:D, and the Spirit

It's short, but sweet and apparently amazing!
From Elder Darke:

 Today i dont have a lot of time becuase the lan house were i am writing this is closing really soon. :D.  So i will just write in english this time :D.

    This week was really amazing!  First of all there are 4 missionaries living in my house, and 3 of them got like super sick!  (i didnt :D).  So it was kind of fun to help them!  I didnt do much other then give them water and tell them that they needed to sleep more :D.  but it was fun.  When things like this happen i can always feel the love that our heavenly father has for these missionaires :D.  So that is super fun :D

    This week we also had an interveiw with our new mission presidente!  He is super cool!  Becauase after the interveiw it was really close to lunch time.  I though he would just go home and we would go to a resturant or something :D.  However he decided to go to the restarant with us!  and he also decided to walk with us!  I was like O.o  So that was cool!  he used to hunt with a bow, he served a mission in brazil, and he is learning portugese really fast :D. So i offically like him :D

    Also the members in my ala are being really amazing to us! :D.  my companion is leaving the mission friday (i am killing him)  (missonary terminalogy).  So all the members are like celebrating his hard work in his mission.  They have been giving us a lot of food, and are really making sure that if we need anything we can call them :D.  So its really amazing! :D

    Also during the week i went on a troca with my leader de zona :D.  Elder Beaty.  He is a super good friend of mine, and while we were together i asked for some tips on better recognizing and following the promptings of the spirit.  What i learned was amazing.  Becuase with my inexperience, i dont have much confidence in my ability.  So he gave me some good advice.  He said that when i feel the spirit, i need to grasp on to it, to act on it immediatly.  Becuase when you feel the spirit, if you dont grasp on to it, act on it, it doesnt stay for long, so if you are undisisive, it will leave, and then you will be doubtful of what you just felt.  It was a great lesson to me!  To be firm for what is right, to be firm when rejecting what is wrong, and to not give even an inch to satan and his legions.  For it is courage, not comprimise that brings the smile of gods approval :D.

:D

-Elder Darke

We like short and sweet!  Don't forget to flood Elder Darke with letters this week!  It's his half-way mark!
YAY!!
Way to go Elder!
Love,
Melanie (Mom)

Hard work, Baptism and the "Preestood"

The World Cup is OVER! Now back to missionary work......

  O cuppa da mundo termino! :D  Agorda eu esperar este nos vamos trabaliamos melure!  Um semana de realmente focolizando em nosso pescesadors.  E tam ben um semana de o benção de sacerdocio.

    O cuppa da mundo terminar agora!  Eu pessomente ash issue e muito ben por que agorda nos podemos trabaliar mais!  O cuppa foi bom, mais muito pessoas soe focolizar em o cuppa.  Entao difficial para ensinar quando pessoas nao realmente focolizando em nos.  mais nos faz que nos podemos.  todo mundo e muito triste aqui agorda.  O jogo de brazil e alamanha foi mau, e todo mundo foi triste depois.  O problema com o cuppa, e muito pessoas nao quer conversar com nos quando o jogos e jogando.  Mais a cuppa e terminar agorda!  :D.  Entao issue e feliz :D

    Este semana nos tem does pescesadores este realmente e muito perto para seu batisado.  Eles sou presseso receber um resposta de o espirito santo para sabe que nos ensinar e verdade.  Eles esta fazendo todo oltro coises.  entao nos faz que nos podemos.  Nos orar, e jejuar para ajuda eles.  E finalmente nos fazer so um progresso.  Eles fala com nos este eles nao quer seu batisado por que eles nao quer faz coises arado depois eles esta batisado.  Quando eu ovir issue,  Eu pensar, issue fazer muito mais sentido!  Entao nos estamos ajudando eles aprender sobre o expiacao de Jesus Cristo agorda.

