Feb, March, Lizana and Unaiee!

February 9th:

This week was amazing!  So if anyone tells you otherwise, dont beleive them! :D

    I have been getting the oportunity to feel the guidence of the lord in my daily work.  I know that the lord, loves each and everyone of us.  If we could comprehend everything that he does for us, each and every day, we would be utterly astounded, and shocked beyond all measure.

    Not only of what he does for us, but what he says to us every day.  He is constantly trying to guide us down his paths.  He is constantly trying to shape our lives into what he knows we can be.  We resist this change, for many reasons.  For one of the most common, we just dont understand.  We dont see from his eyes.  

    Our physical eyes are amazing gifts of Our heavenly father.  However he gives to us an even greater gift.  The ability to use our spiritual eyes. To see things as they really are.  As we learn to use this ability.  As we practice, and overcome disappointment and error.  We will come to know, and understand exactaly who our father is, and what he not only is doing for us, but what he wants us to do.

    I would like all to know, learn, and master, what was said by elder Christofferson in the last general conference.  It was a great talk, and i encourage all to read/listen to it again.  Then ask our Father how you can apply it in your lives.  As you sincerly seek an answer, Heaveanly father will always respond.

:D

-Elder Darke

February  16th:

 Soooo Im really really sorry.  I got distracted and now i dont have any time to email.  Just know that i am fabulous, and my week was amazing!  The other two elders in my district had 3 babtisms!  These 3 were people that I met when i got here, and they are babtising now.  Its amazing to see their proggress and be able to see them take such a huge step today :D    I love everyone!  and I promise that i will do better next week.

        My mission is really being full of miracles.  I am seeing them every day, and i just feel so priviledged to be here.  Where i am.  I wouldnt trade this for the world.
:D
-Elder Darke
 P.s. The bus is kind of expensive here, so we were trying to find cheaper ways of travel.  I think we are on to something. :D

February 24th:

 Transfers!  In am in a new area!  Getting here was hard.  Four hours to get to Palmas, then 12 to go to brasillia.  Then 4 more to get to my new area.  It was a long bus ride. :D.  But im alive! :D

    I am in a city called Unaiee.  Its in Minas Girais.  I like it here though,  Its a lot less hot then Gurupi :D.
    In the last few days that i was in my last area, i wanted to feel that the work i did was exceptable to my heavenly father.  I had done everything that i could, but i still wanted to feel what he though.  As i knelt in prayer, i could feel, in my heart, that he was happy with my work.
    Its an interesting feeling.  To see the physical results of your work (that appear like nothing).  Then to feel that heavenly father is happy with what you did.  The pure joy of just doing what heavenly father wants seems to completly overshadow any, and all other opinion.  It is amazing.
    The best part is, i know that i am not a special person.  If i can feel his approval, i know that everyone can do the same.  I didnt see an angle, or a vision, but i can feel what he says.  That, to me, seems to be just as amazing :D
:D
-Elder Darke

March 2nd:

This week was amazing!

    First week in Unaie and I am still completly lost!  Thats ok though, becuase my companion knows where we are going and how to get there! :D

    So here there is a Branch of 40 people.  I have already talked to everyone, and i like everyone!  The members are kind, and the inhabitants of the city are the same.

    My new companion is called Elder Vasquez.  he is relativly new to the mission, but he has a great desire to serve.  I like him.

    My week was pretty normal though.  I have seen some amazing examples of faith from the members here.  One of which, moved out of his parents house just becuase he wanted to live the gospel, without causing problems with them.  Another babtised three years ago and is still strongly going to church, and very patiently supporting her mother so that she too can one day be babtised.

    Every where i go, i see more and more examples of faith, patience, and charity.  I long to be more like Jesus Christ, who was perfect.  The more time that i am on a mission, the more that i see Heavenly father in our lives.  Constantly perfecting and polishing us.  That is the greatest part of Trials.  You can be sure that in the end, you will be a little bit better then you were before.

    If we feel like we cannot bear with the burdens that we have.  When we pray, and pleed for his help, he will surly answer.

    The joy of seeing someone reallize this is enormous.  and Fantastic.

:D

-Elder Darke

P.s. I love you all.

P.s.s. Cling to the things you know are true.

March 16th:

These past two weeks were amazing!

    So here is what happened.

  Here in Unai, the branch is small.  Only about 30 people.  Its a normal sized city, and things are well.

