Dearest family,
So I guess you´re dying to hear the news huh? Well...don´t get your hopes up because I get another round in Aranjuez. I´ll be honest. I have been here in Aranjuez for 7 months tomorrow, and with this next transfer I will have been in the same area for 8 and a half months. So it has been a lot of time and I really do consider it a great privilege and honor to have been here so long. But I sure was excited about getting a change of scenery and a new breath of fresh air. But there isn´t time enough to complain.
I am really not too sad, because I have the firm confidence and trust in President Watkins and I know that there is someone out there that needs to hear the message of the Restoration from me and hear my testimony. So, what I have realized and come to understand from not being transferred is that I just need to work harder, to make sure when I am transferred, I can say very honestly, I have done all I can to find the humble and pure in heart that have been prepared to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is what we basically have been doing. Working hard and searching out the righteous where they may be.
As you know that the goal of the mission is to have 1 baptism every month for every compañionship and after the mission conference with Elder Kopischke I got the feeling that everything is possible if we spiritually plan and work the hardest possible to accomplish those goals. And with these ideas in mind we have set the bar for us and 3 baptisms this month. We have selected those 3 people from the investigators that we have, and feel that they have the most potential to be baptized in this coming month of April. There is no room to doubt the possibilities and we have to just put our heads down and run, or in hymn language, put our shoulders to the wheel and push along. Look unto Christ in every thought, doubt not fear not.
It is a struggle for me but it is good, because I am more apt to change my life and be more and more obedient to require the hand of the Lord in our lives and in the lives of those we love. It is a dependent relationship that we have with the Lord. We want to do all that we can so that He can help us. So I am very happy and content and excited to be in lovely Aranjuez for another 6 weeks with Elder Dawson. There are also 8 or so missionaries, I think, that are leaving at the end of this transfer, so we will see if I get the boot then.
Okay, wow, what to tell the family. So much has happened this week and it is almost impossible to tell you all that has happened in a manner that you understand the importance of it all. Mainly because I am a horrible writer. But let´s start with Jorge.
Jorge is doing sooo well. He had his baptismal interview yesterday with our new district leader Elder Middleton and he passed. Elder Middleton said that he was hard to understand because he was so nervous. You have to remember that there is a bit of a language barrier sometimes because his native language from Gineau Bisseau is Portugese. It usually isn´t a problem because he is married to a Spanish lady, but it´s the thick Portugese accent that makes it tough.
Let me give you an funny example of this accent barrier that we have with him that happened just the other day. About 4 days ago we were teaching Jorge the last principles and doctrines that he needed to know for baptism. I think that it was tithing, fasting, offerings, and honoring and obeying the law. He had no problem with either of the principles and is more proof that he is truly a miracle, having been prepared long before we got there by the hand of the Lord. So always before they have the baptismal interview there are certain questions that we have to ask the candidates to make sure that they are worthy and to know if they have done serious things in the past, that would require an interview with President Watkins.
We asked the first question, which is, have you every participated in an abortion? He answered faithfully, and possibly a little confused of the word abortion, saying I don´t think so. We then asked him the second question, have you ever participated in a homesexual relationship? He answered very firmly and quickly, with his thick accent...Claro. Elder Dawson and I looked at each other and almost laughed knowing that he didn´t understand the question (Elder Dawson, who was asking the questions, speaks Spanish very well grammatically and has a great vocabulary, but the accent isn´t quite there yet, so people are always having troubles understanding him).
Elder Dawson repeated the question and Jorge responded a little astounded, oh no, no ewww. No nunca. We all laughed and made Jorge feel better and it was no big deal. But it was super funny the way he responded, so confidently, thinking that we had asked him, have you ever participated in a sexual relationship. And of course he is married with two children.
The other special experience that we had this week took place yesterday when we received a text message from the Young Women´s president that her counselor´s mother passed away. The counselor´s name is Elsa and has lived here in Spain for about 6 months. She is a rock and I just love her to death. She married late to a non member and due to economic problems, right after they got married in Peru, he had to leave for Spain to go and work.
Elsa's husband was not able to bring her over for 4 years and they have just started living together 6 months ago. So, anyway, she lives in a pueblo 20 minutes away in car, but they don´t have a car, so every Sunday she leaves here pueblo at 8 o clock to catch the 8:10 bus and then arrives here at 8:30. There are only two buses that leave from her pueblo Sunday mornings, so this is her only option. She then waits for 1 hour and a half until we come open the door for her, so that she can wait inside the church. The bad part of this that the bus that she needs to catch to go home leaves at 12:00. So she only is able to attend Sacrament meeting.
Elsa has been doing this and making this sacrifice the whole time she has been here and always, always, always has a smile. She gave a talk the other day and her testimony was so powerful, especially in her hopes and desires to be sealed to her husband one day in the temple. So, we gave her a call yesterday morning and she answered and then started crying, telling us what happened, and asked for a Priesthood blessing. We had a day fully packed with a district meeting in the morning, but we arranged the schedule and planned to leave on the 6:30 bus and come home at 8:40.
As we were about ready to go, we received a call from some members and soon found out that we were going to have a family night at her house with about 10 members. It was perfect and just what we needed. We arrived a little late but as soon as we got there the Spirit was so strong and you knew that it was just what she needed and all that we could really give her to find comfort. There were five worthy male members there, 3 of which were from South America, and she asked me to give her the blessing. I was so humbled that she asked me and had such complete trust and love for me and missionaries in general. She felt peace and comfort from the blessing.
