Bought a shirt off a guy's back...

Hi mom! I am going to answer your questions and write my big email at the same time:) two birds, one keyboard. First of all, I am good:) and my week was good as well:) The area that I am in is easily in the 100s right now and we are about to come up on rainy season here in a month or two. Our area is right next to the beach so on p-days we can go to the beach. other than that its kicking rocks between my comps legs, and chasing chickens around, haha, which i do very frequently. 

I did give the belt to a member and he wears it everyday haha. His name is Temo. People in my area are very humble and open to hearing the word of God. Everybody here in Guatemala knows who Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father are, but the hard thing is getting them to really open up and go to church and stuff like that because there are churches here literally on every corner. It's like Utah, but different churches haha. That was funny. I laughed out loud...

I was thinking the other day and I really miss you guys and my friends but thats about it. I can last a little longer here in sunny B. E. A. Utiful Guatemala. 

I am looking forward to conference, its going to be great. I might cook something:) I am surprisingly a good cook haha. Fo real doh. 

Do I need anything from you??? Your prayers for my investigators, my companions, and I. More pictures of stuff would be nice too:) like the house, Selah, lax, Idk.

OHHHHH!!!!! Before I forget!!! Today, we had lunch as a Zone and they ordered food to be delivered, and the guy shows up to drop off the food wearing the SICKEST LAX t-shirt. So I bought it from him, right there off of his Body!!! HHAHAHAHAHAHA It was AWESOME!!! He actually let me buy it! I am so happy, I have been looking for a good shirt, and here it is haha. Can you believe it!?! I bought it off of his back! hahahahaha. ahhhhhhh it was cool. [Editor's note: 😬😳]

Thanks mom, I love you!!!!!!!! Tell everyone hi!

-Elder "Weirdo"

My Birthday and Poo-Pourri

[Editor's Note: We didn't receive much from Braeden via email this last week, but he did send us videos using the Poo-pourri he received for his 20th birthday. In case you're not familiar with Poo-pourri, you spray before, use, then enjoy. We believe Braeden is demonstrating this very sequence.]

I love being back in the field!! Thanks for the email, Dad. Yes, Mom, I got my package. And Mom, thank you for shaping me into somebody that's self-sufficient and ready to take on the big bad world. I love you two. My birthday was great:) In the nighttime we went with my Guatemalan "mom" haha and she made us dinner and spent like 4 hours making the most humble cake. I hugged her for her love and I could feel you. I have not really missed my family, until now. I miss you a lot. I have a lot going on in my head right now, but I know a few things. Jesus lives, and YOU are my eternal mother and we have an eternal family. Thank you!! 

Before

After

Hodge Podge

[Editor's note: we didn't receive an official email from Elder Darling this week, but a series of short emails responses to questions and such, hence the title]

Q. So how is your area? 

A. Hot, dusty, but great. The members are really amazing and help us out a ton! 

Q. How is the weather and your companion and the work?

 A. it is really hot and dry, and there is dirt and dust everywhere. yes! the field is sooo much better than the office! haha. My comp is awesome. He's from Honduras. 

Q. Any crazy things happen this past week? 

A. not really. 

Okay, Guatemala is crazy but organized. If you were to ever have a random urge to do something crazy, this is the perfect place. The kids are a little wild and always dirty, but so cute!!! sometimes they are real turds haha. the cities and towns are normally really dirty and there is garbage everywhere, but outside in the nature is super super super pretty. 

Hey dad, yeah valentines day here is Love Day haha. glad to here that things are going well. Your birthday package (which includes stuff from the Selah 1st ward YM) got here but i haven't picked it up yet, so THANK YOU!!!!! I love you! 

El Codo

Hey, just a thought, I told you guys that I had eaten mexican food, its because now my culinary palette is so fine that I can taste the difference between the foods. Hahaha, it was a mexican restaurant. 

