June 2, 2010

Dear Family,

Wow, what a week I have had. It has gone by so fast and yet so slow as well. It is weird how the time goes by in the mission. They told me in the MTC that the weeks are like days and the days are like weeks. In some ways that saying has a lot a sense in the mission.

So where to start...

Well, first of all, last Thursday was a great day. Elder Caussé came to visit us and we learned a bunch. I had a sacred experience there and really felt as if it was the Savior talking to us and not Elder Caussé. I felt his humble spirit and his humble desire to serve the Lord in all ways, and what he said was confirmed by the Holy Ghost and we knew that it was what we needed as a mission.

After we ate in the MTC, after having this 4 hour meeting with him in that intimate setting of only 12 people. As Elder Moreno and I were walking over to the distribution center with Elder Carr and Elder Jackson, a former Assistant, I saw someone very familiar. Immediately I called out,¨Kathryn.¨ She started running over, stopped about 10 feet from me and then asked, can I give you a hug? I asked Elder Jackson and he said no...he is just a fun sucker...haha not really. So I had to give her a handshake, really weird, but whatever. She looked great! and really happy and bubbly as usual.

After talking with her, Elder Moreno commented to me how her accent was very good, muy española (very Spanish). Even though she only said about one sentence in Spanish. But it was way fun just talking with her for about 10-15 minutes. She told me that all is well with her family so that is great news. I am glad she is having such a great experience there... I mean here.

It was kind of funny because Elder Carr was right there the whole time, and about after 5 minutes he asked her, you look way familiar. She said the same thing to him, but couldn´t find a real connection other than a few common friends. The next day Elder Carr called me and said that he had been thinking all day, trying to figure out where he had met her and known her before. He told me that he had actually had a couple of classes with her at BYU and had done a few labs with her. He even went on a double date with her friend, while she went with his best friend. So he called me and joked around that he is going to marry her when he gets back.

Ahh, there just isn´t enough time to write you all that has happened in this last week. Before I forget, I LOVE the package you sent me. There was TONS of music. Oh my gosh. So I will be enjoying that for the rest of my mission. Thank you so much. Also for the contacts, clothes, and socks. The cook book will be put to use today as I buy the necessary ingredients for Dorito Mash, and hopefully I can get some other things made this week. I can´t wait to use it. I also always love reading the newsletter while eating frutties, haha. Those potato things from Idaho look very tasty, and even more exciting, very easy to make. Thank you so much Mom and Cari for doing that. And thanks for sending it Dad.

As to the report that you have to make the coming Sunday Dad, you can say what you wish. I just had the thought of maybe telling them that the Lord has strengthened me and helped me grow and do, really everything in this sacred calling. I try to do my best, but am still far from perfect, but it is added testimony and evidence that the Lord works through His servants that are humble, strive to do His will the best they can, and are worthy, to work His miracles among His children. I have seen so many miracles during this first year and I know that He has magnified me to be a mighty instrument in His hands. All it requires is a willing heart and worthy soul. I don´t know if this will help, but your good at things like this.

I had a very special and spiritual experience this last Saturday that I want to tell you about before I run out of time. Elder Moreno and I were invited by a couple in the ward that was going to be sealed together and with their 8 year old son. We have visited them a lot and they are just great. So we have been encouraging them to receive their endowment and be sealed. They invited us to their endowment session and to their sealing on Saturday. We went and the whole thing was just so excited and so...spiritual. I felt the Spirit very strong in the session, especially as it was their first time. They were so willing to take upon themselves added covenants and it reminded me a lot of when I went to the temple for the first time. It was very special when the temple Presidente and his wife helped the couple at the veil.

The sealing was exceptional and the first time since Mark that I have been in a live sealing. I did some in behalf of the dead before the mission and was a witness a few times here in Madrid when they lacked workers. I really can´t express the feelings that I had in that room, but watching the temple President, thinking of when Mom and Dad getting married and sealed by President Eyering, surely I was there watching on; and then letting their son come in to join them at the alter took me back, and I was able to imagine myself there at a similar alter 3 times, and having the same privilege of having a forever family.

It was incredible. I saw the exquisite happiness of those parents and the innocence of the child, not really knowing what they were doing. I just said a big prayer of gratitude to my Father in Heaven for sending me to a family, even though the way was different than the normal way, but to a family, to parents who were worthy and desirous to have children born in the covenant. I can´t imagine the happiness you must have had and still have to know that no matter what happens in this life, if some of us leave this earthly home earlier than others, it would only be a matter of time until we would unite again.

What a special and most sacred blessing to be sealed to my best friends forever. I, like Elder Holland says on the temple open house video, can´t imagine heaven without my family. The family is so important and I gained a added perspective of that sacred social unit from God. No wonder the devil is trying to attack it so much, and no wonder why almost every talk in this last General Conference was protecting it.

It really just made me want to do all I can to help my family be worthy so that all of us can make it back together. So, after all of that rambling, I just want to thank you, Mom and Dad, for living worthy lives to have made those eternal promises in the Salt Lake Temple some 25 years ago. Thank you for adopting me into your family, and thank you so much for sealing me to you, as well as Cami, and Mark. It was a little easier with Cari, haha. But I thank you for doing all that you have done for me. I didn´t realize how special those days must have been, but know I am beginning to understand.

I hope that you have a great week. Keep doing the little things, so that we can enjoy the big things later. The zone conference was splendid and I felt your prayers. Thank you for praying for me and I felt their help.

I love you all.

Elder Driggs