Elder Dawson shared some powerful scriptures and his sweet, tender testimony. We sang families can be together forever and come, come ye saints. There was a powerful spirit in their home and hopefully her husband softened his heart a little bit, because he was so surprised that all of us come from so far to give her comfort and share her pain. It was a spiritually filled evening that I will never forget. She has the peace of mind that her parents are sealed in the temple.
I too have this peace of mind and joy that you two are sealed in the temple for time and all eternity and I thank you for keeping the covenants that you made at the alter that day that short time ago. It gives me so many feelings of love to know that I will be with my family, the ones that I love most, forever.
I love you all and thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me, Elder Dawson, and the investigators.
I love you,
Elder Driggs
Rob
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
March 17, 2010
Dear family,
Well, I sure love hearing from you. It sounds like life at home is…normal. I am glad to hear all of the exciting news.
I think that it is so cool that Kathryn is coming here for the study abroad program. Elder Dawson served in the ward where she will be attending and apparently that is where a ton of people live that know uncle Paul. So that is very exciting. I wonder if I will be able to see her.
I also am very jealous that you two get to go to Indian Wells. So fun, but I am glad that you get to sneak away and spend some time with Uncle Chuck and Aunt Tiff. Take some pictures while you are there. Everyone here has heard of California, New York, Texas and Florida, and hardly anyone knows where Utah is, so I always just say that it is close to California and leave it at that.
Just because you asked, we never went and visited that lady again that got confused between the mensage and message. We thought that it probably wasn´t the best idea and there were other things to do. If we didn´t have anyone to teach then we probably would have followed up better. Actually, where we contacted her, isn´t even in our area anymore.
I am still not sure what our address is and I am not totally certain if you should send anything directly here. Transfers are next week and we are certain that missionaries are going to be moving around because some areas are closing. I have my doubts as to if I am going to stay here longer. We received an email that señor companions will probably stay in there area for the minimum of 9 months to help build relationships with the leadership and members of the church unit where they are serving. I am at 6 and a bit now, almost 7, and not the senor companion. We will see if this is my last week or not. There are some missionaries leaving and coming in at the end of this transfer so the possibilities are high. There is also some excitement to the fact that those who will be in the province of La Mancha and other outlying areas, which is about 3 areas, at this transfer will stay there until we make the switch on the first of July. This means that those missionaries who are occupying those areas will have to switch missions. So that is also an option for me. I am not too worried, knowing that all will happen that is meant to happen, and I will be better for whatever comes. Odds are on my side, that I will stay.
This last week we had the privilege of having Elder Kopischke, the area president of Europe and a member of the first quorum of the seventy, come visit us. I think I mentioned that last time. It was exciting and very illuminating. The thing that I like from the whole thing was a bit of advice he gave us at the very beginning.
He asked us to wake up every morning 3 minutes early, so that we could visualize, spiritually and with an eye of faith, a family dressed in white, getting ready to be baptized, or getting ready to be sealed in the temple. He said that after doing this, and having this daily vision of a family that we want to come in contact with, will help guide our efforts and make them more focused. He told us stories of how he would spiritually plan everything necessary for investigators with his missionaries when he was the mission leader is his ward in Germany. He would plan ALL of the details and then do everything possible with those missionaries to accomplish those plans. He said that he and those missionaries were able to have 5 baptisms in the three months he was in that calling. He challenged us to do the same.
Spiritually planning everything necessary to have all of our investigators come to church, who would take them to church, who would sit by them, and everything needed to teach them, from the beginning and then do all within our power to bring to pass those detailed plans. He promised that as we would do all that is possible in our efforts to do this the Lord would magnify those efforts and help those investigators be baptized.
It was an inspirational conference and I certainly haven´t done it justice in that brief resume. We all came away very excited to apply those things to our respective areas and to reap the benefits of doing so.
I love having that family in mind during the day. It motivates me to talk to more people, knowing that as I do all that is possible the Lord will put that family in our paths. What a blessing to know that as we put forth our efforts the Lord will prepare the way for not only our salvation but the salvation of many, many others.
Jorge, I am not sure if I have mentioned him, is going to get baptized a week from Saturday. He is from Guinea Bissau and is married to an española. She doesn´t have much interest but he is just on fire. Nothing can stop him. He doesn´t have work right now but he is reading the Book of Mormon every day, praying every day, and has come to sacrament meeting the past 3 weeks. We are very excited for him and we hope that a miracle will take place so that we can start teaching more, his wife and her 11 year old daughter. They have two more children but they are 4 and 2 years old.
Another thing that Elder Kopischke did was challenge us to find our replacement. He promised us in the near future, Europe would be self sufficient with missionaries. He said that all we have to do is baptize a future missionary that will be able to replace us before we go home. We are trying to do that now, as we are teaching a boy of 15 years old right now, Fernando, who is from the Dominican Republic. His uncle served a mission and he, when he was younger, wanted to do the same. He wants to be baptized but is not sure he wants to do it so soon (His date is the 10 of April). We know that he has received an answer that this church is the church of Jesus Christ, but it is hard for him to understand and recognize that that witness is enough for him to be baptized and become a strong member. It is a big step of faith for him but he is doing very well, and progressing wonderfully.
