The worst part of being Email, is the snot

Hi I was sick this week!

Monday nothing at all! no sickness! I felt great!

Tuesday I was dead! no healthy at all!

Wednesday was the same, except we had District Council. I don't really remember a lot of what was talked about.

Thursday was the day before we were to meet with Elder Bednar! I still wasn't feeling so hot, but we were able to get out for interviews with president and for some visits in the evening.

Friday of course is the cool day because we spent 3ish hours with Elder Bednar. I got a lot of different things out, but mostly it was from these talks that he had us read beforehand, and that we discussed during the meeting. Ask in Faith    Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins    Converted unto the Lord    Seek Learning by Faith

Anyway it was really cool, I also have several quotes from him to highlight his sense of humor.

From the top:

"We'll try not to ruin the photo" (sitting down for the mission picture)

"Alright! Let's go to church!" (after the picture is over)

"Don't write home and tell your mom I said the word 'stupid'!" (after saying the word 'stupid')

"Do you really think your smoothness is what gets people to join the church‽"

"I may look small, and old... but trust me you do not want to mess with me!"

It was an absolute delight! In the end we held a big discussion about those talks and then he turned it into a meta-discussion about our discussion and how we can teach like this. It was cool.

Saturday and Sunday happened but nothing much important happened, nothing can really compare to Bednar, so that's it!

-Elder Darcey

LTPS 

Where the Email goes, no one knows!

Hi it's time for a good Email.

Last Monday I of course went to Yellowstone, There are many pictures waiting on the album and also some videos maybe. Anyway, on to the week!

On Tuesday was Zone Conference. I actually have a lot to say about this one because it was kinda funny how many things didn't quite go as planned. The main event was a seventy who came and talked about blessings and not blessings from being faithful and stuff. It was actually really good.

 Later in the meeting though, we had Pres Simpson get up and try to talk about the missionary Daily Schedule, the only problem is that he was talking about a schedule that has been outta-date for three years. so the poor guy gracefully gave up when all the confused questions were answered and the record set straight. 

Also our Vehicle Coordinator had previously announced a competition for the mission, where whatever companionship had the best car at zone conference would be given one of the brand new rav4 hybrids that the mission recently acquired. The only problem is that in order to even qualify you had to have your fluids checked by a car place and then have them print a paper that said it was all good. So at zone conference he did this thing where he had groups of people sit down based on criteria until he got to the final winners. "If you drove to ZC stand up! you can't win if your car isn't even here!" *Everyone stands up* "If you have your fluids sheet keep standing! Other-wise sit down!" *Almost everyone sits back down*. There were only two companionships that were able to qualify for the win, because everyone else decided they couldn't be bothered. That was actually hilarious to see how the mission collectively decided they wouldn't be motivated by a new car. I don't know where I am going with this story but it happened so I wanted to write about it.

Wednesday evening we had several meetings in our Stake, also we WERE going to have a lesson with two kids that are ready to be baptized, but they ditched us! So that was sad.

Thursday Not too much happened, we had a lunch/lesson with a guy, honestly it didn't go to well, because he and the member we brought got on endless tangents.

Friday I was on exchanges with my District Leader Elder Bahr. The day went really well other than nobody was home and we had three lessons fall though. But we were able to do a lot of other work, that needed to be done, and also contact lots of potential fellow shippers for the people that had lessons drop. So all in all it was a good day. I also ran into a member that I knew in Rigby East so that was fun as well.

Sunday we wandered into a ward that was having their primary program. There were-- I kid you not-- 200 kids on the stands. It was insane. I looked behind me and there were no seats anywhere. All the way back to the stage. I haven't seen that many people in a building other than West Yellowstone.

I think that's it!

-Elder Darcey

LTPS 

OH YEAH I FORGOT ELDER BEDNAR IS COMING TO THE MISSION ON FRIDAY AGGGAGAGAGGGGG!!!!!!!

