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