I hope that all continues to go well this week and I hope that you know that I love you very much. I am so glad to know that my family has been sealed in the temple and that we are protected as we honor and live in accordance with the covenants we made there.
I love you all soooo much. Abrazos y Besos.
Élder Driggs
Well, I sure love hearing from you. It sounds like life at home is…normal. I am glad to hear all of the exciting news.
I think that it is so cool that Kathryn is coming here for the study abroad program. Elder Dawson served in the ward where she will be attending and apparently that is where a ton of people live that know uncle Paul. So that is very exciting. I wonder if I will be able to see her.
I also am very jealous that you two get to go to Indian Wells. So fun, but I am glad that you get to sneak away and spend some time with Uncle Chuck and Aunt Tiff. Take some pictures while you are there. Everyone here has heard of California, New York, Texas and Florida, and hardly anyone knows where Utah is, so I always just say that it is close to California and leave it at that.
Just because you asked, we never went and visited that lady again that got confused between the mensage and message. We thought that it probably wasn´t the best idea and there were other things to do. If we didn´t have anyone to teach then we probably would have followed up better. Actually, where we contacted her, isn´t even in our area anymore.
I am still not sure what our address is and I am not totally certain if you should send anything directly here. Transfers are next week and we are certain that missionaries are going to be moving around because some areas are closing. I have my doubts as to if I am going to stay here longer. We received an email that señor companions will probably stay in there area for the minimum of 9 months to help build relationships with the leadership and members of the church unit where they are serving. I am at 6 and a bit now, almost 7, and not the senor companion. We will see if this is my last week or not. There are some missionaries leaving and coming in at the end of this transfer so the possibilities are high. There is also some excitement to the fact that those who will be in the province of La Mancha and other outlying areas, which is about 3 areas, at this transfer will stay there until we make the switch on the first of July. This means that those missionaries who are occupying those areas will have to switch missions. So that is also an option for me. I am not too worried, knowing that all will happen that is meant to happen, and I will be better for whatever comes. Odds are on my side, that I will stay.
This last week we had the privilege of having Elder Kopischke, the area president of Europe and a member of the first quorum of the seventy, come visit us. I think I mentioned that last time. It was exciting and very illuminating. The thing that I like from the whole thing was a bit of advice he gave us at the very beginning.
He asked us to wake up every morning 3 minutes early, so that we could visualize, spiritually and with an eye of faith, a family dressed in white, getting ready to be baptized, or getting ready to be sealed in the temple. He said that after doing this, and having this daily vision of a family that we want to come in contact with, will help guide our efforts and make them more focused. He told us stories of how he would spiritually plan everything necessary for investigators with his missionaries when he was the mission leader is his ward in Germany. He would plan ALL of the details and then do everything possible with those missionaries to accomplish those plans. He said that he and those missionaries were able to have 5 baptisms in the three months he was in that calling. He challenged us to do the same.
Spiritually planning everything necessary to have all of our investigators come to church, who would take them to church, who would sit by them, and everything needed to teach them, from the beginning and then do all within our power to bring to pass those detailed plans. He promised that as we would do all that is possible in our efforts to do this the Lord would magnify those efforts and help those investigators be baptized.
It was an inspirational conference and I certainly haven´t done it justice in that brief resume. We all came away very excited to apply those things to our respective areas and to reap the benefits of doing so.
I love having that family in mind during the day. It motivates me to talk to more people, knowing that as I do all that is possible the Lord will put that family in our paths. What a blessing to know that as we put forth our efforts the Lord will prepare the way for not only our salvation but the salvation of many, many others.
Jorge, I am not sure if I have mentioned him, is going to get baptized a week from Saturday. He is from Guinea Bissau and is married to an española. She doesn´t have much interest but he is just on fire. Nothing can stop him. He doesn´t have work right now but he is reading the Book of Mormon every day, praying every day, and has come to sacrament meeting the past 3 weeks. We are very excited for him and we hope that a miracle will take place so that we can start teaching more, his wife and her 11 year old daughter. They have two more children but they are 4 and 2 years old.
Another thing that Elder Kopischke did was challenge us to find our replacement. He promised us in the near future, Europe would be self sufficient with missionaries. He said that all we have to do is baptize a future missionary that will be able to replace us before we go home. We are trying to do that now, as we are teaching a boy of 15 years old right now, Fernando, who is from the Dominican Republic. His uncle served a mission and he, when he was younger, wanted to do the same. He wants to be baptized but is not sure he wants to do it so soon (His date is the 10 of April). We know that he has received an answer that this church is the church of Jesus Christ, but it is hard for him to understand and recognize that that witness is enough for him to be baptized and become a strong member. It is a big step of faith for him but he is doing very well, and progressing wonderfully.
I hope that all continues to go well this week and I hope that you know that I love you very much. I am so glad to know that my family has been sealed in the temple and that we are protected as we honor and live in accordance with the covenants we made there.
I love you all soooo much. Abrazos y Besos.
Élder Driggs
Sunday, March 14, 2010
March 9, 2010
Dear family,
Well I hope that all is well. We have a crazy schedule this week and things have changed a little bit. Luckily I get to write to you, but the sad thing is that I don´t get to hear your letter. That´s okay, that just means that I will get an extra big letter next week right? Haha. Well, the reason that the schedule is different is because Elder Kopischke of the first quorum of the seventy and the European area presidency is coming to speak to us and train us on Wednesday, tomorrow, which is normally preparation day. So we just switched and had preparation day today and will hear him tomorrow. I am very excited to hear him. I remember when the last general authority came and I absolutely loved it. I am sure that I will love it again.
