August 13, 2009

Mom,

Do not worry about me. All is well and I don´t know if I am portraying something that is very bad, because it is definitely not as bad as you think it is. I am doing fine. This week has gone a lot better, but even before that, it was just the downs of being a missionary. However, I am fine. I find renewed strength every day through prayer and others. Please don´t worry too much about me. You can worry a little but not too much. I am doing wonderful, in fact this week has been fantastic. The language seems to be going really well, until I talk to a native, then I get lost, but that is okay. I really love this place and I can´t believe that in 12 days I will be kicked out in the lone and dreary world. I can´t wait.

The food also seems to be getting better and better. I don´t know if it is my taste buds that are being deadened (I hope that makes sense) or the fact that the head chef is out of town and we have a excellent substitute. I hope that it is the latter. I do find myself on my knees a lot and in prayer more, and I find a lot of strength and peace from doing so. I really have gained a strong testimony of the power of prayer and I feel that that is something that everyone seriously needs. They obviously need the Gospel, but who doesn´t want a way to communicate with a todopoderoso Dios that knows us better than we know ourselves and who desperately wants to help us. I love it!

I have been trying to memorize all the articles of faith with my companion during the downtime that we have and we only have 3 left, that is if we remember the previous ones.

My spanish really is coming along, especially compared to the other class, the lower class, and even compared to the class that was, I think, 3 weeks ahead of us that left a week and a half ago. I felt like I spoke better than most of them. I also think that I speak better than the other three missionaries that are going to the Madrid mission. I don´t say this to brag but only to say that my discouragement that comes from the language is only that my companion is basically fluent and that all of my class, that are all going to Barcelona, can speak better than me, except for one that is basically equal with me. I really have no reason to complain, and I hope that I am not, because I definitely consider it a blessing to learn this beautiful language and I can´t wait to bear solemn testimony that perfectly reflects the way I feel. I surely can bear my testimony, but it is hard to articulate my feelings about something that is so prescious to me. I do think that I am progressing faster here not only because I am in a spanish speaking country but also because me class is so smart. I feel very blessed.

I am realizing everyday that the scriptures in section 121 of Doctrine and Covenants, I think the last couple, are very real to me and desperately needed. I have realized, as my teacher helped me understand, that in order for my confidence to wax strong in the presence of God and to have all of the other blessings said therein, that they are all directly related to obedience. The more obedient I am the more blessed I will be. I love the opportunity I have to be obedient and to know the commandments that I need to live by, not only as a member of the church but also as a missionary. It is hard to be obedient with exactness but one thing that my companion and I agree on is that we want to be exactly obedient.

Happy birthday Dad. I thought of you a lot that day and I hope that you had a great birthday. I am so proud of you that you are still on that sugar diet and I hope you keep going and don´t give up.

Never give up... Never surrender.

I am sending you, hopefully tomorrow, a package with a cd with all of my pictures thus far, about 200 of them, sorry not very many of them are very interesting, just a bunch of me and companions, and temple shots. Sorry mom you probably won´t like all of those. But I really love the temple! and I hope that someday you can go inside. It is so pretty!

But, I am sending you that and a special treat for Dad. I hope that it gets to you soon. I apologize for the tardiness of this Dad. If I had been planning better I would have sent it last week but I didn´t remember until the 8th of August, so I have to wish you a happy late birthday. Luckily, however, I will be able to see you before your 55 birthday...I hope that is right!

I love you all, and I pray for you very much. I trust all is well, and thank you for all of the prayers and love. Also, thank you Grandmother for your letters and uncle Paul. I´m sorry that I couldn´t write them back as well. I didn´t have very much time today with the temple, helping out in the baptismal font after the session, laundry, lunch, and then the Prado museum after that. It was really cool and I recommend it! haha. I love you all and my God bless you!

Love,

Elder Driggs

P.S.

Don´t worry... the Lord is on my side!