    Tam ben durante o semana eu ler so um pocino sobre O Sacerdocio.  e tamben nos dar um bençao de saude para um irma em nossa ala.  Ele tem um pocino difficuldades recentament, e ele sentir como pai celestial ashcesh se ele.  Eu foi um fala por o bencao e eu nao sabe disse antes.  Mais durante o bençao o spirito fala com min, para fala com ele este pai celestial lembrar ele.  E ele ama ela muito.  Depois o bencao ela chorar um pocino, e explicar por que.  Eu sei o sacerdocio e um poder de deus em o mundo.  Este pai celestial amor todos nos, e tam ben ele quer ajuda nos em nosso vida.  Tam ben eu sei este o bençao de sacerdocio e por mulhers e tam ben por homens.  Nao sou por um.  Eu sei pai celestial tem um plano perfecto por todos nos, e ele quer nos para seu feliz!

ENGLISH

The world cup is over!  :D.  Eu hope we can work really better now!  This week was a week of focusing on our investagators!  Also this week i had a great experience with the preestood! :D

    The world cup is over now!  i think this is realyl good becuase now we can work harder!  the cup was good, but a lot of people were more focused on the cup then they were with anything else.  Becuase of this is was harder to teach people when they arnt especially focused on us.  however we did what we could!  however everyone here is sad.  the brazil vs germany game was bad, and after it everyone got kindof dippressed.  A lot of people still arnt that happy, however i am, because it means we can work hard again! :D

    this week we have two investagators that are really really close to being babtised!  the only thing that they are missing is a confermation of the spirit these things are true (they dont want to get babtised without it).  they are doing everything else that they need to though :D.  to help them get a answer to their prays we prayed, and fasted to help them.  and finally yesterday we got some leway.  We figured out that it might not be that she doesnt have an answer to her prayers, but that she doesnt want to mess up after she gets babtised.  Now that we understand this we know what to teach about!  the atonement of Jesus Christ!  So i am really happy about this becuase they are really amazing people and i want them to fell the blessings of babtism!

    also during the week i have been reading a little about the Preestood, and also during the week we gave a blessing to a member of our ward.  She has been having some difficulties in her life and she felt as if our heavenly father had forgotten her.  During the blessing the spirit told her that our heavenly father had not forgotten her, but in fact loves her deeply.  He was simply doing what he needed to do to prepare her for things that will happen in the future.  It was so amazing.  I am greatful for the preestood.  Not just for the opportunity it gives me to serve others, but also for the wonderful and amazing blessings that i myself have received!  I know that the blessings of the preestood are for all, and i also know that our heavenly father has a perfect plan for each and every one of us.  He wants us to be happy, and he has a plan for each one of us to be happy.  I know this is true, even if at times, it is hard to us to understand why things are happening to us. :D

:D

-Elder Darke

Elder Darke is almost at his half way point!  Yay!  He's been a very successful missionary and has grown tremendously.  Lets flood him with emails and letters this coming weeks to help him celebrate!!!! Thanks to everyone for such great support of this amazing young man!
We love y'all!
Melanie (Mom)

 

Capernacum, Packages and Baptism

Here's the latest and greatest!
From Elder Darke:

  Este semana e muito bem!  Nos faz muito ben coises e tam ben eu receber coises por meu aniversadio! :D.  entao eu estou muito feliz agorda :D.

    entao quarta feida meu companeto sentir doente.  Nos ficar em casa quasie todo dia.  mais tam ben nos limpar em pocino, e nossa cassa e muito muito limpo agorda :D.

    Quinta feida, meu companeto sentir melhor, mais meu leader de zona sentir doente.  Mais meu companeto tem um desejo para caiee da casa.  entao, e tam ben meu oltro leader de zona quer caiee da casa.  Entao eu ficar com elder beaty.  quando nos estamos em casa eu receber meu caixa! WOOOOOOOOWOWOOO!  entao eu ama todos coises este caixa!  por o cartas, e tam ben o balas, e tam ben o muito oltro coises!  foi ben de mais.  eu tam ben receber um arma este fazer mutio sombra mais nao tem balas.  Eu usar issue para supreso meu companeto antes ele dormir um dia :D.  mais eu foi muito felis este dia.   E depois nos ir e trabalio por que elder beaty sentir um poco melhure.  e quando nos estamos andando, nos encontrar um lugar este nao tem luz.  como normal todo muito tem um pocino luz, mais em este lugar nao tem luz.  Nada luz.  como muito muito escuro :D.  foi interesado :D.

