New experiences!

Dec. 29, 2008 email: Sounds like there was a lot of excitement over the Christmas holiday [snow, wind, closed roads]. I'm glad to hear that everyone is safe & that they had a great Christmas. Christmas morning we went to a member's house for breakfast, the Macks. They're a cute, little old couple. We had a white elephant game afterward which was fun. We had previously planned on going ice skating in downtown Providence that afternoon, but we opted for a nap instead. Yay for two hour naps! Then we headed off to another dinner appointment with a recent convert & her family. Her name is Isabelle Fortes & she was baptized just about a year ago with her son & daughter. She's originally from Cape Verde (islands off north west coast of Africa). And guess what...her daughter is going to LDSBC! I gave her some tips on teachers & fun things to do. We had thought that this dinner company was going to be few, but we were wrong. Cape Verdians love to have parties! We had up to 20 people in the apartment, us Sisters being the only non-Cape Verdians. It was a lot of fun & I even tried out some octopus. It was quite good, except for the little tentacle hanging off of it. I almost couldn't do it, but I'm glad I did.

Sunday was a new experience for me. Central Falls is an inner city ward...much different from anything in Idaho or Canton. About half of the ward speaks Portuguese. I was practicing the piano after our meeting with the bishop in the morning & he said that all of his piano players were out of town for the week. He told me that I was playing the sacrament hymns, which happened to be the hardest Christmas songs in the book. So I was pretty much scared to death. I played two or three hymns over & over for the prelude music, but nothing could calm my anxiety. Sacrament meeting started & I was just praying for a miracle so I didn't have to play with my meager one-handed playing ability. The bishop announced the opening hymn & also introduced me...as Sister Lima...and said that I was our last resort. But thankfully at that second, Brother Wood walked in and saved me. He can play the piano a lot better than me! Whew...my prayers were definitely answered in the nick of time. But that didn't get me out of saying the closing prayer in Sacrament Mtg. or playing for Relief Society. Now I wish that I would have made myself practice the piano so I could be of some benefit to the ward here. Later that night we met with two Brown students, one from India & the other from Thailand, who were interested in learning more about "Mormonism." The Indian had a roommate a few years ago who was LDS & had given him a BOM. The lesson went very well & we're setting up another appointment to meet with them.

This week has been slow with our investigators because of the Christmas holiday. They are all out of town or swamped with so many activities. Not many people have been home while we were tracting, either. But things can just go up from here!

Now I feel that I've caught the true spirit of missionary work. I love being out here & sharing the gospel with so many people. I feel that my testimony has grown leaps and bounds. My knowledge of the scriptures has increased more than I ever thought it could. I definitely feel the Spirit more in my life & recognize the promptings of it. I'd like to thank Dad & my brothers for setting such great examples for me by going on missions. I look up to you all so much! It's not an easy experience. Much, much harder than I thought it would be. But so worth it. Thanks to everyone for all the support & love! And thank you all for your wonderful Christmas packages & cards! Sister Darrington

Winter Wonderland

Dec. 22, 2008 email: New England got dumped on with snow! I honestly don't know how much we've gotten in the past few days...but it's been a lot! It all started Friday afternoon while we were in the middle of our Christmas Mission Conference. It was a good program besides the fact that I have a cold & I couldn't sing! But our 3 songs still turned out pretty good. It took Sister Jones & me 2 hours to get to Bloomfield, CT...but 4 1/2 hours to get back home! The roads were VERY snowy and we crept along at about 30 mph. Luckily we made it back to East Prov. without any problems. It continued to snow up until last night. Church was cancelled yesterday so a member invited us over for dinner...yum!

So I didn't get my packages before I left. SAD! Luckily the Bristol Elders were checking on our apartment & mail so they let me know that I had 3 packages waiting. They're going to forward them to me today. Hopefully they get here in time for Christmas!

Now on to the actual missionary work related things. I love Rhode Island. It's a totally different world over here, but its a good one! Our area covers East Providence, Barrington, and the east side of Providence. We've got downtown Providence (all those big buildings!) and the famed mall in the area. Plus there are quite a few colleges and universities around. I love all the activity and people out and about. Much different than "sticksy" Canton. My first night in RI & the very first door I knocked on, some guy let us in, which is a very rare occasion! His company has offices in Salt Lake City & the head of the company is LDS. We had a nice little chat with him & taught a watered down Restoration lesson. He claims to still be non-religious or spiritual, but hopefully our words will spark something inside of him. I've only met one of our investigators, Angela. She's in her 50s and is progressing along well. We just have to repeat things over and over until it finally clicks with her.

