"Big Email"

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down so id like to take a minute just sit right there, I`ll tell you how i became the prince of a town called Bel-Air. 

daaaaa dun du du duuu da 

I have totally rewritten the fresh prince of belair theme song to my life as a missionary but i dont have my notebook with me. 

Hi everybody. this past week was really lame:) I am and have been sick and not very functional as a missionary, resting and slowly fading away into the dust that I was made from. hahaha, but i am still happy. 

Changes are tomorrow and my companion, Elder Leishman will be leaving and I will be staying in the area, El Codo, which I super like. 

 I was almost murderd by a pitbull the other day. I was sick, like i am right now and we were walking from the chaple (soccer tournament for the young men) and it was like 8:45 and dark. To get to our house there is a patch or road that has no light so you just follow the street. 

In the middle, between the chapel and the turn for our alley, there is a dog named Spike. Spike is a maldito stupid-head. excuse my spanish. 

Anyway. we were walking and hear, grrrr. on the other side of the road. His house is on the left but he was on the right in the flippin bushes, "YOU'RE IN THE BUSHES!!!" Darn you spike. Then, he came at us. I didnt even think once, I took off back to the chapel where the court lights were on, turned around and he was chasing me. then he turned around and ran back to his house. I think an angel kicked him in the face. I HATE THAT DOG. 

Anyway, I forgot my camera in my house because we left early to catch the bus for my doctor's appointment so there will be no pictures attached, those who just look at my pictures, you will be disappointed hahaha and probably haven't even read this email. 

love you guys

-elder darling

Hi

This last week we had a baptism. We baptized a lady named Ana. That was a cool experience. It helped me to realize that I am really not here to do my work, but to do the Lord`s work. She was prepared without missionaries to come into the Lord's fold. 

this week, nothing big has happened. I am actually kind of sick. 

nothing much to report from this past week. 

pics.

Elder Jones supposable had my camera during exchanges, and doctor's hand-writing hahaha

MIracle

Hi. Elder Darling here. 

This last week has been pretty good:) On Friday night we got a call from the ZLs that we needed to call and talk to the branch Prez to ask a few questions like how the branch is and if there are any persons that are attending that are not members. "yes, there is one hermana that has been attending for  2 months." 

Me:  *gasps* "Sweet! when can we come down and meet her????" 

Prez: "Sunday"

Me: "we will be there"

Anyway so we showed up on Sunday but the Prez had a meeting in the stake and couldn't be there but we met with the son and he took us to their house. 

Turns out that the son in 20 and has been a member for 8 years, his brother is 15 and is also baptized and active, they have an older sister that has never gone to church with them. And the Mom, Hermana Ana knows that the church is true. She will be getting baptized this Saturday by her oldest son, wow. What an amazing blessing to be able to be a part of the help that brought this family a little closer together. 

This week, actually yesterday we had interviews with President Goodman and it was pretty awesome. The more time that I accumulate in the mission i think the shorter my interviews get, but something stuck out to me during the prayer. He said, "we are thankful for the peace, patience and hope that we feel." 

God, loves me and you. We are his children. He likes to know what we are grateful for just like parents like to know if you like your birthday presents. We need to let him know constantly of the things that we are grateful for through prayer. 

elder darling

pics. I have....crazy eyes. 

Conference Week

I wrote this poem this past weekend;

I am the governor of my tomorrow and God is the lawyer of my today.

Loosed from the chains that kept me down.

Grew my wings on the whisper of the spirit.

Only I can hold me back, occupying human limitations as my restraints.

Yet, 

I know that limit is a lie.

For I live limitless.

Godliness is my glory and mortal life is my training ground.

Nothing can hold me back.

Nothing can tie me down.

Free to exceed my human possibilities because I am a god,

instead of training wheels I walk on mortal feet. 

I follow no man, 

I am my own.

With nothing but time to dictate my life

And through obedience to the Almighty I shape my being.

I know who I am, for He knows who I'll be. 

Forever exceeding power is the potential that I have been chosen to hold.

However I am the same as you, My Brethren.

One day I will bow at his feet,

Finally called to my eternal assignment.

Hi :) This last weekend we have had the chance to listen to conference and it was awesome!!! The main focus was around love and the power of the priesthood. My companion and I went all around inviting EVERYBODY to watch it with us and had a little success. But the Spirit was awesome. 

This keyboard has an awful spacebar and I have little time and patience but this last week was great:) at least for me haha. 

This week we went to the beach. here are some pictures. Last week I was super dirty because I dug some holes. Made a shake with beans and eggs but ended up dumping it out, it wasn't actually that bad though. Love you! gotta run! 

