Phase 1 of 15 done

October 28, 2013

Today is the beginning of cycle 2 here in Mexico! We had a really crazy week though so let me lay it out for you:

 

Monday: last P-Day we got the chance to go up to D.F (I am sending a bunch of pictures to my dad) it was so cool we went to the biggest catholic church in Mexico.  A individual we met there tried to tell my companion that he is going to hell because he is Mexican and not a Catholic. it was interesting! We had some lunch at a place called Pirate Burger and that was actually pretty good! we went and did some shopping and I had gotten some B-day money from my grandpa so I used that to buy a Manchester United Jersey! We had our district meeting Monday night and a Family Home Evening where the Hermana made us hot cakes!

 

Tuesday: This day was tough. We went up to the mission office to get my companion a bed and when we got up there the member that said that he would help us couldn't because his car roof was to weak. when we got back to work it was one in the afternoon and we had missed one appointment already. The rest of the day was stressful because we were behind schedule and could not catch up. We also ended up walking in the rain because it started to rain out of no where.

 

Wednesday: This day was better more on track and we had a lesson with our investigator family. We allowed them to ask any questions that they had and we were able to help them progress towards baptism.  We met with the  ward mission coordinator and the ward mission leader Hermano Barron. we are doing good but we had 2 investigators drop us the last week so it was tough.

 

Thursday: was a normal work day and for Divisions we helped arrange rides for people for a ward activity.

 

Friday: so the highlight of Friday is that we had a visit with our investigator family and we went over the interview questions and set the interviews time for tomorrow at 5! I am super excited for this week!

 

Sat: today was a tough day to find lessons because there was a ward activity outside of the mission boundaries and so we were left with all the less active members and most of them were not home we only got  lessons in that day :/

 

Sun: so yesterday was the last day of the cycle and we were getting a call last night to see who is part of transfers on Tuesday. my companion and I were nervous for the call because in the three month interviews last week ,President Crickmore told my companion there was a possibility he would be transferred. When we got the call his name was not mentioned! but we know he is probably going next transfer after my training is done.  The next transfers are  in December and he will have been in the area 8 1/2 months. 

 

We have a member of the zone headed this week. Today for P-Day we climbed Elephant Mountain (a really big mountain) with part of our zone.  This mountain is right in the middle of Valle de Chalco and Ixtacapaluca, I got pictures which I will send tonight.

 

Brett and Elder Gomez on Elephant Mountain

As I sat at the top and looked out over this grand valley I realized this is where I am supposed to be. The downside is that if the next 15 cycles go as fast as this last one my mission will be over before I know it. The conclusion that I came to on the top of that mountain was I have to make it all count, do my best,  and have no regrets as I fly over this valley one last time when I go home. I am 6 weeks in Mexico with so much more time but I promise all of you I will do the best that I can to "invite others to come unto Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ, and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end"

 

I Love you all Via co dios!

 

Elder Darcy

--

Elder Brett Jeffrey Darcy

 

 

Last week of cyle 1

October 21, 2013

Brett's email was brief this week. He went to the Federal District of Mexico on his P-Day and where they went to email was a little costly.  Sending letters or packages take time to get to Brett. A letter takes about two and a half weeks. If you want to write him send the letters to the Mission Home at:

Elder Brett Darcy
Mexico Mexico City Chalco Mission
Calle Por
, Estado de Mexico
Mexico
Mexico

His email is Brett.Darcy@myldsmail.net

Below is his email from this week.

HOLA!

This week is going to be brief because I am in the Centro Mexico City and to write is a crazy price! Another good week. the family we are teaching that is set for baptism on the November 2. One of the families we are teaching has set themselves a goal to be sealed as a family in the Temple next year. Teaching them has been way fun. 

 

Next Tuesday is transfer day again and there is a possibility that my companion Elder Gomez might be transferred because at that point he will have 7 1/2 months in the area! I might get a second trainer or I may just get a senior companion.

 

The upsetting part about this week is that we lost two investigators because they said that don't need the Church anymore..... it was hard,  but we can wait to see if they change their mind.

 

The weather has been warm and cold and we can see snow in the mountains in my area..... its going to get cold We got a lot of rain in September then it calmed down this month. Its crazy to think that we are more than half way thorough October!

 

The members are great here and I got to bear my testimony in church yesterday. I was super nervous but I got my point across.......eventually. Other than that all is well and the spirit is super strong here and I am so excited to be here!

 

We went to the Mexican Federal District (D.F.) today. I will send pictures later this week! Sorry it was brief I will try to send a more extended one when I write my Mission President later this week.

I love you all and remember EL VIVE
--

Elder Brett Jeffrey Darcy

4 WEEKS IN!

October 14, 2013

Four weeks ago right now I was meeting my Mission president for the first time! It has been such a crazy and exciting journey thus far.  Right now we have 9 investigators and 4 progressing, those four still have a baptism date for November 2, it is so exciting! This was the week following conference and it was good. We got at least 2 new investigators because of Conference. This week was definatly different. We have what is called divisions (splits at home) we had divisions within our district and with the Zone Leaders. The first experience was not great. before I get in to this story I need to explain a few terms.

Bueno Missionario: A missionary who works hard and follows the rules.

Frito: a missionary that works but does not follow all of the rules

Muerte: A missionary that is dead does not work or follow any of the rules.

So my first story: I was with a missionary that goes home in January and he is between frito and muerte. it was really hard because between 12 and 6 we only had 3 lessons instead of 5-6. I didn't say anything to him but it was tough. I learned a lot about obedience and working that day.My opinion about working hard and following the rules that day was solidified when I went on divisions with my Zone Leader Elder Buchanan from Logan Utah. We had 9 lessons on Friday and we followed the rules and I had such a good time. 