So today for preparation day we woke up and left the piso at 7:35, because we wanted to go to the 9:00 session at the temple. (It is a mission rule that we visit the temple at least once a transfer). Well in order to make it on time we needed to leave at 7:15, so we ended up arriving at 9:15, and missed that session. It was fine because we got dressed and had a little time to sit and be reverent. We don´t get very much time to do that as missionaries, so it is nice to do that every once in a while.
We came out at 12:00 and walked 30 feet to the stake center and played soccer for about an hour with 20 other missionaries. It was a lot of fun until the security guard told us that soccer was not allowed, only basketball. That was a shock as Spain is a country that is certainly soccer dominant. So we picked up our stuff, moved to a soccer pit 5 minutes away, and played for a little longer. It was a lot of fun and I recognize that I should have played soccer more as a kid because I do like it, but just lack the skills to be great. It still is very enjoyable.
I am sure you are all dying to hear the news about Ernesto and I can honestly say that he has been found. Yesterday we got the call from the Zone Leaders who now are in charge of that part of our old area, and they told us that they finally got a hold of him. The whole week we were calling him, trying to talk to him, as well as 4 or 5 members, but he never answered his phone. We were so worried that he might have been offended or that something happened. We went to his apartment yesterday and his brother in law said that he wasn´t there but that he was looking for us. This had us super confused.
Long story short, is that he arrived last night about an hour before the zone leaders knocked his door and he answered. He had received some sort of work or training out of town, about 1 hour away, and had been there the whole week. Normally this wouldn´t be a big deal, but he forgot his cell phone at home. So we had no way of contacting him the whole week and we were just so nervous. Luckily, he told the zone leaders that he still wants to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and still wants to come to church. He thinks that he will not have work this weekend so that he can come to church. We are so glad that he is found!!!
Well now that our area has basically been broken up and we only have about 1/3 of the old area, we are in the search for more investigators. We have a lot, but not very many of them want to progress. So we are looking for more people like Ernesto, that are just ready to progress and keep their commitments.
Well I have to go now. I hope that all is well at home, especially with the computer. That must have been so depressing. I love you all soooo much and pray for you all the time. Seriously, I do. Please keep praying for me and the people here in Spain, so that they can soften their hearts and be guided, through there difficulties, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I love my Savior and love serving him and this people. I learn more and more about the work every day and time is flying by, way too fast. Keep up the good work and I will give you another report next week.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you want me to tell you more about certain things. I don´t know, I really don´t write letters very often, or at least hardly ever before the mission and now I get to do it every week. So let me know if you want something more than what I am writing you. If you´re not satisfied.
I love you all!!!
Love,
Elder Driggs
P.S. Mom, I heard that you wrote back to one of the member girls here on facebook. They forwarded the message, so thank you very much. I love you too!!!
We hear bits and pieces of the natural disasters that are going on in the world, and I guess that the prophecies are coming to pass, huh.
Well I hope that all is well. We have a crazy schedule this week and things have changed a little bit. Luckily I get to write to you, but the sad thing is that I don´t get to hear your letter. That´s okay, that just means that I will get an extra big letter next week right? Haha. Well, the reason that the schedule is different is because Elder Kopischke of the first quorum of the seventy and the European area presidency is coming to speak to us and train us on Wednesday, tomorrow, which is normally preparation day. So we just switched and had preparation day today and will hear him tomorrow. I am very excited to hear him. I remember when the last general authority came and I absolutely loved it. I am sure that I will love it again.
So today for preparation day we woke up and left the piso at 7:35, because we wanted to go to the 9:00 session at the temple. (It is a mission rule that we visit the temple at least once a transfer). Well in order to make it on time we needed to leave at 7:15, so we ended up arriving at 9:15, and missed that session. It was fine because we got dressed and had a little time to sit and be reverent. We don´t get very much time to do that as missionaries, so it is nice to do that every once in a while.
We came out at 12:00 and walked 30 feet to the stake center and played soccer for about an hour with 20 other missionaries. It was a lot of fun until the security guard told us that soccer was not allowed, only basketball. That was a shock as Spain is a country that is certainly soccer dominant. So we picked up our stuff, moved to a soccer pit 5 minutes away, and played for a little longer. It was a lot of fun and I recognize that I should have played soccer more as a kid because I do like it, but just lack the skills to be great. It still is very enjoyable.
I am sure you are all dying to hear the news about Ernesto and I can honestly say that he has been found. Yesterday we got the call from the Zone Leaders who now are in charge of that part of our old area, and they told us that they finally got a hold of him. The whole week we were calling him, trying to talk to him, as well as 4 or 5 members, but he never answered his phone. We were so worried that he might have been offended or that something happened. We went to his apartment yesterday and his brother in law said that he wasn´t there but that he was looking for us. This had us super confused.
Long story short, is that he arrived last night about an hour before the zone leaders knocked his door and he answered. He had received some sort of work or training out of town, about 1 hour away, and had been there the whole week. Normally this wouldn´t be a big deal, but he forgot his cell phone at home. So we had no way of contacting him the whole week and we were just so nervous. Luckily, he told the zone leaders that he still wants to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and still wants to come to church. He thinks that he will not have work this weekend so that he can come to church. We are so glad that he is found!!!