YELLOWSTONE Visit

Hey family. Quick one. I am on my way up to Yellowstone today, and wanted to send anything even if it isn't amazing.

Anyway the major stuff that happened since Wednesday was a ward party that was cool, me speaking twice on Sunday, and a cool Bishop Youth Fireside we were invited to. 

That's the coolest stuff. I will probably be able to send another email on the way home around 4 so i will try and include the best pictures in that one.

-Elder Darcey Once during our missions we get to visit Yellowstone.  After a couple of false starts and cancellations, I finally got to go.  I went with a group that included my previous companion, Elder Harvey and a second cousin, Elder McGuire, who should be in Hong Kong but is in Yellowstone, go figure.  AND is my second cousin from Francis, Utah, who knew.  

Yellowstone Falls

E-mail for my real friends and Real Mail for my E-friends

Hi all.

I know that it is Wednesday, and that typically I Email on Monday and not Email on Wednesday, but we decided to swap it around this time for no particular reason.

Ha! Just kidding, we went to the temple this morning and so we had to move our p-day. That's why I am Emailing today. 

This week was a blast. It started off on Monday with another odd experience. I assume most of you have heard this Odd story, I am sitting in my apartment in the morning. Just when I barely started to not be totally still tired, I hear steps outside our door and then some knocks. I open the door to find gifts that were not expected at all! And also a Bishop I haven't seen in more than two years! Crazy! I guess that's one way to start a Monday off. (thanks btw. A lot!) 

Tuesday Wednesday and the start of Thursday were spent with another Elder whose companion finished his mission so he needed a place to stay until Transfers. Those days were spent getting ready for that. We had the opportunity to go to a ward party on Tuesday. We got there as it was starting to end, but still had a great time getting to know everyone. 

Friday we had appointments with most of the people we are teaching, some are progressing and some aren't, but the work continues. 

Saturday I don't quite remember what we did right now. 

Sunday was fast Sunday, we had a long meeting with a family Elder Cluff is really close with, and also almost got to help with primary, but then they didn't need us :/  Elder Cluff is a challenge, but I can help him.  

Monday was a day where we didn't prepare. But we did get to again go to a ward party. This time we were early and helped do a ton of cooking. That was actually really fun. We helped clean up and I watched a guy dump two whole cans of raid into a wasps nest. He looked a little frazzled.

Tuesday was yesterday. We had to clean the house as we were having a housing check that afternoon, we also ran into a Birthday party for a kid of one of the families we are teaching. So that was unexpected fun. 

Today we woke up at 4:30 to make it to the 6 am temple session. That was awesome as usual. After shopping, Elder Cluff had to go to a dentist, and I was really sad because the Family History Center was closed, and so I am Emailing on my phone. That's also why there won't be any new pictures for a few weeks. Oh also I can't do a good Email next week either, because I am finally taking my Yellowstone trip. The last one didn't happen ask me to tell that story another time, but I will get to go this next week and it will be good. 

I can't even put my end card up when I am typing on phone. I guess I will try though

L.A.R.P.

ELDAR darCeY

Where the Email goes... Nobody knows.

Hi Everyone! the time has come at last for an Email

This week has been great! lots of stuff to do and lots of things happened!

Also Sunday Night / This Morning were transfer calls! So I will reveal what happened at the end of the Email.

The rest of last Monday was spent playing board games of various variety, and then in the evening we went and taught a girl named Ali. She has been coming to church with her friend for a while, and wants to be baptized soon... So we have been teaching her each Monday, This time we were teaching the Plan of Salvation. She didn't really ask any questions, but we have prepped for a more interactive lesson this week.

Tuesday was also a blast. We met with many of the ward leaders in our area. It seems like there are always more though. That's what happens when you cover a stake!