 

It has been a good week with more teaching ahead. Coming soon will be a Picture from today, we had a futbòl tournament in the mission and it was so fun. We took third because we lost a chance to play in the finals in a penalty shot shoot out. Everyone from our mission was there and our Mission President was too.

My mission president is President Ckrickmore. He is from San Diego and as long as you work hard and other stuff he is super cool! He talks with everyone and he has a special place in his heart for each and every missionary here! He is very humble and funny too;) more info to come on President Crickmore next week because we have our three month interviews with him on Wednesday.

To finish i just want to say that:

yo se que nuestro padre celestial tiene mucho amor por todo de el hijos! y you se que nuestro salvador y redento VIVE! y sin esta iglesia my vid no tener paz y felizidad! you se que esa iglesia es verdad.

en el nombre de jesucristo amen!

I know that our Heavenly Father loves all of his children and that our Savior LIVES! and without this church I would not have peace and happiness in my life. I know this church is true!

LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU but I am busy saving people so for now,

Nos vemos por menos que dos años!

See you in less than 2 years!

Love,

Elder Darcy

P.S anyone wondering where I am here is the info

Zona: Solidaridad (Mexico City Chalco Solidaridad stake)

Area: Independencia 1 (Independance Barrio)

--

Elder Brett Jeffrey Darcy

A Better Week!

October 7, 2013

Brett is working hard in Chalco. I asked him about the homes in his area and he says there are some houses to would fit into our kitchen and several family members live in that small space. But the people are so happy and willing to share all they have with others.

Brett and his companion have a small fridge that they have some milk and yogurt in and they get a couple of boxes of cereal a week. That is their breakfast. Members in the Ward feed them lunch and dinner and they never go hungry. They are well taken care of. This pictures below are the room Brett and his companion are staying in.

The Bed on the left if Brett's

This is their kitchen working area

 

 

Their clothes are washed by the family they live with.

 

 



"The Front Porch Looking in!"

 

 

HOLA,

¿Como esta familia y amigos? Ha ha I just wanted to use a little Spanish today ;).  This week has been a better week! I was able to have a good long talk with my companion on Tuesday and the week flew right to Conference! before I get to that let's talk about the rest of the week. When I talked to my companion on Tuesday we talked about a lot! One of the topics we discussed is my Spanish. We had not been talking all that much in Spanish. This was part to help me understand him and to help him use English. But now we have this agreement where we can talk English in the house and Spanish in the streets. Here is the catch if we say an English word in la calle (street) we have to do 2 flexion (push-ups) the next morning during exercises.

 

The first day you would not believe the totals.... me 30 and Elder Gomez 70...... I was slightly confused at the end of the day.... but it has been helping and I have started keeping a pocket sized notebook to write down word or phrases that I don't know to memorize and remember them. The weather has been cooling down and we have mountains to the south of us that we can see snow in the top of them............ I didn't like it.....AT ALL... but the weather has been nice.

OK,  Drumroll Please............. CONFRENCE!! Conference was cool! I am nowhere near ready for the Spanish sessions yet so I watched in English with over half of my zone. It was so cool and I absolutely loved this conference. In fact I loved it so much that I have 8 pages of notes on it! I will be adding a Conference highlight at the end of each update.

 

The only problems was yesterdays afternoon session, five minutes after it started it started to rain and we lost the signal until the second to last speaker. But I caught most of it! All of our investigators came to one session so we still have five baptism dates for November 2!!

 

I have another busy week coming up this week I have splits in my area with the other Elders in Independencia 2 (the other part of our area) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday I am doing splits with one of my zone leaders. I love you all and hope all is well! 

Confrence highlight: "Doubt your doubts, BEFORE you doubt your faith"- President Uchdorf

--

Elder Brett Jeffrey Darcy

                                                             Getting ready for
                                                              conference.

A Tougher Week

September 30, 2013

Hola!

 

This week has been tougher week. We had a zone meeting on Monday and I could not remember any Spanish!! I have also had different times of missing home have and having the "what the heck are you doing here Brett?" thoughts. After we had zone conference I had the chance to talk with my Mission President. As we talked he helped me work through some of this. Part of the problem I am having learning the language is that  my companion is a native who knows some English, but not a lot. When I ask him a question in Spanish I don't think he understands what I am asking and I don't know if I am speaking the language right or not.

 

Other than that he is a great companion and he works hard! He has been here for 6 months and the day I got assigned with him he became District Leader. He is a good worker, he likes to mess around, but also knows when it is time to get to work. I just have been struggling to learn how to speak Spanish with him.

 

The week has been good in spite of this constant struggle. Since I have gotten here we have had 8 investigators and right now all of them are on track to be baptized November 2, 2013, 11 years exactly from the date I was baptized! They all still want to continue learning  the gospel and to be baptized.

 

A cool thing about one of the families we are teaching, they had a shrine to the Virgin Mary on a table. When we went to get them for church yesterday more than half of it was gone, it was insane to think how much our teaching has helped them make this transition!

 

Since I have been here we have gotten a lot of rain! Last Sunday we got so much rain that the highway was flooded. I am also able to see some snow in the mountains!! I was excited to find out I have a Wal-Mart not only in my zone but my area!!

 

we are going to be at our Stake Center this week for conference and they have a separate room for the greenie gringos! The only time I have to write is at night and the letters go out once a week so it will be a while if anyone writes me to get a response.

 

 

This about sums it up for this week!

 

Love you all and remember,

 

El Vive

Elder Brett Jeffrey Darcy

First Week in Mexico