Our ward (Central Falls) covers our area & also Pawtucket (pronounced without the W). Rhode Islanders drop letters and add ones that shouldn't be there, such as "ideer" for idea & "South Afriker" for South Africa. Crazy people. Pawtucket is mostly Portuguese speaking so we have some Portuguese speaking Elders in the ward. Elder Lima & Elder Gonzales are both from Brazil, but Elder Lima has lived in Utah for quite a few years. Elder Gonzales didn't speak a lick of English before he came, but he's doing great now. I guess the sacrament meetings here are split with some talks in English & some in Portuguese. But I have yet to experience it!

The work is progressing along good here & I'm seeing many miracles happen. I love working with Sister Jones. She's got a great attitude & an amazing work ethic. Maybe I can pick up on a little of that. I hope you all have a WONDERFUL & MERRY Christmas! I'm glad things are going well back home. Remember the real meaning of Christmas & carry the spirit of Christmas in your hearts all year long. If everyone did that, the world would be a better place. Love you all! Sister Darrington

Christmas in Connecticut?

Dec. 15, 2008 email: NOPE! I'm getting exiled to East Providence, RI! I'm super excited about it. I hear that it's the "big city." My new companion will be Sister Jones from SLC (in red sweater vest below). She's a hard worker so hopefully I'll pick up on that. Sister Haueter is going off to Windsor...they're closing Canton for a short time. I guess there hasn't been much progress the past few years. The sad thing is this past week has been our best ever. Oh well. President knows what the Lord wants. The Bristol Elders will be taking care of the area for the time being.

Thursday was probably our biggest day. We had a great district meeting & then went out for district unity because that was our last time together. The zone leader that was there on exchanges (because Elder Bodily was at the temple...going home Wednesday!) asked me if I knew any Cranneys from southern Idaho. I said I did...he says that Bryce Cranney is/was the ward mission leader out in West Warrick, RI or somewhere around there. Crazy!

We had a lesson with Lillian after that. Our main focus was on prayer & finding out if the Book of Mormon was true. We got off on a little tangent because she wondered why a loving Heavenly Father would let so much suffering happen. We explained that sometimes we don't have all the answers. Some suffering occurs because of the agency of others, but sometimes, such as in the case of cancer, things just happen. Heavenly Father can see the big picture. He knows what's best for us. She committed to read the BOM, which is a huge step. We're slowly softening her old, stubborn heart. :)

The Perdomos were later that night, too. Our main focus was prayer & scripture study. It was a great lesson! We read passages from the BOM out loud with the kids. They are such special kids. They are very ready for the Gospel. We've tried to get the family to church ever since I've been here and it finally happened this week! Four investigators at church! I'm going to miss that family very much. They hold a very, very special place in my heart. Friday we had a "Sisters' Seminar" (right) at the mission home in West Hartford. It was great! The assistants did trainings on how to find investigators & how to improve our teaching skills. Its nice to get an outsiders opinion on those things because us Sisters have been trained by the same people and we are all stuck in the same "box" of thinking. I truly felt the Spirit there & it got me excited about the work.

We got a tiny bit of that ice storm, but most of it was just rain. And I mean RAIN! The next few days were bitterly cold, but today is beautiful! I wish the whole winter was like this. If you come across any good object lessons/stories/etc. that I can apply to the missionary lessons, send them to me, please! I need to spice up my teaching a bit. Thanks to all of you who have sent me letters & packages. Thanks to grandma especially for the scarf & money. They help so much! Love you all and hope you have a great week!

BUURRR!!!

Dec. 8, 2008, email: We got our first real Connecticut snowfall Saturday night. I looked out the window Sunday morning and just about cried. We have gone so long without snow and cold, why couldn't we go longer! It reminded me of my days in Rexburg when my roommate and I would whine and complain that there was new snow just about every morning. The cold here is unbelievable! You'll have to experience it yourself to really know.

This week has been great! Our numbers aren't so hot, but not every success is seen in numbers. Last night we met with our new ward mission leader, Bro. Patterson, who just moved in. He's going to be awesome at this calling. He has such a great attitude about missionary work and even said that he's here to serve us. Things will be picking up here in the Canton ward! Saturday & Sunday we had a mission-wide fast for the "faith to find." I guess the whole mission has been struggling, but I know that this fast will help. I know that the Lord has prepared so many people for the gospel. He will soften the icy hearts of the New Englanders. We just have to trust in Him that he will show us where they are.