    Sexta- feida foi o jogo do brazil, entao nos nao faz muito este dia.  mais o membros estao muito animado por o cupa da mundo.  todo vez brazil faz um goo, todos o membros levantar e foi muito feliz :D

    Sabado nos faz servico hoje, e nos faz capernacum.  E ben.  Nos realmente usar coises para martar todo o plantas em um area.  mais o area foi muito grande, e nos nao terminar este trabalio, mais nos vai voltar um oltro dia :D.

    domingo nos ir a igreja, foi bom.  E depois does oltro elderes tem um babtism.  Entao nos ficar em este babtisms para ajuda e sentir o espirito tam ben.  Foi um muito bom experiencia.  O espirito tem muito forca, e eu pensar e pansar este issue pessoas foi fazendo o primedo passos para voltar para pai celestial e tem vida eterna.  Este ensheao meu alma com muito felicidade :D.  

    realmente hoje eu quer todos para entengie o ordananca de babtismal.  Mais eu pessoalmente ash voces preseso buscar por entengimento por sua mesmos.  Por que eu estou muito mau em explicando coises muito ben.  Mais eu quer todos para entengie como eu sentir sobre issue.  Eu sei babtismo atreves um pessoas este tem um sacerdocio e muito importante para voltar para pai celestial.  Todos nos preseso faz issue, E quando nos faz issue correctamente, e receber o espirito santo depois.  Nos comecar este commino para voltar para pai celestial.  Eu nao pensar issue so porque eu estou um missionario e babtismals ver ben em meu reportajim em o terminar de o semana, mais becuase eu sei.  Com certeza, este babtismal e importante para vida eterna, e tam ben nos, todos nos, podemos seu mais feliz, e sentir o espirito sempre quando nos estamos batisade, e honerar o convenios nos fazer em nosso batismals.  Eu sei issu e verdade, com todo de meu coracao.

ENGLISH (sort of)

This week was really amazing!  we did some really good work, and also i received stuff for my birthday! :D  So i was really really happy this week :D

    So, the play by play.

  so wednesday my companion felt sick, so we stayed at home almost all day.  Mais we were able to clean a little bit, so our house is a lot cleaner now :D

    Thursday my copmanion felt better, but my zone leader felt sick.  So his companion and my companion decided to leave, and i stayed home with my sick zone leader :D.  However when we were home I received a BOX! actually two boxes, and they were for my birthday!!!  OWOWOWOWOWOOO.  So i offically love everything in my boxes!  I got candy and letters and a little panguin that i really like :D.  I also got pop guns so i was freeking my companion out with them before he went to sleep the other day.  :D.  i am determined to have the candy last as long as possible, but i really doubt it will last very long :D.  we will see what happens :D.  But after this we left to work becuase my zone leader felt better.  So as we left we saw an area in the distanance tha had no lights.  like none.  It was pitch black.  Like normal dark areas have like a light or two, or the moon or something to light it up.  but not this area.  It was pitch black.  It was really weird looking :D.

