August 24, 2009

August 24, 2009

Dear family,

I am glad to here that everyone is doing well with all of their activities. I hope that Mom and Dad are having fun in Lake Tahoe. That sure sounds like a fun trip and in such a beautiful place.

Things really aren´t changing around here. Just the regular CCM schedule. This week at the park my companion and I did very well and met all of our goals except the last one. We were 6/6 in getting contacts in the metro to and from the park, which was tied for the most I have had while being here. In the park we were 16/16 with contacts, which is more than I had done the whole 6 weeks I have been there. The last goal was to get 5 references, which is a lot because the most I had received previous was, I think, 2, so that was stretching it but we did get three. This goal is tough to project because it is something that is almost out of our control, because they do have their agency.

However one of our contacts was a family that we had barely talked to for 2 minutes while we were leaving the park and then asked them if they wanted to learn more and the wife looked at her husband, who was holding their daughter, and he didn´t say anything and she said, "Sure", or ¨Si.¨ So that was a miracle, that they were so quick to accept the message. I have found, as it has been said, that the many Latin Americans that come from mainly Ecuador, Peru, Chile, etc, are much more receptive than the Spaniards. I have heard that most of the wards have more Latin Americans attending than actual Spaniards. I´m not sure that is true yet, soon, but I do believe that they are much more open-minded and receptive of the church. It makes me think and wonder why I was called here to Spain as it seems that it would certainly be easier and much more successful down in South America. It is definitely hard here in Spain and I can already tell that just from going to the Parque del Retiro every Saturday.

Hello again,

I have time to email you a little longer, but I wanted to congratulate Mark on his tennis game. It sounds like he is doing really well. Maybe, if he keeps practicing, he will be able to beat me when I get back. Just maybe, haha. Just teasing, I am sure you will be able to, especially since I will probably weigh 200 pounds when I get back and not be able to pick up a racket. I am happy for you and hope that you focus, focus, focus, and work hard to get what you want.

I have a quote that I want to leave all of you with. I hope that all is going well with you and that you keep your chins up and not let anything get in the way of what is most important. I recommend, if time is available in your every busy lives, to read President Uchtdorf´s talk in conference during the Priesthood Session. It was inspiring and taught about the importance of focusing on what is most important in life and not getting distracted. Our membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is most important along with preparing ourselves everyday to meet our Heavenly Father, when this life ends. This is what matters most, to us and our family, and it requires a great deal of focus, desire, determination, hard work, and perseverance.

Here is the quote that I memorized from Vaughn J. Featherstone:

When you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it, to work day and night for it, to give up your peace and your sleep and your time for it. If only the desire of it makes your aim strong enough never to tire of it. When life seems all empty and useless without it, and all that you dream and you scheme is about it; and gladly you´ll sweat for it, fret for it, plan for it, pray with all of your strength for it. If only you´ll simply go after the thing you want most with all your capacity; strength and sagacity; faith, hope, confidence; stern pertinacity. If neither poverty nor cold, nor famish nor gaunt, nor sickness nor pain, to body and brain will turn you away from the thing you want most...You´ll get it! Oh, You´ll get it!

I love this quote and it goes along with the ending quote of my talk from Eric. I hope that all of us can put off the natural man, or women, and do what the Lord expects us to do. I have found that it isn´t that we are doing bad things but that we are missing some of the little things, that rob us of a little extra light and blessings that we so desperately need in this dark and desperate world. It is so important that we are perfectly obedient in this life because we need all the help and all the blessings that we can scrounge for in this journey back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. It is so worth and luckily for us we are not in this alone. We are never alone. Christ is our Elder Brother and His merciful hand is outstretched still, and if we heed the call of Him, the Good Shepherd, He will gather us together and lead us safely home. What a miracle, what a blessing. We have a way to return to the home of our Heavenly Father, and we have the blessing of knowing the way. We know this perfect way! and the key is that this knowledge is only power when it is put into daily, hourly, momentary action. Step by step we can follow the Master home. I love my Savior and know that all of you do to. I pray that we will grab His hand and take His yoke upon us so that we can be together forever in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

I love you all,

May God bless us this week and forever,

Elder Driggs

P.S.

¨My Little Buttercup, has the sweetest smile...¨