Christmas in Guatemala

#snowless 

Hey! this week was full of craziness. We were basically traveling all around the mission setting up and closing houses in different areas. It was really neat to get to know more and more of the mission with every little trip that we took, haha almost every night we got back home around 11so we got to take the car to our house. 

We have been teaching a man named Marvin. He is like 60 years old and has gone through a lot of hard things in his life. We had been teaching him to the point of him having a baptismal date. But, he has been having such a hard time with his siblings where he lives and not finding a job that he told us that he is going to run away from his family and start walking to Mexico and hopefully enough to cross the US border. He used to live in LA and was a chef, and worked like that for a long time. He has a son that is around our age that lives there in LA but he has no way to communicate with him. Marvin is an amazing man, and in his life he has had soooo many trials thrown in his was but he has incredibly steadfast faith in Christ. 

Its Christmas and that's coolio. 

I am bored. 

oh!

I got to talk to my family today and they are pretty awesome:) Milo is getting SO BIG!!!!!!!!! its crazy. He is huge. The Boyz are growing up so fast!!!! My family is really cool. 

During one of our trips my backpack was in the back of the truck and somebody took it into the house that we were moving stuff into and that area is super far away. Anyway, my backpack has my scriptures and camera and BOP-IT inside. I am going to die. haha. 

OH!! Before I forget, I want to send a shout out to my Grandma Barbara and my Aunt Kristen, Kathy,  and Debbiefor sending me some awesome Christmas goodies and toys and stuff. So, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO MUCH!!!

My family is the best. 

I love you all:) Have an amazing Holiday season!!!!

-Elder Darling

Video of missionaries, wrestling a goat, of course

Video of Elder Darling, filming himself as he's driving, of course

Cambios!!

Hey:) I am writing late but it is because its the week of changes in the mission. So crazzzzyyy!!! haha Guess what!!! I don't have changes. Right?!? who woulda thought. I sure did. So i will calmly complete 1 full year in Mission Guatemala, Retalhuleu with 2 Areas, Brillantes and San Carlos. Crazy. I am still in the office with Elder Frehner. 

We have been finding a great way to balance our time in the office and in the field. We have a few people with fechas for baptisms and they are progressing very well:) One bummer that happened this week was that Herbert didn't go to church. He had his date for the 25th (Christmas day!) and it fell. I was so bummed! but we had two others that came with us to church that day so that was great. 

The office is great, and super hectic. haha. So last night I was sitting in the financial office with Elder Jensen and President called me and asked, "is the truck a diesel?" and I responded, "yeah." and he said, " oh, well the APs just filled it up with gasoline..."    great. "I will call Prez Garcia to get a tow truck to pick them up" he told me. DARN! haha What was happening is that the APs were going to do me a huge favor and take the elders to their new area and at the same time move some furniture to their new house so I wouldn't have to make an extra trip to do it. Then we were going to go to the opposite side of the mission to set up a new house this morning for some elders because official changes were happening today. But, we had no truck to do it so those elders are going to stay with their ZLs for the night and we will get to make the trip tomorrow. yay. 

Life is great:)

My companion is awesome! haha We get along very well and have a great time together. He almost has 6 months in the mission and his Spanish is getting better and better every day. 

My Mom (who has AWESOME hair) has been asking me for a while now, What is Guatemala like? so I will answer in my way haha :)

Guatemala. Is like an adventure that people live everyday that is different for us yet the same for them. Guatemala is beautiful in a way that makes you want to take your shoes off and run and play in the nature. Guatemala is something that has become part of my heart and my personality. Guatemala is like something you would imagine paradise would be but just a little under-kept haha. A little dirty but extremely beautiful. Guatemala is freedom and self expression, natural and fearless, Guatemala is where the Lord wants me to be, and I love it. 

Being a missionary your eyes really get opened to the way that the Lord works. As people have asked why I have a scar on the back of my head I get to explain how God has kept me here on this earth to teach them his doctrine. I was saved exactly for this purpose. It wasn't an accident or just by chance that the doctors saved my life, it was for this reason. I am alive today to preach the gospel to my Spanish speaking brothers and sisters. To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I am not a survivor, I am an instrument in the hands of my God. I am not a rare case, I am a child of god with a worthy purpose to be alive. 