    Friday we had a brazil game, so we didnt do much that day.  The members were really excited for the game though.  Everytime brazil scored all the members stood up and cheered.  Then a few looked at me and i was just sitting there, eating some bread :D.  (they had some bread to snack on :D).  but it was good to see them so happy :D

    Saturday we did some service!  We did whats called capernacum, i think.  we use a tool similar to a hoe, and we use it like a sythe, and cut all the grass, or pull it all out of the ground.  to clear a lot so people can atually use it.  It was a large area, so we didnt finish, but we were able to clear a good portion. :D.  So will go back another day and finish :D

    Sunday we went to church (it was amazing)  and after we had two babtisms!  like immediatly following the meetings :D.  They were the babtisms of another companionship that was in the area, but we stayedt o help and to get the chance to feel the spirit really strong.  it was really amazing.  and during the entire time i just kept thinking that these people are taking their first steps to eternal life.  So my soul was filled with happiness :D

    I really want to help everyone understand the ordanance of Babtism.  However i think everyone need to search out this knowledge for themselfs, because its critically important, and i dont think i have the skills to properly discribe it to you.  However i can say how i feel about it.  I know that babtism preformed by a person with the preestood is really important to return to our heavenly father.  everyone needs to do this, and when we do this correctly we receive the holy spirit afterwards.  We take our first steps on the straight and narrow path to eternal life.  Im not saying this becuase im a missionary, and babtisms look great in my report to my leaders.  However I am saying this becuase i know, with certanty that babtism is vital to have eternal life.  we all can also feel happier, and feel the spirit with us all the time when we are honoring the covenants we made at the time of our babtism.  I know this is true, with all of my heart.

:D

-Elder Darke

P.s. EVERYONE! thank you for the package!  I loved it all!  Thank you so much! :D

P.s.s. i do not have a year on the mission :D. not yet, and i also dont want to leave, so that year mark can stay very far away :D. becuase i like my mission and i dont want it to end :D.

Yay, Finally he got his birthday packages!  I sent mine two months ago! Yikes!  I guess the postal workers haven't been working much during the World Cup! Ha!
Thanks to everyone who tried to make his birthday special.
Meanie (Mom)

Pictures, His Plans and Bugs

Here's the latest and greatest!
From Elder Darke:

  Este semana foi ben.  Nos officalmente tem um novo presidente de missao, entao coises problemente vai mudar so um pocino logo logo.  tam ben todos o missionarios em meu casa, menos eu, tem doentes este semana.  Entao, issue semana e doido.

    Terca feida, Elder Omana tem doentes.  Mais eu e meu compeneto foi da casa e trabalio muito.  Foi ben.  Nos tem um family nos estamos ensinando este tem perguntas ate o po.  entao nosso visitar normal continuar por muito tempo.  mais foi bom visitars.  tam ben Domingo foi o aniversadio de elder Beaty.  Entao muito membros dar elder Beaty bolos e coises hoje onten :D.

    Quarta Feida Elder Omana sentir pocino doente dinovo, mais ele e sentindo melhor um pocino.  Ele ficar em casa com o compeneto dele por que o companeto dele, elder Beaty fico doente!  Eu e meu compento trabalio normal hoje.

    Quinta Feida,  Elder Beaty sentir doente dinovo, mais meu companeto nao quer ficar em casa, e elder Omana tem pescesadors este ele preseso visitar.  Entao eles caie, e eu ajuda elder beaty sentir melhor.  Realmente sou deshar ele para dormir :D.  Tam ben eu lilmpar muito coises :D.

    Sexta Feida.  Elder beaty sentir doente mais, e meu companeto ficar doente tem ben.  Entao, eu cai com elder Omana.  E nos trabaliar muito ben.  Nos encontrar um pessoas este especialmente preseso nosso ajuda.  O familia dele pedi o irmao.  entao nos ensinar o pocino de o plano de salvacao para ajuda eles sentir mais paz.

    Sabado.  meu companeto sentir doente mais, entao eu cai com elder Omana dinovo.  Elder Beaty comecar sentir melhor, mais ele e doente.  Mais tam ben hoje foi o dia do jogo do brazil, entao nos voltar para casa muito sedo.  como 12 horas.  E depois nos limpar um pocino, e oltro coises.

    Domingo,  Foi normal renuao da agreja, mais depois almoco meu companeto realmente preseso usar o baneto entao nos cohere para casa. Mais quando nos estamos voltando um pastor de uma agreja comecar fala com nos em ingles.  Entao eu comecar fala com ele.  E fala muito bom ingles, mais quando eu comecar fala sobre o livro de mormon, ele imediamente falo este nao e verdade. mais nos preseso visitar agreja dele.  Eu nao sei que vai aconteceu.