Well now that our area has basically been broken up and we only have about 1/3 of the old area, we are in the search for more investigators. We have a lot, but not very many of them want to progress. So we are looking for more people like Ernesto, that are just ready to progress and keep their commitments.
Well I have to go now. I hope that all is well at home, especially with the computer. That must have been so depressing. I love you all soooo much and pray for you all the time. Seriously, I do. Please keep praying for me and the people here in Spain, so that they can soften their hearts and be guided, through there difficulties, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I love my Savior and love serving him and this people. I learn more and more about the work every day and time is flying by, way too fast. Keep up the good work and I will give you another report next week.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you want me to tell you more about certain things. I don´t know, I really don´t write letters very often, or at least hardly ever before the mission and now I get to do it every week. So let me know if you want something more than what I am writing you. If you´re not satisfied.
I love you all!!!
Love,
Elder Driggs
P.S. Mom, I heard that you wrote back to one of the member girls here on facebook. They forwarded the message, so thank you very much. I love you too!!!
We hear bits and pieces of the natural disasters that are going on in the world, and I guess that the prophecies are coming to pass, huh.
March 3, 2010
MY FAMILY,
Well this week has been great. A little complicated and very busy as usual, but it has been a great week.
The highlight of the week was definitely the baptism of Ernesto. He was baptized and it was a beautiful service. The only bad thing was there were not many members that came, only about 9 members. But that is okay. Ernesto chose to have the baptismal service in the Stake Center on Temple Square in Madrid, which is about 30 minutes from Aranjuez in car and 1 hour and a half in train. President and Hermana Watkins came as well as they usually try to come when they can to support the investigators being baptized.
We had a great day and as usual it had its hiccups but with the help of the Lord we were able to solve them and have everything come out okay. One of the hiccups was that our old branch mission leader, who had been assigned to fill the font, called us in the morning the day of telling us that the person he had found to do it was no unavailable. This was a huge surprise and was a big twist thrown into the plans as we were already booked with ¨our¨ plans. We had to cut out of English classes early, which we offer every Wednesday night and Saturday morning, and head up to Madrid so that we could start filling up the font, which takes about 3 hours to fill.
We arrived an hour late, as we had not planned to have to fill the font, but in the end it was enough water for Ernesto to be baptized. The only bad part about all of the this was that Ernesto didn´t come to church on Sunday to be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He had told us a couple days before that his sister had arranged for him to have an interview at her work that Sunday morning. We told him to do all possible to make it there and then promised blessings. He didn´t come and we haven´t had contact with him for the past 3 days. We are a little worried as you can imagine but it one of our members finally got a hold of him and we think that all is well. We think he got the job and is working a ton now. We shall wait for this next sunday to have him come again.
Our weeks are busy. The goal for all of Europe, I believe, right now is 20 lessons to investigators every week and we finally hit that goal two weeks ago. This last week we taugt 17 lessons because I was a little sick and we had to move all of our stuff from our old room to the new piso (apartment). It took a long time to get everything organized and it took a lot of energy out of us. Luckily, we are starting this week off strong and hope to teach another 20 this week. Due to the amount of investigators that we have, the amount of lessons that are taught, and the amount of regressos or return appointments that we get in our two other main pueblos (cities) of Ciempozuelos and Valdemoro.
President Watkins has decided to give those two pueblos to the Zone leader's area. They are going to get a car and be able to cover that area, there area (which has been dead for a little while) and a little bit of the area of our district leader in Parla. We are sad to have our branch boundaries broken up by two sets of companionships, but we are also very excited to see more gold be gathered in those areas. We´re impeded from putting all of the required time in those areas because it takes us time to travel there and back. Now those investigators will be able to be taught more often and as a result progress more. Plus they shall be with those great missionaries, the zone leaders.
Elder Dawson and I are excited to have just Aranjuez to focus in now, well I guess we still have about 5 other small pueblos, but mainly we will be here. We have a lot of potential and we are working hard to generate more progression with the investigators and to get new ones that are ready to accept the gospel. We have a few investigators with baptismal dates. Arrean (Cuba 40) , Fernando (Dominican Republic 17), Bryan (Columbia 16), and Jorge (Guinea Biseau 35).
Fernando and Jorge are really progressing, Bryan no, because he is lazy. Arrean has a lot of potential but we have lost contact with her for the past week. She finally answered her cell phone last night and went on to tell us that she has been trying to communicate with her family in Cuba, telling here that she wants to be baptized and they said that they will not support her in the decision. She didn´t give us too many details, but I want to think that she has already lost communication with them and is trying to talk through email and letters. She still thinks that being baptized is a good thing but is not sure that now is the best time if she is going to lose the relationship with her family. So please pray for her that she can come along and stick to her goal of being baptized the 27th of March.
We are trying to do all that we can to have at least 1 baptism every month, and it is so hard. But we have faith that the Lord is preparing people to be taught and all we have to do is follow the Spirit and do what is required in Preach My Gospel and the white handbook. The blessing start flowing as we do what is right all the time, and it is always worth the effort.