Wednesday morning I made more brownies because the cream I got on Monday to make whipped cream was totally forgotten about and stayed in the car for a sad day. So I couldn't make pumpkin pie, as there was no whipped cream, and if there is no whipped cream, then what is the point of pumpkin pie. So Brownies! for District Council. They turned out alot better than last weeks brownies. I was using a recipe that a family in Ashton served us. When I first had them I thought they were tricking us and just gave us fudge. but turns out they are just thick brownies... huh.

Transfer news is I am not going anywhere and Elder Cluff is also going nowhere, and staying with me and we still cover the whole stake.

Speaking of Ashton I guess I never talked about some of the coolest people I had the opportunity to teach so far on the mission. The Powell's are people I taught in Ashton. They moved from Arizona around March. My companion and the ward and I helped them move into their house, and then we didn't really have any contact with them for a while. Until, we were at a dinner near where they moved and the family asked us if we had met them. I mentioned I had but my (new by then) companion had not yet. So we went by that night, and they were the most inviting people ever! We taught them until I left, and they are currently planning on getting Baptized September 26th. I am super excited. 

Thursday morning we did service for a family in our area. we had the whole district there. We were taking apart some of their hedges and cleaning them up. I don't know quite what happened, but my finger got caught inside of the glove I was wearing and suddenly, it was bleeding under my nail. So pictures in the Album. It's all healed now, but it hurt then. That afternoon I went on Exchanges with the DL Elder Mera. We visited more people and setup lessons with some of the people we were teaching. 

Friday was some ward meetings and some lessons that were canceled last minute. 

Saturday was spent dying of heat. Not super bad but it was kinda hot. 

Sunday morning we gave talks. The youth speaker gave an amazing talk about missionary work and having the light of christ. I followed that up with using the atonement to be a good example and to help others feel the spirit, and Elder Cluff followed me up with how it works in practice with a friend he had back home. It was good. That evening we had dinner with some awesome members. We made stovetop s'mores and also the husband was a chiropractor so he adjusted us. I'll be honest I don't obviously feel better, but I definitely don't feel worse. So I'll take it. 

And that was the Week! Transfers are this Thursday, missionary work continues and it's all a fun time up in Idaho. 

Did you skip to the end to read about transfers?! Naughty! The news is somewhere in the middle now...

And it's light grey to make it harder to read...

And it's tiny too...

If you didn't skip to the end. I apologize for jumping to conclusions like that.

The End

STOP! It's Email Time

 Dear Family!  Well, this has been a week!  There's a lot going on that I won't write in an email, but will try to call.

Tuesday morning I made brownies for district council on Wednesday. But most of em didn't make it til then. We also visited a guy named Jason that has been meeting with missionaries for a little while, he is pretty interesting. He definitely has been prepared to meet with missionaries, it's just he also has had a crazy life and has some preconceived notions about other people. But he loves church, and loves when we come over. I think change is going to take a bit for him though. 

Wednesday, we had District Council and also interviews with President Hurley. This was my first with him, and it was really cool to see the differences between him and President Nelson. He didn't talk much. Asked questions and then waited for a while. Everyone liked the scraps of the brownies I brought. I disguised them by putting them on a plate. So it looked like the whole pan. After that we walked around and tried to meet our neighbors. We caught a lady home who was a Baptist minister. She was super nice. It was kind of funny. We were walking away and it seemed as though there was a bit of a contest to see who was going to get the last, "Have a nice evening," in. 

Thursday was a ton of planning and another quick lesson with Jason. 

Friday we did similar as Wednesday but with our car and not near our house. 

Saturday we worked most of the day at a booth at the Rigby fair that was going on. We had a ton of copies of the Book of Mormon, and a big sign, and there were four sets of missionaries there. Sometimes we would wander around and talk to people and Sometimes we would hangout at the booth. It was really cool because I was able to see lots of people from Rigby East--my area a year ago. So that was good. In the evening Elder Cluff hurt his hand (purposely), so we had to go to urgent care and see if it was broken. We got home at 11 and I was really tired.

