Yo tome cafe'...y que RARO!

Hola! from down here in Guatemala. This last week flew by really quickly! Okay, for the gringos who don't speak spanish, the header is,"I drank coffee, and how STRANGE!" but before judging me, let me clarify something. Its a coffee that's from corn and we can drink it, but its so gross!!!!!! Haha. The first time I tried it I was freaking confused because they were saying something about tortillas and making hand signals like I'm supposed to dunk my tortilla in it. haha Okay, I speak freakin hand signals. I dunked my tortilla. Then they all started laughing and telling my that I don't understand, haha YEAH I don't understand, I am a gringo #ForLife. haha Then they explained it to me. They were saying that the coffee was made from the same thing as the tortilla. I already knew that, so I was really confused at the time. And now we have a new gringo tortilla coffee joke haha. But they are awesome. It was at a house where all of the daughters are members and two of them have families, we are just waiting for one of the daughters to return from the capital for Mama Rosa and Hermano Herboly to get married, then after that Mama Rosa is going to be baptized!!! This whole thing should happen at least by next month!!! We are so excited! 

So another thing that happened this week at the same house was we helped them move their wood. Holy cow, I miss working hard like that. Just hard work, being dirty and hot and sweaty, MAN! I miss it. But we have gotten to do it a couple times here and once in our shirts and ties haha. But It reminds me of Building and I miss construction so much!!!!!

So our neighbors are menos activos, but they are really awesome. They have been bringing us fresh milk in the mornings, a couple times. And I mean fresh, Cow fresh. Haha, it was really...Really ...REALLY strange at first but I am getting used to it. Another thing. I have nothing to eat for breakfast because I always eat it all too fast haha. But one morning, I finished my prayers and I was reading my scriptures..."knock knock". I opened the door and she was standing there with what I thought was more milk. "I brought Atol for you guys", Oh thank you Hermana!( Atol is like a sweet warm drink kind of like hot chocolate, but a different flavor) Then she says, "y Pan" and hands me a bag of different breads (like pastries) THANKS Hermana!!!!!! BREAKFAST!!!!!!! haha It was awesome! And she did it again this morning!!! She is really cool. 

Hahaha Something that I find SUPER funny is that I am SO good at basketball......here. HAHAHA And its only because nobody here has coordination with their arms, just their feet. haha. I love it! So when we play "coche" (which is pig) I always win and one time my Comp wanted to play one on one, and i won 16 to nothing. Don't get me wrong, I love my comp! But he hasn't wanted to play one on one since hehe. 

Its really strange sometimes because I will smell something and my mind goes to where I have smelled that before. The first time was in the CCM, garlic. But not just garlic, Seattle Mariners stadium garlic fries!!! haha Its happened other times but that one sticks out the most because BOY! I can't wait to eat those again, with a cold soda and my friends and family watching a game. 

Something that I have been really studying is the life of Jesus Christ. If there is anything that I want to be able to to during my mission, its teach like the Savior. His teachings to the people are so powerful and so loving at the same time. I love my savior, and I strive to be like him daily. His life on the earth, before he was crucified was amazing, actually his whole life was amazing, because never once was it about him, not one time. It was ALWAYS about the people, and yet, the people are the ones who killed him. I know that the Savior lives, and all that we have to do to find him, is look. it's simple, yet at times it seems impossible. I know. I have been on both sides of the search. But when you find the Savior, you never want to stop having him in your life and the life of your family members. 

Yo se que estoy aquí para hacer dos cosas, amar, y ayudar. Amar todos, y por medio de mi amor yo puedo ayudar a las personas a encontrar su salvador JesuCristo. Yo se que este evangelio es verdadero y mediante nuestro salvador, vamos a tener la oportunidad a vivir con nuestro familia ultra ves, pero no solo con nuestro familia, vamos a vivir con nuestro Salvador y Amoroso Padre Celestial también. Comparto este testimonio con ustedes en el sagrado nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

Have an amazing week. and Enjoy Conference!!!!!

Whoop, there it is!

Howdy! 

This week went by really fast! And Elder Pineda and I were sick again last night #blessings! But the rest of the week has been good! We baptized a family Saturday! Elder Pineda baptized the little girl and I baptized the parents. It was an amazing experience! The spirit was so strong and the water was green haha but thats all part of the experience! 

Yesterday we went on splits with a couple young men that are prepping to serve and so Elder Pineda went with one to a place called Siglo 2 and I went with the other to Siglo 1. When we got there (me and my member) We taught a lesson to a less active sister that went really well, then we contacted for the rest of the time. We were walking down the street and I hear, "Hey my friend!" in broken english. So I stopped and turned and i see this guy waving at me (I love testing people with their english because its so funny!) So we went to talk to him. Turns out he was WASTED! ha! He was asking us to give him money because he really likes tequilla Drunks here we call Bolos. So we told him that we are missionaries and that we cant, but he figured because I am white that I will fill his wallet for him, he kept handing me his wallet. So we ended up just saying good bye and walking away. then he started yelling "Hey my friend! ALTO!" haahaha which means stop. but we didn't, we just went on with our day and finished contacting because we had to be back in Brillantes at 5 (home). so that was funny. 

