was so legit like out of the show River MONSTERS, except the man we got the fishing gear from gave us terrible stuff so we didn't do so hot. It was overcast all day and we got on the water by 7:30 am. It was early (woke up at 6am and took a taxi). We fished till 2:30 with one of the members, he was so tight. We made empanadas to eat on the water and had sausage to grill, so all in all, it was great-except for the fishing. With 3 gringos, 2 native argentines and 4 others with no experience, it was a funny yet prideful day.
I ended up giving up going for big fish with the wrong bait and managed to catch a bunch of wild crickets in ever color on this earth. I used those and just like fishing for bluegill caught a bunch of these tiny little shad fish. No one could figure out the touch except me-so i figured it was the praying I did for 3 days asking for fish. It was a great day and I saw every insect possible around the water and 5 spiders bigger than my hand!!!! It was awesome.

As I was with these missionaries and that member, I looked around at the beauty of this earth and realized it is such a blessing to be here and belong to the only true church on this earth. The gorgeous overcast skies and the dead silence and church music in the back made it not a day for fish but a day to realize the glory of God. I realized that a home should be the same way that after a long day with work or an early morning of seminary the spirit and peace you feel in nature should be felt in the home.
I love this work and I love everyone of you, I know that God created this earth for us and anyone who doubts-that is truly a sad story. I have always loved that moment of the day when I would be alone out on the water knowing I have God by my side and praying before every trip. I have been working on the sincerity of my prayers and I know my experience today of peace was one I won't forget. I want you all to find that one thing that helps clear your mind and remember that God is our Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christ suffered so that we could live here in peace. I want to leave that with you and I want you to all know that you all are in my prayers(in spanish) and forever will be thank you for all the support...until next monday.
Elder Darby

Pictures 4/11/11

4/11/11

MY ONE GOAL ON MY MISSION I HAVE FOUND OUT IS NOT TO BAPTIZE THE WORLD FOR ME, NOR CONVERT EVERYONE IN MY NAME TO SHOW OFF AND SAY I WAS THE BEST MISSIONARY, BUT TO STRENGTHEN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AND BE ABLE TO FIND HIS LOST SHEEP SO THAT THEY CAN BE BAPTIZED, IN HIS NAME AND BE APART OF THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH ON THIS EARTH!!!!!!!!

Last night was my best experience i have ever had!!
We got invited to teach family home evening last night at a members (and yes their family home evening is on sundays) anyway so we go over with a few short movie clips and find out that those 2 members invited 4 of our investigator families. As soon as I walked in, I felt this confidence and remembered what Christ promised those who spread the gospel "open your mouth and I will fill it with the words of me and the spirit".
I walked up to the investigators-greeted them and we sat down and were engulfed with Argentine pizza (which is no different except it is homemade and just amazing as can be). After a conversation with the families (I shockingly understood every word!!!) we put in the movie clips and as I looked around the room, I realized this is what a mission is about.
THE SPIRIT WAS SOOOO STRONG! BY FAR THE STRONGEST I HAVE EVER FELT!!!!!!
So, as I looked around at the families and members I saw tears come to their eyes and I felt my testimony start growing, so as soon as the movie finished, we all sat in a 2 minute silence-then I stood up in front of 8 native Argentines and bore a 5 minute testimony. My comp. was shocked and so were the members who knew us so well. After I bore my testimony, I asked the families how they felt and they said they felt this was a prepared message and that it was especially for them. I had the biggest smile thinking-wow this lady who just quit smoking after being addicted for 10 years felt the desire to repent and be baptized. I gave a photo to my comp. of Jesus Christ being baptized and now all 6 of the investigators have a baptism date and all have such testimonies.
I love this work with all my heart, I can´t say I have tons to write but this experience made me realize my purpose.

I want to challenge all of you to read your scriptures daily and to seek to be thankful for all the blessings we each receive, I can promise that if you ask for help from the Lord through sincere prayer and have that faith, then God with pour out a full glass of blessings and you will feel his love more and more everyday. It is not about how well you can recite all the 13 articles of faith or how many scriptures you know, it is about one thing and that is the testimony you have because of your relationship with our FATHER IN HEAVEN WHO LOVES AND WANTS TO HELP EVERYONE OF US.
Stay strong and make Him proud, the one who suffered every single pain of this world. I know He knows the hard times we are going through and can help us if we ask. All Joseph Smith had was faith when he asked and that is all we need.
LOVE ELDER DARBY

PICS!

4/4

What a great week, my comp. and I are leading our zone of 10 areas and we are loving it. I mean the joy you get from being One unto Christ; when we get 13 member present lessons and over 20 new investigators in one week, we are for sure working for Christ. These are His people and I am all but a 19 year old serving for Him.