Saturday was our ward Christmas devotional, which consisted of musical numbers & a reading of the Christmas story from Luke. It turned out great! Lillian, one of our investigators, came to it with her son and another friend. It was such a great missionary tool to expose non-members to what we believe. Sister Haueter's piano solo was so beautiful & our song was pretty good. We hadn't practiced with the other sisters so it was good for the time spend on it. Earlier that day we got a call from Bro. Moore (right with wife, Freda) in Burlington to see if we could help him get his wood stacked before the snow came. Another service project involving splitting & stacking wood! And once again, I LOVED it! That's really funny to say, but once you go a long time without doing it, it feels so good to start again. We had to "wrestle" the wood splitter into his barn afterward which was quite the task! I picked up a few bruises on my legs & my whole body is sore! I'm sure the job was more suited for men, but Sister missionaries can do anything. Bro. Moore took us on a pick-up truck ride all over his property. They have 15 acres or so and even have a little campground area out back. So cool! It reminded me of Almo.

Friday night we went over to the Bayley's & made gingerbread houses with their kids. I haven't done that in years & I had a blast. Mine was supposed to be a temple, but it didn't turn out so well. I took some pictures so maybe someday you'll be able to see the fun we have.

Thursday was our last district meeting with our DL, Elder Bodily, because he's headed home next week. To celebrate, we had our meeting in Goshen & went to the infamous TSB [Torrington Super Buffet]. YUM! I think we have the best bunch of Elders in this district. So spiritual, yet they know how to have some fun. I'm gonna miss them if I get transferred next week.

Monday night we did exchanges with the Rocky Hill sisters so I finally got to experience a new area! That helped me get out of the little rut I was in. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't scared or timid about talking to people or tracting. I'm so thankful for the progress I've made so far. I know I've grown leaps & bounds, but I'm looking forward to more growth.

Well, that's a slightly brief summary of my week. I could spend hours writing every detail & every spiritual experience, but I don't have that kind of time. This week, I've really seen the many "tender mercies" that the Lord gives to his children. Hearts have been softened & testimonies strengthened. I'm so thankful to be out here in Connecticut at this time. It's a wonderful place with some awesome people!

It's the 1st snowfall of the winter!

From Dec. 1, 2008 email: We got our first snow yesterday, but it didn't stick. Yay! It's a VERY foggy day. . . I've never felt so claustrophobic!

This week was busy because of Zone Conference & Thanksgiving. Monday night we had an appointment with Lillian which went great! We took Sister Woodward, a new move in, with us & they clicked. Both were Home-Ec teachers & short & had a few other things in common. When Sister Woodward shared her testimony, it really touched Lillian. I know that she felt the Spirit. Now we just have to get her praying & reading the BoM.

We had Zone Conference on Wednesday instead of Thursday because of Thanksgiving. Such a super meeting! They talked a lot about faith, which I have been lacking a lot. The mission must be needing more faith as a whole, even though I felt like each training was directed towards me. The assistants gave the 3 stages of faith: 1-sounds good; 2-belief; 3-knowledge. For too many of us, our faith is in the belief stage. We don't make that extra stretch to make it a knowledge. We believe that there are people out there waiting for us to find them. We don't have that hope & faith to KNOW they are out there.

Thanksgiving was great! We started out our day at the Hartford Zone Turkey Bowl at Trinity College in Hartford. That was my 1st time in the city of Hartford. What an experience! Sister Haueter & I were the only Sisters there & she didn't want to play, so I didn't get in on any games. But I don't want to make the Elders look bad, do I? :) I got to toss the ball around a bit so that made me happy. I caught a somewhat difficult pass & one of the Elders said, "She's on my team." Hahaha. I have to thank my brothers that I'm making a good impression on the Elders with my sweet football skills. I made a pumpkin & a coconut cream pie & took them so the Elders could stuff their faces. Good reviews! And thanks Mom for that package [pie ingredients]! I loved it! Later that day we went to the Rasbands for dinner. They're such a great family. Dinner was amazing as usual. They do something each night called "thankfuls" where each person says what they are thankful for. I said I was most thankful to have a family out here that would take us in & treat us like our own would. I almost teared up after I said that. It was my 1st little bit of homesickness. But it didn't last too long. I thought the holidays would be a bit harder to get through, but I'm doing good so far. Although I miss being with the family this time of year, I'll survive. I know I'm doing a great work here.

From 24 Nov 2008 email:

I'm glad to hear that gas prices are going down there, too. The lowest I've seen is about $1.94 on Friday. Who knows what they'll be today! And yes, I've used my long coat. I've never been so cold in my life! The chill just bites you to the bone. It's time to layer up. Soon I'll look like a giant marshmallow under my coat, but who cares because I'll be warm.

