March 23, 2010

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