I mean that baptism was of course the highlight, and this last conference, I mean there is no better place to be on a mission than in a room with all english missionaries and knowing your investigators in the spanish room are hearing the same words we are. It was a powerful experience and boy oh boy was priesthood session unbelieveable. I mean Our prophet straight up said that to goof around and not get married is a waste of time. Richard G. Scott, I think is my biggest idol now. I mean losing a wife and a kid just would be the hardest thing and he stated that not once were there fights or bad evil words spoken to each other.

I know as a missionary I always have to give a commitment but for me this was a wake up call. I mean to love your wife and be equal with her may be tough but we should all strive to not love to make the choice but to love the choice you have made. That hit me hard and I am not even married but I took it as my investigators because there are some people we meet who have more problems than I can write on paper and the first thought is to give up. This leads me to my story of the week.
So to not give up is a big choice.

There is this one investigator named Pablo Martinez and he is not married to the wife, they have kids and he loves alcohol. He has been dropped by over 12 missionaries which is months of work but we decided to take a visit and he opened the door crying. He said, "I know the gospel is true and I know that you 2 came because I prayed to god for help". His wife left him and she took the kids. We were more than welcomed in, it felt like Dr. Phil, but we actually were receiving revelation from God not from all of our studying in schools. Anyway, we have been teaching him for 3 weeks and so far he has quit cigarrettes, beer and porn. Now he needs to repent for those sins but man to have the inspiraration and for me to see one suffering as bad as he was, I felt that love Christ has for his children. I mean I understood every word he was saying and pulled 4 scriptures out for him. He is truly an amazing man and from the first time we met him to now he has changed on a degree I can´t even fathom.

I can testify to everyone of you that if you ask God and if you have the faith that he can truly help you, then that help will come because not only does he love and look out for us, but he is standing next to us at all times.

I know that my spanish with Pablo was so improved because it wasn´t me that was inspiring Pablo, it was his faith and the spirit connecting what I said straight to the broken heart of Pablo. Now I know many people, including me, wait for a death or big impact but as shared in conference-the small gold flakes add up greater than any one nugget you may be trying to find.

I love you all so much and I know that you all have the exact same blessings that I am having within your grasp. Please love the Lord more than anything on this earth and I can promise you he will turn that love you have back on you in so many ways. Stay strong-you are all in my thoughts and prayers.
LOVE ALWAYS, ELDER DARBY

3/28/11

28 March 2011

Hello again everybody!!!!

This is my favorite day because I get march madness updates from Keegan, so of course I am happy. No I love reading about everything that is going on with everyone and how my other words were apparently inspiring for the Roseville ward which amazes me because before my mission, I couldn´t have been that inspiring. I now realize it is the spirit that I rely on almost too much in one day to strengthen my testimony and my spanish.

Ok my spanish update is that I can understand just about everything except for questions that they ask.  If I miss one word, then I miss the whole question-so I have gotten a few funny stares.

I did have a baptism!!! DIEGO and the spirit-oh my goodness. When I arrived for the baptism Saturday I was so happy but as I sat in my white clothes, I thought of how the prayer that is said is the same prayer/ordinance as Jesus Christs’ and I realized he was right there with me the entire time. As I sat and sang that first song next to Diego, I realized I get to baptize my own son someday.

I actually had a detailed dream of my family and my future home and of course my wife. I had no faces in the dream but my wife had blonde hair, I had 2 girls and 3 boys and in the house there was such peace and such love and kindness. I woke up with tears. I am not sure what happened then I read my blessing and the dream came back to me and I realized the Lord has given me every blessing I have ever wanted in this life. Ok… I am sorry for sharing this but it was the best day and night ever.

In the baptismal font I had tears after I pulled Diego out of the water and he stared those 9 year old eyes in mine and I felt the love that my Savior has for him and I realized the Savior loves everyone of us and that we need to show that love to others. The baptism was amazing and after I told Diego he was perfect and had no sins and he said, ¨all because of you and your consistent teaching I am now on my way to eternal life.”  This boy brought tears to my eyes and I realized I don´t need to show off that I had a baptism but rather that I brought a soul unto Christ and that is what matters on a mission.

Ok enough about my amazing spiritual stories and very successful baptisms and now onto Argentina, the land where pedestrians do not have the right of way. Today we had an American football and were bombing it down the street when Elder Adams dropped it and a car slowed down, my comp. ran in front and the car sped up and ran over the ball. Thank goodness it didn´t pop because that would have sucked big time. The drivers are crazy here but there are curbs so I am safe as can be-don´t worry.