Elder Pineda and I were sick today and had the p-day just to ourselves because the district and zone were going to do an activity. So we rested a bit, then got ready and went to this toy museum and the whole time I was thinking about how Dallin's jaw would be on the floor because it was SWEET!!! They had all of these comics and action figures and replicas and stuff, it was really cool. Then we went to a members and chilled (Watched Cars in spanish...interesting) and now we are writing. 

Anyway, Not a lot happened this week that is really crazy cool or that I can remember at least haha. Love you all!!!

-Elder Darling

Every Kiss beings with Kay....

Well this week wasn't no kiss but it sure was a kick in the pants haha. Hey y'all!!!! How are ya?! This week has flown by! And I am so happy that is has because today was very needed in so many ways! haha

So not a super lot has happened but I have a few stories but first i'm going to answer these questions...

Any dangerous things you have been told to watch for? Speeding busses, knife fights, guns, certain areas to stay away from, rules about carrying money?

Yes, but it's like yakima. There are always places that we are warned of but mom, don't worry:) haha Elder Pineda and I walk through the streets with a guide that tells us if we need to duck, jump, or run so I would say yes, there are dangers but not that i need to be too concerned about.

How does a typical p-day look?

usually Sunday night the zone or district leaders text if we are doing an activity and what time. So we wake up at 6:30, get ready, study until 8, then go. usually we do like soccer or something then lunch then shopping then writing then usually we go to dinner or something then the p-day ends.

Are you in a ward? Branch? Do you meet in a church building, house, business?
We have a ward of about 200 people but there are a lot of inactive members here that we are working with to re-activate. We meet in a nice building in the  city of Mulúa.

How many members in the area? How often do you see other elders/sisters?

I don't know how many members we have where we are .but there are a lot. we see them on p-days and sometimes when we have meetings.

How big is the city?

Brillantes where we live in like 4 maybe 5 streets. but he have probably 5 or 6 cities that we cover just us two so we are riding in tuk tuks a lot. 

Okay, so there is some more info about my life haha kinda. 

So, the members here are super awesome. They are really humble and I have been told by like 6 different families that their house and food is my house and food haha so I have like 6 sets of parents and they are all so awesome! It's funny, We will show up to a house and there will be no food in sight, nothing. But they will walk out of a room with plate fulls of BOMB food haha. Last night we went to "Mama Rosa's" She is my Mama haha she calls us her hijo's anyway she feeds us like every night. We are waiting for her to get married to her boyfriend so we can baptize her. She is in her 40s and sooo sweet! Anyway, last night we were at her house and she brings us a plate of fried plantanes, which are bomb! Then beans, bomb too, then cheese (bomb but not like super bomb) then crema (pretty good) and my comp tells me that we eat it all together. "Okay..." and I start eating after the prayer. And we finish...I'm stuffed! but was starting to taste a little strange too haha. Then BOOM!!!! Another round but of the same stuff, the same size! hahaha I was dying, Almost didn't make it through haha but I did. With a lot of faith that i wasn't about to see it all over the table again. 

Anyway, that was funny. Here is another story. So we were walking to this fireside thing that they call a Hermandamiento. And it's i the city that is to the left of ours so we have to take a dirt trail to get there its probably like a 10-15 min walk. And on the way there FLASH!!!!! Like somebody put a flashlight in my eyes.... "WHat the heck?!" Then we realized what it was. Lightning! Right in front of us. crazy! Anyway, so we had a family that we were going to pick up and take with us. they didn't up going but they are going to go to church, but while we were their I was holding the youngest, he is probably 3 or 4 and i almost started crying haha because it felt like i was holding one of the boys again. Gosh I miss those guys! So after that we went to the fireside thing and the second counselor asked me to share my testimony at the end and when he announced it some of the members giggled because I'm the new gringo, but after I was told that I was clear and thet they understood everything that i said, so that was uplifting. There are times when I share a message during a lesson and the investigator said, "What'd he say?" AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! It's frustrating haha. But I'm learning all of the local phrases and stuff . 

So that's how this week's been! Pretty wel except the first few days when I was sick. 

The 10th was my sister Ty's Birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope it was great!!!

So there is a picture of the three little kids, this Saturday we are going to baptize that family, we picked them up after the sisters left , finished teaching them and we get to baptize the mom, dad, and the oldest daughter the 18th!​

#CloseOne

*Motherly disclaimer: the content of this email again contains more discussions about poop, and this time adding barf and spew. Reader discretion is advised. Insert Motherly *sigh* with a head shake.