I love my Savior and redeemer Jesus Christ with all my heart, and I show it with all my might, mind and strength. I know that he lives, to hear my cry, pains, and to help me in weak times, he is there. He loves us, each and EVERY one. I love you guys too. Thank you for everything that you do to show the Savior that you love him. Light his World. 

-Elder Daring

p.s. Merry Christmas

here are some pics from a trip we took to Xela and San Marcos:)

Early Christmas....but don't tell Mom!

So, this week was full of a bunch of really nice little things, like packages, funny things just happening, and stuff. I know that Mom sent me a 12 Days of Christmas advent calendar and I'm supposed to wait to open things. Do I start when I get it, or tomorrow. or was I supposed to not start already? :)  

The packages came and the lady that brought them is named Nancy [Missiononthefly.com]. She is really cool and when she looked at my name-tag she said "Oh!! I know your family! I've been on the phone with them because of you, your brother, and your cousin!" 

Then she took a selfie with me and told me how she was trying to get my brother's (Elder Whelan) and my cousins' (Elder Roberts) and my packages all to the correct places, but it all got here and there and down there (#honduras) Life is great:)  

I really don't have anytime, I gotta run! I love you guys!!!!!

When I Was a Young WART-HOGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

​I don't feel like writing. but I am going to do it anyway. haha. I love you guys! 

Life is good. we are going to have a baptism of an Hermana that we were teaching a while back this tuesday, so that's....AWeSOME!!!! (you have to yell it like that) AWeSOME. haha 

I have been having good fun with my new companion, Elder Frehner, Turning scorpions into pieces of art and stuff, teaching people, doing office work, setting up Christmas decorations in the office, and sharing stories. 

Getting a new companion is an.....adventure. Because you have somebody new to get to know. Their life, habits, smells, family, girly-friends hehe, and a lot of stories and comparing scars (I always win) and its just kinda cool. Then you become friends and cry when they split you guys up. but then it starts again. The mission is great haha. 

So for the first time in my life I saw a scorpion this week. I was on the phone with the Hermanas in my district and my comp says, "Elder Darling, look at this..." I walked into the room and it was on the wall. CREEPY. I was freaked out because scorpions are only something that i have seen in videos and movies. But this was a real one. and we made it into something cool haha. I will add pics. 

This week wasnt that exciting but we did baptize Hermano Danilo but he left for work at 5 in the morning on sunday and he wasnt able to get confirmed...bummer. That night too he was like all excited to stay and go to church and get to work late, but who knows what happened. But yeah. Life ahhhhhhhhhh haha. Life. 

Thanks for the emails and stuff! I love you guys!!!!

Emergency Transfers, Thanksgiving Grub, and Teaching Gym Trainers

Well howdy. Sometimes......I forget that I am american so I need to say really american things like howdy and Y'all haha. 

Life is good! 

So I was in intercambios and we are about to eat dinner, at like 9:00 and I got a phone call from my companion. I was like... "why is he calling me?" and Elder Jensen answered the phone. Apparently Elder Chavez didn't realize that I wasn't the one talking to him and all of the sudden Elder Jensen's face got all serious and said..."oh fetch" haha I was like freaking out, "did somebody die!?!?!!". then he passed me the phone and Elder Chavez told me that Prez called him and that he has to be in the office the following morning at 10 because he has emergency changes. I was like, "whoa". so now my companion is Elder Frehner, from Panaca Nevada. He has 5 months in the mission and is still learning Spanish but is doing a great job:) He is really cool. 

Elder Frehner's mom is AWESOME! haha she sent him 2 things of mashed-pa-taters and stuffing and Turkey Jerky and so we made it all into a thanksgiving feast! haha I will attach pics.

We have been going to the gym in the mornings and we have become good friends with this guy named Herbert (just like I named all of Oscars action figures hahaha) and so we started teaching him and he is really positively interested in the church! He is Catholic but had a bunch of doubts about the catholic church and every time that we explain a subject or topic he understands and its like things "click" for him haha. He is really cool! 

pics! we also had a HUGE butterfly in the office and the gringo that is looking at the huge bug is my new comp. the food, and THERE IS PANDA EXPRESS IN XELA!!!!!!!!!!! and a shot from my hammock:)

Are you pregnant?