Sunday was church and some meetings. The last thing we did was visit a family and share a message, I talked about charity and how at the start of the mission I had trouble loving the people and really getting into the mood of the mission.

 Elder Pope (recently gone home companion,) in every prayer he said he always asked for more charity. I have really noticed the need of it on the mission. Especially in a more member area, lots of people are looking for reasons to leave the church, and it's really easy to get offended by something someone does. But charity helps us look past the failings of people.

Everyone has problems, and we can instead of getting offended, we can help and reach out.

the end

Rose:  Going to the fair and helping out

Thorn: Saturday night Urgent Care and driving in the dark

Is it pronounced Email? or Email?

Hey! Everyone!

It's Email time!

I am bad at Emailing some weeks.  

This week has been weird. Elder Pope my 2nd companion went home this week on Tuesday. I was on exchanges Wednesday. We visited a ton of people rumors are flying about the stake center that is being built in Rigby East and where the new stake boundaries are going to be.

Idk, It's all been normal stuff so far. We have been meeting lots of cool people recently. We are going by a family later tonight to do Come Follow Me with them, and some other stuff. Other than that, It hasn't been a super remarkable week.

Rose was having an awesome time meeting so many awesome people (I finally feel kinda confident talking.)

Thorn was being tired and stuffy Sunday Morning. so not much.

-Elder Darcey

Jen retpoŝto. Mi esperas ke vi ŝatas ĝin!

Dear Family,

Hello! It is the time of the week that I write Emails!

All the cool stuff happened on Wednesday when we went to Zone Conference in Rexburg. We had our first conference with President Hurley as mission president. He is on fire. He also pronounces "home" as "hoame" like "hoa-mm" so that's funny.

He had a great training about finding faith. He told a story about a Branch President back in Pennsylvanian that was convinced that the branch was dying. He was impressed to call a new Branch President, and he told him something like,"see if you can keep it from dwindling away too quickly..."

The new branch president was like "nuh uh! we are gonna be a ward." and six months later they have gone from 13 members of the branch to 56ish. He had the faith that that branch could be a ward. President Hurley related that to our areas.

When do we feel like our area is dying/dead and there is no work to do? you need the faith to find! There is always work to do when you have faith! there is a video you guys should watch.


It's of Elder Bednar at a Mission talking about faith and it's really great. I think that some missionaries put it on you tube with the Title "Bednar - Ask in Faith" I recommend listening to it. it's only 5 minutes long.

Anyway I don't have a lot of time still. Today we are going to a member in Rigby East to have our zone activity. I know them from a year ago, so I think that's going to be fun!

Elder Pope, (one of my companions) goes home in 2 days. AAH THAT MEANS I ONLY HAVE ABOUT 5 MONTHS LEFT

Anyway.

Rose: not going home in two days (Also I made scones for Breakfast this morning and only fried one finger)

Thorn: One of our investigators said they would be at church, then they weren't :(

-Elder Darcey

LTPS 

Fourscore and Seven Emails Ago

Hi This week has been a lot of getting to know the area and getting to know the people.

We had a ton of cool meetings, and stuff like that.

Zone Conference is Tomorrow.

I made more good bread. this time with zero kneading it was gone instantly because I also made cinnamon honey butter to go with it..

That's it for now!

Rose: lots of good families in the area.

Thorn no time to email right now.

-Elder Darcey

It's time to EEE EE EEEE EE-Email

Hi! I am in Rigby now.

My address is not what I told you last week. It's 3894 E 200 N, Rigby, ID 83442 We are in Apartment #2 My "Overview of Elder Darcey" page has been updated accordingly. 

This transfer has started off with a bang. To get everyone on the same page, I am in a Trio right now. With Elder Pope (quiet) And Elder Cluff (who I have previously been with.)

