October 6, 2010

Mi Querido Familia,

Esta semana ha sido una semana muy buena. Me encant'o la carta de Marcos. Me dio mucha alegria de escucharle.

Ahora en ingles, para no molestarles m'as.

This week has been great. I have been a little sick, mainly just a cold and the sniffles, but other than that we are trying to help people progress towards baptism. It was sooo much fun going to conference. I have explained to you the schedule in past emails, but basically there is one session in the evening on Saturday, and priesthood and two more on Sunday.We don't get the priviledge of hearing the last session because it starts at 10 and ends and 12 at night. We went Saturday night with a less active 14 year old from Ecuador, and right when I got off the metro on Saturday I saw Gina, and two other sisters from Aranjuez. I was thinking I was going to see them that weekend but not so soon. I was so happy to see them. It has been so long since I have seen them and after 9 months of being around them, you forget a little bit how much you love them. It was especially nice to see Gina, that she is active and that she is participating and has friends in the Relief Society.

I don't think that I told you but about 3 months ago, President Watkins pulled the missionaries out of Aranjuez. This was a semi surprise to me, but I know why. President Watkins has been threatening the units, wards and branches in the mission, that if they don't meet certain requirements, like weekly coordination meetings, weekly ward coucil meetings, ward missionaries, ward mission leader, and a actual and functioning ward mission plan, than he will take the missionaries out. He has sent letters to the presidents and bishops of every branch and ward and many have lost missionaries and those missionaries have gone to other areas where the units function better.

Aranjuez was always, in a way, exempt from this consequence because of the amount of baptisms. There was branch support, but for example home teachers, and others organizations didn't work like they should. So he took the missionaries out. I was obviously worried because of the recent converts there without missionaries visiting them. So with that in mind it was a treat to see Gina there super active. She and Ronny and the entire family came Sunday to the 6 o clock session and it was soooo nice to see them and talk with them. Even though there wasn't much time, they are wonderful.

Of course the first question I asked Gina was if they were still planning on getting sealed. She told me, claro, Elder. I asked her about tithing, as I knew that would be one of the hardest requirements for them and she told me that she is paying for the family, even though she is not working. Its harder for Ronny to pay tithing, but she is doing it because if not, they will not be able be sealed as a family. She is very, very special. She told me that she is having family night almost every week. And their 11 year old son told me that they are having daily family scripture study, and just the 4 of them, when Ronny is not there. He also said that he is reading the Book of Mormon personally. Gina told me that her daughter Naomi, 13, I think, likes Young Women, went to there form of Girls Camp, learned the standards of how to dress, and feels really close to her young women's leader.

I was sooo happy to hear from them and could talk to them forever. I sadly heard, that Michael Alvarez is inactive, not going to church, but that his dad wants to get baptized as well as his little brother Gerald. So that was the Aranjuez scoop. The whole time seeing them made me desire more baptisms. We need to work harder and are very excited that we are going to get a new ward mission leader. He is phenomenal. He was an assistant in his mission 15 years ago and is a fantastic person. I will be talking in Sacrament meeting this Sunday with him and one of the sister missionaries. I feel that this ward is about to explode with baptisms, now that we have everything that we need for the ward to be ready and prepared for more people to enter it.

I love you all and hope that you enjoyed conference. I love living in Utah, and being able to go to the Conference Center, and say that I have been there. It made me just a tad bit trunky, because I love going to the conference center and watching it and being with Dad, Mark and Granddad and the boys at Priesthood. But those times will come again. There is certainly no rush.

Favorite talks, President Uchtdorf, Elder Nelson, Elder Jensen, and of course all of President Monson's. I listened to all of the sessions in spanish except for Priesthood. It just isn't the same in Spanish, especially after knowing how their voices sound in English.

A little not for Cami, I now have a letter written from Elder Gomez, and Elder Cerro from Argentina, who lives with us is also going to write you, I think, so we are going to send these letters to you soon. I love you Cami.

And Mark thank you for writing. I love you too.

Thank you for all of your prayers and endless love,

With all the love that I possess,

Elder Driggs

P.S.Almost the whole time while listening to Elder Holland talk about parents sacrificing I thought about you two, Mom and Dad. I believe that the only thing I can say to you is...thank you. Thank you for sacrificing everything for me. I really am grateful for that sacrifice and will try to show that gratitude more each and every day through my efforts. Thank you o Muchisimas Gracias como dicen aqui en Espana.