Hahahaha yep, I asked the question that I told myself that I would never ever EVER ask! hahaha. 

Okay, here is the story:

We were in a taxi going into Reu and this cute little lady was getting in. So, as a good young man/missionary in guatemala I opened the door and slid over. I noticed that she had a belly that was the PERFECT shape of a pregnant lady belly. You know what I mean. haha I started to contact/talk to her and I asked, "are you pregnant?". no, she responded.    FLIPP.  HAHAHAA I was sooo embarrassed. I was like, "I AM SO SORRY" and laughing at the same time. She explained to me that she just had a baby a little bit ago, but haha OOPS. That was so awkward. but she was really nice and didn't mind anything of it, i think/hope. 

Anyway, the REST of my week was good hahaha. Paty, Danilo, and Irma got baptized and confirmed this sunday. They couldn't get confirmed last sunday because we had a big conference and nobody got confirmed that week. We also are going to baptize the Father (also named Danilo) the 2nd of December! he is really really excited. 

My companion and I are getting along fine and enjoying the work together. Sometimes I want to "kick him in the head" but I would probably kill him because he is so skinny hahaha. Every now and then we dont like clash but he is really annoying hahaha. I feel terrible for saying it but its true. But we are working on it! 

Life is good! I am happy. I know that our Lord and Savior loves each and every one of us individually and that he knows us perfectly, our challenges and our weaknesses. Yet, he will never leave us along. Keep smiling this holiday season and remember that ye are children of God, he loves you and wants to help you. I love you all! thanks for the support and the emails! 

-Elder Darling   

me with a bag of water.Tamales de corn haha and guatemalan streets

Sweet Surprises

  Yummy, haha but different kind of sweetness. 

So these past weeks I was telling you all about some lady named Paty that got shot that we were teaching right??? Well, this past Saturday she got baptized! it was awesome! as well as it was the most awkward baptisms that I have ever seen. but it all turned out good:) It was awkward because she chose that my companion baptized her and he is super, SUPER skinny and she is.... haha not. So, when he went to lower her into the water, she resisted a little bit right, because she was a little scared. So she was like up to her ears in water, like half of her face, she could still breath and everything but her elbows were clearly sticking out. So, my comp was trying to get her to go down but haha he was like in a tug-of-war trying to get her in, it was..... weird to watch hahahahahahahahahaa.

Anyway, the second time went a little better and she was baptized haha. 

But, the sweet thing was that she has three kids right?!?!?! And two of them are over the age of eight. The boy, Danilo, wanted to be baptized but her daughter that has 15 years didn't really want to be baptized. So, when we did the interviews we had her interviewed too, to see why she didn't want to as well as put a date for her baptism, IT WORKED!!! haha. The plan was that she was going to watch the service of her mom and brother and get baptized the next Saturday.

But we went the next day and talked to her and told her that she should bring clothes and stuff "just in case" right, if she wanted to do it. So, Saturday rolls around and she showed up with the family and everything and I was on the phone with the Zone leaders and I asked her, Hey, "do you want to be baptized?" and she thought for a bit then said, "yeah" haha YES!!! it was awesome!

So we baptized the three as a family! it was awesome. We have also taught the Father of the family but he works Sundays and isn't home for weeks at a time but he wants to get baptized as well and will probably end up doing it with the little daughter. It is so great

So yeah, other than that I have been running around the mission dropping off housing stuff that people like don't even need psshhh like beds, and fridges... they are sooooooo picky hahaha. But life is great!!!!!!! 

Thanks for the emails! Love you all!!!!!!!   #ForeverAndAlways

-Elder Darling

-We took a picture with a nun today at the mall place, haha. I didn't touch her haha, she hugged me so i put my arm behind her but I didn't touch her I swear!!!!!  

-There's also a picture of a fruit, you eat the wormy slimy seed things, I forgot what its called hahaha

Heyyyyy Yaaaa!!! Heeeeeeey Ya!!!