Saturday was the real crazy day the rest of the week was packing and unpacking and meetings and doing stuff like that. But Saturday we were able to help out at a city fair in Iona. Called Iona days. We were able to help with the dunk tank. There was this one girl that would get to the front of the line, nail the target in one throw, then walk off like it was nothing. over and over and over.

I am driving again. After nine months. I don't like it.

umm.

Rose: Teaching people I taught a year ago.

Thorn: Not being in Ashton

Helllloooo Email Transfers

It's time to send another Email!

This week it's Transfer News! Transfers happen on Thursday and I am going to Rigby again!

Mom notes:  So the week after Aidan is called to Rigby, Dave (dad) is going up to the Tetons to hike and wants to drop off a box of goodies to Elder Darcey.  He and Uncle Mark and Jim Huskinson go to the area and Jim goes to the door, wakes up Elder Darcey in his pjs and gives him the package while Dad waits outside.  Funny, Weird and funny.    

Dave says the apartment is, "missionary worthy."  In other words, kind of a dump." 

I'll be in a slightly different area! Instead of south east of the city. I am just south. The area is called Rigby South.

Do you want to know who I am with there? Well, I am in a trio with an Elder Pope (don't know) and Elder Cluff. That's Right. Apparently one transfer with him wasn't enough and I need another one with him. Very weird. I am fairly sure that we are the first missionaries in the history of this mission to be put back together. 

If you are looking at a map of Rigby I will be covering a square. The top of the square is "1st street" The bottom of the square is "County Line Road". The east of the square is slightly past the Highway. The west border is west.

Anyway that's the big news this week. 

Other news includes lots of sadness happened on Friday as our appointments canceled one by one, and as some Ice cream that was purchased on Monday was found sad and melted in the car.

umm. 

Rose: good homemade Ice Cream

Thorn: Leaving Ashton or melted Ice cream

Email, email, email.

Hi Family and everyone! I am going to actually write an Email this week because there is so much to talk about.

Anyway better start at the start with 

TUESDAY.

We went to Rexburg in the morning to go to the "meet the mission president" meeting that our new mission president, President Hurley was holding. We were able to meet his family and meet him and get some history about him and where he was from. He is a auctioneer from Pennsylvania, he has 6 kids one is on a mission another is in college after serving a mission and the rest are in between Pennsylvania and Idaho, as they needed to attend the state fair at home before they could come. His family is big on getting things done. His son has sold Strawberries for the last several years, His kids are all in charge of their own animals, and stuff like that. His youngest was there with him and his oldest came in a little bit later. My companion got a lesson in auctioneer-ing and everyone thought it was hilarious when he said "two-duh-duh-duh" I have a recording of him getting the lesson so I will be passing that along at the end of this Email. Anyway we had lunch and then everyone ducked out. 

On our way back to Ashton we got a call from some Debbie and Richard (people we are teaching) and it turns out that Richard had double pneumonia and was headed to the hospital in IF. We quickly got a hold of some Elders down there to give him a blessing and they said they would stop by. 

After that we found out what we were going to be doing to help the fourth of July celebrations. We were going to be helping the parade (a parade so nice, they show it twice) by keeping people from going too far into the street. The rest of that story will wait til Thursday when it actually happened. Anyway on to,

WEDNESDAY

Where we had District Council and everyone was real excited about President Hurley and the Fourth of July celebrations. The rest of the day wasn't too crazy. We went to dinner and they basically gave us another dinner to take home with us. It was a crazy amount of food. Also I don't think I have mentioned it yet, but during this whole week the person that we live with has had children and grandchildren over the whole time. There were so many of them.

