Elder Alexander Charles Darrow: Focusing on Families

just Alex…

Hello family! All right so once again, as always, I thank you for the emails. You’re too sweet to do that. To get straight to the point, I got 2 packages from ma and pa, and one from g-ma. Mom, the pants fit perfect. Thank you so very much. The journal is awesome. But really the whole package was all about the calendar. That thing was incredible.

(Elders Mackay, Darrow, Holmes and Christensen)

As for this week, before I get onto the intense zone conf we had, I will first talk small about Steven. He is this guy that came to church with his friend 2 weeks ago. He is a student in what you know as college. He is studying business. He seems really sweet and we had our first lesson with him this last week. He’s very busy going to lectures and stuff so its not easy to find time to meet him but our first lesson went really well and I’m excited to continue with him. When we first showed up I saw on his laptop the Steven Coveys 7 habits you sent me. Mine is up on my wall and I quickly related to him. So that was cool. He’s smart and teaching people who understand English is so very awesome.

We also found out this week that Sister Julie will be married on the 5th of March. Which is so sweet. She wants her baptism as soon as possible so I think as of now its planned for the 6th of March. Really so cool. She comes to church every Sunday and has been taught by so many elders. She has just been waiting patiently for the marriage thing to work out and now it’s finally here. So many missionaries have investigators who are in the same boat (Justice and Cathryn down in Sekondi). e Holmes is more then happy he gets to be here for the baptism. We will find out transfer news on the 7th (happy flippin b-day to Stephanie)

Marsha (in Sekondi) was baptized this week. I called her and got to chat with her. That was sweet. She was very, very happy and mostly happy that she waited so I couldn’t see it. She was basically waiting just to show her hubby she wore the pants. Sigh. It happens.

(Elder Darrow, Marsha and Rex)

Also Pricilla wasn’t baptized on Sat. She had something happen in school and couldn’t go. So they pushed it to Tuesday. They say she still wants to so I’m sure it will work out. We can only pray right?

(Elder Darrow and Pricilla Jackson)

As for zone conf this week, it was very, very sweet. Pres gave some powerful instruction. He explained how right now we are probably the oldest mission in the world right now. Because of the 2 huge mtc groups. In Aug 09 we got 24 then 15 then like 10. In 3 transfer our mission was doubled. Now it’s getting to the point where those elders are getting close to their way out. Then he really gave it to us about how we should be doing great things because of our experience and really pushed us to sprint to the end. In doing all that he announced the new goal. It’s his last goal as pres. It’s the 9th one and every other one he has completed. (If we complete the current one we are on)

The new goal of the Ghana Cape Coast Mission:

1. By Sunday, June 26, 2011, every missionary in the mission will baptize someone who has a family member in the church.

2. By Sunday, June 26, 2011, every missionary in the mission will help one family to be sealed in the Temple.

-A living couple goes to the Temple and is sealed.

-A widow(er) is sealed to a deceased spouse.

-A living child is sealed to parents.

-A deceased child is sealed to living parents.

He is really focusing on families. That’s all we ever do. It’s so important. When a whole family joins they are so strong. So we will be doing a lot of work with the members who are ready and haven’t been sealed. Really just trying to make that family forever. So awesome. Im excited to get going on that one. He also had a deep doctrinal discussion with us about the atonement and grace and works. It was powerful. Pres is such a stud. Really came out of that place ready to work.

He also changed our daily schedule. Before we were basically out 30 min earlier than most of the missions, because when Pres first came to Ghana, a lot of places didn’t have lights so you couldn’t really teach after 630pm or so. But now he has seen otherwise. So we are back to out the door at 10. He really has just pushed for being out for 9 hours. No matter how you get it done, just being out there for 9. Things are going sweet.

I'm very much enjoying my time with e Holmes. We laugh so much. I love laughing.