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!!!!