Also the school here has started and the uniforms are, short skirts and white tops with a black tie. I hate it because the school girls. Ok..side note..they just turned on California Love, the song, so I am totally amped to write this email (that was for you kod and it is my favorite song here besides Jason Mraz, I’m Yours) Anyway as missionaries we say ‘snakes’ meaning young girls who love us and these school girls whistle for us and blow kissy faces.  It is the funniest things ever because they all memorized my name and say darrrby so lets just say I have a lot of ‘snakes’ even though I don’t talk to them. School is 3 hours here with a 12 minute lunch, it is crazy hard though so I have heard.

The jobs/work these people have is crazy-you either work in the ferria(flea market, my favorite) or you do heavy labor every day for hecka hours, it is nuts. Also the ciesta here people either sleep or drink mate from 1-4pm. It is such a pain to knock doors or for people to even remember they have citas but that time we usually visit inactive members.  Of course members stuff bread and the best fruits down your throat. I think I am actually gaining weight but I haven´t weighed myself yet, so I am not sure.

I love it here though-like man-it is perfect as can be, I love the people their kindness (when not driving) and their willingness to follow the commandments when everything says Satan.

Ok, more about how the Lord keeps blessing me and my comp. The family of Diego was apparently inactive for 4 years and for 6 weeks now they are praying as an entire family and take up 2 rows in the church-so we are more than happy for the perfect baptism and reactivated family.

I have tons of great pics and am loading them on a cd tomorrow and will be in the mail hopefully Friday. It takes time here so I am way excited to finally send all my pics and everything home, I can´t wait for you all to see them.

So it is winter, the weather is getting a little colder but no problem, we built a barbecue and a tent to sleep on the roof and ran an electrical cord up to the roof. Also we took apart two fan motors and realigned them to be functioning.  Another USA man I love, Elder Adams, he is the best and we have so much fun when back in the pension.

Well I want you to all know I love you tons and you are all in my prayers that are purely in Spanish. I have never felt more close to the Lord or so aligned with the spirit. It is the best feeling to have a special guide in this life that no one else has and to be a missionary is the best blessing I have ever received(sorry Danielle). My family and, of course, my novia and I just want to say as a missionary always with a challenge…Stay strong and know that when you make that correct decision compared to a bad one, the Lord not only smiles but Satan frowns.

Don´t let Satan win in your life because that just shows you are weak and that Jesus Christ suffered the atonement for no reason. Helaman 5,12 is the best scripture for this topic so if you don´t believe my testimony-look at this scripture. 

Love Elder Darby 

3/21/2011

ok Argentina is not what you would expect it and that is a guarantee. The area i am in has a lot of life thank goodness and it is kinda like a small city with some cement streets and others that are dirt, mud, and gravel. The best part is there are no real rules so waterballoons are so loved here and everyone seems to have and throw them at cars people and the 500 dogs in one block. There aren´t really any laws and the firework shows every so often are great i mean there is a store across from our pension that sells giant fireworks and they are legal here. So every few nights we see fireworks a block away and they are like professional shows. The people here are amazing because 15 year old girls have families it is crazy to see such a young girl with a ton of kids on a leash. Yes they can´t afford strollers so leashes or shopping carts are very popular. Since i have heard so much about a fire department well there is no one here and the closest is 2 hours away so it is crazy because people here have fires in the street and everything. Also the medical is terrible, like when we helped that lady when she collapsed well an ambulance only comes when they are dying and it takes 2 hours or they don´t show. The hospital is fairly close so if something did go wrong a taxi for a few pesos is the best bet.

ABOUT THIS BAPTISM!!!! it of course was cancelled but my happiness just got extended because it is this saturday!!! Well why was it cancelled? well the bishop thought that since diego´s family was inactive they needed one more week to prepare but then we found out the bishop had no authority to say that so we called the bishop president. The president said wait one more week and baptism that boy so it is this saturday. It is sad because i now can´t say i had a baptism every transfer but for a gringo to baptize this early of an investigator he found is almost a record. So i am happy to keep the Darby name going!!!The saying here is Perico is Rico and that is a fact we actually have a great plaza to do street contacts even though it is hard as can be but we also have the best bus terminal here and best taxi terminal. The traveling is great a freaking great double decker bus for in american dollars is $1.75 or 7 pesos. We just get on it to go to district meeting once a week and of course sports on mondays with my zone. We play soccer basketball and i convinced everyone to play volleyball next week. I love my zone and i survived my first transfer today!!! We have one new missionary in our pension and he is from kansas so Alek Woster you are thought of and i bet i will hear a lot about back in kansas!!! My mother in the mission was here when i was born and just died today(went home) so my mother is dead. If you were a missionary it would make more sense but today was the end of the transfer and all the missionaries going home made me realize i will learn this launguage and i am way new.

Well things are great as can be and i am loving every moment a ton so for everyone stay strong and if in doubt look at Helaman 5:12 it is so great and about building the rock of christ. Ilove you all but for now peace out and after this baptism i will send home a cd of all my pics so far on my mission!!! Love always Elder Darby