THURSDAY

Started early with a trip into Ashton to help people setup for the farmers market. While we were there. someone called us over told us to go to Trails Inn across the street and get her a cinnamon roll. And then told us to grab some for ourselves. After that we got our orange vests, and ate our rolls, and went to the parade to help. We would walk up and down the street to collect candy and throw it behind the slowly creeping line of kids. Everyone would slowly slide out further into the street, and then I would come by and abruptly ruin all their fun by asking them to please move back so you don't die. But the kids were having none of that. Anyway during the parade I ran into a family that I knew back in Ucon... Forever ago... anyway they were there for the parade but just so happened to run into me. And then for the rest of the parade, if I walked in front of them they would cheer like I was in the parade. Twas silly. We had a great time doing that. When that was over we went to several other places in town and talked to a billion people and got snow-cones, and lunch at the city BBQ and then we helped Richard and Debbie, by letting their dogs out for just a bit, then we finished off the day by jumping from party to party. In the Evening we picked up our District Leader so that we could go on exchanges on,

FRIDAY

We had our District leader with us the whole day, and we spent the day in West Yellowstone! We did service at a cabin at Henry's lake, then tried several people in Island Park, not home, then went to west and tried a ton more people, then went to dinner and then taught a new person, and all sorts of cool stuff. We grabbed some Ice Cream and then headed back down to Ashton to end our Exchange. The next day was

SATURDAY

Where not a lot happened, because we had to walk around a lot because we used a lot of miles on Friday. We drove around more on

SUNDAY

Where we went up to West again to attend their Sacrament Meeting. There were probably half a thousand people there. They had two sacrament tables, each table had 12 water trays. It was bonkers. We were able to help with a youth class after that, then headed back down to Ashton. On our way down we tried to find someone's house, but instead we drove by it three times and wasted 13 miles. rip.

And that was basically the week!

Elder VanOrman had steak thrown on his shirt but it cleaned right off.

I found a pen in the wash with my cloths, but some rubbing alcohol later, that is coming out.

Anyway

Rose: All the fun on the Fourth

Thorn: Being 300 miles over our car mileage limit right now

-Elder Darcey

LTPS

Email TIES (creating them!)

Hello All, 

Hi as of today our mission now has Blackfoot and we haven't met our new mission president yet but we are meeting him and his family tomorrow.

I haven't taken many pictures this week, but it has been really hot recently. Ashton has been getting crazy busy with all the visitors. The 4th is getting closer, and everything is going crazy!

I thought I would have time to finish this but never mind, instead, have a voice recording! 

Elder Darcey

Hello

It is 2:45 and it's looking like I won't have time to email, but mainly because we are teaching other Elders how to make ties today.  When we get back to Ashton it will be after 5 and then service at 6 and a ton of other stuff.  So not a typed, I started one, so here we are.

Anyway,

Lets cover all the important stuff

Rose:  Dang good hamburgers we had on Saturday!  Reallll good.  Dinner was awkward, but the food was great so, oh well.  

Thorn: The fact that my pedometer went missing and I'm very sad about it.  I don't know where it is.

As far as cool stuff, we got to serve the Powells and we got to help them take branches to the dump and teach them the plan of Salvation video.  And as soon as it finished, Sister Powell said she didn't know there was anything after this life.  I thought, "Wow, you are just going to accept it, just like that."  

They are loving the ward and the first time they came, they said they have never seen so much love when they walked into the room.  We helped with some yard stuff and taught them.

We didn't go to West this week because of mileage.. and we have none.  It is a new month, so we have more.

We have a new mission pres and I've not met him yet.  I don't know anything about him except he's an auctioneer, and has a family.  We are meeting him tomorrow in Rexburg to a meet the President meeting in the morning.  I'm sure he's going to be awesome.

As of today, the mission boundaries no longer end at Firth and the mission now covers Blackfoot.  Yeah, all the changes are out there and done. . Yup.

We got to speak in one of our wards this Sunday.  I tried to keep mine short because I knew with four speakers it would be tight and I kept it to ten minutes, probably too long, but my comp. did 12 and the last speaker did 2 and he is the ward mission leader.  The youth speaker is headed out really soon.  

It's been a good week and fun stuff going on.  

So, cool, and BYE.