    So these past two weeks we have been frantically working to help the members.  Visiting them as much as possible. My companions mom called the mission president because (my companion) was looseing weight. The zone leaders came and gave a training.  So many things have happened that its hard to know where to start.

    In the morning, my district all goes out to a park that is near our house, and we play frisbe.  I cant throw, or catch to save my life, but i enjoy the quick sprints to make the attempted catch :D.  I dont know how, but every day i seem to get dirt, grass, and mud all over myself.  The other three never do, but i am always filthy.  Its fun :D.

     The members here give us amazing lunches, and they make sure we are taken care of :D.  There are two days of the week when we dont have a member lunch, so normally we try to invent something to eat.  We made lazana the other day :D. It was good :D.  (not as good as the Members Lazana, but it was good.).

    I am still completly lost here.  I can get home from any part in the city, but if someone gives me an address, or starts talking about a certain neiboorhood.  I have no idea! :D.  but i drew a map, so i can sort of figure it out :D.

    I am really liking my district.  The missionaries here are good. :D

So, I gave a talk Sunday. There where Three people to give talks, and i was the last one.  I was hopeing that the first two would use a lot of time, so i would only have a few minites :D.  That didnt happen.  The first two blazed through their talks in just a few mintues, and left me with 25, or so mintues.      Personally, i am not very good at talking in public.  On the mission, it got way better, but still, not very good at it.  Before i got up, i was feeling so anxious, and worried.  I was trying desperatly to calm down but it wasnt working.  So i said a prayer.  I have long known that heavanly father is sempre with us.  He will always help us.  Sunday was another proof of this.  After the prayer, i got up, and did the best that i could.  Trusting that, somehow, heavenly father would help.  He did.  The peace that I felt, the things i felt to say.  It was amazing.

    Also this might seem like a silly example to some.  I like to think, that he if would help me with something like a talk in church.  How much more will he help those that go to him with a large problem, or question.  He helps all, and The knowledge and faith that he does this will help us trust on him in those moments of difficulty!  He Loves us, and he will always be by our side. :D.

:D

-Elder Darke

Holiday catch up, again!

Okay, here's a marathon of emails from Elder Darke!  Sorry the Holiday season got away from me.

Dec 29th, 2014:

  I am still alive!  sorry i didnt sent an email last week, i was super busy, and didnt plan out my time very wisely.  I am doing better today though! :D

    This week was amazing!  In a weird way.  We started this week out of our area, because my companion had some health problems.  So we had to go to another city to get it fixed :D.  So the first few days of the week were without, work.  However it was good becuase i worked in another missionaries house!  They are My zone leaders, and they dont have much space in their house.  They had random glass doors that werent doing anything though, so with the doors i made a new desk and shelf!  So they can have more room to put stuff!

    It looks pretty strange though, but i think its useful at least :D.  They were glad that i did it, and i hope it helps them, at least a little bit :D.

    We were able come back to our area after a few days and then it was CHRISTMAS!  The spirit of Christmas is so amazing, and i am glad that i was able to use the spirit of christmas to help people.  For a while, we were just giving Christmas messages, and everyone was excepting it so well!  We are still trying to get people to come to church, but that will happen soon!  people are proggressing and the work is moving along well :D.

    I just want to say that i love you all.  All the email are full of your love and support.  I am grateful for what you do to help me.  Even though it might apear to be something small, the impact that it has on me and the ammount of happiness that i have when i see the love you have for me is enourmous.  Thank you.

  I am so grateful for Heavenly father.  For what he does for me.  This week was different becuase of my companions healther problem.  However i know that, especially in these times, He is watching out for us.  He was a purpose for every day of our lives.  Many time we have to learn something.  No matter what happens though, he is by our side.  When we search for him, he will always be there.  Like a loving father.  He loves us.  I know this becuase i feel his love.  Search for him in the hard moments, He will be there.  Search for him in the good moments, he will still be there.  Search for him in Any moment, and he will be there.  Personal experience has proved to me that this is true.  So i challenge you to learn the same simple fact.  ask and ye shall receive, search, and ye will find.  Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

:D

-Elder Darke

Jan 5, 2015:

   My week was great!  That kind of great that is super amazing, but you dont want everyone to think you are overexagerating so you just put great.  ya, it was that kind of week :D.