The only investigator we met with this week was Lillian. We taught her the plan of salvation which she was very interested in. She had told us when we first met her that it would be quite a miracle if we ever got her to change. But I'm seeing the Spirit work it's magic with her. She had so many good questions about it & wanted to be sure that she had it down right. Two of her sons showed up & took part in the lesson. Maybe something will become of that, too. We're meeting with her later this afternoon because our P-day is cut short. We get Thursday off for Thanksgiving & we have to make it up today.

Yesterday we attended an inter-faith Thanksgiving musical event at the Collinsville Congregational Church. A youth choir from the ward was singing & we wanted to show our support for them. It was a great program. But it made me appreciate belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some other churches have some crazy ideas of how to run things. However, I respect their members because they have that religious base in their life. Hopefully we'll get some support from the community for our Christmas program/nativity we're having on Dec. 6.

Saturday we joined forces with some of the ward members & helped the Burwoods clean up their yard. Boy, it was good to get out & do some work! We raked leaves, whacked weeds & other yard jobs. It was bitterly cold, but we all braved the weather to do some service. The Burwoods were VERY appreciative because they are older & have a hard time keeping up with their couple of acres. Sister Burwood even baked us pumpkin pies to show how much she cared.

We had another member move into the ward, making a grand total of 32 new members since I've been here. This ward is multiplying as fast as the mold in our bathroom. Sister Woodward (left), originally from Ohio, just got done serving in the missionary department at church headquarters. She provided counseling for missionaries who were going home because of emotional problems. I didn't know such a thing existed! She's always willing to help us missionaries & has opened up her home to us whenever we're in the area (Norfolk).

This week I've realized that I haven't been working as hard as I could be & that I'm not as obedient as I should be. But I'm changing . . . becoming more of what Heavenly Father wants me to be & less of what I want to be. I know that it's going to be a rough journey to
get there, but it will be worth it. The hardest thing for me is asking for help. When I first came out, I didn't want to turn into one of those cheesy missionaries, but now I know that they are the best ones. They know without a doubt that every effort they make to bring others to Christ is worth it. So watch out . . . I might be one of those weird missionaries who has a hard time adjusting to "real life" when I get home.

Thanks for all your love & support! You keep me going through the hard times. Love you!

Another Week

From Monday, 10 Nov 2008, email:

Sounds like more exciting things are happening back home. Did you get to learn a little bit about Connecticut from "Elder" Taylor's talk? I hear from people out here that he was a pretty awesome missionary. Elder Carr always tells me stories of him. Did he talk about the time he got to bale hay for a preacher of another church? Must have been right at home on the farm equipment!

There hasn't been anything too exciting going on this week. We met with the Perdomos on Thursday, but there were so many distractions. We used a cute object lesson about the gospel of Jesus Christ that the kids really liked. The family loves us to death, but are still a bit hesitant about being baptized. They aren't sure that it is true so this week we will be giving a lesson on prayer & fasting. Hopefully they will take it to heart & learn for themselves that this church is true & Joseph Smith was a prophet. They have so much potential!

Friday we went to Norfolk to help Ky Byrne (right) split wood.

We work with her doing service at the soup kitchen in Winsted. She instantly took a liking to us & has been a bit curious about our beliefs. It's kind of funny to say, but I enjoyed splitting wood. The rewards were about 1/2 cord done & a sore body. It was nice to break away from the usual missionary work & do some actual manual labor. Ky has been working on her 1850-ish house so we chatted a bit about fixing up old houses. I thought of Almo & all the work that you have been doing there. Save some for me when I get home! :) Hopefully she'll be calling us back this week so we can help her out some more.

We had a great meeting with our new district on Thursday. We talked about how we can gain back our enthusiasm in doing missionary work. Most missionaries hit a wall where they lose their steam. But this is the perfect time to do a personal inventory. Why are you out on a mission? What has kept you going? How will you feel when you step onto that plane when you're flying home? These questions have helped me to keep going through this rut my companion & I are in. We've put ourselves in order & set new goals so we'll make it the best transfer ever!

Sister Haueter says she knows of Devery Greene & knows who her brothers are. What a small world! And I remembered that Paul Allred had emailed me before my mission saying that he grew up in Burley & knew some Darringtons. I thought about it for a while and it hit me that there was an Elder Allred in my zone. And it just so happens to be THE Elder Allred. He's a great missionary.

I hope all continues to go well at home. Let the branch know that I'm thinking of them & that I miss them. And tell them good luck in all that they do! Love you all! Keep praying for the missionaries. And I'm extending a commitment to you all to read & study Preach My Gospel. It's not just for missionaries!