The new apartment is very small but all that we need. We now have privacy and are able to focus more on the Lord´s work. It in Calle Gobernador on the left handside of Caja Mar, in the plaza de la constitución, if you want to look at it. It is a 200 year old building that has been restored, so it is clean inside, but the workers that did it weren´t the smartest so there are a few hidden treasures. Under the building there are old tunnels that lead to the palace, but they have been covered up for years, to prevent access.
I love you so much and am glad to hear that all is well with you. I pray for you almost always and am grateful that the church is strong where you are. I count my blessings to have the church so close and strong where we live. I am glad that Cami, Mark, and Cari are doing well. And good luck with the computer. That doesn´t sound very good. But the bad times will pass and the good times always come.
Let the good times roll.
I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and make sure you all read your scriptures every day. I am understanding and realizing the miracles that come into my life and the lives of others if we read at least one verse of scripture every day. It is power, and without it we cannot survive.
Love, Elder Driggs
Well this week has been great. A little complicated and very busy as usual, but it has been a great week.
The highlight of the week was definitely the baptism of Ernesto. He was baptized and it was a beautiful service. The only bad thing was there were not many members that came, only about 9 members. But that is okay. Ernesto chose to have the baptismal service in the Stake Center on Temple Square in Madrid, which is about 30 minutes from Aranjuez in car and 1 hour and a half in train. President and Hermana Watkins came as well as they usually try to come when they can to support the investigators being baptized.
We had a great day and as usual it had its hiccups but with the help of the Lord we were able to solve them and have everything come out okay. One of the hiccups was that our old branch mission leader, who had been assigned to fill the font, called us in the morning the day of telling us that the person he had found to do it was no unavailable. This was a huge surprise and was a big twist thrown into the plans as we were already booked with ¨our¨ plans. We had to cut out of English classes early, which we offer every Wednesday night and Saturday morning, and head up to Madrid so that we could start filling up the font, which takes about 3 hours to fill.
We arrived an hour late, as we had not planned to have to fill the font, but in the end it was enough water for Ernesto to be baptized. The only bad part about all of the this was that Ernesto didn´t come to church on Sunday to be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He had told us a couple days before that his sister had arranged for him to have an interview at her work that Sunday morning. We told him to do all possible to make it there and then promised blessings. He didn´t come and we haven´t had contact with him for the past 3 days. We are a little worried as you can imagine but it one of our members finally got a hold of him and we think that all is well. We think he got the job and is working a ton now. We shall wait for this next sunday to have him come again.
Our weeks are busy. The goal for all of Europe, I believe, right now is 20 lessons to investigators every week and we finally hit that goal two weeks ago. This last week we taugt 17 lessons because I was a little sick and we had to move all of our stuff from our old room to the new piso (apartment). It took a long time to get everything organized and it took a lot of energy out of us. Luckily, we are starting this week off strong and hope to teach another 20 this week. Due to the amount of investigators that we have, the amount of lessons that are taught, and the amount of regressos or return appointments that we get in our two other main pueblos (cities) of Ciempozuelos and Valdemoro.
President Watkins has decided to give those two pueblos to the Zone leader's area. They are going to get a car and be able to cover that area, there area (which has been dead for a little while) and a little bit of the area of our district leader in Parla. We are sad to have our branch boundaries broken up by two sets of companionships, but we are also very excited to see more gold be gathered in those areas. We´re impeded from putting all of the required time in those areas because it takes us time to travel there and back. Now those investigators will be able to be taught more often and as a result progress more. Plus they shall be with those great missionaries, the zone leaders.
Elder Dawson and I are excited to have just Aranjuez to focus in now, well I guess we still have about 5 other small pueblos, but mainly we will be here. We have a lot of potential and we are working hard to generate more progression with the investigators and to get new ones that are ready to accept the gospel. We have a few investigators with baptismal dates. Arrean (Cuba 40) , Fernando (Dominican Republic 17), Bryan (Columbia 16), and Jorge (Guinea Biseau 35).
Fernando and Jorge are really progressing, Bryan no, because he is lazy. Arrean has a lot of potential but we have lost contact with her for the past week. She finally answered her cell phone last night and went on to tell us that she has been trying to communicate with her family in Cuba, telling here that she wants to be baptized and they said that they will not support her in the decision. She didn´t give us too many details, but I want to think that she has already lost communication with them and is trying to talk through email and letters. She still thinks that being baptized is a good thing but is not sure that now is the best time if she is going to lose the relationship with her family. So please pray for her that she can come along and stick to her goal of being baptized the 27th of March.
We are trying to do all that we can to have at least 1 baptism every month, and it is so hard. But we have faith that the Lord is preparing people to be taught and all we have to do is follow the Spirit and do what is required in Preach My Gospel and the white handbook. The blessing start flowing as we do what is right all the time, and it is always worth the effort.
The new apartment is very small but all that we need. We now have privacy and are able to focus more on the Lord´s work. It in Calle Gobernador on the left handside of Caja Mar, in the plaza de la constitución, if you want to look at it. It is a 200 year old building that has been restored, so it is clean inside, but the workers that did it weren´t the smartest so there are a few hidden treasures. Under the building there are old tunnels that lead to the palace, but they have been covered up for years, to prevent access.
I love you so much and am glad to hear that all is well with you. I pray for you almost always and am grateful that the church is strong where you are. I count my blessings to have the church so close and strong where we live. I am glad that Cami, Mark, and Cari are doing well. And good luck with the computer. That doesn´t sound very good. But the bad times will pass and the good times always come.