HEYHEYHEY!!!! So that finishes up my first week in the field and its been crazy, but good. We have done a ton of stuff and I've gotten to know my area a little bit. Funny story real quick. So my caption for this letter is close one and here is why. So today is P-day. The most holy of days for us in the field. and we went to burger king with the district leaders and then to play kickball and soccer. Which was super fun! Then....we took a picture. My stomach was killing me. and I mean KILLING me. Right after we finish the pictures which i will attach to this email, i jumped the fence and spewed....yuup. Barfed. But i felt better for like 5 or 6 minutes. Then we went to the bathrooms to change ..... spewed some more. But I feel better now! hahahaha Because right before writing this email we (Elder Pineda and I ) basically ran to a members house because I was going to poooooop myself. haha but😁 I didnt!!!! So I have had more close calls in one day than in like three years here in REU in ONE day.....P-day, of all days. But as of right now l is well and feeling normal...ish.

Sorry mom but I just had to share that.

Boy! Guatemala is craazzzy! And awesome at the same time. Whenever we are hungry or thirsty we jut stop by members house to say hi and we get food hahaha its kinda awesome. And incase you're wondering yes, we eat tortillas with everything but I like them so t's all good. Well, I have had to adapt to this style of life for sure. When I woke up the first morning, I was like....."what am i doing here?!" But its all good now.

The days are flying by! Haha, So I don't remember who told me that I was going to be a magnet for drunks (I think Carson Thompson) But, Yep You were right. Hahaha they are not troublesome or anything, but understanding a guatemalan is hard. I have no freakin idea what drunks are saying. Haha but its funny. One actually jut approached us here in this little shop that we are writing in but heck. I don't know what he said or even wanted.

 So, My comp.'s name is Elder Pineda, he is from Honduras...and only speaks spanish. But for some reason i can understand his accent better than the champin's so i guess that's good.. He is awesome though, he is teaching me a lot! When he finishes training me he will have a year in the field. Oh! Google images for Tuk Tuk, these are a huge mode of transportation here in Guate as well as motorcycles and vans that are made into buses and they only go one speed and that's fast haha, but we are safe, don't worry 

Okay! So I am in an area called Brillantes. Not clean and dogs everywhere and there are two cows that at night that get tied down right outside of our house. haha thats funny. Tuk Tuks are really interesting too haha look those up:) oh haha yesterday i saw a drunk guy fall off of a motorcycle, they were turning around going really slow and he just slipped off... it was a weird situation... anyway.

 I hope these pictures work... [Editor note: some of them didn't] They are of my zone after soccer, before puking, me with my comp. and us walking in San Felipe (Our district) after a district meeting. as well as our CCM picture. and in the lab with my CCM comp. Elder Gessell ​

IN THE FIELD!

HEY! So I made it. I'm here in Reu (Retalhuleu) and I only have a little bit of time to tell you guys that. But I made it, safely. And we are meeting our trainers today, eating lunch, then going to drop off our stuff at our houses, then TRACTING!!!!! YEEEEEEEE! haha, so that's it for now. P-day is on Monday. So talk to you then!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!
> -Elder Darling

Last email from inside the CCM!!

Howdy! This week has gone by crazy fast and we are one week away from el campo. ¡DOPE! Spanish is coming along really well for our whole district and we are all super ready to go out and do the Lord´s work! Yesterday Elder Gessell wasn't feeling good so he laid down for the first part of the day, and i ended up teaching our investigator by myself but another companionship just sat in with me. It went really well. I got her to commit to a lot and she is on her way to baptism! haha if only it were real! But pretty soon it will be! 

Sp Today is P-day and last week our CCM´s schedule changed and now we have 10 hours of p-day and its the same in the field so now we have from lunch to dinner of sports which is so awesome! I have gotten really good at vollyball and bump haha. and I workout sometimes but usually its a quick workout then sports. We also have an hour everyday outside to play and it is super nice to get a break from all of the classes and lessons and stuff. 

Not a lot of anything special happened this week. So there isn't much to talk about. M birthday went well, thank you for all of the Happy birthday wishes! We got to go to the temple one last time this morning before we go into the field and it was really special. AHH! haha I woke up in such a good mood today it has BEEN SUCH A GREAT DAY!!!!!!!! 

OH!!!! Before I forget! Elder Cook is in my District and we are going to the same mission. Anyway. For dinner one night they gave us cupcakes with our food. And I hear laughing coming from behind me so i turned to see what was going on. The cupcakes were chocolate cake with blue frosting. Elder Cook's mouth was blue, not just blue....BLUE. Hahaa he had a chuck of food-coloring inside of his frosting and he was chewing it like gum. He had no idea until he spit. I have never seen such a strong color of blue in my life! AHHHH I died! He was spitting in the sink and brushing his teeth for probably like 20 minutes. barely changed anything. His mouth was blue....BLUE for like 2 whole days. He had also spit into a basura on our floor right next to the water fountian and so there was blue water leaking out the bottom because of all the water cups and the spit was so concentrated, it was AWESOME (Like in the Tommy-Boy voice awesome)

Thats all thats happened this week thats been anything special, it was a rather normal week, just watching the time fly by and prepping for the field. almost there!

Love you all! Keep doing good and pray often!!!

-Elder Darling

First pict of Elder Darling in CCM

The boys' cousin Elder Roberts emailed some pictures home upon his arrival in Honduras.