Picts and a Brief Convo

[Editor's note: This week Braeden and I exchanged a few emails but he didn't really send a long email. Feel free to email him to give him a nice but stern scolding :) ]

Braeden: HI dad! What are you up to?
Dad: living the dream! Students left half day today, mom picked the boys up from me, then took us 
         to Taco Bell, Just downed a Nacho Bellgrande without spilling anything on my tie so winner! 
         How are you?
Braeden: SAME!!!! haha but I had a meaty burrito and a crunchy taco
Dad: Bet you don't feel as gross as I do right now, sitting on my butt in front of a computer, doing 
         nothing to help digest that fake mexi food. :)
Braeden: hahah basically the same but I had to walk half a mile to get to the internet place haha. 
         Cool, the house looks great! its coming along soooooo well. 

Dad: Any fun plans for conference? Watching at the church?

Braeden: we are going to set up a projector in the little chapel that we have to watch it. 

Dad: Make sure you explain a little about these picts. What the crap is on your tongue in that video?

Braeden: Ink... I will but next week. Gotta run! Love you!!!!

[Editor's Note: We are deducing from the sequence of pictures that what we're looking at in this cup is a product of what was in the blender. Enjoy!]

Humble Hello and a Smile

This past week has been a little crazy but successful. My companion went to Guate on Monday and got back on Tuesday, yesterday so we didn't get to do a lot of work for the bus time that we had to travel. BUT, he have been getting work done, which is great. We are gaining the trust and support from the branch president and working a lot with the members. its guuud. 

If there is anything that I have learned in my mission it is that people will always, ALWAYS be more willing and softer hearted if you treat them from the first second that you make eye contact with them, how Christ would treat them. With a humble hello and a smile. Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ has taught me a million lessons here in Guatemala, and this is something that has helped my soooo very much. Humility and love. Yes, I am light skinned and have lighter brown eyes and light hair, but I am no different from you. Yes, I have challenges that I face everyday, so do you. I am NOT perfect, but through Christ I strive for perfection, and you can too. I may appear to have money, as I hide the holes in my shoes that make my left foot filthy. You may think things of me, but I have grown to love you before I have met you. 

We are teaching a woman named Enidalia and we started with the Book of Mormon. It was an amazing lesson and she is going to read the Book of Mormon and prepare for her baptism after praying to know if it is true. When she left her from door, she found a humble hello and a warm smile. 

I JUST SUFFERED THE WORST CRAMP OF MY LIFE!!!!!

Our Father in Heaven and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ love us unconditionally. (like the Katy Perry song) Trying to be like them helps us have success as missionaries and as members. Love everybody no matter what. If they are dirty, tatted up, talk weird, have a potty mouth. Doesn't matter. they are children of an eternal God that loves them just as much as he loves you. Prey and strive to be like them, I will finish with a short testimony in a beautiful language,

Yo sé que esta es la lección que mi padre celestial quiso enseñarme a mi. Yo sé que el libro de mormon es un libro perfecto en la faz de la tierra. Yo sé que un día yo estaré allá con mi padre celestial dando me cuenta de lo que había hecho yo aquí en la tierra. Yo no soy perfecto, pero mi padre celestial y Jesucristo si son. Ellos les aman a ustedes, ellos me aman a mi. somos hijos especiales de ellos y quieren que vivamos bien y que podamos regresar con nuestras familias eternas después de esta vida. "Olvídate de ti mismo y ponte a trabajar" y amar. Les doy muchas gracias a ustedes por sus ejemplos y oraciones. Les Amo.

-Elder Darling

photos, we went out to eat after the soccer game and i took some pics:)

 

Still in El Codo

HELLO!!!!!! How art thou bretheren?? Life is good:) I have a new companion, Elder Leishman from Paradise Utah. He is super funny and excited to work! 

Our area has a branch and the Branch President apparently didn't get along with the last few missionaries that have been there and even with my last comp, Elder Gonzalez. So when I passed by to introduce my new companion he got excited and set a date for us to meet and talk about plans that he has for the branch, it was super weird but COOL! now we have support and help from the branch prez. 

I honestly had been a little baggy (trunky) near the end of the last transfer to the point where i wanted to go home. I didn't feel excited for the work, I was only thinking of the house and work and school and things that I could be doing there and with family and friends. I was.... done. I had been praying for help and inspiration and emotion to work, and I didn't feel anything. then we had changes, I felt the same. But Elder Leishman sat down with me and told me that this was his last chance because he had some things happen and president gave him one chance and it opened my eyes. He is my last chance too. I am nowhere near perfect, nor a good example haha. But President trusts me to help my companions to be good missionaries for some reason and the Lord does too. 

We are all loved children of God, he doesnt care how imperfect we are, he knows and trusts us. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the example that he gave and gives me of living a perfect life as an example for us to follow. 

"Venid a mi"- Jesucristo. 

Come unto him, share your worries, and stresses, and heart aches. He wants to help you, you WILL find peace in christ if you come unto him. I know it, and you will know it too of you try. 

-Elder Darling

I had to sew my shoes, purchased a new watch, this is my Mamá and one of her little daughters.