Let the good times roll.
I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and make sure you all read your scriptures every day. I am understanding and realizing the miracles that come into my life and the lives of others if we read at least one verse of scripture every day. It is power, and without it we cannot survive.
Love, Elder Driggs
February 24, 2010
My family and friends,
I love writing and hearing how things are going every week. I, too, cannot believe that I have been out here serving our Lord for 8 months now. It is so crazy and I just hope that do the best I can because it is going by way, way, way too fast. And to be very honest, through all of the tired days where you wake up and don´t know where the night went, not knowing where you will get the strength to work all day, through all the ups and downs of having to drop some investigators and seeing others progress towards baptism, through all the struggles of living with a 160 pound tattoo on your side 24/7, as well as the constant strain, stress and pressure of trying to honorably represent the Lord, Jesus Christ and His Church, I would have to say that I am absolutely loving every single second of it.
It is so hard sometimes, but I wouldn´t want to be anywhere else. I have never felt more weak and imperfect in my life as I struggle to accomplish simple goals, but at the same time I have not achieved and personally changed more. I love the mission and I really would stay longer if I could. I love teaching the Restoration to people who have never heard about it before, to tell the first vision and to say that I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith saw what he saw, because I prayed to God wanting to know if it is true, and he told me it was so. What a blessing the mission is and I wish sometimes I could take more advantage that I actually do, but I guess that is the imperfect self that I am. Nevertheless, I try hard and when I fall I get right back up and try again, every day I try a little bit better to be the missionary that the Lord and Heavenly Father sent me to be.
Well those are my thoughts on the mission 8 months in. Time is going by fast and I want to make every moment worthwhile. I can´t waste a bit. The good news is that Ernesto is going to get baptized this Saturday and he is very excited. He is way to easy. We just teach him and he does it. I wish, and we are actually praying a lot for the cause, that we could find more investigators like him.
I had a story to tell you last week but the time ran out and I couldn´t finish it.
So about 3 or 4 weeks ago, we were walking up this huge hill in Ciempozuelos and we stopped a women and started talking to here. We introduced ourselves and we found out that she was from Poland and had lived here for about 3 years. Here Spanish was okay and luckily we could at least communicate. So I explained that we were here sharing a message that can really benefit all the families in Ciempozeulos and that it will bring a lot of peace and happiness in your life. She looked at me funny and asked again who we were, and I answered, well we are missionaries from America, trying to help people with there problems. I explained to here that we go to peoples houses and share this message with them. She then awkwardly asked, well how much does it cost? I answered with a smile, it is free señora.
I was sooo happy because after that she looked very interested and I immediately asked here for her number and address. She freely gave it to us and we said goodbye, telling her that we would call here within a week to schedule a time to come back. As soon as my companion and I were out of earshot of her, Elder Dawson busted up laughing. I was really confused and started questioning his radical and unnecessary laughter after such a miracle contact. He then proceeded to explain that every time I said message she did not hear message but understood messaje. In Spanish these two words are different by only one letter, mensaje or a message like the Gospel, and mesaje, or like a muscle rub thing. So we both laughed pretty hard knowing that when two people, who speak Spanish as a second language, talk to each other, misunderstanding is bound to occur.
So that was our funny story. I can assure you that we ARE missionaries who preach the gospel and we are not going door to door offering free messajes to people to help them with their problems. Although that would work ;) Just kidding. HAHA
I have now run out of time and I hope that all goes well this week and that you keep doing was is right. I love having peace of mind that all is well in Zion, or at home. I love you all very much, am trying to honor the family name, and pray for you always. Thank you for your continued prayers for Ernesto and the many others that are on the border of baptism. I shall hope to inform you more in the following week about the other investigadores and people with baptismal dates that we have.
I LOVE YOU!!!!
Love,
Rob
Élder Driggs
I love writing and hearing how things are going every week. I, too, cannot believe that I have been out here serving our Lord for 8 months now. It is so crazy and I just hope that do the best I can because it is going by way, way, way too fast. And to be very honest, through all of the tired days where you wake up and don´t know where the night went, not knowing where you will get the strength to work all day, through all the ups and downs of having to drop some investigators and seeing others progress towards baptism, through all the struggles of living with a 160 pound tattoo on your side 24/7, as well as the constant strain, stress and pressure of trying to honorably represent the Lord, Jesus Christ and His Church, I would have to say that I am absolutely loving every single second of it.
It is so hard sometimes, but I wouldn´t want to be anywhere else. I have never felt more weak and imperfect in my life as I struggle to accomplish simple goals, but at the same time I have not achieved and personally changed more. I love the mission and I really would stay longer if I could. I love teaching the Restoration to people who have never heard about it before, to tell the first vision and to say that I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith saw what he saw, because I prayed to God wanting to know if it is true, and he told me it was so. What a blessing the mission is and I wish sometimes I could take more advantage that I actually do, but I guess that is the imperfect self that I am. Nevertheless, I try hard and when I fall I get right back up and try again, every day I try a little bit better to be the missionary that the Lord and Heavenly Father sent me to be.
Well those are my thoughts on the mission 8 months in. Time is going by fast and I want to make every moment worthwhile. I can´t waste a bit. The good news is that Ernesto is going to get baptized this Saturday and he is very excited. He is way to easy. We just teach him and he does it. I wish, and we are actually praying a lot for the cause, that we could find more investigators like him.