Ohh you think you got it, boy you think you got. but I honestly I don't think I remember the sooooooooiiiioooiioooooong.... haha [Editor's note: we think Elder Dork is trying to sing an Outkast song. *insert head shake*]

Hello! How art thou? I have been swell:) this last week was full of crazy office things getting ready for changes. so we have been real busy, but at the same time we are going to baptize! Paty and her son are going to get baptized this Saturday!!! Yay!!! haha they are super awesome. 

I have had a lame time in the office at the same time because they changed Elder Rodriguez out of the office but he is still here in Reu area so thats good. but I don't get to see him hardly ever. Its a bummer. He has become one of my best friends in the whole flipping world. For example haha, yesterday we had p-day because changes happened on Monday and we were bored so we went to the Market! it was crazy, you like go in then you cant get out because it is huge! but we, at one point were looking at watches and I liked one, and had just taken out money of the bank so I had a little pisto in my pocket but I didn't want to spend it. 

Anyway, I was looking at a watch and I asked the price, Q140. I didn't want to spend that much so I waited with an uncertain look on my face and the guy dropped the price, Q100. I said, "ummm" then looked at it and thought, then offered him Q50. haha I went real cheep. he was like no, I can only do Q80. So I said, Q60? and he was like I can only do Q80. Then Elder Rodriguez said "look (taking off his watch) it needs to bend like this, moving the band on his watch. The guy at this time was like "Freak! They know that its fake!" haha (in his mind)

 I said thanks and started walking away. The guy was like Q75! "nah, thanks" 

Q60! 

I looked at him, "Q60?" ....."Q60" Okay:) I said haha and bought it and left. started at Q140, and we got it down to Q60.... #Teamwork haha Mom, I really hope that you are proud of me, because it was the scariest moment of my life bargaining with that dude. haha [Editor's note: 1 Guatemalan Quetzal = $0.14)

So on Monday, we had to take a bunch of stuff to an area called Mazate. President has put new rules on the cars that we cannot drive when its dark, so we had ended up sleeping the night in a house that is in an area called, La Maquina. It was awful! then in the morning we were on our way back and they had set up a manifestation blocking off the bridges, so we had to drive back to Mazate and leave the truck parked in a church then take buses back and walk the blocked bridges to then take a taxi to Reu. It was awful, and the morning of P-day. #Blessed hahahahaha

I got a new companion. He's from Guadalajara, Mexico. Been out for 4 months. 

So yeah, that is a little bit of my week, didn't do much else. but I did take pictures! I found Egg Nog!!!! that was amazing. Saw fireworks, a frog, and thats what in slept on in La Maquina. 

Love you all!!!

-Elder Darling

The enchiladas picture is for Elder Godfrey, Those are enchiladas haha ¡¡¡¡¡Vive la Guatemala!!!!!! 

The Pink meal is called Fiambre, is a traditional Guatemalan dish that is prepared and eaten yearly to celebrate the Day of the Dead and usually has over 50 ingredients in it (its like a salad of meat that they eat once a year. Its super expensive to buy because it has so many different meats in it. its all soaked in a beet sauce (kill me) its got like a tangy vinaigrette taste to it. it has ham, chicken, pork, beef, eggs, sausage, and somethings else but i don't remember

It is the strangest meal that I have eaten in my life. That red and white star thing on top is a radish....I don't really like radishes haha but we eat them here as a snack sometimes... gross. haha 

Soccer, My Son, & My Bro

​So, the Missionary that I trained ("my son") just went home this last week for some problems that he had, but I "raised" him correctly so it's not my fault haha. I have no idea why he went home early, but what happens happens right? 

I am doing swell :) I finally got the chance to write with my brother Elder Whelan so I am a little happier today haha. I missed talking to that guy. We both happened to be online together so we emailed back and forth a bit. 

We have a few families that are preparing to be baptized in these weeks that are coming up, exciting! 

I don't think I am going to have changes in this transfer and I think that i will finish my time in the office after 6 months of being here. It's a long time, but i flipping love working in the office and being really close to Prez and Hermana Goodman, they are super awesome. 

Yesterday we got to play a fútbol for like two hours and it was amazing! we also made playeras and they turned out super cool!

Editor's note: We apologize for Braeden and his hiney thrusting. Apparently some aspects (no pun intended) of our boys will never change.