    Entao muito missionarios ficar doente este semana.  Mais eu realmente posso sentir o amor de pai celestial por este missionarios.  Em veses com issue eu lembrar Joe.  Ele pedi todos, e ele foi doente de mais, nao por que ele faz um mao coises, mais porque ele fazendo bom coises.  Em veses mao coises aconteceu para preparar nos por o futuro, em veses para ajuda nos encontrar bencaos, e em veses para ajuda nosso testimonios cresender.  Mais Em nos preseso seu com forca atreves este coises, para receber o bencaos pai celestial tem por nos em o futuro :D.  Eu sei issue e verdedeiro.

ENGLISH (sort of)

  This week was really amazing!  we officially have a new mission presidente now, and things will probably change very soon here :D.  Also this week we had all the missionaries in my house get sick.  So this week was crazy.

    Tuesday, Elder Omana felt sick.  So me and my companion left to work, and it was good :D.  we have a family we are teaching that has a lot of questions.  Because of this our normal visits last for far longer then they probably should :P.  But they are good lessons :D.  Sunday was the birthday of elder Beaty.  So a lot of members gave him birthday cakes yesterday :D.

    Wednesday.  Elder Omana still felt sick, so me and my comanion left and worked some more, but today Elder Beaty, the companion of elder Omana felt sick as well!  I was like what is going on?

    Thursday.  Elder Beaty still felt sick but his companion felt better and they had some investagators they needed to visit, and so did we.  So my companion left with elder Omana and they visited everyone, and i took care of elder Beaty.  Realmente I just left elder beaty sleep, and i cleaned stuff :D

    Friday.  Elder Beaty is still sick, but my companion is also sick today!  So i left with with elder Omana to work and we met a lot of great people.  One of them lost his brother a few days ago, so we taught a little about the plan of salvation to help him and his family.

    Saturday.  my companion was still sick, so i left with elder Omana again.  But elder Beaty stated to feel better.  Today was the game of brazil, so we had to stay home becuase we have a lot of chillians in the mission as well, and our mission presidente didnt want to have contention between the two.  probably smart becuase it was a close close game :D.  so we went home at 12, and cleaned some stuff :D.

    Sunday.  we had a normal meeting of the church, but after lunch my companion really really  had to use the bathroom.  so we started walking as fast as possible to our house, but this old preacher stoped us and started talking to us in english.  So i talked to him, but the moment i brought up the book of mormon he said it was false and invited us to his church.  So i do not know what will happen with this, but i hope we can help him realize the book of mormon is scripture as well :D.

    So a lot of missionaries were sick this week.  but i really felt the love of pai celestial for there missionaries this week.  Times like this remind me of Joe.  He lost everything, he was super sick, but not becuase he did bad things, but becuase he was doing good things.  at times bad things happen to us to prepare us for the future, to help us find blessings, and to strengthen our testimonies.  Through all of our trials we need to remain strong to the truth we have.  For if we can do this we will receive an eternal reward.  I know this is true, for the spirit of the lord has given me a testimony of this work.  I would rather be here on a mission, then anywere else in the world, doing anything else.  This is were i need to be right now, even though at times i dont know why, i know my heavenly father knows why and i have faith in his plan for me, and i know everything will work out in the end, even if it doesnt.

:D

-elder Darke

P.s. photos esta meu area, (Sobradinho), um inseto nos encontrar este e grande de mais, e meu trainador, com um oltro missionario ele trainar :D.

P.s. the pictures are of my area, (Sobradinho),  A large insect we found, and my trainer with another missionary he trained :D

I wouldn't want that bug in my bed!  Yikes!  Sounds like he is good.  Love to hear from him!
Thanks for everything from everyone.  The support that Elder Darke has/is getting amazes us.
Love, Melanie (Mom)