I had a story to tell you last week but the time ran out and I couldn´t finish it.
So about 3 or 4 weeks ago, we were walking up this huge hill in Ciempozuelos and we stopped a women and started talking to here. We introduced ourselves and we found out that she was from Poland and had lived here for about 3 years. Here Spanish was okay and luckily we could at least communicate. So I explained that we were here sharing a message that can really benefit all the families in Ciempozeulos and that it will bring a lot of peace and happiness in your life. She looked at me funny and asked again who we were, and I answered, well we are missionaries from America, trying to help people with there problems. I explained to here that we go to peoples houses and share this message with them. She then awkwardly asked, well how much does it cost? I answered with a smile, it is free señora.
I was sooo happy because after that she looked very interested and I immediately asked here for her number and address. She freely gave it to us and we said goodbye, telling her that we would call here within a week to schedule a time to come back. As soon as my companion and I were out of earshot of her, Elder Dawson busted up laughing. I was really confused and started questioning his radical and unnecessary laughter after such a miracle contact. He then proceeded to explain that every time I said message she did not hear message but understood messaje. In Spanish these two words are different by only one letter, mensaje or a message like the Gospel, and mesaje, or like a muscle rub thing. So we both laughed pretty hard knowing that when two people, who speak Spanish as a second language, talk to each other, misunderstanding is bound to occur.
So that was our funny story. I can assure you that we ARE missionaries who preach the gospel and we are not going door to door offering free messajes to people to help them with their problems. Although that would work ;) Just kidding. HAHA
I have now run out of time and I hope that all goes well this week and that you keep doing was is right. I love having peace of mind that all is well in Zion, or at home. I love you all very much, am trying to honor the family name, and pray for you always. Thank you for your continued prayers for Ernesto and the many others that are on the border of baptism. I shall hope to inform you more in the following week about the other investigadores and people with baptismal dates that we have.
I LOVE YOU!!!!
Love,
Rob
Élder Driggs
February 17, 2010
Dearest family ever,
I heard some crazy news yesterday from one of our zone leaders. I am not
sure if it is rumor or fact, but he said something to the fact that either
President Watkins has decided or he has received news from general
authorities that missionaries might be in the same area there whole mission
unless 1 of 5 events occur. I am not sure what those five things are but I
find it interesting that they are encouraging so much to not transfer so
regularly. I can see many benefits from this and in some ways I would love
to serve here in Aranjuez for the rest of my mission. We shall see what
happens.
I am sure you heard about the death of the 2 missionaries in Romania. I
heard the news about 2 weeks ago and on Sunday I asked President Watkins, as
he was visiting our branch, if he knew any information as to whom they were.
From the brief profile information that he gave me I realized that one of
them was Elder Mckay Burrows. I was really shocked to hear this as Mckay was
a member of my BYU ward for fall and winter semesters last year and lived 3
doors down from me. I think he was there the night that I opened my mission
call and He entered the MTC in provo about 3 weeks before me. We saw each
other a bunch in the MTC and the day before I left for Spain we ran into
each other and took a picture together in front of the statue of the 2
missionaries riding bikes. He was a great guy and it is kind of freaky and
sad to hear the startling news. Luckily, there is no better news than the
plan of salvation and to know that he was doing the Lord´s work. I was
thinking about writing a letter to his mom and then sending it to you and
you could send it to her with that photo. You should have it on one of those
cd´s. I hope to do that soon, not knowing when I will have time.
Thank you for all of the *prayers and* thoughts. They mean a lot and make a
difference.
I love the theme of the Prophet President Hinckley, Carry On.
Love
Rob
I heard some crazy news yesterday from one of our zone leaders. I am not
sure if it is rumor or fact, but he said something to the fact that either
President Watkins has decided or he has received news from general
authorities that missionaries might be in the same area there whole mission
unless 1 of 5 events occur. I am not sure what those five things are but I
find it interesting that they are encouraging so much to not transfer so
regularly. I can see many benefits from this and in some ways I would love
to serve here in Aranjuez for the rest of my mission. We shall see what
happens.
I am sure you heard about the death of the 2 missionaries in Romania. I
heard the news about 2 weeks ago and on Sunday I asked President Watkins, as
he was visiting our branch, if he knew any information as to whom they were.
From the brief profile information that he gave me I realized that one of
them was Elder Mckay Burrows. I was really shocked to hear this as Mckay was
a member of my BYU ward for fall and winter semesters last year and lived 3
doors down from me. I think he was there the night that I opened my mission
call and He entered the MTC in provo about 3 weeks before me. We saw each
other a bunch in the MTC and the day before I left for Spain we ran into
each other and took a picture together in front of the statue of the 2
missionaries riding bikes. He was a great guy and it is kind of freaky and
sad to hear the startling news. Luckily, there is no better news than the
plan of salvation and to know that he was doing the Lord´s work. I was
thinking about writing a letter to his mom and then sending it to you and
you could send it to her with that photo. You should have it on one of those
cd´s. I hope to do that soon, not knowing when I will have time.
Thank you for all of the *prayers and* thoughts. They mean a lot and make a
difference.
I love the theme of the Prophet President Hinckley, Carry On.
Love
Rob
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