    New Years Eve was fun!  As missionaries we cant stay away until midnight.  so we slept the normal time, and set an alarm for midnight.  Woke up and congratulated each other on the year.  then went back to sleep again.  It was fun :D.  All the missionaries in my District are super amazing!  I love them all.  They are all my freinds!
    We also had a few service project and things that we did.  It was super fun.  We cut trees, cut grass, moved stuff.  got some blisters.  A lot of stuff.  It just felt great to serve other people.  Especially the people that cant do it themselfs.  Becuase they really need help and its great to be the strength that they need.
    Transfers is this week, So everyone is super anxious about what will happen.  I Personally am not too anxious.  The way i see it, Everything will happen how the lord wants it to.  So if i stay, there is something that i need to do here.  If i leave, there is something i need to do in a different area.  Its an interesting feeling :D.
    The coolest thing happened this week though.  We were walking in the street, and this guy that we dont know, comes up on a bike and starts talking to us.  He lived in a different city, and he visited the church in the other city, but now he moved here and he lost contact with the church.  When he saw us, he remembered and asked were the chruch was.
    We visited him a few days later.  As we were teaching, the Holy ghost was super strong, and it was really testifying to all of us, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true!  When we asked him what he felt, he said that he felt out happiness, and it is something that he wants!  i was super happy!  We are going to go back there and keep teaching him.  He is comming to church and progressing very well :D.
 

  The beggining of the week, My companion got sick for a few days.  It happens to new missionaries sometimes.  So i wasnt too upset.  I cleaned the house a little, and when he felt better, we left to go work again!
    In ´´Preach My Gospel´´ it says that we should pray often, and ask if the book of mormon is true.  This will strengthen our testimony that it is, and it will allow us to more powerfully testify to otheres.  I did it this week.  Talk about amazing.  I already know the book is true, and to have the Holy Ghost testify to my heat, that it is true, is a great expereince.  I love feeling the spirit.  I love seeing the spirit work in the lives of others as well.  It is the sweetest peaceful feeling that you can ever feel.  It is in your heart, and while i am feeling it.  I feel as if everything in the world gains a more hopeful appearance.  It is what links my soul to my heavenly father, and to what i know is true.  The best part is, The Holy ghost is a free gift to all.  All that seek to find it, and feel it will be rewarded abundantly.  Those who receive the gift of the holy ghost, will gain the chance to feel it always.  What a wonderful gift of God!  I am greatful to my Heavenly Father, who has given me such an amazing gift!
:D
-Elder Darke

Jan 12, 2015:

 This week was really amazing.  it TRANSFERS! so thats cool.

   i was the only person in my house that didnt get transfered.  So there will be 3 new missionaries in my house,and i will get the chance to make a lot of new friends!  so I am excited.
My last companion was my son ( i was training him ) and it was great to see him grow and improve over the entire transfer.  seeing him leave though was heart  breaking. I almost cried a little.
I am out of my area today,in Palmas again. Things are really changing up, but i know that they are changing for the better and every thing will work out in the end.
    So my week was more then fabulous.  I am not remembering much of it though.  I am sure that it was fabulous though.
    This week was really spiritual though.  We testified of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ all week to our investagators.  Then we testified to the members, and to each other.  I know that God lives.  He loves us, and he is guiding us daily.  This work is his.  This church is his.  Our hope, is in him.  Something amazing that i realized, is that all of our hope literally is in him.  We can trace our hope of anything back to him.  That is how important he is.  He is everything to us.  We just need to strive to be more like him.
:D
-Elder Darke

Jan 19, 2015:

 This week was super good!