Anyway, now I am in El Codo!!! this weeek has flown by! Its been crazy. We have a lot to do there in this area and there are a lot of really positive people. We have moved houses too. I sent pictures on a different email, the gross looking one is the old house, and the new looking one is the ...well i will let you figure it out :)  

this area has some very awesome members that help us out a lot! they drive us around and visit with us and everything. One in particular is named Tio Luis (Uncle Luis) haha we are his "nephews". he has a pickup and he helps us out a TON!

My companion is Elder Gonzalez, he is from Honduras and he is super cool. We are always sooo dusty when we get home at night haha. we shower twice a day because we are always so sticky and gross from sweating a lot haha. 

okay, Gotta run! Have a great week:)

-Elder Darling

[Editor's note: Pictures of of the old house, and the new house. Mom's always appreciate toilet comparison pictures]

Yay, I had Changes!

Yeah! I had changes! I am officially free and (still suck at speeling) and out of the office. This keyboard kinda sucks. But yeah, now I am in an area called El Codo (the elbow) with Elder Gonzalez, from Honduras. He is really cool. The house that we live in right now really sucks but we are moving into one super dope on Monday. (got pics of the undope house) So, yeah. Not much else has really been going on, SUNDAY IS THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Today I ate some great Mexican food. [Editor's note: We're not sure if he's trying to be funny, or if his culinary palette is so refined that he can taste the difference between Mexican food and Guatemalan food.] 

Changes were yesterday, So I got to meet some of the members and they are super cool. The area is super hot and dry so there is dust everywhere. Its just like one super long road about an hour long that is half dirt, but its awesome so far.  

Write more later! 

Fake Poop in the Shower

💩💩💩  Hahaha so to start off the email I want to share a small uplifting story about a little prank that I did with my companion. It wasn't anything big or crazy, rather simple and funny. So, I had received a few packages for Christmas from my Aunt Kathy and in it was a fake poop. So one day I did divisions with the Zone leaders and I went to their area with Elder Wayman and Elder Frehner stayed in our area with Elder Torres. 

Anyway, I put the poop in the shower where the water was leaking and so it looked very real. Elder Torres walked out of the bathroom at the end of the day and asked, "Elder Frehner, did you know that somebody took a poop in your shower?" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA he acted like he had no idea so the poop stayed there. Then when it came time to shower Elder Frehner just slip the "poop" over to the side and then showered around it. It was hilarious. My companion told me about it when i got back to the area. 

I believe that this is my last week in this ward and I am kind of grateful. They are amazing members but they expect that we do all of the fellow-shipping and that they do nothing. it kinda gets old, but they are amazing. I will definitely miss a lot of them. 

I will be sad to leave San Carlos behind because I have become very good friends with a lot of people there. There is a song about missionaries that talks about how "strangers become my best friend" and its so true. We talk to everybody and with time they all become your best friend. Its amazing. 

Other than that, life is great. We are still working hard with Familia Carrillo, Herbert, and Adrian (Herbert and Adrian are around the same age and both are interested in the gospel but the rest of there family isn't. they are amazing). Getting them ready to be baptized!!! YAY:) 

I finally have some pictures:

One Year!

How are ya? I am doing well. 

Here in the office with Elder Frehner and today (Thursday) is the exact one year mark of my mission. I will see you guys in 349 days hahaha. thats weird. Life is good:) We are working with a lot of people. Last night, I had a great experience. You remember that lady named Angela that I baptized? Well I ran into her husband that had been without work for a while. He had gotten a job about two months ago selling stuff in a truck and one of his routs is through San >Carlos. So I got to see and talk to him. They are getting ready to go to the temple. Whoa. Thats crazy! I love them soooo much. They have a little baby named Angie and they are doing great. 
> 
> I know that we have an eternal family. You and I and everybody else. Being my Mom, I hope that we still get to go on dates and stuff throughout college and stuff.  I love you. Have a great week. Sorry for writing late. life gets a little crazy. Luckily I will be leaving the office this change:) #finally. 
> 
> I love you!!!! 
>  sorry I haven't been able to take pictures lately but i will this week:)

[Editor's note: we received a random email from a sister who is friends with Braeden's mission pres and wife. Tender mercies :)]