    So I have been working with two investagators for a really long time, and they are progressing!  We visited them yesterday, and one of them looked at me, and said that he knows the book of mormon is true.  i almost cried i was so happy :D.  He is trying not to drink cafe anymore.  He is super cool though! :D
    Transfers have come and gone, and now i have another Brazillian companion!  Elder Carvalho.  He is super cool, and he is taller then me!  one of the first brazillians that i have seen taller then me! :D.
    In my house i also have a Argentino (elder Fuentes), and another american (Elder Josephson).  Everyone is super cool!  They all have like 6 months, or 7 months on the mission, so i feel really old (mission wise).  Its so weird!  but its also really fun!
    I am still in Gurupi.  Its amazing here!  The work is going along well, and things are looking up :D.
    the funny thing though, about the other missionaries.  I have more energy in the morning, then all of them.  ha ha! :D.  So it makes me feel special :D.
    Its starting to cool down a little here as well.  So The days arnt nearly as hot as they were :D.
    I have had many experiences, and this week, i had a few more.  They all point to one truth.  That the hand of our Heavenly Father is always in our lives.  I am seeing people that were prepared for the gospel, little by little.  little experiences that added up until they were prepared for us, and the gospel.  Its amazing to see that ´´the feild is white, already to harvest´´.  We dont need to do anything to prepare the feild, we just need to harvest.  That is our calling, our great oportunity.
    Especially in the lives of members, i also see the hand of our Heavenly Father.  Bountiful amounts of blessings poured out upon people that are following the teachings of Jesus Christ with all their hearts.  This to me, is evidence, that everything in our lives.  EVERYTHING, has a purpose.  That Luck doesnt exist, but the power of God is ever present.
:D
-Elder Darke

   
 Jan 26, 2015:

This week was super good!

    So I have been working with two investagators for a really long time, and they are progressing!  We visited them yesterday, and one of them looked at me, and said that he knows the book of mormon is true.  i almost cried i was so happy :D.  He is trying not to drink cafe anymore.  He is super cool though! :D

    Transfers have come and gone, and now i have another Brazillian companion!  Elder Carvalho.  He is super cool, and he is taller then me!  one of the first brazillians that i have seen taller then me! :D.

    In my house i also have a Argentino (elder Fuentes), and another american (Elder Josephson).  Everyone is super cool!  They all have like 6 months, or 7 months on the mission, so i feel really old (mission wise).  Its so weird!  but its also really fun!

    I am still in Gurupi.  Its amazing here!  The work is going along well, and things are looking up :D.

    the funny thing though, about the other missionaries.  I have more energy in the morning, then all of them.  ha ha! :D.  So it makes me feel special :D.

    Its starting to cool down a little here as well.  So The days arnt nearly as hot as they were :D.

    I have had many experiences, and this week, i had a few more.  They all point to one truth.  That the hand of our Heavenly Father is always in our lives.  I am seeing people that were prepared for the gospel, little by little.  little experiences that added up until they were prepared for us, and the gospel.  Its amazing to see that ´´the feild is white, already to harvest´´.  We dont need to do anything to prepare the feild, we just need to harvest.  That is our calling, our great oportunity.  

    Especially in the lives of members, i also see the hand of our Heavenly Father.  Bountiful amounts of blessings poured out upon people that are following the teachings of Jesus Christ with all their hearts.  This to me, is evidence, that everything in our lives.  EVERYTHING, has a purpose.  That Luck doesnt exist, but the power of God is ever present.

:D

-Elder Darke

Feb 2, 2015

 This week was super awesome!

    We were able to go to a family home evening at a less actives house, and encourage him to go to church! :D.  It was the second one this week, and it was amazing! :D.  The less active member decided to host a family home evening becuase a few days before,  a different member hosted a different family home evening, and invited the less active.  It went so well that the less active wanted to do his own.  Its amazing to see small things, start to change peoples lives :D.  A lot of times we do small things.  Good and bad.  These small things, many times, make a greater impact then something huge that we do.  So take advantage, and say good morning to everyone, open doors for people, smile at strangers.  You never know what these small things can do.
    Talking about small things,  I would like all to know that my week was increadably small.  It seemed to pass by so fast.  I love this service, the work in which i am engaged.  I know i am serving the lord, and doing what he wants.  There is not a doubt in my mind, as to why i am here right now.  A mission, is the greatest experience that i have had in my life.  Those that read this, please know.  To  have a successful mission, to feel like you are in the service of The Most High is not an easy victory.  It will require something of you.  Something of your Soul.  As the work goes on, and we are focused with All of our heart, might, mind, and strength.  You will feel like Heavenly Fathers servant.  Its not easy, but its possible.  Heavenly father loves all of us, and he will help all of us.  The future is given to us.  We need to use it well.
    Those that are heartbroken, frustrated, and feel that they are at the end of the road.  Those that feel abandoned, depressed, lost, or sad.  Be of good cheer.  The Lord, our God, is with us.  His grace, is sufficent for all, and I beleive that in the end.  Everything will work out, especially if it doesnt work out here :D.
:D
-Elder Darke

Hopefully this will get us all caught up!  Sorry for the delay.
Melanie (Mom)